cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to activate a gene: decap its associated noncoding RNA.

Capped and polyadenylated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are shown to be degraded by a DCP2-mediated turnover mechanism by Geisler et al. (2012); this provides a new level of regulatory control for inducible genes by lncRNAs.
Interaction of dispersed phase with concentration polarization

The effect of a dispersed phase in reducing the concentration polarization in a membrane tube has been studied. The presence of a dispersed phase seems to have an effect in controlling the size of eddy formation and the rate of energy dissipation in the fluid medium. The role of eddy length and the energy dissipation rate on the mass transfer coefficient is discussed. Theoretical results obtained for the mass transfer coefficient and for the concentration polarization in the case of gelatin ultrafiltration are compared with the existing experimental results. The theoretical predictions seem to be in good agreement with the experimentally observed results.
Dynamic Compression of Rare Gases and Deuterium at High Pressures

Liquid He, Ar, Kr, Xe, and D2 are excellent electrical insulators near ambient pressure. However, at extreme conditions these initially transparent and insulating liquids become electrically conductive fluids with opacity to thermal radiation. Vladimir Fortov has made extensive measurements of equations of state, electrical conductivities, and optical opacities of these fluids at extreme conditions. Experimental results for these fluids at high dynamic pressures will be reviewed. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Vitamin D status modifies the association between statin use and musculoskeletal pain: A population based study

Abstract Background : Past studies examining the effect of vitamin D on statin myalgia have been variable; however, these studies were done in limited samples not representative of the general population. We aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D status modifies the association between statin use and musculoskeletal pain in a sample representative of the general population. Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2004. Musculoskeletal symptoms and statin use were self-reported. Vitamin D status was assessed using serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), categorized as Results : Among 5907 participants ≥40 years old, mean serum 25(OH)D was 23.6 ng/mL (95% CI, 22.9–24.3). In stratified multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, individuals with 25(OH)D Conclusion : Among adults ≥ 40 years old with 25(OH)D
Curvilinear crack layer propagation

An account is given of an experiment designed to allow observation of the effect of damage orientation on the direction of crack growth in the case of crack layer propagation, using polystyrene as the model material. The direction of crack advance under a given loading condition is noted to be determined by a competition between the tendency of the crack to maintain its current direction and the tendency to follow the orientation of the crazes at its tip. The orientation of the crazes is, on the other hand, determined by the stress field due to the interaction of the crack, the crazes, and the hole. The changes in craze rotation relative to the crack define the active zone rotation.
Template synthesis of carbon nanotubule and nanofiber arrays

Abstract We have prepared arrays of carbon nanotubes, capped nanotubes and nanofibrils with a nominal outer diameter of 200 nm and length of 60 μm. This was accomplished via the polymerization of acrylonitrile within the pores of aluminum oxide membranes. After polymerization, a series of heat treating conditions converts the polymer structure into a quasi-graphitic structure. These carbon nanostructures were imaged by scanning electron microscopy, and their structure will be shown to be strongly reflective of the porous aluminum oxide host, monodisperse and cylindrical.
'Many paths to partial truths:' archives, anthropology, and the power of representation

This essay compares thinking about anthropology and archives, in light of recent postmodern analysis. While many in the social sciences and humanities have been considering issues of representation, objectivity, and power, archival thinking has remined largely isolated from this broader intellectual landscape, and archival practice has remained curiously bound up in modes of thought and practice distinctly rooted in nineteenth-century positivism. Archivists have even resisted the efforts of those within their own ranks to challenge this isolation and re-situate the premises of archival identity in this newer and larger intellectual context. This essay suggests that archivists can draw meaningful comparisons by reading outside their field in disciplines, such as anthropology, with which archives shares key features, such as concern with issues of representation, description, and culture. In this essay, select anthropological writings throughout the last century are examined against a backdrop of trends in archival thinking, contrasting the tumultuous epistemological debate within anthropology with the relative calm in the archival profession. This contrast is strikingly embodied by the coincidence of the publication, in 1922, and both in London, of leading theorists from both fields: Bronislaw Malinowski and Hilary Jenkinson. The essay suggests that, in order to remain relevant and conversant with their partners and stakeholders, archivists must take the matter of their isolation seriously, exercise more comparative self-reflection, and devise practical ways to do archival work without the positivist blinders of the past.
Decoupling the dependence of rheological/mechanical properties of hydrogels from solids concentration

