cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plans For The Development Of EOS SAR Systems Using The Alaska SAR Facility

The Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) program for the acquisition and processing of data from the ESA ERS-1, the NASDA ERS-1, and Radarsat and to carry out a program of science investigations using the data is introduced. Agreements for data acquisition and analysis are in place except for the agreement between NASA and Radarsat which is in negotiation. The ASF baseline system, consisting of the Receiving Ground System, the SAR Processor System and the Archive and Operations System, passed critical design review and is fully in implementation phase. Augments to the baseline system for systems to perform geophysical processing and for processing of J-ERS-1 optical data are in the design and implementation phase. The ASF provides a very effective vehicle with which to prepare for the Earth Observing System (EOS) in that it will aid the development of systems and technologies for handling the data volumes produced by the systems of the next decades, and it will also supply some of the data types that will be produced by EOS.
A Comparison of Star/Galaxy Classification Approaches on Digitised Poss-II Plates

We have compared the use of so-called ‘parametric’ and ‘resolution’-based object classifiers on digitized images from the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. We find that the latter approach, involving the fitting of two-dimensional templates to each detected object, can provide reasonable discrimination at levels approximately a magnitude fainter than the former. We will employ this technique to significantly increase the depth of a galaxy survey using Palomar Schmidt plates.
New Perspectives on Crack and Fault Dynamics

Recent observations on the dynamics of crack and fault rupture are described, together with related theory and simulations in the frame-work of continuum elastodynamics. Topics include configurational instabilities of tensile crack fronts (crack front waves, disordering, side-branching), the connection between frictional slip laws and modes of rupture propagation in earth faulting, especially conditions for formation of self-healing slip pulses, and the rich faulting and cracking phenomena that result along dissimilar material interfaces due to coupling between slippage and normal stress alteration.
Improved performance by optimised planar doped barrier launcher in GaAs vertical FET with very short channel width

The current–voltage characteristics of a GaAs vertical field effect transistor (VFET) with an n+ip+in+ planar doped barrier (PDB) launcher has been successfully improved by the optimisation of the launcher structure as well as the reduction of the channel width. Electron-beam direct writing has been used to obtain a small channel width of 0.1 0.15 μm, resulting in good pinchoff characteristics. The measured maximum transconductances are 383 and 220 mS/mm at 77 and 300 K, respectively. In spite of a very short channel length (0.1 μm) and relatively low channel doping density (5 × 1016cm−3), a high voltage gain of 15 has been obtained.
Effects of p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate (CPIB) on serum insulin levels, insulin sensitivity, and adipose tissue cyclic AMP concentration.

Rats fed p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate (CPIB) for 7 days at a level of 0.25% of a high sucrose diet showed lower circulating immunoassayable insulin concentrations both in the basal state and after stimulation by glucose or glucagon. Total extractable pancreatic insulin was the same in drug-treated and control animals. Insulin injected ip resulted in a greater fall in blood glucose in CPIB-treated rats than in controls. Increased sensitivity to insulin (14C glucose → 14CO2) in vitro was readily demonstrable in fat pads of CPIB fed rats but there was no significant change in insulin sensitivity of hemidiaphragms (14C glucose → 14C glycogen). Estimation of adipose tissue cyclic AMP concentration after in vitro incubation in the “basal” state, in the presence of epinephrine, or of both epinephrine and insulin revealed strikingly lower concentrations of the nucleotide in all circumstances in samples obtained from CPIB-treated rats. The possible relationship of these findings to the observed insulin hypersensitiv...
The mode of secretion of α-amylase in barley aleurone layers.

The involvement of the endomenbrane system of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone cells in the secretion of gibberellin-induced hydrolases has been investigated at the biochemical level. Our results show that at least 40–60% of the α-amylase activity in homogenates of aleurone layers occurs in a membrane-bound, latent form. The latent α-amylase can be assayed quantitatively following disruption of membranes by treatment with Triton X-100, ethanol, sonication, or osmotic shock and shear. The association of α-amylase with the membrane is not an artifact arising from homogenization of the tissue, and acid protease is also enriched in the same subcellular fraction as the α-amylase. The membrane fraction with which the α-amylase is associated has many properties of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). When membranebound α-amylase is prepared in buffers containing 3 mM MgCl2 two fractions from a sucrose step gradient contain most of the α-amylase activity. These fractions are enriched in the ER marker enzyme, NADH-dependent cytochrome-c reductase, and show densities characteristic of smooth and rough ER during subsequent purification on continuous gradients. In step gradients prepared with ethylenediaminete-traacetic-acid-treated membranes, α-amylase activity is contained primarily in one fraction having the density of smooth ER. Electron microscopy of the purified fractions is consistent with α-amylase being associated with smooth and rough ER. However, it has not been ruled out that the enzyme is also associated with plasma membrane, Golgi membranes, or tonoplast. Examination of the isoenzyme patterns of secreted, of total-homogenate and of membrane-associated α-amylases, as well as the results from pulsechase experiments using L-[3H]leucine for labeling of α-amylase, are all consistent with the hypothesis that membrane-associated α-amylase is an intermediate in the secretory process.
Retrograde Treatment in an Extensive Implant-Tooth-Supported Reconstruction

