cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Video Narration as a Language Sampling Context

Video narration is a context for samping spontaneous expressive language in which the subject produces an on-line description of the events he or she observes on videotape. Video narration offers a...
Nonrandom association of cellular antigens with HTLV-III virions.

Abstract Retriviruses are known to incorporate cellular antigens as they bud from infected cells. To identify the cellular antigens that associate with the AIDS-retrovirus, we evaluated a preparation of HTLV-III antigens with a panel of monoclonal antibodies reactive with a variety of antigens expressed on the H9 T-cell line used to produce the virus. Only monoclonal antibodies that identified HLA class-II antigens, beta-2 microglobulin, and a single anti-HLA class-I antibody were reactive in an ELISA of solubilized HTLV-III virus. No reactivity was seen with 11 monoclonal antibodies to T-cell antigens or with five antibodies to determinants on HLA class-1 A or B molecules. These data suggest that on H9 cells the association of budding HTLV-III virions with cellular antigens may be a nonrandom process in which some HLA antigens, particularly class-II antigens, are selectively incorporated into the viral envelope. It is possible that a selective association of HLA class II antigens with budding HTLV-III virions may also occur for T cells infected in vivo, and could have relevance for the pathogenesis of this virus.
Subglottic Injury, Gastric Juice, Corticosteroids, and Peptide Growth Factors in a Porcine Model†‡

Objectives: To study the effects of mucosal injury, gastric juice, and corticosteroids and to determine the presence of peptide growth factors in the subglottic mucosa in a porcine model. Study Design: Prospective cohort animal study. Methods: In this model of subglottic injury, five groups (n = 5 each) of piglets were used. Injury was induced by electroeautery (acute), electrocautery plus repeated saline application (chronic), electrocautery plus repeated gastric juice application (chronic plus gastric juice), or repeated gastric juice application (gastric). Control piglets had normal saline applied repeatedly. Results: Histopathologic findings for the gastric juice group included basal cell hyperplasia (80%), squamous metaplasia (80%), and mucosal ulceration (40%). Control piglets showed squamous metaplasia (80%) but no basilar hyperplasia or ulceration. Immunohistochemistry detected peptide growth factors and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in all groups. Decreased staining was most frequent in the acute injury group. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) documented lower expression of EGFR in the gastric juice group (P = .01). Conclusions: These findings suggest that peptide growth factors and EGFR are part of normal subglottic mucosal turnover. Noxious stimuli decrease production of these factors. Gastric juice had adverse effects documented by histopathology and molecular techniques.
The effect of delayed visual feedback on telerobotic surgery.

Telerobotic surgery is ideally suited for remote applications in which the instrument control console is stationed separately from the end-effectors at the patient’s bedside. However, if the distance between the console and the patient is great enough, a lag effect or latency between end-effector manipulation and the depicted image leads to alterations in movement patterns. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of visual delay on surgical task performance. At an endoscopic skill station, an analogue delay device was interposed between the surgical field and monitor to delay the transmission of visual information, thus mimicking the distance effect of data transmission. Three surgeons with similar laparoscopic experience participated in the laparoscopic knot tying portion of the study, and seven residents participated in the accuracy and dexterity tasks. The time to complete a single throw was recorded in seconds after adding consecutively increasingly time delay in 50 ms increments. Similar time delay increments were added for the accuracy and dexterity tasks, which involved passing a needle through two adjacent circles and passing a small cylinder through a larger one to reproduce two-handed coordination and spatial resolution. Data were presented as the median time to complete each task. For all three tasks, an incremental increase in time delay was associated with a significant (p < 0.001) increase in the time to complete the task. For dexterity, a statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) delay was identified at 0.25 s of delay from control values without delay. A move-and-wait strategy was gradually adopted up to 0.4 s of visual delay. Compensation for visually delayed image perception occurs on several levels. Initial adaptations include slower end-effector manipulation; late adaptive changes include a move-and-wait strategy. Increased time to perform surgical maneuvers as well as diminished accuracy, diminished dexterity, and increasing fatigue represent additional performance encumbrances evoked by visual time delay. The nuances of both human and digital compensatory mechanisms for visual time delay must be defined and enhanced to maximize the potential for telerobotic surgical applications.
The ultrastructure of several dinoflagellates with emphasis on Gonyaulax polyedra Stein and Gonyaulax monilata Davis

Six species of dinoflagellates were subjected to a general ultrastructural study. Usual eukaryotic organelles such as a porous, double-membraned nucleus, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, chloroplasts, v...
Discrete sets in fuzzy topological spaces

Abstract We introduce the notion of discrete set in fuzzy topological spaces and prove that a fuzzy Hausdorif topological space X has an infinite discrete set if the set X is infinite.
Usefulness of isoproterenol facilitation of ventricular tachycardia induction during extrastimulus testing in predicting effective chronic therapy with beta-adrenergic blockade

