cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beef tallow, but not corn bran or soybean polysaccharide, reduces large intestinal and fecal bile acid concentrations in rats.

Abstract Diets high in fat and low in dietary fiber have been associated with a higher incidence of colon cancer, possibly by increasing bile acid concentration in the colon. Therefore changes in bile acid metabolism due to beef tallow, corn bran (CB), and soy polysaccharide (SP) feeding were studied. Rats were fed one of four diets for six weeks: 5% beef tallow fiber‐free (LF), 20% beef tallow fiber‐free (HF), 20% beef tallow with CB (HFCB), and 20% beef tallow with SP (HFSP). HF increased fecal output compared with LF, and HFCB and HFSP increased fecal output compared with HF. HF reduced fecal bile acid concentration by two‐thirds compared with LF, although daily bile acid excretion was similar. There was a tendency toward a smaller bile acid quantity in the small intestine with HF than with LF. Neither fiber altered total fecal bile acid concentration or small intestinal bile acid quantity compared with HF. However, 7α‐dehydroxy‐lase activity in the colon was lower with HFSP than with HFCB. Increasing ...
Executive development as a business strategy.

The author argues that companies should take an energetic role in sponsoring activities to develop executive leadership; such a program will develop leadership abilities at the broadest level.
Species differences in hepatobiliary disposition of taurocholic acid in human and rat sandwich-cultured hepatocytes: implications for drug-induced liver injury.

The bile salt export pump (BSEP) plays an important role in bile acid excretion. Impaired BSEP function may result in liver injury. Bile acids also undergo basolateral efflux, but the relative contributions of biliary (CLBile) versus basolateral efflux (CLBL) clearance to hepatocellular bile acid excretion have not been determined. In the present study, taurocholic acid (TCA; a model bile acid) disposition was characterized in human and rat sandwich-cultured hepatocytes (SCH) combined with pharmacokinetic modeling. In human SCH, biliary excretion of TCA predominated (CLBile = 0.14 ± 0.04 ml/min per g liver; CLBL = 0.042 ± 0.019 ml/min per g liver), whereas CLBile and CLBL contributed approximately equally to TCA hepatocellular excretion in rat SCH (CLBile = 0.34 ± 0.07 ml/min per g liver; CLBL = 0.26 ± 0.07 ml/min per g liver). Troglitazone decreased TCA uptake, CLBile, and CLBL; membrane vesicle assays revealed for the first time that the major metabolite, troglitazone sulfate, was a noncompetitive inhibitor of multidrug resistance–associated protein 4, a basolateral bile acid efflux transporter. Simulations revealed that decreased CLBile led to a greater increase in hepatic TCA exposure in human than in rat SCH. A decrease in both excretory pathways (CLBile and CLBL) exponentially increased hepatic TCA in both species, suggesting that 1) drugs that inhibit both pathways may have a greater risk for hepatotoxicity, and 2) impaired function of an alternate excretory pathway may predispose patients to hepatotoxicity when drugs that inhibit one pathway are administered. Simulations confirmed the protective role of uptake inhibition, suggesting that a drug’s inhibitory effects on bile acid uptake also should be considered when evaluating hepatotoxic potential. Overall, the current study precisely characterized basolateral efflux of TCA, revealed species differences in hepatocellular TCA efflux pathways, and provided insights about altered hepatic bile acid exposure when multiple transport pathways are impaired.
Framework for bringing data streams to the grid

Data streams are a prevalent and growing source of timely data, particularly in the scientific domain. Just as it is common today to read starting conditions such as initial weather conditions, for a scientific simulation from a file, it should be equally as easy to draw starting conditions on-demand from live data streams. But efforts to date to bring streaming data to the grid have lacked generality. In this article we introduce a new model for bringing existing data streams systems onto the grid. The model is predicated on the ability to identify stream systems that meet the criteria of being a "data resource". We establish the criteria in this article, and define a grid service architecture for a data streams resource that leverages standardization efforts in the Global Grid Forum. We discuss key research issues in realizing the data streams model. We are currently developing a prototype of this architecture using our dQUOB system.
Direct and reflex cardiac bradydysrhythmias from small vagal nerve stimulations

Abstract Alterations in cardiac pacemaker location, its rate of discharge, and A-V conduction patterns were induced in anesthetized adult dogs by electrical stimulation of the thoracic vagi and their small cardiac branches before and after cervical vagotomy. Electrical activity from small, contiguous bipolar silver electrodes was amplified and recorded by an optical oscillograph. The electrodes were located over the SA node, the three internodal pathways, the left atrium, and ventricular epicardium. A Hoffman-type plaque electrode was placed over the A-V node to record a His bundle electrogram simultaneously with a Lead II electrocardiogram. Electrical stimulation of the intact left recurrent laryngeal nerve and its cardiac branches before and after vagotomy induced both direct and reflex effects on SA nodal cycle length. Efferent dromotropic effects on the A-V node varied from first- to third-degree heart block during stimulation of individual left recurrent cardiac branches. Stimulation of the right recurrent cardiac nerve induced atrial bradycardia with heart block above the His bundle. Stimulation of individual right vagal branches near the heart induced bradycardia, cardiac asystole, shifts in atrial pacemaker location, or activation of His pacemakers. Establishment of the His rhythm probably indicates selective inhibition of supraventricular pacemakers but not of the His bundle. Asystole and His rhythms induced during stimulation of the more caudal branches of the right cardiac vagal nerves were generally reflexly mediated and were abolished by cervical vagotomy.
Re-evaluation of Australodocus bohetii, a putative diplodocoid sauropod from the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, with comment on Late Jurassic sauropod faunal diversity and palaeoecology

