cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vaccine candidates derived from a novel infectious cDNA clone of an American genotype dengue virus type 2

Background A dengue virus type 2 (DEN-2 Tonga/74) isolated from a 1974 epidemic was characterized by mild illness and belongs to the American genotype of DEN-2 viruses. To prepare a vaccine candidate, a previously described 30 nucleotide deletion (Δ30) in the 3' untranslated region of DEN-4 has been engineered into the DEN-2 isolate.
Elastic scattering of 31 MeV protons from H2, He3, N14 and O16

Abstract The differential elastic scattering cross sections for 31.0 MeV protons have been determined for gaseous, isotopic targets of H2, He3, N14 and O16 at c.m. angles ranging from ≈ 6° to ≈ 160°. An optical model analysis of the experimental data was performed on He3, N14 and O16 using a model which included both volume and surface absorption. Good fits were obtained over most of the experimental range. Optical model parameters corresponding to best fits are presented and compared with those obtained in this energy range for other light nuclei.
Advances in multiuser data embedding in digital media: Orthogonal sum-SINR-optimal carriers

We consider the problem of embedding multiuser data in digital media (such as images, video sequences, audio) with minimum perceived distortion. In this direction, we find the orthonormal set of embedding carriers that achieves maximum sum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (sum-SINR) at the output of the receiver linear filters for any fixed embedding amplitude values. Then, for any given total embedding distortion constraint, we calculate the optimal multicarrier assignment and embedding amplitude values that maximize the sum capacity of the embedding process. Experimental results presented herein for multiuser data embedding in images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Augmentation of the in vitro humoral immune response by pharmacologic agents. I: An explanation for the differential enhancement of humoral immunity via agents that elevate cAMP

Abstract Agents that elevate intracellular concentrations of cAMP in cultured spleen cells can augment that in vitro 19s humoral immune response to SRBC. DBcAMP and 8BrcAMP were more effective than MIX, CT, PGE1, or ISO in producing the enhanced PFC response, when they were present only during an early stage of immune induction. The thesis is presented that the differential ability of these agents to augment humoral immunity results from their relative ability to maintain elevated concentrations of intracellular cAMP. Studies on the cellular mechanism by which cAMP elevation produces immune enhancement reveal that DBcAMP effects are on a T-cell-deficient population of murine spleen cells (predominantly B cells and macrophages). In addition, we showed that DBcAMP cannot replace the need for helper T cells in the induction of the PFC response to SRBC. Taken collectively, these results suggest that cAMP may be an important immunoregulatory signal, and that a variety of pharmacologic agents that modulate the induction of the humoral immune response may operate via this as final common biochemical pathway.
Isolation, purification, and characterization of deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) prolactin

Abstract Prolactin (PRL) secreted by Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii anterior pituitaries was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Peromyscus PRL (pmPRL) eluted from Sephadex G-100 with an elution-tovoid volume ratio of 1.9 and at a salt concentration of 100 m m NaCl on DEAE-cellulose. Electrophoretic homogeneity of the hormone was demonstrated in several gel systems. On 7 1 2 % alkaline polyacrylamide gels, pmPRL migrated with an Rf of 0.65. The molecular weight of pmPRL was estimated at 24,000 to 26,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis and molecular exclusion chromatography. The amino acid composition of pmPRL was similar to other mammalian PRLs including two tryptophan residues and three disulfide bonds. Leucine was found to be the NH2-terminal residue. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated an α-helix content of 55 ± 5%, a value typical for prolactin molecules. However, in the region of side-chain absorption, the CD spectrum displayed a weak, asymmetric, negative band near 299 nm, with the CD returning to slightly positive values at 292 nm. This CD pattern is not typical of other secreted or stored prolactins. In the pigeon crop-sac assay, pmPRL showed a prolactin-like activity of 21 IU/mg.
Food cravings in relation to body mass index, restraint and estradiol levels: A repeated measures study in healthy women ☆

The study considered the nature and extent of cravings in 108 healthy women between the ages of 20 and 37 who were tested at four time points over a 2-year period. There was substantial consistency over the four widely separated time points (3 months-1 year) in the types of foods craved, with chocolate and ice cream highest on the list, followed by fatty and spicy foods, and sweets. Women with a higher body mass index reported more consistent cravings for salty foods, especially those with high flavor intensity. There were no significant relationships between dietary restraint and the number, frequency or types of cravings. There were also no strong relationships between estradiol levels and the number, frequency or types of cravings women reported in the whole sample. The data suggest that women have a stable core of foods for which they experience cravings, relatively independent of estradiol levels, BMI or degree of dietary restraint.
Pressure Differential Gate Valve

