cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Motor Deficit in a Drosophila Model of Mucolipidosis Type IV due to Defective Clearance of Apoptotic Cells

Summary Disruption of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) channel results in the neurodegenerative disorder mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), a lysosomal storage disease with severe motor impairments. The mechanisms underlying MLIV are poorly understood and there is no treatment. Here, we report a Drosophila MLIV model, which recapitulates the key disease features, including abnormal intracellular accumulation of macromolecules, motor defects, and neurodegeneration. The basis for the buildup of macromolecules was defective autophagy, which resulted in oxidative stress and impaired synaptic transmission. Late-apoptotic cells accumulated in trpml mutant brains, suggesting diminished cell clearance. The accumulation of late-apoptotic cells and motor deficits were suppressed by expression of trpml + in neurons, glia, or hematopoietic cells. We conclude that the neurodegeneration and motor defects result primarily from decreased clearance of apoptotic cells. Since hematopoietic cells in humans are involved in clearance of apoptotic cells, our results raise the possibility that bone marrow transplantation may limit the progression of MLIV.
An X-ray Free Electron Laser Driven by an Ultimate Storage Ring

There is a worldwide interest in developing so-called ultimate storage ring (USR) light sources having electron emittances near the X-ray diffraction limit that would provide spectral brightness one or two orders of magnitude higher than present-day, third-generation sources and very large coherent flux in the multi-keV photon energy range [1]. At the same time, there is a growing scientific interest in X-ray FEL sources that can provide a continuous train of evenly spaced, low peak power, coherent photon pulses at repetition rates of above 1 kHz, unlike the bursts of much higher frequency pulses that can be provided by linac-based FELs pulsed with repetition rates of order 100 Hz or less. These CW sources would enable dynamic imaging of materials undergoing transitions in millisecond or less time scales and would open up the development of new non-line spectroscopic techniques that could lead to a better understanding of electronic and nuclear dynamics in materials.
Taking Teacher Responsibility into Account(ability): Explicating Its Multiple Components and Theoretical Status.

Accountability systems have important implications for schooling. Missing from discussions about their implementation, however, are ways they affect teacher responsibility. Responsibility has been insufficiently explicated in the education literature, including its impact on teacher motivation, emotion, and behavior. We propose that a multidimensional approach is required to capture the complexity of teacher responsibility and describe the extensive connections between teacher responsibility and existing psychological frameworks. Directions for future research and implications for teachers’ professional lives are discussed.
Absorption of Sound in Insulators

The theory of sound attenuation in structurally perfect dielectric crystals is extended and applied to recent experiments on the absorption of acoustic waves in crystalline quartz at frequencies from ${10}^{9}$ cps to 2.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{10}$ cps. The sound wave is assumed to vary the frequencies of the thermal phonons adiabatically, and the complete Boltzmann equation is used to determine the response of the thermal phonon distribution to this disturbance. The rate of energy transfer from the thermal phonons to the temperature bath is computed. In the steady state, energy is supplied by the driving sound wave to the thermal phonons at the same rate, which gives the attenuation. Relaxation times are assumed for $N$ and $U$ processes. Since the effect of the sound wave on a thermal phonon depends on the relative polarization and wave-number vectors of both, the phonon distribution in a small spatial region tends to relax to a new temperature ${T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ which is determined by requiring local conservation of the total energy to first order. The present treatment leads to better understanding of the rapid decrease in attenuation with decreasing temperature in the range in which the sound-wave period becomes comparable to the average relaxation time of the thermal phonons.
Interactions of nuclear receptor coactivator/corepressor proteins with the aryl hydrocarbon receptor complex.

MCF-7 human breast cancer cells express the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and treatment with AhR agonists such as 2,3,7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) inhibits estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated responses. This study investigates physical and functional interactions of the AhR complex with a prototypical coactivator (estrogen receptor associating protein 140, ERAP 140) and corepressor (silencing mediator for retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor, SMRT) for ER and other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The AhR, AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt), and AhR/Arnt proteins were coimmunoprecipitated with 35S-ERAP 140 and 35S-SMRT and, in gel mobility shift assays, AhR/Arnt binding to 32P-dioxin response element (DRE) was enhanced by ERAP-140 and inhibited by SMRT; supershifted bands were not observed. In transactivation assays, coactivator and corepressor proteins enhanced or inhibited AhR-mediated gene expression; however, these responses varied with the amount of coactivator/corepressor expression. These results confirmed functional and physical interactions of AhR/Arnt with ERAP 140 and SMRT in breast cancer cells.
Linear, Passive, Matched Filter for Digital Magnetic Recording