Abstract The Late Jurassic sauropod Australodocus bohetii was originally assigned to Diplodocidae, primarily on the basis of bifurcate neural spines. The holotype and paratype materials of A. bohetii are re-examined and found to have closer affinities with Brachiosaurus and relatives than with any diplodocoid. The presence of a second titanosauriform sauropod in the Tanzanian fauna is important for understanding the palaeoecology of the region. Comparisons between Tendaguru and three other contemporaneous sauropod faunas (Morrison Formation, USA; Lourinha and Alcobaca formations, Portugal; Canadon Calcareo, Argentina) are also made. The revised Tendaguru fauna, with its high diversity of high-browsing Macronarians, now more closely matches the conifer-forest dominated landscape inferred from palaeobotanical evidence. The Morrison Formation, dominated by low-browse, is once again the only formation containing multiple diplodocids.
Modeling Use Diffusion

Two differential equations modeling the diffusion of use of cultural forms are developed as alternatives to an earlier model based on exponential epochs of diffusion. Both new models are similar in that they incorporate imitation and desertion effects, but differ in the manner in which these effects operate over the course of the diffusion of use. The model which has a Gompertz curve as its integrated form fits data from 17 instances of use diffusion better than the model which has a logistic curve as its integrated form and, in addition, is more parsimonious than the original exponential epoch model. The relationship between the observed values of the parameters representing imitation and desertion is discussed in the context of the process of use diffusion. Cultural diffusion has usually been thought of as the gradual spread of a cultural form among a population. Cultural forms can mean many thingsinformation, a custom, a role, a technical or social invention, a type of violence, even a psychiatric disorder. Their cumulative spread, adoption, or incorporation into the lifeways of a people is a much studied, well documented social process (see Chapin; Coleman et al.; Davis, a,b; Dodd, a,b; Griliches; Hamblin and Miller; Hamblin et al.; Hernes; Ogburn, c; Pemberton, a,b; Rogers, a,b; Ryan and Gross). While many feel that cultural diffusion is one of the most theoretically and methodologically developed lines of research in sociology, progress comes by successive approximations as important issues emerge from the collective effort and are resolved through further theoretical analysis and empirical investigation. The issue here is whether diffusion as a quantitative use process is better modeled by Gompertz or logistic equations or as exponential epochs. *The first author worked out the Gompertz model, including the imitation law.
Characterization of nonlinear optical absorption and refraction

Abstract We discuss the characterization of nonlinear optical processes that give rise to changes in the absorption coefficient and refractive index. We primarily concentrate on methods for determining the dominant nonlinearities present in condensed matter and the responsible physical mechanisms. In extensive studies of a wide variety of material, we have found that there is seldom a single nonlinear process occurring. Often several processes occur simultaneously, sometimes in unison, sometimes competing. It is necessary to experimentally distinguish and separate these processes in order to understand and model the interaction. There are a variety of methods and techniques for determining the nonlinear optical response, each with its own weaknesses and advantages. In general, it is advisable to use as many complementary techniques as possible over a broad spectral range in order to unambiguously determine the active nonlinearities. Here we concentrate on the use of nonlinear transmittance, Z-scan and degenerate four-wave mixing experiments as applied to polycrystalline and single crystal semiconductors and dielectric materials.
Thermodynamics of nonsymmetric tandem mismatches adjacent to G.C base pairs in RNA.

The thermodynamic stabilities and structures of a series of RNA duplexes containing nonsymmetric tandem mismatches in the context of , where are tandem mismatches, were studied by UV melting and im...
Characterization of aneuploidy rates, protamine levels, ultrastructure, and functional ability of round-headed sperm from two siblings and implications for intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Abstract Objective: To characterize and contrast protamine levels, chromatin decondensation, chromosome aneuploidy rates, and functional ability of round-headed sperm from two brothers with round-headed sperm syndrome. Design: Analysis of semen samples from siblings with round-headed sperm syndrome and comparison with semen of fertile donors. Setting: University school of medicine and laboratories. Patient(s): Two infertile siblings. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm aneuploidy rates of chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18, and 21, protamine 1 and 2 (P1-P2) ratios, Western blot evaluation of protamines, and chromatin decondensation rates. Additional measures include standard semen quality parameters, electron microscopy ultrastructure evaluation, analysis of acrosome morphology, and sperm penetration rates. Result(s): Aneuploidy rates were significantly increased in sibling no. 1 but not in sibling no. 2. The levels of P1 and P2 were decreased in sibling no. 1, and an unusual level of protamine precursors was present. Ultrastructural differences also were observed between the siblings. Conclusion(s): These data indicate profound differences in sperm from two siblings with complete round-headed sperm syndrome. Multigenic defects and/or variable expression of the syndrome may be responsible for the syndrome and necessitate individual screening of affected individuals because the pattern of expression appears highly variable.
PREVALENCE OF Bordetella bronchiseptica IN CERTAIN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS IN CENTRAL IOWA

