cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of BCR-ABL-Y177-mediated p27kip1 phosphorylation and cytoplasmic localization in enhanced proliferation of chronic myeloid leukemia progenitors

In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), hematopoietic stem cell transformation leads to increased proliferation of malignant myeloid progenitors. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1 (p27) is a critical negative regulator of hematopoietic progenitor proliferation and pool size that is deregulated in BCR-ABL expressing cell lines. However, cell-context specific regulation of p27 in primary human CML progenitors and its contribution to CML progenitor expansion remain unclear. Here, we investigated p27 regulation and function in (1) CD34+ cells from CML patients and (2) human CD34+ cells ectopically expressing the BCR-ABL gene following retrovirus transduction. We found that p27 levels are increased in CML CD34+ cells related to a BCR-ABL-dependent increase in p27 protein translation. However, p27 was relocated to the cytoplasm in CML progenitors and nuclear p27 levels were reduced, allowing increased cell cycling and expansion in culture. Cytoplasmic relocation of p27 in CML progenitors was related to signaling through BCR-ABL Y177, activation of the AKT kinase and phosphorylation of p27 on Thr-157 (T157). Expression of a mutant p27 that cannot be phosphorylated on T157 significantly inhibited CML progenitor proliferation. These studies show the importance of BCR-ABL-Y177-AKT-mediated p27 phosphorylation in altered p27 localization and enhanced proliferation and expansion of primary CML progenitors.
A process-based model for priority convergence in multi-period group decision-making

Abstract Over the past three decades substantial research has been dedicated to the task of providing theoretical models for group decision processes. Unfortunately, many models remain grounded in single-period decision contexts. The current work investigates an extremely basic process approach to multi-criteria multi-period group decision-making. The time-series model considered incorporates factors relating to member influence over aggregated group decisions, the effect of past priorities on subsequent priorities and the cognizance/acceptance of performance optimizing task-criteria priorities over otherwise non-ideal ones. Quantitative values relating to criteria priorities are elicited for each period through paired comparisons. Empirical analysis of collected group task data is done through a three-stage evaluation of the model’s performance. Results suggest that the time-series approach is consistent in evaluating changes in criteria priorities over-time. The model can provide a strong auxiliary tool for multi-period extensions of existing approaches to decision support analysis.
Paleontology and philosophy: A critique

In recent years a number of studies have appeared that examine late-nineteenth-century paleontology. Although these works describe various aspects of the science, they focus on the challenges posed by paleontologists to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Despite the fact that students of the fossil record accepted the phenomenon of evolution and worked to document its occurrence, only a handful embraced natural selection as the principal cause of evolution.' Others who addressed the subject advanced a variety of theories, primarily versions of neo-Lamarckism and orthogenesis.3 As a result, one of the central concerns of recent historical studies has been to explain the limited acceptance of Darwinism and the attractiveness of alternatives. In his recent book The Eclipse of Darwinism, Peter Bowler states the problem succinctly. Noting that paleontologists of the period constructed phylogenies that subordinated divergence and thus denied the natural selection of random variations, Bowler asks, "What motivation could have led them to ignore the possibility of concealed irregularities and to arrange the limited number of specimens in their possession into neat, regular patterns?" 3 Although scholars such as Bowler, Stephen Jay Gould, and Adrian Desmond have each answered that question somewhat differently, all agree that a commitment to philosophical idealism played a major
Singularity and Branching: A Path‐Following Formalism For Geophysical Inverse Problems

dSUMMARY A path-following technique is presented as an alternative to the direct minimization of a misfit functional. The algorithm is based upon the iterative adjustment of an Earth model to fit a set of generated ‘data’. These values vary from a purely artificial set, produced from some prior model, to the observed data. The changes in the model that are required to satisfy the conditions for minimum misfit are calculated at each iteration. Multiple solutions appear when the path-following equations become singular and linear approximations fail. Using techniques from singularity theory in Hilbert space, the number, type and stability of solutions appearing at a singular point can be calculated. It is possible to project beyond a singular point and follow the additional solutions that emerge. Thus the algorithm allows one to track multiple solutions to a given inverse problem. The technique is used to infer velocity variations between two boreholes at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility. From a set of 471 arrival times, three velocity models are deduced. All of the models satisfy the conditions for minimum misfit. One model is very similar to the solution produced by a conjugate gradient algorithm. The three models all contain high velocities overlying low velocities. The path-following algorithm is also applied to a set of airborne gravity gradiometry data gathered in SW Oklahoma. An upthrown block of high-density basement material is found to coincide with a positive vertical gravity gradient anomaly. This conclusion agrees with the depths to basement observed in numerous oil wells in the region.
Sol-gel derived ferroelectric PZT thin films on doped silicon substrates

