cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intestinal myofibroblasts and immune tolerance

Stromal cells, such as myofibroblasts and fibroblasts, represent a significant fraction of MHC class II-positive cells in the normal human colonic lamina propria, suggesting they may play an important role in CD4(+) T cell regulation in a tolerogenic environment. The aim of this study was to examine whether human colonic myofibroblasts (CMFs) phenotypically and functionally resemble conventional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Our results support the hypothesis that intestinal myofibroblasts are a novel, nonprofessional APC phenotype important in modulating mucosal T cell responses. Given their strategic location, we propose that intestinal myofibroblasts play a critical role in mediating tolerance to luminal antigens.
Coupling of the Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Receptor Tyrosine Kinase to Gi2 in Human Intestinal Smooth Muscle Gβγ-DEPENDENT MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE ACTIVATION AND GROWTH

Endogenous insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) stimulates growth of cultured human intestinal smooth muscle by activating distinct mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-dependent and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent signaling pathways. In Rat1 and Balb/c3T3 fibroblasts and in neurons the IGF-I receptor is coupled to an inhibitory G protein, Gi, which mediates Gβγ-dependent MAP kinase activation. The present study determined whether in normal human intestinal smooth muscle cells the IGF-I receptor activates a heterotrimeric G protein and the role of G protein activation in mediating IGF-I-induced growth. IGF-I elicited IGF-I receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, resulting in the specific activation of Gi2. Gβγ subunits selectively mediated IGF-I-dependent MAP kinase activation; Gαi2 subunits selectively mediated IGF-I-dependent inhibition of adenylyl cyclase actvity. IGF-I-stimulated MAP kinase activation and growth were inhibited by pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of Gi/Goactivation. Cyclic AMP inhibits growth of human intestinal muscle cells. IGF-I inhibited both basal and forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels. This inhibition was attenuated in the presence of pertussis toxin. IGF-I stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation, in contrast to MAP kinase activation, occurred independently of Gi2 activation. These data suggest that IGF-I specifically activates Gi2, resulting in concurrent Gβγ-dependent stimulation of MAP kinase activity and growth, and Gαi2-dependent inhibition of cAMP levels resulting in disinhibition of cAMP-mediated growth suppression.
Bread on the table: documentary film and the future of French food

One of the most pressing issues of interest to the partisans of international social and political documentary is the current state of food production and the effects of industrialized agriculture on human health and safety, rural life and biodiversity. A significant and growing subset of political documentaries critiquing the food system are gaining increased audiences, crossing media platforms and influencing public opinion and behavior. French filmmakers and activists have made important contributions to these debates and their implications in France. This article focuses on three recent films, Herbe/Grass (Mathieu Levain and Olivier Porte, 2009), Nos enfants nous accuseront/Our Children Will Accuse Us (Jean-Paul Jaud, 2009) and Republique de la malbouffe/Republic of Bad Food (Jacques Goldstein, 2012), all of which take up these issues from various angles. In addition to pointing out the problems inherent in specific agricultural practices in France, these films also make important new contributions to...
PRESSURE-INDUCED PERTURBATION OF APOMYOGLOBIN STRUCTURE : FLUORESCENCE STUDIES ON NATIVE AND ACIDIC COMPACT FORMS

The nature of the structural changes that apomyoglobin undergoes when subjected to hydrostatic pressure, ranging from atmospheric pressure to 2.4 kbar, has been investigated by steady-state fluorescence and frequency domain fluorometry. In particular, we have examined the intrinsic tryptophanyl emission and that of the extrinsic probe 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) bound to apomyoglobin at neutral pH, as well as at strongly acidic high-salt conditions. Apomyoglobin at neutral pH undergoes a pressure-induced structural transition, which causes the disorganization of the heme binding region with a consequent ANS dissociation; a concomitant increase in solvent accessibility to the N-terminus of the macromolecule in which tryptophans are located is also observed. At 2.4 kbar, the tryptophanyl emission is not coincident with that of a fully solvent exposed residue, thus suggesting that the N-terminal region of the apomyoglobin molecule retains elements of organized structure. The spectroscopic properties of the structural state attained at 2.4 kbar and neutral pH are different from those of the acidic compact state. The acidic compact state of apomyoglobin undergoes a pressure-induced structural change that brings the tryptophanyl residues in contact with the solvent, but does not affect the ability to bind ANS.
Nutrition Support Billing Practices: Results of a Nationwide Survey and Responses From the Health Care Financing Administration

In response to numerous changes in reimbursement for physician services, a survey was conducted of physician directors of nutrition support services to obtain information about current physician billing practices and reimbursement for nutrition support. Demographic data were obtained concerning the type of practice and institution, percent of time and income derived from nutrition support, and the source of individual billing practices. Responses to six clinical scenarios provided information about billing practices. The responses were collated, analyzed, and then compared with those of a senior official at the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). This report summarizes the results of the survey and the responses from HCFA. It is hoped that this information will be useful to nutrition support practitioners and administrators in understanding various aspects of billing for physician services for nutrition support.
Evaluation of the dynamic model for simulations of compressible decaying isotropic turbulence

