cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cloud Security Auditing Based on Behavioral Modeling

Multi-tenancy is one of the most attractive features of cloud computing, which provides significant benefits to both clients and service providers by supporting elastic, efficient, and on-demand resource provisioning and allocation. However, this architecture also introduces additional security implications. Client Virtual Machine (VM) instances running on the same physical machine are susceptible to side-channel and escape-to-hypervisor attacks. The timely prevention of intrusive behavior and malicious processes using signature based intrusion detection technologies, or system call level anomaly analysis is a very challenging task due to a high rate of false alarms. In this work, a behavioral modeling scheme is proposed to audit the behaviors of client VMs and to detect suspicious processes on the highest semantic level. Our preliminary results have validated the effectiveness and efficiency of this novel approach.
Computations of the diffraction effect and the nonlinear effect on spatial solitons in nonlinear planar waveguides

The nonlinear effect and the diffraction effect on a spatial soliton are isolated by rewriting the nonlinear Schrodinger equation into a form of the linear Schrodinger equation with a nonlinear potential. Numerical results on these effects are obtained for a fundamental spatial soliton, a second-order spatial soliton, and two coupled solitons in a parallel-plate waveguide. The effects of waveguide loss are also included.
Polymorphism and mapping of the class II genes in the rat: RT1.B, RT1.D, and RT1.H, a new DP-like region

The major histocompatibility complex of the rat (RTI) encodes the class II molecules involved with antigen presentation and cell to cell communication. The organization of these class II genes has been studied by Southern blot hybridization using genomic DNA from inbred and recombinant rat strains digested with various restriction endonuclease and hybridized under stringent conditions with probes for mouse class II and human class II genes. Analysis of the restriction fragment length polymorphisms has mapped the class II genes relative to each other. We have confirmed the order of the α- and β-chain genes in the RT1.B region, mapped the RT1.D region relative to RT1.B and showed that it has α- and β-chain loci, and identified a new HLA-DP-like locus, RT1.H, to the RT1.A side of RT1. B. The RT1. H α and RT1.H β genes map to the region around the recombination point in R22, and there appears to be a hot spot of recombination in RT1.H. The H β and D β genes have high levels of polymorphism; B β , B α ,and H α have intermediate levels of polymorphism, and D α has a low level of polymorphism.
ASYMMETRIC PARAFOVEAL INTERFERENCE WITH DICHOPTIC PRESENTATIONS

A Landolt C target and letter X nontarget were dichoptically presented to 8 subjects. The nontarget presented to one eye foveally or peripherally flanked the area of the parafovea corresponding to that receiving the target in the other eye. Identification of the orientation of the C was poorer with the nontarget in the peripheral position. If, as has been proposed previously, asymmetric lateral inhibition is responsible for the phenomenon, its locus would seem to lie beyond the retina.
Effects of heparin and cardiac catheterization on serum lipoprotein and triglyceride levels.

This study determined whether heparin administration and procedures involving heparin significantly affect lipid measurement. Serum lipid and lipoprotein analyses (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein A-I) were performed at baseline and at several time points after (1) intravenous heparin or placebo in 6 healthy volunteers (group 1), (2) cardiac catheterization with heparin in 26 patients (group 2), and (3) peripheral angiography without heparin in 11 patients (group 3). In group 1, after heparinization, triglycerides decreased 50 +/- 12 mg/dl (-57%, p or = 24 hours. The change in HDL was variable: Whereas most patients had a decrease (n = 24), 2 patients had a dramatic increase (> 100%) after administration of heparin. Similar decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apolipoproteins B and A-I were observed in group 3 undergoing peripheral angiography without heparin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Gauge theories and holisms

Those looking for holism in contemporary physics have focused their attention primarily on quantum entanglement. But some gauge theories arguably also manifest the related phenomenon of nonseparability. While the argument is strong for the classical gauge theory describing electromagnetic interactions with quantum “particles”, it fails in the case of general relativity even though that theory may also be formulated in terms of a connection on a principal fiber bundle. Anandan has highlighted the key difference in his analysis of a supposed gravitational analog to the Aharonov-Bohm effect. By contrast with electromagnetism in the original Aharonov-Bohm effect, gravitation is separable and exhibits no novel holism in this case. Whether the nonseparability of classical gauge theories of non-gravitational interactions is associated with holism depends on what counts as the relevant part-whole relation. Loop representations of quantized gauge theories of non- gravitational interactions suggest that these conclusions about holism and nonseparability may extend also to quantum theories of the associated fields.
Checking on the Harlequin.