A linear, passive matched filter is developed for the readback portion of digital magnetic recording systems. The filter, by maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), improves the reliability of digital magnetic recording. This is necessary because the continuous improvement in magnetic recording resolution has brought about a consequent deterioration in the SNR. For the worst case, namely, when the signal and noise occupy precisely the same band of frequencies, laboratory experiments show an improvement factor of 3.42 in the SNR. The filter tested was of very low cost since it was built with standard off-the-shelf components. It can be easily implemented in any given situation by simple network scaling.
A numerical study for a mining project using real options valuation under commodity price uncertainty

Abstract Commodity price is an important factor for mining companies, as price volatility is a key parameter for mining project evaluation and investment decision making. The conventional discounted cash flow (DCF) methods are broadly used for mining project valuations, however, based on commodity price uncertainty and operational flexibilities, it is difficult and often inappropriate to determine mining project values through traditional DCF methods alone. In order to more accurately evaluate the economic viability of a mining project, the commodity price and its inherent volatility should be modelled appropriately and incorporated into the evaluation process. As a consequence, researchers and practitioners continue to develop and introduce real options valuation (ROV) methods for mining project evaluations under commodity price uncertainty, incorporating continuous time stochastic models. Although the concept of ROV arose a few decades ago, most of the models that have been developed to-date are generally limited to theoretical research and academia and consequently, the application of ROV methods remains poorly understood and often not used in mining project valuations. Analytical and numerical solutions derived through the application of ROV methods are rarely found in practice due to the complexity associated with solving the partial differential equations (PDE), which are dependent on several conditions and parameters. As a consequence, it may not generally be applicable to evaluate mining projects under all project-specific circumstances. Therefore, the greatest challenge to ROV modelling is in finding numerically explicit project values. This paper contributes towards the further development of known theoretical work and enhances an approach to approximating explicit numerical project values. Based on this work, it is possible to formulate more complex PDEs under additional uncertainties attached to the project and to approximate its numerical value or value ranges. To ensure the project is profitable and to reduce commodity price uncertainty, delta hedging and futures contracts have been used as options for deriving the PDE. Moreover, a new parameter for taxes has been incorporated within the PDE. This new PDE has been utilised to approximate the numerical values of a mining project considering a hypothetical gold mine as a case study. The explicit finite difference method (FDM) and MatLab software have been used and implemented to solve this PDE and to determine the numerical project values considering the available options associated with a mining project. In addition, commodity price volatility has been determined from historical data, and has again revealed price volatility as having a significant impact on mining project values.
Where is “Here” in Nested Environments? Location Accessibility from Different Sources

Abstract In nested environments, “here” can be different places, depending on the spatial scale. Although people mentally update surrounding locations as they move (spatial updating) does location accessibility (of “here”) change as a function of environment scale and information source? Participants learned two environments, a room nested within a campus, either through navigation or via maps. After updating with respect to one environment their knowledge of both environments was tested. People more accurately represented and accessed proximal environment (room) following navigation and remote environment (campus) after map learning. These results have implications for best practice in representing environments of different scales.
Targeting the Hepatocyte Growth Factor–cMET Axis in Cancer Therapy

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, the transmembrane tyrosine kinase cMET, promote cell proliferation, survival, motility, and invasion as well as morphogenic changes that stimulate tissue repair and regeneration in normal cells but can be co-opted during tumor growth. MET overexpression, with or without gene amplification, has been reported in a variety of human cancers, including breast, lung, and GI malignancies. Furthermore, high levels of HGF and/or cMET correlate with poor prognosis in several tumor types, including breast, ovarian, cervical, gastric, head and neck, and non-small-cell lung cancers. Gene amplification and protein overexpression of cMET drive resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor family inhibitors, both in preclinical models and in patients. It is increasingly apparent that the HGF-cMET axis signaling network is complex, and rational combinatorial therapy is needed for optimal clinical efficacy. Better understanding of HGF-cMET axis signaling and the mechanism of action of HGF-cMET inhibitors, along with the identification of biomarkers of response and resistance, will lead to more effective targeting of this pathway for cancer therapy.
Some new transition probabilities for mercury I

Abstract Detailed studies of a pure mercury positive column have allowed us to determine the densities and effective temperatures which characterize the discharge. From this knowledge of the discharge conditions, a series of transition probabilities is derived for 70 lines in the neutral mercury spectrum in the wavelength range 238–1530 nm, including many lines for which transition probabilities have not previously been published.
Simulation of Hyper-Inverse Wishart Distributions for Non-decomposable Graphs

We propose an efficient solution to the problem of direct sam- pling from a hyper-inverse Wishart distribution in non-decomposable graphs. The method relies on local computations based on the standard junction tree representation of graphs and distribution theoretical results of con- straint Wishart matrices.
Rescue of germline transmission from chimeras by IVF after sperm analysis

