cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor in Cancer and Stromal Cells: Functions and Novel Therapeutic Perspectives

Estrogen is involved in numerous physiological and pathophysiological systems. Its role in driving estrogen receptor-expressing breast cancers is well established, but it also has important roles in a number of other cancers, acting both on tumor cells directly as well as in the function of multiple cells of the tumor microenvironment, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and adipocytes, which can greatly impact carcinogenesis. One of its receptors, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), has gained much interest over the last decade in both health and disease. Increasing evidence shows that GPER contributes to clinically observed endocrine therapy resistance in breast cancer while also playing a complex role in a number of other cancers. Recent discoveries regarding the targeting of GPER in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition, particularly in melanoma, have led to the initiation of the first Phase I clinical trial for the GPER-selective agonist G-1. Furthermore, its functions in metabolism and corresponding pathophysiological states, such as obesity and diabetes, are becoming more evident and suggest additional therapeutic value in targeting GPER for both cancer and other diseases. Here, we highlight the roles of GPER in several cancers, as well as in metabolism and immune regulation, and discuss the therapeutic value of targeting this estrogen receptor as a potential treatment for cancer as well as contributing metabolic and inflammatory diseases and conditions.
High spatial-resolution has little impact on NDVI mean value of UAV-based individual tree-level mapping: evidence from 9 field tests and implications

The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) has been commonly used for vegetation monitoring, such as water stress detection, crop yield assessment, and evapotranspiration estimation. However, the influence of spatial resolution on the individual tree level NDVI using the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is poorly understood. Therefore, in this research, the effects of the spatial resolution of UAV imagery are investigated using high-resolution multispectral images. A temporal sequence of UAV multispectral imagery was collected over an experimental pomegranate field, capturing variations in the whole growing season of 2019, at the USDAARS (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center in Parlier, California, USA. The NDVI distribution of individual trees was generated at the 60 m, 90 m, and 120 m spatial resolution. Experimental results indicated how the spatial resolution of UAV imagery could affect NDVI values of individual trees.
Addressing Wealth Disparities: Reimagining Wealth Taxation as a Tool for Building Wealth

In the past three decades, research has indicated that the building of assets can have a sustainable impact on well-being. Yet to the extent that the tax system has incorporated this insight, it has been done in a piecemeal, ad hoc fashion, disproportionately benefiting those with wealth and further reinforcing wealth inequality. This paper argues that while reducing wealth concentrations is important, there should be an increased emphasis on how our tax system can build wealth or, put differently, level up. While the problem of wealth disparities may be too large for any one part of the federal policy toolkit to solve, I argue that the tax system can and should play a vital role.
Rethinking the Local Therapy of Breast Cancer: Integration of Biology and Anatomy

Local control has traditionally been considered a function of disease burden. Local control is now known to differ among biologic subtypes of breast cancer and is greatly improved with the use of systemic therapy. This offers opportunities for decreasing the morbidity of treatment and individualizing local therapy. The use of smaller margins in breast-conserving surgery and elimination of axillary dissection for some node-positive breast cancer patients are current examples of leveraging the benefits of systemic therapy to reduce surgery. Emerging evidence indicates that molecular profiling can identify patients at high and low risk for locoregional recurrence after surgery in a more accurate way than tumor burden, potentially allowing individualization of the use of postmastectomy and comprehensive node field irradiation. Future clinical trials should incorporate both disease burden and molecular profiling when examining treatment strategies.
Minimum outage probability routing and power allocation in wireless ad-hoc networks

We address the minimum outage probability problem for unicast communication in quasistatic networks when total power consumption is constrained. We use relay-channel signaling rather than traditional multihop routing. Under the assumptions that carrier level synchronization is not available and every intermediate node uses a decode-forward scheme, we show that for any node the interference from other unintended transmissions is effectively cancelled out even if all communications share one common physical medium. We show that any optimal relaying structure can be converted to a sequential path, for which we find a simple optimal power-allocation policy. Finding an optimal sequential path is still complex, and we therefore present two polynomial heuristic algorithms. Our simulation results show that they achieve exceptional outage performance and can obtain gains up to 4.5 dB and 6 dB respectively for outage probability 10/sup -3/.
A Transformative Biblical Encounter: The Garden of Eden in How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one Seuss story that receives considerable critical attention with regards to its message of morality. Most studies on it, however, finds that Seuss subtly skirted the religious implications of the widely celebrated holiday, instead focusing on commercialism, the community, and the thankfulness that Christmas promotes. But although How the Grinch Stole Christmas does not contain any overtly Christian messages, the book, extended and intensified by the animated television special, does employ Biblical imagery. This imagery serves to characterize the Grinch and the Whos and to create parallelism between Seuss’s Christmas story and the Book of Genesis story of the loss of innocence.
A comparison of media frames in print vs. television news: an examination of the Elijah Page death penalty case in South Dakota