McClelland (1963) described how women possibly view death, not only in terms of the concepts of death that have been suggested in the past, but also as a lover. To support this contention, he mentioned a study by Greenberger (1965) who found that dying women gave TAT themes concerning illicit sexuality when asked to compose stories about death more often than women who were not dying. In addition, he mentioned thar female students rated the metaphor "a gay seducer" as more appropriate for death than did males. Papageorgis (1966) gave McClelland's metaphors, with some additional ones, to students and found no difference in the ratings of "a gay seducer" by males and females. He found that males rated "a threatening father" as more appropriate and he suggested that traditional psychoanalytic views of death as a punishment or castration were supported by his finding. Some time ago, I gave McClelland's metaphors to 29 male and 5 1 female students in an introductory psychology course. I found that neither "a gay seducer" nor "a threatening father" was rated differently by males and females. In my sample, females ranked "the end of a song" and "an understanding father" as more appropriate (p < 0.10 by median test) and males saw "a grinning butcher" as more appropriate (p < 0.001). Clearly, there is difficulty in obtaining similar ranks with McClelland's 7 metaphors by different investigators. Inconsistent measurements can be due to the high variability of the object being measured or to the inadequacies of the measuring instrument used. Here I would guess that the measuring instrument is at fault. There is no evidence thar ranking a few metaphors is a reliable or valid way of measuring death attitudes. Statistical significance is no substitute for psychological significance. It is further questionable from such a test to draw conclusions on how people view death. The range of possible views has been restricted by the choice of metaphors. Many Ss in my sample told me afterwards that they considered all of the metaphors inappropriate.
Gas permeation properties of poly(lactic acid)

Abstract The need for the development of polymeric materials based on renewable resources has led to the development of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) which is being produced from a feedstock of corn rather than petroleum. The present study examines the permeation of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane in amorphous films of PLA cast from solution. The properties of PLA are compared to other commodity plastics and it is shown that PLA permeation closely resembles that of polystyrene. At 30°C, N 2 permeation in PLA is 1.3 (10 −10 cm 3 (STP) cm/cm 2 s cmHg) and the activation energy is 11.2 kJ/mol. For oxygen the corresponding values are 3.3 (10 −10 cm 3 (STP) cm/cm 2 s cm Hg) and 11.1 kJ/mol. The values for carbon dioxide permeation are 1.2 (10 −10 cm 3 (STP) cm/cm 2 s cmHg) and 6.1 kJ/mol. For methane values of 1.0 (10 −10 cm 3 (STP) cm/cm 2 s cmHg) and an activation energy of 13.0 kJ/mol are found. Studies with pure gases show that polymer chain branching and small changes in l : d stereochemical content have no effect on permeation properties. Crystallinity is found to dominate permeation properties in a biaxially oriented film. The separation factor for a CO 2 /CH 4 mixed gas system is measured between 0 and 50°C and does not deviate significantly from the calculated ideal separation factor; at 0°C the separation factor is 16, a value that suggests continued studies of PLA as a separation medium are warranted.
Effects of convective scale downdrafts on the rainfall simulation in NCAR-CAM3

In this work, an attempt is made to systematically evaluate the effect of convective scale downdrafts on the model-simulated rainfall, in both aqua- and actual-planet frameworks, using the NCAR CAM3. From the aqua-planet simulations, it was found that there is a reduction in the total rainfall (TRF) with increase in the intensity of downdrafts, which is primarily attributed to the reduction in the deep convective component (DRF). However, with stronger downdrafts, the shallow convective and the large- scale components (SRF and LRF, respectively) are found to increase. The reduction in DRF is due to the increased evaporation of convective precipitation within the down- drafts. It is found that, with intense downdrafts, there is an increase in relative humidity throughout the troposphere, due to the combined effect of both moisture and tempera- ture. There is an overall increase in specific humidity of the atmosphere with stronger downdrafts, excepting at around the 900-hPa level. In addition, there is a reduction in temperature throughout the troposphere, primarily due to the reduction in the overall temperature tendency due to moist processes and that due to the radiative processes. The changes in the radiative forcing are found to be primarily due to a significant increase in the low cloud fraction with strong downdrafts. In the actual-planet framework, it is seen that, with strong convective downdrafts, there is a reduction in TRF and DRF and a corresponding increase in SRF and LRF, similar to the results obtained from the aqua-planet simulations. The vertical structures of the thermodynamic variables (RH, q, and T) show similar sensitivity to the downdraft intensity as that seen in the aqua-planet framework. Sensitivity of frequency and intensity of model-simulated rainfall to the downdraft intensity was also analyzed, and it was seen that there were significant differences in the frequency distribution of rainfall. It was seen that, with an increase in downdraft intensity, there is an increase in the frequency of light rain (1-10 mm/day) for TRF with a corresponding reduction in all other rainfall bins. A similar behavior was seen for the DRF as well, while the SRF and LRF components showed an increase in rainfall accumulation in all the bins. In addition, the impact of convective downdrafts on the mean spatial pattern of rainfall is also analyzed, for the DJF and JJA periods (boreal winter and summer, respectively). For the DJF period, with strong downdrafts, it was seen that grossly over the whole domain, there were a reduction in DRF and an increase in SRF and LRF. In contrast, during JJA, although a major part of the domain showed a reduction in DRF, there were regions like western Arabian Sea and the Somali coast with increase in DRF with intense downdrafts. The SRF and LRF components, however, show a spatially homogeneous increase over almost the entire domain with increase in downdraft intensity.
Reply to Discussions of Holistic, Continuous Assurance Integration: e‐Business Opportunities and Challenges