Bordetella bronchiseptica was isolated from 6 of 13 short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) and 1 of 47 house sparrows (Passer domesticus) trapped in the vicinity of a swine Bordetella rhinitis experimental area. The organism was found in four of 50 foxes (Vulpes fulva), 2 of 36 opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) and 1 of 37 raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped in the Ames, Iowa area. This bacterium was not culturally isolated from 14 deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), 64 house mice (Mus musculus), 10 masked shrews (Sorex cinereus) and 54 starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).
5-Hydroxytryptamine in the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis L.

Abstract 1. 1. Several organs and tissues of the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis , were extracted and their content of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) estimated using a spectrofluorometer. 2. 2. No 5-HT was detected in extracts of cerebral ganglia, subneural glands, siphon tips or tunic. Endostyles gave a value of 1·67 μg/g wet tissue; hearts, 0·53 μg/g; gut, 0·49 μg/g; pharynx (less endostyle), 0·12 μg/g. 3. 3. It is suggested that enterochromaffin cells may be a major source of the 5-HT in Ciona .
α-Azido Bisphosphonates: Synthesis and Nucleotide Analogues

The first examples of α-azido bisphosphonates [(RO)2P(O)]2CXN3 (1, R = i-Pr, X = Me; 2, R = i-Pr, X = H; 3, R = H, X = Me; 4, R = H, X = H) and corresponding β,γ-CXN3 dGTP (5–6) and α,β-CXN3 dATP (...
In search of the Marshal's lost crusade: the persistence of memory, the problems of history and the painful birth of crusading romance

Despite his otherwise detailed coverage of the martial adventures in the life of William Marshal, earl of Pembroke and Striguil (d.1219), the author of the History of William Marshal (c.1224–6) remained silent about the two years William spent on crusade. Generations of historians have struggled to understand this missing episode and have offered a variety of explanations. This article offers a new solution to this old problem, by placing the History of William Marshal for the first time in the broader landscape of contemporary writing about the crusades and the East. It is argued that the period in which the History was written was one of intense reflection on the crusading past. A survey of contemporary narratives reveals that the biographer had two options, to admit that his crusade had been a failure, or to reground the story within a growing romance tradition. Eschewing both options, he chose silence.
Mapping murine loci for physical dependence on ethanol

Rationale: Alcoholism is associated with withdrawal (physical dependence), tolerance, or a maladaptive pattern of alcohol (ethanol) use. The well-documented difference in susceptibility to withdrawal after chronic ethanol exposure between the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mouse strains provides an excellent starting point for dissecting genetic influences involved in physical dependence on ethanol. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) identifies the genomic location of a gene (or genes) affecting a trait of interest. Objectives: A genome-wide QTL mapping study was carried out to dissect the multifactorial nature of withdrawal after chronic ethanol exposure using 400 B6D2F2 mice. Methods: To induce physical dependence, we used a standard paradigm in which mice were exposed to ethanol vapor for 72 h. The mice were then tested hourly for handling-induced convulsions (HICs) for 10 h and at hours 24 and 25. Ethanol withdrawal severity was first computed as the area under the 25-h HIC curve. Separate regression residuals were then calculated that corrected for individual differences in blood ethanol concentration at the time of withdrawal and baseline HIC severity (i.e. before ethanol exposure). Results: Statistical mapping yielded significant evidence (P<0.00005) for QTLs on chromosomes 19 and distal 1 that account for 45% of the genetic variance in ethanol withdrawal severity. The F2 results also provide supporting evidence for a sex-limited QTL on chromosome 13, and QTLs on chromosomes 4 and proximal 1, which may account for an additional 38% of the genetic variance. The distal chromosome 1 QTL is a locus of major effect, accounting for 26% of the genetic variance. Experiments using two congenic strains more precisely mapped this QTL. Conclusions: The QTLs map near candidate genes involved in neurosteroid biosynthesis and signal transduction. Syntenic homology between human and mouse chromosomes suggests that genes related to physical dependence on ethanol may localize to human chromosome regions 10q23-q26, 1q21-q43, 2q11-q32, 5p15/5q14-q21, and 9p24-p22.
Effect of cell concentration on oxygen consumption of leukocytes under varying conditions.

