cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baryogenesis after hyperextended inflation

We study a baryogenesis mechanism operating in the context of hyperextended inflation and making use of a coupling between the scalar field and a standard model global current, such as $B$ or $B\ensuremath{-}L$. The method is efficient at temperatures at which these currents are not conserved due to some higher dimensional operator. The particle physics and cosmological phenomenology are discussed. We consider constraints stemming from nucleosynthesis and solar system experiments.
Reduced brain CRH and GR mRNA expression precedes obesity in juvenile rats bred for diet-induced obesity

To assess the role of endogenous peptides involved in stress responsivity in the development of diet-induced obesity (DIO), selectively bred DIO and diet-resistant (DR) male were weaned onto a low fat (4.5%) chow diet at 3 weeks of age and then fed either chow or a 31% fat by energy content (high energy (HE)) diet for 9 days beginning at 4 weeks of age. Regardless of diet, DIO rats gained more weight than DR rats but did not show the selective DIO weight gain trait characteristic of older DIO rats fed HE diet. At this early age, both DR and DIO rats on HE diet ate more and had higher leptin levels but gained less body weight and had lower feed efficiency (body weight gain (g)/food intake (kcal)) than their chow-fed controls. HE diet also prevented the decline in 24h urine corticosterone levels from the third to fifth week observed in chow-fed rats. Terminally, DIO rats had lower hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and amygdalar central nucleus corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA than DR rats, regardless of their diets. Taken together with prior studies in these rats, there appears to be a critical period between 3 and 5 weeks of age when DIO and DR rats are not phenotypically different and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function is rapidly changing. The reduced expression of brain GR and CRH expression at the end of this period might contribute to the propensity of DIO rats to become obese selectively on HE diet after 5 weeks of age.
The pastoral interest and Sydney's public health

(1982). The pastoral interest and Sydney's public health. Historical Studies: Vol. 20, No. 78, pp. 73-89.
Enzymatic resolution of the 1,3,3-trimethyl-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (1,8-cineole) system

Abstract Regioselective oxidation of 1,8-cineole 1 with chromyl acetate according to a literature procedure gave the bicyclic 2-ketocineole 8 as the major product along with the symmetrical diketocineole 9 . The bicyclic monoketone was reduced with lithium aluminum hydride followed by exposure to acetyl chloride/DMAP to afford the exo -acetate (±)- 4b . Pig liver esterase (PLE)-mediated hydrolysis of the racemic acetate provided the alcohol (−)- 2b (45%) together with its antipodal acetate (+)- 4b (43%) in greater than 99% enantiomeric purity, as determined by analysis of the Mosher's ester derivatives. Iodination of the alcohol exo -(+)- 2b , obtained by hydrolysis of the resolved actetate with iodine/triphenylphosphine/imidazole, provided the corresponding endo iodide (−)- 12a , which was easily dehydrohalogenated with DBU under solvent-free conditions to provide the corresponding cineolene (−)- 6 in an overall yield of 6 and 99% e.e.
Pd encapsulated and nanopore hollow fiber membranes : Synthesis and permeation studies

Abstract New types of supported Pd membranes were developed for high temperature H 2 separation. Sequential combinations of boehmite sol slip casting and film coating, and electroless plating (ELP) steps were designed to synthesize “Pd encapsulated” and “Pd nanopore” membranes supported on α-Al 2 O 3 hollow fibers. The permeation characteristics (flux, permselectivity) of a series of unaged and aged encapsulated and nanopore membranes with different Pd loadings were compared to those of a conventional 1 μm Pd/4 μm γ-Al 2 O 3 /α-Al 2 O 3 hollow fiber membrane. The unaged encapsulated membrane exhibited good performance with ideal H 2 /N 2 separation factors of 3000–8000 and H 2 flux ∼0.4 mol/m 2 s at 370 °C and a transmembrane pressure gradient of 4 × 10 5 Pa. The unaged Pd nanopore membranes had a lower initial flux and permselectivity, but exhibited superior performance with extended use (200 h). At the same conditions the unaged 2.6 μm Pd nanopore membrane had a H 2 flux of ∼0.16 mol/m 2 s and separation factor of 500 and the unaged 0.6 μm Pd nanopore membrane had a H 2 flux of ∼0.25 mol/m 2 s and separation factor of 50. Both nanopore membranes stabilized after 40 h of operation, in contrast to a continued deterioration of the permselectivity for the other membranes. An analysis of the permeation data reveals a combination of Knudsen and convective transport through membrane defects. A phenomenological, qualitative model of the synthesis and resulting structure of the encapsulated and nanopore membranes is presented to explain the permeation results.
Targeted Delivery of Plasmid DNA to Myogenic Cells via Transferrin-Conjugated Peptide Nucleic Acid

