cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GAP-43 in the cat visual cortex during postnatal development

GAP-43 levels have been determined by immunoassay in cat visual cortex during postnatal development to test the idea that GAP-43 expression could be related to the duration of the critical period for plasticity. For comparison, GAP-43 levels have also been assayed in primary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and cerebellum at each age. GAP-43 levels were high in all regions at 5 d (with concentrations ranging from 7−10 ng;/μg protein) and then declined 60−80% by 60 d of age. After 60 d of age, GAP-43 concentrations in each region continued a slow decline to adult values, which ranged from 0.5−2 ng/μg protein. To test for the involvement of GAP-43 in ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period, the effect of visual deprivation on GAP-43 levels was investigated. Monocular deprivation for 2−7 d, ending at either 27 or 35 d of age, had no effect on total membrane levels of GAP-43. The concentrations of membrane-associated GAP-43 prior to 40 d of age correlate with events that occur during postnatal development of the cat visual cortex. However, the slow decline in membrane-associated GAP-43 levels after 40 d of age may be an index of relative plasticity remaining after the peak of the critical period.
Perturbation-based Markovian Transmission Model for Macromolecular Machinery in Cell

The study of the dynamics of a complex system is an important problem that includes large macromolecular complexes, molecular interaction networks, and cell functional modules. Large macromolecular complexes in cellular machinery can be modeled as a connected network, as in the elastic or Gaussian network models as demonstrated by Bahar and colleagues. Here we propose the Perturbation-based Markovian Transmission Model for studying the dynamics of signal transmission in macromolecular machinery. The initial perturbation is transmitted by a Markovian processes, and the dynamics of the probability flow is analytically solved using the master equation. Due to the large size of macromolecular complexes, it is very difficult to obtain analytical time-dependent Markovian dynamics of all atoms from the first perturbation until stationary state. To overcome it, we decrease the level of complexity of the transition matrix using a Krylov subspace method. This method is equivalent to integrating all eigen modes, and we show it can provide a globally accurate solution to the dynamics problem of signal transmission for very large macromolecular complexes with reasonable computational time. We give results of the dynamics of the GroEL-GroES chaperone system by applying uniform perturbation to all residues. We are able to identify experimentally found important residues and provide a set of predicted pivot, messenger, and effector residues, each with distinct dynamic behavior. Further results of selective perturbation on the surface of ATP binding pocket identifies the path of maximal probability flow of signal. Our method can also be applied to other large systems, for example, virus capsid, ribosome, and large allosteric proteins.
Developmental issues of grandchildren who provide care to grandparents.

This qualitative research examined the perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of grandchildren caregivers who ranged in age from 7 to 29 years. Thirty-four caregiving grandchildren partic...
Treatment of Keratosis Pilaris With 810-nm Diode Laser: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a common skin disorder of follicular prominence and erythema that typically affects the proximal extremities, can be disfiguring, and is often resistant to treatment. Shorter-wavelength vascular lasers have been used to reduce the associated erythema but not the textural irregularity. Objective To determine whether the longer-wavelength 810-nm diode laser may be effective for treatment of KP, particularly the associated skin roughness/bumpiness and textural irregularity. Design, Setting, and Participants We performed a split-body, rater-blinded, parallel-group, balanced (1:1), placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial at a dermatology outpatient practice of an urban academic medical center from March 1 to October 1, 2011. We included all patients diagnosed as having KP on both arms and Fitzpatrick skin types I through III. Of the 26 patients who underwent screening, 23 met our enrollment criteria. Of these, 18 patients completed the study, 3 were lost to or unavailable for follow-up, and 2 withdrew owing to inflammatory hyperpigmentation after the laser treatment. Interventions Patients were randomized to receive laser treatment on the right or left arm. Each patient received treatment with the 810-nm pulsed diode laser to the arm randomized to be the treatment site. Treatments were repeated twice, for a total of 3 treatment visits spaced 4 to 5 weeks apart. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was the difference in disease severity score, including redness and roughness/bumpiness, with each graded on a scale of 0 (least severe) to 3 (most severe), between the treated and control sites. Two blinded dermatologists rated the sites at 12 weeks after the initial visit. Results At follow-up, the median redness score reported by the 2 blinded raters for the treatment and control sides was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 1-2; P = .11). The median roughness/bumpiness score was 1.0 (IQR, 1-2) for the treatment sides and 2.0 (IQR, 1-2) for the control sides, a difference of 1 ( P = .004). The median overall score combining erythema and roughness/bumpiness was 3.0 (IQR, 2-4) for the treatment sides and 4.0 (IQR, 3-5) for the control sides, a difference of 1 ( P = .005). Conclusions and Relevance Three treatments with the 810-nm diode laser may induce significant improvements in skin texture and roughness/bumpiness in KP patients with Fitzpatrick skin types I through III, but baseline erythema is not improved. Complete treatment of erythema and texture in KP may require diode laser treatment combined with other laser or medical modalities that address redness. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01281644
Endothelial nuclear lamina is not required for glucocorticoid receptor nuclear import but does affect receptor-mediated transcription activation