SummaryThe conflict between reports in the literature, concerning the disproportion between cell concentration and metabolism of leukocytes, probably is due to observations made under different conditions. Measurements of oxygen uptake of leukocytes suspended in serum show the disproportion between cell concentration and oxygen consumption. When the oxygen consumption of unwashed leukocytes is measured in a physiologic salt solution, cell concentration and oxygen uptake at first are proportional. However, with time there is a disproportional decrease in the oxygen consumed at the different cell concentrations.
"No hair" theorem for black holes in the Mansouri-Chang theory of gravitation

We show that a static, spherically symmetric black hole in Mansouri-Chang (MC) gravity theory (where the Lagrangian contains up to fourth derivatives of the metric) will "swallow" all effects due to the higher derivatives, so that outside the event horizon the metric necessarily reduces to a Schwarzschild metric. Hence Pavelle's recent proof of the equivalence of MC and standard Einstein theory should be reinterpreted as a proof of a "no hair" theorem for MC black holes. For normal stars, MC and standard theory need not be equivalent. Our results apply to a wide class of higher-derivative theories in addition to MC theory. We also derive the "oscillator variable" decomposition for these theories.
Target residues from the interaction of copper with 90 MeV/nucleon 6Li ions.

Target residues from the interaction of copper with 90 MeV/nucleon [sup 6]Li ions have been studied utilizing thick-target, thick-catcher recoil range techniques. Cross sections, average forward ranges, and forward-to-backward ratios have been measured. Isobaric and mass yield distributions have been constructed from the cross section data. Longitudinal momentum transfer information has been obtained. Comparison with a variety of lighter and heavier projectiles interacting with copper have been made. Comparisons of the data with initial interaction-evaporation models ISABELLE-EVA, BUU-GEMINI, and BUU-PACE are presented.
Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis: Deuterium Kinetic Isotope Study for Hydrogenation of Carbon Oxides Over Cobalt and Iron Catalysts

The hydrogenation of CO2 using Pt promoted Co/γ-Al2O3 and doubly (Cu, K) promoted iron catalysts exhibits an inverse isotope effect (r H/r D < 1). The observed inverse isotope effect for hydrogenation of CO2 shows that hydrogen addition to CO2 should be involved in the kinetically relevant step. The systematic increase of inverse isotope effect with carbon number of products obtained during H2–D2–H2 switching experiments suggests the possible existence of a common intermediate (CH x O) for hydrogenation of CO2 over both cobalt and iron FT catalysts. The magnitude of the inverse isotope effect is lower for CO2 compared to CO hydrogenation under similar reaction conditions. The deuterium isotope effect does not provide a definite conclusion regarding the mechanism which CO2 hydrogenation follows (alkyl, enol, or alkylidine mechanisms).
Reference Incomes, Loss Aversion, and Physician Behavior

We examine the effects of reference income on the behavior of young male physicians. Using a unique panel of data, we relate physicians' reference and actual incomes to their subsequent income growth. Reference income has a strong positive effect on subsequent income for physicians who are below their reference points, but not for physicians who are at or above their reference points. Loss aversion, which posits a kink in utility at the reference point, explains this puzzling pattern. Physicians respond strongly to shortfalls from the reference point—they take unappealing actions to boost earnings—because the marginal utility of income is steep in that range. Competing prominent theories, tested here, fail to explain these relationships.
Impact of mobility on spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks

In cognitive radio networks (CRNs), spectrum sensing is key to opportunistic spectrum access while preventing any unacceptable interference to primary users' communications. Although cognitive radios function as spectrum sensors and move around, most, if not all, of existing approaches assume stationary spectrum sensors, thus providing inaccurate sensing results. As part of our effort to solve/alleviate this problem, we consider the impact of sensor mobility on spectrum sensing performance in a joint optimization framework for sensor cooperation and sensing scheduling. We show that sensor mobility increases spatio-temporal diversity in received primary signal strengths, and thus, improves the sensing performance. This is intuitively plausible, but have not been tested previously. Based on this observation, we propose a sensing strategy that minimizes the sensing overhead by finding an optimal combination of the number of sensors to cooperate and the number of times spectrum sensing must be scheduled. This result provides a useful insight to understand the spectrum sensing and its coupling with sensor mobility.
Network News Coverage of Campaign Advertisements Media's Ability to Reinforce Campaign Messages

In this article, the author examines whether network news coverage of a campaign advertisement's issue can reinforce the ad's basic message for the public and alter individual candidate assessments. The author uses the 1988 Willie Horton ad to investigate this question, combining data from the 1988 American National Election Study with content analysis from the Vanderbilt Television News Archives. Results show that general campaign coverage of race and crime issues as well as coverage of Horton influenced individual ideological perceptions of Dukakis. In line with Zaller's theory of public opinion, this influence was limited to certain individuals within the population, namely, media coverage affects individuals with moderate levels of political awareness who have weaker initial predispositions. Combined, these results demonstrate that media can exert both significantly and substantively significant influence on the public.
Adjacent satellite interference from a network Of MF-TDMA satellite communications on-the-move terminals

