cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of thyroid adenyl cyclase activity and cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate by long-acting thyroid stimulator

Abstract Long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) increased adenyl cyclase activity in dog thyroid slices when 3 H-adenine incorporation into 3 H-cyclic AMP was measured but not when 14 C-ATP conversion to 14 C-cyclic AMP was used. The former method was demonstrated to be a more sensitive indicator of adenyl cyclase activity, and in the presence of 10 −2 theophylline as little as 0.25 mU TSH significantly increased adenyl cyclase activity. LATS also increased the concentration of cyclic AMP in thyroid slices, consistent with its activation of adenyl cyclase. Although TSH increased cyclic AMP within three minutes of its addition, LATS did not have any effect until a 30-minute incubation. The effect of LATS increased during longer incubations. LATS did not inhibit phosphodiesterase activity. Papain digestion of LATS produced a fragment which also increased 14 C-1-glucose oxidation by thyroid slices but still had the same delay in onset of action as LATS. A satisfactory dose response relationship could not be established using the fragment obtained by papain digestion. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that LATS like TSH controls thyroid gland function through the adenyl cyclase-cyclic AMP system.
Communication preference moderates the effect of a tailored intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among African Americans

Abstract Objective Test the impact of tailoring CRC screening messages for African Americans (AAs) using novel theoretical variables and to examine moderating effect of communication preferences. Methods Participants were randomized to receive two minimally tailored or two enhanced tailored print newsletters addressing CRC. The enhanced intervention was tailored on Self-Determination Theory and other novel psychological constructs. Minimal tailoring only used information available in the patient's EHR. The primary outcome was CRC screening based on EHR. Participants were AA members aged 50–74 of an integrated health care delivery system not up to date on CRC screening. Results We enrolled 881 participants. CRC screening participation rates at 1-year follow up were 20.5% and 21.5% in the minimally and enhanced tailored groups, respectively. Communication preferences moderated the impact of the intervention. Specifically, among those with an autonomous communication preference, screening rates in the minimally and enhanced tailored groups were 17.1% and 25.9%, respectively, while no intervention effect was evident among those with a directive preference. Conclusion Future research is needed to explore the impact of communication preference tailoring for other health behaviors and among other populations. Practice implications Tailored communications should consider communication style preference to help guide the content and tone of messages.
Stereocontrolled synthesis of the D- and L-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosides and their 6-deoxy analogues. Synthesis of methyl alpha-l-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1-->3)-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl- (1-->3)-6-deoxy-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L- rhamno-pyranoside, a tetrasaccharide subunit of the lipopolysaccharide from Plesimonas shigelloides.

The synthesis of d- and l-glycero-α-manno-thioheptopyranosides, protected with 4,6-O-alkylidene-type acetals is described. In glycosylations carried out with preactivation with the 1-benzenesulfinylpiperidine/trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride couple, both the d- and l-glycero series exhibit excellent β-selectivity with a range of glycosyl acceptors. In contrast, a 4,7-O-alkylidene acetal was found not to afford β-selectivity. With a 4,6-O-[1-cyano-2-(2-iodophenyl)ethylidene] acetal protected thioglycoside, excellent β-selectivity was obtained in glycosylation reactions, and subsequent treatment with tributyltin hydride and azoisobutyronitrile brought about clean fragmentation to the 6-deoxy-glycero-β-d-manno-heptopyranosides. This chemistry was applied to the stereocontrolled synthesis of methyl α-l-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1→3)-d-glycero-β-d-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1→3)-6-deoxy-glycero-β-d-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-l-rhamno-pyranoside, a component of the lipopolysaccharide from Plesimonas shigelloides.
Modeling to Generate Alternatives: A Shawnee National Forest example

Abstract This paper describes a technique known as Modeling to Generate Alternatives (MGA), and its potential application to National Forest planning. Two MGA approaches are examined-decision space based and objective space based. A screening technique is also described which allows the selection of a small number of alternatives from a large set of generated alternatives. A demonstration of how the technique works is presented using two analysis areas on the Shawnee National Forest.
Dose-response relationships for the effects of growth hormone-releasing factor-(1-44)-NH2 in young adult men and women.

Abstract Human GRF-(1–44)-NH2 (GRF–44) was administered iv in graded doses of 0.01–10 μg/kg to 35 normal young adult men and 38 women. GRF-44 stimulated the release of GH i n a dose-dependent fashion, although the individual responses varied widely. The ED50 values for this effect were 0.4 μg/kg in men and 0.2 μg/kg in women in the midfollicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Maximal responses in men and women were not significantly different, and a dose of 1 μg/kg was sufficient o t produce a maximal response. There was, likewise, no difference between responses of women tested in the midfollicular and midluteal phases of the cycle. There were no changes in PRL, LH, FSH, TSH, ACTH, β-endorphin, or cortisol at doses up to 1 μg/kg; at 10 μg/kg, PRL increased by an average of 7.6 ng/ml in the women. Side effects occurred in approximately 20% of both men and women at 1 μg/kg and in nearly all subjects given 10 μg/kg; these consisted primarily of flushing and a sense of warmth. Thus, a dose of 1 μg/kg GRF-44 i...
Popular Perceptions of Democracy: Elections and Attitudes in Uganda