Thin Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 films were fabricated by the sol-gel method. Films with thickness of 0.5 μm to 2 μm were coated on doped silicon substrates, using a multiple deposition process. The study on the ferroelectric hysteresis loop of the films using metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor configuration yielded remanent polarization of 2.2 × 10-2 C/m2 and coercive field of 7.5 kV/cm. The low remanent polarization and high coercive field of the PZT film compared to the bulk PZT is due to the small grain size. Asymmetric hysteresis loops were observed. The mechanism associated with the phenomenon is attributed to the space charge compensating the contact potential difference at the interface of ferroelectric-semiconductor.
Complex vascular anomalies

The classification system for vascular anomalies now used by experts worldwide comprises two distinct disease entities that differ in their biologic and pathologic features: vascular tumors and vascular malformations. Vascular tumors include infantile and congenital hemangiomas, tufted angiomas, and kaposiform hemangioendotheliomas. Infantile hemangiomas, the most common vascular anomaly, generally have a predetermined life cycle (proliferation and subsequent involution). GLUT-1, a glucose transporter, is a marker for these specific lesions during all phases of development. Vascular malformations are classified according to their vascular tissue of origin and include capillary, venous, arteriovenous, lymphatic, and mixed malformations. Complex lymphatic malformations and complex mixed malformations, which may have most vascular components, are the most difficult vascular malformations to successfully treat. These lesions are present at birth and often expand or grow in response to trauma, infection, or hormonal changes. Imaging advancements have enabled more accurate assessments and improved management of vascular anomalies. In addition, many lesions are now being managed with targeted pharmacologic therapy. Propranolol and steroids are used for complex or disfiguring tumors, and new anti-angiogenesis inhibitors such as sirolimus are selectively used to treat lymphatic and venous lymphatic malformations that are poorly responsive to sclerotherapy, embolization, and surgical excision. Multimodal therapies are often essential for complex lesions and require the combined expertise of an interdisciplinary team.
SU‐E‐T‐678: Normal Tissue Dose‐Volume Constrains for Inverse Planning of Acoustic Neuroma Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

Purpose: Stereotacic radiosurgery (SRS) of acoustic neuroma was traditionally planned using forward planning techniques, either with Elekta GammaKnife ball‐packing technique, or with multiple conformal dynamic arcs technique using micro‐MLC and Linac (BrainLAB Novalis). As the recent development of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), inverse planning using multiple‐arcs VMAT technique for SRS becomes commercially available, and it has the advantage of faster delivery with comparable dosimetry. However, planners need proper dose volume constrains to drive the optimizer to achieve the dosimetric goals, both clinically acceptable and technically achievable. This study is investigating how to set up the proper dose volume constraints for SRS plans of acoustic neuroma. Methods: Twenty cases were selected with their volumes cover the general range of acoustic neuroma SRS (0.1 cc to 5cc). Each case was planned using Gammaknife Perfexion with sector optimization. Prescription is 12Gy to 50% isodose, with 100% target coverage. The total tissue volumes that receive greater than 12, 8, and 6 Gy (V12, V8, and V6) were recorded. The relationship between the target volumes (Vtarget) and V12, V8, and V6 were plotted and linear regressions were fitted for each parameter. Results: A set of linear relationships between the target volume and the volumes that receive greater than 12, 8, and 6Gy was constructed as the following: V12 = 1.476Vtarget (R2 = 0.995), V8 = 3.04Vtarget +0.16(R2 = 0.990), and V6 = 4.64 Vtarget + 0.35 (R2 = 0.982). Conclusions: Traditional plan quality indices such as conformity index, selectivity, etc. are good for evaluating forward plans, but cannot be used to drive the inverse planning engine to optimize inverse plans. The normal tissue dose volume constraints obtained in this study, combined with clinical constraints for brainstem and cochlea, can provide inverse planner with objectives to obtain an inverse plan for acoustic neuroma SRS.
A Direct Synthesis Method for Early Stage Parametric Design of Large-Scale Mechanical Systems