We describe a novel approach to conjugate a targeting ligand to plasmid DNA without affecting either its supercoiled conformation or its ability to be efficiently transcribed. A 14-mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) containing lysine and cysteine on each end was designed to target to a unique sequence located at the antibiotic resistance gene of the plasmid. The binding of PNA to the plasmid was found to be dose-dependent and sequence-specific and not to change the conformation of the plasmid. Transferrin (Tf) was conjugated with PNA via a reversible disulfide bond using N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate. Tf–PNA retained the ability to the plasmid in a sequence-specific manner. The efficiency of this bioconjugate for delivering plasmid was examined in cultured myoblasts and myotubes. Naked DNA and Tf–PNA/DNA showed no transfection activity in either myoblasts or myotubes. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) is required for significant increase of the transfection efficiency. At N:P ratio of 5, Tf–PNA enhanced gene transfection about fourfold over that of the DNA/PEI complex in both myoblasts and myotubes. This enhancement could be inhibited by excess free Tf, indicating that the enhancement of transfection was through Tf-mediated endocytosis. These findings suggest that this targeting system may have the potential for gene transfer to myogenic cells in vivo.
Recognising interdependence and defining multi-level governance in city sustainability plans

A growing number of city governments in the USA have developed plans to pursue sustainable development and mitigate climate change. City governments do not act alone on such complex environmental and social policies, but participate in a web of multi-level governance relationships, interacting with other local governments, community organisations, state and federal government agencies, and international organisations. How is multi-level governance and interdependence documented in city sustainability and climate protection plans? This study reports content analysis of documents from 20 US cities, evaluating how frequently governance relationships are documented, as well as the purpose of the relationships. The findings highlight the importance of intergovernmental management, bargaining and negotiation skills for local government managers working on city sustainability and climate protection initiatives.
The half-life of He6

Abstract The decay of He6 was measured, with a plastic scintillation counter, over a period of 10 half-lives. The data were obtained by photographing two scalers, one of which registered the β counts while the other, operating on a 60 Hz signal, served as the clock. After suitable corrections for background, dead-time of the counting system, and pulse height dependence on counting rate, 34 separate runs were combined. A least squares fit to the data gives a value of T 1 2 = (0.797 ±0.003) sec .
Piezooptic coefficients of four neodymium-doped laser glasses

The stress-induced birefringence was measured for the phosphate glasses Q-88, LG-812, E-181, and LHG-10. (AIP)
The Cause of Powerhop

Powerhop of Agricultural Tractors has been a problem since the early 1960’s. The problem became worse with the advent of MFWD and 4WD tractors with radial ply tires. Much work has been done to abate the problem after it happens but little has been done to understand the basic cause of powerhop. One area that has had virtually no attention is the tangential (fore-aft) spring characteristics of the tire. Vertical and torsional spring and damping characteristics of tires have been included in powerhop models but the tire tangential spring-mass characteristics have been ignored and largely misunderstood. This paper shows how the tangential spring is unique, is not the same as torsional, and can be a driving force for powerhop.
Induction of profound hypothermia modulates the immune/inflammatory response in a swine model of lethal hemorrhage

Profound hypothermic arrest (“suspended animation”) is a new strategy to improve outcome following uncontrolled lethal hemorrhage (ULH). However, the impact of this approach on the immune/inflammatory response is unknown. This experiment was conducted to test the influence of profound hypothermia on markers of immune/inflammatory system. Methods: ULH was induced in 32 female swine (80–120 lb) by creating an iliac artery and vein injury, followed 30 min later by laceration of the descending thoracic aorta. Through a left thoracotomy approach, total body hypothermic hyperkalemic metabolic arrest was induced by infusing organ preservation fluids into the aorta using a cardiopulmonary bypass machine (CPB). Experimental groups were (1) normothermic controls (no cooling, NC), or hypothermia induced at the following rates: (2) 0.5 ◦ C/min (slow, SC), (3) 1 ◦ C/min (medium, MC) and (4) 2 ◦ C/min (fast, FC). Vascular injuries were repaired during 60 min of profound (10 ◦ C) hypothermic arrest. Hyperkalemia was reversed by hypokalemic fluid exchange, and blood was infused for resuscitation during re-warming (0.5 ◦ C/min). The surviving animals were monitored for 6 weeks. Levels of IL-1, TNF, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-1 and heat shock protein (HSP-70) were measured by ELISA in serum samples collected serially during the experiment and post-operatively. Results: Some of the immune markers were influenced by the use of CPB, independent of hypothermia (decrease in TGF-1 and increase in IL-1). Hypothermia caused a significant decrease in IL-6, and an increase in HSP-70 expression compared to normothermic controls, independent of the cooling rate. An increase in IL-10 levels was noted which was influenced by the rate of cooling ( p < 0.05, MC versus NC). Conclusions: Profound hypothermia modulates the post-shock immune/inflammatory system by attenuating the pro-inflammatory IL-6, increasing anti-inflammatory IL-10 and augmenting the protective heat shock responses. © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
An Experimental Investigation of Conflict Response Behaviors and Performance Consequences in Manufacturer-Dealer Relationships: Do Issue Situations and Resolution Strategies Matter?