The lamina serves to maintain the nuclear structure and stiffness while acting as a scaffold for heterochromatin and many transcriptional proteins. Its role in endothelial mechanotransduction, spec...
Students' Spirituality and “Big Questions” in Introductory Religion Courses

Abstract. A study of sixty-six highly effective teachers of introductory theology and religion courses in various types of institutions reveals very complex challenges for instructors. The majority of students have as a goal their own religious and spiritual development. Faculty members' most frequent goal is critical thinking. Students much less frequently mention critical thinking, and their expectations and voices may be more appropriate for a place of worship or a counseling center. To meet these complex challenges, faculty encourage four student “voices”: the questioner, the applier, the thinker/arguer, and the autobiographer. These voices can help students explicitly to bring their own experiences and beliefs into relationship with course material and critical thinking. Careful planning and guidance for students are the key to making these voices work well.
Temperature dependence of hot-electron degradation in bipolar transistors

Degradation of the base current and current gain observed in bipolar transistors that were electrically stressed at-75, 175, and 240 degrees C for 1000 h with a constant reverse-bias voltage applied to the emitter-base junctions is discussed. The rate of degradation was found to be temperature-dependent with a larger degradation occurring at the lower temperature. This temperature dependency is studied using an electron energy simulation technique and experimental data on degradation and postdegradation annealing. From the electron energy simulations, the number of hot electrons above a damage threshold energy was seen to increase with increasing ambient temperature at a constant reverse-bias voltage. This increase with temperature occurred because higher stress currents dominated over a reduction in the electron mean free path between collisions at higher temperatures. However, an actual degradation rate reduction at higher temperatures occurs because of simultaneous annealing of the states produced by hot electrons. A model that describes the temperature dependence of degradation and postdegradation annealing is described. >
River discharge measurements by using helicopter‐mounted radar

[1] The United States Geological Survey and the University of Washington collaborated on a series of initial experiments on the Lewis, Toutle, and Cowlitz Rivers during September 2000 and a detailed experiment on the Cowlitz River during May 2001 to determine the feasibility of using helicopter-mounted radar to measure river discharge. Surface velocities were measured using a pulsed Doppler radar, and river depth was measured using ground-penetrating radar. Surface velocities were converted to mean velocities, and horizontal registration of both velocity and depth measurements enabled the calculation of river discharge. The magnitude of the uncertainty in velocity and depth indicate that the method error is in the range of 5 percent. The results of this experiment indicate that helicopter-mounted radar can make the rapid, accurate discharge measurements that are needed in remote locations and during regional floods.
Internet-based research: providing a foundation for web-design guidelines

In this article, we propose that remote, internet-based studies of real users interacting with real websites on their own computers at a time and place convenient for them will provide a solid empirical base from which researchers can extrapolate reliable and valid web-design guidelines. After a discussion of research methods that have been used to support the principles that underlie web-design guidelines, we review some of the methodological issues associated with internet-based research and tools for supporting such work. Given advances in technology, the multitude of users online, and emerging technologies with new interfaces, the time has come for technical communication researchers to enter the arena of internet-based research and conduct remote experiments to support the web-design guidelines that they espouse.
Enterprise systems governance using transactional cost analysis: An agent-based framework

Extended Enterprise is a set of inter-connected organizations that acts collaboratively to produce a product or deliver a service that is beyond the reach of each one of them. Using the system theory, we define the act of collaboration as a sub-system of extended enterprise entitled enterprise systems governance. In this paper, we use transactional cost analysis in order to build an analytical tool to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of governance strategies that can be used in such a system. The analysis is based on agent-based modeling method, and we will apply the method to Federal Aviation Administration NextGen Project.
Predation in Insular Plant Dynamics: An Experimental Assessment of Postdispersal Fruit and Seed Survival, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands

A B S T R A C T We studied predation upon the fruits of four common terrestrial plant species of atolls by excluding: 1) all predators; 2) large predators only; and 3) no predators. Each ofthese treatments was located within the vegetation at three distances from the shore: beach edge of fringing thicket; middle of the thicket; and inner forest. The plants were Terminalia catappa, Messerschmidia argentea, Scaevola taccada, and Guettarda speciosa. Predation loss over the year was significant (P < 0.01) for all four species. Location contributed significantly only for S. taccada. Amount of loss and predominant type of seed predator for a plant species were related to size and conspicuousness. The largest fruits, those of the widespread tree T. catappa, were destroyed completely at all sites; the damage was done by both insects and terrestrial crabs. The large fruits of G. speciosa were destroyed by insects inland and by crabs at the beach edge. The small fruits of M. argentea, a plant which is common along the beach, tended to have greater losses away from the beach edge; those losses were caused primarily by insects. For S. taccada, which occurred at the beach edge, fruit survival was highest in the middle of the fringe thicket; average damage and disappearance were high and caused primarily by large predators. In sum, the experiment demonstrated that predation by widespread, omnivorous large animals and insects on an atoll island was important in survival of fruits and enclosed seeds. We conclude that this interaction could have a significant influence on the dynamics of plants on atolls.
Threshold properties of optimal policies in queueing networks with imperfect information