Successful production of genetically modified mouse lines is dependent on germline transmission (GLT) of mutant alleles from chimeras. When natural mating fails to achieve GLT due to male infertility, sickness, or other problems, sperm can be harvested from chimeras and used for assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) to attempt to “rescue” GLT. However, a rational, evidence-based approach to determine if such extraordinary efforts should be attempted on a chimera has not been established. Therefore, in the present study we assessed the production, quality and genotype of epididymal sperm harvested from male chimeras generated by blastocyst or morula microinjection of gene targeted embryonic stem (ES) cell clones containing a LacZ expression cassette and that failed to achieve GLT. Results of this analysis enabled us to determine the cause of GLT failure, correlate coat color chimerism with the proportion of LacZ-positive sperm, and test the likelihood of achieving GLT by IVF. In 415 chimeras, 332 (80 %) produced no offspring by natural mating (“infertile”), while 83 (20 %) produced only wildtype offspring (“fertile”). Of the 332 infertile chimeras, 209 (63 %) failed to produce any sperm whatsoever, 48 (15 %) had extremely poor quality sperm, and 75 (23 %) had good quality sperm. These results indicate that most chimeras that do not achieve GLT by natural mating are infertile, and the primary cause of infertility is failed spermatogenesis. Genotyping of sperm from 519 chimeras revealed a significant positive linear correlation between coat color chimerism and mean percentage of LacZ-positive sperm (R2 = 0.95). Finally, IVF using good quality, LacZ-positive sperm from fertile and infertile chimeras “rescued” GLT for 19 out of 56 genes. We conclude that an assessment of coat color chimerism together with sperm quality and genotype can better inform the selection of chimeras for IVF to rescue GLT than coat color chimerism alone.
Effect of Solvent Polarity and Electrophilicity on Quantum Yields and Solvatochromic Shifts of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Photoluminescence

In this work, we investigate the impact of the solvation environment on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) photoluminescence quantum yield and optical transition energies (Eii) using a highly charged aryleneethynylene polymer. This novel surfactant produces dispersions in a variety of polar solvents having a wide range of dielectric constants (methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, aqueous dimethylformamide, and deuterium oxide). Because a common surfactant can be used while maintaining a constant SWCNT–surfactant morphology, we are able to straightforwardly evaluate the impact of the solvation environment upon SWCNT optical properties. We find that (i) the SWCNT quantum yield is strongly dependent on both the polarity and electrophilicity of the solvent and (ii) solvatochromic shifts correlate with the extent of SWCNT solvation. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the environmental dependence of SWCNT excitonic properties and underscore that the solvent provides a tool with which to modulate SWCNT...
A Process Model for Interactive Systems

Designing user interfaces and designing computational software are very different processes. The differences lead to late discovery of design conflicts, which drives up development costs. A unifying methodology that could provide early discovery and resolution of design conflicts must account for the governing principles of both processes. Disciplined long-term investigation of candidate methodologies requires that these governing principles be fixed and that evolving development methods comprising each process be accommodated. This article describes an application of general systems theory to integrate these principles, proposes a process model that fixes them as explicit elements of a process program, argues the feasibility of the model and its worthiness for further study, and describes its initial implementation.
Thermal creation of metastable defects in a-Si:H

Abstract It is shown that the analysis of kinetics of formation and anneal of metastable defects in a-Si:H requires inclusion of a process that is the inverse of thermally induced anneal. Together with the recently added inverse of light-induced generation, these kinetics provide new explanations of a number of observations and lead to the conclusion that the defects are extrinsic in origin.
A Model for the Assessment of Medical Students’ Competency in Medical Ethics

Background: This article focuses on the goals of our medical ethics education program and our formative assessments of students’ competency at various points during this education. Methods: Because of the critical relationship between a program's goals and the design of an assessment strategy, we provide an overview of the theoretical basis of our curriculum, our program's objectives, and teaching methods. In order to verify that our students had achieved minimum competency in the objectives of our ethics curriculum, we developed assessments that evaluated their ability to identify and apply ethical principles to clinical cases and to use moral reasoning to resolve dilemmas. We verified the reliability of these assessment instruments by correlating two different Mount Sinai raters’ scores of the same assessments with each other and the validity of these assessments with external reviewers. Results: For interrater reliability, paired raters scored the same student written exercise within 5 points of each o...
Logic Gates Based on Magnetic Nanoparticles Functionalized with a Bioelectrocatalytic System

Magneto-controlled OR, AND and INHIB logic gates were designed using cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (CoFe2O4, saturated magnetization ca. 70 emu g−1, 17±2 nm diameter) functionalized with microperoxidase-11. Tunable magnetic field generated by three external permanent magnets (NdFeB) upon moving them below the electrochemical cell resulted in translocation of the biofunctionalized magnetic nanoparticles between conductive and nonconductive domains of a solid plate. This resulted in electrochemically readable output signals with the Boolean logic controlled by the magnetic input signals. The current corresponding to the reversible redox process of the heme measured at −0.4 V (vs. SCE) was considered as “1” output signal, while a small background current obtained from the conducting interface in the absence of the magnetic nanoparticles was considered as “0” output signal. Addition of H2O2 to the solution resulted in the generation of a cathodic catalytic current when the microperoxidase-11-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles are associated with the conductive domain of the support. This resulted in the amplification of “1” output signal and the increased difference between “1” and “0” signals generated by the cell, thus reducing the possibility of errors in the Boolean logic operations.
The incomplete basis set problem. III. Virtual orbitals and the CIBS expansion of hartree‐fock energies