A 1 1/2 in isolation gate valve was designed and built to prevent vacuum vessel letup to atmosphere in the event of ion source component failure. To assure no effect on existing beam geometry, the valve thickness was held to 1 1/8 in. The valve gate consists of two disks separated by a short length of bellows. One disk, moving with the expansion and contraction of the bellows, contains the gasket in its outer face. The other disk contains a leak path from its edge to the interior of the bellows. The shaft is welded to the disk containing the leak path and exposes the leak path, through its hollow center, to the exterior of the valve housing. Evacuation of the bellows through the center of the shaft permits linear motion of the valve, by manual push or pull, to closed or open position. Letup of the bellows' interior to atmosphere holds the valve gate in the position it was placed manually.
Letter by Strande Regarding Article “Protease-Activated Receptor-1 Contributes to Cardiac Remodeling and Hypertrophy”

To the Editor: I read the article by Pawlinski et al1 with great interest. The authors showed that protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1)–deficient mice had preservation of left ventricular size and function after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury when compared with wild-type littermates. Conversely, PAR-1–deficient mice did not have a decreased myocardial infarct size after IR injury. The authors then went on to show that mice selectively overexpressing PAR-1 in cardiomyocytes developed left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction when compared with wild-type littermates. This is very exciting data with great translational potential, especially when considering the …
Spectral database solutions to elasto-viscoplasticity within finite elements: Application to a cobalt-based FCC superalloy

Abstract We present a computationally efficient, multi-scale model based on crystal plasticity theory for simulations of heterogeneous plastic deformation of metallic components in commercial finite element (FE) codes. Although the model can handle a single crystal, the primary purpose with the present model is to embed a meso-scale polycrystal homogenization at a FE integration point, with the meso-scale homogenization being a Taylor-type model. The responses of single crystals are obtained using a recently developed non-iterative solver, which is based on databases of discrete Fourier transforms allowing for fast retrieval of pre-computed crystal plasticity solutions. We have shown that, when this non-iterative solver is used in place of the Newton–Raphson iterative solver, substantial wall-clock speedups can be achieved. Additionally, the implementation presented here takes the advantage of calculations of the elastic properties based on the spectral representation. To calibrate and validate the new FE elasto-viscoplastic model, we use stress-strain curves and texture data of the cobalt-based face-centered cubic superalloy Haynes 25. For this purpose, the material was deformed monotonically in compression over a wider range of strain rates and temperatures. The model is subsequently applied to simulate the macro-scale mechanical response of the material in compression and rolling. We show that the predictions of the model compare favorably with experimental measurements in terms of the mechanical response and texture evolution. Finally, the evolution of the underlying crystallographic texture in rolling predicted by the new model is compared against the corresponding predictions from the finite element visco-plastic self-consistent (FE-VPSC) model. It is observed that both implementations produce similar predictions, but the model presented here is substantially faster.
Antibodies reactive with the mouse mammary tumor virus in sera of breast cancer patients

IgG binding to purified mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) was quantitated by an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) using sera from patients with breast cancer or benign breast disease, or from healthy age-matched controls. Significantly greater binding (p<0.01) was found in breast-cancer-derived sera than in the other categories. In addition to IgG reactivity, three breast cancer sera also possessed IgA and IgM reactive with MuMTV by the ELISA assay. Only IgG was reactive in the majority of sera while two sera possessed MuMTV binding activity only in the IgM fraction. Both IgG binding and virolysis of MuMTV were greatly reduced by preincubation of sera with MuMTV. The specificity for MuMTV was further explored with IgG of serum from one breast cancer patient. Human antibody reactive with MuMTV was progressively diminished by preincubating the human serum with increasing concentrations of MuMTV but not by incubation with the type-C AKR murine leukemia virus. Preincubation of MuMTV with a breast cancer serum partially blocked the reactivity of gp52 antiserum with the virus. The results suggest that an antigen related to an MuMTV envelope component is expressed in breast cancer.
Ester and ketone components of aggregation pheromone ofDrosophila hydei (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Existence of an aggregation pheromone inDrosophila hydei was demonstrated by laboratory bioassay. The pheromone was produced by mature males, but both sexes responded. The nonpolar components consisted of three esters: the methyl, ethyl, and 1-methylethyl (isopropyl) esters of 2-methyl-(E)-2 butenoic (tiglic) acid, and two ketones: 2-tridecanone and 2-pentadecanone. The ketones and esters alone were only minimally active in the laboratory bioassay, but 2-tridecanone was highly synergistic with each of the esters, mixtures attracting 3–60 times more flies than the single components. 2-Pentadecanone was less active, but it did cause significant increases in activity when added to synthetic mixtures. The nonpolar portion of an extract of mature males and an equivalent mixture of the synthetic components were not significantly different in bioassay. Neither the esters nor the ketones were detected in sexually immature males or in females of any age. In extracts of mature males, ethyl tiglate was usually the most abundant ester component, with a mean of 8 ± 5 (SD) ng/male. The absolute and relative levels of the other esters were more variable. The mean level of methyl ketones in the extracts was 122 ± 106 (SD) ng/male, of which 85–93% was 2-tridecanone.
The study of human evolution and the nature of living people