This study focuses on the independent and interactive effects of problem issue situations and resolution strategies on performance in manufacturer–dealer channel relationships. Conflict issue situation and resolution strategy were a priori matched for a 2 × 2 factorial quasi-experiment. The theoretical framework of (inter)organizational conflict reaction theory was used to extend existing empirical findings about the influence of two factors that foster constructive or destructive consequences experienced from the prospective of dealers. Data were obtained from a sample of 243 dealers and 9 trade administrative experts. The results indicate significant main effects of issue situation and resolution strategy on dealer performance. A significant interaction effect also was found. Managerial implications for dealing with ongoing problem issues with different resolution strategies are discussed.
Determining the interaction matrix using starlight

The adaptive optics system of the 6.5m MMT, based on a deformable secondary mirror has been of the sky now for 6 runs of roughly 2 weeks each. Altogether its performance has been quite satisfactory with a crop of science results. However, even if the mirror has shown it promises, it has proven difficult to improve the system in terms of wavefront quality much beyond what it achieved during 1st light. In particular, it has not been possible to improve image quality by using a larger number of modes than the 52 modes used originally. One reason for this behavior could be that the interaction matrix used to build the AO controller has been measured in lab conditions using a different optical set-up than the one on the telescope. In a Cassegrain adaptive secondary AO system measuring the interaction matrix in the way all other AO systems do is impossible when the secondary is mounted on the telescope. In this paper, we present a way of measuring the interaction matrix on the telescope using real natural guide stars as sources. We present simulations results that show that this method can be used to measure the interaction matrix to a high signal-to-noise ratio.
The potential barrier for field emission from a multi-faceted tip, and the extension of the Fowler-Nordheim theory to include patch-fields

Abstract The conventional field emission barrier is reviewed and found to be deficient in providing an adequate description of tunneling in complex geometries or when different workfunction surfaces simultaneously enter the problem. A consistent representation of emission barriers which is extensible to other than single plane-parallel emission cathodes consisting of single facets, can be developed in terms of a constant (facet independent) “inner” work-function, and a facet dependent surface dipole layer. With the aid of these quantities energy barriers may be constructed in an unambiuous fashion for any geometry and any configuration of facets having different dipole moment densities. This is demonstrated for emission between two plane-parallel electrodes. The complete three-dimensional patch-field for a multi-faceted field emission tip is derived as an illustration of the proper inclusion of several dipole layers in emission barriers. This example is carried further by specializing the calculation to one-dimension and computing the first-order corrections to the Fowler-Nordheim formalism for patch-field modified tunneling.
Mediator comes out from the shadows.

In this issue of Structure , Cai et al. describe a substantially improved cryo-EM reconstruction of the multisubunit Mediator of transcriptional regulation. The improved Mediator structural model highlights the remarkable conformational flexibility of Mediator and reveals previously unrecognized features of Mediator modules.
A block matching-based registration algorithm for localization of locally advanced lung tumors.

Purpose: To implement and evaluate a block matching-based registration (BMR) algorithm for locally advanced lung tumor localization during image-guided radiotherapy. Methods: Small (1 cm3), nonoverlapping image subvolumes (“blocks”) were automatically identified on the planning image to cover the tumor surface using a measure of the local intensity gradient. Blocks were independently and automatically registered to the on-treatment image using a rigid transform. To improve speed and robustness, registrations were performed iteratively from coarse to fine image resolution. At each resolution, all block displacements having a near-maximum similarity score were stored. From this list, a single displacement vector for each block was iteratively selected which maximized the consistency of displacement vectors across immediately neighboring blocks. These selected displacements were regularized using a median filter before proceeding to registrations at finer image resolutions. After evaluating all image resolutions, the global rigid transform of the on-treatment image was computed using a Procrustes analysis, providing the couch shift for patient setup correction. This algorithm was evaluated for 18 locally advanced lung cancer patients, each with 4–7 weekly on-treatment computed tomography scans having physician-delineated gross tumor volumes. Volume overlap (VO) and border displacement errors (BDE) were calculated relative to the nominal physician-identified targets to establish residual error after registration. Results: Implementation of multiresolution registration improved block matching accuracy by 39% compared to registration using only the full resolution images. By also considering multiple potential displacements per block, initial errors were reduced by 65%. Using the final implementation of the BMR algorithm, VO was significantly improved from 77% ± 21% (range: 0%–100%) in the initial bony alignment to 91% ± 8% (range: 56%–100%; p < 0.001). Left-right, anterior-posterior, and superior-inferior systematic BDE were 3.2, 2.4, and 4.4 mm, respectively, with random BDE of 2.4, 2.1, and 2.7 mm. Margins required to include both localization and delineation uncertainties ranged from 5.0 to 11.7 mm, an average of 40% less than required for bony alignment. Conclusions: BMR is a promising approach for automatic lung tumor localization. Further evaluation is warranted to assess the accuracy and robustness of BMR against other potential localization strategies.
Like a “Whopper Virgin”. Anthropological reflections on Burger King's controversial ad campaign