This study aims to determine the frames used during the South Dakota news media coverage of the Elijah Page death penalty case and detect patterns of frame usage, valence of news coverage and source usage. A content analysis of 163 South Dakota news reports from three years of news media coverage was conducted. The study found that the procedural frame was used most often in the South Dakota news media coverage of the Elijah Page death penalty case, followed by the morality frame and then the distributive justice frame. The media used, whether newspaper or television broadcast, did not significantly affect the frame usage. The frames used, however, did differ by year of coverage. The valence of coverage was found to be mostly neutral, with increases in positive and negative valence as the death penalty case entered its last year of coverage. Analysis of the source usage during the death penalty coverage of the Elijah Page case found that there was overreliance on official sources, such as state elected officials and law enforcement. Trends in source use also revealed that the frames shifted depending on the source cited in the news media coverage. This study concludes that while coverage was overall neutral and objective, the overreliance of one source over another may have affected the framing of the news media coverage of the Elijah Page case in South Dakota. Overall, the findings support claims that the sources cited in media coverage can affect the framing of the news report.
A simulation approach for cellular manufacturing system design and analysis

1. Abstract Often, real world decisions require some degree of human judgment. These decisions may require a set of tools that can assist the decision maker. Simulation modeling, MRP, MRPII, decision trees, and linear programming are some examples of the types of tools used for Decision Support Systems. This chapter presents the application of linear programming to develop a methodology that uses design and manufacturing attributes to form machining cells. The methodology is implemented in four phases. In Phase I, parts are coded based on the proposed coding system. In Phase II, parts are grouped into families based on their design and manufacturing dissimilarities. In Phase III, the optimum number of resources (e.g., machines, tools, and fixtures) are determined and grouped into manufacturing cells based on relevant operational costs and the various cells are assigned part families. Finally, in Phase IV, a simulation model of the proposed system is built and analyzed. This model is executed so that data from the proposed system may be gathered and evaluated to justify the feasibility of the system by introducing real-world scenarios such as breakdown, maintenance, and on-off shifts. The developed mathematical and simulation models are used to solve a sample production problem. The results from these models are compared, and are used to justify the final design of the cell. By using these modeling techniques and tools, cellular manufacturing systems can be designed, analyzed, and finally optimized.
Master–Worker: An Enabling Framework for Applications on the Computational Grid

The goal of this work is to create a tool that allows users to easily distribute large scientific computations on computational grids. Our tool MW relies on the simple master–worker paradigm. MW provides both a top Level interface to application software and a bottom Level interface to existing Grid computing toolkits. Both interfaces are briefly described. We conclude with a case study, where the necessary Grid services are provided by the Condor high-throughput computing system, and the MW-enabled application code is used to solve a combinatorial optimization problem of unprecedented complexity.
What Technology Do Tomorrow’s Science Teachers Need to Know? Commentary: A Response to Henriques

In 1985, my superintendent was among the most reluctant when it came to introducing new teaching technologies. He was about to retire, but he had been “around the block” several times with new teaching ideas. I was a front-running innovator with one of only a few district computers in my classroom—an Apple II. My fifth graders and I were learning Basic programming, creating Print Shop graphics, and exploring sensors with toy robots. Once I learned we could program robots on the computers (with LegoTC Logo), I wanted to assemble a computer lab. Of course, I had to convince the superintendent, and he thought of classroom computers as an expensive, new-fangled novelty. “You mark my words,” he shook his finger at me, “Someday all these computers will be stacked up in a storage closet with the overhead projectors.” Well, we got our lab—and now those Apple IIs are stored away, just as he predicted, but newer computer models and other electronic teaching tools have taken their place. We are in, after all, the Information Age. Now, as a science teacher educator, I wonder about what technologies my future-teacher students need to know.
Petite and sectored induction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by propidium iodide: synergistic effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Abstract Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was examined for its effect on petite and sectored colony induction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by propidium iodide (PI) and ethidium bromide (EB). 4-h cultivation with 100 μM PI and 100 μg/ml SDS resulted in vitrually all plated cells growing as sectored colonies with no decrease in viability. Sectored colonies are mixed colonies comprised of respiratory deficient and competent cells believed to be derived from an unstable respiratory deficient cell. Further cultivation with PI and SDS prior to plating led to induction of complete petite colonies with a rapid decrease in viable cells. PI alone at this concentration exhibited weak induction of sectored colonies (macimum 112.3% at 8 h) and petite colonies (macimum 10.8% at 12 h), but SDS alone caused induction of neither. 50 μM PI had almost the same activity as 100 μM except for a delay in the induction of sectored colonies in the initial stage, and a decreased rate of petite colony induction. The effects of 20 μM PI and SDS were much lower than that by 50 μM and no inhibition of growth was observed. 10 μM PI was quite inactive even in the presence of SDS. Under resting conditions, 10 ∼ 100 μM PI and 100 μg/ml SDS induced about 60% sectored colonies at 12 h incubation and more than 60% petite colonies at 24 h. After 6 h incubation, decrease in survival was also observed.
The Role of PENNYWISE and POUND-FOOLISH in the Maintenance of the Shoot Apical Meristem in Arabidopsis