Satellite Communications on-the-move (SOTM) networks are being deployed to provide various broadband communication services. Typically, an SOTM network consists of a large number of small aperture terminals deployed over a wide geographical area. These terminals are intended to operate over geostationary orbit satellites. To utilize network resources efficiently, these networks may employ time- and frequency-division multiple access methods. Also, SOTM terminals may operate using a range of antenna aperture sizes and may require different transmit power levels to meet various user's data rate needs. Additionally, antenna pointing errors of the terminals may contribute to a time-varying interference pattern from the SOTM network to a victim receiver in another satellite network. This paper provides a methodology to analyze the time-varying interference resulting from an MF-TDMA network consisting of such terminals. This methodology has been submitted for consideration by ITU-R Working Party 4A.
Motivating skill-based promotion with badges

In response to a state-wide freeze on pay increases beginning in 2009, the Learning Technologies (LT) unit at the University of Washington moved from a seniority-based to a skill-based promotion system for student employees in the unit. We almost immediately encountered a problem of motivation, as busy students did not take action to develop necessary skills. In 2013, we are piloting a badges program to encourage skill development. We have already seen early success and will provide an overview of the current badge landscape, details of our implementation, and valuable lessons learned. Though our focus is on student staff, our findings are applicable to professional development at all levels.
Topographic and Biomechanical Changes after Corneal Collagen Crosslinking

Abstract: To evaluate in vivo corneal deformation and topographic characteristics before and after corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL). An indirect measure of increased stiffness correlates significantly with reduction of the maximum curvature, which is the desired clinical outcome.
Growth, condition and specific dynamic action in the mussel Mytilus edulis recovering from starvation

Juvenile Mytilus edulis were grown individually in plastic racks in a tidal salt marsh for 72 d in 1984, starved in the laboratory for 130 d, and then fed the alga Isochrysis galbana daily for 64 d. Oxygen consumption was measured at various times during the course of starvation and recovery. The effects of both size (tissue dry weight) and condition (tissue size relative to shell size) on the rate of oxygen consumption during the course of starvation and recovery were analyzed by multiple regression. Weight-specific preprandial rate was inversely correlated with both size and condition. Weight-specific active rate (measured shortly after feeding) was correlated with size but not condition. Relative Scope for Activity was inversely correlated with size and positively correlated with condition. Relative Specific Dynamic Action (RSDA; the integrated physiological and mechanical response to a meal) was initially correlated negatively with size and subsequently positively with condition. Glycogen content was shown to be positively correlated with condition in mussels before starvation and during recovery. During recovery, experimental mussels returned to 90% of their estimated dry weight prior to starvation, and from 53% after starvation. At weekly intervals during recovery, oxygen consumption was measured following a meal until it returned to the preprandial rate. Both pre- and postprandial volumes (μl at STP) of oxygen consumed per hour (\(\dot V\)O 2pre and \(\dot V\)O 2post , respectively) increased significantly during recovery. The postprandial rise in oxygen consumption increased significantly from 15% to 23% of \(\dot V\)O 2pre . At the end of the recovery period, RSDA [(\(\dot V\)O 2post −\(\dot V\)O 2pre )/\(\dot V\)O 2pre ] was independent of final dry weight, but was significantly correlated with percent dry weight recovered (r2=0.44; df=10; P<0.02). The increase in RSDA may reflect increased utilization of food and its conversion to soma during recovery from starvation, as distinct from mechanical energy expenditure (feeding activity) following a meal.
The environmental impact of poultry production

The main aim of the animal production is to produce animal proteins of high value in a sustainable manner. However, sustainability is not easy to define. It is a complex phenomenon, which includes integration of economic, social, and environmental dimensions of the certain production, within a given socio-economic context. In this respect, poultry production meets first two dimensions - it provides affordable dietary item for consumers and profit for producers. It additionally generates up and downstream investment opportunities and it contributes to the development of the local economy. However, with the concentration of poultry production and increase in operation size, considerable environmental problems have occurred. During the last several decades, the environmental impact of the poultry production has received an ever-growing attention. Nowadays, producers are under heavy pressure, from different fronts, to minimize the impact of their production on the environment and to adopt welfare friendly practices. The major challenges, which will affect animal production in the future, will likely deal with the environment. In this paper, the environmental impact of poultry production and the differences in this respect between the different production systems are presented.
Calculations of the absorption and emission spectra of p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzonitrile and analogues in solution

A self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method that accounts for full electronic relaxation of the initial and final state in an electron transition is derived. The absorption and emission spectra of p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (DMABN) and 6-cyanobenzquinuclidine (CBQ) are calculated in different solvents as a test of the method. The results from the fully relaxed SCRF method compare very well with results from a first-order relaxation SCRF model as well as with the experimental absorption and emission spectra of the two molecules considered in detail in this work.
Enhanced pulmonary epithelial replication and axial airway mucosubstance changes in F344 rats exposed short-term to mainstream cigarette smoke