Students of human evolution, by documenting the human fossil record, have supported the idea that living people are biological phenomena. Complete explanations of biological phenomena require an appreciation of both ultimate and proximate causation. The extent to which students of human evolution have contributed to an understanding of the ultimate and proximate causes for the form and behavior of living people is briefly reviewed. Suggestions are made as to how students of human evolution could expand their contribution.
Morphogenesis of Bipartition in two species of the genus Ptychostomum (Ciliophora, Hysterocinetidae)

Summary Two new species of Hysterocinetidae ciliates living parasitically in the alimentary tract of Alma nilotica are described along with the process of stomatogenesis in these species. The buccal primordium of the opisthe originates from the multiplication of kinetosomes of some somatic kineties forming a disorganized field. One row of kinetosomes, a second and a third are successively isolated from this field. As soon as this stage with three rows of kinetosomes is reached, the peristomial infraciliature of the old buccal infraciliature progressively migrates to the equator of the cell. There, it gives rise to the buccal infraciliature of the proter through resorption and reorganization of the old buccal infraciliature. The description of this morphological development is related to both nuclear division stages and the organization of the sucker cytoskeleton of the ciliates. Our findings contradict the well admitted idea concerning the autonomous characteristic of the stomatogenesis within the Hysterocinetidae. We propose that these ciliates should be considered as a separate group within the Oligohymenophora.
Automated synthesis of electromechanical design configurations from empirical analysis of function to form mapping

For an ideal design process, designers envision a configuration of components prior to determining dimensions or sizes of these components. Given the breadth of the component space, the design of any future artefact must be carefully planned to take advantage of the diverse set of possibilities. We conjecture that computational design tools could be developed to help designers navigate the design space in creating configurations from detailed specifications of function. In this research, a methodology is developed that extracts design knowledge from an expanding online library of engineering artefacts in the form of grammar rules. From an initial implementation of 189 rules extracted from 23 products, we demonstrate a computational process that builds new design configurations by borrowing concepts from how common functions are solved in related designs.
Rough-and-tumble play in human children

Rough and tumble (RT) play is a unique set of behaviors that can be reliably distinguished from aggression and other childhood activities. Although it may be the most fundamental form of play, it has received comparatively little experimental attention in the human species. Forty children, ages three to six, were allowed to play in pairs (10 male pairs, 10 female pairs) during a 30 minute videotaped session with no toys available while music played in the background during every other five-minute time period. The incidence frequency of children's play and related behavioral activities were scored using 20 behavioral categories. The major findings show only modest gender differences in the frequency of play behaviors in such controlled social encounters; the main difference is that boys engaged in slightly more physical play solicitations than girls. Music facilitated General Motor Activities (e.g., Running and Walking behaviors), but not specific RT play actions (e.g., Wrestling, Ventral and Dorsal contacts). Finally, most play behaviors as well as general activities declined systematically over the course of each recording session. This experiment highlights how human social play can be systematically studied in a controlled laboratory setting.
Escherichia coli apurinic-apyrimidinic endonucleases enhance the turnover of the adenine glycosylase MutY with G:A substrates

The DNA repair enzyme MutY plays an important role in the prevention of DNA mutations resulting from the presence of the oxidatively damaged lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (OG). MutY is a base excision repair (BER) glycosylase that removes misincorporated adenine residues from OG:A mispairs, as well as G:A and C:A mispairs. We have previously shown that, under conditions of low MutY concentrations relative to an OG:A or G:A substrate, the time course of the adenine glycosylase reaction exhibits biphasic kinetic behavior due to slow release of the DNA product by MutY. The dissociation of MutY from its product may require the recruitment of other proteins from the BER pathway, such as an apurinic-apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease, as turnover-enhancing cofactors. The effect of the AP endonucleases endonuclease IV (Endo IV), exonuclease III (Exo III), and Ape1 on the reaction kinetics of MutY with G:A- and OG:A-containing substrates was investigated. The effect of the glycosylases UDG and MutM and the DNA polymerase pol I was also characterized. Endo IV and Exo III, unlike Ape1, UDG, and pol I, greatly enhance the rate of product release with a G:A substrate, whereas the rate constant for the adenine removal step remains unchanged. Furthermore, the turnover rate with a truncated form of MutY, Stop 225, which lacks 125 amino acids of the C terminus, is unaffected by the presence of Endo IV or Exo III. These results constitute the first evidence of an interaction between the MutY-product DNA complex and Endo IV or Exo III. Furthermore, they suggest a role for the C-terminal domain of MutY in mediating this interaction.
Risk of dysphagia after transesophageal echocardiography