Diagnosis and treatment of chronic apical periodontitis associated with an abutment tooth in an extensive tooth-implant—supported fixed prosthesis is reported. Careful, complete interpretation of clinical data was imperative because the periapical radiolucency presented around the apex of a vital tooth. A retrograde endodontic approach was used to prevent an adverse outcome to the complex rehabilitative treatment that had been performed over many years.
The integrated genome of murine leukemia virus

Abstract The Southern gel filter transfer technique has been used to characterize the integrated genome of Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) and the genomes of the endogenous viruses of the mouse. Study of 10 clones of rat cell independently infected by M-MuLV indicates a minimum of 15 integration sites into which the M-MuLV provirus can be inserted. No common integration site is observed among these clones. Clones productively infected by M-MuLV acquire multiple proviruses, whereas infected cells unable to produce virus contain only one M-MuLV provirus. Once established, the integrated genomes are stable for at least two years after initial infection. The use of M-MuLV probe allows detection of a spectrum of Eco RI-cleaved mouse DNA fragments containing endogenous MuLV genomes. DNAs of different inbred laboratory mouse strains yield similar patterns of provirus with each strain showing minor characteristic differences. In some instances, mouse cells infected by M-MuLV reveal additional proviruses beyond those seen in the uninfected cell. DNAs from three different M-MuLV-induced thymomas indicate, as in rat cells, multiple possible integration sites.
Effects of polyphosphate on the iron metabolism.

The ferric polyphosphate in vivo distribution studies indicate that the iron possesses a high degree of exchangeability and incorporation into the blood pool not present in other iron compounds and other metal complexes of polyphosphate.
Influenza virus as a teratogen in rhesus monkeys

INFLUENZA virus has been suspected but never proven to be a cause of malformation of the central nervous system in man1–4. One major limiting factor in the evaluation of the teratogenic potential of this and other viral agents has been the absence of a primate model. So far the only studies on the teratogenic effects of this virus have been in the chick embryo and rodents, animals phylogenically distant from Homo sapiens5–7. We now report a primate model, the rhesus monkey, showing the teratogenic effect of influenza virus.
Evolutionary spectrum estimation by deconvolving bilinear time-frequency distributions

A deconvolution technique to estimate the evolutionary spectrum (ES) of nonstationary signals by deconvolving the blurring effects of the kernel function from bilinear time frequency distributions (TFD) is presented. The resulting ES has desirable properties such as positivity, higher resolution, higher concentration in time-frequency. The proposed algorithm is computationally more efficient compared to the recently proposed entropy based deconvolution method. Unlike the entropy method the new algorithm can be adapted to deconvolve TFDs other than the spectrogram.
PCAC and triton beta decay

Abstract The PCAC relation is used to derive the one-pion-exchange contribution to the allowed Gamow-Teller beta-decay operator. The transition matrix element is evaluated for the 3 H → 3 He decay. The resulting correction is found to account for the difference between the experimental and the one-body matrix elements. The S-D cross terms give the main contribution.
Effects of Predator Hunting Mode on Grassland Ecosystem Function

The way predators control their prey populations is determined by the interplay between predator hunting mode and prey antipredator behavior. It is uncertain, however, how the effects of such interplay control ecosystem function. A 3-year experiment in grassland mesocosms revealed that actively hunting spiders reduced plant species diversity and enhanced aboveground net primary production and nitrogen mineralization rate, whereas sit-and-wait ambush spiders had opposite effects. These effects arise from the different responses to the two different predators by their grasshopper prey-the dominant herbivore species that controls plant species composition and accordingly ecosystem functioning. Predator hunting mode is thus a key functional trait that can help to explain variation in the nature of top-down control of ecosystems.
ACAT inhibitors derived from hetero-Diels-Alder cycloadducts of thioaldehydes

Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is the enzyme largely responsible for intracellular cholesterol esterification. A systemic inhibitor of ACAT is believed to be able to slow or even reverse the atherosclerotic process. Towards that goal, a series of cyclic sulfides, derived from the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of thioaldehydes with 1,3-dienes, and bearing carboxamide substituents, were prepared and evaluated for in vitro (in several tissues and species) and ex vivo ACAT inhibition. Minor changes in subsequent structure were found to have a significant effect in optimization of the biological activity of this series of compounds.
Dimensionless Solution to the Optimal Design of Spur Gear Sets

In some earlier papers (Savage, Coy, and Townsend, 1982; Carroll and Johnson, 1984), the design of spur gear sets based on minimum size has been addressed considering the interaction of bending and contact stress constraints. In this paper, we present a new approach to the spur gear problem. The new method makes use of some newly defined dimensionless parameters. In the resulting design space, the optimal dimensionless design (which defines the optimal tooth geometry) is independent of load and speed requirements of the gear set. However the optimum is dependent on the physical properties of the materials used. We introduce a new quantity called the Material Properties Relationship Factor, C MP . In the problem formulation presented here, we show that the optimum will always be constraint bound and it will occur at one of three possible constraint intersections. C MP is used to identify which of three possible constraint intersections is the correct one. After the dimensionless optimum is found, we present an example which shows how to transform the solution back into the real design space considering the load and speed requirements of the gear set along with discrete value constraints on the number of teeth and the diametral pitch. Tabulated optimal dimensionless designs are included for some standard sets of tooth proportions.
Treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis with intraperitoneal administration of Ad-hARF.