Growth of the aerial part of the plant is dependent upon the maintenance of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). A balance between the self-renewing stem cells in the central zone (CZ) and organogenesis in the peripheral zone (PZ) is essential for the integrity, function, and maintenance of the SAM. Understanding how the SAM maintains a balance between stem cell perpetuation and organogenesis is a central question in plant biology. Two related BELL1-like homeodomain proteins, PENNYWISE (PNY) and POUND-FOOLISH (PNF), act to specify floral meristems during reproductive development. However, genetic studies also show that PNY and PNF regulate the maintenance of the SAM. To understand the role of PNY and PNF in meristem maintenance, the expression patterns for genes that specifically localize to the peripheral and central regions of the SAM were examined in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Results from these experiments indicate that the integrity of the CZ is impaired in pny pnf plants, which alters the balance of stem cell renewal and organogenesis. As a result, pools of CZ cells may be allocated into initiating leaf primordia. Consistent with these results, the integrity of the central region of pny pnf SAMs can be partially restored by increasing the size of the CZ. Interestingly, flower specification is also reestablished by augmenting the size of the SAM in pny pnf plants. Taken together, we propose that PNY and PNF act to restrict organogenesis to the PZ by maintaining a boundary between the CZ and PZ.
Loss of RecA Function Affects the Ability of Escherichia coli to Maintain Recombinant Plasmids Containing a Ter Site

In the Escherichia coli chromosome, DNA replication forks arrested by a Tus-Ter complex or by DNA damage are reinitiated through pathways that involve RecA and numerous other recombination functions. To examine the role of recombination in the processing of replication forks arrested by a Tus-Ter complex, the requirements for recombination-associated gene products were assessed in cells carrying Ter plasmids, i.e., plasmids that contain a Ter site oriented to block DNA replication. Of the E. coli recombination functions tested, only loss of recA conferred an observable phenotype on cells containing a Ter plasmid, which was inefficient transformation and reduced ability to maintain a Ter plasmid when Tus was expressed. Given the current understanding of replication reinitiation, the simplest explanation for the restriction of Ter plasmid maintenance was a reduced ability to restart plasmid replication in a recA tus(+) background. However, we were unable to detect a difference in the efficiency of replication arrest by Tus in recA-proficient and recA-deficient cells, which suggests that the inability to restart arrested replication forks is not the cause of the restriction on growth, but is due to an additional function provided by RecA. Other explanations for restriction of Ter plasmid maintenance were examined, including plasmid multimerization, plasmid rearrangements, and copy number differences. The most likely cause of the restriction on Ter plasmid maintenance was a reduced copy number in recA cells that was detected when the copy number was measured in relation to an external control. Possibly, loss of RecA function leads to improper processing of replication forks arrested at a Ter site, leading to the generation of degradation-prone substrates.
Design and Hydrodynamic Performance of Hybrid Flexural Pivot Gas Bearings for High Speed Oil-Free Micro Turbomachinery

This paper introduces new flexural pivot tilting pad gas bearings for high speed oil-free micro turbomachinery. The new flexural pivot tilting pad gas bearings have a special web geometry that provides a radial stiffness to accommodate rotor growths and high vibrations at critical speed, a pitching stiffness to accommodate rotor-bearing misalignments or rotor bending vibrations, and a very small tilting stiffness for rotor stability. Comprehensive numerical simulations involving orbit simulations and coast-down simulations were performed to investigate the effects of preloads and pivot offsets on the critical speeds and onset speeds of instability. Higher preload and pivot offset increased both critical speeds of the rotor-bearing system and onset speeds of instability due to the increased wedge effect. Design procedures of radial stiffness were presented considering both rotor centrifugal and thermal growths. From simple adiabatic solution of temperature distribution of gas film under pure hydrodynamic mode, enough bearing clearance at pivot was found to be a very important design aspect for high speed hydrodynamic gas bearings. Asymmetric radial stiffness was chosen as a final design to meet the target design speed of 180 krpm for bearing diameter of 28.52mm. Suggested tilting pad gas bearing with asymmetric radial stiffness was predicted to be very stable even under high external destabilizing forces.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Psychotropic Drug-Induced Sexual Function Disorders Diagnosis, Incidence and Management