We express our gratitude to both of the discussants for taking the time and effort they put into the comments and remarks regarding our paper. Receiving feedback on this paper from a practitioner as well as an academician is especially exciting. Mr. Everett Johnsons work in leading the accounting profession forward into new service offerings is both recognized and appreciated. We would also like to acknowledge Professor Carla Carnaghan for her insightful remarks on this manuscript. In this commentary, we address the primary issues raised by both discussants.
Curvature Effect Quantificaiton for In-Vivo IR Thermography

Medical Infrared (IR) Imaging has become an important diagnostic tool over recent years. However, one underlying problem in medical diagnostics is associated with accurate quantification of body surface temperatures. This problem is caused by the artifacts induced by the curvature of objects, which leads to inaccurate temperature mapping and biased diagnostic results. Therefore, in our study, an experiment-based analysis is conducted to address the curvature effects toward the 3D temperature reconstruction of the IR thermography image. For quantification purposes, an isothermal copper plate with flat surface, and a cylindrical metal container filled with water are imaged. For the flat surface, the tilting angle measured from camera axis was varied incrementally from 0° to 60 °, such that the effects of surface viewing angle and travel distance on the measured temperature can be explored. On the cylindrical curved surface, the points viewed from 0° to 90° with respect to the camera axis are simultaneously imaged at different temperature levels. The experimental data obtained for the flat surface indicate that both viewing angle and distance effects become noticeable for angles over 40 °. The travel distance contributes a minor change when compared with viewing angle. The experimental results from the curved surface indicate that the curvature effect becomes pronounced when the viewing angle is larger than 60 °. The measurement error on the curved surface is compared with the simulation using the non-dielectric model, and the normalized temperature difference relative to 0° viewing angle was analyzed at six temperature levels. These results indicate that the linear formula associated with directional emissivity is a reasonable approximation for the measurement error, and the normalized error curves change consistently with viewing angle at various temperatures. Therefore, the analysis in this study implies that the directional emissivity based on the non-dielectric model can be applied for the calibration of measurement error. The normalized error curve serves as a consistent basis to correct the measurement error due to curvature artifacts.
Power Attack: An Increasing Threat to Data Centers.

Entering the era of cloud computing, data centers are scaling in a fast pace. However, as the increasing number of servers being deployed in data centers, the data center power distribution systems have already approached peak capacities. Since the upgrades of the power systems are extremely expensive, power oversubscription has become a trend in modern data centers as a cost-effective way to handle power provisioning. Under benign workload of data centers, power oversubscription works well as servers rarely peak simultaneously. However, power oversubscription makes data centers vulnerable to malicious workload that can generate power spikes on multiple servers at the same time, which may cause branch circuit breakers to trip and lead to undesired power outages. In this paper, we introduce a new security concept called power attack and exploit the attack vectors in platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and software as a service (SaaS) cloud environments, respectively. To demonstrate the feasibility of launching a power attack, we conduct series of hardware experiments and datacenter-level simulations. Moreover, we give a detailed analysis on how different power management methods can affect a power attack and how to mitigate such an attack. Our experimental results and analysis show that power attacks will pose a serious threat to modern data centers and should be taken into account while deploying new high-density servers and power management techniques.
Ferromagnetism in the RERh4B4 compounds

The magnetic ordering temperatures of the primitive tetragonal rare earth (RE) rhodium boride compounds exhibit a peak at DyRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ rather than GdRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ as predicted from ordering via the indirect RKKY exchange interaction. This deviation is analyzed in terms of the depression of the superconducting transition temperature of LuRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ by dilute amounts of RE impurity ions and the magnetic heat capacities of the RERh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ compounds for RE = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho. The strength of anisotropic crystalline electric field forces, as inferred from magnetic entropy considerations, may be the origin of the anomalous magnetic ordering temperatures. In addition, the depression of the superconducting transition temperatures of ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ and TmRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ from that of LuRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ is shown to arise primarily from elastic exchange scattering of the conduction electrons by the magnetic RE ions.
High-accuracy circuits for on-chip capacitance ratio testing or sensor readout

Novel CMOS circuits are described for the on-chip measurement of capacitor ratios. They can provide a high-accuracy A/D interface for capacitive sensors, or allow the precise calibration of switched-capacitor DACs, amplifiers and other circuits utilizing ratioed capacitors. Various structures are proposed and the limitations of their accuracy are analyzed. Computer simulations illustrate the operation and verify the anticipated robustness and high accuracy of the system even in the presence of nonidealities. >
The separation and reactivity in vitro of a subpopulation of human lymphocytes which bind histamine. Correlation of histamine reactivity with cellular maturation.