Cigarette smoking is associated with respiratory diseases that may be caused by injury to specific pulmonary cells. The injury may manifest itself as site-specific enhanced cellular replication. In this study, rats were exposed either to mainstream cigarette smoke (CS; 250 mg total particulate matter/m(3)) or to filtered air (FA) for 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for 2 weeks. In one group, cells in S-phase were labeled over 7 days by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) released from implanted osmotic pumps (pump labeled), while another group received BrdU by injection 2 h prior to necropsy (pulse labeled). Morphometry showed that the type II epithelial BrdU labeling index (LI) was significantly elevated in the CS-exposed animals of both labeling groups. The axial airway and terminal bronchiolar LIs were enhanced by CS only in the pump-labeled group. In a third group (pulse labeled), 2 weeks of recovery following exposure to CS allowed a normalization in the type II LI. In the pump-labeled rats, the CS-induced elevation of the type II LI was greater than the LI elevation in conducting airways, suggesting that the parenchyma may have been injured more than the conducting airways. The terminal bronchiolar LI in the pump-labeled group, regardless of exposure, was significantly greater than the axial airway LI. Pump labeling, in contrast to pulse labeling, could therefore discern differences among replication rates of conducting airway epithelium in different regions of the lung. Mucosubstance (MS) within the axial airway epithelium was quantified by morphometry. The CS exposure did not increase the total number of MS-containing cells or the total number of axial airway epithelial cells, but there was a phenotype change in the MS cells. Neutral MS cells (periodic acid-Schiff-positive) were significantly decreased, while acid MS cells (alcian blue-positive) were slightly increased by CS exposure. Either cell replication and differentiation or differentiation alone may have changed the phenotype in the MS cell population.
Nuclear Sequestration of Cellular Chaperone and Proteasomal Machinery during Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encodes a portal protein that forms a large oligomeric structure believed to provide the conduit for DNA entry and exit from the capsid. Chaperone proteins often facilitate the folding and multimerization of such complex structures. In this report, we show that cellular chaperone proteins, components of the 26S proteasome, and ubiquitin-conjugated proteins are sequestered in discrete foci in the nucleus of the infected cell. The immediate-early viral protein ICP0 was shown to be necessary to establish these foci at early times during infection and sufficient to redistribute chaperone molecules in transfected cells. Furthermore, we found that not only is the portal protein, UL6, localized to these sites during infection, but it is also a substrate for ubiquitin modification. Our results suggest that HSV-1 has evolved an elegant mechanism for facilitating protein quality control at specialized foci within the nucleus.
Attacks on lexical natural language steganography systems

Text data forms the largest bulk of digital data that people encounter and exchange daily. For this reason the potential usage of text data as a covert channel for secret communication is an imminent concern. Even though information hiding into natural language text has started to attract great interest, there has been no study on attacks against these applications. In this paper we examine the robustness of lexical steganography systems.In this paper we used a universal steganalysis method based on language models and support vector machines to differentiate sentences modified by a lexical steganography algorithm from unmodified sentences. The experimental accuracy of our method on classification of steganographically modified sentences was 84.9%. On classification of isolated sentences we obtained a high recall rate whereas the precision was low.
The pulmonary effects and clearance of intratracheally instilled Ni3S2 and TiO2 in mice.

The effects and clearance of intratracheally instilled nickel subsulfide (Ni 3 S 2 ) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) were compared. Instilled Ni 3 S 2 was acutely toxic to mice. Blood was recovered from the lungs during lavage, pulmonary polymorphonuclear leukocyte cell levels were increased, body weights decreased, and mice appeared clinically sick. These effects were in contrast to TiO 2 -instilled animals, which appeared similar to phosphate-buffered saline-in-stilled controls. The clearance of instilled particles from the lungs was examined for both Ni 3 S 2 - and TiO 2 -exposed mice. Particles were rapidly cleared to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract within 15 min; this clearance was nonspecific for Ni or Ti and appeared to be due to the coughing reflex. Significantly less Ni was present compared with TiO 2 in mouse lungs at 3 and 7 days postexposure ( P 63 Ni was first solubilized in the lung then transported through the blood.
Comparison of organic geochemistry and metal enrichment in two black shales: Cambrian Alum Shale of Sweden and Devonian Chattanooga Shale of United States

In most black shales, such as the Chattanooga Shale and related shales of the eastern interior United States, increased metal and metalloid contents are generally related to increased organic carbon content, decreased sedimentation rate, organic matter type, or position in the basin. In areas where the stratigraphic equivalents of the Chattanooga Shale are deeply buried and and the organic material is thermally mature, metal contents are essentially the same as in unheated areas and correlate with organic C or S contents. This paradigm does not hold for the Cambrian Alum Shale Formation of Sweden where increased metal content does not necessarily correlate with organic matter content nor is metal enrichment necessarily related to land derived humic material because this organic matter is all of marine source. In southcentral Sweden the elements U, Mo, V, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb are all enriched relative to average black shales but only U and Mo correlate to organic matter content. Tectonically disturbed and metamorphosed allochthonous samples of Alum Shale on the Caledonian front in western Sweden have even higher amounts for some metals (V, Ni, Zn and Ba) relative to the autochthonous shales in this area and those in southern Sweden.
Nanocomposite Bi(Sb)Te(Se) Materials by Cryogenic Mechanical Alloying and Optimized High Pressure Hot-pressing