Previous studies indicate that programmed extrastimulus testing (PES) during isoproterenol infusion facilitates induction of clinical ventricular tachycardia (VT) in some patients. This study attempts to determine if VT inducible only during isoproterenol infusion predicts suppression of VT with chronic oral beta-adrenergic blockade. Nine patients, aged 23 to 77 years, with symptomatic VT or syncope not necessarily provoked by exercise or stress were evaluated. Extrastimuli did not induce VT in any patient. However, during isoproterenol infusion (1 to 4 micrograms/min), all patients had reproducibly inducible VT corresponding to their spontaneously occurring VT (recordings available in 7 patients). Coupling intervals inducing tachycardia during isoproterenol were similar to intervals that did not induce VT without isoproterenol. No patient had VT with isoproterenol infusion alone (without extrastimuli). In only 4 of 8 patients who underwent exercise tests while not taking medications was VT provoked. With propranolol therapy (160 mg/day) or its equivalent, only 1 patient had recurrent symptoms during a mean follow-up of 39 months (range 23 to 52). VT inducible with extrastimuli only during isoproterenol infusion predicts that oral beta-adrenergic blockade will prevent spontaneous VT or syncope long term. These data suggest that occurrence of VT in some patients depends on premature depolarizations in the setting of beta-adrenergic influence.
Modeling and fabrication of micro tools by pulsed electrochemical machining

Abstract Accurate and precise micro tools are essential for the micromachining of complex micro features in a wide range of engineering materials including metals and ceramics. Existing micro tool fabrication processes suffer from drawbacks such as surface cracks, residual stress and deformations. Electrochemical machining of micro tools is proposed in this work to overcome these limitations. In this research, a mathematical model has been developed to predict the diameter of the micro tool fabricated. Experimental verification of the model using an in-house built micro electrochemical machining system reveals good correlation with theoretical predictions. Using the procedure described in this paper, very high aspect ratio (280–450) tungsten micro tools have been produced.
The Crossdresser and the Juventus: Category Crisis in Silence

Problematics of class and gender intersect in the crossdressing heroines of medieval romance. Silence can be read as an alternate version of the high medieval disinherited younger son, the juvenis , supporting Marjorie Garber's claim that the crossdresser often represents displaced anxieties about categories other than gender.
Perineal hernia after proctectomy: prevalence, risks, and management.

Perineal hernias are infrequent complications of abdominoperineal operations with estimated historic prevalences (from the era where the perineal wound was left open) ranging from 0.6 to 7 percent. The purpose of this study was to identify the modern prevalence of postoperative perineal hernias, factors that may contribute to their development, and examine the methods of repair. The Mayo Clinic patient database (1990–2000) was interrogated for the following data identifiers: incisional hernia, perineal hernia, abdominoperineal resection, proctocolectomy, and partial or total pelvic exenteration. All surviving patients were followed up to December 2005. The retrieved patient data was retrospectively analyzed. Of a total of 3,761 patients who underwent abdominoperineal resection (including nonrestorative proctocolectomy and pelvic exenteration) during the study period, 8 developed a perineal hernia (5 females). The median age at hernia presentation was 76 (range, 69–84) years, representing a median interval of 22 (range, 1–60) months from the original operation. All were smokers (≥15 pack years) and five had received chemoradiotherapy for their original diagnosis. The commonest prevalence was found in patients who had undergone abdominoperineal resection (5/1,266) or pelvic exenteration (2/1,334). Only 1 of 1,161 patients developed a perineal hernia after proctocolectomy despite most being on perioperative immunosuppression for inflammatory bowel disease. Abdominal exploration and repair was performed in four patients whereas four underwent perineal repair (2 of each with mesh). None have recurred with a median follow-up of 36 (range, 6–60) months. Perineal hernias are rare complications of abdominoperineal surgery with a more common prevalence after cancer operations. Smoking and chemoradiotherapy, but not corticosteroid immunosuppression, may be factors. The abdominal approach has advantages over the perineal approach, but both are suitable with good medium-term results.
Height of the slowly varying component of radio emission at 9.1 cm during the Quiet Sun Years

The slowly varying component of solar microwave emission is associated with plage and sunspot regions seen optically. Under the assumption that the microwave emission originates radially above the associated optical feature the height of the microwave emission region above the photosphere can be calculated.
Expression and Purification of Recombinant Mouse Fibrillarin

Fibrillarin is a 34-kDa nucleolar protein associated with many of the small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP) particles and plays a role in ribosomal RNA processing. A subset of patients with the systemic autoimmune disease Scleroderma produce autoantibodies against fibrillarin and it is a genetically restricted target of murine mercury-induced autoimmunity. To aid in characterizing the antigenicity of fibrillarin, we have constructed two forms of mouse fibrillarin. The wild-type clone contains two cysteine residues that enable the protein to form an intramolecular disulfide bond, whereas the mutant clone contains alanine replacements which cannot form the disulfide bond. We have successfully expressed and purified both wild-type and mutant recombinant mouse fibrillarin using nickel-chelation chromatography. The combination of T7 promoter-driven expression vector pET28 and Escherichia coli strain JM109(DE3) induced at 25 degrees C yielded up to 19 mg of 94% pure recombinant protein per liter of culture. As the antigenicity of fibrillarin requires the full-length protein, the purification protocol was optimized for isolation of the full-length protein by the addition of N- and C-terminal T7 Tag and FLAG epitope sequences to the fibrillarin sequence. Anti-peptide antibodies were used in immunoblot to identify conditions favoring minimal proteolysis of recombinant protein. Both wild-type and mutant recombinant fibrillarin, purified under denaturing conditions and in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, were recognized by anti-fibrillarin antibodies from Scleroderma patients and exhibited structural similarities to eukaryotic and in vitro translated fibrillarin.
Analysis of biomarkers characteristic of porcine liver injury—from biomolecular logic gates to an animal model