The human sexual response can be divided into 3 phases: desire (libido), excitement (arousal) and orgasm. The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies sexual disorders into 4 categories: (i) primary; (ii) general medical condition-related; (iii) substance-induced; and (iv) ‘not otherwise specified’ sexual dysfunctions. Each of the 4 DSM-IV categories has disorders in all 3 sexual phases.
NON-SYNDROMIC POLYATRESIA EXTREMUS INVOLVING THE CHOANAE, ESOPHAGUS, DUODENUM AND ANUS. † 479

NON-SYNDROMIC POLYATRESIA EXTREMUS INVOLVING THE CHOANAE, ESOPHAGUS, DUODENUM AND ANUS. † 479
THE EFFECT OF PERSONALITY ON PERCEPTIONS OF JUSTICE

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the effect that work locus of control has on perceptions of trust, perceived organizational support, procedural justice and interactional justice.Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 679 alumni of a university in the Southwestern USA. Regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test a series of hypotheses.Findings – The results indicate that work locus of control has a significant positive relationship on all variables. Perceived organizational support fully mediated the relationship between work locus of control and perceptions of both procedural and interactional justice. Organizational trust fully mediated the relationship between work locus of control and interactional justice, but only partially mediated the relationship between work locus of control and procedural justice.Research limitations/implications – The data used in this paper are cross‐sectional. Also, results are based on self‐report survey dat...
Group protocol to mitigate disaster stress and enhance social support in adolescents exposed to Hurricane Hugo.

Literature reports that cognitive understanding and social support can mitigate stress in both adults and adolescents. As a subcomponent of the Carolina Adolescent Health Project (CAHP), this research evaluated the efficacy of a Cognitive Social Support (CSS) group protocol designed to mitigate the disaster stress of adolescents who had been exposed seriously to Hurricane Hugo. A purposive sample of 259 students participated in and evaluated the CSS. This article reports the specific structure, content, process, rationale, and cost of the CSS. Evaluations indicated that 82 % of the students evaluated the small-group component of the CSS as “very good” or “excellent,” while 70% rated the large-group component as “very good” or “excellent.”
Language Differentiation: Collaborative Translation to Support Bilingual Reading

Although a variety of research has investigated the use and benefits of home language in school settings, research on using translation to support school learning is scarce. With the goal of designing a differentiated and culturally relevant strategy that supports the reading of bilingual students, we worked with seventh-grade students in pull-out settings. After reading narrative texts, we invited students to collaboratively translate and evaluate thematically connected excerpts. Using distributed cognition and distributed expertise as a theoretical perspective, this qualitative case study shows that collaborative translation made student expertise visible and mediated the way that students participated and negotiated meaning.
HLA antigen and NK cell activating ligand expression in malignant cells: a story of loss or acquisition

Malignant transformation of cells is often associated with changes in classical and non-classical HLA class I antigen, HLA class II antigen as well as NK cell activating ligand (NKCAL) expression. These changes are believed to play a role in the clinical course of the disease since these molecules are critical to the interactions between tumor cells and components of both innate and adaptive immune system. For some time, it has been assumed that alterations in the expression profile of HLA antigens and NKCAL on malignant cells represented loss of classical HLA class I antigen and induction of HLA class II antigen, non-classical HLA class I antigen and/or NKCAL expression. In contrast to these assumptions, experimental evidence suggests that in some cases dysplastic and malignant cells can acquire classical HLA class I antigen expression and/or lose the ability to express HLA class II antigens. In light of the latter findings as well as of the revival of the cancer immune surveillance theory, a reevaluation of the interpretation of changes in HLA antigen and NKCAL expression in malignant lesions is warranted. In this article, we first briefly describe the conventional types of changes in HLA antigen and NKCAL expression that have been identified in malignant cells to date. Second, we discuss the evidence indicating that, in at least some cell types, classical HLA class I antigen expression can be acquired and/or the ability to express HLA class II antigens is lost. Third, we review the available evidence for the role of immune selective pressure in the generation of malignant lesions with changes in HLA antigen expression. This information contributes to our understanding of the role of the immune system in the control of tumor development and to the optimization of the design of immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer.
Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis and treatment: a survey of members of the American Society For Surgery of the Hand.