Abstract Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) allows evaluation of cardiac, valvular and vascular structure and function in a relatively noninvasive manner. Although sustained esophageal pressure during intraoperative monitoring might possibly cause injury to the mucosa or deeper layers, reports of complications related to the technique are rare. Cucciara et al1 reported laryngeal injury after TEE monitoring in the sitting position. Urbanowicz et al2 found no histologic esophageal damage in dogs after maximum surface contact pressure between the esophagus and a fully flexed TEE probe. After several patients complained of dysphagia after cardiac surgery, we identified by prospective interviews 20 patients who had dysphagia postoperatively.
Data preparation using data quality matrices for classification mining

Data mining aims to find patterns in organizational databases. However, most techniques in mining do not consider knowledge of the quality of the database. In this work, we show how to incorporate into classification mining recent advances in the data quality field that view a database as the product of an imprecise manufacturing process where the flaws/defects are captured in quality matrices. We develop a general purpose method of incorporating data quality matrices into the data mining classification task. Our work differs from existing data preparation techniques since while other approaches detect and fix errors to ensure consistency with the entire data set our work makes use of the apriori knowledge of how the data is produced/manufactured.
Short and long sleep are positively associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease among adults in the United States.

Research associates short (and to a lesser extent long) sleep duration with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; and although 7-8 h of sleep seems to confer the least health risk, these findings are often based on non-representative data. We hypothesize that short sleep ( 8 h) are positively associated with the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease; and analyze 2004-2005 US National Health Interview Survey data (n=56,507 observations, adults 18-85) to test this. We employ multilevel logistic regression, simultaneously controlling for individual characteristics (e.g., ethnoracial group, gender, age, education), other health behaviors (e.g., exercise, smoking), family environment (e.g., income, size, education) and geographic context (e.g., census region). Our model correctly classified at least 76% of adults on each of the outcomes studied, and sleep duration was frequently more strongly associated with these health risks than other covariates. These findings suggest a 7-8 h sleep duration directly and indirectly reduces chronic disease risk.
Industry and Country Effects on Managers' Perceptions of Environmental Uncertainties

International management research highlights political, government policy, and macroeconomic uncertainties. Strategy studies focus on input supply, product market, and competitive uncertainties. This study develops and tests the reliability of an instrument for measuring managers' uncertainly perceptions. Data analyses using an international sample provide insights into the relative importance of country and industry factors for explaining managers' perceptions of different environmental uncertainties.
Evidence for broken time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting phase of URu 2 Si 2

Recent experimental and theoretical interest in the superconducting phase of the heavy-fermion material ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ has led to a number of proposals in which the superconducting order parameter breaks time-reversal symmetry (TRS). In this study we measure the polar Kerr effect (PKE) as a function of temperature for several high-quality single crystals of ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$. We find an onset of PKE below the superconducting transition that is consistent with a TRS-breaking order parameter. This effect appears to be independent of an additional, possibly extrinsic, PKE generated above the hidden order transition at ${T}_{\text{HO}}=17.5$ K, and contains a structure below ${T}_{c}$ suggestive of additional physics within the superconducting state.
Energy band model and properties of electrons in bismuth

Abstract A new energy band model for bismuth electrons is presented which gives very good fits to several experiments (de Haas-van Alphen effect, cyclotron resonance, magnetic surface resonance, radio-frequency size effect) and reasonably good fits to other properties (limiting-point cyclotron resonance, tilt effect) as function of the orientation of the magnetic field.
The dark side of social networking sites

In focus groups, adult users revealed stressful experiences related to Facebook.Facebook's affordances, such as connectivity and visibility, created stressors.Despite stressors, users felt social pressure to stay on and access the site often.Social comparison and conflict over Facebook were frequently cited stressors.Many first denied its impact, but all related significant ordeals due to Facebook. Research on social media typically focuses on its benefits; considerably less is known about the dark side of social networking sites. Focus groups of adult Facebook users (N=44) uncovered narratives surrounding individuals' negative psychological and relational experiences tied to the social networking site and its affordances (e.g., connectivity, visibility, accessibility, persistence, and social feedback). Thematic analysis rendered five themes regarding Facebook stressors: managing inappropriate or annoying content, being tethered, lack of privacy and control, social comparison and jealousy, and relationship tension and conflict. Results demonstrate that although Facebook users often experience negative emotions, they feel pressured to access the site frequently due to the fear of missing out and to keep up with relationship maintenance demands. Some participants reported privacy violations due to Facebook's visibility, connectivity, and persistence. These features also afforded constant social comparison to other network members, which triggered jealousy, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Relational turbulence occurred due to the public nature of conflict on Facebook. Many participants' responses revealed overarching contradictions: initially they claimed Facebook was inconsequential, yet later recounted significant stressful or hurtful events associated with Facebook. Our findings indicate some methods may not uncover the actual nature or scope of users' experiences.
EFFECT OF CYCLOPROPANE ON CONTRACTILE PERFORMANCE OF CARDIAC MUSCLE WITH EXPERIMENTAL CHRONIC HEART FAILURE