A biocatalytic cascade for the analysis of the simultaneous increase in the concentration of two biomarkers characteristic of liver injury (alanine transaminase, ALT, and lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) was tested on real samples acquired from an animal model (domestic pigs, Sus scrofa domesticus) suffering from traumatic liver injury. A two-step reaction biocatalyzed in the presence of both enzyme-biomarkers resulted in the oxidation of NADH followed by optical absorbance measurements. A simple qualitative, YES/NO, test allowed for distinction between animals with and without the presence of liver injury with the probability of 92%. These data represent the first demonstration of applying binary logic systems for the analysis of real biomedical samples.
The Iron Law of What Again? Conceptualizing Oligarchy Across Organizational Forms*

The debate around Michels's “iron law of oligarchy” over the question of whether organizations inevitably become oligarchic reaches back almost a century, but the concept of oligarchy has frequently been left underspecified, and the measures that have been employed are especially inadequate for analyzing nonbureaucratically structured organizations. A conceptual model is needed that delineates what does and does not constitute oligarchy and can be applied in both bureaucratic and nonbureaucratic settings. Definitions found in the research are inadequate for two reasons. First, treating oligarchy solely as a feature of organizational structure neglects the possibility that a powerful elite may operate outside of the formal structure. A democratic structure is a necessary precondition, but it does not guar-antee the absence of oligarchy. Second, studies that equate oligarchy with goal displacement and bureaucratic conservatism cannot account for organizations with radical goals that are nonetheless dominate...
Development of anti-HLA antibodies following renal transplantation--their characteristics and natural history.

Sera from 75 recipients of first cadaver donor renal transplants were analyzed for the development of anti-HLA antibodies utilizing a complement dependent micro-cytotoxicity assay. Anti-HLA activity was assayed utilizing peripheral blood lymphocytes from a panel of normal donors. Anti-HLA reactivity was felt to be present when a cell-serum interaction yielded greater than 30% cell death. Reactivity was quantified as the percentage of donors reacting to a particular serum (PRL). Marked increase in PRL activity was demonstrated in 22 of 44 recipients rejecting their allografts and in some development of PRL reactivity could be demonstrated during immunosuppression and before allograft removal. In contrast, PRL reactivity was minimal in recipients with successful allograft (5 of 31 recipients) and this anti-HLA activity was transient, disappearing after 6 months. Careful analysis of these anti-HLA antibodies developing post-transplantation, revealed that these antibodies to a large extent were very broadly reactive (multi-specific) and could be absorbed out with platelets. Rather surprisingly, development of monospecific antibodies reactive to the mismatched HLA antigens, even early in the transplant course, was uncommon. These observations necessitate a re-evaluation of “unacceptable” donor HLA antigens for second transplant recipients, especially since anti-HLA alloantibody formation lacked “private” specificity and was present in only half the recipients rejecting their allograft. Additionally, these observations make one wonder whether “public” specificities on the HI.A molecule arc important in transplant compatibility. Since only half the recipients rejecting their allografts developed these broadly reactive alloantibodies, it became important to analyze factors that could predispose to alloantibody formation. Previous transfusions, pregnancies, number of rejections, degree of HLA antigen mismatch and presence of autolymphocytotoxins did not appear to have a major influence. However, recipients with HLA—A3 and a mismatch at the B locus appeared to have a decreased likelihood of developing these antibodies.
Characterization of ion implantation through thin Ti metal layers on Si

Abstract Ion beam mixing of thin Ti films deposited on Si is investigated and its effect during subsequent thermal sintering determined. Both inert (Xe + ) and dopant (As + ) ions are used to intermix the metal films and Si substrate. The morphology of the suicide layer formed by this process and the structure of the silicide/Si interface is shown to be independent of the specific ions used for mixing. The structural differences observed are correlated to the electrical resistivity of the films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) including ion channeling are used to characterize the films.
Passive harmonic mode-locking of a soliton Yb fiber laser at repetition rates to 1.5 GHz

We report passive harmonic-mode-locking of an Yb-fiber laser at repetition rates continuously scalable to 1.5 GHz. This laser demonstrates an unprecedented combination of high repetition rate, high pulse energy and excellent pulse quality.
Systems biology of adipose tissue metabolism: regulation of growth, signaling and inflammation.

