cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A technique for separating endogeneous from exogenous human cortical potentials

In a temporal discrimination paradigm, if signal duration is the stimulus dimension to be discriminated, the moment of subject's decision can be manipulated by varying the duration of the target stimulus. As stimulus duration is lengthened, task-contingent potentials related to the decision process can be separated from those evoked by stimulus onset. Analysis of individual evoked responses indicates that 3 task-contingent components, occurring at 220, 300 and 340 msec are precisely time-locked to the moment of decision.
Quark mass hierarchies and natural flavor conservation as stable fixed points

Abstract In the context of two-Higgs models, a hierarchy of heavy quark masses can be generated naturally at the infrared fixed point of the renormalization group equations for the Yukawa couplings, while flavor-changing neutral currents are naturally suppressed. In the case of four quark families, we find Σ u 2 =μm d 2 ≌( 140 GeV ) 2 and an upper bound of 100 GeV for the top quark mass.
Some factors affecting the dynamics of a plasma-wall interaction simulator☆

Abstract Isotope mixing and thermal desorption from samples exposed in a glow discharge apparatus were used to study the factors affecting hydrogen recycle and wall inventory. Conditions were chosen to be similar to those expected at the walls in today's experimental fusion devices. The size and nature of the hydrogen reservoir in the wall after plasma pulses was investigated by thermal desorption techniques. Large amounts of deuterium, i.e., 5 × 1015 D cm−2 remain in the sample 4 min after a single 200 ms plasma pulse. While this result may be explained by a model using bulk diffusion and traps, it is suggested that either a spectrum of desorption energies, or a concentration dependent recombination coefficient, may also be useful in describing the thermal desorption processes. Experiments with various pumping conditions show that readsorption of molecular hydrogen isotopes on the wall should be considered in modeling hydrogen recycle and isotope changeover processes. HD formation without plasmas confirms the role readsorption plays.
Abstract 4548: The role of GPR30/G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in lung cancer development

Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths both in men and women. Estrogens, including 17β-estradiol (E2), are known to promote various cancers including breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Women are at higher risk for lung adenocarcinoma than men, implying a potential role for estrogens in lung cancer. E2 mediates its genomic effects through two well-characterized nuclear receptors, estrogen receptor α (ERα) and estrogen receptor β (ERβ), both of which are expressed in normal lung and lung adenocarcinomas. In addition to genomic estrogen action, i.e., transcriptional regulation of gene expression, estrogens activate rapid, non-genomic responses such as intracellular calcium release, cAMP production, MAPK and PI3K/AKT phosphorylation, and up regulation of c-fos transcription. These observations prompted a search for new estrogen receptors and culminated in the discovery of GPR30 (GPER) as a bona fide estrogen receptor that mediates some of the membrane actions of E2. GPR30 is a seven transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) unrelated to nuclear ERα and ERβ. Although GPR30 is expressed in healthy lung, its expression in lung tumors/lung cancer cell lines as well as its functional activities has not been investigated. In the current study, we investigated the expression of GPR30 in human and murine lung cancer cell lines and tumor tissues both at the transcript and protein levels. Our analyses demonstrated for the first time that GPR30 expression is significantly increased (2 to140 fold) in lung cancer cells lines (A549, H1435, H1395, H1944, H1792, H1793, H2073, H23, H1299, LLC) compared to immortalized normal human bronchioepithelial cells (HBEC3-ET, HBEC2-E, HBEC2-KT). The expression of GPR30 in lung tissue microarrays (LC242, LC1005 from USBiomax) containing 87 cases of lung cancer tissues along with normal and cancer adjacent tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemnistry (IHC). IHC scores confirm that GPR30 is significantly overexpressed in more than 80% of lung adenocarcinomas (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4548. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4548
Molecular tetris: crowdsourcing molecular docking using path-planning and haptic devices

Many biological processes, including immune recognition, enzyme catalysis, and molecular signaling, which is still an open problem in biological sciences. We present Molecular Tetris, a game in which a player can explore the binding between a protein receptor and ligand. This exploration is similar to the game Tetris with atomic forces guiding best fits between shapes. This game will be utilized for crowdsourced haptic-guided motion planning. Haptic touch devices enable users to feel the interactions of two molecules as they move the ligand into an appropriate binding site on the receptor. We demonstrate the method on a critical piece of human immune response, ligand binding to a Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecule. Through multiple runs by our users, we construct a global roadmap that finds low energy paths to molecular docking sites. These paths are comparable to a highly-biased roadmap generated by Gaussian sampling around the known bound state. Our users are able to find low energy paths with both a specialized force-feedback device and a commodity game console controller.
A differential effect of pH on cell growth and respiration.