Optimal routing policies for queueing networks under imperfect information are treated by discrete time dynamic programming. It is proved that certain inequalities in terms of information measures can be propagated from one epoch to the next; hence, an inductive argument shows that threshold policies are optimal under mild conditons on the instantaneous costs, and that the total cost is convex and monotone. Two examples are provided. The first deals with a tandem queue having inputs to both work stations, and only inferential information available on the the state of the second station. The second considers optimal routing for incoming customers to a G/M/m queue when the observations are both delayed and subject to random errors.
Characterization of Transmission of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. muris through Immunocompetent BALB/c Mice

By using mouse models, it has been shown that Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. muris can be transmitted to immunocompetent mice that are exposed to immunosuppressed mice with active P. carinii pneumonia. We sought to determine whether P. carinii f. sp. muris could be transmitted between normal mice. The rationale for these experiments was to demonstrate whether the normal host could serve as the reservoir of organisms that produce Pcp when the organism is acquired by the immunosuppressed host. Under the conditions of these experiments, normal mice are able to be infected by brief cohousing with P. carinii-infected SCID mice. There was active replication of organisms in the normal host such that the organism could be transmitted to other normal mice, again with active replication. Mice that had seroconverted after exposure to P. carinii-infected SCID mice were more resistant to infection when reexposed. Infection in normal mice was well tolerated with minimal effects on dynamic lung compliance. We speculate, based on these results, that transmission from normal host to normal host, as an asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic infection, could be a way to maintain this opportunistic pathogen in the environment.
Effect of thermal oxidation on residual stress distribution through the thickness of p/sup +/ silicon films

The authors investigate the effect of thermal oxidation on the residual stress distribution through the thickness of p/sup +/ silicon films. The deflection of p/sup +/ silicon cantilever beams due to residual stress variation through the film thickness is studied for as-diffused and thermally-oxidized films. Cantilevers of as-diffused p/sup +/ silicon films display a positive curvature (or a negative bending moment), signified by bending up of the beams. Thermal oxidation of the films prior to cantilever fabrication by anisotropic etching modifies the residual stresses in the p/sup +/ film, specially in the near-surface region (i.e. the top 0.3 mu m to 0.5 mu m for the oxidation times used here), and can result in beams with a negative curvature even when the oxide is removed from the p/sup +/ silicon cantilever surface subsequent to cantilever fabrication. Excluding the near-surface region, for the diffusion and oxidation times studied, the residual stress distribution through the remainder of the p/sup +/ silicon film thickness is such that a positive curvature of the cantilevers results even when oxidation is performed. >
Safety data for levonorgestrel, ulipristal acetate and Yuzpe regimens for emergency contraception ☆,☆☆,★

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide recommendations for use of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), including levonorgestrel (LNG) and combined oral contraceptives (COCs). A new ECP formulation, ulipristal acetate (UPA), is now available worldwide. To determine whether LNG, UPA or COC (Yuzpe) ECPs are safe for women with certain characteristics or medical conditions, we searched the PubMed and Cochrane databases for articles published from date of inception until May 2015 pertaining to the safety of LNG, UPA or Yuzpe ECP use. For direct evidence, we considered studies that looked at safety outcomes among women with certain medical conditions or characteristics taking ECPs compared with women not taking ECPs. For indirect evidence, we considered studies that reported pharmacokinetic (PK) data for ECP use among women with certain medical conditions or characteristics and studies that reported safety outcomes among healthy women taking ECPs. Five studies provided direct evidence; of these five studies, four examined LNG or Yuzpe use among pregnant or breastfeeding women, and one reported risk of ectopic pregnancy among women repeatedly using LNG ECPs. Poor pregnancy outcomes were rare among pregnant women who used LNG or Yuzpe ECPs during the conception cycle or early pregnancy. Breastfeeding outcomes did not differ between women exposed to LNG ECP and those unexposed, and there was no increased risk of ectopic pregnancy versus intrauterine pregnancy after repeated use of LNG ECPs compared with nonuse. Forty-five studies provided indirect evidence. One PK study demonstrated that LNG passes into breastmilk but in minimal quantities. In addition, nine studies examined pregnancy outcomes following ECP failure among healthy women, and 35 articles reported adverse events. Studies suggest that serious adverse events are rare among women taking any of these ECP formulations. Implications Evidence on safety of ECPs among women with characteristics or medical conditions listed within WHO and CDC family planning guidance is limited. However, both direct and indirect evidence for our study question did not suggest any special safety concerns for the use of ECPs among women with particular medical conditions or personal characteristics, such as pregnancy, lactation or frequent ECP use.
Distribution of cytochrome P-450 4A and 4F isoforms along the nephron in mice