Design productivity plays a crucial role in the development of large-scale mechanical systems because of the involvement of a great amount of resources, long life cycle, and multi-disciplinary teams. At the early stage parametric design, the generation and evaluation of robust design alternatives are expected at the least expense. In this paper, a direct synthesis (DS) method is presented. With simultaneous consideration of negotiability, bi-directional robustness, and efficiency in a “Zoom-in” process, the DS can facilitate the quick synthesis of robust design alternatives without resorting to numerous iterations. The preliminary industrial application results of the Direct Synthesis method show its effectiveness for robustness enhancement and cost reduction at the early stage parametric design of a vehicle structural system.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Special issues on Epistemology of Modelling and Simulation II

Epistemological issues arise quite naturally in the course of computational modelling. In modelling across a range of disciplines and applications, issues in the philosophy of science are live issu...
Orientational dependence of apparent magnetic susceptibilities of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in planar structured arrays: Effect on magnetic moments of nanoparticle-coated core–shell magnetic beads

Abstract A theoretical and experimental study of the interactions of magnetic nanoparticles within planar structured arrays indicates that the magnetization curves for these arrays depend on their orientations relative to externally applied magnetic fields. When the layers and magnetic field are co-directional, the apparent magnetic susceptibilities are enhanced, but a decrease is seen when the field is normal to the nanoparticle array. The magnetic response of a core–shell type bead coated with one or more ordered layers of magnetic nanoparticles was evaluated by treating the particles at any position on the surface as being in a planar array tangent to the surface of the bead at that position; the effective magnetic susceptibilities of the beads were estimated by integration over the bead surface of the orientation-dependent responses of these layers to the applied magnetic fields. The effective susceptibility of magnetite nanoparticle monolayer-covered beads can increase by up to about 30%, but the effects are reduced as the number of layers increases.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia sensitizes acute hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress reactivity and Fos induction in the rat locus coeruleus in response to subsequent immobilization stress

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with several pathophysiological conditions, including hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysregulation, and other endocrine and metabolic disturbances comprising the "metabolic syndrome." Repeated episodes of hypoxia in OSA may represent a chronic intermittent stress, leading to HPA dysregulation. Alterations in HPA reactivity could then contribute to or exacerbate other pathophysiological processes. We showed previously that another metabolic stressor, chronic intermittent cold stress, enhanced noradrenergic facilitation of acute HPA stress reactivity. In this study, we investigated whether chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a rat model for the arterial hypoxemia that accompanies OSA, similarly sensitizes the HPA response to novel acute stress. Rats were exposed to CIH (alternating cycles of normoxia [3 min at 21% O(2)] and hypoxia [3 min at 10% O(2)], repeated continuously for 8 h/day during the light portion of the cycle for 7 days). On the day after the final CIH exposure, there were no differences in baseline plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), but the peak ACTH response to 30 min acute immobilization stress was greater in CIH-stressed rats than in controls. Induction of Fos expression by acute immobilization stress was comparable following CIH in several HPA-modulatory brain regions, including the paraventricular nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and amygdala. Fos induction was attenuated in lateral hypothalamus, an HPA-inhibitory region. By contrast, acute Fos induction was enhanced in noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus following CIH exposure. Thus, similar to chronic cold stress, CIH sensitized acute HPA and noradrenergic stress reactivity. Plasticity in the acute stress response is important for long-term adaptation, but may also contribute to pathophysiological conditions associated with states of chronic or repeated stress, such as OSA. Determining the neural mechanisms underlying these adaptations may help us better understand the etiology of such disorders, and inform the development of more effective treatments.
Sjögren's Syndrome: Immunobiology of Exocrine Gland Dysfunction

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder characterized by dryness of the eyes and mouth. The frequency of this disorder remains controversial, due to absence of a universally accepted classification system. In the San Diego and San Francisco classification systems for primary Sjogren's syndrome, evidence for an autoimmune process and focal lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary or lacrimal gland is required for diagnosis. This paper reviews the genetic and environmental factors that have been associated with the autoimmune process in Sjogren's syndrome. Key immunopathologic features include: (a) an increased prevalence of particular HLA-DR/DQ alleles; (b) induction of HLA-DR/DQ proteins on the epithelial cells in salivary and lacrimal gland biopsies; (c) infiltration of the glands by CD4+ T-cells that transcribe IL-2 and IFN--y; (d) induction of granzyme A and perforin in CD4+ T-cells, suggesting a mechanism of cellular destruction of the glands; (e) clonal expansion of B-cells that use a particular...
Partial results for online query processing

