cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A crystalline end product produced by the hydrolytic cleavage of an RNA-like fragment by an organometallointercalator: 1,10-phenanthroline-platlnum(II)-ethylenediamlne-cytidine 3′ monophoaphate

1,10-Phenanthroline-platinum(II)-ethylenediamine ( PEPt ) forms a crystalline complex with cytidine-3'-phosphate (3'-CMP) and its structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography. 3'-CMP molecules are hemiprotonated and form hydrogen-bonded pairs that stack above and below the phenanthroline-platinum(II) drug molecule. Sugar residues are in the C2' endo conformation, with glycosidic torsional angles intermediate between the high and low anti forms. The structure is of particular interest since it forms as an end product of the hydrolytic cleavage of the dinucleoside monophosphate, CpG, by the platinum organometallointercalator ( PEPt ). This hydrolytic activity appears to be specific for the RNA dinucleoside monophosphate fragment, since deoxycytidylyl (3'-5')deoxyguanosine (d-CpG) and other deoxyribooligonucleotides are not cleaved under similar conditions.
Optic nerve coloboma with retinal degeneration associated with cystic microphthalmia of the other eye

ABSTRACT. In a seventy-five-year old man an optic nerve coloboma with generalised retinal degeneration associated with a cystic microphthalmia of the other eye is described. The MR imaging revealed the existence of a left microphthalmic eye with a lower lid cyst. From the other eye an optic nerve coloboma with a cystic ectasia of the coloboma area freely open to the vitreous cavity was apparent. The ERG recorded from this eye was extinguished.
Available nitrogen: A time-based study of manipulated resource islands

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of available nitrogen are critical determinants of the distribution and abundance of plants and animals in ecosystems. Evidence for the resource island theory suggests that soils below tree and shrub canopies contain higher amounts of resources, including available nitrogen, than are present in interspace areas. Disturbances, such as prescribed fire and tree removal, are common management practices in shrub-woodland ecosystems, but it is not known if these practices affect resource islands. We examined temporal variation in resource islands of available nitrogen and their retention after fire and woody plant removal. From August 1997 to October 1998, soil nitrate (NO 3 − ) and ammonium (NH 4 + ) were measured monthly from canopy and interspace plots within four juniper-sagebrush sites along a precipitation gradient in central Oregon, USA. At each site, soil samples were collected from untreated plots, plots in which woody plants were removed, and those treated with prescribed fire in fall 1997. In burned treatments, canopy concentrations were significantly higher than interspace concentrations throughout the measurement period. Canopy NO 3 − and NH 4 + concentrations were significantly higher on burned vs. unburned treatments for four months after fire. After woody plant removal, NO 3 − and NH 4 + concentrations did not differ from the controls. Untreated control areas had higher NO 3 − and NH 4 + concentrations under juniper canopies for nearly all months. Wetter sites had smaller differences between canopy and interspace concentrations through time than did the two drier sites. In relation to NO 3 − and NH 4 + in this ecosystem, resource islands appear to be more ephemeral in wetter sites, and more pronounced following fire disturbances than in controls or those treated by woody plant removal.
Measuring the distance between time series

Abstract To evaluate models of dynamical systems, researchers have traditionally used quantitative measures of short term prediction errors. However, for chaotic or stochastic systems, comparison of long term, qualitative behaviors may be more relevant. Let x = (x0,…,xn) be a sequence of real numbers generated by sampling a dynamical system or stochastic process and suppose y = (y0,…,yn) is another sequence, generated by a mathematical model of the process which generated x. In this paper we consider several ways of assigning a distance d(x, y) which measures the difference in long term behavior.
Assessment of a brown midrib (BMR) mutant gene on the nutritive value of sudangrass using in vitro and in vivo techniques

Abstract The brown midrib (BMR) gene has been reported to reduce the lignin concentration in plants, which contributed to increased fiber digestion in ruminants. Three studies were completed to compare the digestibility of a BMR mutant of sudangrass (sorghum bicolor subsp. Drummondii) versus a non-BMR (‘Piper’) variety when included in diets fed to sheep (Study 1), to complete a rumen in vitro assessment of sheep and lactating cow diets (Study 2), and to compare digestibility when included in the diet fed to lactating dairy cows (Study 3). Four wether sheep were used in a 2 × 2 Latin square experiment (Study 1) with total fecal collection to determine total tract apparent digestibility of pelleted Piper (P) and BMR (P-BMR) sudangrass hays. Forage pellets consisted of either P-BMR or P hay with added urea to meet the maintenance crude protein (CP) requirement of the sheep. Digestibility of organic matter (OM; P
FTIR internal reflection spectroscopy studies of the effect of pH on adsorption of oleate/oleic acid at the surface of a TiO2 thin film deposited on a Ge single crystal