This essay examines the potential for liberal democracy in Uganda by analyzing four sources: (a) results of recent national elections, (b) survey data about how Ugandans define democracy, (c) surve...
Glutathione S-transferase isozymes in Aedes aegypti: Purification, characterization, and isozyme-specific regulation

Abstract Glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozymes were purified from the GG strain of Aedes aegypti, a strain having ≥4-fold higher total GST activity compared to the wild-type lab strain. Purification involved S-hexyl-glutathione affinity chromatography in high salt buffer, and GST specific elution with S-(p-bromobenzyl)-glutathione. Final purification was accomplished on DEAE-Sepharose. Two isozymes, GST-1b and GST-2 were purified using this procedure, and an additional isozyme, GST-1a, was partially purified. The GST-2 isozyme has one of the highest specific activities reported for a GST, with a specific activity of 739 μmol/min/mg using 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), and 16.4 μmol/min/mg using 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DCNB) as substrates. GST-2, GST-1a, and GST-1b were analyzed for amino acid composition and subjected to N-terminal sequencing. All three GSTs showed amino acid differences, especially among the nonpolar and polar amino acids. The amino acid composition of GST-1b was found to be more similar to GST 1-1 from Drosophila melanogaster than to GST-2 or GST-1a from Aedes aegypti. Only GST-2 gave N-terminal sequence data, raising the possibility that GST-1a and 1b are N-terminally blocked. The A. aegypti GST-2 showed amino acid sequence identity or similarity in all but one residue between residue numbers 31 through 41 compared to the D. melanogaster and Musca domestica GST 1-1 isozymes. The pattern of GST isozyme expression was analyzed in various tissues and stages of development of the GG and wild type strains using isozyme-specific antisera and substrates. GST-1a was constitutively overexpressed in all tissues examined in the GG strain compared to the wild type strain. The expression of GST-1b was similar in both strains for all tissues and developmental stages examined. GST-2 was constitutively overexpressed in head, thorax and abdomen, but was not detected in ovaries of the GG strain. These results suggest that elevated GST activity in the GG strain is due to constitutive overexpression of GST-2 and GST-1a. GST-1a, GST-1b and GST-2 apparently are the products of 3 independently regulated genes and appear to be expressed in a tissue-specific manner.
Asteroid Impact Tsunami: A Probabilistic Hazard Assessment

Abstract We investigate the generation, propagation, and probabilistic hazard of tsunami spawned by oceanic asteroid impacts. The process first links the depth and diameter of parabolic impact cavities to asteroid density, radius, and impact velocity by means of elementary energy arguments and crater scaling rules. Then, linear tsunami theory illustrates how these transient cavities evolve into vertical sea surface waveforms at distant positions and times. By measuring maximum wave amplitude at many distances for a variety of impactor sizes, we derive simplified attenuation relations that account both for geometrical spreading and frequency dispersion of tsunami on uniform depth oceans. In general, the tsunami wavelengths contributing to the peak amplitude coincide closely with the diameter of the transient impact cavity. For the moderate size impactors of interest here (those smaller than a few hundred meters radius), cavity widths are less than or comparable to mid-ocean depths. As a consequence, dispersion increases the 1/□r long-wave decay rate to nearly 1/r for tsunami from these sources. In the final step, linear shoaling theory applied at the frequency associated with peak tsunami amplitude corrects for amplifications as the waves near land. By coupling this tsunami amplitude/distance information with the statistics of asteroid falls, the probabilistic hazard of impact tsunami is assessed in much the same way as probabilistic seismic hazard, by integrating contributions over all admissible impactor sizes and impact locations. In particular, tsunami hazard, expressed as the Poissonian probability of being inundated by waves from 2 to 50 m in height in a 1000-year interval, is computed at both generic (generalized geography) and specific (real geography) sites. For example, a typical generic site with 180° of ocean exposure and a reach of 6000 km, admits a 1-in-14 chance of an impact tsunami exceeding 2-m in height in 1000 years. The likelihood drops to 1-in-35 for a 5-m wave, and to 1-in-345 for a 25-m wave. Specific sites of Tokyo and New York have 1-in-24 and 1-in-47 chances, respectively, of suffering an impact tsunami greater than 5 m in the next millennium.
Analysis of both cobalt and selenium in feed‐stuffs and in biological tissue by chelation‐extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy

Abstract A procedure for measuring cobalt in feedstuffs and biological tissues using ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) chelation‐extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy is described. This procedure, except for the graphite furnace and spectrophotometer programs, is identical to another method for analysis of selenium in the same types of sample materials. Therefore, only one chelation‐extraction is now required to measure both cobalt and selenium in the same sample. No evidence was seen of interference from other metals in the sample materials used in this study.
Steady Energy Source in Her X-l?