Adipose tissue (AT) depots actively regulate whole body energy homeostasis by orchestrating complex communications with other physiological systems as well as within the tissue. Adipocytes readily respond to hormonal and nutritional inputs to store excess nutrients as intracellular lipids or mobilize the stored fat for utilization. Co-ordinated regulation of metabolic pathways balancing uptake, esterification, and hydrolysis of lipids is accomplished through positive and negative feedback interactions of regulatory hubs comprising several pleiotropic protein kinases and nuclear receptors. Metabolic regulation in adipocytes encompasses biogenesis and remodeling of uniquely large lipid droplets (LDs). The regulatory hubs also function as energy and nutrient sensors, and integrate metabolic regulation with intercellular signaling. Over-nutrition causes hypertrophic expansion of adipocytes, which, through incompletely understood mechanisms, initiates a cascade of metabolic and signaling events leading to tissue remodeling and immune cell recruitment. Macrophage activation and polarization toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype drives a self-reinforcing cycle of pro-inflammatory signals in the AT, establishing an inflammatory state. Sustained inflammation accelerates lipolysis and elevates free fatty acids in circulation, which robustly correlates with development of obesity-related diseases. The adipose regulatory network coupling metabolism, growth, and signaling of multiple cell types is exceedingly complex. While components of the regulatory network have been individually studied in exquisite detail, systems approaches have rarely been utilized to comprehensively assess the relative engagements of the components. Thus, need and opportunity exist to develop quantitative models of metabolic and signaling networks to achieve a more complete understanding of AT biology in both health and disease. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:425–447. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1213 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest in relation to this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Fluid motion inside a spinning nutating cylinder

The incompressible three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations are solved numerically for a fluid-filled cylindrical cannister that is spinning and nutating. The motion of the cannister is characteristic of that experienced by spin-stabilized artillery projectiles. Equations for the internal fluid motion are derived in a non-inertial aeroballistic coordinate system. Steady-state numerical solutions are obtained by an iterative finite-difference procedure. Flow fields and liquid induced moments have been calculated for viscosities in the range of 0.9 × 104−1 × 109 cSt. The nature of the three-dimensional fluid motion inside the cylinder is discussed, and the moments generated by the fluid are explained. The calculated moments generally agree with experimental measurements.
BOTH THYROID HORMONE AND 9-CIS RETINOIC ACID RECEPTORS ARE REQUIRED TO EFFICIENTLY MEDIATE THE EFFECTS OF THYROID HORMONE ON EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIFIC GENE REGULATION IN XENOPUS LAEVIS

Tissue culture transfection and in vitro biochemical studies have suggested that heterodimers of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and 9-cis retinoic acid receptors (RXRs) are the likely in vivo complexes that mediate the biological effects of thyroid hormone, 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3). However, direct in vivo evidence for such a hypothesis has been lacking. We have previously reported a close correlation between the coordinated expression of TR and RXR genes and tissue-dependent temporal regulation of organ transformations during Xenopus laevis metamorphosis. By introducing TRs and RXRs either individually or together into developing Xenopus embryos, we demonstrate here that RXRs are critical for the developmental function of TRs. Precocious expression of TRs and RXRs together but not individually leads to drastic, distinct embryonic abnormalities, depending upon the presence or absence of T3, and these developmental effects require the same receptor domains as those required for transcriptional regulation by TR-RXR heterodimers. More importantly, the overexpressed TR-RXR heterodimers faithfully regulate endogenous T3 response genes that are normally regulated by T3 only during metamorphosis. That is, they repress the genes in the absence of T3 and activate them in the presence of the hormone. On the other hand, the receptors have no effect on a retinoic acid (RA) response gene. Thus, RA- and T3 receptor-mediated teratogenic effects in Xenopus embryos occur through distinct molecular pathways, even though the resulting phenotypes have similarities.
Distance-1 Constrained Channel Assignment in Single Radio Wireless Mesh Networks

This paper addresses channel assignment and random medium access design for single-radio multi-channel mesh networks. Two prior approaches include: (i) designing MAC protocols that dynamically select channels based on local information and (ii) partitioning the mesh into subnetworks with different channels and using 802.11 as the medium access protocol. Both of these approaches suffer from limited throughput improvement; the first approach due to wrong or incomplete channel state information that inherently arises in a multi-hop wireless environment, while the second approach due to high interference within each subnetwork. In this paper, we first introduce D1C-CA, Distance-1 Constrained Channel Assignment. D1C-CA statically assigns channels to a set of links as a function of physical connectivity, contention, and the unique gateway functionality of mesh networks, i.e, all Internet (non-local) traffic has a gateway node as its source or destination. To design D1C-CA, we model the channel assignment problem as a new form of graph edge coloring in which edges at distance one are constrained. We prove that the problem is NP-complete and design an efficient heuristic solution for mesh networks. Second, we design an asynchronous control-channel-based MAC protocol that solves multi-channel coordination problems and employs the proposed channel assignment algorithm. Finally, we investigate the performance of our approach through extensive simulations and show considerable performance improvements compared to alternate schemes.
Basophils function as antigen-presenting cells for an allergen-induced T helper type 2 response

T helper type 2 (T(H)2)-mediated immune responses are induced after infection with multicellular parasites and can be triggered by a variety of allergens. The mechanisms of induction and the antigen-presenting cells involved in the activation of T(H)2 responses remain poorly defined, and the innate immune sensing pathways activated by parasites and allergens are largely unknown. Basophils are required for the in vivo induction of T(H)2 responses by protease allergens. Here we show that basophils also function as antigen-presenting cells. We show that although dendritic cells were dispensable for allergen-induced activation of T(H)2 responses in vitro and in vivo, antigen presentation by basophils was necessary and sufficient for this. Thus, basophils function as antigen-presenting cells for T(H)2 differentiation in response to protease allergens.
Action potential repolarization and a fast after‐hyperpolarization in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells.