Abstract Hydrogels are being increasingly used in medicine due to their potential to be delivered into the body in a minimally invasive manner (e.g. injection in solution form) for subsequent gelation at the site of introduction. Both the flow properties of the solution and mechanical properties of the gels are critical to their applications. However, both properties depend on the concentration of polymer, and simply increasing the concentration to improve the gel properties often leads to unacceptably high fluid viscosities. Thus, we hypothesized that hydrogels with a bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD) (i.e. a mixture of high MW polymer and polymer tailored to have a lower MW but still able to participate in gel formation) would allow one to readily decouple the dependence of the two properties from the overall concentration. This hypothesis was investigated using alginate hydrogels, and we found that increasing the concentration of alginate (Calginate) with high MW alginate from 2 to 5% raised the viscosity (η) of solution from 0.7 to 20 Pa s, while enhancing the shear modulus (G) from 25 to 50 kPa. In contrast, increasing Calginate of binary solutions at a weight fraction of high MW alginate of 0.50 raised η from 0.2 to only 3.6 Pa s, while enhancing G from 15 to 52 kPa. Strikingly, the low η of binary solutions can be attributed to a significant decrease in physical interactions between the chains, while strong gel strength could be attributed to an increased fraction of intermolecular cross-links and stiffened molecules as compared to gels comprised of high MW alginates. This approach of adjusting the MWD of gel forming solutions to control the fluid and solid properties in an independent manner may be broadly utilized in designing other hydrogels and materials for a variety of applications.
Parallel versus serial processing and individual differences in high-speed search in human memory.

Many mental tasks that involve operations on a number of items take place within a few hundred milliseconds. In such tasks, whether the items are processed simultaneously (in parallel) or sequentially (serially) has long been of interest to psychologists. Although certain types of parallel and serial models have been ruled out, it has proven extremely difficult to entirely separate reasonable serial and limitedcapacity parallel models on the basis of typical data. Recent advances in theory-driven methodology now permit strong tests of serial versus parallel processing in such tasks, in ways that bypass the capacity issue and that are distribution and parameter free. We employ new methodologies to assess serial versus parallel processing and find strong evidence for pure serial or pure parallel processing, with some striking apparent differences across individuals and interstimulus conditions.
DISTRIBUTED MULTI-REASONING MECHANISM TO SUPPORT CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN

The conceptual phase of structural design involves selecting preliminary materials, selecting the overall structural form of the building, producing a rough dimensional layout, and considering technological possibilities. Decisions are made on the basis of such information as height of the building, building use, typical live load, wind velocity, earthquake loading, design fundamental period, design acceleration, maximum lateral deflection, spans, story height, and other client requirements. More detailed information about the task itself, constraints, possible solution principles, and known solutions for similar problems is extremely useful in the process of defining and finding a solution to the design problem. This paper presents the M-RAM, which is intended to assist engineers in the conceptual phase of the structural design of tall buildings by providing designers with adapted past design solutions generated by a distributed multi-reasoning mechanism. The objective of the M-RAM (Multi-Reasoning Model...
Vascular endothelial growth factor and dexamethasone release from nonfouling sensor coatings affect the foreign body response

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and dexamethasone (DX) release from hydrogel coatings were examined as a means to modify tissue inflammation and induce angiogenesis. Antibiofouling hydrogels for implantable glucose sensor coatings were prepared from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N-vinyl pyrrolidinone, and polyethylene glycol. Microdialysis sampling was used to test the effect of the hydrogel coating on glucose recovery. VEGF-releasing hydrogel-coated fibers increased vascularity and inflammation in the surrounding tissue after 2 weeks of implantation compared to hydrogel-coated fibers. DX-releasing hydrogel-coated fibers reduced inflammation compared to hydrogel-coated fibers and had reduced capsule vascularity compared to VEGF-releasing hydrogel-coated fibers. Hydrogels that released both VEGF and DX simultaneously also showed reduced inflammation at 2 weeks implantation; however, no enhanced vessel formation was observed indicating that the DX diminished the VEGF effect. At 6 weeks, there were no detectable differences between drug-releasing hydrogel-coated fibers and control fibers. From this study, hydrogel drug release affected initial events of the foreign body response with DX inhibiting VEGF, but once the drug depot was exhausted these effects disappeared.
Hand it over or set it down: A user study of object delivery with an assistive mobile manipulator

Delivering an object to a user would be a generally useful capability for service robots. Within this paper, we look at this capability in the context of assistive object retrieval for motor-impaired users. We first describe a behavior-based system that enables our mobile robot EL-E to autonomously deliver an object to a motor-impaired user. We then present our evaluation of this system with 8 motor-impaired patients from the Emory ALS Center. As part of this study, we compared handing the object to the user (direct delivery) with placing the object on a nearby table (indirect delivery). We tested the robot delivering a cordless phone, a medicine bottle, and a TV remote, which were ranked as three of the top four most important objects for robotic delivery by ALS patients in a previous study. Overall, the robot successfully delivered these objects in 126 out of 144 trials (88%) with a success rate of 97% for indirect delivery and 78% for direct delivery. In an accompanying survey, participants showed high satisfaction with the robot with 4 people preferring direct delivery and 4 people preferring indirect delivery. Our results indicate that indirect delivery to a surface can be a robust and reliable delivery method with high user satisfaction, and that robust direct delivery will require methods that handle diverse postures and body types.
Are we barking up the right tree? Evaluating a comparative approach to personality