OBSERVATIONS of the Her X-l system show that the X-ray emission above ˜ 2 keV has three cycles : a pulsation period of 1.2 s; a 1.7-d orbital period associated with the motion of Her X-l about HZ Her; and a 35-d cycle during which the source is in a high, observable state for some 12 d, followed by a 23-d low period during which no X rays are observed1,2. Optical emission from HZ Her shows periodic brightness changes with a 1.7-d period, such that the phase of maximum brightness coincides with the maximum in the pulsed X-ray intensity3,4. These observations have been interpreted in terms of HZ Her as a late A or early F star which has a bright side as a result of heating due to radiation from Her X-l (refs 3 to 7).
Minimization of Di Water Consumption In Wet Clean Rinse Tanks

The use of resistivity-monitored dump-rinse tanks in semiconductor wet processing allows the rinse process to be optimized, substantially reducing DI water consumption while minimizing the deleterious effects of water on bare silicon surfaces. Optimization experiments performed on the Metals wet clean hoods at ACT yielded optimum rinse cycles consisting of two or three dump cycles plus an overflow rinse to 10MΩ, with a calculated savings of about 40,000 gallons of DI water (about 40%) per year compared to previously accepted standards. Experiments indicate that the time required for rinsing is a competing function of the effectiveness of each dump cycle and the time required to physically perform the chosen number of dump cycles.
Clinical effects of treatment for lung cancer with double points cryoablation through percutaneous puncture guided by computed tomography

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical effects of the application of double points cryoablation through percutaneous puncture for advanced lung cancer patients. METHODS Forty-one patients diagnosed with stage III-IV pulmonary carcinoma were selected for the study. The patients were found to have from 1 to 3 foci of carcinoma, and in each case the disease was limited to one lung. The study patients were divided randomly into 3 groups. There were 16 cases receiving routine chemotherapy and radiotherapy in group I, 13 cases treated with cryoablation at a single point in group II, and 12 cases treated with cryoablation at 2 points simultaneously in group III. The patients in the 2 cryoablation groups also received the same treatment as the patients did in group I. The clinical effects were evaluated within 6 months after treatment, and the survival rate was followed-up for 3 years. RESULTS The clinical effects were improved significantly after treatment in group II and in group III compared with those in group I ( P < 0.05), including an enhanced regressive rate of 21%, postponed tumor progression of 50.58% and a clinical benefit rate of 92%. The effective rate of regression in group III was higher than that in group II, 43.59% ( P < 0.05), and the 3-year survival rate was 37.25%. Significant differences in side effects were not found between the 2 cryoablation groups. CONCLUSION Cryosurgery ablation at 2 points, simultaneously, and directed at 1 foci might improve the effects of treatment and the prognosis of lung cancer patients, when used in combination with routine treatment.
Teaching With Rubrics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This article gives a brief overview of the structure and purposes of rubrics; reviews the benefits of using rubrics as both teaching and grading tools; warns against approaches that limit the effectiveness of rubrics; and urges instructors to take simple steps toward ensuring the validity, reliability, and fairness of their rubrics. Tips for using rubrics with undergraduate and graduate students are also included.
Farm Profile: Sörtorp, an organic farm in Sweden

About 120 km west of Stockholm, beside a beautiful lake in a landscape of farmland interspersed with evergreen forests, lies perhaps the best known and most frequently visited organic farm in Sweden. As managed by Kalle and Inger Kallander since 1982, Sortorp has become an impressive example of how, with careful planning and management, a farm's available resources can be fashioned into a stable, productive system whose diverse components work together as an organic whole. This cardinal principle of organic farming is often voiced in the abstract, but to achieve it in practice is another matter. It requires a sustained willingness and ability to learn, to devise ingenious uses for the farm's land and facilities, and to try different approaches to solve existing problems and adapt to changing conditions. All this is abundantly evident at Sortorp.
Effect of foreign RNA on tobacco mosaic virus local lesion formation

Abstract Twelve hours after being infiltrated or sprayed with yeast RNA or RNA isolated from plants different from the test species, local-lesion hosts became highly resistant to TMV local lesion formation. This response was not elicited by RNA isolated from plants of the test species.
The Hydroxyapatite-Tapered Stem: Any Added Value?