1. The repolarization of the action potential, and a fast after-hyperpolarization (a.h.p.) were studied in CA1 pyramidal cells (n = 76) in rat hippocampal slices (28-37 degrees C). Single spikes were elicited by brief (1-3 ms) current pulses, at membrane potentials close to rest (-60 to -70 mV). 2. Each action potential was followed by four after-potentials: (a) the fast a.h.p., lasting 2-5 ms; (b) an after-depolarization; (c) a medium a.h.p., (50-100 ms); and (d) a slow a.h.p. (1-2 s). Both the fast a.h.p. and the slow a.h.p. (but not the medium a.h.p.) were inhibited by Ca2+-free medium or Ca2+-channel blockers (Co2+, Mn2+ or Cd2+); but tetraethylammonium (TEA; 0.5-2 nM) blocked only the fast a.h.p., and noradrenaline (2-5 microM) only the slow a.h.p. This suggests that two Ca2+-activated K+ currents were involved: a fast, TEA-sensitive one (IC) underlying the fast a.h.p., and a slow noradrenaline-sensitive one (IAHP) underlying the slow a.h.p. 3. Like the fast a.h.p., spike repolarization seems to depend on a Ca2+-dependent K+ current of the fast, TEA-sensitive kind (IC). The repolarization was slowed by Ca2+-free medium, Co2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, or TEA, but not by noradrenaline. Charybdotoxin (CTX; 30 nM), a scorpion toxin which blocks the large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel in muscle, had a similar effect to TEA. The effects of TEA and Cd2+ (or Mn2+) showed mutual occlusion. Raising the external K+ concentration reduced the fast a.h.p. and slowed the spike repolarization, whereas Cl- loading of the cell was ineffective. 4. The transient K+ current, IA, seems also to contribute to spike repolarization, because: (a) 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 0.1 mM), which blocks IA, slowed the spike repolarization; (b) depolarizing pre-pulses, which inactivate IA, had a similar effect; (c) hyperpolarizing pre-pulses speeded up the spike repolarization; (d) the effects of 4-AP and pre-pulses persisted during Ca2+ blockade (like IA); and (e) depolarizing pre-pulses reduced the effect of 4-AP. 5. Pre-pulses or 4-AP broadened the spike less, and in a different manner, than Ca2+-free medium, Cd2+, Co2+, Mn2+, TEA or CTX. The former broadening was uniform, with little effect on the fast a.h.p., whereas the latter affected mostly the last two-thirds of the spike repolarization and abolished the fast a.h.p.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Long‐term preservation of a collection of Rhizoctonia solani using cryogenic storage

Rhizoctonia solani is an important plant pathogen for a number of crops and maintaining an extensive collection of reference isolates is important in understanding relationships of this pathogen with multiple hosts. Current long-term storage methods typically call for frequent transfer increasing the risk of changes in morphological, physiological or virulence characteristics. Cryopreservation using storage in liquid nitrogen (LN) was evaluated to examine the potential for storage of a R. solani culture collection containing 106 isolates (primarily from sugar beet). Cultures were stored on autoclaved barley grains in the vapour phase of LN. After 60 days, 5 years and 10 years in storage, all isolates were tested for viability by calculating the percentage of barley grains from which R. solani mycelia grew. Five years after initial storage, all isolates except one had no change in viability. After 10 years in storage, 67 of 106 isolates had no significant decrease in viability, 39 of 106 isolates had a significant decrease in viability but only 9 isolates had less than 10% growth, with 4 having no growth. A subset of isolates stored for 10 years were tested for pathogenicity on a susceptible (FC901) and resistant (FC703) sugar beet germplasm. All isolates tested maintained approximately the same level of virulence that they had prior to storage on both germplasms. This indicates that cryogenic methods are suitable for the preservation or storage of R. solani culture collections, although efficacy may vary with individual isolates.
A formal executable semantics of Verilog

This paper describes a formal executable semantics for the Verilog hardware description language. The goal of our formalization is to provide a concise and mathematically rigorous reference augmenting the prose of the official language standard, and ultimately to aid developers of Verilog-based tools; e.g., simulators, test generators, and verification tools. Our semantics applies equally well to both synthesizeable and behavioral designs and is given in a familiar, operational-style within a logic providing important additional benefits above and beyond static formalization. In particular, it is executable and searchable so that one can ask questions about how a, possibly nondeterministic, Verilog program can legally behave under the formalization. The formalization should not be seen as the final word on Verilog, but rather as a starting point and basis for community discussions on the Verilog semantics.
Contamination Studies of LaCl $_3$ :Ce Scintillators

Original lanthanum halide scintillators suffered significantly from internal alpha contamination due to 227Ac. As the effect of this contamination has been substantially reduced, and the crystal sizes have grown towards volumes that are useful for many applications, the effect of the gamma-, beta-, and x-ray-contamination due to 138 La in these materials has risen to the foreground. This paper discusses and quantifies the current status of lanthanum halide contamination. Included are comparisons with other internally-contaminated, commercially-available scintillators and computer simulation results to breakdown contamination versus background contributions. Although the high resolution of the lanthanum halides holds great promise, the internal activity clearly places limits on their superiority
Statins regulate interleukin-1β-induced RANKL and osteoprotegerin production by human gingival fibroblasts.