The adsorption of oleate/oleic acid from aqueous solutions at the surface of titanium dioxide was examined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy using a germanium internal reflection element coated with a thin film of TiO2. This thin film, with a thickness of 100–200 A, was deposited on the surface of a germanium single crystal by rfdc magnetron reactive sputtering. It was found that significant adsorption of oleate/oleic acid from a 0.03 mM aqueous solution occurs at neutral and close-to-neutral pH, from about pH = 4.5 to pH = 8.5. The surface density vs. pH relationship obtained in this study is consistent with literature reports on the effect of pH on flotation recovery of rutile from oleic acid solutions.
RNA-Seq and Network Analysis Revealed Interacting Pathways in TGF-β-Treated Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a useful tool for analyzing the transcriptome of a biological sample. With appropriate statistical and bioinformatic processing, this platform is capable of identifying significant differences in gene expression within the transcriptome and permits pathway and network analyses to determine how these genes interact biologically. In this study, we examined gene expression in two lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (H358 and A459) that were treated with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) as a model for induction of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), commonly associated with disease progression. We performed this study in order to illustrate a workflow for identifying interesting genes and processes that are regulated early in EMT and to determine their gene pathway/network relationships and regulation. With this, we identified 137 upregulated and 32 downregulated genes common to both cell lines after TGF-β treatment that represent components of multiple canonical pathways and biological networks associated with the induction of EMT. These findings were also verified against reposited Affymetrix U133a expression profiles from multiple trials examining metastatic progression in patient cohorts (n = 731 total) to further establish the clinical relevance and translational significance of the model system. Together, these findings help validate the relevance of the TGF-β model for the study of EMT and provide new insights into early events in EMT.
Imprinting disorders and assisted reproductive technology

Objective To review currently available literature on the association between imprinting disorders (Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome [BWS], Angelman syndrome [AS] and retinoblastoma) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) in humans. Design Publications related to imprinting/epigenetic disorders including BWS, AS, and retinoblastoma with ART, as well as articles publishing outcome of ART, including IVF and ICSI from July 1978 to February 2008, were identified using PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE. Result(s) Considerable evidence in animal studies has demonstrated alteration in gene imprinting of embryos cultured in vitro. Publications from Europe, the United States, and Australia have suggested an association between ART and BWS. Importantly, more than 90% of children with BWS that were born after ART had imprinting defects, compared with 40%–50% of children with BWS and conceived without ART. Moreover, there have been other reports suggesting an association between AS and ART. The majority of children with AS born after ART had an imprinting defect as the underlying etiology, specifically loss of methylation of the maternal allele. There was a single report suggesting an increased incidence of retinoblastoma in children conceived with ART. Conclusion(s) Because the absolute incidence of imprinting disorders is small (
Preparation, characterization, and heat resistance studies of a holographic photopolymer based on SU-8 epoxy resin.

A holographic photopolymer based on SU-8 epoxy resin as the binder and trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate as the monomer with an iodonium salt photoinitiator was studied. A diffraction efficiency of 93% and a refractive index modulation (Δn) of 1.3×10−2 were obtained from a 16 μm thick sample with write beam intensities of 50 mW/cm2 at a wavelength of 514.5 nm, an exposure time of 60 s, and a postbaking at 65°C for 1 h. The material exhibits good heat resistance in the range from 40°C to 160°C and long projected life.
Euler's fixed point theorem: The axis of a rotation

We give an elementary proof of what is perhaps the earliest fixed point theorem; namely Leonhard Euler’s theorem of 1775 on the existence of an axis v for any three-dimensional rotation R. The proof is constructive and shows that no multiplications are required to compute v.
OH and OI airglow layer modulation by ducted short‐period gravity waves: Effects of trapping altitude

[1] Perturbations to the OH and OI [O(1S) 557.7 nm] airglow layers by ducted gravity waves near the Brunt-Vaisala period are investigated using a 2-D numerical model. Airglow signatures of these waves are strongly determined by perturbations of O, O3, and H, which exhibit peak densities near and above mesopause. Strong periodic vertical wind components of short-period gravity waves induce opposite relative density perturbations above and below the layer density peaks. Airglow signatures for ducted waves depend on the specific vertical shapes and altitudes of the wave packets relative to ambient species density profiles; waves perturbing only the bottoms or tops of the layers produce signatures differing from those able to perturb the entire layer thickness. Line-of-sight cancellation occurs between opposite perturbations above and below airglow layer peaks, even for standing waves without vertical phase progression. Integrated brightness-weighted temperature and intensity can thus appear in-phase or antiphase for standing waves, depending on the wave-packet altitude relative to the density gradients. Comparisons of OH and OI layer intensities also reveal in-phase or antiphase relative intensity responses and do not directly indicate the phase of the wave perturbations at layer peak altitudes. Despite this ambiguity, simultaneous brightness-weighted temperature measurements may provide additional insight into wave structure, amplitude, and trapping altitude. For waves of sufficient amplitude that perturb steep density gradients, nonlinearity of the airglow response may be observable; this effect is most prominent when strong cancellation of the linear signature occurs.
Violence Prevention: Program Effects on Urban Preschool and Kindergarten Children