Animal studies can enrich the field of human personality psychology by addressing questions that are difficult or impossible to address with human studies alone. However, the benefits of a comparative approach to personality cannot be reaped until the tenability of the personality construct has been established in animals. Using criteria established in the wake of the person–situation debate (Kenrick & Funder, 1988), the authors evaluate the status of personality traits in animals. The animal literature provides strong evidence that personality does exist in animals. That is, personality ratings of animals: (a) show strong levels of interobserver agreement, (b) show evidence of validity in terms of predicting behaviors and real-world outcomes, and (c) do not merely reflect the implicit theories of observers projected onto animals. Although much work remains to be done, the preliminary groundwork has been laid for a comparative approach to personality.
PATTERNS OF NUCLEOTIDE DIVERSITY IN TWO SPECIES OF MIMULUS ARE AFFECTED BY MATING SYSTEM AND ASYMMETRIC INTROGRESSION

Abstract The evolutionary transition from outcrossing to self-fertilization has far-reaching implications for patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity and the potential for speciation. Using DNA sequence variation at two nuclear loci, we examined the divergence history of two closely related species of Mimulus. To investigate the effects of mating system and introgressive hybridization on the outcrossing M. guttatus and the selfing M. nasutus, we inspected nucleotide diversity within and between natural populations spanning the species' geographic ranges. High sequence similarity among populations of the selfing M. nasutus points to a single evolutionary origin for the species. Consistent with their distinct mating systems, all genetic variation in M. nasutus is distributed among populations, whereas M. guttatus exhibits appreciable levels of nucleotide diversity within populations. Silent genetic diversity is extensive in M. guttatus (mean θsil/site = 0.077) and greatly exceeds the predicted twofold e...
Transcription factors are required for the meiotic recombination hotspot at the HIS4 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract The full activity of a recombination initiation site located 5' of HIS4 requires the binding of the transcription factors RAP1, BAS1, and BAS2. Two RAP1 binding sites can substitute for the wild-type initiation site. A 51-bp region of telomeric DNA inserted upstream of either HIS4 or ARG4 very strongly stimulates recombination. We suggest that the ability of transcription factors to induce recombination is a consequence of an altered chromatin structure that favors the entry of proteins that initiate recombination, rather than an effect of these factors on transcription.
Photoacoustic Detection of Melanoma Micrometastasis in Sentinel Lymph Nodes

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and has the fastest growth rate of all cancer types. Proper staging of melanoma is required for clinical management. One method of staging melanoma is performed by taking a sentinel node biopsy, in which the first node in the lymphatic drainage path of the primary lesion is removed and tested for the presence of melanoma cells. Current standard of care typically involves taking fewer than ten histologic sections of the node out of the hundreds of possible sections available in the tissue. We have developed a photoacoustic method that probes the entire intact node. We acquired a lymph node from a healthy canine subject. We cultured a malignant human melanoma cell line HS 936. Approximately 1 X 10 6 cells were separated and injected into the lymph node. We also had a healthy lymph node in which no melanoma cells were implanted. We used a tunable laser system set at 532 nm to irradiate the lymph nodes. Three piezoelectric acoustic detectors were positioned near the lymph node to detect photoacoustic pulses generated within the lymph nodes. We also acquired lymph nodes from pigs and repeated the experiments with increased amplification and improved sensors. We detected photoacoustic responses from a lymph node with as few as 500 melanoma cells injected into the tissue, while normal lymph nodes showed no response. Photoacoustic generation can be used to detect melanoma micrometastasis in sentinel lymph nodes. This detection can be used to guide further histologic study of the node, increasing the accuracy of the sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE are associated with early wheeze and atopy in an inner-city birth cohort.

Background The relationships between cockroach and mouse allergen exposure, anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE, and wheeze, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in children as young as age 3 years are of public health importance but have not been thoroughly evaluated. Objective We hypothesized that inner-city children might have anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE by age 3 years, and their presence would be associated with respiratory and atopic symptoms. Methods Children were followed prospectively from birth through age 3 years (n = 404). Residential levels of cockroach and mouse allergens, sera levels of anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE, and parental report of wheeze, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis were measured. Results The odds of early wheeze were significantly higher among children who had IgE to cockroach (odds ratio [OR], 3.3; 95% CI, 1.8-6.2), mouse (OR, 4.6; 95% CI, 2.3-9.0), or both (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 3.4-27.3). The odds of rhinitis or atopic dermatitis were also higher among children with IgE to cockroach, mouse, or both. Higher IgE class to cockroach and mouse was associated with wheeze and atopic dermatitis (tests for trend, P Conclusions Children age 2 to 3 years who have anti-cockroach and anti-mouse IgE are at increased risk of wheeze and atopy. Moreover, a dose-response relationship was found between higher IgE class and increased prevalence of wheeze, rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis. These findings indicate the importance of reducing exposure to cockroach and mouse allergens for susceptible children.
CULTURE AND HISTORY: ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE

. In this essay I respond to John Caiazza's claim for the primacy of what he calls techno-secularism for understanding twentieth-century history. Using the examples of the Taiping Rebellion in nineteenth-century China and Zionism in twentieth-century Europe, I argue that the range of Caiazza's schema is confined solely to the Protestant West with little applicability to other national histories. I argue further for the lack of clarity and therefore the uselessness of the dichotomy of the secular and the religious for understanding human history. I claim instead that, while the category of technology and the institutions of religion are important determiners in human history, they need to be subsumed, without special status, within a broader set of interrelated factors called “culture.” I appeal for the academic study of science and religion to give primacy for the near future to the history of science and religion over both theology and science.
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION MECHANISMS IN SULFUR OXIDATION BY CHEMOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA

Aspects of the biochemistry of the oxidation of inorganic sulfur compounds are discussed in thiobacilli but chiefly inThiobacillus denitrificans. Almost all of the thiobacilli (e.g. T. denitrificans, T. neapolitanus, T. novellus, andThiobacillus A 2) were capable of producing approximately 7.5 moles of sulfuric acid aerobically from 3.75 moles of thiosulfate per gram of cellular protein per hr. By far the most prolific producer of sulfuric acid (or sulfates) from the anaerobic thiosulfate oxidation with nitrates wasT. denitrificans which was capable of producing 15 moles of sulfates from 7.5 moles of thiosulfate with concomitant reduction of 12 moles of nitrate resulting in the evolution of 6 moles of nitrogen gas/g protein/hr. The oxidation of sulfide was mediated by the flavo-protein system and cytochromes ofb, c, o, anda-type. This process was sensitive to flavoprotein inhibitors, antimycin A, and cyanide. The aerobic thiosulfate oxidation on the other hand involved cytochromec : O2 oxidoreductase region of the electron transport chain and was sensitive to cyanide only. The anaerobic oxidation of thiosulfate byT. denitrificans, however, was severely inhibited by the flavoprotein inhibitors because of the splitting of the thiosulfate molecule into the sulfide and sulfite moieties produced by the thiosulfate-reductase. Accumulation of tetrathionate and to a small extent trithionate and pentathionate occurred during anaerobic growth ofT. denitrificans. These polythionates were subsequently oxidized to sulfate with the concomitant reduction of nitrate to N2. Intact cell suspensions catalyzed the complete oxidation of sulfide, thiosulfate, tetrathionate, and sulfite to sulfate with the stoichiometric reduction of nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide to nitrogen gas thus indicating that NO2 −, NO, and N2O are the possible intermediates in the denitrification of nitrate. This process was mediated by the cytochrome electron transport chain and was sensitive to the electron transfer inhibitors. The oxidation of sulfite involved cytochrome-linked sulfite oxidase as well as the APS-reductase pathways. The latter was absent inT. novellus andThiobacillus A 2. In all of the thiobacilli the inner as well as the outer sulfur atoms of thiosulfate were oxidized at approximately the same rate by intact cells. The sulfide oxidation occurred in two stages: (a) a cellular-membrane-associated initial and rapid oxidation reaction which was dependent upon sulfide concentration, and (b) a slower oxidation reaction stage catalyzed by the cellfree extracts, probably involving polysulfides. InT. novellus andT. neapolitanus the oxidation of inorganic sulfur compounds is coupled to energy generation through oxidative phosphorylation, however, the reduction of pyridine nucleotides by sulfur compounds involved an energy-linked reversal of electron transfer.
Toward a phenomenology of feelings

Our understanding of emotion cannot be complete without an understanding of feelings, the experiential aspect of emotion. Despite their importance, little effort has been devoted to the careful apprehension of feelings. Based on our apprehension of many randomly selected moments of pristine inner experience, we present a preliminary phenomenology of feelings. We begin by observing that often feelings occur as directly experienced phenomena of awareness; however, often no feelings are present in experience, or if they are present, they are too faint to be observed by a process intended to observe them. Feelings range from vague to distinct and sometimes do, but other times do not, include bodily sensations. When bodily sensations are present, there is a wide range of clarity and location of these sensations. Sometimes people experience multiple distinct feelings and sometimes people experience one feeling that is a mix or blend of different feelings. We also discuss what feelings are not, including instances when feelings do not appear to be present, despite evidence suggesting the presence of underlying emotional processes (e.g., behavioral evidence of emotion). These instances of emotion but not feeling lead us to speculate that experiencing feelings is a skill developed over time through an interaction of interpersonal and intrapersonal events.
Human erythrocyte membranes contain a cytochrome b561 that may be involved in extracellular ascorbate recycling.