Stein SH, Dean IN, Rawal SY, Tipton DA. Statins regulate interleukin-1β - induced RANKL and osteoprotegerin production by human gingival fibroblasts. J Periodont Res 2011; 46: 483–490. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S Background and Objective: Three-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase competitive inhibitors, or ‘statins’, are widely used for lowering cholesterol and thereby reducing the risk of a heart attack. Recent data suggest that statins influence metabolic bone activity by their actions on three molecules: RANKL; RANK; and osteoprotegerin (OPG), the soluble decoy receptor for RANKL. The purpose of this study was to evaluate OPG and RANKL production in resting and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-activated human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), and to determine the effect of statins on their production. Material and Methods: Fibroblasts were pre-incubated with atorvastatin or simvastatin for 24 h in serum-free medium, and then incubated with IL-1β for 6 d. The concentration of OPG or RANKL in culture supernatants was measured by specific ELISA. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Scheffe’s F procedure for post hoc comparison. Results: IL-1β (1 × 10−8 m) stimulated a significant increase in the production of OPG on days 1, 3 and 6. There was a trend towards an increase in RANKL production as a result of stimulation with IL-1β. Both statins, at multiple concentrations, significantly increased the constitutive RANKL/OPG ratio. Only atorvastatin at the highest concentration (5 × 10−6 m) significantly increased the IL-1β-stimulated RANKL/OPG ratio. Conclusion: IL-1β significantly increased OPG production by HGFs. The statins differed minimally in their effects on OPG and RANKL production by resting and IL-1β-activated HGFs. Both statins increased constitutive RANKL/OPG ratios, but generally not IL-1β-stimulated ratios. Thus, statins may influence the production of RANKL and OPG by HGFs to favor bone catabolism, under noninflammatory conditions.
RNA binding strategies of ribosomal proteins

Structures of a number of ribosomal proteins have now been determined by crystallography and NMR, though the complete structure of a ribosomal protein-rRNA complex has yet to be solved. However, some ribosomal protein structures show strong similarity to well-known families of DNA or RNA binding proteins for which structures in complex with cognate nucleic acids are available. Comparison of the known nucleic acid binding mechanisms of these non-ribosomal proteins with the most highly conserved surfaces of similar ribosomal proteins suggests ways in which the ribosomal proteins may be binding RNA. Three binding motifs, found in four ribosomal proteins so far, are considered here: homeodomain-like alpha-helical proteins (L11), OB fold proteins (S1 and S17) and RNP consensus proteins (S6). These comparisons suggest that ribosomal proteins combine a small number of fundamental strategies to develop highly specific RNA recognition sites.
Tenascin is induced at implantation sites in the mouse uterus and interferes with epithelial cell adhesion

Expression of tenascin, an extracellular matrix protein associated with morphogenetic events and altered states of cellular adhesion, was examined in mouse uterus during the peri-implantation period. A uniform low level expression of tenascin was detected in stromal extracellular matrix during the estrous cycle and days 1 through 4 of early pregnancy. During the period of blastocyst attachment (day 4.5), an intense deposition of tenascin fibrils was located in the extracellular matrix of stroma immediately subjacent to the uterine epithelium surrounding the attaching blastocyst. This localized intensity of tenascin expression was both spatially and temporally restricted. By day 5.5, differentiation of stroma in the immediate area around the embryo to form the primary decidual zone was accompanied by a reduced amount of tenascin expression in the form of fragmented fibrils. Tenascin also could be induced by an artificial stimulus in uterine stroma of mice that had been hormonally prepared for implantation. The ability of artificial stimuli to induce tenascin expression suggested that the tenascin-inducing signals were derived from uterine cells, presumably lumenal epithelium, rather than embryonic cells. Consistent with this, conditioned medium from primary cultures of uterine epithelium was found to induce tenascin expression (2- to 4-fold) in isolated uterine stroma. Artificial stimuli generated a temporal pattern of tenascin expression similar to that observed during early pregnancy; however, in the artificially induced model, tenascin was induced in stroma immediately subjacent to lumenal epithelium along the entire length of the uterus. Purified tenascin and a recombinant tenascin fragment consisting of alternatively spliced fibronectin type III repeats, interfered with maintenance of uterine epithelial cell adhesion to Matrigel. In contrast, other recombinant tenascin fragments or fibronectin had no effect in this regard. Tenascin had no effect on adhesion of uterine stroma. Collectively, these results suggest that stimulation of TN expression in stromal extracellular matrix in vivo occurs via hormonally regulated, epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and serves as an early marker for uterine receptivity and the attachment phase of implantation. Furthermore, tenascin may facilitate embryo penetration by disrupting uterine epithelial cell adhesion to underlying basal lamina.
Petroleum Pollutants in Surface and Groundwater as Indicated by the Carbon-14 Activity of Dissolved Organic Carbon