Abstract The pH of the growth medium has different effects on the growth and the respiration processes of a colorless strain of Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris when succinate, fumarate, malate, citrate and acetate are used as sole carbon sources. The responses of the cells were studied at pH 7.0, 6.0, 5.0, and 3.5 in a manner such that the conditions of the respiration studies approximated the conditions of the growth studies. Respiration, but not growth, was inhibited on succinate at pH 7.0. Growth, but not respiration, was inhibited on acetate at pH 5.0 as well as on malate at pH 3.5. The respiration rates of the cells on fumarate responded to changes in pH in a manner similar to that of the observed growth rates. No growth occurred on citrate at any of the pH's tested. The fact that succinate supported optimal growth at pH 7.0, where the substrate is essentially totally ionized and the growth rate of the cells on succinate is independent of pH, implies the presence of a transport mechanism for succinate ion in Euglena. The evidence is not sufficient to permit postulation of similar systems for the malate or fumarate substrates. Evidence is also presented to support the idea that the growth processes for Euglena utilizing acetate, malate, and possibly fumarate, are more sensitive to pH than are the respiration processes. Some implications of these findings on the relationship between energy production and growth, and between differential permeability of ions and free acids are discussed. The possible accumulation of weak acids within cells as a result of lower external pH values of the medium is also considered.
Functional anatomy of the porpoise larynx

This paper describes the anatomy of the larynx of an echolocating porpoise and proposes a limited role for that organ in vocalization. Gross dissection of the larynx of the bottle-nose porpoise Tursiops truncatus reveals the features of component cartilages, muscles and joints. Arytenoid, cuneiform, and corniculate cartilages are present as an incompletely fused cartilaginous unit with each cartilage being identifiable by slight clefts of demarcation. The arytenoid cartilages are freely movable on the cricoid cartilage as a prerequisite for opening and closure of the larynx. Despite the lack of vocal folds to produce a wide range of sounds, it is proposed that the larynx of this species can produce clicks and is partially responsible for whistles.
State variable reconstruction of delay systems

Consider the single-input single-output delay system with a single delay X(t) = A(d) X(t) + B u(t) (I) y(t) = C X(t) where X(t) = ?(t), t?[-h,0] A(d) = Ao + A1d, dX(t) = X(t-h) X(t)?Rn, u(t)?R1 and y(t)?R1. The problem is to find the state variable vector X(t) from the output variable y and the control input u. Unfortunately, the exact reconstruction method for non-delay systems, which was proposed by Chyung [1], cannot be directly applied to the delay systems. However, if the delay system is transformed into an equivalent system where only the output variable y is delayed, then the reconstruction method can be extended to cover the delay systems. The transformation is possible if the delay system is R[d]-observable (observable over R[d]).
Indirect effects of an invasive exotic species on a long-distance migratory songbird

The loss of foundational tree species to non-native pests can have far reaching consequences for forest composition and function, yet little is known about the impacts on other ecosystem components such as wildlife. We had the opportunity to observe how the loss of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), due to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), influenced the population ecology of the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) over a 7 year period. We followed the process of adelgid infestation and subsequent hemlock loss, which allowed us to investigate the patterns and mechanisms of population change. We document a precipitous decline in breeding pairs at one site where hemlock was most abundant in the understory, but not at our other two sites. We observed no changes in reproductive output or apparent survival, yet territory size increased dramatically at the most affected site, suggesting that the decline was due to a lack of colonization by new breeders. Our results demonstrate how an invasive insect pest can indirectly influence wildlife species not believed to be vulnerable and in ways not typically investigated.
The partitioning of hydrogen sulphide in the condenser of Geysers unit 15

Abstract The transport and partitioning of hydrogen sulphide and other gases within the surface condenser of Geysers Unit 15 has been numerically modelled. It was concluded that the venting of gasrich vapour from the tubing bundles in the main condenser was very uneven. This contributed to the poor hydrogen sulphide partitioning observed with this Unit. It was recommended that the condenser be physically modified to eliminate this problem, and these modifications were implemented. After the modifications, the hydrogen sulphide partitioning performance of the Unit was approximately as had been predicted by the modelling work.
Electrostatic interaction of a K+ channel RCK domain with charged membrane surfaces

In a subset of K(+) channels, gating is regulated through the direct binding of ligands by large cytoplasmic RCK domains. To further investigate the role of the RCK domain, we have begun the biochemical characterization of a two-transmembrane segment, RCK domain-containing channel from Methanococcus jannaschii, MjK2, by testing its general functional behavior and identifying purification conditions. Standard detergent solubilization of recombinantly expressed MjK2 required the addition of a high NaCl concentration to the extraction buffer for MjK2 solubilization. The cytoplasmic RCK domain was identified as the region of MjK2 responsible for the dependence of solubilization on high salt concentrations since expression of an MjK2 construct lacking the transmembrane domain, MjK2cd, also required high salt concentrations for extraction from Escherichia coli lipids, a necessary step in the purification of both MjK2 and MjK2cd. MjK2 expression was able to weakly recover growth of K(+) uptake deficient LB2003 cells at 10 mM KCl, suggesting that the channel can conduct K(+) but has a low open probability. Purified MjK2 reconstituted in liposomes generated only limited Rb(+) uptake, blocked by BaCl(2). MjK2cd exhibited direct binding to PC/PS lipid vesicles with a molar partition coefficient (K(1)) of approximately 10(3) M(-)(1), which decreased with both an increase in the salt concentration and a decrease in the anionic lipid ratio. Lipid blot assays revealed that MjK2cd binds most strongly to lipids of increasingly negative charge. These results support the idea that the binding of the MjK2 RCK domain to membranes takes place via an electrostatic interaction with anionic lipid surfaces.
Immune complexes suppress IFN-γ signaling by activation of the FcγRI pathway