Traditional query processors generate full, accurate query results, either in batch or in pipelined fashion. We argue that this strict model is too rigid for exploratory queries over diverse and distributed data sources, such as sources on the Internet. Instead, we propose a looser model of querying in which a user submits a broad initial query outline, and the system continually generates partial result tuples that may contain values for only some of the output fields. The user can watch these partial results accumulate at the user interface, and accordingly refine the query by specifying their interest in different kinds of partial results.After describing our querying model and user interface, we present a query processing architecture for this model which is implemented in the Telegraph dataflow system. Our architecture is designed to generate partial results quickly, and to adapt query execution to changing user interests. The crux of this architecture is a dataflow operator that supports two kinds of reorderings: reordering of intermediate tuples within a dataflow, and reordering of query plan operators through which tuples flow. We study reordering policies that optimize for the quality of partial results delivered over time, and experimentally demonstrate the benefits of our architecture in this context.
Reuse of dialyzers and clinical outcomes: Fact or fiction

Abstract Since its introduction in the United States more than two decades ago, the practice of dialyzer reuse has continued to grow. In recent years, it appears to have been based mainly on economic, rather than medical, considerations. However, adverse reactions, such as immune hemolytic anemia caused by anti-Nform antibody associated with dialyzer reuse, and infectious outbreaks have been reported. The validity of earlier reports suggesting improved morbidity and mortality in patients dialyzed with reprocessed dialyzers have been disputed with recent data. In the current Dialysis Morbidity and Mortality Study (DMMS), we collected demographic, comorbidity, laboratory, treatment, socioeconomic, and insurance data on a large random sample of approximately 20,000 of the US dialysis patient population over a 3- year period, using the dialysis records. Data were collected predominantly on patients receiving incenter hemodialysis as of December 31, 1993. Morbid and mortal events through 1996 were examined in relation to various patient and dialysis unit characteristics. The results show that there has been a significant increase in the practice of dialyzer reuse in the United States. Large regional differences exist, and reuse is greatest in freestanding for-profit (FSFP) units (87%) and freestanding nonprofit (FSNP) units (77%) and least in hospital units (49%). There has been a significant increase in the proportion of units using Renalin (Minntech, Minneapolis, MN) and a substantial decrease in the proportion of the units using formalin. Approximately 15% of the units each year switch the type of sterilant. (Am J Kidney Dis 1998 Dec;32(6 Suppl 4):S88-92)
Color and edge sensitive channels converge on stereo-depth analyzers.

Summary The results confirm the conclusion, drawn from studies of the orientation-contingent color AE (McCollough effect), that information about combined color and edge orientation is initially processed separately in monocular channels. It does, however, converge on binocular channels, at least at the level of processing for stereoscopic depth. Other investigators have been unable to demonstrate a depth-specific color AE after binocular adaptation to red and green gratings producing different stereoscopic depths, which fspresumably should adapt color selective binocular channels if they exist (Brown, Stromeyer and Dawson. 1974). These findings suggest that the binocular channels themselves are not selective for color, even though they receive information from monocular channels which are color selective. Taken together, present knowledge drawn from psychophysical research implies that the linkage between color and edge orientation processors occurs prior to and not in binocular channels.
A State Synchronization Controller for Functional Electrical Stimulation-Based Telerehabilitation

A position-synchronization controller for functional electrical stimulation (FES)-based telerehabilitation was designed. The developed controller synchronizes an FES-driven human limb with a remote physical therapist’s manipulator despite constant bilateral communication delays. The control design overcomes a major stability analysis challenge: the unknown and unstructured nonlinearities in the FES-driven musculoskeletal dynamics. To address this challenge, the nonlinear muscle model was estimated through two neural networks with online update laws. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis was used to prove the globally uniformly ultimately bounded tracking performance. The control performance of the state synchronization controller is depicted using a simulation of an FES-elicited elbow extension that is remotely controlled by a manipulator.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The Development of Graphophonological-Semantic Cognitive Flexibility and Its Contribution to Reading Comprehension in Beginning Readers.

Reading-specific and general color-shape cognitive flexibility were assessed in 68 first and second graders to examine: 1) the development of graphophonological-semantic cognitive flexibility (the ability to process concurrently phonological and semantic aspects of print) in comparison to color-shape cognitive flexibility, 2) the contribution of reading experience to graphophonological-semantic flexibility, and 3) the unique contribution of graphophonological-semantic flexibility to reading comprehension. Second graders scored significantly higher than first graders on both cognitive flexibility tasks; the general flexibility task was easier for all children than the graphophonological-semantic flexibility task; reading experience contributed uniquely to children's graphophonological-semantic flexibility; and graphophonological-semantic flexibility contributed significant, unique variance to children's reading comprehension, consistent with Cartwright's (2002) work with second- to fourth-grade students an...
A Qualitative Secondary Evaluation of Statewide Follow-Up Interviews for Abnormal Newborn Screening Results for Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Hemoglobinopathy