The 14C activity of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can be used to distinguish between the fossil organic carbon due to petrochemical effluents and modern organic carbon due to domestic wastes and natural decaying organic matter. Rivers polluted by petrochemical effluents show varying amounts of depression of the DOC 14C activity, reflecting concentrations of 14C-deficient fossil carbon of as much as about 40 percent of the total DOC.
Organic matter and polyacrylamide amendment of Norfolk loamy sand

Loamy sand soils of the southeastern USA Coastal Plains often have poor physical properties because they contain cemented subsurface hard layers that restrict root development and yield. Their physical properties can be improved by adding amendments. Polyacrylamide (PAM) amendments and/or organic matter (OM) in the form of ground wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stubble or pecan (Carya illinoensis) branches were mixed into a blend of 90% E horizon and 10% Ap horizon (to assure microbial presence) obtained from a Norfolk soil (Acrisol or fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudult). We hypothesized that incorporation of these amendments would improve soil physical properties by reducing strength and improving aggregation. Amended treatments contained 450 g of soil, OM, and 30 or 120 mg kg 1 of PAM (12 mg mol 1 , anionic, and 35% charge density); treatments were incubated for 96 days at 10% (w/w) water content. Twice during the incubation period, treatments were leached with 1.3 pore volumes of deionized water. After leaching and equilibrating to stable water contents, treatments were analyzed for bulk densities and probed with a 5-mm diameter flat-tipped bench-top penetrometer to measure penetration resistances. Though penetration resistances increased for the highest level of PAM amendment, they showed no significancewhen both PAM and OM were added to the soil. When compared to controls, treatments with PAM at 120 mg kg 1 had decreased bulk densities. Treatments with both rates of PAM had decreased requirements for water needed to maintain treatments at 10% water contents. Aggregation increased with increasingamounts ofPAMbutshowednoconsistent trendwhenbothPAMandOMwereaddedtothesoil.BecausePAMincreased aggregation and water holding capacities in these coastal soils, it could reduce the need for deep tillage. However, more work needs to be done to determine an effective mix of PAM and OM. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Studies of the aging of nafion®/silicate nanocomposites using 29Si solid state NMR spectroscopy

Sol-gel reactions of tetraethylorthosilicate were conducted within the nanophase-separated morphology of Nafion® films to yield Nafion®/silicate nanocomposites. The chemical aging of silicate phase molecular structure when the nanocomposites were exposed to 1) ambient air, 2) applied heat, 3) liquid water, 4) methanol reflux, and 5) heated sulfuric acid was explored by means of 29 Si solid state NMR spectroscopy. In particular, the characteristic chemical shifts and relative intensities of peaks that identify Q n = (HO) 4-n Si(OSi) n molecular subunits in silicate structures were determined for samples exposed to these aging conditions. Shifts in the Q peak distribution reflected the evolution of degree of Si atom coordination about SiO 4 units. The coordination states are always Q 4 and Q 3 although a small Q 2 population is occasionally present. Thus, a significant degree of silicate phase coordination can develop despite constraints posed by the Nafion® medium. Percent Q 4 increases in all cases but then reaches a maximum after which it decreases, the greatest de-polymerization being for samples aged in water. The greatest increase in Q 4 relative to the un-aged control occurred for samples heated at 100°C. Exposure to ambient air produced changes in Q 4 that were small, but not insignificant. While the initial increase in Si atom substitution around SiO 4 units can be rationalized in terms of gradual condensation reactions between residual SiOH groups, accompanied by the liberation of water molecules and their removal from the site of the reaction, the eventual decrease in coordination is not currently understood.
The ImpacT of SkInner'S Verbal behaVior: a reSponSe To DymonD anD alonSo-Álvarez

In their reply to my recent article in this journal, “The Long Good-bye: Why B. F. Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Is Alive and Well on the 50th Anniversary of Its Publication” (Schlinger, 2008a), Dymond and Alonso-Alvarez (2010) assert that I neglected to mention a controversial debate within behavior analysis about the consistency of Skinner’s interpretation in Verbal Behavior (1957) and that I failed to acknowledge more recent accounts of verbal behavior, most notably, relational frame theory. Furthermore, these authors claim that Skinner’s book has had very little impact on empirical research. In responding to their concerns, I reiterate that the interpretation in Verbal Behavior is consistent with the extant principles of behavior and that it has generated both practical applications and empirical research.
Evaluation for Civil Commitment of Sex Offenders: A Survey of Experts