Antigen-driven immune responses are modulated by immune complexes (ICs), in part through their ability to inhibit IFN-gamma-dependent MHC Class II expression. We have demonstrated previously that ICs dramatically inhibit IFN-gamma-induced activation of human monocytes through the suppression of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In the current study, we further explore the mechanisms by which ICs regulate IFN-gamma activation of human monocytes. Consistent with previous studies in monocytes pretreated with ICs, there was a reduction in steady-state levels of RNA by real-time RT-PCR of the IFN-inducible protein 10 gene as well as the FcgammaRI gene. Pull-down assays confirm that IC pretreatment inhibits IFN-gamma-induced STAT1 phosphorylation without affecting the ability of STAT1 to bind to the STAT1-binding domain of the IFN-gamma receptor. In addition, the inhibitory function of ICs was reduced when cells from the FcR common gamma-chain knockout mice were used, supporting the role of the FcgammaRI in this inhibitory pathway. It is unexpected that ICs also require the phosphatase Src homology-2-containing tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) to inhibit IFN-gamma induction, as demonstrated by studies with cells from the SHP-1 knockout (motheaten) mice. These data suggest a mechanism of IC-mediated inhibition of IFN-gamma signaling, which requires the ITAM-containing FcgammaRI, as well as the ITIM-dependent phosphatase SHP-1, ultimately resulting in the suppression of STAT1 phosphorylation.
Isolation of dnaJ, dnaK, and grpE homologues from Borrelia burgdorferi and complementation of Escherichia coli mutants

The heat-shock proteins DnaJ, DnaK, and GrpE are involved in the replication of various species of DNA in Escherichia coli, in addition to their roles in other processes, including protein disaggregation and export. We have cloned the Borrelia burgdorferi homologues of these genes. DNA sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame encoding a protein that is 62% identical to the E. coli DnaK protein. Genes homologous to the E. coli grpE and dnaJ genes, encoding products 28% and 39% identical to their homologues, are located up- and downstream, respectively, of the B. burgdorferi dnaK gene. No obvious promoters were detected in the sequenced DNA, although a potential transcription terminator was found downstream of the dnaJ gene, so these three genes may form an operon, perhaps with a fourth gene located upstream of the grpE gene. The grpE homologue complemented an E. coli grpE mutant and the dnaJ homologue complemented an E. coli dnaJ mutant, whereas the B. burgdorferi dnaK gene did not complement dnaK mutants.
Lost Colony: The Untold Story of China's First Great Victory over the West. By Tonio Andrade. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011. Pp. xv, 431. $35.00.)

According to a blurb by Jared Diamond, Tonio Andrade's book reads like a novel yet offers a “window into one of the biggest unsolved questions of world history: why Europe rather than China coloniz...
Guest Editor's Introduction: Forests of Belonging: The Contested Meaning of Trees and Forests in Indian Hinduism

This special issue takes a new approach to the study of religion and nature in Indian Hinduism by drawing on recent ethnography to examine the meanings that priests, pilgrims and ordinary devotees attribute to forests and trees today. Attentive to the rapidly changing social and ecological environment of contemporary India, these studies investigate how people relate to forests and trees that are in various ways set apart, whether as a natural park, a verdant temple, or a deity’s embodied form. In these articles, trees and forests emerge not as peaceful retreats from the hurly-burly profane world, but rather as zones of contestation between competing definitions of ritual authority, progress, and authenticity. Hindus also appear here less as purely religious people, whose cosmologies predispose them to approach trees with reverence and restraint, and more as multi-dimensional people who are as enmeshed as the rest of us in worlds increasingly penetrated by mass media, mass transportation and mass consumption.
THERMAL GELATION PROPERTIES OF MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEIN AND GELATIN COMBINATIONS

Partially purified myofibrillar protein was prepared from post-rigor beef muscle tissue. Gelation properties of myofibrillar protein (6–12%), commercial gelatin (1–12%) and combinations of gelatin and myofibrillar (8–12% protein) were compared. Gels were prepared by combining protein, buffer and 2% NaCl with appropriate volumes of water and heating to 70C at 1.4C/min. Samples were cooled to 4C and gel characteristics were evaluated using texture profile analyses. Gel strength increased as protein concentration increased in pure myofibrillar or pure gelatin gels. However, gelatin plus myofibrillar combinations were weaker than gels consisting of either protein alone at similar protein concentrations. The negative impact on gel strength of myofibrillar-gelatin combinations suggests that the two proteins gel by different and apparently incompatible mechanisms producing an overall gel-weakening effect. These results indicate that adding gelatin can be detrimental to gel characteristics of muscle food products.
[3H]Fluphenazine Binding to Brain Membranes: Simultaneous Measurement of D‐1 and D‐2 Receptor Sites