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating has been used as a biological adjuvant for noncemented femoral stem fixation. This is a long-term concise report of a previously published prospective, randomized clinical trial, comparing plasma sprayed porous noncemented stems with and without an HA coating, with focus on wear and survivorship. Between July 1991 and October 1994, 177 patients (199 hips) underwent noncemented Ranawat-Burstein (RB) Metaphyseal-Diaphyseal fit total hip replacement in a prospective randomized clinical trial. At the 5-year follow-up, the incidence of trochanter and/or thigh pain was 12% in the HA group and 24% in the non-HA group. After the mean follow-up of 17.7 ± 0.8 years, there were 3 revisions in the HA group, 1 for fracture and 2 for poly wear. There were 4 revisions in the non-HA group, 1 for infection and 3 for poly wear. There was no revision for femoral loosening in either groups. The Kaplan–Meier survivorship for failure for mechanical reasons in the HA group and non-HA group were 97.9% and 97.1%, respectively, which was not statistically significant. Noncemented femoral stems with HA coating have excellent survivorship without any substantial deleterious effect or increase in wear.
Nonlinear Self-filtering via Modulation Instability

We consider the nonlinear propagation of a mixture of coherent and spatially-incoherent light. We derive a diffraction/dispersion relation for the coupling and show experimentally how joint modulation instability can recover signals from a noisy background.
Synthesis of a chloroplast membrane polypeptide on thylakoid-bound ribosomes during the cell cycle of Chlamydomonas reinhardii 137+

Abstract An in vitro protein synthesizing system consisting of thylakoid-bound polysomes supplemented with an S-100 from Escherichia coli has been used to investigate chloroplast membrane protein synthesis in synchronous cultures of Chlamydomonas reinhardii . The cell-free system produces at least one thylakoid membrane protein, D-2, on the basis of electrophoretic mobility and peptide mapping. Rough thylakoid membranes isolated in the middle and late light portion of the cell cycle synthesize substantial amounts of D-2 in vitro while the synthesis of D-2 was not detected by rough thylakoids isolated early in the light period or midway through the dark portion of the cell cycle. The same result was found when the synthesis of D-2 was investigated in vivo by pulse-labeling synchronous cell cultures with [ 3 H]arginine. This provides further evidence for the faithful synthesis of polypeptide D-2 in vitro. These results show that one function of thylakoid-bound ribosomes is to synthesize thylakoid membrane proteins. The results also show the cell cycle regulation of membrane protein synthesis that exists within the chloroplast on thylakoid-bound ribosomes.
Putting the brakes on angiogenesis through a novel VEGF-KLH (kinoid) vaccine.

Evaluation of: Rad FH, Buanec HL, Paturance S et al. VEGF–kinoid vaccine, a therapeutic approach against tumor angiogenesis and metastases. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104(8), 2837–2842 (2007).Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Of the several known angiogenic factors, VEGF is an important mediator of tumor-induced angiogenesis and represents a potential target for innovative anticancer therapy. Recently, humanized monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab) has been approved by the US FDA for combinatorial therapies with cytotoxic drugs in metastatic colorectal cancer. However, adverse side effects and enormous costs are associated with the use and delivery of bevacizumab. In the study under evaluation, Rad et al. demonstrated an alternative approach by using active immunization in mice with a novel VEGF–kinoid vaccine. The authors observed that the antitumor effects elicited by their vaccine were as effective as bevacizumab in xenografted-tumor mous...
The roles of Sylvester and Bezoutian matrices in the historical study of stability of linear discrete-time systems

In this paper, a historical review of the stability criteria of linear discrete-time systems is presented. In this review the early pioneering works of Hermite, Schur, Cohn, and Fujiwara, and how these paved the way for modern development of other criteria are indicated. It is also mentioned that Sylvester and Bezoutian matrices are the key methods in such developments. Besides this review of early work, some new results and simplifications are brought to light. The paper ends with some important applications of the various stability criteria in diverse fields.
Influence of Salinomycin on Antimicrobial Resistance of Coliforms and Streptococci from Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate antimicrobial resistance of coliforms and streptococci isolated from feces of chickens fed salinomycin. Two groups of 20 chickens were fed either a control feed or feed supplemented with 80 g/ton salinomycin. Chicken fecal coliforms and streptococci were isolated at 5, 15, 19, 22, 26, 33, 40, and 47 days of age and their resistance to 11 or 12 antibacterial agents (coliforms and streptococci, respectively) were determined in both groups of chickens. Salinomycin significantly reduced the number of coliforms resistant to sulfadiazine and reduced the number of streptococci resistant to erythromycin and lincomycin. Streptococci from birds fed salinomycin had lower minimum inhibitory concentrations for streptomycin. No streptococci isolates developed resistance to salinomycin. Coliforms from birds fed salinomycin had more (P less than .05) resistance patterns involving two, five, and six drugs. Numbers of coliforms resistant to streptomycin, ampicillin, carbenicillin, and cephalothin were greater (P less than .05) from birds fed salinomycin.
Growth-promoting actions of extracts from mouse submaxillary glands on human endothelial cells in culture