At this study’s commencement, 17 states had enacted sex offender civil commitment legislation. Although each statute outlines broad criteria that must be met, civil commitment evaluators are given considerable latitude in how to conduct their assessment. Forty-one experts who conduct sex offender civil commitment evaluations were surveyed to identify the usual practice of these evaluators. A great deal of agreement exists across experts regarding the conduct of sex offender civil commitment evaluations. However, these patterns appear quite different from the usual practice outlined in other types of forensic evaluations. Experts in sex offender civil commitment endorsed documentation as the core method for evaluation. The majority of evaluators reported the assessment of paraphilias, substance abuse, other Axis I disorders, Axis II disorders, and psychopathy as essential to the evaluation. Virtually all survey respondents utilized actuarial risk assessment measures, primarily the Static-99, in assessing for risk of future sexual violence. Although several approaches to assessing volitional impairment were described, the majority of respondents reported that a history of sex offending combined with a personality disorder or a paraphilia established the necessary link between mental abnormality and risk of future sexual violence. An overwhelming majority of experts indicated that it was essential for evaluators to report their ultimate opinion as to whether criteria had been met for civil commitment. Future research regarding the use and incorporation of documentation should be conducted to determine whether the heavy reliance on documentation is unique to sex offender civil commitment evaluations, or whether it is commonly used in other forensic evaluations.
Merging late Holocene molecular organic and foraminiferal‐based geochemical records of sea surface temperature in the Gulf of Mexico

[1] A molecular organic geochemical proxy (TEX86) for sea surface temperature (SST) is compared with a foraminifera-based SST proxy (Mg/Ca) in a decadal-resolution marine sedimentary record spanning the last 1000 years from the Gulf of Mexico. We assess the relative strengths of the organic and inorganic paleoceanographic techniques for reconstructing high-resolution SST variability during recent climate events, including the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). SST estimates based on the molecular organic proxy TEX86 show a similar magnitude and pattern of SST variability to foraminiferal Mg/Ca-SST estimates but with some important differences. For instance, both proxies show a cooling (1°C–2°C) of Gulf of Mexico SSTs during the LIA. During the MWP, however, Mg/Ca-SSTs are similar to near-modern SSTs, while TEX86 indicates SSTs that were cooler than modern. Using the respective SST calibrations for each proxy results in TEX86-SST estimates that are 2°C–4°C warmer than Mg/Ca-SST throughout the 1000 year record. We interpret the TEX86-SST as a summer-weighted SST signal from the upper mixed layer, whereas the Mg/Ca-SST better reflects the mean annual SST. Downcore differences in the SST estimates between the two proxies (ΔT = TEX86 − Mg/Ca) are interpreted in the context of varying seasonality and/or changing water column temperature gradients.
Ethanol and pentobarbital inhibition of intrasynaptosomal sequestration of calcium

Abstract Synaptic membranes sequester calcium by a nonmitochondrial, ATP-dependent mechanism. This process appears to be important in maintaining low intrasynaptosomal levels of ionized calcium. In vitro addition of ethanol or pentobarbital to synaptic membranes isolated from mouse brain inhibited this ATP-dependent calcium uptake. Ethanol inhibited the uptake in a concentration-dependent manner over the range of 50–1600 mM. The inhibitory effects of low concentrations of ethanol were enhanced by a reduction in the ionized calcium concentration. The effects of even the highest concentration of ethanol were completely reversed when the drug was removed from the membranes. The effects of ethanol and pentobarbital were temperature dependent. The drugs produced a significant inhibition of uptake at assay temperatures of 23–37°, but not at assay temperatures of 1–18°. A single injection of ethanol inhibited the ATP-dependent sequestration of calcium and reduced the sensitivity of the isolated membranes to in vitro ethanol exposure, which suggests the development of an acute tolerance. Compared with membranes from control mice, membranes from mice that were chronically ingesting ethanol accumulated less calcium and were tolerant to the in vitro effects of ethanol and pentobarbital. These results suggest that the known stimulatory effects of ethanol and pentobarbital on the resting release of neurotransmitters, and the development of tolerance to these effects, may be due to alterations in the intrasynaptosomal sequestration of calcium.
THz hot-electron photon counter

We discuss an implementation of a hot-electron transition-edge sensor (TES) capable of counting THz photons. The main need for such a THz calorimeter is spectroscopy on future space telescopes with a background limited NEP/spl sim/10/sup -20/ W/Hz/sup 1/2/. The micromachined bolometers will unlikely reach such sensitivity at temperatures above 10 mK. The hot-electron TES with sufficient sensitivity will still have a time constant /spl sim/0.1-1.0 ms that is too short for integrating a flux of THz background photons arriving at a rate of <100 s/sup -1/. The Hot-Electron Photon Counter based on a submicron-size superconducting Ti bridge with Nb Andreev contacts will be able to detect individual photons above 170 GHz due to its very low heat capacity. A discrimination of the low energy fluctuations with a threshold device would allow for realization of an NEP/spl sim/10/sup -20/ W/Hz/sup 1/2/ at /spl ges/1 THz while operating at 300 mK. With the sensor time constant of a few microseconds, the dynamic range is /spl sim/30-40 dB. A compact array of the antenna-coupled counters can be fabricated on a silicon wafer without membranes.