Abstract Background Peritoneal dissemination of cancer is a terminal condition with limited therapeutic options. Because the peritoneal cavity is a single enclosed space, regional treatment approaches for isolated peritoneal cancrinomatosis are appealing. There is a potential role for gene therapy in the management of peritoneal cancrinomatosis. Materials and methods An adenoviral construct of the human p14ARF gene (a tumor suppressor) and a 22 amino acid sequence of the ARF gene product, which has cell membrane penetrating properties, were assayed for proapoptotic properties in a human colorectal cancer cell line (Clone A) cells in vitro . Peritoneal carcinomatosis derived from Clone A cells was also established in nude mice and then treated with intraperitoneal administration of an adenoviral construct of the human p14ARF gene. Results Treatment of ARF-negative Clone A cells with Ad-hARF in vitro reestablished ARF function. However, the cell penetrating ARF-related peptide did not restore ARF function in Clone A cells. Treatment of Clone A peritoneal xenografts with a single intraperitoneal dose of Ad-hARF (9 × 10 6 viral particles) suppressed the progression of peritoneal disease. Weekly (six times) administration of the Ad-hARF at a lower dose (3 × 10 6 viral particles) also suppressed tumor progression. Conclusions Treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis by intraperitoneal administration of adenoviral constructs of inactivated tumor suppressor genes may be a feasible clinical approach, and ARF may represent a suitable molecular target for tumors where the ARF gene is inactivated.
The Use of a Small Computer as a Communications Controller of Multi-User On-Line Systems

A programmed communications controller (PCC) has been designed using a small digital computer. The PCC is connected to a multi-user on-line system which controls nine experiments at the Brookhaven High Flux Beam Reactor. The purpose of the PCC is to process and switch all messages between sixteen teletypewriter terminals and the time-sharing system. The PCC serves "local" terminals at each experiment and "remote" terminals at distances up to one mile from the reactor. The PCC also controls message transfers between local and remote terminals. Arguments are given why a digital computer has been chosen rather than a hardwired device.
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Stimulates Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Endogenous c-Crk

Crk, a cellular homolog of v-crk, is an SH2 and SH3 domain-containing adaptor protein related to Grb2 and Nck, two proteins which have been shown to be involved in growth factor signal transduction. Crk proteins have recently been found to associate with two guanine nucleotide releasing proteins, mSos and C3G, and thus appear to lie on the Ras pathway. We investigated whether Crk is a target for the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor tyrosine kinase. We show that IGF-I stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk II via stimulation of endogenous IGF-I receptors in both 293 cells and NIH-3T3 cells. IGF-I stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk II in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In 293 cells, which express both IGF-I and insulin receptors, insulin also induced a dose-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of Crk II, but with somewhat reduced sensitivity, compared to IGF-I. In NIH 3T3 cells, IGF-I also stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of a 45- kDa protein which co-immunoprecipitated with Crk II. These findings indicate that Crk II is an endogenous substrate of the IGF-I receptor tyrosine kinase and provide the first demonstration that a mitogenic growth factor induces tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous c-Crk.
Improving Test-Taking Performance of Secondary At-Risk Youth and Students With Disabilities

Preparing at-risk youth and students with mild disabilities for state and district tests is important for improving their test performance, and basic instruction in test preparation can significantly improve student test performance. The article defines noncognitive variables that adversely affect test-taker performance. The article also describes test-taking interventions informed by the review of the literature and provides suggestions for practical classroom use.
Arrest as a way out: understanding the needs of women sex trafficking victims identified by law enforcement

Human trafficking has traditionally been examined from an international perspective, leaving a gap in our knowledge regarding the service needs of the tens of thousands of known sex trafficking victims currently living in the United States. Of special concern is that many of these victims are only identified once they have come into contact with law enforcement, usually in the form of an arrest. As a result, these individuals stand the risk of being victimized by both the sex trafficking industry and the criminal justice system. In order to determine ways in which the gap between needs and services can be addressed, police and community responses need to be re-evaluated in light of a paradigm that recognizes that these women may be victims that have not consented to their participation in the sex trade. In this research note, we suggest modes of police and community service provision in light of the available research evidence on human trafficking.
Grid and off-grid electrification: An integrated model with applications to India

Abstract In many developing countries, the national electricity grid fails to provide rural communities with a reliable supply of electricity. Given the high socio-economic cost of this policy failure, both scholars and policymakers have recently become interested in off-grid electrification programs. However, the relationship between national grid expansion and off-grid electrification remains unclear. Are these two approaches independent of each other, or perhaps even competitors? This article develops a taxonomy that allows grid expansion and off-grid electrification to complement each other. Explicit policy integration is necessary to encourage investment in off-grid electrification and avoid duplication of effort. Otherwise, there is a danger that the poorest and geographically most remote segments of the rural population could be left outside electrification efforts. As an illustration, the article offers a case study of India.
Hungarian research on the acquisition of morphology and syntax