Extracts of submaxillary glands from two different strains of inbred mice were mitogenic for human endothelial cells in culture. The mitogenic activity of extracts from glands of males of the SWR/J and C57BL/10J strains were equivalent, and the growth stimulating effect was unrelated to renin or esteroproteolytic activity. Mitogenic activity in extracts from SWR/J females was less than that from males, and extracts from C57BL/10J females were inactive. The polypeptide growth factors, epidermal (EGF) and fibroblast (FGF) growth factors, also stimulated replication of endothelial cells. Cells from either umbilical arteries or veins responded to submaxillary extracts, EGF, or FGF with a similar increase in cell number, increase in protein and enhanced uptake of 3H-thymidine. The proliferative response was associated with decreased activity of angiotensin I converting enzyme which is localized on the endothelial surface. Nerve growth factor (NGF) was not mitogenic for endothelial cells. Extracts of submaxillary glands from male mice of either strain contained approximately 20 times more EGF than extracts from females, as determined by immunodiffusion. Mitogenic activity of the extracts was completely inhibited by antiserum to EGF, suggesting that the active component of these preparations is EGF.
Performing a New England landscape: Viewing, engaging, and belonging

This research considered how rural landscapes and place identity are produced through private landowners' work. The notion of performance is explored from two perspectives: as a research method and as a powerful conceptual tool that affords a multi-scalar tracing of the connections between belonging, aesthetics, and the legacy of tourism narratives in a contemporary rural place. Interviews with rural Vermont landowners reveal that they conduct a diverse array of activities on their properties, but hold remarkably similar perceptions of the key elements in an ideal Vermont landscape. This vision closely matches the pastoral ideal that was manufactured for tourist consumption beginning in the late 19th century. Landowners engage in land-shaping activities that reproduce an ideal, agrarian view, but not necessarily agricultural livelihoods. Researcher engagement in a land-shaping activity afforded insight into the community and public elements of private landowners' land use practices. This mixed-methods approach revealed how landowners' sense of attachment to place and the doing of land-shaping activities contribute to the performance of a regional New England landscape.
Bioresorbable polymeric stents: current status and future promise

Metal stents and, more recently, polymer-coated metal stents are used to stabilize dissections, eliminate vessel recoil, and guide remodeling after balloon angioplasty and other treatments for arterial disease. Bioresorbable polymeric stents are being developed to improve the biocompatibility and the drug reservoir capacity of metal stents, and to offer a transient alternative to the permanent metallic stent implant. Following a brief review of metal stent technology, the emerging class of expandable, bioresorbable polymeric stents is described, with emphasis on developments in the authors' laboratory.
Effects of Cooperative and Individual Rewriting on an Instruction Writing Task

The performance of students who rewrote an experimenter-provided set of instructions in dyads or individually was compared with that of individuals who wrote without access to those instructions. A total of 49 students participated in the experiment. The rewriting groups were provided with sample instructions and were asked to improve them; the writing group simply wrote instructions. All students then wrote a second set of instructions individually. The results showed that on the first task both the dyadic rewriting group and the individual writing group significantly outperformed the individual rewriting group on a communication score. Significant differences were also found on the completeness score. The ordering of means on this measure from highest to lowest was individual rewriters, dyadic rewriters, and the writing individuals.
Antioscillons from bubble collisions at finite temperature

We study the role of the topology of bubbles at finite temperatures plays on collisions and the existence of new field configurations. We show that in the case of false vacuum decay at finite temperature, the cylindrical symmetry of bubbles admits a new exotic field with negative energies, the antiperiodic "twisted" field. New field configurations arise generically, not only at finite temperatures but whenever a cluster of bubbles resulting from collisions form nontrivial topologies. The interaction of both configurations induces instabilites on the bubble. Collisions of bubbles occupied by the new fields can lead to the emergence of new structures, named antioscillons.
Poultry Education Team: A Novel Approach to Public Education and Student Recruitment,

Changing public perception of the production of poultry meat and eggs is a challenge faced by all poultry scientists. The lack of public knowledge can be an obstacle to poultry integrator plans for expansion and for university recruitment of undergraduate Poultry Science majors. While many programs have been utilized for disseminating information to a wide range of people, an innovative approach for providing public education has been developed by the undergraduate students in the Department of Poultry Science at Mississippi State University. The students formed the Poultry Education Team to provide educational programs for K-12 schools, community colleges, university events, and supermarkets. Poultry Education Team members receive formal training from faculty and industry personnel prior to providing educational programs.
Semiblind Multiuser MIMO Channel Estimators Using PM and RRQR Methods

Estimating the channel state information (CSI) of several transmitters that use orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC) to communicate with a single receiver is considered. Based on Rank Revealing QR (RRQR) factorization and Propagator method (PM), two new algorithms to estimate multiuser MIMO channels are proposed. The algorithm estimates the subspace spanned by the user channels use only a few training blocks to extract the users CSI from this subspace. Our both algorithms achieve better performance in comparison with reference LS based approach. Computer simulations are included to validate proposed methods.
Development of the common human-machine interface for multi-axis machine tools