A reformulation of the CIBS theory of Hartree-Fock energies is carried out in which the explicit dependence on virtual Orbitals is made manifest. It is found that the required CIBS correction functions are orthogonal to the virtual orbital space and are indirectly coupled to them. Consequently, an approximation that neglects virtual orbitals is presented. In addition a decoupled and an uncoupled approximation are suggested. For programming purposes an explicit set of linear equations suitable for interfacing with standard molecular orbital programs is derived.
Treatment Paradigm Shift May Improve Survival of Patients With High Risk Superficial Bladder Cancer

Purpose: Historically patients with recurrent T1 bladder tumors after bacillus Calmette-Guerin have been treated with bladder sparing approaches. Recently a paradigm shift has occurred since patients are increasingly offered radical cystectomy before disease progression to muscle invasion. In this study we explored the effect of this paradigm shift on progression rates and disease specific survival.Materials and Methods: The historical cohort consisted of 307 patients from 3 prospective intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin protocols from 1980 to 1989. An institutional review board approved review identified 589 patients treated with bacillus Calmette-Guerin in a contemporary cohort from 1992 to 2004.Results: In the historical cohort the 85 patients with documented T1 recurrence were initially treated with repeat transurethral resection and intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin. Of these 85 patients 60 had progression to muscle invasive disease. At 5 years after T1 recurrence, the cumulative incidence of ...
L-methionine-induced alterations in molecular signatures in MCF-7 and LNCaP cancer cells

Methionine inhibits proliferation of breast and prostate cancer cells. Here, we determined the influence of L-methionine on functional molecular signatures in these cell lines. MCF-7 and LNCaP cells were treated with L-methionine (5 mg/ml) for 72 h. Changes in molecular signatures of these cells were examined by microarray analysis of 15,814 probes in triplicate experiments. In LNCaP cells, 325 genes were up-regulated by methionine, and 517 genes down-regulated. In MCF-7 cells, 86 genes were up-regulated and 135 genes down-regulated. Ninety-eight genes were regulated in the same direction by methionine in both cells lines, and five other genes were changed in expression in opposite directions. Several of the up-regulated genes encode proteins involved in cellular redox regulation, suggesting that methionine may enhance antioxidant mechanisms. Many of the down-regulated genes belong to protein kinase families that may be related to the anti-proliferative effects of methionine on breast and prostate cancer cells.
NASA's Integrated Space Transportation Plan — 3rd generation reusable launch vehicle technology update

Abstract NASA's Integrated Space Transportation Plan (ISTP) calls for investments in Space Shuttle safety upgrades, second generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) advanced development and third generation RLV and in-space research and technology. NASA's third generation launch systems are to be fully reusable and operation by 2025. The goals for third generation launch systems are to reduce cost by a factor of 100 and improve safety by a factor of 10,000 over current systems. The Advanced Space Transportation Program Office (ASTP) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL has the agency lead to develop third generation space transportation technologies. The Hypersonics Investment Area, part of ASTP, is developing the third generation launch vehicle technologies in two main areas, propulsion and airframes. The program's major investment is in hypersonic airbreathing propulsion since it offers the greatest potential for meeting the third generation launch vehicles. The program will mature the technologies in three key propulsion areas, scramjets, rocket-based combined cycle and turbine-based combination cycle. Ground and flight propulsion tests are being planned for the propulsion technologies. Airframe technologies will be matured primarily through ground testing. This paper describes NASA's activities in hypersonics. Current programs, accomplishments, future plans and technologies that are being pursued by the Hypersonics Investment Area under the Advanced Space Transportation Program Office will be discussed.
Improving patient adherence with asthma self-management practices: what works?

Effective asthma control is as dependent on patient behavior as it is on guideline-based asthma therapies. More than for many chronic illnesses, asthma management requires patients to be actively engaged in multiple self-management behaviors, including self-monitoring of symptoms, use of an asthma action plan, environmental control practices, and regular adherence with pharmacotherapy using appropriate device technique. When patients are appropriately adherent with these multiple recommendations there is a strong evidence-base that asthma can be very effectively controlled.1 However, multiple studies have found that poor adherence with asthma self-management is very common and a significant contributor to inadequately controlled asthma.2 Studies in adult and pediatric asthma patients suggest that adherence with controller therapies range from 30-70%.3 Less than half of families with asthma complete prescribed environmental control measures to reduce exposure to triggers such as appropriate cleaning measures,4 and dust mite covers, and only one in five families report willingness for pet removal5. Furthermore, up to 55% of patients with asthma still have frequent exposure to nicotine, despite intensive intervention. 6 Poor adherence to asthma self-management guidelines contributes to greater asthma morbidity and mortality.7 Medication nonadherence has been associated with increased symptoms and healthcare utilization8 and more frequent oral steroid bursts.9 Exposure to secondhand smoke has been associated with lower quality of life scores, greater rescue inhaler use, lower lung function, and greater risk for emergency room visits, hospitalization and intensive care unit admission.10 Because of the central role adherence plays in effective asthma control it is critical for clinicians to pay as much attention to patient behavior as to pharmacotherapy. We outline below key factors in promoting optimal patient adherence.
Ultrasound speckle analysis based on the K distribution