Several issues involving the use of the dynamic subgrid-scale model in large-eddy simulations of compressible turbulent flows are investigated. The model is employed in simulations of compressible decaying isotropic turbulence, and its performance is compared against results from direct numerical simulations and experiments. Results from a parametric study suggest the model captures compressibility effects well. Use of the dynamic model in simulations of inhomogeneous flows requires filtering of the flowfield in physical space rather than Fourier wave space. The use of spatial filters is examined by conducting simulations of isotropic turbulence. Several implicit filters are found to perform extremely well and similar to the sharp cutoff filter. One explicit filter performed well, but all others provided excessive dissipation at higher modes. Two formulations of the dynamic model, proposed by Moin et al. and Lilly, perform well, with Lilly's being more accurate. Results suggest also a great insensitivity of the model on the filter width ratio. A modification of the convective terms in the momentum and energy equations is found to reduce the effects of aliasing errors. Finally, different formulations of the energy equation are examined.
Three Dimensional Vibration Measurements Using a Five-Axis Scanning Laser Vibrometry System

This paper describes an experimental facility designed to measure three-dimensional velocity components using a five-axis laser vibrometry system. A single-point laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is mounted on three orthogonal translation stages, and the beam is directed to the target specimen by means of a mirror mounted at the intersection of the axes of two rotational stages. The result is a system with which the vibration of points on the surface of the test specimen can be measured from multiple angles, and these multiple measured components of the surface velocity are combined to determine the full velocity vector in three-dimensions. This system allows collection of a richer data set for more detailed vibration analysis, measurement of vibration of non-planar surfaces, and greater control over measurements compared to conventional single-beam scanning LDV, while greatly reducing experimental facility costs compared with threedimensional LDV systems that use multiple lasers.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
An assessment of the joint associations of aspirin and statin use with C-reactive protein concentration

Background The use of aspirin alone and statins alone has been shown to reduce markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP); however, their combination has been poorly studied. Methods In a cross-sectional analysis of black and white adults ≥45 years old from the REGARDS cohort, the associations of aspirin and statin use with CRP were examined. Individuals requiring nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy or those taking aspirin for reasons other than cardioprotection were excluded from analysis. Participants were classified into 1 of4 groups: aspirin only (n = 3,673), statin only (n = 1,898), both agents (n = 3,008), or neither agent (n = 7,718). Results Estimated mean CRP was 2.78 mg/L for subjects taking neither drug, 2.73 mg/L with aspirin only, 2.29 mg/L with statins only, and 2.03 mg/L for subjects taking both agents. The combined use of both agents was associated with an apparent synergistically lower CRP; the mean CRP level among these combined users was 0.21 mg/L lower than that anticipated from additive association related to aspirin and statins alone ( P for interaction=.01). Associations were larger among participants reporting a history of cardiovascular disease. In addition, among statin users, the use of aspirin for >5 years compared with ≤5 years was associated with apparent significantly lower CRP concentrations ( P = .01). Conclusions The combined use of aspirin and statins was associated with a synergistically lower CRP concentration, especially among participants taking aspirin for >5 years. Given the limitations of this study and the modest associations, randomized controlled trial evidence is needed to confirm the findings.
Multiple target tracking using recursive RANSAC

Estimating the states of multiple dynamic targets is difficult due to noisy and spurious measurements, missed detections, and the interaction between multiple maneuvering targets. In this paper a novel algorithm, which we call the recursive random sample consensus (R-RANSAC) algorithm, is presented to robustly estimate the states of an unknown number of dynamic targets. R-RANSAC was previously developed to estimate the parameters of multiple static signals when measurements are received sequentially in time. The R-RANSAC algorithm proposed in this paper reformulates our previous work to track dynamic targets using a Kalman filter. Simulation results using synthetic data are included to compare R-RANSAC to the GM-PHD filter.
Convergence of the forward-backward sweep method in optimal control

The Forward-Backward Sweep Method is a numerical technique for solving optimal control problems. The technique is one of the indirect methods in which the differential equations from the Maximum Principle are numerically solved. After the method is briefly reviewed, two convergence theorems are proved for a basic type of optimal control problem. The first shows that recursively solving the system of differential equations will produce a sequence of iterates converging to the solution of the system. The second theorem shows that a discretized implementation of the continuous system also converges as the iteration and number of subintervals increases. The hypotheses of the theorem are a combination of basic Lipschitz conditions and the length of the interval of integration. An example illustrates the performance of the method.
The construction and estimation of continuous time models and discrete approximations in econometrics