The increasingly complex interplay between corporate fast food and non-Western societies took a new and improbable turn recently with the launch of Burger King's "Whopper Virgins" advertising campaign.' This series of web and television ads showcasing the company's iconic flame broiled sandwich began airing in December 2008. Featuring a novel varia tion on the familiar "Pepsi Challenge" taste-test format, this integrated pro motional effort specifically targets industry bellwether McDonald's, most notably its top-selling Big Mac sandwich. At a deeper level, it also reveals the sometimes thorny issues that can arise amid intersections of global fast food, U.S. popular culture, and indigenous populations. In the commercials, selected participants, dubbed "virgins" since they have purportedly never been exposed to industry marketing, much less eaten fast food hamburgers, are asked to sample both a Burger King Whopper and McDonald's Big Mac and then indicate which sandwich they like best. The ad campaign's offbeat and quirky tone, not to mention the provocative, if even overtly sexual, connotations of its title, is in keeping with Burger King's recent marketing efforts. Indeed, it appears specifically designed to appeal to modern American television viewers' hip and ironic sensibilities.2 These same qualities, however, belie more serious matters related to the commercials' caricatured portrayal of taste-test participants and their re spective communities.
Chromosomal identity of black rats (Rattus rattus) from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

Muestras de ratas negras (Rattus rattus) de siete islas del Archipielago de Galapagos fueron examinadas para estudios de chromosomas. El numero diploide de todos los animales es 38 y los cariotipos son identicos a los de las poblaciones europeas, americanas, y australianas. La conclusion general es que la falta de variabilidad cariotipica de las poblaciones introducidas se explica por la capacidad de ratas de establecerse por medio de cambios fenotipicos.
Nuclear factor (NF)-κB proteins: therapeutic targets

Nuclear factor (NF)-κB is a key player in the control of both innate and adaptive immunity. NF-κB proteins are present in the cytoplasm in association with inhibitory proteins called inhibitors of κB (IκBs). On activation by a large plethora of inducers, the IκB proteins are phosphorylated, ubiquitinated, and subsequently degraded in the proteasomes. Degradation of IκBs allows translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus and bind to their cognate DNA binding sites to regulate the transcription of large numbers of genes including antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, chemokines, stress response proteins, and antiapoptotic proteins. NF-κB activity is essential for lymphocyte survival, activation, and mounting normal immune responses. Constitutive activation of NF-κB pathways is often associated with inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and asthma. Better understanding of the regulation of NF-κB will provide a platform for development of specific therapeutic agents targeted towards the inflammatory diseases. As most transcription factors, the mammalian NF-κB family has multiple members including RelA (p65), NF-κB1 (p50; p105), NF-κB2 (p52; p100), c-Rel, and RelB1,2 (fig 1). These proteins have a structurally conserved N-terminal 300-amino acid region, which contains the dimerisation, nuclear localisation, and DNA binding domains (see fig 1). The c-Rel, RelB, and RelA proteins also have a C-terminal non-homologous transactivation domain that strongly activates transcription from NF-κB binding sites. On the other hand, the other Rel proteins, such as p50 homodimers, lack the transcription activation domain but still bind to κB-consensus sites and therefore function as transcription repressors.3 The p50 and p52 proteins are generated by proteolytic processing of their precursors, p105 and p100, respectively.4 All members of the NF-κB family except RelB can form homodimers, as well as heterodimers with one another. The most prevalent activated form of NF-κB is the heterodimer of subunit p65 associated with either …
Oxygen consumption and water content of hepatopancreas from tropical crabs

Abstract 1. 1. Oxygen consumptionof hepatopancreas tissues from seven species of Florida crabs varied between 565 and 162 μl O2/g wet wt.-hr or 2·22–0·55 μl O2/mg dry wt.-hr. These rates appear lower than those from crabs of more northern latitudes. 2. 2. Water content of the hepatopancreas varied from 64·7 to 76·8 per cent.
Key pollen allergens in North America

Objectives To discuss major pollen aeroallergens in North America that are essential for effective immunotherapy and to propose a list of pollen aeroallergens that could be prioritized for allergen standardization. Data Sources PubMed was used to search the existing medical literature. No date restrictions were used. Keywords included allergy , aeroallergen , taxonomy , cross-reactivity , pollen , and specific genus and species names. Results Tree species possess relatively unique allergens, and representative members should be chosen at the genus or family level. In the Composite family, there is significant cross-reactivity between ragweed species within the Ambrosia genus. Selection of one species should be sufficient for skin testing and immunotherapy. Extensive allergenic cross-reactivity exists among grasses. Selection of timothy grass alone or in combination with a single northern grass species provides adequate coverage in the northeastern regions of North America. Conclusions One of the goals within the field of allergy should be to identify high-priority targets for future development of standardized commercial extracts. The standardization of increasing numbers of allergen extracts potentially benefits the discipline of allergy by facilitating transfer of care among physician practices, improving uniformity of patient care, and providing a template on which geographically specific extract choices can be built.
Surveys of Wild Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in Organic Farms of Alachua County in North-Central Florida