The departure of speckle magnitude from Rayleigh statistics was applied to examine insonated phantoms with both low and high concentrations of scatterers. A mathematical model, the K distribution of Jakeman, was used to characterize non-Rayleigh statistics. This model contains a parameter, α, which characterizes the clustering of the scattering sites in a medium. It is shown from phantom experiments that alpha is linearly proportional to the log-scaled scatterer concentration in a range from about 1 to 30 scatterers per sample volume.
A class of difference schemes with flexible local approximation

Solutions of many physical problems have salient local features that are qualitatively known a priori (for example, singularities at point sources, edge and corners; boundary layers; derivative jumps at material interfaces; strong dipole field components near polarized spherical particles; cusps of electronic wavefunctions at the nuclei; electrostatic double layers around colloidal particles, etc.) The known methods capable of providing flexible local approximation of such features include the generalized finite element - partition of unity method, special variational-difference schemes in broken Sobolev spaces, and a few other specialized techniques. In the proposed new class of Flexible Local Approximation MEthods (FLAME), a desirable set of local approximating functions (such as cylindrical or spherical harmonics, plane waves, harmonic polynomials, etc.) defines a finite difference scheme on a chosen grid stencil. One motivation is to minimize the notorious 'staircase' effect at curved and slanted interface boundaries. However, the new approach has much broader applications. As illustrative examples, the paper presents arbitrarily high order 3-point schemes for the 1D Schrodinger equation and a 1D singular equation, schemes for electrostatic interactions of colloidal particles, electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering, plasmon resonances. Moreover, many classical finite difference schemes, including the Collatz ''Mehrstellen'' schemes, are direct particular cases of FLAME.
Risk of selected cardiovascular diseases and posttraumatic stress disorder among former World War II prisoners of war.

Purpose American World War II (WWII) prisoners of war (POWs) suffered both mental and physical deprivation while interned. The long-term health consequences of the internment were studied for an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods This study evaluated healthcare utilization data for 10 years (1991–2000) from Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA healthcare providers for 19,442 former WWII POWs and 9728 non-POW controls. The risk of diseases was approximated by odds ratios adjusted for race and age. Results Collectively, former POWs had statistically significant increased risk of PTSD, and those POWs with PTSD also had statistically significant increased risks of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension and chronic ischemic heart disease when compared to both non-POWs and POWs without PTSD. Conclusions Among former WWII POWs, risk of cardiovascular disease is related to having PTSD.
Relation between collagen synthesis and collagen proline hydroxylase activity in mammalian cells.

DURING collagen synthesis in mammalian cells a polypeptide precursor (protocollagen) is formed on polyribosomes. Nearly half the proline residues in protocollagen are then hydroxylated by a specific enzyme (collagen proline hydroxylase, protocollagen proline hydroxylase) to give collagen1,2.
EID: the Exon–Intron Database—an exhaustive database of protein-coding intron-containing genes

To aid studies of molecular evolution and to assist in gene prediction research, we have constructed an Exon-Intron Database (EID) in FASTA format. Currently, the database is derived from GenBank release 112, and it contains 51 289 protein-coding genes (287 209 exons) that harbor introns, along with extensive descriptions of each gene and its DNA and protein sequences, as well as splice motif information. There is 17% redundancy inherited from GenBank-a purge at the 99% identity level reduced the database to 42 460 genes (243 589 exons). We have created subdatabases of genes whose intron positions have been experimentally determined. One such database, constructed by comparing genomic and mRNA sequences, contains 11 242 genes (62 474 exons). A larger database of 22 196 genes (105 595 exons) was constructed by selecting on keywords to eliminate computer-predicted genes. By examining the two nucleotides adjacent to the intron boundary, we infer that there is a 2% rate of errors or other deviations from the standard GTellipsisAG motif in nuclear genes. This criterion can be used to eliminate 4921 genes from the overall database. Various tools are provided to enable generation of user-specific subsets of the EID. The EID distribution can be obtained from http://mcb.harvard.edu/gilbert/EID
Bilateral effects of unilateral cochlear implantation in congenitally deaf cats.