The effect of cyclopropane on contractile performance of papillary muscles obtained from cats with congestive heart failure induced by pulmonary artery constriction was studied and compared with non-operated normal animals. A significant depression of contractile performance in the papillary muscles of cats with congestive heart failure was observed along with elevated right ventricular pressure and reduced cardiac index. In both groups of muscles, cydopropane caused a shift of the force-velocity curve to the left and downward. At an equipotent anaesthetic concentration (MAC) of cyclopropane, reduction in contractile performance was similar in both muscles. When changes in velocity of shortening and maximal isometric force in muscles with congestive heart failure were compared with the control values of normal muscles at MAC, the depression was 49% and 44% respectively. However, the effect of cyclopropane on the diseased muscle was significantly less than that of either isoflurane or halothane.
Modeling user story completion of an agile software process

Although some researchers have studied agile techniques of software development using simulation, simulation studies of actual agile projects are difficult to find. This report on an industrial case study seeks to address this need by presenting an experience of modeling and analyzing an agile software development process using discrete event simulation. The study, undertaken for software process improvement, produced analyses that provided project management with process capability information. First, a sensitivity analysis used a designed experiment to measure the dominant factors in user story productivity. Second, a response surface provided information on the process tolerance for defect rework. Finally, a scenario comparison supported a management decision on sprint usage.
Comparing more than one treatment to more than one control in incomplete blocks

Abstract The class of balanced treatment incomplete block designs is generalized to allow for comparison of v 1 test treatments and v 2 control treatments. The generalized class is equivalent to the class of balanced bipartite block designs considered by Jaggi, Gupta, and Parsad. Some results on design construction and A-optimality are given for small values of v 1 and v 2 . Algorithms are developed for computing simultaneous confidence bounds for all test treatment versus control contrasts.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics Studies of Immediate- and Modified-Release Formulations of Glipizide in Pigs and Dogs

The utility of pigs as preclinical animals for pharmaceutical development was assessed by evaluating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glipizide (Glucotrol®) following oral administration of immediate-release (IR) and modified-release (MR) formulations. Doses of 10 and 30 mg were administered to six male pigs in a crossover design. Blood samples were collected at selected time-points up to 48 h after dose. Relative to the IR formulation, the time to reach the maximum concentration (t(max) ) was delayed with the MR formulation from 1.3 to 8.7 h with the 10 mg dose and to 6.2 h with the 30 mg dose. The relative bioavailability (BA) was approximately 92% at 10 mg and 79% at 30 mg dose. The area under the curve of the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) increased nearly proportionally with the dose. Interanimal coefficient of variation (CV) in AUC ranged from approximately 40% to 60%. Blood glucose results suggest that pigs demonstrate formulation-dependent response to glipizide. Compared with the pigs, the 10 mg MR formulation in dogs showed a higher AUC CV of approximately 80%, a t(max) of 5.5 h, and a lower relative BA of 18%. These data indicate that the MR formulation performed less consistently in dogs as compared with humans, whereas the porcine absorption kinetics and BA were consistent with published clinical data.
Word image retrieval using binary features

Existing word image retrieval algorithms suffer from either low retrieval precision or high computation complexity. We present an effective and efficient approach for word image matching by using gradient-based binary features. Experiments over a large database of handwritten word images show that the proposed approach consistently outperforms the existing best handwritten word image retrieval algorithm. Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) with profile-based shape features. Not only does the proposed approach have much higher retrieval accuracy, but also it is 893 times faster than DTW.
Engineered Microenvironments to Study Mechanisms of Tissue Tropism in Metastasis

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death. With 90% of breast cancer deaths associated with metastasis of the original cancer to other organs, metastasis is a vital area of research. Breast cancer preferentially metastasizes to a subset of organs, including the brain, bone, and lung. Different clinical subtypes of breast cancer have different metastatic profiles to these very diverse organs; however, there is no biophysical explanation for metastatic site preference. Through the use of engineered metastatic microenvironments (EMMs), we are investigating how the physiochemical properties of these tissues influence metastatic site preference. Our EMMs consist of cover slips, which present the characteristic adhesive matrix proteins of brain, bone, and lung. Utilizing these EMMs, we have observed that the EMM protein specificity regulates cell area, shape, adhesion, migration speed, and persistence in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cell lines. Both cell lines have the same metastatic profile (39% frequency of bone metastasis and 25% frequency of brain metastasis), and show similar results on EMM mimicking bone and brain tissue. As expected from in vivo clinical data, MDA-MB-231 cells are larger, less spherical, adhere faster, migrate faster, and persist in one direction longer on bone mimics than on brain mimics. BT-549 cells show similar patterns, but differ in cell area and persistence. However, these differences are not significant, and the former may be due to a specific blebbing form of migration observed. We are currently engineering a lung EMM, and examining the role of tissue stiffness via PEG-PC hydrogels in dictating tissue tropism in metastasis.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3/vitamin D receptor suppresses brown adipocyte differentiation and mitochondrial respiration