Abstract Lymphocytes reactive with histamine were fractionated on beads of Sepharose-albumin to which histamine was attached (SAH). Histamine reactive cells were present in blood, tonsil, and thymus. Using membrane and functional criteria, both T and B cells were shown to contain histamine-binding cells, while precursor cells did not. In T cell populations, lectin induced proliferation, cell-mediated lymphotoxicity, and secretion of mediators (lymphocytes mitogenic factor and immunoglobulin secretion inducing activity) were restricted to histamine reactive lymphocyte. However, antigen induced proliferation and mixed lymphocyte culture response mainly present in histamine-binding cells, also occurred in nonbinding populations. Reactivity with sheep erythrocytes was present in both reactive and non-reactive cells. In B cell populations, reactivity with antisera to IgM occurred in both binding and non-binding cells, while reactivity with antisera to IgG as well as T-induced IgG secretion were confined to histamine-binding cells. Membrane reactivity to erythrocyte coated with the first four components of complement was characteristic of histamine-unreactive cells. In T and B populations, histamine unreactive cells responded to lymphocyte mitogenic factor. These facts, together with data obtained from longterm lymphoid lines showing differentiation from nonbinding to binding cells after cell division, lead to the concept that generation of detectable histamine sites was a differentiative lymphocyte process. The generation of histamine-binding cells in precursor cell cultures supports this hypothesis. A possible role of histamine as a physiological lymphocyte regulating agent is suggested by the inhibition by soluble histamine of proliferative, cytotoxic, and secretory responses of histamine-binding T cells.
Teaching veterinary parasitology: the North American perspective.

The American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) initiated a study of parasitology curricula in veterinary schools in the US and Canada in November 1989. An ad hoc committee (Task Force) and then the Education Committee developed a position paper on teaching parasitology in veterinary colleges. In addition to confirming the importance of parasitology as a discipline they recommended a set of general learning objectives and proposed topic-specific titles rather than parasite-/group-specific titles. Another problem observed in teaching parasitology was a significant reduction in time available to teach parasitology. One way to compensate for the lost classroom time is to utilize some of the technological advances in presenting the material to students.
A low power high voltage indicator for photomultipliers

Abstract A high potential indicator for photomultipliers utilizes a simple neon lamp relaxation circuit which operates directly from the high voltage and offers good visibility at very low current.
Biogenic nitric oxide emissions from cropland soils

Abstract Emissions of nitric oxide (NO) were determined during late spring and summer 1995 and the spring of 1996 from four agricultural soils on which four different crops were grown. These agricultural soils were located at four different sites throughout North Carolina. Emission rates were calculated using a dynamic flow-through chamber system coupled to a mobile laboratory for in-situ analysis. Average NO fluxes during late spring 1995 were: 50.9±47.7 ng N m −2 s −1 from soil planted with corn in the lower coastal plain. Average NO fluxes during summer 1995 were: 6.4±4.6 and 20.2±19.0 ng N m −2 s −1 , respectively, from soils planted with corn and soybean in the coastal region; 4.2±1.7 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with tobacco in the piedmont region; and 8.5±4.9 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with corn in the upper piedmont region. Average NO fluxes for spring 1996 were: 66.7±60.7 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with wheat in the lower coastal plain; 9.5±2.9 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with wheat in the coastal plain; 2.7±3.4 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with wheat in the piedmont region; and 56.1±53.7 ng N m −2 s −1 from soils planted with corn in the upper piedmont region. An apparent increase in NO flux with soil temperature was present at all of the locations. The composite data from all the research sites revealed a general positive trend of increasing NO flux with soil water content. In general, increases in total extractable nitrogen (TEN) appeared to be related to increased NO emissions within each site, however a consistent trend was not evident across all sites.
Mapping of the mouse ornithine decarboxylase-related sequence family.

A family of DNA sequences homologous to the mRNA encoding ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and comprising ∼12 members in the mouse genome has been analyzed genetically. The inheritance of variant DNA restriction fragments detected by ODC cDNA probes on Southern blots of DNA from inbred strain mice was determined in six sets of recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains. The distributions of these variations among the RI strains were then compared with the RI strain distribution patterns (SDPs) of previously mapped loci. This allowed the identification of nine independent ODC-related loci, of which eight could be localized to specific regions of the mouse genome: Odc-rs1 near Lamb2 on Chromosome (Chr) 1; Odc-rs2 near Psp on Chr 2; Odc-rs5, a complex locus comprising at least 5–7 copies of the ODC sequence, associated with Igk on Chr 6; Odc-rs6 between Abpa and Tam-1 on proximal Chr 7; Odc-rs7 near Hbb on distal Chr 7; Odc-rs12 near Agt and Emv-2 on distal Chr 8; Odc-rs8 associated with the Igh complex on Chr 12; and Odc-rs9 near Otf-3f on Chr 14. The ODC-related sequence family thus comprises a set of genomically dispersed “marker” loci, and alleles for several of these loci can be analyzed simultaneously in DNA from mice or cell lines. DNA from mice of 70 inbred strains has been characterized for alleles at all nine Odc-rs loci.
CELL STAGES REFRACTORY TO THYMIDINE INCORPORATION INDUCED BY X-RAYS.