Congenital deafness results in synaptic abnormalities in auditory nerve endings. These abnormalities are most prominent in terminals called endbulbs of Held, which are large, axosomatic synaptic endings whose size and evolutionary conservation emphasize their importance. Transmission jitter, delay, or failures, which would corrupt the processing of timing information, are possible consequences of the perturbations at this synaptic junction. We sought to determine whether electrical stimulation of the congenitally deaf auditory system via cochlear implants would restore the endbulb synapses to their normal morphology. Three and 6-month-old congenitally deaf cats received unilateral cochlear implants and were stimulated for a period of 10–19 weeks by using human speech processors. Implanted cats exhibited acoustic startle responses and were trained to approach their food dish in response to a specific acoustic stimulus. Endbulb synapses were examined by using serial section electron microscopy from cohorts of cats with normal hearing, congenital deafness, or congenital deafness with a cochlear implant. Synapse restoration was evident in endbulb synapses on the stimulated side of cats implanted at 3 months of age but not at 6 months. In the young implanted cats, postsynaptic densities exhibited normal size, shape, and distribution, and synaptic vesicles had density values typical of hearing cats. Synapses of the contralateral auditory nerve in early implanted cats also exhibited synapses with more normal structural features. These results demonstrate that electrical stimulation with a cochlear implant can help preserve central auditory synapses through direct and indirect pathways in an age-dependent fashion. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2382– 2404, 2010.
Total Antioxidant Activity and Fiber Content of Select Florida-Grown Tropical Fruits

Fourteen tropical fruits from south Florida (red guava, white guava, carambola, red pitaya (red dragon), white pitaya (white dragon), mamey sapote, sapodilla, lychee, longan, green mango, ripe mango, green papaya, and ripe papaya) were evaluated for antioxidant activity, total soluble phenolics (TSP), total ascorbic acid (TAA), total dietary fiber (TDF), and pectin. ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, radical scavenging activity) assays were used to determine antioxidant activity. The TSP, ORAC, and DPPH ranged from 205.4 to 2316.7 g gallic acid equiv/g puree, <0.1 to 16.7 Imol Trolox equiv/g puree, and 2.1 to 620.2 Ig gallic acid equiv/g puree, respectively. The TAA, TDF, and pectin ranged from 7.5 to 188.8 mg/100 g, 0.9 to 7.2 g/100 g, and 0.20 to 1.04 g/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant activities, TSP, TAA, TDF, and pectin were influenced by cultivar (papaya, guava, and dragon fruit) and ripening stage (papaya and/or mango). Antioxidant activity showed high correlations with levels of TSP compounds (r ) 0.96) but low correlations with levels of ascorbic acid (r ) 0.35 and 0.23 for ORAC and DPPH data, respectively). The antioxidant activities evaluated by both ORAC and DPPH showed similar trends where red guava and carambola exhibited the highest and sapodilla and green papaya exhibited the lowest levels. Guava and mamey sapote exhibited the highest TDF and pectin levels. Many of the tropical fruits were shown to contain an abundance of hydrolyzable tannins, ellagic acid conjugates, and flavone glycosides. Preliminary descriptions are given of the phenols in red/white pitaya (dragonfruit), lychee, and mamey sapote, these fruit being thus far uncharacterized in the literature.
Modelling the translocation induction in sperms-some general theories

In this paper we develop a stochastic model for the development of heritable reciprocal translocations in spermatozoa by following the biological mechanism for the generation of spermatozoa. By using Kolmogorov forward equation we derive the probability generating function (PGF) of the number of translocation-carrying spermatids under some general conditions. Using the PGF's we then derive the means and the variances of the number of translocation-carrying spermatids; a procedure for computing the probability distribution of the translocation-carrying spermatids is also developed. The results are illustrated by some homogeneous models, leaving the results of nonhomogeneous models to our future work.
Extreme power dispersion profiles for Nakagami-m fading channels with maximal-ratio diversity

Using nonlinear optimization theory, we derive extreme power dispersion profiles (PDPs) for wireless channels with maximal-ratio diversity. Specifically, we obtain the best and worst PDPs that respectively minimize and maximize the symbol error probability in Nakagami-m fading channels having not necessarily identical means.
Natural Prey and Digestion Times of Toxorhynchites rutilus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Southern Florida

Abstract Natural prey of Toxorhynchites rutilus (Coquillett) were identified from gut contents of 941 larvae collected from treeholes and tires located in an oak-palm woodland in south Florida. Twenty taxa of aquatic prey were recognized in midgut remains, in addition to eggs of Diptera from three families. Ostracods and chironomids were the most abundant aquatic prey in predators from tires, and rotifers and copepods from treeholes. Mosquito larvae accounted for only 6% of prey items from treeholes and 5% from tires. Remains of terrestrial arthropods of nine insect orders plus mites and spiders were also identified, these prey having been captured from the water surface by T. rutilus larvae. An electivity coefficient, R, was calculated for dipterous prey of each predator instar. Significant heterogeneities among R values in tires were attributable, in part, to high electivity for certain mosquito species, especially Aedes albopictus (Skuse), and for psychodid larvae, and low electivity for larvae of T. r...
Efficient Characterization Methodology of Gate-Bulk Leakage and Capacitance for Ultra-Thin Oxide Partially-Depleted (PD) SOI Floating Body CMOS