[3H]Fluphenazine was used to label both D-1 and D-2 dopamine receptors in mouse striatal membranes. The D-1 and D-2 specific binding of [3H]fluphenazine was discriminated by the dopamine antagonists SCH-23390 (D-1 selective) and spiperone (D-2 selective). Saturation analyses of these two sites yielded a D-1 receptor density in mouse striatum of 1,400 fmol/mg of protein and a D-2 receptor density of 700 fmol/mg of protein. The affinity of [3H]fluphenazine for the D-2 site was slightly greater than for the D-1 site; the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) was 0.7 versus 3.2 nM, respectively. Assay conditions are described that reduce nonspecific binding of [3H]fluphenazine to acceptable levels (35% of total binding at 1 nM [3H]fluphenazine). By comparison of displacement curves from a series of dopaminergic and nondopaminergic ligands, the pharmacological specificity of [3H]fluphenazine binding in mouse striatum was demonstrated to be dopaminergic. Only small amounts of dopamine-specific (apomorphine-sensitive) [3H]fluphenazine binding were found in other brain regions. However, chlorpromazine displaced considerable [3H]fluphenazine from all brain regions, including cerebellum, suggesting the presence of a [3H]fluphenazine binding site with a phenothiazine specificity.
Increased sensitivity for detection of carcinogen-induced DNA repair with the chain terminator dideoxythymidine.

Abstract The sensitivity for quantitation of DNA excision repair caused by a carcinogen is increased when the resynthesis of DNA is inhibited with dideoxythymidine (ddThd), a chain terminator. Incorporation of ddThd in primary liver cell cultures leaves discontinuities in the DNA chain at sites of reparative synthesis in response to benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] treatment. This is detectable by the accumulation of cellular DNA with reduced molecular weight on alkaline sucrose gradients. Up to 78 percent of the DNA in cells incubated with B(a)P and ddThd had greatly reduced molecular weight compared to control cells, whereas only 32 percent of the DNA in cells treated with B(a)P but not incubated with ddThd was affected similarly.
Troponin T isoforms and posttranscriptional modifications: Evolution, regulation and function.

The contraction of striated muscle (represented by vertebrate skeletal and cardiac muscles) is powered by actin-activated myosin II ATPase. The contractile machinery in striated muscles is the numerous myofibrils that consist of serially connected contractile units called sarcomeres. A sarcomere is composed of overlapping myosin thick filaments and actin thin filaments. In vertebrate striated muscles, contraction is generated from ATP hydrolysis during actomyosin cross-bridge cycling that is regulated by intracellular Ca2+ transient via the thin filament-associated proteins troponin and tropomyosin (1). Residing at ~37 nm intervals along the thin filament of F-actin-tropomyosin double helices (2, 3, 4), the troponin complex consists of three protein subunits: The Ca2+-binding subunit troponin C (TnC1), the actomyosin ATPase inhibiting subunit troponin I (TnI), and the tropomyosin-binding subunit troponin T (TnT) (5). The name of TnT was based on the original ultracentrifugation and co-crystallization studies that verified TnT interaction with tropomyosin as the key subunit holding the troponin complex on the thin filament (6). To convert the cellular signal of cytosolic Ca2+ transient originated from sarcolemmal electrical activity to myofilament movements during each excitation-contraction-relaxation cycle, troponin functions through cooperative interactions among the three subunits and with tropomyosin (1, 7). While TnC, a relative of the calmodulin gene family, functions as the Ca2+ receptor in the thin filament regulatory system, TnI and TnT are striated muscle-specific proteins encoded by closely linked genes and have co-evolved into three pairs of fiber type-specific isoforms (8, 9). In addition to anchoring the troponin complex to the thin filament, TnT directly interacts with all key components in the thin filament regulatory system to play an organizer role in the troponin complex [7, 10]. Through isoform gene regulation, alternative RNA splicing, and posttranslational modifications, structural and functional variations of TnT modulate striated muscle contraction and relaxation. To help understanding the structure-function relationship of TnT in physiological and disease conditions, this review focuses on the evolution of muscle type-specific TnT isoform genes, the multiple alternative splice forms, the developmental regulation of isoform expression and alternative splicing, and the posttranslational modifications in physiological and pathophysiological adaptations. For background information, comprehensive summaries of striated muscle thin filament regulation and the functions of TnC, TnI and tropomyosin can be found in several previous review articles (1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14).
Reaction-assisted shock consolidation of RSR Ti–Al alloys