Multi-axis and multi-task machine tools have been the major development trends in recent machine tool industry. However, it is almost impossible To achieve efficient production and safety on multi-axis, multi-task machines tools without the help of on-line software systems, which is also known as the Human-machine interface (HMI). The biggest challenge for Taiwan machine tool industry to build HMI software is to deal with the complexity induced by programming interfaces and communication protocols provided by various commercial CNC controllers since it is common for a vendor to sell machine tools with the same configuration but with different controller to fulfill customer requirements. Various combinations of machine configurations and CNC controllers will dramatically increase the development and maintenance cost for HMI software development. To resolve the above difficulty, a Common Human-machine Interface (CHMI) software development platform is proposed and implemented as a unified development environment for customized HMI software. To demonstrate the benefits of the proposed CHMI platform, on-line collision avoidance and machining simulation software are also implemented based on the CHMI platform and tested with various machine tools. Implementation and test result shows that using the CHMI platform, vendors can develop customized HMI software without the complexities induced by various programming interfaces and communication protocols provided by various commercial CNC controllers, therefore the development and maintenance cost can be reduced.
Atmospheric Responses to North Atlantic SST Anomalies in Idealized Experiments. Part II: North American Precipitation

AbstractThis is the second part of a two-part paper that addresses deterministic roles of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) in variations of atmospheric circulation and precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere, using a sequence of idealized model runs at the spring equinox conditions. This part focuses on the effect of the SST anomalies on North American precipitation. Major results show that, in the model setting closest to the real-world situation, a warm SST anomaly in the North Atlantic Ocean causes suppressed precipitation in central, western, and northern North America but more precipitation in the southeast. A nearly reversed pattern of precipitation anomalies develops in response to the cold SST anomaly. Further examinations of these solutions reveal that the response to the cold SST anomaly is less stable than that to the warm SST anomaly. The former is “dynamically charged” in the sense that positive eddy kinetic energy (EKE) ...
Effects of elevated extracellular potassium ion concentration on anodal excitation of cardiac tissue.

Introduction: Anodal excitation of cardiac tissue occurs by two mechanisms: “make” and “break.” Anodal strength-interval curves are divided into two sections, with break excitation occurring at short intervals and make at long intervals. Our goal is to determine how an elevated extracellular potassium ion concentration, [K]o, affects the mechanism of anodal excitation and influences the anodal strength-interval curve. Methods and Results: Computer simulations of unipolar stimulation were performed using the bidomain model, with membrane kinetics governed by the Luo-Rudy model. The diastolic threshold for anodal stimulation first decreased and then increased with increasing [K]o, reaching a minimum value at [K]o= 12 mM. The mechanism for diastolic anodal excitation was make for all [K]o values except 13.3 mM, in which case it was break. For low [K]o (4 and 8 mM) the break section of the anodal strength-interval contained a “dip,” but for high [K]o (12 and 13 mM), the dip disappeared. Conclusion: High [K]o predisposes cardiac tissue to break excitation, which is thought to play an important role in reentry induction and defibrillation. Because fibrillation raises extracellular [K]o levels, break excitation may play a more important role in defibrillation than is suggested by simulations and experiments using normal [K]o values. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1351-1355, December 2003)
Momentum transport in arbitrary mean-free path plasma with a Maxwellian lowest order distribution function

Expressions for the ion perpendicular viscosity as well as for the electron and ion gyroviscosities, parallel viscosities and heat fluxes are derived for arbitrary mean-free path plasmas, in which the lowest order distribution function is a Maxwellian, by assuming the gyroradius is small compared with the shortest perpendicular scale length. The results are given in terms of a few velocity space integrals of the gyrophase independent correction to the Maxwellian and correctly reproduce known results in the collisional limit.
On Vaporizing Water Flow in Hot Sub-Vertical Rock Fractures

Water injection into unsaturated fractured rock at above-boiling temperatures gives rise to complex fluid flow and heat transfer processes. Examples include water injection into depleted vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs, and emplacement of heat-generating nuclear wastes in unsaturated fractured rock. We conceptualize fractures as two-dimensional heterogeneous porous media, and use geostatistical techniques to generate synthetic permeability distributions in the fracture plane. Water flow in hot high-angle fractures is simulated numerically, taking into account the combined action of gravity, capillary, and pressure forces, and conductive heat transfer from the wall rocks which gives rise to strong vaporization. In heterogeneous fractures boiling plumes are found to have dendritic shapes, and to be subject to strong lateral flow effects. Fractures with spatially-averaged homogeneous permeabilities tend to give poor approximations for vaporization behavior and liquid migration patterns. Depending on water flow rates, rock temperature, and fracture permeability, liquid water can migrate considerable distances through fractured rock that is at above-boiling temperatures and be only partially vaporized.
Sex differences in auditory filters of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater).