Purpose In 2007 and 2009, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons released Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for diagnosis and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) based upon review of the literature. The lack of consistently high-level evidence resulted in several recommendations, some strongly supported, some weakly supported, and others controversial. We postulated that a survey of American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) members would provide insight into practice patterns among hand surgeons treating CTS and demonstrate the extent to which the CPG influenced practice behavior. Methods A multiple-choice questionnaire including detailed commonly observed clinical scenarios was developed, pre-tested, and approved by our institutional review board and the ASSH Web site committee chair. An anonymous electronic survey was emailed to ASSH members. Results Surveys were sent to 2,650 eligible ASSH members, and 27% responded. Seventy-two percent would advise a patient to have carpal tunnel release (CTR) if the patient had both classic history/examination of CTS and complete relief following cortisone injection. Forty-seven percent responded that in this scenario electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) is rarely or never necessary to recommend CTR. Seventy-nine percent of respondents were at least slightly more likely to order EDX based on CPG recommendations. Of these respondents, 57% replied that this was because of potential medicolegal ramifications. Conclusions Although the CPG recommended EDX before surgery, and although most responding ASSH members use EDX to advise CTR, a majority answered that a supporting history and physical examination alone can be sufficient to recommend surgery, that a positive response to a cortisone injection can be sufficient indication for CTR, that EDX is not necessary in all cases of CTS, and that they would perform CTR in face of normal EDX if cortisone temporarily resolved symptoms. Among respondents more likely to order EDX based on the CPG, 57% answered that it was in some circumstances due to potential medicolegal ramifications. Type of study/level of evidence Economic and decision analysis III.
Torsion constraints and super Riemann surfaces.

Super Riemann surfaces are the arena for two-dimensional superconformal field theory. They can be regarded as smooth 212-dimensional supermanifolds equipped with a reduction of their structure group to the group of upper triangular 2 × 2 complex matrices. The integrability conditions for such a reduction turn out to be (most of) the famous torsion constraints of 2d supergravity. The other torsion constraints are merely conditions to fix some of the gauge freedom in this description, or to specify a particular connection on such a manifold, analogous to the Levi-Ci vita connection in Riemannian geometry. Unlike ordinary Riemann surfaces, a super Riemann surface \(\hat{X}\) cannot be regarded as having only one complex dimension; instead it has one commuting and one anticommuting complex coordinate. Nevertheless, in certain important aspects SRS behave as nicely as if they had only one dimension. In particular they possess an analog of the Cauchy-Riemann operator \(\bar{\partial }\) on an ordinary Riemann surface X. The latter is a first-order differential operator with values in a canonical line bundle ω o Ω1X over the surface; this bundle in turn is in a sense a square root of the bundle of volume forms. Similarly super Riemann surfaces have a canonically-defined first-order operator \(\hat{\bar{\partial }}\) taking values in the bundle \(\hat{\omega } \equiv BER{{\Omega }^{1}}\hat{X}\) of half-volume forms. This observation allows us to write a superstring world-sheet action depending only on a “superconformal structure” analogous to a conformal structure on an ordinary 2-surface. Furthermore, the operator \(\hat{\bar{\partial }}\) furnishes a short resolution of the structure sheaf of the super Riemann surface, making possible a Quillen theory of determinant line bundles. The material in this talk, and further discussion, can be found in the following papers: 1. S. Giddings and P. Nelson, “Torsion constraints and super Riemann surfaces,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 2619 (1987). 2. P. Nelson, “Holomorphic coordinates for supermoduli space,” Comm. Math. Phys. 115, 167 (1988). 3. S. Giddings and P. Nelson, “The geometry of super Riemann surfaces,” Comm. Math. Phys. (1988)
The Forests of Isle Royale National Park: Can We Preserve This Pristine Wilderness in the Face of Climate Change?

ABSTRACT: Isle Royale National Park (IRNP) is an archipelago in west central Lake Superior. In 2010, the National Park Service Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network initiated a long-term monitoring program at IRNP with the goals being to: (1) determine the current forest structure, (2) assess how succession and climate change will impact species assemblages, and (3) develop realistic management targets related to climate change impacts on IRNP forests. Five forest types were identified, with three of these (sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.)/birch, eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L), and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)) being climax types with little likelihood of succeeding into any other type over the next two to three decades. Two forest types (white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss),/trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.)) were in a state of transition. The long-term (> 50 year) successional pathways of all five forest types wi...
In vivo expansion of two distinct dendritic cells in mouse livers and its impact on liver immune regulation

Liver transplant tolerance in pigs, rats, and mice has been disclosed for decades, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Accumulating data indicate that residing dendritic cells (DC) are important in determining direction of immune responses in the liver. However, our knowledge remains very limited due to the difficulties in obtaining sufficient liver DC. Most of the previous studies were dependent on DC propagated in vitro with growth factors and cytokines. In this study, we adopted an approach to transfect genes into the mouse liver by tail vein injection of plasmid DNA. Transfection with plasmid granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor markedly expanded liver CD11c+ DC mainly located in portal regions, while liver B220+ DC were dramatically generated after injection with plasmid interleukin (IL)-3/CD40L largely present in the lobules. Although both were phenotypically mature and strong T-cell stimulators, CD11c+DC induced potent T-cell response while B220+DC induced T-cell hyporesponsiveness. Administration of CD11c+DC accelerated cardiac allograft rejection, while B220+DC significantly prolonged graft survival. This hyporesponsiveness is not due to inhibition of DC/T-cell interaction, but rather through an active process of stimulating T-cell apoptosis. Compared to B220+ DC that expressed messenger RNA of (TLR) 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9, CD11c+DC expressed all TLR 1 to 9. TLR 9 ligation stimulated very high IL-12 in CD11c+ DC, but high IL-10 and no IL-12 in B220+ DC. In conclusion, through these mechanisms, liver DC may be actively involved in immune regulation in the liver. Liver Transpl 12:1850–1861, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
A synaptic and circuit basis for corollary discharge in the auditory cortex