Human erythrocytes contain an unidentified plasma membrane redox system that can reduce extracellular monodehydroascorbate by using intracellular ascorbate (Asc) as an electron donor. Here we show that human erythrocyte membranes contain a cytochrome b561 (Cyt b561) and hypothesize that it may be responsible for this activity. Of three evolutionarily closely related Cyts b561, immunoblots of human erythrocyte membranes showed only the duodenal cytochrome b561 (DCytb) isoform. DCytb was also found in guinea pig erythrocyte membranes but not in erythrocyte membranes from the mouse or rat. Mouse erythrocytes lost a majority of the DCytb in the late erythroblast stage during erythropoiesis. Absorption spectroscopy showed that human erythrocyte membranes contain an Asc-reducible b-type Cyt having the same spectral characteristics as recombinant DCytb and biphasic reduction kinetics, similar to those of the chromaffin granule Cyt b561. In contrast, mouse erythrocytes did not exhibit Asc-reducible b-type Cyt activity. Furthermore, in contrast to mouse erythrocytes, human erythrocytes much more effectively preserved extracellular Asc and transferred electrons from intracellular Asc to extracellular ferricyanide. These results suggest that the DCytb present in human erythrocytes may contribute to their ability to reduce extracellular monodehydroascorbate.
Direct Methods of Calculus of Variations

The variational principles allow one to investigate the properties of the minimizing/stationary elements without the use of differential equations. Such methods of studying the solutions are called direct. The direct methods are especially effective in cases when the functional of the variational problem has only one stationary point, and this stationary point is either the maximum or the minimum of the functional.
Mood disorder with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia with mood features: Trouble at the borders

Psychiatry has long struggled with the problem of how to understand the relationship between psychotic symptoms and mood symptoms. In the past, these debates were over conceptualizations of categories based on syndromal definitions of mental illnesses. Ample data now exists that provide insight into the biologic basis for syndromal distinctions. We examine the syndromes of mood disorder with psychotic features, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia with mood features, reviewing their classification, clinical features, course, and treatment. We provide evidence that, clinically, mood disorders and schizophrenia do not separate neatly. We will also review data arising from studies in brain imaging, molecular neurobiology, and genetics. Evidence is accumulating that overlap across diagnostic boundaries for both pathologic and etiologic factors exist, along with disorder-specific factors. The nosology that will carve the reality of psychotic illness at the joints awaits further advances in genetics and neurobiology. Or, alternatively, carving out categories may turn out to be less useful for some purposes than considering dimensions.
Comparative PRNP genotyping of U.S. cattle sires for potential association with BSE.

The recent discovery of significant associations between bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) susceptibility in German cattle and the frequency distributions of insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphisms within the bovine PRNP gene prompted an evaluation of 132 commercial U.S. artificial insemination (AI) sires from 39 breeds. Forward primer sequences from published primer sets targeting indels within the putative bovine PRNP promoter, intron 1, and the 3′ UTR (untranslated region) were synthesized with unique 5′ fluorescent labels and utilized to develop a rapid multiplexed PCR assay for identifying BSE-associated indels as well as facilitating polymorphism analyses and/or marker-assisted selection. Significant differences (p < 0.05 all tests) were detected between the frequencies of bovine PRNP promoter alleles for 48 healthy German cattle previously described and 132 commercial U.S. cattle sires. The frequency of the 23-bp promoter allele observed for commercial U.S. cattle sires strongly resembled that recently described for 43 BSE-affected German cattle. No significant difference (p = 0.051) was detected between the distributions of promoter genotypes for healthy German cattle and our panel of commercial U.S. cattle sires. Interestingly, significant differences (p < 0.01; p < 0.02) were also noted between the frequencies and distributions of intron 1 alleles and genotypes, respectively, for BSE-affected German cattle and our panel of U.S. cattle sires. No significant allelic or genotypic differences were detected for the 14-bp 3′ UTR indel for any given comparison between German cattle and commercial U.S. cattle sires.
Fatty Acids Differentially Modulate Insulin-Stimulated Endothelial Nitric Oxide Production by an Akt-Independent Pathway

Background Insulin increases endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) through protein kinase B (Akt)-mediated phosphorylation of serine residue 1179 (p-eNOS serine 1179). Because fatty acids modulate insulinstimulated Akt signaling cascades in smooth muscle cells, we hypothesized that fatty acids would differentially regulate endothelial Akt signaling, eNOS phosphorylation, and NO production. Methods Porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) were treated for 3 hours with 100 μM oleic (18:1) or eicosapentaenoic (20:5) acids or with an equivalent volume of ethanol vehicle (0.1%). PAECs were then treated with graded concentrations (10 −9 -10 −5 M) of insulin or incubated overnight (24 hours) in culture medium without fatty acids before insulin treatment. Activation and phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS were determined by immunoblotting. NO production was measured with a chemiluminescence NO analyzer or with a NO-selective carbon fiber microelectrode. Results Insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation, eNOS phosphorylation, and NO production. The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin attenuated insulin-stimulated Akt activation and NO production. Treatment with the ω-3 fatty acid 20:5, but not 18:1, enhanced insulin-stimulated NO production but failed to alter insulin-stimulated Akt activation or eNOS serine 1179 phosphorylation. Conclusion Individual fatty acyl species have distinct effects on insulin-stimulated endothelial NO production. Although fatty acids alter Akt signaling in muscle cells, the current results indicate that fatty acids do not modulate endothelial NO production through alterations in insulin-stimulated, Akt-mediated eNOS phosphorylation.
An MPEG-4 XMT scene structure algorithm for authentication and copyright protection