The vitamin D system plays a role in metabolism regulation. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) suppressed 3T3-L1 white adipocyte differentiation. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) knockout mice showed increased energy expenditure, whereas mice with adipose-specific VDR over-expression showed decreased energy expenditure. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), now known to be present in adult humans, functions in non-shivering thermogenesis by uncoupling ATP synthesis from respiration and plays an important role in energy expenditure. However, the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3/VDR on brown adipocyte differentiation and mitochondrial respiration have not been reported. mRNA expression of VDR and the metabolizing enzymes 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) were examined in BAT of mice models of obesity and during brown adipocyte differentiation. The effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and VDR over-expression on brown adipocyte differentiation and functional outcomes were evaluated. No significant changes in mRNA of VDR and CYP27B1 were noted in both diet-induced obese (DIO) and ob/ob mice, whereas uncoupling protein 1 mRNA was downregulated in BAT of ob/ob, but not DIO mice when compared to the controls. In contrast, mRNA of VDR, CYP24A1, and CYP27B1 were downregulated during brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro. 1,25(OH)2D3 dose-dependently suppressed brown adipocyte differentiation, accompanied by suppressed isoproterenol-stimulated oxygen consumption rates (OCR), maximal OCR and OCR from proton leak. Consistently, over-expression of VDR also suppressed brown adipocyte differentiation. Further, both 1,25(OH)2D3 and VDR over-expression suppressed PPARγ transactivation in brown preadipocytes. Our results demonstrate the suppressive effects of 1,25(OH)2D3/VDR signaling on brown adipocyte differentiation and mitochondrial respiration. The role of 1,25(OH)2D3/VDR system in regulating BAT development and function in obesity warrant further investigation.
The conductivity of lightning

Abstract The conductivity of a lightning stroke at about 24,000°K (near peak temperature) is determined from a previous solution of the Boltzmann equation. A conductivity value of 180 (ohm-cm) −1 is calculated. The assumptions employed in the theoretical analysis are enumerated and possible errors in the conductivity determination are considered. There is good agreement between the calculated value of lightning conductivity and the experimentally determined conductivities of laboratory sparks.
Code-breaking/code-making: A new language approach in advertising

Abstract The aim of this article is to study the mixing of languages in the advertising campaigns of the Spanish airline company Vueling. The main hypothesis is that foreign languages are used in this context for their symbolic and visual value rather than their content or informational components. The theoretical frame of multilingual advertising for the analysis is the linguistic fetishism approach proposed by Kelly-Holmes (2005) . The data analysis will be carried out in two stages and will apply two different but related models of analysis. First, I will show how these ads break syntactic patterns of codeswitching according to the Matrix Language Frame model by Myers-Scotton, 1992 , Myers-Scotton, 1993 , Myers-Scotton, 1995 , Myers-Scotton, 2001 , Myers-Scotton, 2002 . Second, by applying the syntactic categories of codeswitching in Poplack (1982) , I will explain how this company creates a new form of codeswitching in advertising very different from previous code-mixed ads in the general market and particularly in Spain. The results of the analysis confirm the hypothesis that symbolism is the driving force in using foreign languages in Vueling campaigns: English, French and Italian are inserted within Spanish idioms and proverbs to convey ‘foreignness’ rather than information. This pattern of ‘domesticating’ foreign elements into local semantic and syntactic frames suggests a desire to globalize or at least ‘Europeanize’ Spanish ads within the airlines market while maintaining and reinforcing Spanish identity.
Soviet agricultural specialization and efficiency

(1979). Soviet agricultural specialization and efficiency. Soviet Studies: Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 542-558.
Accessory olfactory neural Fos responses to a conditioned environment are blocked in male mice by vomeronasal organ removal

The ability of an anesthetized estrous female to induce a conditioned place preference (CPP) response was assessed in male mice from which the vomeronasal organ (VNO) had either been removed (VNOx) or left intact (VNOi) in an initial effort to assess the possible contribution of VNO-accessory olfactory inputs to the intrinsically rewarding properties of opposite-sex body odorants. Both VNOi and VNOx male mice acquired a CPP after repeated pairing of an initially non-preferred test chamber with an anesthetized estrous female mouse, suggesting that odorants detected by the main olfactory system and/or visual and tactile cues from the anesthetized estrous female can compensate for absent VNO inputs to establish a CPP. Subsequent exposure to this conditioning chamber alone caused significant increases in the number of Fos-immunoreactive cells in the mitral and granule cell layers of the accessory olfactory bulb as well as in the medial amygdala and ventral tegmental area of VNOi but not of VNOx males. These results suggest that activity in distal segments of the VNO-accessory olfactory pathway, in addition to the mesolimbic dopamine reward system, can be conditioned to respond to non-odor cues.
Evolving role of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors in chemoprevention.