For the first time, an efficient methodology to accurately characterize the gate-bulk leakage current (I gb ) and gate capacitance (C gg ) of PD SOI floating body (FB) devices was proposed and demonstrated in 40-nm PD SOI devices with ultra-thin oxide EOT 12A. By applying the RF testing skill for the proposed SOI test patterns, we can eliminate properly the parasitic elements due to the co-existence opposite poly gate type the SOI T-shape body-tied (BT) device and accurately characterize and model the SOI FB I gb and C gg behaviors. Impact on the history effect was analyzed by BSIMSOI4.0 model. History effect analysis with high pulse and low pulse width was shown. Improvement of more than 3% simulation accuracy for history effect was also demonstrated.
Performance of broiler chicks fed various levels of dietary lysine and crude protein

An experiment was conducted to establish a basal diet deficient in both protein and lysine. The responses of broiler chicks to graded levels of lysine at two levels of CP were measured in diets mixed by two experimental methods (diet dilution and graded supplementation). Experiment 1 had a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with three dietary CP levels (17, 20, and 23%) and two levels of lysine per CP level (35 and 48 g lysine/kg CP). Dietary CP and lysine levels had significant (P < 0.001) effects on body weight gain (BWG), feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). In exp. 2, the lysine requirement of chicks (9 to 18 d of age) was estimated at two levels of CP in diets mixed by the diet dilution method. The requirements for lysine at 17% CP (as a percentage of CP) were estimated to be 4.45 +/- 0.18% for BWG (R2 = 0.83) and 4.33 +/- 0.16% for FCR (R2 = 0.81). Similarly, the requirements at 23% CP were 4.34 +/- 0.16% for BWG (R2 = 0.84) and 4.35 +/- 0.13% for FCR (R2 = 0.89). In exp. 3, the lysine requirement of chicks (10 to 18 d of age) was estimated at two levels of CP in diets mixed by the graded supplementation method. The requirements for lysine at 18.5% CP were 5.17 +/- 0.25% for BWG (R2 = 0.80) and 4.26 +/- 0.15% for FCR (R2 = 0.85). Similarly, the requirements at 23% CP were 4.59 +/- 0.17% for BWG (R2 = 0.83) and 4.71 +/- 0.16% for FCR (R2 = 0.88). Results of a t-test show that the requirements were not significantly different between the two CP levels for BWG in experiments 2 and 3 (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the amino acid requirements of broilers are a constant proportion of CP levels at least in the range of CP levels commonly fed.
Hydrodynamic diffusion near solid boundaries with applications to heat and mass transport into sheared suspensions and fixed-fibre beds

Heat and mass transport in the bulk of a suspension or fixed bed in the limit of high Peclet number is controlled by hydrodynamic diffusion. This hydrodynamic diffusion is caused by the stochastic velocity field induced by the randomly distributed particles. However, the no-slip boundary conditions require that the hydrodynamic diffusivity vanish at boundaries of the medium. Thus, molecular diffusion must aid the transport in a thin boundary layer near the solid boundary. Quantitative results are derived for the hydrodynamic diffusivity, boundary layer thickness, and net resistance to transport across a dilute fixed fibrous bed in the direction transverse to the mean flow. A scaling analysis is presented for transport in the direction of the gradient of the mean velocity in a sheared suspension of neutrally buoyant spheres. This scaling analysis is able to explain the qualitative variations of the transport resistance with the Peclet number and the ratio of the suspension thickness to the particle radius.
CONFORMAL PROTON RADIATION THERAPY OF THE POSTERIOR FOSSA: A STUDY COMPARING PROTONS WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL PLANNED PHOTONS IN LIMITING DOSE TO AUDITORY STRUCTURES

Abstract Purpose: Conventional radiation therapy for pediatric posterior fossa tumors can cause sequelae such as hearing loss and impairments in language and learning. Modern three-dimensional (3D) treatment techniques have improved dose conformity to the posterior fossa. This report compares the normal tissue dose-sparing capabilities of proton radiation therapy (PRT) with 3D conformal photon plans. Methods and Materials: Nine children underwent previous PRT for primary CNS malignancies. Using original planning CT scans, the posterior fossa, inner and middle ear, and temporal lobes were delineated. Three-dimensional treatment plans were generated for protons and photons. Normal tissue exposures were calculated by averaging mean doses received and by analysis of dose–volume histogram. Results: The 95% isodose encompassed the posterior fossa in all plans. Normal structures received markedly less radiation from PRT plans than from 3D photon plans. The cochlea received an average mean of 25 ± 4% of the prescribed dose from PRT, and 75 ± 6% from photons. Forty percent of temporal lobe volume was completely excluded using protons; with photons 90% of the temporal lobe received 31% of the dose. Conclusion: PRT resulted in increased dose sparing of normal structures analyzed. Posterior fossa conformity of 3D photons came at the expense of increasing amounts of normal tissue receiving low to moderate doses.
P2G-1 Ultrasound Enhances Cellular Lipid Trafficking: Implications for Lipid Therapy