This review analyses research on the acquisition of Hungarian morphology and syntax. The specific topics covered are morphological analysis, neologisms, acquisition of the first inflections, morpheme order, word order and agreement. Several lines of evidence suggest that the first unit acquired by the child is the word. Because of the structure of Hungarian, both errors in segmentation of the utterance and errors in the segmentation of the word are minimized. Morphological analysis seems to begin at the semantic level and proceed to the morphological level. Data on acquisition of free word order and early inflections are potentially of great interest, although presently inconclusive.
The Effects of Tricyclazole, Pyroquilon, Phthalide, and Related Fungicides on the Production of Conidial Wall Pigments by Penicillium and Aspergillus Species

Abstract Nine compounds that inhibit 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin biosynthesis in Pyricularia oryzae were used to study their effect on pigment production in conidial walls of 11 Penicillium and 5 Aspergillus species. Conidial pigmentation in all of the fungi except A. flavus and A. parasiticus was inhibited by tricyclazole and, where tested, by most of the other compounds that inhibit melanin synthesis in Py. oryzae. The stronger inhibitors of DHN-melanin synthesis (tricyclazole, chlobenthiazone, and pyroquilon) were the strongest inhibitors of pigment synthesis by the Penicillum and Aspergillus species, and four of the other compounds (phthalide, PCBA, PP-389, and MQ) had a similar order of effect on pigment synthesis in the Penicillium and Aspergillus species as previously reported for melanin synthesis in Py. oryzae. Two of the weakest melanin inhibitors, coumarin and TQ, did not inhibit pigment synthesis. Flaviolin, a shunt product from the DHN-melanin pathway, was isolated from tricyclazole-treated cultures of 10 of 14 of the fungal isolates when they were grown on a special alkaline medium. Conidial wall pigmentation was inhibited by tricyclazole in the alkaline medium, and the effects of tricyclazole on conidial wall pigmentation and flaviolin accumulation occurred concurrently. These findings indicate that some of the Aspergillus isolates and all of the Penicillium isolates used in this study contain a reductase enzyme(s) that is involved in the biosynthesis of green pigments and that is inhibited by compounds that prevent DHN-melanin biosynthesis in a number of brown to black fungi. The accumulation of flaviolin in cultures containing tricyclazole suggests that pentaketide metabolites are used in the synthesis of these pigments.
Deformation of Ag/1.2 at.% Mg

Abstract Mechanical properties of Ag/1.2 at.% Mg were measured at room temperature in air and at 900°C in Ar or O 2 . Exposure to O 2 at 900°C induced formation of MgO precipitates, which hardened the material and decreased its ductility substantially at both temperatures. At room temperature, oxidation increased the yield strength by a factor of ≈8 and the stiffness by ≈ 16%. At 900°C and strain rates of 3 × 10 −6 to 10 −4 s −1 , deformation was strongly dependent on atmosphere: in Ar, the alloy deformed by dislocation motion and underwent dynamic recrystallization; in O 2 , the yield stress increased by a factor of ≈10, but the specimens fractured after limited plasticity.
Factors affecting bleedthrough of phenolic resin adhesive in hardwood plywood

Some variables affecting the bleedthrough of phenolic resin adhesives in hardwood plywood were studied quantitatively. Variables included resin age, age of adhesive mix, extender/water ratio, amount of glue spread, aseembly time, veneer moisture content, species differences, grain angle, platen pressure, pressure cycle, platen temperature and rate of temperature rise.
The diffusion-limited reaction A + B → 0 on a fractal substrate

We show in this paper how the segregation of reactants in the diffusion-limited reaction A+B→0 on a fractal substrate arises. For spectral dimensions ds ⩽ 2 we obtain segregation controlled by the source and/or the intrinsic lifetime of the particles.
Reactions of cyanotrihydroborate ion and its derivatives with halogens

Abstract The addition of an equivalent of Cl 2 , Br 2 or I 2 to a solution of Na[H 3 BCN] in glyme (1,2-dimethoxyethane) yields the cyanoborane cyclic oiligomers previously reported. The addition of an excess of a Lewis base (e.g. a pyridine, a tertiary amine or a tertiary phosphine) to the cyanoborane yields a cyanoborane adduct, LBH 2 CN. The addition of an excess of chlorine yields a solution believed to contain [glyme]-BH 2 CN. This solution reacts slowly with Lewis bases (L) to yield LBH 2 CN, and small amounts of chlorinated cyanoborane adducts. The proportion of chlorinated products relative to LBH 2 CN increases as the amount of moisture in the reaction mixture increases and as the base strength of L is reduced. The chlorination of LBH 2 CN in moist benzene yields LBCl 2 CN as the principal product when L is pyridine, while a complex misture is obtained when L = (C 2 H 5 ) 3 N.
Alteration of the carbohydrate for deoxyguanosine analogs markedly changes DNA replication fidelity, cell cycle progression and cytotoxicity.