Sensory regions of the brain integrate environmental cues with copies of motor-related signals important for imminent and ongoing movements. In mammals, signals propagating from the motor cortex to the auditory cortex are thought to have a critical role in normal hearing and behaviour, yet the synaptic and circuit mechanisms by which these motor-related signals influence auditory cortical activity remain poorly understood. Using in vivo intracellular recordings in behaving mice, we find that excitatory neurons in the auditory cortex are suppressed before and during movement, owing in part to increased activity of local parvalbumin-positive interneurons. Electrophysiology and optogenetic gain- and loss-of-function experiments reveal that motor-related changes in auditory cortical dynamics are driven by a subset of neurons in the secondary motor cortex that innervate the auditory cortex and are active during movement. These findings provide a synaptic and circuit basis for the motor-related corollary discharge hypothesized to facilitate hearing and auditory-guided behaviours.
Children's hypnotic susceptibility, personality, and EEG patterns.

Abstract 19 boys and 16 girls, aged 7 to 16, were given the EEG and then the Children's Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, while a parent watched. About 1 week later, after some separate tests and interviews, each child was given a puzzle to solve in the parent's presence, while Es recorded offers and requests for help. Hypnotic susceptibility was positively correlated with the alpha duration with eyes open, but not with eyes closed. Both susceptibility and alpha duration tended to be negatively correlated with age. Highly susceptible children tended to wait longer then low susceptibles before asking parents for help with the puzzle, and their parents tended to be more strict, anxious, and impatient than did the parents of low susceptible children.
The epsomitic phototrophic microbial mat of Hot Lake, Washington: community structural responses to seasonal cycling

Phototrophic microbial mats are compact ecosystems composed of highly interactive organisms in which energy and element cycling take place over millimeter-to-centimeter-scale distances. Although microbial mats are common in hypersaline environments, they have not been extensively characterized in systems dominated by divalent ions. Hot Lake is a meromictic, epsomitic lake that occupies a small, endorheic basin in north-central Washington. The lake harbors a benthic, phototrophic mat that assembles each spring and disassembles each fall and is subject to greater than tenfold variation in salinity (primarily Mg2+ and SO42-) and irradiation over the annual cycle. We examined spatiotemporal variation in the mat community at five time points throughout the annual cycle with respect to prevailing physicochemical parameters by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene coupled to near-full-length 16S RNA clone sequences. The composition of these microbial communities was relatively stable over the seasonal cycle and included dominant populations of Cyanobacteria, primarily a group IV cyanobacterium (Leptolyngbya), and Alphaproteobacteria (specifically, members of Rhodobacteraceae and Geminicoccus). Members of Gammaproteobacteria (e.g., Thioalkalivibrio and Halochromatium) and Deltaproteobacteria (e.g., Desulfofustis) that are likely to be involved in sulfur cycling peaked in summer and declined significantly by mid-fall, mirroring larger trends in mat community richness and evenness. Phylogenetic turnover analysis of abundant phylotypes employing environmental metadata suggests that seasonal shifts in light variability exert a dominant influence on the composition of Hot Lake microbial mat communities. The seasonal development and organization of these structured microbial mats provide opportunities for analysis of the temporal and physical dynamics that feed back to community function.
Chip-scale aerosol impactor with integrated resonant mass balances for real time monitoring of airborne particulate concentrations

This work presents chip-scale integration of MEMS resonant mass balances along with aerosol inertial impactors (airborne micro/nanoparticle collectors). A three mask microfabrication process has been developed to produce the main components; mass balance, impactor nozzle, and impaction micro-chamber on a single SOI substrate. In addition to extreme miniaturization of a conventionally bulky setup and allowing real-time particulate mass concentration data collection, this approach addresses assembly challenges for discrete versions of such systems, e.g. misalignment between MEMS resonators and nozzles. Furthermore, small nozzle diameters achievable through microfabrication, minimizes the air flow and therefore pump capacity requirements.
Role of non-Pomeranchuk redge cuts in high energy scattering