The production of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) in the kidney is thought to be involved in the control of renal vascular tone and tubular sodium and chloride reabsorption. 20-HETE produ...
Reconstitution of a eukaryotic replisome reveals suppression mechanisms that define leading/lagging strand operation

Cells must replicate their DNA before they divide so that the newly formed cells can each receive a copy of the same genetic material. DNA replication requires complex molecular machinery called a replisome, which comprises multiple proteins, enzymes, and other molecules. First, an enzyme called a helicase starts to unwind the double-stranded DNA into two single strands. This process continues while other enzymes, called polymerases, use the exposed single strands as templates to make complementary new strands of DNA. One of these new strands is built continuously and called the ‘leading strand’. The other newly forming strand—the ‘lagging strand’—is made in the opposite direction, as a series of short fragments that are later joined together. The replisomes in bacterial cells have been well studied, but many researchers are investigating the composition of the replisome in animals, plants, and fungi (collectively called eukaryotes). Now, Georgescu et al. have essentially rebuilt a eukaryotic replisome from 31 different proteins in a test tube and confirmed that it can make both leading and lagging DNA strands—just like in a normal cell. Further experiments revealed that the polymerase enzyme that operates on the leading strand cannot work on the lagging strand and vice versa. This exclusivity is unique to eukaryotic DNA replication, as bacterial polymerases can use either DNA strand as a template. Georgescu et al. then found that the eukaryotic polymerases are actively prevented from copying the ‘wrong’ strand of DNA and suggest that the helicase enzyme that unwinds the DNA might be behind this activity. Important future studies must now address how the replisome deals with obstacles created by certain DNA-binding proteins and damaged DNA and how it interfaces with the molecules that control cell division and DNA repair.
Relationship between brachial and femoral artery endothelial vasomotor function/phenotype in pigs.

In humans, the measurement of brachial artery endothelial vasomotor function is used as a surrogate index of systemic endothelial health; however, the applicability of brachial artery findings to other vasculatures needs to be examined. The purpose of the present investigation was to test the following hypotheses: (1) brachial and femoral artery endothelium-dependent/independent relaxation is correlated; (2) endothelial expression of pro-/antiatherogenic proteins is correlated between brachial and femoral arteries; and (3) within vessel, there is a positive correlation between expression of antiatherogenic proteins and endothelium-dependent/independent relaxation, and an inverse correlation between expression of proatherogenic proteins and relaxation. In vitro endothelium-dependent (bradykinin [BK] and acetylcholine [Ach]) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside [SNP]) relaxation were evaluated in harvested brachial and femoral arteries of 96 Yucatan miniature swine. In a subset of pigs (n = 32), expressio...
Differential effects of selective vagotomy and tropisetron in aminoprivic feeding.

Both total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (TVAGX) and serotonin(3) receptor blockade with tropisetron or ondansetron attenuate amino acid-imbalanced diet (Imb) anorexia. Total vagotomy is less effective than tropisetron in reducing Imb-induced anorexia and also blunts the tropisetron effect. With the use of electrocautery at the subdiaphragmatic level of the vagus, we severed the ventral and dorsal trunks as well as the hepatic, ventral gastric, dorsal gastric, celiac, and accessory celiac branches separately or in combination to determine which vagal branches or associated structures may be involved in these responses. Rats were prefed a low-protein diet. On the first experimental day, tropisetron or saline was given intraperitoneally 1 h before presentation of Imb. Cuts including the ventral branch, i.e., TVAGX, ventral vagotomy (above the hepatic branch), and hepatic + gastric vagotomies (but not hepatic branch cuts alone) caused the highest (P < 0.05) Imb intake on day 1 with or without tropisetron. The responses to tropisetron were not affected significantly. On days 2-8, groups having vagotomies that included the hepatic branch recovered faster than sham-treated animals. Because the hepatic and gastric branches together account for most of the vagal innervation to the proximal duodenum, this area may be important in the initial responses, whereas structures served by the hepatic branch alone apparently act in the later adaptation to Imb.
Clinician responses to client traumas: a chronological review of constructs and terminology

This paper presents a chronologically-organized review of various concepts and constructs in the literature describing professional burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress reactions, as well as other related terms and constructs that have been used to describe these experiences among clinical practitioners and other social service professionals. A timeline will provide a graphic illustration of the historical relationships between the concepts under examination. This paper begins with a review of practitioner-related stress that primarily results from interaction with clients, followed by an examination of professional burnout, which is thought to result largely from environmentally-related issues. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of posttraumatic growth and compassion satisfaction.
Introducing 2D NMR Spectroscopy to Second-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Majors Using a Building-Up Approach