Nucleoside analogs are efficacious cancer chemotherapeutics due to their incorporation into tumor cell DNA. However, they exhibit vastly different antitumor efficacies, suggesting that incorporation produces divergent effects on DNA replication. Here we have evaluated the consequences of incorporation on DNA replication and its fidelity for three structurally related deoxyguanosine analogs: ganciclovir (GCV), currently in clinical trials in a suicide gene therapy approach for cancer, D-carbocyclic 2′-deoxyguanosine (CdG) and penciclovir (PCV). GCV and CdG elicited similar cytotoxicity at low concentrations, whereas PCV was 10–100-fold less cytotoxic in human tumor cells. DNA replication fidelity was evaluated using a supF plasmid-based mutation assay. Only GCV induced a dose-dependent increase in mutation frequency, predominantly GC→TA transversions, which contributed to cytotoxicity and implicated the ether oxygen in mutagenicity. Activation of mismatch repair with hydroxyurea decreased mutations but failed to repair the GC→TA transversions. GCV slowed S-phase progression and CdG also induced a G2/M block, but both drugs allowed completion of one cell cycle after drug treatment followed by cell death in the second cell cycle. In contrast, PCV induced a lengthy early S-phase block due to profound suppression of DNA synthesis, with cell death in the first cell cycle after drug treatment. These data suggest that GCV and CdG elicit superior cytotoxicity due to their effects in template DNA, whereas strong inhibition of nascent strand synthesis by PCV may protect against cytotoxicity. Nucleoside analogs based on the carbohydrate structures of GCV and CdG is a promising area for antitumor drug development.
Band-shape analysis and display of fine structure in protein spectra: A new approach to perturbation spectroscopy☆

Abstract The shape of light absorption bands of proteins to about 250 nm can be described as the sum of two overlapping lognormal distribution curves. A plot of the differences between the mathematically smooth fitted curve and the experimental points provides a vivid display of vibronic fine structure. Band parameters and difference plots are provided for the N-acetyl-ethyl esters of the aromatic amino acids and are compared with those of glucagon, ribonuclease, chymotrypsinogen, lysozyme and apoaspartate aminotransferase. Changes in band parameters and fine structure are observed upon denaturation and in conversion of glucagon to fibril form.
Lathosterol-to-cholesterol ratio in serum predicts cholesterol-lowering response to plant sterol consumption in a dual-center, randomized, single-blind placebo-controlled trial

ABSTRACTBackground: Beneﬁts of plant sterols (PS) for cholesterol loweringare compromised by large variability in efﬁcacy across individuals.High fractional cholesterol synthesis measured by deuterium incor-poration has been associated with nonresponse to PS consumption;however, prospective studies that show this association have yet tobe conducted.Objective: Thegoalwastotestwhetherthelathosterol-to-cholesterolratio (L:C), a surrogate marker of endogenous cholesterol synthesis,serves as an a priori predictor of cholesterol lowering in response toPS consumption.Design: Sixty-three mildly hypercholesterolemic adults who werepreselected as possessing either high endogenous cholesterol synthe-sis [HS;n = 24;L:C = 2.036 0.39mmol/mmol(mean 6 SD)]orlowendogenous cholesterol synthesis [LS; n = 39; L:C = 0.99 6 0.28mmol/mmol (mean 6 SD)] on the basis of baseline L:C consumed2 g PS/d or a placebo for 28 d with the use of a dual-center, single-blind, randomized crossover design. Plasma lipid and noncholesterolsterol concentrations were measured at the end of each phase.Results: PS consumption lowered total cholesterol (TC; 20.25 60.05 mmol/L; P , 0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (20.17 6 0.04mmol/L; P , 0.0001) overall. Speciﬁcally, LS individuals respondedto PS treatment with a reduction in TC (20.40 6 0.07 mmol/L; P ,0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (20.29 6 0.05 mmol/L; P = 0.0002),whereas HS individuals failed to show cholesterol lowering (TC:20.09 6 0.09 mmol/L; P = 0.2843; LDL cholesterol: 20.05 60.07 mmol/L; P = 0.4917). The odds of LS participants respondingwith cholesterol lowering better thanthe mean cholesterol lowering inall participants to PS consumption were 4.25 (95% CI: 1.242, 14.556;P = 0.0211) for TC and 3.36 (95% CI: 1.112, 10.161; P = 0.0317) forLDL cholesterol, which was higher than for HS participants.Conclusions: The L:C ratio predicts the extent of reduction incirculating TC and LDL cholesterol in response to PS consumption.Cholesterol synthesis assessment may thus have a use in identifyingresponders and nonresponders to PS therapy. This trial was regis-tered at clinicaltrials.govas NCT01131832. Am J Clin Nutr doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.095356.Keywords cholesterol lowering, interindividual variability, non-cholesterol sterols, plant sterols, randomized controlled trialINTRODUCTIONPlant sterols (PS)
SQLGraph: An Efficient Relational-Based Property Graph Store