With the emerging technology of the MPEG-4 XMT standard, highly and efficiently compressed MPEG-4 scenes, which can include images, video, audio, and 3D objects, can be easily built using the text-based XMT format. XMT allows content authors to exchange their content with other authors, tools, or service providers and facilitates interoperability with MPEG-4, X3D and SMIL. In order for authors and designers to protect their work, some form of security needs to be applied to the MPEG-4 XMT structure. Unlike images or videos, watermarking an XMT structure is not an easy task, since the structure contains no noise components to embed the watermark, and if the watermark was embedded, it can be easily detected and removed. This paper is the first one proposing a robust algorithm for authentication and protection of MPEG-4 XMT structured scenes.
Measurements of the Prevalence of Viral Infections

Viral diseases exert their major impact through morbidity, impairment of personal health, loss of time at work and school, and cost of medical care. Relatively few of the known viruses cause a significant number of deaths; influenza, childhood viral pneumonia, and hepatitis are the only viral diseases causing more than 1,000 deaths per year. Data based on the National Health Interview Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics show that the common cold annually causes 35.6 acute illnesses per 100 persons. The data reported by the National Therapeutic Disease Index (on the basis of visits by patients to a sample of 1,500 private physicians) show that influenza and other acute respiratory conditions account for about one-third of all visits to physicians. Nearly all viruses first infect humans in infancy and childhood, with a relatively low fatality rate but with frequent episodes of illness.
Familial Mediterranean Fever: An Unusual Case Presentation.

Abstract Background Familial Mediterranean Fever is a heritable illness typically characterized by recurrent fevers and serositis. Triggers of this illness include many things, such as cold or stress. Case This case describes a teenager who initially presented to the gynecologist office because of recurrent fevers with menses. Because she only had symptoms with menses, was healthy between attacks, and met the Livneh criteria, treatment with colchicine and combined oral contraceptive pills was initiated, with improvement of her symptoms. Summary and Conclusion There are multiple etiologies for febrile illness during menses, and one should consider familial Mediterranean fever as a possible cause of cyclic fevers.
Connexin 26 is Abnormally Expressed in Bladder Cancer

ABSTRACTPurpose: Connexin 26 is the major gap junction protein in urothelial and mammary epithelial cells, and a putative tumor suppressor gene. We evaluated connexin 26 expression in normal urothelium and in bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: A total of 40 formalin fixed, paraffin embedded bladder tumors and 5 normal urothelial specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Two observers visually scored connexin 26 expression in these specimens.Results: Normal urothelium expressed connexin 26 in a punctate staining pattern with limited expression in the basal layer. Decreased connexin 26 expression was observed in 28 of 40 tumors (70%). Connexin 26 was diffusely expressed in 5 of 18 low grade, noninvasive tumors (28%), whereas loss of expression was observed in heterogeneous (30% to 70% positive staining) or extensive (less than 30% positive staining) fashion in 8 (44%) and 5 (28%), respectively. Seven of 22 high grade or invasive tumors (32%) showed diffuse connexin 26 expression, whereas expressio...
Central pattern generation underlying Limulus rhythmic behavior patterns

Many behavioral activities of the horseshoe crab Limulus are rhythmic, and most of these are produced in large part by central pattern generators within the CNS. The chain of opisthosomal (‘abdominal’) ganglia controls gill movements of ventilation and gill cleaning, and the prosomal ring of fused ganglia (brain and segmental ‘thoracic’ ganglia) controls generation of feeding and locomotor movements of the legs. Both the opisthosomal CNS and the prosomal CNS can generate behaviorally appropriate patterns of motor output in isolation, without movements or sensory input. Preparations of the isolated opisthosomal CNS generate rhythmic output patterns of motor activity characterized as fictive ventilatory and gill cleaning rhythms. Moreover, CNS preparations also express longer-term patterns, such as intermittent ventilation or sequential bouts of ventilation and gill cleaning. Such longer-term patterns are commonly observed in intact animals. The isolated prosomal CNS does not spontaneously generate the activity patterns characteristic of walking, swimming, and feeding. However, perfusion of octopamine in the isolated prosomal CNS activates central pattern generators underlying rhythmic chewing movements, and injection of octopamine into intact Limulus promotes the chewing pattern of feeding, whether or not food is presented. Our understanding of the ability of neuromodulators such as octopamine to elicit or alter central motor programs may help to clarify the central neural circuits of pattern generation that produce and coordinate these rhythmic behaviors [Current Zoology 56 (5): 537–549, 2010].
Effective Marginal Tax Rates, Part 2: Reality