This study compares the effectiveness of a violence prevention program with young, at-risk children in two settings. Preschool and kindergarten students, residing in Chicago public-housing developments, participated in a 28-session intervention. Knowledge, behavior problems, and social skills were assessed at pretest and posttest, based on child interviews, teacher ratings, and behavioral observations. Findings suggest that both preschool and kindergarten children demonstrated significant gains in knowledge, based on interview scores, and significant decreases in problem behaviors, based on behavioral observations; however, teacher ratings did not change significantly across time. The discrepancy in findings is explored and implications are discussed.
JWKB method as an exact technique

The JWKB method involves divergent asymptotic expansions in powers of . Borel summability turns divergence into convergence, leading to exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation. The formulas that connect real solutions across linear turning points, where the terms of the expansion are singular, are complex but nonunidirectional. A series of basic problems constructed from linear potentials—for which the JWKB solutions are simple, in which the boundary conditions and physics differ, but for which the turning points are the same—is used to demonstrate the nondirectionality of the turning points and how "Borel sum approximants" lead to exact energy eigenvalues. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 99: 336-352, 2004
045 Characterization of the HAS 1 Promoter

Hyaluronan (HA) is a linear polysaccharide synthesized by three hyaluronan synthases (HAS1, 2, and 3) located on the plasma membrane. Evidence suggests that HA metabolism plays a significant role in the regulation of inflammation. More specifically, HA levels have been shown to rise in response to interleukin-1 (IL-1), a proinflammatory cytokine known to induce an increase in HAS1 transcript in adult dermal fibroblasts. To further examine the intricacies of HA metabolism, this study sought to characterize the HAS1 promoter and determine whether HAS1 regulation occurred at the level of transcription. This study characterized the genetic components needed for HAS1 promoter function, beginning with elucidation of the HAS1 transcription start site. 5′ RLM-RACE of purified adult dermal fibroblast mRNA specified a transcription start site 22 nucleotides further upstream when compared to previous published start sites (gi:9454515). A luciferase reporter assay of three PCR-amplified HAS1 promoter constructs detected that the core promoter was contained in the immediate 500 nt upstream of the HAS1 transcription start site (table). Promoter activity was also detected 1150 nt and 1600 nt upstream of the transcription start site, albeit at lesser values. This may be an indication of the existence of a repressor upstream of the 500 nt core promoter construct. In addition, to test the hypothesis that IL-1 regulates HAS1 at the level of transcription, fibroblasts were transfected with each promoter construct and examined for an IL-1 response. Promoter activity showed no significant increase. Initial nuclear run-on studies, however, indicated that the IL-1-induced increase in HAS1 transcripts may be under transcriptional regulation. Vector 500 nt 1150 nt 1600 nt Luciferase Activity (RLU/s) 134 81051 7637 67 NIH, Grant GM58530, supported this study.
Reaction of beta-phase Ni–Al alloys with CrB2

Reaction of Ni-Al alloys within the beta-NiAl phase with CrB2 was studied at 1473 K as a function of Al concentration in the alloy. Reaction of 49-50 at. pct Al alloys with CrB2 occurred by interdiffusion of Ni into CrB2 and Cr into the alloy without forming a new product phase. On the other hand, a new product phase, rich in Ni and B, formed by the reaction of alloys having Al concentrations 48 at. pct or lower with CrB2. The reaction product was observed both at the CrB2/alloy interface and along the alloy grain boundaries.
Implementation and performance of a parallel multitarget tracking particle filter

Presented are results on a design, implementation, and performance evaluation of parallel multitarget tracking particle filters using a cluster of computers as a parallel computing environment. The parallel algorithms developed are based on the Joint Multitarget Probability Density (JMPD) algorithm for multiple target tracking. Since the resampling step is crucial in any particle filter parallelization, three techniques are implemented and experimented on a cluster for resampling — centralized, distributed with proportional allocation, and distributed with nonproportional allocation. Independent partitioning, coupled partitioning, and adaptive partitioning for importance sampling within the JMPD filter are also implemented in parallel. Results from a comprehensive experimental study with simulated large-scale multitarget tracking scenarios (up to 50 targets) for performance evaluation are presented. A comparative analysis is provided based on the obtained experimental data.
The effect of temperature-sensitive RNA mutants on the transcription products from cloned ribosomal protein genes of yeast