We show that existing mature, relational optimizers can be exploited with a novel schema to give better performance for property graph storage and retrieval than popular noSQL graph stores. The schema combines relational storage for adjacency information with JSON storage for vertex and edge attributes. We demonstrate that this particular schema design has benefits compared to a purely relational or purely JSON solution. The query translation mechanism translates Gremlin queries with no side effects into SQL queries so that one can leverage relational query optimizers. We also conduct an empirical evaluation of our schema design and query translation mechanism with two existing popular property graph stores. We show that our system is 2-8 times better on query performance, and 10-30 times better in throughput on 4.3 billion edge graphs compared to existing stores.
Induction of transforming growth factor-β receptor type II expression in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells through SP1 activation by 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine

Abstract Previous studies suggest that estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer cells acquire resistance to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) because of reduced expression levels of TGF-β receptor type II (RII). We now report that treatment of ER+ breast cancer cells with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-2′-dC) leads to accumulation of RII transcript and protein in three different cell lines. RII induction restored TGF-β response in MCF-7L breast cancer cells as indicated by the enhanced activity of a TGF-β responsive promoter-reporter construct (p3TP-Lux). A transiently transfected RII promoter-reporter element (RII-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) showed an increase in activity in the 5-aza-2′-dC-treated MCF-7L cells compared with untreated cells, suggesting the activation of a transactivator of RII transcription. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, the enhanced binding of proteins from 5-aza-2′-dC-treated MCF-7L nuclear extracts to radiolabeled Sp1 oligonucleotides was demonstrated. An RII promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct containing a mutation in the Sp1 site was not expressed in the 5-aza-2′-dC-treated MCF-7L cells, further demonstrating that induction of Sp1 activity by 5-aza-2′-dC in the MCF-7L cells was critical to RII expression. Northern analysis indicated that 5-aza-2′-dC treatment did not affect the Sp1 transcript levels. Western blot analysis revealed an increase of Sp1 protein in the 5-aza-2′-dC-treated MCF-7L cells, but there was no change in the c-Jun levels. Studies after cyclohexamide treatment suggested an increase in the Sp1 protein stability from the 5-aza-2′-dC-treated MCF-7L extracts compared with untreated control extracts. These results indicate that the transcriptional repression of RII in the ER+ breast cancer cells is caused by suboptimal activity of Sp1, whereas treatment with 5-aza-2′-dC stabilizes the protein thus increasing steady-state Sp1 levels and thereby leads to enhanced RII transcription and subsequent restoration of TGF-β sensitivity.
The Nature of Tenaciously Bound Soil on Cotton

A serious problem in drycleaning and laundering is the progressive deterioration in the appearance of fabrics caused by the gradual accumulation of unremoved and re deposited soil. Electron micrographs of natural soil in situ were taken to determine the identity and particle size of this material. These electron micrographs suggest that clay minerals 0.02-1μ in diameter are the major particulate material causing soil build-up on cotton fibers. Properties of clay minerals which contribute to their form ing strong bonds with cotton fibers are discussed.
Initiation of protein biosynthesis in eukaryotes

Initiation of protein synthesis in eukaryotes is important both mechanically, because it selects the translation reading frame, and biologically, because it is the primary site for regulation of translation. For approximately 95–98% of the cellular mRNAs, formation of an initiation complex follows a rather specific pathway that is broken down into seven discrete steps. Although almost 35 peptides in 12–14 translation initiation factors participate in this process, three appear to have dominant roles: eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)3, in building a pool of 40S subunits; eIF2, in binding the initiator tRNA (tRNAi) to the 40S subunit; and eIF4F in activating the mRNA and binding it to the 40S subunit. This process requires both ATP and GTP. The resulting 80S initiation complex contains both the tRNAi and the mRNA, with the anticodon of the tRNAi correctly base paired with the initiating AUG code word. Regulation of translation focuses mostly on controlling the activity of either eIF2 or eIF4F and this regulation has different consequences. Reduction in eIF2 activity influences all mRNA approximately the same, whereas reduction in eIF4F activity drives competition between mRNAs.
A Bracketing Approach for Estimating Regional Economic Impact Multipliers and a Procedure for Assessing Their Accuracy

There has been a resurgence in the use of impact multipliers of the economic base type in the United States, particularly in response to recent legislation and judicial decisions which require socioeconomic as well as environmental impact analyses. This paper presents a bracketing approach whereby upper and lower bounds of the multiplier are estimated. It also presents and applies a procedure that can be used to test the accuracy of alternative methods for estimating economic base multipliers.
Corticotropin releasing factor mRNA and peptide levels are differentially regulated in the developing ovine brain.