Lipidomics (the system-level analysis of lipids and their interacting moieties) is an emerging field in biomedical research that seeks to identify lipids as molecular targets for diagnosis and therapy. However, the delivery of lipids to pathological cells depends on the biochemical characteristics of the lipid including the overall charge, size of the polar head groups and length of fatty -acid side chains (Struck and Pagano, 1980). We have reported previously that focused ultrasound energy produced by clinical phase array imagers (2 MHz, 1.9 MI) can augment lipid delivery to cancer cells in vitro with the use of perfluorocarbon nanoparticles as non-cavitating carriers, which comprise a perfluorocarbon core and an outer lipid surfactant monolayer (Crowder et al, 2005). Accordingly, we now seek to establish the role of non-cavitational ultrasound in facilitating the delivery of lipids with a surrogate bulky polar head group. PFOB nanoparticles were synthesized by incorporating a bulky (1.4 nm) polar head group nanogold-DPPE (Nanoprobes, NY) at 0.172 mol% in the lipid monolayer. C-32 melanoma cells were grown on cell culture inserts and incubated with nanogold particles for 30 min followed by insonication with continuous wave ultrasound (2.25 MHz, 5 min, 0.6 MPa) and further incubation for 1 hour at 37 degC. The cells were then prefixed with glutaraldehyde, silver enhanced with HQ silver Enhancement Kit (Nanoprobes, NY) and fixed with sodium thiosulphate. After postfixation with osmium tetroxide the cells were treated with uranyl acetate, embedded in epoxy resin, thin-sectioned and stained with lead citrate. Sections 60 nm thick were examined with a Hitachi H-600 electron microscope. C-32 cells not exposed to ultrasound showed silver-enhanced gold particles partitioned only in the outer bilayer of the cell membrane and no evidence of intracellular nanogold. However, the cells exposed to ultrasound showed numerous nanogold-DPPE components inside the cell polarized to one end of intracellular vesicles. These observations are consistent with a mechanism that suggests ultrasound is capable of stimulating lipid internalization, sorting and intracellular trafficking. We surmise that non-cavitational ultrasound may facilitate the lipid uptake even under conditions not conducive to lipid transport by increasing the lipid diffusion coefficients. Therefore, adjunctive ultrasound could be used to increase the range of lipids delivered from perfluorocarbon nanoparticles to targeted cells, which might otherwise remain confined to the outer bilayer leaflet due to biophysical constraints
A plethora of lesion-replicating DNA polymerases

Lesions in DNA often pose considerable impediments to genome duplication. To overcome this block to DNA replication, cells utilize specialized accessory factors that allow the synthesis of nascent DNA chains opposite the blocking lesion. Recent studies suggest that many of the key participants in translesion DNA synthesis belong to a large family of structurally related proteins that are found in prokaryotes, archaea, and eukaryotes. Phylogenetic analysis of these proteins suggests that they can be subdivided broadly into four groups typified by Escherichia coli UmuC, E. coli DinB, Saccharomyces
A funny thing happened on the way to the morgue: Some thoughts on humor and death, and a taxonomy of the humor associated with death

Abstract Literature on humor and on the humor associated with death is reviewed, and death humor is seen to have functions both as a defense mechanism as well as a social lubricant; it also helps people gain some sense of control over the uncontrollable. Types of death humor are categorized within ten types in two broad divisions.
Incorporating the SSM/I-Derived Precipitable Water and Rainfall Rate into a Numerical Model: A Case Study for the ERICA IOP-4 Cyclone

Abstract In this paper, a variational data assimilation approach is used to assimilate the rain rate (RR) data together with precipitable water (PW) measurements from the Experiment on Rapidly Intensifying Cyclones over the Atlantic (ERICA) (4–5 January 1989; IOP-4 cyclone). The PW and RR, which are assimilated into the Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model version 5 (MM5), are computed from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) raw data—brightness temperatures—via a statistical regression method. The SSM/I-derived RR and PW at 0000 UTC and/or 0930 UTC are assimilated into the MM5. The data at 2200 UTC are used for verification of the prediction results. Numerical experiments are performed using the MM5. Two horizontal resolutions of 50 km and 25 km are used in the authors’ studies. Comparisons are made between the experiments with and without SSM/I-measured PW and RR observations. Results from these experiments showed the following. 1) The MM5 simulated a well-behaved but slightly less...