2D NMR spectroscopy techniques are introduced to second-year undergraduate organic chemistry students using a 3 h classroom activity. By first studying simple organic molecules, students are able to build up to solve more complex structures. This classroom activity first utilizes an instructor-guided problem-solving session focused on simple organic molecules (N,N′-dimethylethylene diamine, N,N-dimethylethylene diamine, and 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine). Students then work together in teams to assign a more structurally complex molecule (2,4-dimethylphenol or 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol) using both 1D (1H, 13C, and DEPT-135) and 2D (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) NMR spectra. By teaching second-year undergraduate students 2D NMR spectroscopy, the techniques are easily revisited in advanced undergraduate courses.
Patient Age in Spitz Nevus and Malignant Melanoma

In the differential diagnosis of Spitz nevus vs malignant melanoma, patient age provides a critical piece of clinical information, because Spitz nevi occur mostly in children and melanomas occur mostly in adults. Nevertheless, there is overlap in the age distributions of Spitz nevus and melanoma. The issue to consider is how these age distributions and their governing probability densities can impact the a priori probability that a lesion is a Spitz nevus vs a melanoma. Herein I introduce a quantitative approach that uses Bayes rule together with previous published data on the age distributions in Spitz nevi and melanoma. The resulting algorithm yields plots and a table of predictive a priori probabilities of Spitz nevus, given patient age occurring within narrow intervals, and I believe these provide useful guidelines for using age in the differential diagnosis of Spitz nevus and malignant melanoma.
Racialized Perceptions of Minorities: A Comparative Analysis of Symbolic Racism in Europe

Symbolic racism is a concept that has been heavily publicized and studied in the American context. However, there has been a lack of literature discussing symbolic racism in European countries as well as the factors that may influence and drive symbolic racism in the European context. Nevertheless, it expected symbolic racism is present in European countries who have a history of residents of non-European descent and where the state has laws implementated that prohibit actions of overt racism, old-fashion racism, and discrimination. Relying on data from Eurobarometer 53 taken in 2000, this paper presents a comparative analysis of symbolic racism in France, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, and Germany. Furthermore, a regression analysis is conducted to determine if income, majority-minority status, and education levels correlate with higher or lower levels of symbolic racism.
Why 'Taiwan is Too Democratic': Legitimation, Administration, and Political Participation in Taipei

Located in an administrative government office and in a politically active neighborhood, this doctoral dissertation examines some of the parameters for political action in contemporary Taiwan by examining the everyday life of, and interactions between, a state institution and some of the people under its purview. The dissertation tacks between the two sites, but I emphasize the importance of bureaucracy as a vital site for the ethnography of the state. Taiwan’s democratization after forty years of martial law, for instance, has been completed on paper, but working out the implications of regime change continues to take the energy and innovation of the people concerned with the everyday implementation of state processes, including low-level government functionaries as well as politically active citizens. I also urge a vision of the democratic state as one (internally diversified) institution situated in a broad arena of competing and cooperating institutions: neither separate from its surroundings nor completely integrated into them, but, like other institutions, both distinct and diffuse.Despite their seemingly contrasting social positions, the arguments and self-presentations that government administrators and political activists relied on to justify and explain their positions revealed shared ideals of political life. These legitimating bases, through which political actors showed themselves deserving of support as well as of legal benefits, involved contributing to Taiwanese development and representing Taiwanese culture; long-term participation in relations with other political players; and a state of sincerity and well-meaning demonstrated in group cohesion and a willingness to seek consensus with others. The individualistic focus and abstract legalism of some notions of democracy, in contrast, suggested to my interlocutors a dangerous diversity and a breakdown in social norms, a government divided against itself, and a fragmentation of national identity that, in the context of Taiwan’s tenuous grip on de facto sovereignty, had potentially catastrophic implications. It also suggested recourse to impersonal and abstract principles -- laws, rights -- that had little traction in Taiwan’s political culture, where particularistic ties were not just the shady underbelly of political process but also an explicitly valorized way to constitute and express public interests. The theories and practices of democracy introduced over the last two decades have led to significant changes in Taiwan’s political life; but they also fit into sociocultural contexts that have helped shape the character of a specifically Taiwanese democracy. Other democracies, presumably, are equally specific.
Water-Based Melanin Multilayer Thin Films with Broadband UV Absorption