Bee surveys were conducted at 5 organic vegetable farms and 1 wildflower farm in Alachua County in north-central Florida. Wild bees were collected passively with colored cups and actively with nets. A total of 4,662 bees was captured belonging to 28 genera and 95 species. Nomada sulphurata Smith is a new state record for Florida. The species count also includes 6 Nomada and 1 Triepeolus morphospecies which likely include undescribed species and additional new Florida records. Of 5 bee families, Apidae was represented by the most species (36), whereas 6 of the 8 most numerous species were Halictidae. A potential new host cleptoparasite association is reported between Andrena (Melandrena) barbara Bouseman and LaBerge and Nomada imbricata Smith. The results from these surveys of organic farms are compared to our recently reported surveys of bees in natural areas of Alachua County and with other Florida bee surveys. The most numerous species found on the farms were also numerous in the natural areas, whereas the least numerous species on the farms included many species not found in the natural areas.View this article in BioOne
Migraine and Magnesium: Eleven Neglected Connections

Allan Bloom's cytologic epistemology invites further analysis. A scientific article is like a cell that interacts with its neighbors to form an organ-like cluster—a set of articles or a "literature" addressed to a common set of problems and topics. These articles interact by citing one another—by conversing in print. The clusters themselves can be seen as interacting, to varying degrees, with other clusters. This essay will focus on certain failures of intercluster communication.
Mindfulness and Levels of Stress: A Comparison of Beginner and Advanced Hatha Yoga Practitioners

The present study was designed to examine mindfulness and stress levels in beginner and advanced practitioners of Hatha Yoga. Participants (N = 52) were recruited through Hatha Yoga schools local to western Massachusetts. Beginner practitioners (n = 24) were designated as those with under 5 years (M = 3.33) experience and advanced practitioners (n = 28) as those with over 5 years (M = 14.53) experience in Hatha Yoga. The participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown and Ryan 2003) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen et al. 1983) directly preceding a regularly scheduled Hatha Yoga class. Based on two independent-samples t-tests, advanced participants scored significantly higher in mindfulness levels (P < .05) and significantly lower in stress levels (P < .05) when compared to beginner participants. Additionally, a significant negative correlation (r = −.45, P = .00) was found between mindfulness and stress levels. No significant correlations were found between experience levels and mindfulness and stress levels. Hatha Yoga may be an effective technique for enhancing mindfulness and decreasing stress levels in practitioners.
The METER: a brief, self-administered measure of health literacy.

Background Given rapidly accumulating evidence that health literacy is correlated with important health-related measures, assessing patients’ health literacy level is of increasing concern for researchers and practitioners. Practical limitations for use of existing health literacy measures include length of time and practitioner involvement in administration.
Importance of gun balancing in monitor calibration

The transformation from the RGB primaries of a television monitor to the CIE XYZ color notation system is usually formulated as a three by three matrix applied to a one by three vector. In the general case, however, this is not true because the black point of the monitor gamut is displaced from the origin of CIE XYZ space. An affine transformation is necessary to accomodate this translation of the monitor gamut, and this affine transformation can be reformulated as a four by three matrix times a one by four vector. Balancing the monitor guns so that they maintain the same luminance ratio over their entire dynamic range can minimize the error of assuming a three by three transform when a four by three matrix is actually called for. This procedure also leads to improved calibration for applications where the front panel brightness and contrast controls will be adjusted. The technique of balancing the monitor guns has been employed in the broadcast television industry for many years.1 This paper presents the theory to support the validity of this approach. First, the affine transformation that is necessary to fully characterize the RGB to CIE XYZ transformation is developed. Next, colorimetric errors are identified for balanced and unbalanced monitors when the assumption of a simple three by three matrix transform is made. Finally, the effect on both balanced and unbalanced monitor gamuts of adjusting the front panel brightness and contrast controls is discussed.
Advanced glycation end products facilitate bacterial adherence in urinary tract infection in diabetic mice

Diabetic individuals have increased susceptibility to urinary tract infection (UTI), a common, painful condition. During diabetes mellitus, non-enzymatic reactions between reducing sugars and protein amine groups result in excessive production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that accumulate in tissues. Since bacteria adhere to cell surfaces by binding to carbohydrates, we hypothesized that adherence of bacteria to the bladder in diabetics may be enhanced by accumulation of AGEs on urothelial surface proteins. Using a murine model of UTI, we observed increased adherence of type 1 fimbriated uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to the bladder in streptozotocin-induced diabetic female mice compared with age-matched controls, along with increased concentrations of two common AGEs in superficial urothelial cells from diabetic bladders. Several lectins with different specificities exhibited increased binding to urothelial homogenates from diabetic mice compared with controls, and two of those lectins also bound to AGEs. Furthermore, mannose-binding type 1 fimbriae isolated from UPEC bound to different AGEs, and UPEC adherence to the bladder in diabetic mice, were inhibited by pretreatment of mice with the AGE inhibitor pyridoxamine. These results strongly suggest a role for urothelial AGE accumulation in increased bacterial adherence during UTI in diabetes.
A Technique for Separation of Canine Lymphocytes and Their Use in the Lymphocytotoxic, Blastogenic, and Rosette Assays