Abstract We consider econometric models involving variables that are defined continuously over time, or more frequently than they are observed. Separate but analogous treatment is given to both closed models (involving no exogenous variables) and open models (involvingexogenous variables). Justification for the use of standard discrete time models is given. Some exact discrete time models, and some computationally convenient approximate ones, are considered. Asymptotically efficient estimation procedures for a wide class of models are described.
Visualization with OpenGL: 3D made easy

This article addresses a freely available application programming interface (API) for three-dimensional graphics, known as OpenGL. This API bridges the gap between piles of raw data and extremely complicated three-dimensional animation in a way that requires only a few hours to learn. It is can be used for EM field visualization. In this article, we try to take most of the "leg-work" out of learning OpenGL, by presenting a tutorial that will get you started in the right direction. Some other interesting OpenGL-related technologies are also mentioned.
Treatment of a mandibular fracture in a neonate

The treatment and long-term follow-up of mandibular fracture in a neonate have been presented. Early treatment can prevent the need for later extensive and expensive reconstructive surgery.
A statistical measure of internal consistency

On cherche a determiner la proportion d'individus a qui ont ete reellement consistants durant l'interview et le reinterview
Educational Innovation and Desegregation: A Case Study of Symbolic Realignment

Major changes in the ethnic and racial composition of American schools have been accompanied by a period of group disturbances throughout the nation. During this time, there has been a spurt of educational innovations intended to reorganize schools so that all pupils may receive a quality education. This paper presents a case study of a major educational innovation introduced into a school at the time of pupil desegregation. It was found that the innovation was essentially a rite of intensification whereby Whites and Blacks established new interaction patterns within a unitary school system by reinforcing the customary relationships between administrators, teachers, and pupils and the subordinate role of Blacks within each of these major groups.
Tetrahedral and Related Molecules

In this chapter we consider P4 which consists of a tetrahedral cluster of like atoms. Other examples in this class are the isoelectronic Tl4 8-, Si4 4-, Ge4-, Pb4-, As4, and Te4+. We will also examine PO4 3- and CH4 in which a central atom is present within the tetrahedral array of peripheral atoms. Additional examples in this broad class of molecules are transition metal complexes such as CrO4 3-, CoCl4 2-, VCl4 -, FeCl4 -, and TiCl4. Since transition metal complexes possess interesting bonding features, we will briefly study VCl4 -. We begin, however, with PnH3 (Pn = pnicogen = N, P, As, Sb, Bi) whose structure is trigonal pyramidal and can be considered as tetrahedral with one vertex atom missing.
Process Evaluation of a Home-Based Program to Reduce Diet-Related Cancer Risk: The "WIN At Home Series"

A random mailed survey (response N = 226; 75.3%) of participants in diet-related home-based learning evaluated exposure to recruitment channels and impact on salience, utility, level of participation, sharing the course with others, knowledge, and performing recommended behaviors. A post-only design, the study was conducted in a small Minnesota city (population = 20,000), part of the Cancer and Diet Intervention (CANDI) project.About 18.5% of residents (3,711) enrolled during an 8-week media campaign; women, college graduates, and those over 44 years old were overrepresented. Participants learned about the program through mass media (97%); small media (41.9%); and interpersonal sources (50%). Women were more likely to learn about the course through interpersonalsources. In analysis of variance (ANOVA) modeling, salience and utility predicted level of participation in course activities. Level of participation in turn predicted nutrition knowledge and with salience predicted performance of recommended behav...
Dynamics of dense laser-induced plasmas

Calculations have been made to determine the influence of a dense plasma of hot electrons and holes on the primary channels of energy relaxation and redistribution of photoexcited carriers in Si, particularly collisions between carriers, plasmon emission, impact ionization, phonon emission, and carrier diffusion. At high carrier densities, Auger recombination is sufficiently fast to ensure that the electrons and holes rapidly reach quasiequilibrium with a common quasi-Fermi level at a temperature which is lowered by the partitioning of energy into thermally excited plasmons. The appropriate dielectric function has been calculated. At sufficiently high temperatures and carrier densities, energy can diffuse at a rate that is comparable to (and, in some cases, faster than) the rate at which the energy is transferred to the lattice. The steady-state carrier density and temperature, and consequently the ultimate extent to which the lattice is heated, depend critically on the parameters of the exciting laser.
Vocal fold microsurgery in singers.

Summary Some singers with benign vocal fold mucosal lesions remain unacceptably impaired vocally in spite of compliance with a regimen of medical treatment and voice therapy lasting several months—or even years. I present here my experience with 62 singers who, because of this predicament, chose to undergo vocal fold microsurgery. This series is the second largest reported to date in English literature. Procedures are presented which were used for patient selection, education, and vocal retraining, as well as for surgery itself and postoperative care. Results reported here include (a) comparison of my auditory-perceptual ratings of singing voice impairment before and after surgery, (b) preoperative versus postoperative videostroboscopic findings, (c) postoperative rate of return to public singing, and (d) postoperative patient questionnaires which sought to uncover patient/singer perceptions of the results of vocal fold surgery. Excellent results were achieved overall with a very low incidence of untoward results, and no complications were encountered.
CpG island methylation in aberrant crypt foci of the colorectum.

Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are postulated to be the earliest precursor lesion in colorectal carcinogenesis, and CpG island methylation has been described as an important molecular pathway. We therefore studied methylation in ACF from patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or sporadic colorectal cancer. We assessed methylation status of the p16 tumor suppressor gene, MINT1 (methylated in tumor 1), MINT2, MINT31, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase gene, and hMLH1 mismatch repair gene. We compared methylation to ACF histopathology, K-ras proto-oncogene mutation, loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 1p, and microsatellite instability. Methylation was present in 34% (21 of 61) of ACF, including both FAP and sporadic types, but was more frequent in sporadic ACF [53% (18 of 34) versus 11% (3 of 27), P = 0.002], especially dysplastic sporadic ACF [75% (3 of 4) versus 8% (2 of 24), P = 0.004]. MINT31 was more frequently methylated in heteroplastic ACF than dysplastic ACF [35% (11 of 31) versus 7% (2 of 30), P = 0.01]. Strong associations of ACF methylation with K-ras mutation (P = 0.007) and with loss of chromosome 1p (P = 0.04) were observed, but methylation was the only molecular abnormality identified in 16% (10 of 61) of ACF. Our findings suggest that methylation in ACF is an early event in the pathogenesis of a subset of colorectal carcinomas, and that ACF from FAP patients and patients with sporadic colorectal cancer have distinct epigenetic changes that reflect differences in molecular pathogenesis.
[3H]2-deoxyglucose transport by slices of cerebral cortex: apparent dependence upon mitochondrial energy.

The transport of [3H]2-deoxyglucose by brain slices was studied. Cerebral cortex slices were incubated in vitro in the presence of [3H]2-deoxyglucose, orl-[3H] glucose as a marker for diffusion. Transport was defined as the difference between [3H]2DG uptake andl-[3H]glucose uptake. Half-maximal velocity was seen at 2.0 mM 2DG and [3H]2DG transport was not inhibited by 20-fold higher concentrations ofl-glucose. Net [3H]2DG transport was unchanged in media deficient in Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ or Cl−. Uptake was significantly inhibited by 1.0 mM 2,4-DNP and a suggestion of inhibition by azide was seen. These data are consistent with a hypothesis that hexose transport in the brain depends to some extent upon mitochondrial energy.
A Class of Counterexamples to Jeans' Theorem for the Vlasov–Einstein System

The Vlasov–Poisson and Vlasov–Einstein systems model the motion of a self gravitating system such as a galaxy. The Vlasov–Poisson system is nonrelativistic. Jeans' theorem states that every spherically symmetric solution of the Vlasov–Poisson system that is independent of time may be expressed as a function of the two invariants, energy and angular momentum. This paper shows this is not the case for the Vlasov–Einstein system.
Constitutional polymorphisms of prostate cancer: prognostic and diagnostic implications

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men. While often perceived as a slow, indolent malignancy, prostate cancer trails only lung cancer among cancer-related mortality in men. Current diagnosis and treatment algorithms are plagued by overdiagnosis of non-lethal indolent prostate cancer with no proven means to predict, detect, and prevent aggressive lethal prostate cancer in men most at risk. These challenges are particularly concerning for African-American men who demonstrate increased rates of prostate cancer incidence and mortality when compared to other ethnic groups. With the completion of the human genome project, technology and techniques now exist to differentiate cancer from normal tissues based on the expression patterns of thousands of genes assessed simultaneously on a single microarray gene 'chip'. This platform has greatly improved our understanding of genes that regulate tumor behavior once cancer is established. Microarrays can also be utilized in patients without cancer to determine which patients are at high risk for tumor development and in need of rational prevention strategies. Constitutional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are one source of genetic variation and may serve as a means to identify these high-risk individuals. SNPs are single nucleotide base pair changes within a gene which occur in one percent or more of the population. SNPs can contribute to a disease state by altering the function of a protein encoded by a gene without affecting gene expression. This review will examine the current understanding of constitutional SNPs associated with prostate cancer carcinogenesis, highlight two current diagnostic array platforms and discuss implications for future prevention and screening programs.
Characterization of the Antihistamines Tripelennamine, Methapyrilene, and Thenyldiamine and Their N-Oxides by Thermospray Mass Spectrometry