Receiver sensory abilities can be influenced by a number of factors, including habitat, phylogeny and the selective pressure to acquire information about conspecifics or heterospecifics. It has been hypothesized that brood-parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) females may locate or determine the quality of potential hosts by eavesdropping on their sexual signals. This is expected to produce different sex-specific pressures on the auditory system to detect conspecific and heterospecific acoustic signals. Here, we examined auditory filter shape and efficiency, which influence the ability to resolve spectral and temporal information, in males and females at center frequencies of 2, 3 and 4 kHz. We found that overall, cowbirds had relatively wide filters (lsmean ± SE: 619.8 ± 41.6 Hz). Moreover, females had narrower filters (females: 491.4 ± 66.8, males: 713.8 ± 67.3 Hz) and greater filter efficiency (females: 59.0 ± 2.0, males: 69.8 ± 1.9 dB) than males. Our results suggest that the filters of female cowbirds may allow them to extract spectral information from heterospecific vocalizations. The broader auditory filters of males may reflect limited spectral energy in conspecific vocalizations in this frequency range, and hence, weaker selection for high resolution of frequency in the range of 2–4 kHz.
Fibromyalgia and Fatigue: Central Processing, Widespread Dysfunction

Abstract Biological and psychological bases for the covariation of pain and fatigue in fibromyalgia (FM) are reviewed. FM is characterized as a disorder of central sensitization, with pain and fatigue as the most prominent symptoms. The roles of sleep disturbance and affective dysregulation as both precipitants and consequences of pain and fatigue in FM are discussed. It is argued that a positive affective disturbance may uniquely characterize pain and fatigue symptoms in FM. Finally, pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments for FM are highlighted, with an emphasis on the efficacy of these treatments in alleviating pain and fatigue symptoms.
A SPECIFIC SYNTHETIC RNA PROMOTES CARDIAC MYOFIBRILLOGENESIS IN THE MEXICAN AXOLOTL

Abstract Ambystoma mexicanumis an intriguing animal model for studying heart development because it carries a mutation in gene c . Hearts of homozygous recessive ( c / c ) mutant embryos do not contain organized myofibrils and fail to beat. However, the defect can be corrected by organ-culturing the mutant heart in the presence of RNA from anterior endoderm or RNA from endoderm mesoderm-conditioned medium. We constructed a cDNA library from total conditioned medium RNA in a pcDNAII expression vector. We screened the cDNA library by an organ culture bioassay and isolated a single clone (Cl#4), the synthetic RNA from which corrects the heart defect by promoting myofibrillogenesis. The insert size of the active clone is 166 nt in length with a unique nucleotide sequence. The anti-sense RNA from Cl#4 using SP6 RNA polymerase failed to rescue mutant hearts. The ability of this small RNA to correct the mutant heart defect suggests that the RNA probably does not act as an mRNA. While the precise mechanism of action is not yet known, on the basis of our studies to date it is very clear that the sense strand of Cl#4 RNA has the ability to promote myofibrillogenesis and rescue the mutant hearts bothin vitroandin vivo.
3-D Heterogeneous SoC for detecting and filtering infected biological cells

This paper discusses a 3-D heterogeneous system on a chip (3-D HSoC) for an important biomedical application. Specifically, it discusses the application for detecting and filtering infected cells in blood. For example, leukemia and HIV produce diseased cells that circulate in the blood stream and are characterized by certain surface proteins. If the sensor plane of the 3-D HSoC is coated with an array of a specific receptor or ligand that binds to the protein on the virus, then the diseased cells can be captured, identified and dealt with accordingly. The analog and digital planes of the HSoC can enable this identification capability as discussed in the paper. Simulations show that the attached diseased cells can be correctly detected with a probability ranging from 0.98 to 0.996. We present the architecture and methodology for the detection of diseased cells using an scFv array on the sensor plane, efficient circuits on the analog plane, and the J-platform on the digital plane.
Transport properties of partially-filled CeyCo4Sb12

We have investigated the magnetic and transport properties of CeyCo4Sb12 filled skutterudites with the filling fraction y ≤ 0.1. These compounds are n-type materials that develop a magnetic moment upon the presence of trivalent cerium. Cerium has a strong influence on all transport properties and even in small amounts it drastically reduces the lattice thermal conductivity. The resulting figures of merit are comparable to the values established previously for the p-type filled skutterudites.
Abstract LB-260: Sensitivity of breast cancer stem cells to TRA-8 anti-DR5 monoclonal antibody

Breast cancer stem cells (BrCSC) are reported to be responsible for self-replication, treatment resistance, and metastases. Doubly enriched populations of BrCSC have been isolated using combined stem cell markers for CD44+/CD24- and increased levels of ALDEFLUOR® positivity based on aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme activity. We have examined the sensitivity of doubly enriched populations of BrCSC isolated from basal-like breast cancer cell lines as regards anti-DR5 agonistic monoclonal antibody (TRA-8) mediated cytotoxicity. Methods: BrCSC were isolated and characterized from basal breast cancer cell lines (SUM159, SUM149, HCC38 and 2LMP) based on the intracellular accumulation of ALDEFLUOR® reagent and CD44+/CD24- surface expression by flow cytometry. DR5 expression on the BrCSC subpopulation, in vitro cytotoxicity after 24 h exposure to TRA-8, and caspase activation after TRA-8 exposure were evaluated. The effects of TRA-8 on secondary tumorosphere formation were also investigated. Results: Unsorted basal-like cell lines were highly sensitive to TRA-8 mediated cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.7-3.0 ng/ml. Doubly enriched CD44+/CD24−/ALDEFLUOR+ BrCSC from these cell lines exhibited comparable DR5 expression and were similarly highly sensitive to TRA-8 induced cytotoxicity with rapid induction of caspase 3 and 8 cleavage. Secondary tumorosphere formation was greater than 90% inhibited by TRA-8 exposure. An agonistic anti-DR4 monoclonal antibody (2E12) had no effect, and TRAIL was only partially inhibitory to secondary tumorosphere formation at equimolar concentrations. TRA-8 effect on BrCSC tumorigenicity will be presented. These studies suggest that TRA-8 may be an effective targeted therapy directed at BrCSC in basal-like breast cancer patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-260.
Cerebrovascular Effects of Amyloid-ß Peptides: Mechanisms and Implications for Alzheimer's Dementia