The results from two large, prospective, randomized, controlled trials examining the role of 5-α reductase inhibitors in the prevention of prostate cancer have been published. Initial results from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) were met with both enthusiasm and skepticism. The recently published REDUCE trial seems to corroborate the findings of the PCPT and reinforce the chemopreventive potential of 5-α reductase inhibitors. This article will assess the REDUCE trial and place the results of the 5-α reductase inhibitor trials in the context of clinical practice.
Gain and loss of function of P2X7 receptors: Mechanisms, pharmacology and relevance to diabetic neuropathic pain

Genetic causes of exaggerated or reduced pain sensitivity in humans are well known. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene P2RX7, coding for the ATP-gated ion channel P2X7, have been described that cause gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF), respectively of this channel. Importantly, P2RX7 SNPs have been associated with more or less severe pain scores in patient suffering of post-mastectomy pain and osteoarthritis. The functional consequences of some P2RX7 SNPs (rs208294 (His155Tyr), rs1718119 (Ala348Thr) and rs3751143 (Glu496Ala)) were studied in recombinant cells in vitro. Our findings suggest a correlation between GOF and LOF of P2X7 and actual channel protein expression. Both channel and pore function for these mutant P2X7 receptors changed in parallel to protein levels. On the other hand, the mutant receptors did not differ in their sensitivity to known P2X7 agonists and antagonists. We further demonstrated that in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), the presence of the GOF SNPs rs208294 (His155Tyr) and rs1718119 (Ala348Thr) is associated, in females, with higher pain intensity scores. Our present results confirm the physiological relevance of some of the SNPs in the P2RX7 gene and show that the presence of these genetic variants correlates with pain sensitivity also in a diabetic neuropathic pain patient population.
Discordant Histology of Primary Appendiceal Adenocarcinoid Neoplasms with Peritoneal Dissemination

Background Adenocarcinoid is a rare appendiceal tumor that shows histologically both epithelial and neuroendocrine components. We observed that some patients have peritoneal dissemination, which shows adenocarcinoma but lacks the neuroendocrine histology. The objective of the present study was to quantitate these discordant histopathological findings and examine its clinical implication.
Use of wiring configuration and wiring codes for estimating externally generated electric and magnetic fields

The relative locations and characteristics of the distribution lines feeding 434 residences in the Denver metropolitan area were recorded and classified according to the Wertheimer-Leeper code (WL code) as a part of an epidemiological study of the incidence of childhood cancer. The WL code was found to place the mean values of the fields in rank order. However, the standard deviations were approximately the same size as the means. Theoretical calculations indicate that a significant fraction of the low-power magnetic fields can be generated by the distribution lines, especially in the cases where the distribution lines are within 50 feet of the residence. Thus, the wiring code was shown to be a useful method for making a first-order approximation to predict long-term, low-level magnetic fields in residences.
FREEDOM FOR THE FUTURE: THE INDEPENDENT VALUE OF FREEDOM IN LIGHT OF UNCERTAINTY

ABSTRACT Both classical and modern liberals tend to treat freedom of choice as if it is intrinsically valuable—regardless of what is chosen. They fear that treating freedom as, instead, instrumental only to good choices might open the door to paternalism if a polity were to decide that people were making bad choices. A middle course would be to treat freedom as independently valuable. On the one hand, the independent value of freedom does not treat all choices as good as long as they are freely made. On the other hand, it does not reduce the value of freedom to the known, or predictable, good ends to which a free action may be conducive. Following from Hayek’s acknowledgement that we are often ignorant of what the future may hold, freedom may have value because it will allow us to make decisions whose positive consequences cannot now be predicted.
Hemadsorption and Immunofluorescence of Friend Virus in Cell Culture

SummaryIn vitro propagation of Friend virus in mouse embryo tissue cultures has been observed by immunofluorescence and hemadsorption. Hemadsorption of chick erythrocytes was demonstrated. Parallel studies with immunofluorescence showed that the appearance of hemadsorption coincided with a build-up of viral antigen at the cell surface and in the cytoplasm. Even though no gross changes were observed in the infected cells, a virus-induced modification of the Friend virus infected cell surface was indicated. Hemadsorption can now be used for quantitation of the virus in culture, thus circumventing the cumbersome bioassay in mice.
EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL ACID MIST ON GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION OF TWO ALPINE PLANT SPECIES IN THE FIELD