Abstract The levels of four ribosomal protein (rp) mRNAs in different mutant strains were determined by hybridization of radiolabeled cloned genes to RNA fractionated on CH 3 HgOH gels and transferred to DBM paper. Two ribosomal protein genes (rp 51 and rp 52) controlled by the locus RNA2 have dramatically decreased mRNA levels after a shift-up to the nonpermissive temperature in a strain carrying the rna 2 mutation ( ts 368). Two ribosomal protein genes not controlled by the RNA2 locus and several control nonribosomal protein genes are relatively unaffected by the temperature shift in this strain. Other genes in the vicinity of one of the rna2 -sensitive ribosomal protein genes (the rp 51 gene) are insensitive to the rna2 gene product, suggesting that all ribosomal protein genes do not occur in clusters and that the RNA2 gene product does not affect a large region of chromatin. In ts368 at the nonpermissive temperature, the concentration of higher molecular weight transcripts complementary to the rp 51 and the rp 52 plasmids is increased. Analysis of the rp 51 plasmid transcripts reveals that the temperature-induced higher molecular weight transcripts differ from the mature rp 51 mRNA by the presence of an intron. This observation and the kinetics with which the concentration of the various rp 51 transcripts change after a temperature shift suggest that the effect of rna2 may be at the level of processing of rp mRNA.
Scanner Identification Using Feature-Based Processing and Analysis

Digital images can be obtained through a variety of sources including digital cameras and scanners. In many cases, the ability to determine the source of a digital image is important. This paper presents methods for authenticating images that have been acquired using flatbed desktop scanners. These methods use scanner fingerprints based on statistics of imaging sensor pattern noise. To capture different types of sensor noise, a denoising filterbank consisting four different denoising filters is used for obtaining the noise patterns. To identify the source scanner, a support vector machine classifier based on these fingerprints is used. These features are shown to achieve high classification accuracy. Furthermore, the selected fingerprints based on statistical properties of the sensor noise are shown to be robust under postprocessing operations, such as JPEG compression, contrast stretching, and sharpening.
Ventricular assist devices as a bridge-to-transplant improve early post-transplant outcomes in children

Background The use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) to bridge pediatric patients to transplant or recovery has been expanding. There are few current pediatric data assessing the impact of VAD support on post-transplant survival. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all pediatric (≤18 years old, n = 4,028) transplants performed between 1995 and 2011 and contained within the United Network for Organ Sharing data set. Transplants were divided into three eras: early (1995 to 2002, n = 1,450); intermediate (2003 to 2007, n = 1,138); and recent (2008 to 2011, n = 1,440). VADs were present at transplant in 398 patients (9.8%). Outcomes among patients with and without VADs were assessed and compared across eras. Results The use of VADs for bridge to transplant has increased (early 1.1%, intermediate 10.5%, recent 17.9%; p p Conclusions Pediatric patients bridged to transplantation with VADs are increasingly younger and smaller. Complication rates remain high among patients
Effect of infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus on pulmonary clearance of an inhaled antigen in calves.

Objective—To evaluate the effect of infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) on clearance of inhaled antigens from the lungs of calves. Animals—Eleven 6- to 8-week-old Holstein bull calves. Procedures—Aerosolized 99mtechnetium (99mTc)-labeled diethylene triamine pentacetate (DTPA; 3 calves), commonly used to measure integrity of the pulmonary epithelium, and 99mTc-labeled ovalbumin (OA; 8 calves), commonly used as a prototype allergen, were used to evaluate pulmonary clearance before, during, and after experimentally induced infection with BRSV or sham inoculation with BRSV. Uptake in plasma (6 calves) and lung-efferent lymph (1 calf) was examined. Results—Clearance of 99mTc-DTPA was significantly increased during BRSV infection; clearance of 99mTc-OA was decreased on day 7 after inoculation. Clearance time was correlated with severity of clinical disease, and amounts of 99mTc-OA in plasma and lymph were inversely correlated with clearance time. Minimum amounts of 99mTc-OA were detected at...
Development of Underfilling Method for Flip Chip Mounted VCSEL

We developed the reliable flip chip mounting structure of VCSELs without hermetic sealing to realize 14 Gbps transmission modules. Underfill resin is sometimes used to protect VCSELs when hermetic sealing is not applied. However, it was shown that cracks occur inside VCSELs if Young’s modulus of underfill resin is high. The cracks can be prevented if we avoid the arrangement of underfill resin of high Young’s modulus on the mesa parts of VCSELs. We considered two mounting methods to prevent this failure. The first method is to use underfill resin of low Young’s modulus. The other uses a structure where the air caps cover the mesa parts. We evaluated these methods and confirmed that the cracks do not occur in either case.
Complement Regulates CD4 T-Cell Help to CD8 T Cells Required for Murine Allograft Rejection