Abstract The regulation of CRF mRNA and protein in the developing ovine brain has been studied to assess the hypothesis that CRF is differentially regulated in the hypothalamus (Hypo), hippocampal-amygdala complex (H & A), frontal cerebral cortex (FCC) and brainstem (BS). We used a quantitative RNase protection assay and radioimmunoassay to determine mRNA and peptide concentrations, respectively, from the last third of gestation until term (i.e., from 95 to 142 days gestation (dg); term ≈ 145 days). The major findings from this study are: (1) Hypothalamic CRF mRNA was increased by 2-fold in 140–142 dg fetuses compared to 128–138 and 95–123 dg fetuses; P = 0.016. (2) In the hypothalamus of 140–142 dg fetuses, there was a 2.5-fold increase in CRF mRNA derived from polyadenylation at poly(A) sites 2, 3 or 4; P = 0.005. (3) In 128–138 dg fetuses, CRF mRNA in the frontal cortex was 2-fold higher than in the other brain regions during this time period; P = 0.008. (4) CRF peptide concentrations in the Hypo were 2.5-fold higher in 140–142 dg fetuses compared to 95–106 and 128–138 dg fetuses; P = 0.007. (5) CRF peptide concentrations in the frontal cortex were 5.5-fold higher in 140–142 dg fetuses compared to fetuses at 95–106 dg; P = 0.004. (6) CRF peptide concentrations in the H & A were 5-fold higher in 140–142 dg fetuses compared to 95–106 dg fetuses; P = 0.029. The results from the present study demonstrate for the first time that CRF mRNA and peptide are differentially regulated in a region-specific manner during development.
Physicians' Decisions to Prescribe Benzodiazepines for Nervousness and Insomnia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of particular clinical cues on decisions about prescribing benzodiazepines. DESIGN: A factorial survey based on social judgment theory. SETTING: A midwestern U.S. medical school. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians (n = 115) recruited from the staff by invitation and interview. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Physicians indicated their level of agreement with prescribing a benzodiazepine for 24 hypothetical cases of nervousness and insomnia. The cases stemmed from the same scenario but varied systematically with regard to psychiatric diagnosis, recent ability to work, and long-term social stability. A fourth cue, called “health status,” covertly depicted the presence or absence of three common alcohol-related medical problems. One fourth of the physicians agreed with prescribing for 15 or more cases, and 15% disagreed for all of them. Agreement was cumulative and least common for major depression, more common for adjustment disorder, and most common for generalized anxiety. Agreement with prescribing for cases with alcohol-related medical problems was 14% less than that for cases without them. Over half the physicians agreed with prescribing for 4 or more of the 12 cases with alcohol-related medical problems. CONCLUSIONS: Prescribing decisions varied widely. Some physicians avoided benzodiazepines unnecessarily for some cases, while others agreed with prescribing for patients with a high probability of alcohol abuse. Blanket calls for more or less prescribing are overly simplistic; physicians should be able to recognize substance use disorders among anxious patients and make prescribing decisions based on relevant literature and clinical cues. KEY WORDS: benzodiazepines; physicians’ practice patterns; anxiety disorders; depression; alcoholism.
A HISTORY OF THE SPECIES?1

By rejecting the old divide between prehistory and history, the group of scholars behind Deep History opens a new window on the problem of the unity and diversity of human experience over the very long run. Their use of kinship metaphors suggests not only a link between modern society and the deep past, but also perhaps a way to imagine the common legacy of the human species. But what emerges from Deep History is hardly a sunny story about the distant origins of social justice and ecological harmony. The other central metaphor of the book—the fractal—uncovers the slow prelude to the Anthropocene. Rather than seeing a sharp break in the Industrial Revolution from an “organic” to a fossil fuel-burning economy, these scholars stress the history of environmental destruction that has accompanied human expansion. My critical reading presents an alternative understanding of deep history as an arena for a new politics of species. Here a cornucopian understanding of human adaptation clashes with a new pessimism about the climatic fragility of Neolithic civilization.
Managing the Teacher Workforce in Austere Times: The Determinants and Implications of Teacher Layoffs

Abstract Over 2,000 teachers in the state of Washington received reduction-in-force (RIF) notices across the 2008–09 and 2009–10 school years. We link data on these RIF notices to an administrative data set that includes student, teacher, school, and district variables to determine the factors that predict the likelihood of a teacher receiving a RIF notice. Not surprisingly, we find that a teacher's seniority is the strongest predictor, but we also find (all else equal) that teachers with master's degrees and those credentialed in the high-need areas of math, science, and special education were less likely to receive a RIF notice. Value-added measures of teacher effectiveness, which can be calculated for a subset of the teachers, were not correlated with the probability of receiving a RIF notice. Finally, simulations suggest that a very different group of teachers would be targeted for layoffs under an effectiveness-based layoff scenario than under the seniority-driven system that exists today.
Genes Involved in Radiation Therapy Response in Head and Neck Cancers

Objectives: This is a pilot study designed to identify gene expression profiles able to stratify head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors that may or may not respond to chemoradiation or radiation therapy. Study Design: We prospectively evaluated 14 HNSCC specimens, arising from patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone with curative intent. A complete response was assessed by clinical evaluation with no evidence of gross tumor after a 2-year follow-up period. Methods: Residual biopsy samples from eight complete responders (CR) and six nonresponders (NR) were evaluated by genome-wide gene expression profiling using HG-U133A 2.0 arrays. Univariate parametric t-tests with proportion of false discoveries controlled by multivariate permutation tests were used to identify genes with significantly different gene expression levels between CR and NR cases. Six different prediction algorithms were used to build gene predictor lists. Three representative genes showing 100% crossvalidation support after leave-one-out crossvalidation (LOOCV) were further validated using real-time QRT-PCR. Results: We identified 167 significant probe sets that discriminate between the two classes, which were used to build gene predictor lists. Thus, 142 probe sets showed an accuracy of prediction ranging from 93% to 100% across all six prediction algorithms. The genes represented by these 142 probe sets were further classified into different functional networks that included cellular development, cellular movement, and cancer. Conclusions: The results presented herein offer encouraging preliminary data that may provide a basis for a more precise prognosis of HNSCC, as well as a molecular-based therapy decision for the management of these cancers. Laryngoscope, 119:91–101, 2009
The Narrative of Complexity in the Crisis of Finance: Epistemological Challenge and Macroprudential Policy Response