Plants of Acomastylis rossii and Bistorta vivipara were treated in the field with artificial acid mists prepared with sulfuric acid, nitric acid, or mixtures of equal parts of these at pH 2.5, 3.5, or 4.5. Highly significant reductions in flower production in A. rossii were noted with sulfuric acid treatments at pH 2.5 and in bulblet production in B. vivipara with nitric acid at pH 2.5 and 3.5, with sulfuric acid at pH 3.5, and with nitric-sulfuric acid mixtures at all pH's. These results apparently relate to the growth forms of the plants, which cause pooling of the acid solutions at their bases. Significant increases in flowering and in leaf number were noted for B. vivipara treated with sulfuric acid, possibly as a promotive effect of sulfate. No effects on vegetative growth were noted in A. rossii. The germinability of seeds (A. rossii) and bulblets (B. vivipara) also was not affected. Differential sensitivity of plant species to artificial acid mist implies that acid precipitation could cause a change in species composition of Colorado alpine plant communities.
Early Childhood Testing and School Learning Problems: A Cross-Validation

Educators in the early school grades often find themselves in a dilemma when evaluating children's skills. Formal testing procedures are often inappropriate for young children and can wrongly identify them as deficient. The purpose of this study was to help teachers in making early decisions regarding individual children that would be accurate and helpful in designing educational programs. A screener was identified during the first year that discriminated between kindergarten children identified by their teachers as high-achieving or low-achieving. The results of a subsequent cross-validation yielded a relationship between the screener and the teachers' evaluations that was statistically significant.
The Method of Levels of Abstraction in Pluralism and Governance of Dialogical Interaction

This paper deploys elements of the philosophy of information (PoI) in order to explore ideas of dialogical governance. Dialogue in the governance of contentious issues is at least partly a response to the recognition of pluralism among perspectives on various issues. This recognition is prevalent in the context of European governance. However, it is a first step to a better understanding of diverging opinion, rather than an end point. This paper argues that the PoI offers a fruitful path to follow up this first step. Specifically, PoI provides epistemological tools that can be used to clarify the meanings of terms and relevance of perspectives at issue in dialogical scenarios. Importantly, this approach revises the enlightenment view of the individual, offering a more nuanced and ultimately more accurate view of the self as internally complex. This represents a step beyond the status quo wherein these things are taken as unproblematic. This paper argues that PoI’s resources ought to feature as a methodological background to a reinvigorated dialogical governance paradigm. This method and these resources can inform an improved view of dialogical governance in Europe and, in their generality, beyond.
Low-grade nonintestinal sinonasal adenocarcinoma: a diagnosis of exclusion

The World Health Organization classifies primary sinonasal adenocarcinomas (SNACs) into salivary and nonsalivary types. Salivary types are usually well-defined myoepithelial neoplasms, which closely resemble their salivary counterparts. Nonsalivary types are separated into intestinal-type SNAC (ITAC) and non-ITAC, and both have low- and high-grade categories. Intestinal-type SNACs are aggressive tumors that resemble intestinal epithelium and often arise in the ethmoid sinus. Non-ITACs are of presumed seromucous gland origin, have marked morphologic heterogeneity, and can arise anywhere in the sinonasal tract. Moreover, ITACs typically demonstrate an intestinal-type immunohistochemical profile (CK20+, CK7-, CDX2+, and villin+), whereas non-ITACs reveal a respiratory-type profile (CK20-, CK7+, CDX2-, and villin-). Here, we present a case of low-grade, nonintestinal SNAC in a 17-year-old African American man and a discussion of the classification and pathologic features of primary SNACs.
Wrinkling of Composite-facing Sandwich Panels Under Biaxial Loading

The problem of face wrinkling in sandwich structures was identified as an important failure mode and first analyzed in 1940 by Gough et al. (1), who used a Winkler-type elastic foundation to model the core. This work was followed by experiments and further analysis by many others. Until 1966 all of the research was devoted to uniaxial compression loading. However, in many applications, such as naval and aircraft structures, panels are subjected to biaxial loading. Such loadings were first analyzed by Plantema in 1966 (2) for the case of sandwich constructed of isotropic materials. Sullins et al. (3) suggested an interaction equation that can be used as a criterion of wrinkling under compression in the principal directions. This equation is formulated in terms of the ratios of the principal compressive stresses to the corresponding wrinkling stresses. More recently Fagerberg (4, 5) and Vonach and Rammerstorfer (6) considered the case of sandwich with orthotropic facings. The present work attacks the subject problem using three different models for the core. One model uses a simple Winkler elastic foundation approach. The second model, following Hoff and Mautner (Hoff, N.J. and Mautner, S.E. (1945). The Buckling of Sandwich-Type Panels, Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, 12: 285-297.), uses a linear model for the decay in deformation from the core-facing interface, while the third model, following Plantema (Plantema, F.J. (1966). Sand- wich Construction, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.), uses an exponential decay.
Anatomical patterns and correlated MRI findings of non-perinatal hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy

Non-perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) has varying anatomical patterns dependent on the type of insult, the degree and duration of cerebral hypoxia, or presence and degree of hypoperfusion. Profound insults can affect the entire cerebral cortex or just the perirolandic cortex, the cerebellum and the deep grey matter structures. Less severe insults may affect only the watershed regions. The objective of this article is to review the anatomical patterns of non-perinatal HIEs by MRI.