Although induction of CD8 T-cell responses to transplants requires CD4-cell help, how this help is transmitted remains incompletely characterized. In vitro, cognate interactions between CD4 T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) induce C3a and C5a production. CD8+ T cells lacking C3a receptor (C3aR) and C5a receptor (C5aR) proliferate weakly to allogeneic DCs despite CD4 help, indicating that CD4-cell help is mediated, in part, through DC-derived C3a/C5a acting on CD8+ T cell–expressed C3aR/C5aR. In support of this concept, augmenting DC C5a/C3a production bypasses the requirement for CD4- and CD40-dependent help to wild-type CD8+ T cells. CD4-deficient recipients of allogeneic heart transplants prime weak CD8 responses and do not acutely reject their grafts. In contrast, CD4-deficient chimeric mice possessing decay accelerating factor deficient (Daf1−/−) bone marrow, in which DC C3a/C5a production is potentiated, acutely reject transplants through a CD8 cell–dependent mechanism. Furthermore, hearts transplanted into CD40−/− mice prime weak CD8-cell responses and survive indefinitely, but hearts transplanted into Daf1−/−CD40−/− recipients undergo CD8 cell–dependent rejection. Together, the data indicate that heightened production and activation of immune cell–derived complement bypasses the need for CD40/CD154 interactions and implicate antigen-presenting cell–produced C5a and C3a as molecular bridges linking CD4 help to CD8+ T cells.
Estimated Measurement-Based Markov Models: Towards Flexible and Accurate Modeling of Wireless Channels

Wireless channels exhibit complex signal strength fluctuation over time due to signal propagation effects interacting with a dynamic environment. For accurate simulation of wireless networking protocols, it is important to model wireless channels accurately; without accurate models, simulation results have been shown to be significantly different from measured results. Accurate statistical models of the state of a particular channel can be constructed based on obtained experimental measurements. However, this approach cannot be easily exploited for dynamic simulations (e.g., those with mobility), because it is impossible to pre-measure all of the possible channels that arise during the simulation; for example, in a mobile ad hoc network the nodes move and a very large number of channels is encountered in the lifetime of the simulation. In this paper, we propose the use of interpolation between measured channels to produce models for other channels that have not been measured, significantly increasing the flexibility of this approach. Instead of obtaining measurement traces for every link, our method estimates the essential parameters for a new link by interpolation from nearby measured links. Thus, the flexibility of measurement based models is increased dramatically, providing a modeling approach that is both accurate and flexible. We validate the approach using representative experiments.
An argument for elimination of ascertainment requirements

Despite the good intentions of the FCC's ascertainment requirements, the Primer has become more of a burden to broadcasters than a vehicle by which to serve the public interest. This paper, based upon survey data of Western Region broadcasters, argues that current procedures do not address the functions the ascertainment requirements were designed to fulfill.
A note on the mode characteristics of a ferrite slab

Properties of guided-wave modes of a ferrite slab propagating in the direction transverse to the bias field are reexamined. Analytic results for the frequencies where magnetostatic and dynamic modes exist simultaneously are found. The method of eliminating the dynamic modes in the magnetostatic-wave operation is described. The formulas for the distinction of oscillatory and surface-wave modes are also derived. >
Steltzer Receives 2013 Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring: Response

I am honored to receive the AGU Sulzman Award and am especially honored to be the first recipient of this award established in memory of Elizabeth Sulzman. At the 2013 Fall Meeting, I learned about the thought and work that went into establishing this award and want to thank all who contributed to its establishment. Awards that recognize outstanding female scientists are needed.
Perinatal sex hormones and risk of breast and prostate cancers in adulthood.

Fetal origins of adult disease, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, have been suggested by ecologic and individual-level studies (1). Fetal and placental growth is influenced by maternal nutrition, function of the placenta, and the hormonal, metabolic, or circulatory environment of the maternal-placental-fetal unit (2). Various biologic mechanisms—for example, effects on cell numbers, alteration of gene expression, selective survival or "natural selection" of particular clones of cells, effects on structure and function of organs, and upor down-regulation of hormone receptors— have been proposed to explain the putative long-term effects of perinatal conditions on selected organs (2). The link between perinatal variables and the risk of adult chronic diseases, if it existed, would have profound public health implications (1). In the area of cancer research, there has been increasing interest among epidemiologists as well as experimental scientists in the potential effects of the intrauterine environment on the risk of breast and prostate cancers. Mammary and prostate glands undergo the early phases of organ development, growth, and cell differentiation during the fetal period (3, 4), when the process of carcinogenesis in these organs may first begin (5). Many of the epidemiologists who have reported the associations between preand perinatal characteristics and subsequent risk of breast and prostate cancers have hypothesized that exposure to high concentrations of sex hormones during the fetal period might explain the associations (6-10). Both the breast and prostate depend on sex hormones for their growth and physiologic functioning. Thus, sex hormones may be a reasonable candidate for a mediating factor in the reported associations. However, it would be a formidable task to unequivocally demonstrate in humans that preand perinatal conditions influence the risk of developing breast or prostate cancer several decades later, let alone the biologic mechanisms of such effects. Major difficulty arises from the long putative induction period spanReceived for publication August 25, 1999, and accepted for publication May 26, 2000.
DO ABCs GET MORE CITATIONS THAN XYZs