When the techniques established for preparing lymphocytes from human blood were applied to canine blood, the resulting preparations were contaminated with significant numbers of other blood cells. A three-step technique is described here for the separation of canine lymphocytes from blood which eliminates most granulocytes, platelets, and erythrocytes. Defibrinated blood is incubated with iron particles to allow phagocytosis by granulocytes. When mixed with Plasmagel, erythrocytes and iron-containing granulocytes sediment rapidly, leaving a lymphocyte-rich supernate plasma which is recovered and banded by centrifugation on a Ficoll-Hypaque gradient. Any erythrocytes remaining in the lymphocyte suspension aspirated from the gradient are eliminated by hypotonic lysis and centrifugation. The resulting preparation, representing 30 per cent recovery of the circulating lymphocytes, contained 85 to 94 per cent lymphocytes with a cell viability of 99 per cent. The functional capacity of the lymphocyte preparation was tested in three assays: 1) lymphoblastic transformation using phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen, 2) E rosette formation with human erythrocytes showed a mean 5 per cent rosette forming lymphocytes, 3) antibody-mediated lymphocytotoxicity using a canine anti-lymphocyte serum showed titers reproducible within one tube dilution.
Ribosomal protein S14 negatively regulates c-Myc activity

The ribosomal gene RPS14 is associated with the cancer-prone 5q-syndrome, which is caused by an interstitial deletion of the long arm of human chromosome 5. Previously, we found that ribosomal protein S14 (RPS14) binds to and inactivates MDM2, consequently leading to p53-dependent cell-cycle arrest and growth inhibition. However, it remains elusive whether RPS14 regulates cell proliferation in a p53-independent manner. Here, we show that RPS14 interacts with the Myc homology box II (MBII) and the C-terminal basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper (bHLH-LZ) domains of the oncoprotein c-Myc. Further, RPS14 inhibited c-Myc transcriptional activity by preventing the recruitment of c-Myc and its cofactor, TRRAP, to the target gene promoters, as thus suppressing c-Myc-induced cell proliferation. Also, siRNA-mediated RPS14 depletion elevated c-Myc transcriptional activity determined by its target gene, Nucleolin, expression. Interestingly, RPS14 depletion also resulted in the induction of c-Myc mRNA and subsequent protein levels. Consistent with this, RPS14 promoted c-Myc mRNA turnover through an Argonaute 2 (Ago2)- and microRNA-mediated pathway. Taken together, our study demonstrates that RPS14 negates c-Myc functions by directly inhibiting its transcriptional activity and mediating its mRNA degradation via miRNA.
Si Memristive devices applied to memory and neuromorphic circuits

We report studies on nanoscale Si-based memristive devices for memory and neuromorphic applications. The devices are based on ion motion inside an insulating a-Si matrix. Digital devices show excellent performance metrics including scalability, speed, ON/OFF ratio, endurance and retention. High density non-volatile memory arrays based on a crossbar structure have been fabricated and tested. Devices inside a 1kb array can be individually addressed with excellent reproducibility and reliability. By adjusting the device and material structures, nanoscale analog memristor devices have also been demonstrated. The analog memristor devices exhibit incremental conductance changes that are controlled by the charge flown through the device. The performances of the digital and analog devices are thought to be determined by the formation of a dominant conducting filament and the continuous motion of a uniform conduction front, respectively.
H-OXO HETEROBINUCLEAR COMPLEXES OBTAINED BY DONOR ACCEPTOR REACTIONS WITH THE VANADYL GROUP

Abstract The vanadyl complex (C22H22N4)VO, prepared by the reaction of the macrocyclic ligand, C22H24N4, with vanadyl acetate, forms adducts with Lewis acids such as triphenylboron and trimethyl silicon. All three complexes have been characterized by EPR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic techniques to examine the effect of adduct formation on the V=O bonding. VO(C22H22N4) is triclinic, Pl, with a = 11.150(2), b = 12.514(3), c = 8.468(2) A, α = 101.80(2), β =105.09(3), σ = 76.27(2)°, d(obs) = 1.37 gcm–3, d(calc) = 1.381 g/cm3. (C22H22N4)V=O B(C6H5)3 is monoclinic P21/n, with a = 11.174(3), b = 20.208(4), c = 14.460(8) A, β = 97.23(1)°, d(obs) = 1.34 gcm−3 for Z = 4. [C22H22N4)V–O–Si(CH3)3]B(C6H5)4 is monoclinic, P21/m, with a= 9.884(1), b = 13.669(4), c= 16.161(3) A, β = 105.01(1)°, d(obs) = 1.28 gcm–3, d(calc) = 1.263 gcm–3 for Z = 4. The V=O bond distance, 1.601(2) A, is typical of other vanadyl complexes; adduct formation with B(C6H5)3 leads only to a modest lengthening to 1.665(3) A and weak B–O ...
Nonalignment as Yugoslavia's Answer to Bloc Politics