Natural melanin is difficult to process due to its poor solubility and poorly understood structure. Synthetic melanin has been produced more recently, which is dispersible in mildly alkaline water and has many of the same properties of natural melanin. In this study, thin films of synthetic melanin and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) were deposited layer-by-layer from dilute aqueous solutions in ambient conditions. This is likely the first time melanin has been deposited from water to produce a functional nanocoating. These films display broadband UV light absorption, absorbing over 63% of incident light that is most damaging to human eyes with a thickness of 108 nm. In an effort to demonstrate the utility of these melanin-based nanocoatings, a 30 bilayer film is shown to increase the useful life of a conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) film by 550%. This novel method of depositing melanin should open the door to a variety of useful applications.
Abstract PD02-10: Radiation Induces Notch-DependentDe NovoGeneration of Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Like in normal tissues, the self-renewal of cancer stem cells (CSCs) might be also under tight control of developmental pathway like the Notch, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog or TGFβ pathways. The Notch pathway plays an important role in normal breast development, cell fate, and normal stem cell self-renewal, and its deregulation has been shown to play a role in cancer. Aberrant Notch signaling has been implicated in the development and progression of both preinvasive ductal carcinomas in situ and invasive. Interestingly, in breast cancer, the Notch pathway plays major role for CSCs maintenance. We previously published that BCSCs (Breast Cancer Stem Cells) are more resistant to radiation. Here we demonstrate a link between BCSCs radio-resistance and the Notch pathway. We show that irradiation of MCF-7 cells increases CSC numbers and that this correlates with an induction of Notch signaling proteins expression in a dose and time specific manner. Jagged 1 was quickly (1h) increased 28-fold after 2Gy, DLL1 was increased 15-fold after 3 to 6h of 2 and 4 Gy irradiation, and Notch 2 was increased 16-fold 6h after 2, 4, 6 or 8 Gy, while DLL3 was increased 10-fold after the highest doses (6 to 12 Gy). Inhibition of Notch signaling pathway by the γ-secretase inhibitor prevents enrichment for CSCs and reduces radiation-induced overexpression of Notch proteins. More interestingly, we demonstrated that radiation-induced Notch signaling contributes to the phenotype plasticity of BCSCs and their progeny. Therefore, ionizing radiation induces de novo generation of BCSCs from non-tumorigenic cells. Moreover, we also identified, by FACS analysis, an induction of polyploid CSCs. expressed a relatively higher level of Oct4 and Sox2 than the unirradiated non-CSCs (two key transcription factors involved in stemness maintenance). In summary, we provide evidence that radiation-induced Notch signaling contributes to the plasticity of the BCSC phenotype, thereby generating BCSCs de novo from non-tumorigenic cells. Our data suggest that stochastic as well hierarchical CSC models apply to breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD02-10.
Toward a List of Molecules as Potential Biosignature Gases for the Search for Life on Exoplanets and Applications to Terrestrial Biochemistry.

Abstract Thousands of exoplanets are known to orbit nearby stars. Plans for the next generation of space-based and ground-based telescopes are fueling the anticipation that a precious few habitable planets can be identified in the coming decade. Even more highly anticipated is the chance to find signs of life on these habitable planets by way of biosignature gases. But which gases should we search for? Although a few biosignature gases are prominent in Earth's atmospheric spectrum (O2, CH4, N2O), others have been considered as being produced at or able to accumulate to higher levels on exo-Earths (e.g., dimethyl sulfide and CH3Cl). Life on Earth produces thousands of different gases (although most in very small quantities). Some might be produced and/or accumulate in an exo-Earth atmosphere to high levels, depending on the exo-Earth ecology and surface and atmospheric chemistry. To maximize our chances of recognizing biosignature gases, we promote the concept that all stable and potentially volatile molec...
New Technology of the Redevelopment Based on Image Acquisition Card DS-4004HC

By using the image acquisition card DS-4004HC and CCD detector as the image acquisition system and dynamically allocating and controlling of computer memory heap space to add software trigger function for high speed laser facula image acqaisition,the main flow chart and key techniques based on VC++6.0 are redeveloped.The experiments demonstrate the advantages of the high speed image acquisition with short response time and high reliability.
Aryllithiums and Hetaryllithiums: Generation and Reactivity

Aryllithiums and hetaryllithiums are of great utility to the chemical community. Not only do they serve as intermediates in the synthesis of various pharmaceuticals, but they also can be used in routes to polymers, inorganic complexes, natural products, and materials. Their versatility is well known. In the late 1930s, simultaneous research discoveries of Georg Wittig and Henry Gilman began to appear. Eventually, these two pioneers delineated some of the parameters of both the ortho-lithiation and halogen/lithium exchange reactions. Amplification of aspects of the ortho-lithiation reaction over the next 25 years was provided by J. D. Roberts and C. R. Hauser with articulation of the “Complex-Induced Proximity Effect” by Roberts and the directing groups –CH2NMe2 and –CONHR by Hauser. Another 10 years passed before significant addition to the capabilities of the X/Li (X = halogen, halide) exchange took place. This is attributed to W. Parham and is known as the Parham cyclization. In many respects, this advancement in the overall usefulness of the halogen/lithium exchange has become a most important component of the incorporation of the exchange into synthetic procedures. As details of the equilibria of alkyllithium reagents in various ether and hydrocarbon solvents began to emerge, advances in mechanistic understanding of both ortho-lithiation and the exchange were made. These advances have made the production of aryllithiums and hetaryllithiums of significant value to the synthetic chemist. Recent discoveries promise to provide safer, more efficient process conditions, thereby making both protocols more attractive for scaled processes. With all these advances, understanding of both reactions remains incomplete. Future research promises even greater control and fine-tuning of the variables in each reaction such that they become of even greater utility. Although other main group metal and transition metal ortho-metalations are known, the specificity and overall economy of aryllithium and hetaryllithium generation should bring about even greater involvement of these intermediates in future research and scaled production. Keywords: ortho-lithiation; halogen–metal exchange; Parham cyclization; directing metalation group; optional site metalations; alkyllithium equilibria; bis-amine promoters
Personality as Predictor of Religious Commitment and Spiritual Beliefs: Comparing Catholic Deacons and Men in Formation