mass spectrometry in the column bypass mode and with 0.1M ammonium acetate/methanol (80:20, v/v) as the mobile phase. Typically, the parent antihistamines produced only (MH)' ions under these conditions. The N-oxides provided strong (MH)' ions and multiple fragment ions. A scheme to explain the fragmentation patterns is proposed. metabolites of compounds of toxicological interest. The N- oxides have been found to be one of the major types of non- conjugated metaholites of various antihistamines (6-8). Therefore, it is important that any analytical method for the analysis of the metabolites of antihistamines performs well for the N-oxides of these compounds. Korfmacher et al. (19) have shown recently that TSMS is a useful technique for the analysis of doxylamine, pyrilamine, and several of their metabolites, in- cluding their N-oxides. The decision to investigate the TSMS methodology for the analysis of other antihistamines and their N-oxide derivatives was based on those results. This report describes the TSMS analysis of three ethylenediamine an- tihistamines and their N-oxides and compares the results to those previously reported for the TSMS analysis of pyrilamine.
Drug abuse treatment as a strategy to prevent human immunodeficiency virus infection among intravenous drug users. How can we maximize prevention of infection

Increased awareness of the potential for drug abuse treatment to assist prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may lead to an expansion of drug abuse treatment services for intravenous (IV) drug users in many parts of the world. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to identify components of drug abuse treatment that maximize HIV prevention among IV drug users. Rationale for two recommended program components are presented. One recommendation is that well-funded, aggressive HIV counseling and testing programs be part of all drug abuse treatment programs for IV drug users. A second recommendation is that special attention be given to high (HIV)-risk behaviors among patients in drug abuse treatment and the effects of these behaviors on the safety of the treatment environment. Expansion of drug abuse treatment may not be fully effective in reducing spread of HIV among IV drug users unless HIV prevention activities are expanded and better integrated
Entropy-constrained halftoning using multipath tree coding

We suggest an optimization-based method for halftoning that involves looking ahead before a decision for each binary output pixel is made. We first define a mixture distortion criterion that is a combination of a frequency-weighted mean square error (MSE) and a measure depending on the distances between minority pixels in the halftone. A tree-coding approach with the ML-algorithm is used for minimizing the distortion criterion to generate a halftone. While this approach generates halftones of high quality, these halftones are not very amenable to lossless compression. We introduce an entropy constraint into the cost function of the tree-coding algorithm that optimally trades off between image quality and compression performance in the output halftones.
Meat Curing The Action of NaCl on Meat Electrolyte Binding

SUMMARY Blended mixtures of meat and water containing different concentrations of NaCl were stored for 24 hr at 3°C and further stored for 1 hr at either 3 or 70°C. Then water, nitrogen, chloride, pH, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc were determined in aqueous extracts obtained by centrifugation. The results show that little or no sodium, potassium, or chloride was bound at 3 and 70°C. At 3°C, the addition of NaCl resulted in an increase of free calcium, magnesium, and, to a lesser extent, zinc. On heating at 70°C, with no added NaCl, all of the magnesium was free, soluble calcium increased, and zinc decreased. At 70°C, on addition of NaCl, free calcium increased and zinc decreased. Zinc was the only electrolyte that was substantially and strongly associated or bound with soluble protein.
A Microstructural Comparison of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Thin Films Grown from CuxSe and (In,Ga)2Se3 Precursors

We fabricated CulnSe2 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films by two different pathways using physical vapor deposition. In the first we formed a Cu-Se precursor and then reacted it with a flux of (In,Ga) + Se. These films had large grains but were too rough for optimal device performance. In the other pathway, we first formed a smooth precursor of (In,Ga)2Se3 and then exposed it to a flux of Cu+Se. We overshot the optimal film composition to allow recrystallization of the film by a secondary CuxSe phase. We then consumed the excess CuxSe in a third stage deposition of (In,Ga) + Se. The recrystallization step increased the grain sizes, and the resulting films remained smooth. Photovoltaic solar cells made from these films have produced the highest total-area efficiencies of any non-single-crystal, thin-film solar cell.
Wafer-Level Encapsulation and Sealing of Electrostatic HARPSS Transducers

This paper reports on a thin-film wafer-level encapsulation technique for packaging and CMOS integration of MEMS sensors and actuators fabricated through the HARPSS process. This approach takes advantage of the stationary parts of the micromechanical device itself for encapsulation of its sensitive moving parts, and therefore can be performed without addition of extensive processing steps. Encapsulated high frequency capacitive silicon resonators are demonstrated using this technique. Reliability and performance tests conducted on the encapsulated resonators reveal a high level of hermeticity and reliability with minimal interference with device operation. This technique can be applied to a wide variety MEMS sensors and actuators. Silicon transducers encapsulated using this approach can run through the regular IC fabrication and/or packaging processes.
Somatic LKB1 mutations promote cervical cancer progression