1. The amyloid s-peptide (As) is involved in the mechanisms of Alzheimer dementia. This paper reviews experimental evidence indicating that As exerts profound effects on the regulation of the cerebral circulation.
Predicting Fear of Crime: Considering Differences Across Gender

The current research tests the vulnerability, disorder, and social integration models to determine their relative predictive capacity across separate female and male citizen samples on fear of crime. Although previous literature typically includes gender as a control variable, the present analysis goes beyond this to determine whether the models function differently according to gender. Findings indicate that there are in fact significant differences in predictors of female and male fear of crime. Increased age reduces fear for women but not men, and increased income leads to higher levels of fear for men but lower levels for women. Theoretical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Further observations on the anesthetization of rabbit's cornea by non-surface anesthetics.

SummaryIn the present experiments, utilizing 1320 observations on the eyes of 44 rabbits, physostigmine, either topically or subcutaneously, did not alter the topical anesthetic activity of procaine. Subcutaneous administration of physostigmine or pilocarpine produced corneal anesthesia in the rabbit eye as measured by loss of corneal reflex. The role of cholinesterase inhibition in the penetration of non-surface anesthetics is discussed.
Song Sharing and Repertoires among Migratory and Resident Rufous-Sided Towhees

Among oscines, song sharing with neighbors and large song repertoires may be enhanced in resident populations. This idea was explored with the Rufous-sided Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) by studying singing behavior in a resident Florida and a migratory New York population. Florida males (n = 15) sang an average of eight song types per male, but New York males (n = 15) sang only 3.5. Furthermore, unlike the New York males, the Florida males shared most song types in their larger repertoires with immediate neighbors. These marked differences in sharing and repertoires need further study in the towhees and other species in order to understand more clearly the processes that lead to such population differences.
A Preliminary Evaluation of Reinstatement of Destructive Behavior Displayed by Individuals with Autism

Reinstatement is the recovery of previously extinguished responding during response-independent delivery of previously reinforcing stimuli. In this translational study, we examined reinstatement of severe destructive behavior exhibited by individuals with autism. First, destructive behavior was reinforced on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement, and high rates of responding were observed. Next, extinction was implemented and destructive behavior ceased. In the third component, a fixed-time, 2-min schedule of reinforcement was implemented and destructive behavior was reinstated. The 3-component sequence of conditions was implemented two additional times with both participants, and destructive behavior recurred during each test for reinstatement. These results suggest that reinstatement (a) occurs across populations and topographies of behavior, including clinically relevant responses such as destructive behavior, and (b) is a mechanism that may represent a challenge to treatment and play a role in clinical relapse of destructive behavior.
Angiotensin II activates the beta 1 isoform of phospholipase C in vascular smooth muscle cells

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) contribute to the pathophysiology of hypertension through cell growth and contraction, and phospholipase C (PLC) is a critical effector enzyme in growth factor and vasoconstrictor signaling. There is indirect evidence that angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors are linked to the PLC-beta isoform signaling pathways. However, recent studies suggest that PLC-beta isoforms may not be expressed in VSMC. Our data demonstrate that in human aortic VSMC, PLC-beta 1 and PLC-gamma 1 proteins were detected by immunoblot analysis, and PLC-beta 1 mRNA was identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in rat aortic VSMC. Incubation of permeabilized VSMC with anti-PLC-beta 1 or anti-Gq alpha antibodies inhibited ANG II-dependent inositol polyphosphate (IP) formation, while anti-PLC-gamma 1 antibodies did not inhibit ANG II-regulated IP formation. Conversely, anti-PLC-gamma 1 antibodies completely abolished platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-dependent IP generation, whereas anti-PLC-beta 1 antibodies had no effect on PDGF-induced PLC activation. Inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation with genistein or herbimycin A did not diminish ANG II-stimulated IP formation or cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration transients, thereby confirming that ANG II signals via a PLC-gamma 1-independent mechanism. In summary, PLC-beta 1 and PLC-gamma 1 are expressed in human aortic VSMC, and PLC-beta 1 is the isoform that is critical for ANG II-regulated PLC signaling in these cells.