Abstract Autoradiographic studies show that grasshopper neuroblasts, trapped in mid-mitotic stages by colchicine and then exposed to 64 to 75,000 r of X-rays do not incorporate 3HTdR or its derivatives into DNA. The intracellular pool of TdR derivatives is not detectably changed by exposure to X-rays. The data show a correlation between radiation-induced incorporation of 3HTdR derivatives and cell stage at the time of irradiation. It is suggested that the synthesis-like condition, during which X-ray-induced incorporation of DNA precursors can occur, degenerates gradually after cells stop normal synthesis of DNA.
An atmospheric visualization collection for the NSDL

In this poster, we describe visualization and educational efforts unde rway to build an Atmospheric Visualization Collection for the NSDL.
Infant light adaptation shows Weber's law at photopic illuminances.

Abstract In the present study we investigate the dependence of photopic contrast thresholds on retinal illuminance in infants and adults. Contrast thresholds were measured at five retinal illuminances between about 6 and about 20 000 Td in subjects in both age groups. The forced-choice preferential looking technique was used in 3-month-old infants, and standard forced-choice techniques were used in adults. The stimulus was a 0.25 cy/deg squarewave grating phase alternated at 6 Hz. Infants’ contrast thresholds were more than two log units higher than those of adults at all retinal illuminances. Contrast thresholds had a similar dependence on retinal illuminance in both infants and adults. For both age groups, contrast thresholds initially decreased with increasing retinal illuminance. However, at both ages, above a critical illuminance of about 200 Td, contrast thresholds remained constant, following Weber's law. Thus a vertical shift was sufficient to bring the two data sets into correspondence. In the context of a two-site model of light adaptation, our results imply that infants’ elevated contrast thresholds cannot be explained solely on the basis of photoreceptoral immaturities. Later physiological immaturities must also limit infants’ photopic contrast thresholds.
Disproportionation‐combination ratios of large branched alkyl radicals

Abstract : The study of the disproportionation of alkyl radicals has been extended to large branched pentyl-2 radicals. Contrary to the belief based on small radical behavior, steric and activation energy effects are shown to be important. Existing data in the literature are summarized from the point of view of entropy effects. (Author)
Will Pay-For-Performance And Quality Reporting Affect Health Care Disparities?

Pay-for-performance (P4P) and public quality-reporting programs can increase the quality of health care for the services being measured. However, unless carefully designed, these programs may have the unintended consequence of increasing racial and ethnic disparities. This paper describes ways in which P4P and public reporting programs may increase disparities and suggests ways in which programs might be designed that will make them likely to reduce, or at least not increase, disparities.
Specific response of human lymphocytes to pollen antigen in tissue culture

Abstract Human peripheral lymphocytes of 27 timothy-sensitive individuals were cultured for ten days in the presence of 15 μg protein nitrogen per milliliter of timothy pollen antigen. Approximately 25 per cent transformation to blastlike cells occurred, compared with 2.5 per cent in the absence of antigen and 2.2 per cent for cells of nonsensitive individuals cultured with antigen. The response was not significantly changed with hyposensitization treatment. No evidence for specific skin-sensitizing antibody production was found, and none of the three immunoglobulins was detected free or on the cultured cells.
Metkephamid-induced Flehmen in lambs

When metkephamid, a systemically active analog of methionine enkephalin, was administered intracisternally to male or female prepubescent lambs as early as the first week of life, we observed a behavioral pattern akin to Flehmen, which is a well-characterized grimace displayed by mature ungulates during mating. This metkephamid-induced Flehmen was preceded by transient bradycardia and apnea followed by somnolence for approximately 1 hour, during which Flehmen was observed intermittently. Pretreatment with the specific opiate antagonist, naloxone, blocked this behavioral response. These observations indicate that endogenous opioid peptides may be involved in Flehmen.
Strategies for organizational change from group homes to individualized supports.