This article focuses on Tito's effort to use foreign policy actions on behalf of his domestic goals. After a bitter rift emerged with the Soviet Union in 1948, Tito moved closer to the West for several years but never proved willing to shift to democratic politics. Although he did carry out reforms of Yugoslavia's Stalinist system in the 1960s, he maintained an authoritarian Communist polity until the end of his life. The article examines how Tito sought to use Yugoslavia's nonaligned status to boost his domestic legitimacy in the eyes of key elites and even, to a degree, in the eyes of the wider population. Yugoslavia's central role in the Bandung conference in 1955 and its subsequent hosting of the summit that formally set up the Nonaligned Movement in 1961 were used by Tito to try to legitimize the polity over which he presided. Yugoslavia's strategy of nonalignment is a valuable illustration of the connection between domestic politics and foreign policy in Communist as well as non-Communist states.
High-Temperature Cation Distributions in Fe3-FeAl2O4

Cation distribution at 1600 K in the system Fe3O4-FeA12O4 was derived from Seebeck coefficient measurements assuming that the aluminum distribution behaved according to the thermodynamic model proposed by O'Neill and Navrotsky. Approximately 10% of the aluminum resides tetrahedrally. This system provides a good test of thermodynamic models.
Braid groups and Hodge theory

This paper gives an account of the unitary representations of the braid group that arise via the Hodge theory of cyclic branched coverings of $${\mathbb{P}^1}$$ , highlighting their connections with ergodic theory, complex reflection groups, moduli spaces of 1-forms and open problems in surface topology.
Impaired Degranulation and Proliferative Capacity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis–Specific CD8+ T Cells in HIV-Infected Individuals With Latent Tuberculosis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection have substantially higher rates of progression to active tuberculosis than HIV-uninfected individuals with latent tuberculosis. To explore HIV-induced deficits in M. tuberculosis-specific CD8+ T-cell functions, we compared interferon γ production, degranulation, and proliferation of CD8+ T cells in response to M. tuberculosis peptides (ESAT-6/CFP-10) between HIV-infected (median CD4+ T-cell count, 522 cells/µL; interquartile range, 318-585 cells/µL) and HIV-uninfected individuals with latent tuberculosis from South Africa. We found that M. tuberculosis-specific degranulation and proliferative capacities were impaired in the HIV-infected group. Thus, our results suggest that HIV coinfection compromises CD8+ T-cell functions in latent tuberculosis.
Structure of the Predominant Protein Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT1 and Analysis of Its Binding to Substrate Peptides

PRMT1 is the predominant type I protein arginine methyltransferase in mammals and highly conserved among all eukaryotes. It is essential for early postimplantation development in mouse. Here we describe the crystal structure of rat PRMT1 in complex with the reaction product AdoHcy and a 19 residue substrate peptide containing three arginines. The results reveal a two-domain structure-an AdoMet binding domain and a barrel-like domain-with the active site pocket located between the two domains. Mutagenesis studies confirmed that two active site glutamates are essential for enzymatic activity, and that dimerization of PRMT1 is essential for AdoMet binding. Three peptide binding channels are identified: two are between the two domains, and the third is on the surface perpendicular to the strands forming the beta barrel.
Speech Patterns and the Concept of Utility in Cognitive Maps: The Case of Integrative Bargaining

This study's premise is that negotiation dyads' conceptualization of utility is a key component of their “cognitive maps,” or internal representations, that influences the dyads' assumptions and mo...
Rapidly solidified Al3Ti-base alloys containing Ni

Two Ni-modified Al3Ti alloys (Al65Ni10Ti25 and Al62Ni8Ti30) were rapidly solidified by melt spinning. The resulting microstructure was studied using light microscopy and analytical electron microscopy. Significant variations in the microstructure and phases were observed between the two ribbons and through the thickness of each ribbon.A single-phase γ-TiAl structure was seen near the wheel side of the Al62Ni8Ti30 ribbon, having microcrystalline grains ∼ 100 nm in diameter. Second-phase particles of Λ-AlNiTi were found in the remaining regions of that ribbon as the structure became columnar due to reduced rates of cooling. The Al65Ni10Ti25 alloy exhibited a primary phase of π-Al6.5 NiTi2.5. A second phase of μ-Al2NiTi formed with morphology and distribution varying through thickness. Microchemistry measurements on the phases indicated substantial deviations (up to 14 at. %) from the stoichiometric compositions. Further, the π, γ, and μ are low-temperature phases that do not form by solidification under equilibrium conditions. The observation of these phases thus suggests significant undercoolings achieved during the melt-spinning processing of the present alloys. Both ribbons are brittle as spun.
31% DC to RF differential efficiency using monolithic quantum dot passively mode-locked lasers