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the etiologic agent for cervical cancer. Yet, infection with HPV is not sufficient to cause cervical cancer, because most infected women develop transient epithelial dysplasias that spontaneously regress. Progression to invasive cancer has been attributed to diverse host factors such as immune or hormonal status, as no recurrent genetic alterations have been identified in cervical cancers. Thus, the pressing question as to the biological basis of cervical cancer progression has remained unresolved, hampering the development of novel therapies and prognostic tests. Here we show that at least 20% of cervical cancers harbor somatically-acquired mutations in the LKB1 tumor suppressor. Approximately one-half of tumors with mutations harbored single nucleotide substitutions or microdeletions identifiable by exon sequencing, while the other half harbored larger monoallelic or biallelic deletions detectable by multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA). Biallelic mutations were identified in most cervical cancer cell lines; HeLa, the first human cell line, harbors a homozygous 25 kb deletion that occurred in vivo. LKB1 inactivation in primary tumors was associated with accelerated disease progression. Median survival was only 13 months for patients with LKB1-deficient tumors, but >100 months for patients with LKB1-wild type tumors (P = 0.015, log rank test; hazard ratio = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.083 to 0.77). LKB1 is thus a major cervical tumor suppressor, demonstrating that acquired genetic alterations drive progression of HPV-induced dysplasias to invasive, lethal cancers. Furthermore, LKB1 status can be exploited clinically to predict disease recurrence.
The abort kicker system for the PEP-II storage rings at SLAC

The PEP-II project has two storage rings. The HER (high energy ring) has up to 1.48 A of election beam at 9 GeV, and the LER (low energy ring) has up to 2.14 A of positron beam at 3.1 GeV. To protect the HER and LER beam lines in the event of a ring component failure, each ring has an abort kicker system which directs the beam into a dump when a failure is detected. Due to the high current of the beams, the beam kick is tapered from 100% to 80% in 7.33 /spl mu/S (the beam transit time around the ring). This taper distributes the energy evenly across the window, which separates the ring from the beam dump such that the window is not damaged. The abort kicker trigger is synchronized with the ion clearing gap of the beam allowing for the kicker field to rise from 0-80% while there is no beam in the kicker magnet. Originally the kicker system was designed for a rise time of 370 nS [J.E. de Lamare, et al., 1997], but because the ion clearing gap was reduced in half, so was the rise time requirement for the kicker. This report discusses the design of the system interlocks, diagnostics, and modulator with the modifications necessary to accommodate an ion clearing gap of 185 nS.
Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectra of flavone and several hydroxy derivatives

The Raman and surface-enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) of flavone and three of its hydroxy derivatives, 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) and 5-hydroxyflavone (5-HF) and quercetin (3,5,7,3 � ,4 � pentahydroxyflavone) have been obtained. The normal Raman (NR) spectra were taken in the powder form. The SERS spectra were obtained both on Ag colloids and Ag electrode substrates. Assignments of the spectrally observed normal modes were aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the B3LYP functional and the 6-31+G ∗ basis, a split valence polarized basis set with diffuse functions. Excellent fits were obtained for the observed spectra with little or no scaling. The most intense lines of the NR spectra are those in the C O stretching region (near 1600 cm −1 ). These lines are often weakened by proximity to the surface, while other lines at lower wavenumbers, due to in-plane ring stretches, tend to be strongly enhanced. The SERS spectrum of flavone is weak both on the colloid and on the electrode, indicating weak attachment to the surface. In contrast, the SERS spectra of the hydroxy derivatives of flavone are intense, indicating the assistance of OH groups in attachment to the surface. The spectra of the various species are compared, and a case study of application to detection of a textile dye (Persian berries), which contains quercetin, is presented. Copyright  2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mapping live fuel moisture with MODIS data: A multiple regression approach

article i nfo Live fuel moisture (LFM) is an important factor for ascertaining fire risk in shrublands located in Mediterranean climate regions. We examined empirical relationships between LFM and numerous vegetation indices calculated from MODIS composite data for two southern California shrub functional types, chaparral (evergreen) and coastal sage scrub (CSS, drought-deciduous). These relationships were assessed during the annual March-September dry down period for both individual sites, and sites pooled by functional type. The visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI) consistently had the strongest relationships for individual site regressions. An independent method of accuracy assessment, cross validation, was used to determine model robustness for pooled site regressions. Regression models were developed with n�1 datasets and tested on the dataset that was withheld. Additional variables were included in the regression models to account for site-specific and interannual differences in vegetation amount and condition. This allowed a single equation to be used for a given functional type. Multiple linear regression models based on pooled sites had slightly lower adjusted R 2 values compared with simple linear regression models for individual sites. The best regression models for chaparral and CSS were inverted, and LFM was mapped across Los Angeles County, California (LAC). The methods used in this research show promise for monitoring LFM in chaparral and may be applicable to other Mediterranean shrubland communities.
Optimal placement of active control devices and sensors in frame structures using multi‐objective genetic algorithms