A new method for the shock consolidation of hard metallic powders has been successfully tested. This method extends the process developed by Sawaoka and Akashi for the processing of ceramics (U.S. Patent 4,655,830) to metallic powders. Shock-activated reactions between elemental mixtures of niobium and aluminum powders were used to chemically induce bonding between difficult-to-consolidate intermetallic TiAl compound powder particles. The highly exothermic reactions activated by the passage of shock waves form an intermetallic binder phase which assists in the consolidation of the very hard TiAl alloy powders. Shock impact experiments were carried out utilizing a twelve-capsule shock recovery system in which a plane wave generating lens is used for accelerating a flyer plate to velocities of 1.7 and 2.3 km/s. With these impact velocities, sufficient shock pressures are generated in the powders, contained in capsules, to result in shock-induced reactions between the elemental powders of the mix. Fully dense compacts were successfully recovered and were subsequently characterized by optical, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and microhardness testing. Transmission electron microscopy revealed both microcrystalline and amorphous regions in the reaction zone. In one instance, the amorphous material crystallized under the heating effect of the electron beam. Shock induced reaction between elemental powders and with the TiAl powders, producing ternary compounds, was also observed.
Soil-mediated effects of subambient to increased carbon dioxide on grassland productivity

Carbon dioxide enrichment can alter grassland ecosystem functioning directly and through indirect, soil-specific effects on moisture, nitrogen availability and species composition. Now research shows that change in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) with carbon dioxide enrichment depends strongly on soil type; indicating that soils could cause spatial variation in carbon dioxide effects on ANPP and other ecosystem attributes. Grasslands are structured by climate and soils1,2, and are increasingly affected by anthropogenic changes, including rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations3,4. CO2 enrichment can alter grassland ecosystem function both directly and through indirect, soil-specific effects on moisture, nitrogen availability and plant species composition5,6,7,8, potentially leading to threshold change in ecosystem properties9. Here we show that the increase in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) with CO2 enrichment depends strongly on soil type. We found that the ANPP–CO2 response of grassland was 2.5× greater on two soils with higher plant-available soil moisture and where direct CO2 effects on ANPP were accompanied by indirect CO2 effects on ANPP mediated through an increase in soil moisture or increased dominance of a productive C4 grass. Indirect CO2 effects on ANPP were absent on a third soil that was less responsive to CO2 (1.6×). Unexpectedly6,10, soil N availability changed little with CO2 and did not seem to drive responses in ANPP. On the more responsive soils, the more productive grass C4 was favoured with CO2 enrichment because of greater photosynthetic efficiency. Our results enhance present models of the controls on ecosystem responses to CO2 (refs 7, 8, 11) and demonstrate mechanisms by which soils could cause spatial variation in CO2 effects on ANPP and other ecosystem attributes.
Review of A Large Clinical Series: Once- Versus Twice-Daily Enoxaparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in High-Risk Trauma Patients

Background: Consensus guidelines support the use of low-molecular-weight heparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in high-risk trauma patients but do not recommend a specific regimen. T...
Nonpharmacological control of hypertension

Ability to safely withdraw well-controlled mild hypertensives from drugs is being tested in a three-group randomized trial. Group I (intervention) was removed from drugs after the first 2 months of nutrition counseling. Counseling is continuing through the remaining years of the trial to achieve a minimum weight loss of 10 lb if overweight, reduction of sodium intake to <1,800 mg, and reduction of alcohol intake to not more than two drinks per day. Group II (the first control group) was also removed from drugs to see if previous long-term blood pressure control had a carryover effect without dietary change. Blood pressure is monitored frequently in both groups, with return to drug treatment in the event of specified blood pressure rise. Group III (the second control group) has remained on drugs for comparison of blood pressure and biochemical variables. In Group I mean 30-month weight loss was 8 lb, with 35% losing 10+ lb; sodium intake was reduced by 38%. Blood pressure control without drugs was maintained for 47% of Group I patients but only 16% of group II patients (P < 0.05). These findings indicate it may be possible, after establishing good blood pressure control, to maintain control in a sizable proportion without medication, when reduction of weight, sodium, and alcohol intake is achieved.
Inflammation and cancer: interweaving microRNA, free radical, cytokine and p53 pathways

Chronic inflammation and infection are major causes of cancer. There are continued improvements to our understanding of the molecular connections between inflammation and cancer. Key mediators of inflammation-induced cancer include nuclear factor kappa B, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, inflammatory cytokines, prostaglandins and specific microRNAs. The collective activity of these mediators is largely responsible for either a pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic inflammatory response through changes in cell proliferation, cell death, cellular senescence, DNA mutation rates, DNA methylation and angiogenesis. As our understanding grows, inflammatory mediators will provide opportunities to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we provide a general overview of the connection between inflammation, microRNAs and cancer and highlight how our improved understanding of these connections may provide novel preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to reduce the health burden of cancer.
Laves Phase-Based Materials: Microstructure, Deformation Modes and Properties

Intermetallic compounds with the AB2 stoichiometry can exist with the C14, C15 or C36 structures, otherwise called Laves phases. In the past, single-phase Laves compounds, particularly Mg-containing binary compounds, have been examined to obtain an understanding of the dislocation structures as well as their mobility; alternately, effort has also been expended in examining the polytypic transformations that occur in such Laves phases. More recently however, Laves phases and polyphase alloys containing the Laves phase have been examined with the intent of developing structural alloys for elevated temperature applications. Specifically, alloys based on the Cr-Group IV(Ti, Zr, Hf) and Group V (Nb, Ta) elements as well as the ternary V-Hf-Nb system have been the focus of several investigations. Physical and mechanical properties have been measured, and microstructure has been characterized as a function of heat treatment. Deformation modes have been re-examined in detail. New ideas based on synchroshear have been put forth to explain the polytypic transformations that occur in these systems, and have been extended to also explain twinning and slip. Earlier observations are first summarized and then these recent advances are reviewed and the potential for these materials is assessed.
Effects of pole compliance and step frequency on the biomechanics and economy of pole carrying during human walking.