Abstract Some interesting properties of the Regge cuts obtained by multiple exchange of non-Pomeranchuk type Regge poles are discussed and their possible role in explanation of recurring minima and polarizations of high energy reactions is pointed out.
Information and Political Engagement in America: The Search for Effects of Information Technology at the Individual Level

Some aspects of democracy appear more sensitive than others to the availability throughout society of political information. Individual-level political engagement poses a puzzle in this regard. An instrumentalquantitative conception of information that is central to rational theories and is also found in some behavioral theories of participation appears contradicted by historical trends. I treat the contemporary expansion in political information made possible by new information technology as a form of natural experiment. I test for a relationship between information availability and political engagement using survey data about Internet use in the period 1996-99. This test is relevant to the applied debate over whether the information revolution will prove salutary for participation, and at the same time sheds light on contending theories of information. I find little relationship exists; the only form of participation which is demonstrably connected to Internet use is donating money This finding fails to...
Anatomic variation of the 5th extensor tendon compartment and extensor digiti minimi tendon

Anatomic variation within the 5th extensor compartment may contribute to the development of tenosynovitis and limit the usefulness of the extensor digiti minimi (EDM) for tendon transfer. The purpose of this study was to assess the anatomic variation of the EDM tendon and its surrounding retinaculum, with particular attention to anatomical variation between specimens. Forty-one fresh cadaver hands were dissected. The length of the 5th compartment retinaculum was noted. The incidence of an intercompartmental septum was noted in each specimen as well as the type of tendinous attachments present between the EDM and extensor digitorum communis (EDC) tendons. The presence and length of any accessory retinacular bands distal to the edge of proper extensor retinaculum was also noted. Only one specimen contained a single EDM tendon, while 71% (n = 29) of specimens contained two slips and 23% (n = 9) had three slips; 24% (n = 10) of EDC tendons had no slip to the small finger, while 61% (n = 25) of specimens had a single slip to the small finger. The EDC's contribution to the small finger was found to be an independent tendon in 42% of cases (n = 17), while 34% (n = 14) of specimens were found to have a common EDC slip, which branched to both the ring and small finger. Three EDM tendons divided distal to the extensor retinaculum, while the remaining EDM tendons divided beneath or proximal to the extensor retinaculum. Seventy-three percent (n = 30) of the specimens had an accessory retinacular band surrounding the EDM tendon identified at the base of the 5th metacarpal. Eighty-eight percent (n = 36) of hands had a septum between the EDM slips. The surgeon should be aware of variability within the 5th dorsal compartment in cases of trauma and in cases of tendon transfer. In our series 30 of 41 specimens were noted to contain an accessory dorsal retinacular band surrounding the EDM and 36 specimens were noted to contain a septum within the 5th compartment. The presence of an accessory retinacular band surrounding the EDM at the level of the 5th metacarpal base is an anatomic finding that requires further investigation. Clin. Anat. 20:677–682, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Molecular mechanisms of bone resorption

This review focuses on osteoclast ontogeny and function, emphasizing three aspects. We describe how a combination of laboratory models available to study the cell plus examination of the osteopetroses, a family of sclerotic diseases of the skeleton, have yielded major insights into osteoclast ontogeny and function. We proceed to describe the cell and molecular machinery enabling osteoclasts to resorb bone. The final, and most speculative, aspect of the review addresses possible mechanisms by which the osteoclast assumes its characteristic morphology, that of a polarized cell on bone. Since little direct information has been forthcoming as to how the osteoclast polarizes, we draw on other polarized cells. In particular, we examine the role of microtubules and members of the small GTPase family, the latter mediating polarized targeting of intracellular vesicles. In the case of the osteoclast, such vesicles probably represent the origin of the highly convoluted ruffled membrane, the cell's characteristic bone resorptive organ.
Rethinking Christian Religious Education in Ghana: History, Challenges and Prospects.

This scholarly essay employs an African philosophical and symbolic construct—Sankɔfa—to examine religious education in Ghana. Sankɔfa implores the need to examine the past in order to understand the present and to plan for the future. In line with this frame, I recount the history of religious education in Ghana, examine the present challenges, and explore new ways of making Christian Religious Education relevant to contemporary challenges in education.
Resistive switching mechanisms in random access memory devices incorporating transition metal oxides: TiO2, NiO and Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3