Using a sample of U.S.-based scientific journal articles, I examine the relationship between author surname initials and paper citations, finding that the papers with first authors whose surname initials appear earlier in the alphabet get more citations, and that this effect does not exist for non-first authors. Further analysis shows that the alphabetical order effect is stronger in those fields with longer reference lists, and that such alphabetical bias exists among citations by others and not for self-citations. In addition, estimates also reveal that the alphabetical order effect is stronger when the length of reference lists in citing papers is longer. These findings suggest that the order in reference lists plays an important role in the alphabetical bias. (JEL D0, O3, Z1)
Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan and the neoplastic phenotype

Cell surface proteoglycans are strategically positioned to regulate interactions between cells and their surrounding environment. Such interactions play key roles in several biological processes, such as cell recognition, adhesion, migration, and growth. These biological functions are in turn necessary for the maintenance of differentiated phenotype and for normal and neoplastic development. There is ample evidence that a special type of proteoglycan bearing heparan sulfate side chains is localized at the cell surface in a variety of epithelial and mesenchymal cells. This molecule exhibits selective patterns of reactivity with various constituents of the extracellular matrix and plasma membrane, and can act as growth modulator or as a receptor. Certainly, during cell division, membrane constituents undergo profound rearrangement, and proteoglycans may be intimately involved in such processes. The present work will focus on recent advances in our understanding of these complex macromolecules and will attempt to elucidate the biosynthesis, the structural diversity, the modes of cell surface association, and the turnover of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in various cell systems. It will then review the multiple proposed roles of this molecule, with particular emphasis on the binding properties and the interactions with various intracellular and extracellular elements. Finally, it will focus on the alterations associated with the neoplastic phenotype and will discuss the possible consequences that heparan sulfate may have on the growth of normal and transformed cells.
Evaluation of an Integrated Framework for Biodiversity with a New Metric for Functional Dispersion

Growing interest in understanding ecological patterns from phylogenetic and functional perspectives has driven the development of metrics that capture variation in evolutionary histories or ecological functions of species. Recently, an integrated framework based on Hill numbers was developed that measures three dimensions of biodiversity based on abundance, phylogeny and function of species. This framework is highly flexible, allowing comparison of those diversity dimensions, including different aspects of a single dimension and their integration into a single measure. The behavior of those metrics with regard to variation in data structure has not been explored in detail, yet is critical for ensuring an appropriate match between the concept and its measurement. We evaluated how each metric responds to particular data structures and developed a new metric for functional biodiversity. The phylogenetic metric is sensitive to variation in the topology of phylogenetic trees, including variation in the relative lengths of basal, internal and terminal branches. In contrast, the functional metric exhibited multiple shortcomings: (1) species that are functionally redundant contribute nothing to functional diversity and (2) a single highly distinct species causes functional diversity to approach the minimum possible value. We introduced an alternative, improved metric based on functional dispersion that solves both of these problems. In addition, the new metric exhibited more desirable behavior when based on multiple traits.
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN [C-11]PIB PET AND POST-MORTEM MEASURES OF AMYLOID LOAD IN THE PRECUNEUS: THE ROLE OF DIFFUSE Aβ PLAQUES

gene and she was diagnosed as having FAD. Significant [C-11]PiB PET uptake was observed bilaterally in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, as well as in the basal ganglia, but not in the cerebellum. By histopathology, Ab immunoreactive deposits were severe in all gray matter structures of cerebrum and cerebellum. Cerebral cortical Ab deposits consisted of cored, diffuse, and cotton wool plaques (CWP). 6-CN-PiB signal was strong in cored plaques, weak-to-moderate in diffuse plaques, and absent in CWPs. In the cerebellum, Ab IHC detected a heavy burden of diffuse deposits in the parenchyma and in blood vessels, while 6-CN-PiB fluorescence was detected only in the leptomeningeal and parenchymal vessels and infrequently in small compact Ab plaques. Conclusions: As progress in imaging techniques allows us to use new tracers for misfolded proteins accumulating in neurodegenerative disease, neuropathology becomes more relevant for defining the efficiency of tracers in identifying specific lesions. The relative contribution of different Ab plaque types to [C-11]PiB PET retention in vivo is currently being investigated. Funding sources: P30AG010133, P01AG025204, U19AG032438.
Comparison of baroreceptive to other afferent synaptic transmission to the medial solitary tract nucleus.