This article concludes a two-part series on effective marginal tax rates (EMTRs) and the U.S. individual income tax system. The EMTR is the change in tax liability that occurs when an additional dollar of income, here taken to be labor income, is earned. In an income tax system, the EMTR measures the impact of taxes on the incentive to earn. The first article reviewed theoretical issues regarding the potential impact of tax policy on EMTRs and how to calculate EMTRs. This article examines particular items within the current system that cause the EMTR to deviate from the statutory rate structure. Also, we explore how some recent proposals would affect EMTRs, and offer some general policy recommendations.
Abrol, D. P. [ed.]. 2014. Integrated Pest Management: Current Concepts and Ecological Perspective

Abrol, D. P. [ed.]. 2014. Integrated Pest Management: Current Concepts and Ecological Perspective. Academic Press, San Diego, California, 561 pp. ISBN 978-0-12-398529-3, US$99.95 (hardback) The integrated pest management (IPM) concept is interpreted in various ways, but it usually means the application of different pest management tactics simultaneously or sequentially, and quite often emphasizes population sampling, and decision-making based on economic projections. This book provides little of these traditional approaches. Instead, the authors mostly treat individual tactics, with only a small number of chapters (e.g., management of mites, or of rodents) discussing the potential of using multiple tactics. Similarly, with the exception of population forecasting models and use of pheromones, pest population sampling/monitoring and the economics of pest management are notably absent. In the ‘Preface’, the editor described the contents as “chapters on diverse aspects of integrated pest management,” and he certainly delivered on this promise. So although this book did not meet my expectations, it contains some valuable contributions. View this article in BioOne
The GIPS Standards: Not Just for Asset Managers

“Reporting performance according to a globally recognized, ethical-best-practice standard is simply good governance.”
Galaxy Micro Systems Supplement

This supplement to "Galaxy Micro Systems" (UVA-QA-0394) provides sales forecasts (in a cumulative probability-distribution forecast) that are consistent with the discrete forecasts of the main case.
The Second ‘Golden Rule’: Caring for Society's Disadvantaged

The Bible is concerned with the plight of disadvantaged members of society. Many of its precepts deal with various categories of downtrodden individuals: the impoverished, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. This paper examines the meaning and implications of these precepts and pays particular attention to the stranger. This paper posits that the stranger includes all kinds of oppressed and exploited individuals such as: the foreigner, members of other races, unattractive and/or overweight people, the handicapped, those wearing strange clothing such as a hijab or turban, and those of different sects or religions. Furthermore, the prosperity of a nation is contingent on embracing of all kinds of strangers in its midst. A society built on selfishness, intolerance, and greed cannot sustain itself.
Randomized Sequential Individual Assignment in Social Experiments: Evaluating the Design Options Prospectively.

Many randomized experiments in the social sciences allocate subjects to treatment arms at the time the subjects enroll. Desirable features of the mechanism used to assign subjects to treatment arms...
The Role of Historically Black Medical Schools in Expanding the Purview of Bioethics.

Important to Danis and colleagues' (2016) call for bioethicists to lend their expertise to address institutional and systemic racism is a committed partnership and collaboration with historically b...
Psychologizing the “Finder-Seeker” Creator Typology: Relations between the Creative Approach Questionnaire (CAPPQ) and other Measures

To better understand Galenson's (2001, 2006) “finder-seeker” typology of creative persons, we tested 111 undergraduates, correlating measures of each category (finder and seeker) with established psychological measures. Each participant received both a finder and a seeker score based on responses to the Creative Approach Questionnaire (CAppQ), refined by Rasch statistical analysis. Finder and seeker scores were themselves uncorrelated across participants, suggesting that Galenson's two types represent orthogonal dimensions rather than distinct categories. Higher finder scores were related to lower scores on need for cognition and Eastern thinking styles; higher seeker scores were related to higher scores on ambiguity tolerance and verbal and figural divergent thinking performance, as well as lower scores on need for cognitive closure and Western thinking styles. Most of these correlational results held when reanalyzed by stepwise regression. These findings suggest Galenson's finder-seeker typology is amen...
Chronic Treatment With P2-Purinergic Receptor Agonists Induces Phenotypic Modulation of the HL-60 and U937 Human Myelogenous Leukemia Cell Lines