ABSTRACTRoman Catholic deacons (n = 1,349) and deacon candidates (n = 202), completed online measures of personality dimensions (i.e., HEXACO-60), religious commitment, spiritual transcendence beliefs, social desirability, and demographic variables. Social desirability tendencies did not impact responding for deacons or candidates. For candidates and deacons, honesty–humility and extraversion personality dimensions were significant predictors of religious commitment, and extraversion and openness to experience were significant predictors of spiritual beliefs of connectedness to others. Moreover, for deacons but not candidates, all personality dimensions significantly predicted at least one religiosity or spiritual belief. Implications for Catholic deacons and candidates for ordination are discussed.
Evolutionary Foundations of the Approximate Number System

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the behavioral evidence for numerical capacities in animals. When adult humans are tested in tasks that avoid verbal counting, they too show ratio-dependent number discrimination. In fact, animals and humans tested in parallel tasks often show remarkably similar patterns of performance. While ratio dependence is a behavioral signature of the approximate number system (ANS), the semantic congruity effect appears to be a universal hallmark of the wider class of all ordinal judgments. Zero is a special number in symbolic number systems for many reasons. First it serves as the additive identity for natural numbers such that when added to any element x in a set, the result remains x . For both ascending and descending trials, the monkeys were able to spontaneously place the empty set in the proper order with above chance accuracy. Further, as with the matching task, the monkeys showed distance effects that were comparable to those observed with the other numerical values.
Far-field light scattering from sub-wavelength wafer patterns using a parallel FETI-DP algorithm

The dual-primal finite-element and interconnecting algorithm (FETI-DP) is efficiently applied in parallel to compute the far-field scattering from a wafer with sub-wavelength patterns. As a nonoverlapping domain decomposition method for solving large-scale problems, the FETI-DP algorithm formulates a global interface problem, whose iterative solution is accelerated by solving a global corner problem. To maintain good parallel scaling efficiency, global communication is minimized by using an iterative classical Gram-Schmidt scheme for the global interface problem and a communication-avoiding approach for the global corner problem. In addition, a preconditioner for the corner system matrix is implemented to improve iterative convergence. After computing the far-field data, digital postprocessing is used to remove the background signal and improve the detection sensitivity of isolated defects.
Forces generated in rigging trees with single and co-dominant stems

Abstract Despite the inherent danger that accompanies rigging trees, very few studies have investigated this important aspect of arboricultural practice. Following work we completed in 2009, there appear to be no studies that address limitations of our work. Using similar methods to our original work (Kane et al., 2009), we explored additional aspects of rigging and built upon our previous study, considering trees with co-dominant stems and measuring acceleration of the stem near the rigging block. The mass of the piece was the best predictor of force in the rigging, superseding other variables related to the piece (length, diameter) or the rigging (length of rope, fall distance, angle and depth of the notch). Force per unit mass was greatest when “shock loading” the rigging with pieces of the branchless trunk. Friction in the block appeared to be greater than previously considered, which reduces the effectiveness of the block in converting kinetic energy of the rigged piece to elastic strain in the rigging rope. Since the mechanics of rigging is complicated, more empirical data are needed to lend insight and help practitioners work more safely.
It’s not so black and white: A conjunctive analysis of racial differences in incidents of prison misconduct

ABSTRACTThe current study examines racial differences in factors of prison misconduct within the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Using Conjunctive Analysis of Case Configurations, we examined r...
Individual Cardinal Utility, Interpersonal Comparisons, and Social Choice

The problem of Social Choice and Individual Values is the problem of determining a social ordering or social ranking of given states based, or depending, on the individual values with regard to those states.
An Activated Elastic Bar: Effective Properties

This chapter mostly concerns the wave propagation through a special type of DM—the first rank laminates in 1D + time. Such laminates are classified into regular and irregular, depending on the characteristic pattern produced by material and structural parameters. For regular laminates, the characteristics of the same family do not collide, for irregular laminates, they do. Homogenization applies to regular activated laminates, and their effective properties are discussed in detail. Special attention is paid to the analysis of energy balance through homogenization.
Mindfulness outside of meditation: How everyday situations influence mindfulness

Mindfulness is typically studied in terms of its consequences, rather than its antecedents. We therefore know relatively little about what causes its moment-to- moment fluctuations. Common approach...
Decomposition and Ecosystem Carbon Budgets