This study investigates whether a flexible pole can be used as an energy-saving method for humans carrying loads. We model the carrier and pole system as a driven damped harmonic oscillator and pre...
SNePS considered as a fully intensional propositional semantic network

We present a formal syntax and semantics for SNePS considered as the (modeled) mind of a cognitive agent. The semantics is based on a Meinongian theory of the intensional objects of thought that is appropriate for AI considered as "computational philosophy" or "computational psychology".
GPUTeraSort: high performance graphics co-processor sorting for large database management

We present a novel external sorting algorithm using graphics processors (GPUs) on large databases composed of billions of records and wide keys. Our algorithm uses the data parallelism within a GPU along with task parallelism by scheduling some of the memory-intensive and compute-intensive threads on the GPU. Our new sorting architecture provides multiple memory interfaces on the same PC -- a fast and dedicated memory interface on the GPU along with the main memory interface for CPU computations. As a result, we achieve higher memory bandwidth as compared to CPU-based algorithms running on commodity PCs. Our approach takes into account the limited communication bandwidth between the CPU and the GPU, and reduces the data communication between the two processors. Our algorithm also improves the performance of disk transfers and achieves close to peak I/O performance. We have tested the performance of our algorithm on the SortBenchmark and applied it to large databases composed of a few hundred Gigabytes of data. Our results on a 3 GHz Pentium IV PC with $300 NVIDIA 7800 GT GPU indicate a significant performance improvement over optimized CPU-based algorithms on high-end PCs with 3.6 GHz Dual Xeon processors. Our implementation is able to outperform the current high-end PennySort benchmark and results in a higher performance to price ratio. Overall, our results indicate that using a GPU as a co-processor can significantly improve the performance of sorting algorithms on large databases.
C based discrete event simulation support system

The C programming language is gaining in popularity with professional programmers because of its powerful constructs, versatility and portability. The state of development of C compilers has advanced to the degree that applications generally require less memory and execute more quickly when coded in C compared to other languages such as BASIC, FORTRAN, or Pascal. DISC (Discrete event Simulation in C) provides an environment for creating and executing discrete event simulation models with event routines written in C. It provides a library of simulation support functions similar to those provided in FORTRAN based simulation languages such as GASP, SLAM and SIMAN. The effective implementation of C language capabilities in DISC, which are pertinent to simulation, results in the following advantages: dynamic memory management, interactive execution environment, interactive trace, powerful debugging facility, flexible input-output and faster execution.
Bipedal trajectory control based on neurofuzzy networks

This paper presents a bipedal trajectory control technique based on a neurofuzzy controller and a neural network emulator. The neurofuzzy controller is a five-layered neurofuzzy network, it provides the control signals in each stage of a walking gait. The neural network emulator is a conventional three-layered feedforward neural network. It emulates the robotic dynamics and provides the error signals which can be used to back propagate through the controller in each stage. This technique can generate dynamic walking gaits along a pre-specified reference trajectory on sloping terrain.
Gently does it for submicron crystals

A protein structure has been refined with electron diffraction data obtained by using a very weak electron beam to collect large numbers of diffraction patterns from a few sub-micron-sized three-dimensional crystals.
On the Thickness Ratio in the Quasigeostrophic Two-Layer Model of Baroclinic Instability

AbstractIt is shown that the classical quasigeostrophic two-layer model of baroclinic instability possesses an optimal ratio of layer thicknesses that maximizes the growth rate, given the basic-state shear (thermal wind), beta, and the mean Rossby radius. This ratio is interpreted as the vertical structure of the most unstable mode. For positive shear and beta, the optimal thickness of the lower layer approaches the midheight of the model in the limit of strong criticality (shear/beta) but it is proportional to criticality in the opposite limit. For a set of parameters typical of the earth’s midlatitudes, the growth rate maximizes at a lower-layer thickness substantially less than the midheight and at a correspondingly larger zonal wavenumber.It is demonstrated that a turbulent baroclinic jet whose statistical steady state is marginally critical when run with equal layer thicknesses can remain highly supercritical when run with a nearly optimal thickness ratio.
Relieving emergency department crowding: Simulating the effects of improving patient flow over time