Resistance change random access memory (RRAM) cells, typically built as MIM capacitor structures, consist of insulating layers I sandwiched between metal layers M, where the insulator performs the resistance switching operation. These devices can be electrically switched between two or more stable resistance states at a speed of nanoseconds, with long retention times, high switching endurance, low read voltage, and large switching windows. They are attractive candidates for next-generation non-volatile memory, particularly as a flash successor, as the material properties can be scaled to the nanometer regime. Several resistance switching models have been suggested so far for transition metal oxide based devices, such as charge trapping, conductive filament formation, Schottky barrier modulation, and electrochemical migration of point defects. The underlying fundamental principles of the switching mechanism still lack a detailed understanding, i.e. how to control and modulate the electrical characteristics of devices incorporating defects and impurities, such as oxygen vacancies, metal interstitials, hydrogen, and other metallic atoms acting as dopants. In this paper, state of the art ab initio theoretical methods are employed to understand the effects that filamentary types of stable oxygen vacancy configurations in TiO(2) and NiO have on the electronic conduction. It is shown that strong electronic interactions between metal ions adjacent to oxygen vacancy sites results in the formation of a conductive path and thus can explain the 'ON' site conduction in these materials. Implication of hydrogen doping on electroforming is discussed for Pr(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO(3) devices based on electrical characterization and FTIR measurements.
Surface effects at the first wall of the Reference Theta-Pinch Reactor (RTPR)

From surface effects in controlled thermonuclear fusion devices and reactors meeting; Argonne, Illinois, USA (10 Jan 1974). The fundamental operating principles and parameters inherent to the Reference Theta-Pinch Reactor (RTPR) are described herein. An emphasis is placed on those engineering aspects of the RTPR design which bear directly on the thermal, hydraulic, and radiation response of the first wall. The major portion of the data presented is calculational, and further experimental and theoretical results are needed to assess accurately anticipated material problems and to forecast appropriate solutions. Material problems envisioned for the RTPR first wall are discussed brie fly in the context of the particular RTPR design described. (auth)
VENTILATORY RESPONSE TESTING IN PREMATURE INFANTS

We studied the reproducibility of ventilatory response to CO2 in a group of premature infants with real or potential disturbances in the control of ventilation. (Ten infants BW 2.0±0.8 kg, GA 35±4 wks) comprised the test population, 6 with idiopathic apnea, 3 siblings of SIDS, and 1 near miss. The group was examined at 42±6 wks postconceptual age with a computerized waveform analyzer providing ventilatory response data to inhaled CO2. A second test was done 30 minutes after completion of the first. Significant correlation was found between the slopes, but significant differences were observed between their means(P<0.01) Baseline Ve was significantly lower in the repeat test with six infants starting at a lower level. Seven infants aroused at a lower PCO2 in the second test but the PCO2's at arousal were not different. It appears that the infants in this study became more sensitive to CO2 in the second test, as suggested by a steeper slope, lower baseline ventilation, and earlier arousal. We postulate that the CO2 challenge of the first test affected the second,and an interval greater than 30 min. may be necessary to duplicate results.
Deformation of elastic filaments with arbitrary unstressed configurations

Es werden mit Hilfe des Prinzips der minimalen potentiellen Energie Gleichungen fur das Last-Verformungs-Verhalten fur grosse Deformationen elastischer Fasern von beliebiger dreidimensionaler Konfiguration, belastet durch Endkrafte und/oder Endmomente, abgeleitet. Die Ergebnisse werden benutzt, um das Problem des Halbringes mit einem eingespannten und einem freien Ende zu losen.
Artificial and Biological Color : The ABCs

Faced with radiation of immeasurable complexity that bears on important distinctions among objects in the world, nature chose not to measure the spectrum, even at low resolution. Rather, biological color measures using two or more broad, spectrally overlapping sensitivity curves and uses the resulting data to compute discriminants (colors) that brains attribute to their percepts of those objects. Artificial color seeks to design sensors and process the resulting data in the same or a very similar way. Here, we seek to provide a unified view of prior and current work in this field.
Identification of p58IPK as a novel neuroprotective factor for retinal neurons.

Purpose. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident chaperone protein p58IPK plays a vital role in regulation of protein folding and biosynthesis. The goal of this study was to examine the role of p58IPK in retinal neuronal cells under normal and stressed conditions.
A candidate rat-specific gene product of the kirsten murine sarcoma virus

Abstract Anaerobic stress has been shown to induce normal, uninfected rat cells to express high concentrations of those rat cell RNA sequences (MSV-rat RNA) also present in the Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (KiMSV) genome. We find this stress-induced RNA as complete, functional mRNA. We have reacted antibodies directed against uninfected rat cells induced to express this genetic information, with non-rat cells expressing this same (rat) genetic information as a result of KiMSV infection. An antigen of 35,000 molecular weight was detected in the KiMSV-infected cells, and was also observed induced by anaerobic stress of uninfected rat cells. This antigen is not present in cells infected with transforming gene mutants of KiMSV, or in cells transformed by a variety of agents other than KiMSV. The 35,000 molecular weight polypeptide is found as a native complex of molecular weight about 135,000 and copurifies with lactate dehydrogenase activity.