Nanocomposite Bi 2 Te 3 based alloys are attractive for their potentially high thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT) around room temperature. The nano-scale structural features embedded in the matrix provide more scattering of phonons and can thus reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. To further take advantage of such nanocomposite structures, we focus on the development of nanocrystalline Bi(Sb)Te(Se) powders by high energy cryogenic mechanical alloying followed by an optimized hot pressing process. This approach is shown to successfully produce Bi(Sb)Te(Se) alloy powders with grain size averaging about 9 nm for n-type BiTe(Se) and about 16 nm for p-type Bi(Sb)Te respectively. This cryogenic process offers much less milling time and prevents thermally activated contamination or imperfections from being introduced during the milling process. The nanocrystalline powders are then compacted at optimized pressures and temperatures to achieve full density compactions and preserve the grain sizes effectively. The resulting nano-bulk materials have optimal Seebeck coefficients and are expected to have improved ZT. Thermoelectric properties and microstructure studies by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy will also be presented and discussed.
Partitioning of bacterial communities between travertine depositional facies at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.

Bruce W. Fouke, George T. Bonheyo, Beth Sanzenbacher, and Jorge Frias-Lopez Abstract: A culture-independent molecular survey indicates that the composition of bacterial communities is distinctly partitioned between travertine depositional facies in the surface drainage system of Spring AT-1 at Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes with universally conserved bacterial primers has identified over 553 unique partial and 104 complete gene sequences (derived from more than 14 000 clones), affiliated with 221 unique species that represent 21 bacterial divisions. These sequences exhibited < 12% similarity in bacterial community composition between each of the travertine depositional facies. This implies that relatively little downstream bacterial transport and colonization took place despite the rapid and continuous flow of spring water from the high-temperature to low-temperature facies. These results suggest that travertine depositional facies, which are independently determined by the physical and chemical conditions of the hot spring drainage system, effectively predict bacterial community composition as well as the morphology and chemistry of travertine precipitation.
Experimental verification of the photodiode theory of SIS mixers

The authors describe the characterization and interpretation of the performance of superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receivers within the framework of the photodiode theory of mixing. The quantum efficiency plays a dominant role in the theory, and a simple method of accurately measuring this parameter is presented. It is demonstrated that the quantum efficiency measurements can be conveniently made on a standard radio astronomy receiver and combined with the usual hot and cold load characterization to improve the understanding of the receiver's performance. The measurements verify that the photodiode theory of mixing accurately describes the receiver noise even at local-oscillator power levels well above the linear response range. The results for receivers operating at 100 and 240 GHz verify the utility of this approach. These methods should also prove useful in evaluating submillimeter receivers. >
FRETView: a computer program to simplify the process of obtaining fluorescence resonance energy transfer parameters

The process of modeling the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process for a donor–acceptor pair can be rather challenging, yet few computer programs exist that allow such modeling to be done with relative ease. In order to address this, we have developed a Java-based program, FRETView, which allows numerous FRET parameters to be obtained with just a few mouse clicks. Being a Java-based program, it runs equally well on all the major operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris. The program allows the user to effortlessly input pertinent information about the donor–acceptor pair, including the absorption and/or emission spectra, and outputs the calculated FRET parameters in table format, as well as graphical plots.
Reversal of the Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy through Correction of Vitamin D Deficiency in a Type 1 Diabetic Patient

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as both the microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be more common in diabetic patients who have symptoms of distal symmetrical polyneuropathy. In addition, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a lower pain threshold which increases when vitamin D deficiency is corrected. Herein, I describe a type 1 diabetic patient with neuropathic symptoms so severe that he could not work and for which he needed narcotics for pain management and whose symptoms improved dramatically with correction of the vitamin D deficiency. To my knowledge, this is the first report of an improvement in severe symptoms of diabetic neuropathy with correction of vitamin D deficiency in a single patient.
Host IQGAP1 and Ebola virus VP40 interactions facilitate virus-like particle egress.