Cranial nerve visceral afferents enter the brain stem to synapse on neurons within the solitary tract nucleus (NTS). The broad heterogeneity of both visceral afferents and NTS neurons makes underst...
Open spaces, working places

Local government programs can slow loss of rangelands?but only if urban and ranching interests find ways to work together. DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v28i5_resnik
Power on the Hudson: Storm King Mountain and the emergence of modern American environmentalism

In James T. Patterson’s Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945–1974 (part of The Oxford History of the United States), the protracted controversy over Consolidated Edison’s plan to construct a...
MHC Class I-Deficient Mice

A great deal has already been learned from the analysis of beta 2m-mutant mice, but it is clear that a great deal remains to be learned. A significant (though unanticipated) problem with this model system is that it is functionally leaky: residual functional class I expression can be detected in beta 2m- mice, and small numbers of functional CD8+ lymphocytes are present in the animals. In many cases, this has frustrated the initial attempts at obtaining immediate definitive resolution of important questions regarding the function of class I molecules. This has occurred primarily in instances in which the class I-deficient mice fail to express an expected phenotype--for example, in studies showing that beta 2m- mice make adequate protective immune responses against certain intracellular pathogens, and are able to reject some allogeneic tissues with a relatively normal pace. On the other hand, it appears that combining the use of beta 2m- mice with other methods (for example, antibody-mediated depletion of CD8+ T cells) is usually adequate to circumvent these difficulties. It remains to be seen whether other better class I deficiencies can be engineered--for example, large deletions of class I genes or mutations in transcription factors essential for class I gene expression. The extent of immunocompetence of beta 2m- mice was somewhat surprising. It was widely expected that class I-deficient mice would be exquisitely sensitive to many viral infections, though the results indicate that sensitivity varies dramatically with the virus and conditions of infection. However, it appears that in lieu of one major arm of the immune system, compensatory immune mechanisms are in many cases able to deal with infection. Similar conclusions are developing from the analysis of several other recently generated mutant mice. Nevertheless, the results indicate a very important role for class I-directed responses in clearing infections mediated by various viral and parasitic agents, particularly in the case of more severe conditions of infection. Although the class I-deficient mice were initially considered primarily a vehicle for analysis of the role of CD8+ T cells, evidence is accumulating that they manifest deficiencies in several other types of lymphocytes, including NK cells, TCR alpha beta+CD4-CD8- cells, and a subset of TCR gamma delta+ cells. This has been a boon for analysis of the development of these cells, but at the same time it has created difficulties in assigning a biological effect of the mutation to a specific lymphocyte deficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Radiation Streaming in Gaps between ITER First Wall/Shield Modules

AbstractGaps exist between the first wall/shield (FWS) modules of ITER to allow for fitting by remote handling equipment. Simplified three-dimensional models were used at the top and mid-plane locations to analyze gap streaming. Heating, helium production, and fast neutron fluence were examined at the front of the vacuum vessel and the magnet for both straight and stepped gaps. In addition, total nuclear heating values in the inboard magnet and central solenoid were examined for straight and stepped vertical gaps and for combined horizontal and vertical straight gaps. The results show significant radiation streaming effects that are more pronounced for fast neutron fluence and helium production. Furthermore, it was found that stepping the gap significantly reduces the local peaking, but has little effect on the relative average values of radiation effects. The results also show increases up to 75% in total magnet heating at the inboard mid-plane location for a straight 2 cm combined vertical and horizonta...
Latent low-rank transfer subspace learning for missing modality recognition

We consider an interesting problem in this paper that uses transfer learning in two directions to compensate missing knowledge from the target domain. Transfer learning tends to be exploited as a powerful tool that mitigates the discrepancy between different databases used for knowledge transfer. It can also be used for knowledge transfer between different modalities within one database. However, in either case, transfer learning will fail if the target data are missing. To overcome this, we consider knowledge transfer between different databases and modalities simultaneously in a single framework, where missing target data from one database are recovered to facilitate recognition task. We referred to this framework as Latent Low-rank Transfer Subspace Learning method (L2TSL). We first propose to use a low-rank constraint as well as dictionary learning in a learned subspace to guide the knowledge transfer between and within different databases. We then introduce a latent factor to uncover the underlying structure of the missing target data. Next, transfer learning in two directions is proposed to integrate auxiliary database for transfer learning with missing target data. Experimental results of multi-modalities knowledge transfer with missing target data demonstrate that our method can successfully inherit knowledge from the auxiliary database to complete the target domain, and therefore enhance the performance when recognizing data from the modality without any training data.
A novel molecular method for noninvasive sex identification of order Carnivora