SUMMARY Active control efficiency is highly dependent on the control algorithm and device types as well as the locations of the devices and sensors in a building. A gene manipulation, multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed to optimize the placement of active devices and sensors in frame structures to reduce active control cost and increase the structural control strategy's effectiveness. Gene manipulation uses engineering judgment to modify the encoded variable information defining the number of devices and sensors per floor in selected Pareto-optimal front individuals. The proposed methodology evolves Pareto-optimal layouts that minimize the number of devices/sensors used while also minimizing the building interstory drift for a 20-story steel-frame building under earthquake loading. The results indicate that the number and location of the devices and sensors in the layouts obtained strongly depends on the desired maximum drift. Also, the location of the sensors significantly impacts the efficiency of the active controller in reducing interstory drifts. In simulation trials, the proposed gene manipulation method obtained layouts that distributed devices and sensors more evenly over the building height than layouts obtained using standard multi-objective methods, resulting in greater control efficiency. The primary benefit of implementing the proposed gene manipulation was in reducing the number of multi-objective genetic algorithm generations required by up to 40% without negatively impacting the quality of Pareto-optimal device/sensor layout solutions obtained. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zebra Mussel Spawning Is Induced in Low Concentrations of Putative Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Serotonin (5hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and its receptor ligands induce both oocyte maturation and spawning in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluvoxa- mine ("Luvox"), fluoxetine ("Prozac"), and paroxetine ("Paxil") are commonly prescribed drugs for the treat- ment of depression in humans. They act to increase 5- HT neurotransmission by inhibiting reuptake transport proteins at synapses. I tested the efficacy of these drugs at inducing spawning in zebra mussels. All three compounds induced spawning in both sexes at concentrations lower than that for 5-HT itself. Fluvoxamine was particularly potent, inducing spawning in 100% of both sexes at lo-' and 10e6 M. The concentration that induced a significant percentage of animals to spawn was as low as lop9 M for males and and lo-' M for females. The lowest concentra- tion of fluvoxamine to induce spawning was lo-* M for females (40%) and lo-" M for males (20%). Gametes spawned in fluvoxamine ( 10m5 M and lower) were viable, and swimming trochophores were formed within 20 hours. Fluoxetine was also an effective spawning inducer, causing 100% of males to spawn at 5
THE GALACTIC POSITRON ANNIHILATION RADIATION AND THE PROPAGATION OF POSITRONS IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

The ratio of the luminosity of diffuse 511 keV positron annihilation radiation, measured by INTEGRAL in its four years, from a Galactic "positron bulge" ( 3.5 kpc), the cascade of the magnetic turbulence, which scatters the positrons, is damped by ion-neutral friction, allowing positrons to stream along magnetic flux tubes. We find that nearly 1/2 of the positrons produced in the disk escape from it into the halo. On the other hand, we show that within the extended, or interstellar, bulge (<3.5 kpc), essentially all of the positrons are born in the hot plasmas which fill that volume. We find that the diffusion mean free path is long enough that only a negligible fraction annihilate there and ~80% of them escape down into the H II and H I envelopes of molecular clouds that lie within 1.5 kpc before they slow down and annihilate, while the remaining ~20% escape out into the halo and the disk beyond. This propagation accounts for the low observed annihilation radiation luminosity of the disk compared to the bulge. In addition, we show that the primary annihilation sites of the propagating positrons in both the bulge and the disk are in the warm ionized phases of the interstellar medium. Such annihilation can also account for those two basic properties of the emission, the fraction (~93% ± 7%) of annihilation via positronium and the ratio (~0.5) of broad (~5.4 keV) to narrow (~1.3 keV) components of the bulge 511 keV line emission. Moreover, we expect that the bulk of this broad line emission comes from the tilted disk region (0.5 < R < 1.5 kpc) with a very large broad/narrow flux ratio of ~6, while much of the narrow line emission comes from the inner bulge (R < 0.5 kpc) with a negligible broad/narrow flux ratio. Separate spectral analyses of the 511 keV line emission from these two regions should be able to test this prediction, and further probe the structure of the interstellar medium. Lastly, we show that the asymmetry in the inner disk annihilation line flux, which has been suggested as added evidence for new sources, can also be fully understood from positron propagation and the asymmetry in the inner spiral arms as viewed from our solar perspective without any additional sources.
Liver X Receptor Modulation of Gene Expression Leading to Proluteolytic Effects in Primate Luteal Cells