ABSTRACT We have identified host IQGAP1 as an interacting partner for Ebola virus (EBOV) VP40, and its expression is required for EBOV VP40 virus-like particle (VLP) budding. IQGAP1 is involved in actin cytoskeletal remodeling during cell migration and formation of filopodia. The physical interaction and the functional requirement for IQGAP1 in EBOV VP40 VLP egress link virus budding to the cytoskeletal remodeling machinery. Consequently, this interaction represents a novel target for development of therapeutics to block budding and transmission of filoviruses.
What Does Death Have to Do with the Meaning of Life

Philosophers often distinguish in some way between two (or more) senses of life's meaning. Paul Edwards terms these a ‘cosmic’ and ‘terrestrial’ sense. The cosmic sense is that of an overall purpose of which our lives are a part and in terms of which our lives must be understood and our purposes and interests arranged. This overall purpose is often identified with God's divine scheme, but the two need not necessarily be equated. The terrestrial sense of meaning is the meaning people find (subjectively) in their own lives apart from the place of their lives in any ultimate end or context.
A uniqueness theorem for an inverse electromagnetic scattering problem in inhomogeneous anisotropic media

We show that the support of a (possibly) coated anisotropic media is uniquely determined by the electric far field patterns corresponding to incident timeharmonic electromagnetic plane waves with arbitrary polarization and direction. Our proof avoids the use of a fundamental solution to Maxwell’s equations in an anisotropic medium and instead relies on the well-posedness and regularity properties of solutions to an interior transmission problem for Maxwell’s equations.
The use of fluoroquinolones in veterinary dermatology.

The fluoroquinolones are a group of antibiotics with considerable application for use in veterinary dermatology. They are rapidly bactericidal against a wide variety of clinically important organisms including Staphylococcus intermedius and gram-negative enteric bacilli by virtue of interference with the supercoiling of bacterial chromosomal material. Their favourable pharmacokinetic features make them applicable in many animal species, and in a range of dose formulations. The only major clinical contraindication is that fluoroquinolones should not be given to young, rapidly growing dogs as they can induce a noninflammatory, erosive arthropathy. For many years the only veterinary-labelled fluoroquinolone available was enrofloxacin. The selection of a fluoroquinolone has become more complex now that there are more choices available. Orbifloxacin, difloxacin and marbofloxacin now join enrofloxacin on the veterinary market, although not all of these are licensed in every country. The use of fluoroquinolones in dermatology remains controversial. The authors recommend that fluoroquinolones be considered in circumstances where canine pyoderma has been refractory to appropriate ‘first line’ antibiotics. They are most useful in the management of recurrent pyoderma and in chronic, deep pyoderma with extensive scar tissue. In addition, fluouroquinolones frequently are the drugs of choice for canine ear infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Hypophysectomized and Growth Hormone-Treated Hypophysectomized Rats:

SummaryChanges which occur in hepatic lipid metabolism of hypophysectomized and bovine growth hormone-treated hypophysectomized rats were studied. Synthesis of lipids, as measured by the ability of tissue slices to incorporate 3H-glycerol into lipids, decreased rapidly following hypophysectomy. Three weeks after hypophysectomy, glycerol incorporation was approximately 40% of that in normal rats and remained depressed over the experimental period. Synthesis of acidic lipids was not appreciably affected by hypophysectomy but labeling of all other classes of lipids, particularly triglycerides, was diminished. Daily administration of bovine growth hormone over a 10-day period to animals 4-weeks posthypophysectomy resulted in a 75% increase in total lipid synthesis. Incorporation of label into the lecithin and cephalin fractions exhibited the greatest increase of those lipid fractions studied during the first 5 days of bovine growth hormone treatment.
Strategy Proof Scoring Rule Lotteries for Multiple Winners

We develop a lottery procedure for selecting multiple winners that is strategy proof. The rule assigns points to each candidate based on any standard scoring rule method, and then uses one draw to select a single winning set of candidates in proportion to their collective score. In addition to being strategy proof, the lottery rule is also shown to have several other attractive normative properties. Violations of some other important normative properties are noted as well.
Stochastic Optimal Control with Noisy Observations

ABSTRACT The present paper is the sequel to a previous paper by the author. The main purpose of the present paper is to justify the claim made curlier that the approach to stochastic optimal control previously employed can be extended to the case of noisy observations of the state. The partial differential equation, for the conditional probability density of the present state given the past history of the noisy observations, is discussed. Using this equation, it is shown that the stochastic optimal control problem can be viewed as a problem in the theory of control of distributed parameter systems. Dynamic programming is then applied to this distributed parameter problem, to obtain a stochastic Hamilton-Jacobi equation in function space.
Limitations of diabetes pharmacotherapy: results from the Vermont Diabetes Information System study

Background There are a wide variety of medications available for the treatment of hyperglycemia in diabetes, including some categories developed in recent years. The goals of this study were to describe the glycemic medication profiles in a cohort of adult patients enrolled in primary care, to compare the regimens with measures of glycemic control, and to describe potential contraindicated regimens.
Huerta De Soto’s Concerted Expansion: A Prisoner’s Dilemma in Free Banking?

Concerted expansion is a common concern in free banking. This situation is sometimes expressed as a prisoner’s dilemma game, as Huerta de Soto (1998 [2006], pp. 664-671) does to show that banks have incentives to collude and expand fiduciary media. This approach, however, does not accurately describe the problem; the prisoner’s dilemma provides an unsound description of concerted expansion in free banking. This commentary focuses on six limitations to applying the prisoner’s dilemma game to model concerted expansion in free banking.