31% DC to RF differential efficiency of the mode-locked laser's output electrical signal is reported for the first time. The external quantum efficiency of the saturable absorber and the operating regime are also analyzed.
Enforcing liveness in autonomous traffic management

Looking ahead to the time when autonomous cars will be common, Dresner and Stone proposed a multiagent systems-based intersection control protocol called Autonomous Intersection Management (AIM). They showed that by leveraging the capacities of autonomous vehicles it is possible to dramatically reduce the time wasted in traffic, and therefore also fuel consumption and air pollution. The proposed protocol, however, handles reservation requests one at a time and does not prioritize reservations according to their relative priorities and waiting times, causing potentially large inequalities in granting reservations. For example, at an intersection between a main street and an alley, vehicles from the alley can take an excessively long time to get reservations to enter the intersection, causing a waste of time and fuel. The same is true in a network of intersections, in which gridlock may occur and cause traffic congestion. In this paper, we introduce the batch processing of reservations in AIM to enforce liveness properties in intersections and analyze the conditions under which no vehicle will get stuck in traffic. Our experimental results show that our prioritizing schemes outperform previous intersection control protocols in unbalanced traffic.
A High Level Architecture-based Medical Simulation System

The Combat Trauma Patient Simulation (CTPS) is a dual purpose training and analysis simulation system that provides an "end-to- end" simulation of the military medical treat ment process for combat trauma injuries from the time of occurrence through initial treatment at the field hospital. CTPS was built by inte grating a set of existing commercial and mili tary simulations, each specialized for a differ ent part of the process. None of the integrated simulators was initially interoperable, or even designed to be interoperable, with the others. The integration was achieved using the High Level Architecture (HLA), together with inter face modules for each of the simulators. The HLA ownership transfer services were central to the system's design.
Finding antipodal point grasps on irregularly shaped objects

Two-finger antipodal point grasping of arbitrarily shaped smooth 2-D and 3-D objects is considered. An object function is introduced that maps a finger contact space to the object surface. Conditions are developed to identify the feasible grasping region, F, in the finger contact space. A "grasping energy function", E, is introduced which is proportional to the distance between two grasping points. The antipodal points correspond to critical points of E in F. Optimization and/or continuation techniques are used to find these critical points. In particular, global optimization techniques are applied to find the "maximal" or "minimal" grasp. Further, modeling techniques are introduced for representing 2-D and 3-D objects using B-spline curves and spherical product surfaces. >
Fast numerical integration of relaxation oscillator networks based on singular limit solutions

Relaxation oscillations exhibiting more than one time scale arise naturally from many physical systems. When relaxation oscillators are coupled in a way that resembles chemical synapses, we propose a fast method to numerically integrate such networks. The numerical technique, called the singular limit method, is derived from analysis of relaxation oscillations in the singular limit. In such a limit, system evolution gives rise to time instants at which fast dynamics take place and intervals between them during which slow dynamics take place. A full description of the method is given for a locally excitatory globally inhibitory oscillator network (LEGION), where fast dynamics, characterized by jumping which leads to dramatic phase shifts, is captured in this method by iterative operation and slow dynamics is entirely solved. The singular limit method is evaluated by computer experiments, and it produces remarkable speedup compared to other methods of integrating these systems. The speedup makes it possible to simulate large-scale oscillator networks.
An Exploration of Non-Isomorphic 3D Rotation in Surround Screen Virtual Environments

Non-isomorphic rotational mappings have been shown to be an effective technique for rotation of virtual objects in 3D desktop environments. In this paper, we present an experimental study that explores the performance characteristics of isomorphic and non-isomorphic rotation techniques in a surround screen virtual environment. Our experiment compares isomorphic rotation with non-isomorphic rotation techniques utilizing three separate amplification factors, two different thresholds for task completion, and two different angular ranges for virtual object rotation. Our results show that a non-isomorphic mapping with an amplification factor of three is both optimal in terms of completion time and accuracy and is most preferred by our test subjects. In addition, our results suggest that, in a surround screen virtual environment, rotation tasks using both isomorphic and non-isomorphic rotational mappings can be completed faster and more accurately compared to previous studies exploring rotation in 3D user interfaces.
A novel base current phenomenon in SiGe HBTs operating in inverse mode

The inverse mode operation of SiGe HBTs down to cryogenic temperatures is examined for the first time. A novel base current "flattening" is observed at low temperatures, and the physics behind this unusual current-gain enhancing behavior is examined in detail using a combination of measurement and TCAD simulations.
Inventing the Electronic University.

Higher education is confronting a fundamental change. The transition from print on paper to digital and electronic technologies is transforming instruction, scholarly communication, and the storage and preservation of knowledge. What is required is not the automation of old systems, but the restructuring of institutions. The drive for autonomy, needed for effective scholarship, and the push for standardization, needed to assure easy and open access to information, will create conflicts difficult to resolve. Universities must find new ways of funding and financing information services and new staffing patterns if they are to continue as effective learning and research centers.