Decomposition breaks down dead organic ­matter, ultimately releasing carbon to the atmosphere and nutrients in forms that can be used for plant and microbial production. This chapter describes the key controls over decomposition and the carbon balance of ecosystems.
Abstract P365: Use of AHA Ideal Cardiovascular Health vs. the Framingham Risk Score to Measure the Effect of a 24-month Lifestyle Intervention in Overweight and Obese Women

Introduction: The AHA definition of Ideal Cardiovascular Health (AHA) consists of 7 components (nonsmoker, BMI 2 , cholesterol Methods: Females (n=146, age 38 ± 5 years, BMI 33 ± 4 kg/m 2 ) were randomized to a group-based lifestyle intervention, where all subjects were given an initial dietary prescription between 1200-1500 kcal/day and 1 of 4 exercise prescriptions based on intensity and duration. The study tracked progress through group meetings and calls over 24 months. Number of AHA components and the FRS were calculated at baseline and 24 months in the combined study population (no group differences were observed). Further analyses identified which components contributed to changes in each score. Results: At 24 months, participants had maintained a 5% weight loss and there were no differences across groups. Changes in AHA score and FRS were correlated (r=-0.58, p Conclusions: AHA score improved while FRS did not change in overweight and obese women participating in a lifestyle intervention, demonstrating the sensitivity of the AHA score for tracking positive health changes during an intervention in pursuit of primordial cardiovascular disease prevention.
Integration of Sequential Quadratic Programming and Domain Decomposition Methods for Nonlinear Optimal Control Problems

We discuss the integration of a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method with an optimization-level domain decomposition (DD) preconditioner for the solution of the quadratic optimization subproblems. The DD method is an extension of the well-known Neumann-Neumann method to the optimization context and is based on a decomposition of the first order system of optimality conditions. The SQP method uses a trust-region globalization and requires the solution of quadratic subproblems that are known to be convex, hence solving the first order system of optimality conditions associated with these subproblems is equivalent to solving these subproblems. In addition, our SQP method allows the inexact solution of these subproblems and adjusts the level of exactness with which these subproblems are solved based on the progress of the SQP method. The overall method is applied to a boundary control problem governed by a semilinear elliptic equation.
Activation of Macrophage Complement Receptors for Phagocytosis

Engagement by immunoglobulin G (IgG) of Fc receptors of either polymorphonuclear or mononuclear phagocytes virtually always leads to ingestion of IgG-containing soluble and particulate complexes (Bianco et al., 1975; Ehlenberger and Nussenzweig, 1977; F. M. Griffin etal., 1975b, 1976; J. A. Griffin and Griffin, 1979; Mantovani, 1975; Mantovani et al., 1972;Quie et a1.,1968; Rabinovitch, 1967; Schreiber and Frank, 1972; Shaw and Griffin, 1981). Engagement of C3b receptors* by C3b contained in soluble immune complexes likewise results in ingestion of the complexes (Van Snick and Masson, 1978). A number of studies (Bar-Shavit et al., 1979; Diamond et al., 1973, 1974; Gigli and Nelson, 1968; Horwitz and Silverstein, 1980; Huber et al., 1968; Musson and Becker, 1977; Pearlman et al., 1969; Schreiber et al., 1982; Shurin and Stossel, 1978; Stossel et al., 1973) have demonstrated enhancement of phagocytosis of a variety of particles, chiefly microoraganisms, when they were coated with complement, even in the absence of immunoglobulin, and for many years it was assumed that ingestion of these microbes was mediated by the complement receptors of phagocytic cells. Several recent studies, however, have reported that engagement by particle-bound C3b of complement receptors of neutrophils, monocytes, and “resting” tissue macrophages, although always promoting efficient particle binding, fails to promote ingestion of C3b-coated particles (Bianco et al., 1975; Ehlenberger and Nussenzweig, 1977; F. M. Griffin, 1980,1981; F. M. Griffin et al.,1975a,b; F. M. Griffin and Griffin, 1980; J. A. Griffin and Griffin, 1979; Lay and Nussenzweig, 1968; Mantovani, 1975; Mantovani et al.,1972; Newman and Johnston, 1979; Scribner and Fahrney, 1976; Shaw and Griffin, 1981; Ward and Enders, 1933). Studies in rabbits (Brown et al., 1970) and guinea pigs Atkinson and Frank, 1974a,b; Schreiber and Frank, 1972) confirm the in vitro finding that macrophages are normally unable to phagocytize via their complement receptors. Erythrocytes coated with IgM, which became further coated with complement when injected intravenously, were rapidly cleared from these animals’ circulation by the liver. However, within a few minutes they reappeared in the bloodstream and circulated with a normal lifespan. Presumably these C3b-coated erythrocytes were bound via the C3b receptors of Kupffer cells but were released when C3b inactivator and proteases cleaved erythrocyte-bound C3b to C3 fragments not recognized by macrophages.