Background: Emergency Departments (ED) are challenged with excess demand for services and inadequate system capacity.Crowding at two independent EDs within a health system prompted an examination of the potential effects of improving patientthroughput. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of reducing ED dwell time on temporal patterns of patientflow and demand for ED resources. Methods: Separate discrete event simulation (DES) models were developed for the EDs of a 1,000-bed urban medical centerand a 560-bed community medical center using patient flow information. These models characterized the effects of reducingpatient dwell time on ED care area census (i.e., staffing needs), waiting room census, total length of stay (LOS) and waiting time. Dwell time was defined as the time interval from when a patient entered the main ED care area to when the patient exited the ED by discharge or hospital admission. Total LOS is defined as the entire time interval from ED from arrival to exit (includingwaiting time). Results: DES results for each site demonstrate how natural patient arrivals and common hospital admission processes generatecommon temporal patterns of decreased crowding. Improving flow translates to most substantial reductions in waiting timeand waiting room census during evening hours (17:00 to 22:00 hours). Significant effects on ED care area census and staffingdemands are lagged, not occurring until overnight hours (2:00 to 8:00 hours). We reduced patient dwell time in 5% incrementswithin the urban ED (16.2 min) and community ED (13.5 min) from 5% to 15%. For example, a 10% decrease in dwell timeat the urban ED (32.4 min) and community ED (27.0 min) resulted in respective decreases in evening waiting room census by49% (10.8 patients) and 26% (3.5 patients) during evening hours and ED care area census by 16% (3.6 patients) and 11% (2.0patients) overnight. Conclusions: DES results suggest that increasing ED efficiency will most significantly decrease delays experienced by eveningarrivals and provide opportunities to decrease care area census and reduce staff overnight.
Exome-wide association study of replicable nonsynonymous variants conferring risk for alcohol dependence.

Objective: In the present study, we scanned the whole exome in three independent samples to search for replicable risk nonsyn- onymous (ns) variants (ns single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs)) for alcohol dependence. Method: A total of 10,554 subjects in three independent samples were analyzed for association with alcohol depen- dence, including one European American sample (1,409 cases with alco- hol dependence and 1,518 controls), one African American sample (681 cases and 508 controls), and one European Australian sample (a total of 6,438 family subjects with 1,645 alcohol-dependent probands). RNA expression of the risk genes in human, mouse, and rat brains was also explored. Results: We identifi ed a total of 70 nsSNPs at 65 genes with nominally replicable associations; 22 nsSNPs at 21 genes among them survived corrections for multiple testing in meta-analysis (α = .0007). By incorporating the information from bioinformatics and RNA expression analyses, we identifi ed at least two of the most promising risk genes for alcohol dependence: APOER2 and UBAP2. Conclusions: The gene cod- ing for apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (APOER2) and the gene coding for ubiquitin-associated protein-2 (UBAP2) are among the most appropriate for follow-up in human and nonhuman species as contributors to risk for alcohol dependence. (J. Stud Alcohol Drugs, 74, 622-625, 2013)
Effect of a cash transfer programme for schooling on prevalence of HIV and herpes simplex type 2 in Malawi: a cluster randomised trial

Summary Background Lack of education and an economic dependence on men are often suggested as important risk factors for HIV infection in women. We assessed the efficacy of a cash transfer programme to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections in young women. Methods In this cluster randomised trial, never-married women aged 13–22 years were recruited from 176 enumeration areas in the Zomba district of Malawi and randomly assigned with computer-generated random numbers by enumeration area (1:1) to receive cash payments (intervention group) or nothing (control group). Intervention enumeration areas were further randomly assigned with computer-generated random numbers to conditional (school attendance required to receive payment) and unconditional (no requirements to receive payment) groups. Participants in both intervention groups were randomly assigned by a lottery to receive monthly payments ranging from US$1 to $5, while their parents were independently assigned with computer-generated random numbers to receive $4–10. Behavioural risk assessments were done at baseline and 12 months; serology was tested at 18 months. Participants were not masked to treatment status but counsellors doing the serologic testing were. The primary outcomes were prevalence of HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) at 18 months and were assessed by intention-to-treat analyses. The trial is registered, number NCT01333826. Findings 88 enumeration areas were assigned to receive the intervention and 88 as controls. For the 1289 individuals enrolled in school at baseline with complete interview and biomarker data, weighted HIV prevalence at 18 month follow-up was 1·2% (seven of 490 participants) in the combined intervention group versus 3·0% (17 of 799 participants) in the control group (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·36, 95% CI 0·14–0·91); weighted HSV-2 prevalence was 0·7% (five of 488 participants) versus 3·0% (27 of 796 participants; adjusted OR 0·24, 0·09–0·65). In the intervention group, we noted no difference between conditional versus unconditional intervention groups for weighted HIV prevalence (3/235 [1%] vs 4/255 [2%]) or weighted HSV-2 prevalence (4/233 [1%] vs 1/255 [ vs 17/207 [8%]) or weighted HSV-2 prevalence (17/211 [8%] vs 17/208 [8%]). Interpretation Cash transfer programmes can reduce HIV and HSV-2 infections in adolescent schoolgirls in low-income settings. Structural interventions that do not directly target sexual behaviour change can be important components of HIV prevention strategies. Funding Global Development Network, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Bureau of Economic Research Africa Project, World Bank's Research Support Budget, and several World Bank trust funds (Gender Action Plan, Knowledge for Change Program, and Spanish Impact Evaluation fund).
A late phase of germ plasm accumulation during Drosophila oogenesis requires Lost and Rumpelstiltskin