Abstract Organizations are increasingly looking to convert from facility-based services for adults with developmental disabilities to individualized supports. Such conversion involves not only a ch...
Patched Targeting Peptides for Imaging and Treatment of Hedgehog Positive Breast Tumors

High tumor hedgehog expression is correlated with poor prognosis in invasive ductal carcinoma. Peptides which bind the patched receptor have recently been reported to have a growth inhibitory effect in tumors with activated hedgehog signaling. We sought to examine growth inhibition with these peptides in breast cancer cells and use these peptides as molecular imaging probes to follow changes in hedgehog expression after chemotherapy. Significant growth inhibition was observed in breast cancer cell lines treated with PTCH-blocking peptides. Significant in vitro uptake was observed with both FITC- and 99mTc-EC-peptide conjugates. In vivo imaging studies displayed greater accumulation of 99mTc-labeled peptides within tumors as compared to adjacent muscle tissue. Patched receptor expression increased after treatment and this correlated with an increase in tumor radiotracer uptake. These studies suggest that peptides which bind the sonic hedgehog docking site in patched receptor correlate with patched expression and can be used to image patched in vivo. Further, our data suggest that radiolabeled peptides may enable us to examine the activity of the hedgehog signaling pathway and to evaluate response to anti-cancer therapies.
Characteristics of mince from pond-bred silvercarp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and preliminary experiments on its use in sausages

The quality of fresh, chilled and frozen mince made from the flesh of pond-bred silvercarp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Val)) was evaluated. Flavour panel scores for all minces were acceptable and this quality did not deteriorate during storage for one week in a domestic refrigerator (5–6°C) or for one year at −20°C. The levels of oxidative rancidity (2-thiobarbituric acid analysis) in the minces were consistent with this maintenance of quality. Aerobic plate counts at 25°C of fresh mince rose from 7–9 × 104 to 1.1 × 105 after 6 days' storage at 5–6°C. Coliform and psychrotroph counts rose from 1.0 × 101 and 7–8 × 103 to 5–4 × 102 and 1.3 × 104, respectively. The functional and textural properties of pond-bred silvercarp mince in terms of salt-soluble protein content, water binding capacity and penetrometer values were measured on fresh, refrigerated and frozen samples. All-fish sausages and frankfurters developed from pond-bred silvercarp mince were assessed in laboratory and consumer tests against commercial beef sausages and frankfurters. The fish products competed well and achieved levels of acceptance similar to those of the beef-containing products. Texture measurements revealed slight changes in the fish products during storage for 7 days at 5–6°C. No spoilage was detected in any of the products after a week at 5–6°C. The nutritional advantages of the fish sausages and frankfurters are discussed.
Bioenergetic shifts during transitions between stem cell states (2013 Grover Conference series)

Two defining characteristics of stem cells are their multilineage differentiation potential (multipotency or pluripotency) and their capacity for self-renewal. Growth factors are well-established regulators of stem cell differentiation and self renewal, but less is known about the influence of the metabolic state on stem cell function. Recent studies investigating cellular metabolism during the differentiation of adult stem cells, human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and induced pluripotent stem cells have demonstrated that activation of specific metabolic pathways depends on the type of stem cells as well as the lineage cells are differentiating into and that these metabolic pathways can influence the differentiation process. However, some common patterns have emerged, suggesting that undifferentiated stem cells primarily rely on glycolysis to meet energy demands. Our own data indicate that undifferentiated ESCs not only exhibit a low mitochondrial membrane potential but also express high levels of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 and of glutamine metabolism regulators when compared with differentiated cells. More importantly, interventions that target stem cell metabolism are able to either prevent or enhance differentiation. These findings suggest that the metabolic state of stem cells is not just a marker of their differentiation status but also plays an active role in regulating stem cell function. Regulatory metabolic pathways in stem cells may thus serve as important checkpoints that can be modulated to direct the regenerative capacity of stem cells.
A Hydroxychalcone Derived from Cinnamon Functions as a Mimetic for Insulin in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Objectives: These studies investigated the ability of a hydroxychalcone from cinnamon to function as an insulin mimetic in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.Methods: Comparative experiments were performed with the cinnamon methylhydroxychalcone polymer and insulin with regard to glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase dependency, glycogen synthase activation and glycogen synthase kinase-3β activity. The phosphorylation state of the insulin receptor was also investigated.Results: MHCP treatment stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis to a similar level as insulin. Glycogen synthesis was inhibited by both wortmannin and LY294002, inhibitors directed against the PI-3-kinase. In addition, MHCP treatment activated glycogen synthase and inhibited glycogen synthase kinase-3β activities, known effects of insulin treatment. Analysis of the insulin receptor demonstrated that the receptor was phosphorylated upon exposure to the MHCP. This supports that the insulin cascade was triggered by MHCP. Al...
Acetylation of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents by an Escherichia coli strain isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Aims: To isolate environmental bacteria capable of transforming fluoroquinolones to inactive molecules. Methods and Results: Bacteria were isolated from the aerobic liquor of a wastewater treatment plant on a medium containing norfloxacin (100 mg l−1). Twenty-two isolates were highly resistant (minimal inhibitory concentration: 6·25−200 μg ml−1) to five fluoroquinolones and six of them were positive by PCR amplification for the aminoglycoside resistance gene aac(6′)-Ib. Of these, only Escherichia coli strain LR09 had the ciprofloxacin-acetylating variant gene aac(6′)-Ib-cr; HPLC and mass spectrometry showed that this strain transformed both ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin by N-acetylation. This bacterium also had mutations in the quinolone-resistance determining regions of the gyrA and parC genes. Conclusions: An E. coli isolate from wastewater, which possessed at least two distinct fluoroquinolone resistance mechanisms, inactivated ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin by N-acetylation. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report of N-acetylation of fluoroquinolones by an aac(6′)-Ib-cr-containing bacterium from an environmental source.
Comparison of Activity of Sisomicin and Gentamicin in Mouse Protection Tests with Gram-Negative Bacilli