In previous studies we have demonstrated that extracellular ATP (and UTP), acting through P2-purinergic receptors, can stimulate the inositol phospholipid signaling system in neutrophils and monocytes, as well as in neutrophil/monocyte progenitor cells. In this study we have examined the ability of extracellular nucleotides to modulate the phenotype of myelomonocytic progenitor cells. As model systems, we utilized the established HL-60 promyelocytic and U937 promonocytic human cell lines which were cultured in the continuous presence of nucleotides known to be potent agonists for P2-purinergic receptors. When cultured for 5 days with ATP gamma S (a phosphatase resistant analog of ATP) plus 10% fetal bovine serum, both HL-60 cells and U937 cells expressed several (but not all) phenotypic characteristics of differentiated phagocytes. In HL-60 cells these characteristics were (1) increased intracellular calcium mobilization in response to formylated chemotactic peptides, (2) a reduction in cell size with a decreased nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, (3) a sharply reduced rate of proliferation, (4) a reduction in the percentage of cells expressing surface transferrin receptors, and (5) an increase in the percentage of cells expressing the type 1 complement receptor (CR1). In U937 cells these characteristics were (1) increased intracellular calcium mobilization in response to formylated chemotactic peptides and platelet activating factor, (2) a reduced rate of proliferation, (3) a reduction in the percentage of cells expressing surface transferrin receptors, and (4) increases in the percentage of cells expressing both type 1 (CR1) and type 3 (CR3) complement receptors. During the first 12-24 hr after exposure to ATP gamma S, HL-60 cells showed no obvious changes in morphology, viability, or the levels of beta-actin mRNA, but did show (1) a 4-fold increase in chemotactic peptide-induced Ca2+ mobilization, and (2) a greater than 90% decrease in c-myc mRNA levels. Significantly, when HL-60 cells were treated under serum-free conditions, the ability of ATP to enhance expression of functional FMLP receptors could be dissociated from the inhibitory effects of adenine nucleotides on cell proliferation observed in serum containing media. Moreover, treatment of serum-free HL-60 cultures with UTP, another P2-purinergic receptor agonist, also resulted in enhanced expression of functional FMLP receptors.
Ectopic Breast Tissue With Lactational Changes Presenting as Perianal Mass: A Case Report

Supernumerary breasts or nipples, polymastia and polythelia, respectively, occur in 1%-2% of the population and may arise anywhere along the milk lines from axilla to perineum. The most common ectopic sites are axilla and vulva. Perianal ectopic breast tissue is an exceedingly rare condition, with few cases published in the literature. The clinical presentation and location …
Differential Use of Screening Mammography in Older Women Initiating Metformin versus Sulfonylurea

PURPOSE Differential use of screening mammography may lead to biased detection of breast cancer. This study aimed to compare receipt of screening mammography and the incidence of screen-detected breast cancer between metformin and sulfonylurea initiators. METHODS We used 2006-2014 US Medicare claims to identify initiators of metformin or sulfonylurea aged 65+ years continuously enrolled in Parts A/B for ≥2 years pre-initiation and ≥2 years post-initiation. We reported frequencies of screening mammograms and screen-detected breast cancer in 1 year pre-initiation among all cohort members and in 1 year post-initiation among cancer-free cohort members. Weighted screening risk differences (RDs) were estimated comparing metformin to sulfonylurea group. RESULTS We identified 41,436 and 13,367 initiators of metformin and sulfonylurea, 35% and 24% of which had ≥1 screening mammogram in 1 year pre-initiation (weighted RD: 6 percentage points; 95% CI: 5 to 7), respectively. The weighted RD for screen-detected breast cancer associated with metformin was 0.00 percentage points (95% CI: -0.09 to 0.09). Among cancer-free cohort members, metformin initiators had 5 percentage points (95% CI: 4 to 6) and 0.11 percentage points (95% CI: -0.02 to 0.23) absolute risk excess of screening mammography and screen-detected breast cancer in 1 year post-initiation, compared with sulfonylurea initiators, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Metformin initiators were more likely to receive screening mammograms than sulfonylurea initiators pre- and post-initiation, indicating possible detection bias due to differential screening mammography. Researchers should be aware of the potential for more screening mammograms pre- and post-initiation when interpreting the findings of metformin on breast cancer incidence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Annual net community production in the subtropical Pacific Ocean from in situ oxygen measurements on profiling floats

Annual net community production (ANCP) in the subtropical Pacific Ocean was determined by using annual oxygen measurements from Argo profiling floats with an upper water column oxygen mass balance model. ANCP was determined to be from 2.0 to 2.4 mol C m−2 yr−1 in the western subtropical North Pacific, 2.4 mol C m−2 yr−1 in the eastern subtropical North Pacific, and near zero in the subtropical South Pacific. Error analysis with the main sources of uncertainty being the accuracy of oxygen measurements and the parameterization of bubble fluxes in winter suggested an uncertainty of ~0.3 mol C m−2 yr−1 in subtropical Pacific. The results are in good agreement with previous observations in locations where ANCP has been determined before. These are the first results from the western subtropical North Pacific and subtropical South Pacific where ANCP have not been evaluated before. ANCP for the subtropical South Pacific is significantly lower than in all other open ocean locations where it has been determined by mass balance. Comparison of our observations with net biological carbon export estimated from remote sensing algorithms indicates that observations from the subtropical North Pacific are higher than the satellite estimates, but those in the subtropical South Pacific are lower than satellite-determined carbon export.