Official accounts of the 2007–8 financial crisis have recurrently referred to ‘complexity’ in the nature of the securities transacted and in the structure of the financial industry as a way to convey difficulty to understand or apprehend, and thus to predict financial dynamics and regulate financial institutions. On the one hand, the complexity metaphor – as other crisis metaphors commonly do – naturalised turmoil and obscured agency as it subjectified complexity itself as a key driver of instability. On the other hand, it marked a departure from narratives of recent crises insofar as it has pointed explicitly to an epistemological crisis underlying financial turmoil. Such framing of the crisis yielded a powerful theoretical challenge to classical neoliberal assumptions about the exogenous nature of financial turmoil and helped shape a new consensus around the imperative of macroprudential regulation. However, the embrace of the complexity lens may remain relatively ambiguous. Though highlighting properti...
Felony plea bargaining and probation: A growing judicial and prosecutorial dilemma

Abstract This research surveyed 166 city and county prosecutors in area jurisdictions in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia concerning their use of felony probation in plea bargaining. Most prosecutors indicated that they use plea bargaining to an increasing degree and that those plea agreements more frequently involve probation. An analysis was made of 64,372 felony convictions for the years 1970–1985 in all participating area jurisdictions. Felony plea bargaining increased, particularly in Tennessee. Prison overcrowding was largely responsible for this trend in certain jurisdictions surveyed. Probation was used less frequently in trial convictions compared with plea bargained convictions when similar offenses and offender characteristics were controlled.
A simple techniquefor electron linac beam profile measurement

Abstract An investigation was undertaken to develop a technique for measuring the electron beam size for acceptance tests on the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA). Of several methods considered a foil activation technique is believed to be sufficiently accurate, and yet uncomplicated. Considerations leading to a choice of foil material and thickness are presented. Copper and nickel foils activated in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute electron linac were sectioned, and the measured activities of the various sections were used to determine the radial profile of the electron beam. Theoretical calculations of the foil activities agreed well enough with the experimental results so as to be useful for estimating the expected activity.
Isolation and Genome Analysis of Single Virions using 'Single Virus Genomics'

Whole genome amplification and sequencing of single microbial cells enables genomic characterization without the need of cultivation 1-3. Viruses, which are ubiquitous and the most numerous entities on our planet 4 and important in all environments 5, have yet to be revealed via similar approaches. Here we describe an approach for isolating and characterizing the genomes of single virions called 'Single Virus Genomics' (SVG). SVG utilizes flow cytometry to isolate individual viruses and whole genome amplification to obtain high molecular weight genomic DNA (gDNA) that can be used in subsequent sequencing reactions.
Rapid crack propagation and arrest in polymers

Abstract : Published fracture dynamic properties of four birefringent polymers, i.e. polyester resin Homalite-100, epoxy resin Araldite B, modified epoxy resins and polycarbonate, determined by dynamic photoelasticity and dynamic caustics are reviewed. Despite mounting evidence of unique dynamic fracture toughness, KID, versus crack velocity, A, relations of these polymers fractured under static loading, such relations could not be duplicated in fracture specimens loaded dynamically. The existence of unique KID versus A relations and the validity of a minimum dynamic fracture toughness, KIM, as a conservative estimate of the crack arrest stress intensity factor for polymers subjected to dynamic loading remains in doubt. (Author)
Comparative study of in vivo stigmasterol biosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum and Hordeum vulgare

Abstract Six-day-old tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) seedlings rapidly incorporated and metabolized exogenously supplied [4- 14 C]sitosterol but neither plant was able to convert it into stigmasterol. However, a sterol metabolite was isolated from both species and the acetate derivative was slightly more polar, on AgNO 3 —silica gel TLC, than stigmasteryl acetate. A similar metabolite was also obtained with [4- 14 C]cholesterol, indicating a general metabolic reaction of plants to exogenous sterols. Both species incorporated [2- 14 C]mevalonic acid into sitosterol and stigmasterol. We suggest that in vascular plants, whether monocotyledons or dicotyledons, the pathway of stigmasterol biosynthesis is not via sitosterol but through a common precursor which is derived from mevalonic acid.
Dietary factors, body weight, and screen time in U.S. children with and without asthma

ABSTRACTAsthma is a chronic disease increasing in prevalence in Western cultures. Sedentary behaviors, such as television viewing, video game and computer use, have been associated with poor diet and being overweight. The extent to which these factors were associated with asthma was investigated in a representative sample of U.S. children ages 2–11 years (N = 4133). Results showed low dietary fiber, reported being told your child was overweight by a healthcare provider, and race/ethnicity were associated with asthma; whereas, screen time, fat intake, and meals out were not associated with asthma. Implications for clinical practice and research were discussed.