The efficacy of sisomicin and gentamicin was compared in mouse protection studies against strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter aerogenes, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There was no significant difference in mortality of the mice in any of the protocol groups when five different dosages of sisomicin and gentamicin given by three separate schedules were compared for each bacterial inoculum in each antibiotic protocol. The mean protective dose values of sisomicin were at least one-half those of gentamicin for each protocol against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Femtosecond Laser One-Step Microfabrication of Optical Fiber Inline Square Resonators for Chemical Sensing

We report, for the first time, the effort to one-step micromachine an optical fiber inline square resonator by femtosecond (fs) laser ablations. Such an inline square resonator is intended for infield chemical and biological sensing applications. Our preliminary data shows the feasibility of directly machining three dimensional microstructures on a silica optical fiber with a diameter of 125μm. The observed low quality (Q) factor can be further improved by post annealing and chemical etching processes that smooth the surface roughness.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Do Drug Courts Work? For What, Compared to What? Qualitative Results from a Natural Experiment

Abstract This is an outcome study of addicts who were sentenced to treatment in a drug court which began operations in 1997. Ten years later, we located and interviewed 25 people from three groups: (1) drug court clients, (2) addicts rejected from drug court and imprisoned, and (3) addicts accepted into drug court but who instead entered traditional drug treatment programs. We explored measures of success such as ability to stay off drugs, hold jobs, maintain family relationships, and the more typically-used outcome variable: recidivism. Drug court clients had better life outcomes than offenders who went to prison, but those who participated in traditional in-community drug treatment were equally successful. Lack of recidivism as indicated in criminal records may be an inaccurate measure of success, since the study found that some subjects' records were clean because they had died. The number of study subjects is too small to draw broad conclusions about program effectiveness, but the results raise concer...
While E1A can facilitate epithelial cell transformation by several dominant oncogenes, the C-terminus seems only to regulate rac and cdc42 function, but in both epithelial and fibroblastic cells.

Epithelial and fibroblast cells were differentially susceptible to transformation by oncogenic src, ras, mos, raf, rac, and cdc42 and the influence of adenovirus E1A. In contrast to NIH 3T3 cells, which are easily transformed by all the oncogenes tested, epithelial cells were more resistant to transformation by the same oncogenes. Transformation efficiency of both primary and immortal epithelial cells by E1B, V12ras, v-src, v-raf, and v-mos was increased by cotransfection of E1A 12S, which enables these cells to overcome the M1/M2 mortality blocks, which are not present in NIH 3T3 cells. NIH 3T3 cell transformation by these oncogenes was not altered by E1A. Although V12cdc42 or V12rac1 alone could produce foci on NIH 3T3 cells, morphological conversion was observed only in the presence of a hypertransforming E1A mutant and not WT E1A. Epithelial cells were not transformed by V12cdc42 or V12rac1, even in the presence of WT or mutant E1A, but could be transformed by coexpression of mos/raf and rac/cdc42, and the resultant phenotype was affected by the E1A C-terminus. Hypertransformation, which has previously been reported with ras and E1A C-terminal mutants, turns out to be due to a synergy with rac/cdc42, but not ERK/MAPK or PI3K ras effectors. Like V12rac, expression of the E1A hypertransforming mutant resulted in the upregulation of vinculin and VASP, concomitant with the altered organization of the actin cytoskeleton in these cells. The results show that in addition to requiring abrogation of M1/M2 mortality blocks, primary epithelial cells require activation of the ERK MAPK cascade and rearrangement of the actin CSK to achieve transformation. In addition, the E1A C-terminus regulates rac/cdc42 function in both epithelial and fibroblast cells to affect the extent of transformation progression.
Embryonic Expression Suggests an Important Role for CRP2/SmLIM in the Developing Cardiovascular System