Asymmetric mRNA localization is an effective mechanism for establishing cellular and developmental polarity. Posterior localization of oskar in the Drosophila oocyte targets the synthesis of Oskar to the posterior, where Oskar initiates the assembly of the germ plasm. In addition to harboring germline determinants, the germ plasm is required for localization and translation of the abdominal determinant nanos. Consequently, failure of oskar localization during oogenesis results in embryos lacking germ cells and abdominal segments. oskar accumulates at the oocyte posterior during mid-oogenesis through a well-studied process involving kinesin-mediated transport. Through live imaging of oskar mRNA, we have uncovered a second, mechanistically distinct phase of oskar localization that occurs during late oogenesis and results in amplification of the germ plasm. Analysis of two newly identified oskar localization factors, Rumpelstiltskin and Lost, that are required specifically for this late phase of oskar localization shows that germ plasm amplification ensures robust abdomen and germ cell formation during embryogenesis. In addition, our results indicate the importance of mechanisms for adapting mRNAs to utilize multiple localization pathways as necessitated by the dramatic changes in ovarian physiology that occur during oogenesis.
Sigma–Delta Modulation

The sections in this article are 1 Basic Concepts 2 Modulator Architectures 3 Design Example Keywords: pulse code modulation; delta modulation; pulse density modulation; noise shaping converters; high-resolution analog-to-digital converters; high-resolution digital-to-analog converters; digital telephony; digital audio; 1-bit quantizer; quantization noise; thermal noise; switched-capacitor techniques; switched-current techniques
Carcinoid tumor of the verumontanum (colliculus seminalis) of the prostatic urethra with a coexisting prostatic adenocarcinoma: a case report

Urethral carcinoid tumors are very rare tumors with only four cases described in the literature. We present the case of a 61-year-old man with a primary carcinoid tumor of the verumontanum (colliculis seminalis) portion of the prostatic urethra with a coexisting prostatic adenocarcinoma. In addition to whole mount hematoxylin and eosin staining, special immunoperoxidase staining specific for chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase, synaptophysin, pan-cytokeratin and PSA, and a special combined staining for racemase (α-methyl CoA) antigen and p63 antigen were performed. A review of the literature is included. A single focus of invasive prostatic adenocarcinoma was identified in the periphery of the mid-left, posterior quadrant of the prostate. Approximately 17 mm from this adenocarcinoma, within the verumontanum of the prostatic urethra, there was a 3 mm maximal dimension carcinoid tumor. Based on different histological features and antigenic profiles, we concluded that the two tumors were distinct.
Shyness and online social networking services

Online social networking services are Internet websites that allow individuals to learn about and communicate with others. This study investigated the association between use of these websites and friendship quality for individuals varying in shyness. Participants (N = 241) completed questionnaires assessing their use of Facebook, an online social networking service, shyness, perceived available social support, loneliness, and friendship quality. Results indicated an interaction between shyness and Facebook usage, such that individuals high in shyness (when compared to less shy individuals) reported stronger associations between Facebook use and friendship quality. Facebook use, however, was unrelated to loneliness among highly shy individuals. Therefore, online social networking services may provide a comfortable environment within which shy individuals can interact with others.
Impact of scenario-based customer process flow on customer emotion and loyalty

This paper tries to explore the effect of customer process flow on customer emotion and loyalty by analysing three customer process flows of presenting fruits in restaurant service under the guidance of scenario-based empirical research method. Using the analysis technique of mean, ANOVA, multiple comparisons, it concludes that delight emotion and loyalty level of presenting fruits in pre-dinner is higher than those in in-dinner and post-dinner, which provides empirical evidence for improving restaurant service process and enhancing customer loyalty. In addition, this research provides good revelation and reference in building customer process flow consciousness and effectively designing customer process flow.
The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring:

T w o University of Chicago doctoral students in education, Anania (1982, 1983) and Burke (1984), completed dissertations in which they compared student learning under the following three conditions of instruction: 1. Conventional. Students learn the subject matter in a class with about 30 students per teacher. Tests are given periodically for marking the students. 2. Mastery Learning. Students learn the subject matter in a class with about 30 students per teacher. The instruction is the same as in the conventional class (usually with the same teacher). Formative tests (the same tests used with the conventional group) are given for feedback followed by corrective procedures and parallel formative tests to determine the extent to which the students have mastered the subject matter. 3. Tutoring. Students learn the subject matter with a good tutor for each student (or for two or three students simultaneously). This tutoring instruction is followed periodically by formative tests, feedback-corrective procedures, and parallel formative tests as in the mastery learning classes. It should be pointed out that the need for corrective work under tutoring is very small.