The expressions of genes involved in cholesterol efflux increase, whereas those involved in extracellular cholesterol uptake decrease, during spontaneous functional regression of the primate corpus luteum (CL). This may result from liver x receptor (LXR) alpha (official symbol NR1H3) and/or beta (official symbol NR1H2) control of luteal gene transcription, because these nuclear receptor superfamily members are key regulators of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Therefore, studies were conducted to assess endogenous LXR ligands in the primate CL through the luteal phase, and to determine the effect of synthetic or natural LXR ligands on cholesterol efflux and uptake in functional primate luteal cells. Using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, three LXR ligands were identified and quantified in the rhesus macaque CL, including 22R-hydroxycholesterol (22ROH), 27-hydroxycholesterol (27OH), and desmosterol. Levels of 22ROH paralleled serum progesterone concentrations, whereas mean levels of 27OH tended to be higher following the loss of progesterone synthesis. Desmosterol was present throughout the luteal phase. Functional macaque luteal cells treated with the synthetic LXR agonist T0901317 or physiologically relevant concentrations of the endogenous luteal ligands 22ROH, 27OH, and desmosterol had increased expression of various known LXR target genes and greater cholesterol efflux. Additionally, T0901317 reduced low-density lipoprotein receptor protein and extracellular low-density lipoprotein uptake, whereas 27OH decreased low-density lipoprotein receptor protein, most likely via a posttranslational mechanism. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that LXR activation causes increased cholesterol efflux and decreased extracellular cholesterol uptake. In theory, these effects could deplete the primate CL of cholesterol needed for steroidogenesis, ultimately contributing to functional regression.
Percutaneous endoscopy for biliary radiologic interventions.

Biliary endoscopy is an adjunct to percutaneous biliary interventions. Although there are technical and cost considerations, the interventional radiologist may apply this useful tool to patients with a wide range of biliary diseases (eg, patients with retained intrahepatic stones, patients with suspected lesions requiring biopsy, etc). Discussed in this article are advantages, disadvantages, patient preparation, technical advice, complications, and a review of the literature. Percutaneous biliary endoscopy, applied through a transhepatic tube tract or a mature T tube tract, reduces radiation exposure to the patient and health care personnel in the room. The procedure is generally performed on an outpatient basis under conscious sedation. Given access to a choledochofiberscope and familiarity with its use, percutaneous endoscopy for biliary radiologic interventions is a valuable technique and may be used to manage patients with complex biliary disease.
Sex still counts: Women's use of televised advertising during the decade of the 80's

Abstract In an effort to determine if significant differences exist in the televised negative commercials of female and male candidates, the advertising spots used by women who ran for a major political office during the decade of the 80's were compared with a sample used by men running for major political office in those same years. An analysis of the verbal, visual and production strategies contained in the ads revealed that enough differences exist to document the emergence of a female style in the utilization of televised negative advertising.
Evolutionary divergences in root system morphology, allocation, and nitrogen uptake in species from high- versus low-fertility soils.

Root morphology and nutrient uptake processes are essential for acquisition of mineral resources from soil. However, our understanding of how root form and function have diverged across environments is limited. In this study, we addressed hypotheses of adaptive differentiation using three pairs of Helianthus species chosen as phylogenetically-independent contrasts with respect to native soil nutrients. Under controlled environmental conditions, root morphology, allocation, and nitrogen (N) uptake (using a 15N tracer) were assessed for seedlings under both high and low N treatments. Species native to low nutrient soils (LNS) had lower total root length than those native to high nutrient soils (HNS), reflecting the slower growth rates of species from less fertile environments. Contrary to expectations, species did not consistently differ in specific root length, root tissue density, or root system plasticity, and species native to LNS had lower root : total mass ratio and higher 15N uptake rates than species native to HNS. Overall, these evolutionary divergences provide support for adaptive differentiation among species, with repeated evolution of slow-growing root systems suited for low resource availability in LNS. However, species native to LNS maintain a high capacity for N uptake, potentially as a means of maximising nutrient acquisition from transient pulses.
Effects of obesity on the cytochrome P450 enzyme system.

Objective This review evaluates the effect of obesity on the various isozymes of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. Materials and method A Medline search of the international literature on drug metabolism and obesity from 1966 to early 1998 was conducted. All English language studies in humans that compared the pharmacokinetics of a given medication between obese and non-obese subjects were evaluated. Any study in which the substrate examined is excreted unchanged, not metabolized primarily by a single cytochrome P450 isozyme or which is considered a high extraction compound was excluded from this review. Results Despite the prevalence of obesity, the known health consequences of obesity and the increase of medication usage in the obese population, very few studies have attempted to establish the effect of this condition on the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. Numerous studies, however, have compared pharmacokinetic parameters between obese and non-obese subjects for individual drugs. By examining those trials in which the agents studied all undergo biotransformation via the same CYP450 isozyme, a preliminary appreciation of the effect of obesity on the activity of that particular isozyme can be attained. Conclusions The effect of obesity on CYP450 appears to be isozyme-specific with the activity of cytochrome P450 3A4 decreasing and that of cytochrome P450 2E1 increasing. The effect of obesity on the cytochrome P450 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, and 2D6 isozymes is inconclusive.