Proteins of the LIM family are critical regulators of development and differentiation in various cell types. We have described the cloning of cysteine-rich protein 2/smooth muscle LIM protein (CRP2/SmLIM), a LIM-only protein expressed in differentiated vascular smooth muscle cells. As a first step toward understanding the potential functions of CRP2/SmLIM, we analyzed its expression after gastrulation in developing mice and compared the expression of CRP2/SmLIM with that of the other 2 members of the CRP subclass, CRP1 and CRP3/MLP. In situ hybridization in whole-mount and sectioned embryos showed that CRP2/SmLIM was expressed in the sinus venosus and the 2 cardiac chambers at embryonic day 9. Vascular expression of CRP2/SmLIM was first seen at embryonic day 10. At subsequent time points, CRP2/SmLIM expression decreased in the heart but remained high in the vasculature. CRP1 was expressed both in vascular and nonvascular tissues containing smooth muscle cells, whereas CRP3/MLP was expressed only in tissues containing striated muscle. These patterns of expression were maintained in the adult animal and suggest an important role for this gene family in the development of smooth and striated muscle.
Role of Nitric Oxide and Flavohemoglobin Homolog Genes in Aspergillus nidulans Sexual Development and Mycotoxin Production

Received 21 March 2011/Accepted 25 May 2011 Flavohemoglobins are widely distributed in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These proteins are involved in reducing nitric oxide levels. Deletion of the Aspergillus nidulans flavohemoglobin gene fhbA induced sexual development and decreased sterigmatocystin production. Supplementation with a nitric oxide-releasing compound promoted cleistothecial formation and increased nsdD and steA expression, indicating that nitric oxide induces sexual development. This is the first study on the effect of nitric oxide on morphogenesis and secondary metabolism in fungi. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling compound of great importance in biological systems (7, 10, 21). This molecule can also cause nitrosative stress which is potentially remediated by the widely distributed flavohemoglobins (FHbs) found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes (4, 7). Extensive research on FHb proteins from bacteria and yeast revealed their structure, function, and mechanism of action (3, 7, 17). Earlier studies have shown that FHbs in organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Alcaligenes eutrophus, and Escherichia coli share similar steady-state NO dioxygenation kinetics (7). Through a dioxygenase-mediated reaction, FHbs, in the presence of molecular O 2, converts NO into nontoxic nitrate ions. FHb proteins contain a hemoglobin-like domain with a noncovalently bound heme B protein and a reductase domain with binding sites for FAD and NAD(P)H. It is known that fhb genes are activated by various agents, such as nitrate, nitrite, NO, and NO-releasing agents (5, 7, 8, 11, 20, 24). In aspergilli, the conversion of NO to NO 3 by FHbs, Fhb1 and Fhb2 in Aspergillus oryzae (30) and FhbA and FhbB in the filamentous fungus model Aspergillus nidulans, has been demonstrated (24). The present work involves the study of the role of FHbs and NO in fungal development and secondary metabolism. Fungal strains and growth conditions. Aspergillus nidulans Cib08 (biA1 yA2), CibA (biA1 yA2 fhbA::argB), CibB (biA1 yA2 fhbB::argB) (described in reference 24), and FGSCA4 were used in this study. The strains were cultured on glucose minimum medium (GMM) plus the appropriate supplements for the corresponding auxotrophic markers (13). Medium was supplemented with 1.5 mM diethylenetriamine-NoNoate (Sigma), a NO-releasing compound, after sterilization when indicated. Solid medium was prepared by adding 10 g/liter agar. Strains were stored as 30% glycerol stocks at 80°C. Morphological studies. Plates containing 25 ml of solid GMM plus the appropriate supplements were top agar inoculated with 5 10 6 spores per plate of medium. The cultures were wrapped and incubated at 37°C in the dark. Cores (8-mm diameter) were collected from each spread plate and examined for cleistothecium production. Ethanol (70%) was sprayed on the core surface to facilitate the visualization of cleistothecia under the microscope. The experiments included five repli
A Case Study of Self-Checking Circuits Reliability

In this paper, we analyze the reliability of self-checking circuits. A case study is presented in which a fault-tolerant system with duplicated self-checking modules is compared to the TMR version. It is shown that a duplicated self-checking system has a much higher reliability than that of the TMR counterpart. More importantly, the reliability of the self-checking system does not drop as sharply as that of the TMR version. We also demonstrate the trade-offs between hardware complexity and error handling capability of self-checking circuits. Alternative self-checking designs where some hardware redundancies are removed with the lost of fault-secure and/or self-testing properties are also studied.
Obesity: understanding the risks and running successful weight clinics

Obesity is becoming an increasing problem within veterinary practice. With the increasing prevalence of obesity it is important that veterinary nurses understand the diseases associated with obesity. Obesity is associated with cardiovascular, orthopaedic and endocrine disease as well as neoplasia. Literature suggests that steps could be taken to improve nurse clinics to ensure successful weight loss in obese patients. The importance of the correct diet, as well as exercise and maintaining a good relationship with clients are highlighted.
Osteonecrosis of the jaws: A complication of cancer chemotherapy

Two unusual cases of osteonecrosis of the jaws in edentulous patients are described. One case involved the maxilla and the other the mandible. Both patients were compromised hosts who were undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Both developed local mucosal infections beneath their dentures before the bone became involved. The role of dentures in producing local irritation and in masking the problem is discussed.