Noninvasive sampling can provide an efficient means of genetically monitoring mammals. Due to the fragmented quality of DNA derived from such samples, few methods span taxonomic groups beyond species. Here, we describe a more universal protocol for the molecular sex identification of order Carnivora. PCR amplification of a 176 bp segment of the SRY gene indicates a male, whereas no amplification indicates a female. A 245 bp segment of the ZFX gene serves as a positive control. This method is internally consistent, and multiple trials confer confidence in results. It applies to at least three families (Canidae, Felidae, and Phocidae) in both carnivore suborders (Feliformia and Caniformia), rendering this protocol the first sex identification method with amplicon sizes appropriate for noninvasive samples suitable for multiple families within order Carnivora.
Bridging the information gap: A webGIS tool for rural electrification in data-scarce regions

Rural electrification in developing countries is often hampered by major information gaps between local communities and urban centers, where technical expertise and funding are concentrated. The tool presented in this paper addresses these gaps to support the implementation of off-grid micro hydropower infrastructure. Specifically, we present a method to site, size and evaluate the potential for micro hydropower based on remote sensing data. The method improves on previous approaches by (i) incorporating the effect of hillslope topography on the optimal layout of the infrastructure, and (ii) accounting for the constraints imposed by streamflow variability and local electricity demand on the optimal size of the plants. An assessment of the method’s performance against 148 existing schemes indicates that it correctly identifies the most promising locations for hydropower in Nepal, but does not generally reproduce the specific design features of constructed plants, which are affected by site-specific constraints. We develop a proof-of-concept computer tool to explore the potential of webGIS technology to account for these constraints by collecting site-specific information from local users.
Clarification of the Ptinus verticalis Complex and a Description of a New Species

Ptinus extendus, new species, is described from California. The taxonomy of P. extendus, P. gandolphei Pic, and P. verticalis LeConte is discussed and the male elytral patterns and hind tibiae are illustrated.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor modulation of glutamate responses in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor modulation of glutamate responses in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Glutamate is the primary excitatory transmitter in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Ionotropic gl...
Neural Network-POMDP-Based Traffic Sign Classification Under Weather Conditions

Despite their initial success in operating autonomously, self-driving cars are still unable to navigate under severe weather conditions. In the proposed system, a multi-layer perceptron MLP performs initial traffic sign classification. The classification is input as an observation into a partially observable Markov decision process POMDP in order to determine whether taking another picture of the sign, or accepting the classification determined by the MLP is the more optimal action. The synergistic combination of the MLP with the POMDP was shown to have a greater functionality than the sum of the MLP and POMDP operating in isolation. The results demonstrate the MLP-POMDP system is capable of training faster and more accurately classifying traffic sign images obscured by fog than a MLP. With further development of this model, one of the greatest shortcomings of autonomous driving may be overcome by accurately classifying signs despite obstruction by weather.
Local-field effects in a coherently prepared medium of three-level atoms

In most of the current studies of quantum optical systems, it is assumed that the density of atoms is small (≤1013 atoms/cm3). However, by using heat pipes, atom traps, or high temperature ovens, it may be possible to obtain much higher atomic densities in gaseous systems. If the density is low, then it is usually a good approximation to relate the electronic susceptibility to the molecular polarizability as χ, = Nα/e11.
Book Review: Qing yilai de jibing, yiliao he weisheng

In August 2006, an international conference was held in Tianjin, China, under the sponsorship of the Center for Chinese Social History Research in Nankai University. The main goal of the conference...
Experimental Design & Analysis of Protein Array Data: Applying Methods from cDNA Arrays.

It appears that a number of recent manuscripts using protein microarray technology are using equivalent analysis procedures that the gene-expression microarray community implemented in their infancy. That is, utilizing a classic reference design such that the ratio of the sample of interest to a reference sample is the response of interest and assessing fold change to determine differential expression. For example, recent publications have concluded that proteins with a fold change less than 0.7 or greater than 1.3 demonstrate significant down- or up-regulated differential expression, respectively. However, fold change is an unreliable measure of differential expression and statistical models that distinguish true signal from random noise should be utilized instead of fold changes. Over the last half decade a tremendous amount of research has been devoted to gene-expression microarrays to vastly improve on the areas of experimental design, normalization and statistical analyses to assess differential expression and classification and these methods are directly applicable to protein microarray technology. Thus, the objective is to review the statistical methodology that has been developed for two-color cDNA arrays that is directly applicable to protein arrays. Examples are provided from a mantle-cell lymphoma protein-array experiment.
Smoothed cepstrum calculation using stressed vowels in connected speech to objectively measure dysphonia

Voice disorders are rather common: the NIDCD reports that at least 7.5 million people in the United States have vocal problems [1]. To address this problem, voice scientists have developed various objective vocal health measurements [3–6]. To further study those measurements, vocal health practitioners have collected and organized speech databases [3,4,6]. One standard for evaluation of these measurements is the GRBAS Scale [7]. This scale achieves strong perceptual agreement among medical professionals with respect to a speaker's vocal health. In broad terms, dysphonia represents a marked difficulty in producing voiced phonation. As such, traditional voicing detection algorithms can fail on dysphonic voices [5].