A qualitative secondary evaluation of statewide follow-up interviews for abnormal newborn screening results for cystic fibrosis and sickle cell hemoglobinopathy
Differential expression of natriuretic peptides and their receptors in volume overload cardiac hypertrophy in the rat.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) upregulation are genetic markers for the chronic hypertrophic phenotype but also have important acute physiologic effects on salt and water balance and blood pressure control. The presence of a dual NP-system led us to hypothesize a differential expression of ANP and BNP in response to an acute hemodynamic stress of volume overload in the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV). Accordingly, we examined the temporal relationship between the RV and LV expression of ANP and BNP mRNA and NP receptor mRNA levels on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 after induction of aortocaval fistula in the rat. LV end-diastolic pressure was increased 1.5-fold by day 3 and 2.0-fold by day 7 compared to control (P 2-fold by day 2 and this increase was sustained throughout 7 days. NP clearance receptor was decreased by 75% by day 7 in the LV but did not change in the RV. Thus, LV ANP mRNA levels increased before the onset of LV hypertrophy and RV BNP mRNA levels increased in the absence of RV hypertrophy. The disparate response of BNP and the NP clearance receptor transcript levels in the LV and RV may be related to differences in load and/or differential expression of the NP system in the LV and RV in response to acute haemodynamic stress.
Effect of pre-existing disease on length of hospital stay in trauma patients.

Hospital discharge data for all adult trauma admissions (n = 27,029) to acute care hospitals in a five-county area were used to examine the effect of pre-existing chronic conditions (PECs) on length of hospital stay (LOS). The per cent increase in mean LOS and the relative odds of an extended LOS (i.e., greater than or equal to 3 weeks) were estimated for surviving trauma patients with and without one or more of 11 pre-existing medical conditions, taking into account both the ISS severity of injuries and patient age. Nineteen per cent (n = 5,224) of the trauma cases had one or more of the 11 PECs; 5% (n = 1,384) had two or more PECs. Those with one or more PECs stayed significantly longer (p less than 0.001) than those who had none. Mean LOS was shown to be 69% higher for those with versus those without PECs. Furthermore, patients with PECs were more than twice as likely as those without PECs to have stayed in the hospital 3 weeks or longer. The size of the effect, however, varied by patient age and injury severity; the effect of PECs on length of stay was larger among younger patients and patients with less severe injuries. With regionalization, trauma centers treat the majority of these patients and potentially suffer disproportionate financial losses when reimbursement is based on DRGs.
Hopf bifurcations in time-delay systems with band-limited feedback

Abstract We investigate the steady-state solution and its bifurcations in time-delay systems with band-limited feedback. This is a first step in a rigorous study concerning the effects of AC-coupled components in nonlinear devices with time-delayed feedback. We show that the steady state is globally stable for small feedback gain and that local stability is lost, generically, through a Hopf bifurcation for larger feedback gain. We provide simple criteria that determine whether the Hopf bifurcation is supercritical or subcritical based on the knowledge of the first three terms in the Taylor-expansion of the nonlinearity. Furthermore, the presence of double-Hopf bifurcations of the steady state is shown, which indicates possible quasiperiodic and chaotic dynamics in these systems. As a result of this investigation, we find that AC-coupling introduces fundamental differences to systems of Ikeda-type [K. Ikeda, K. Matsumoto, High-dimensional chaotic behavior in systems with time-delayed feedback, Physica D 29 (1987) 223–235] already at the level of steady-state bifurcations, e.g. bifurcations exist in which limit cycles are created with periods other than the fundamental “period-2” mode found in Ikeda-type systems.
PERSONALITY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PARENTS AND ADOLESCENT OFFSPRING IN INPATIENT TREATMENT

The present investigation examined relationships between personality characteristics of 51 adolescents hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and their biological parents. Family members were administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) within one week of adolescent hospital admission. Pearson product-moment correlations were performed for all possible group comparisons on each MMPI scale. Analysis of variance of difference scores reflecting the relationship of adolescent to parent profile elevations was used to examine the effects of sex of adolescent, sex of parent, and adolescent diagnostic classification on similarity of parent's and offspring's profiles. Interpreted in the context of previous research, results suggest that the more severe the adolescent psychiatric disturbance, the more dissimilar personality characteristics of parent and child. With the possible exception of emerging antisocial patterns, abnormal personality development may be related to adolescents' failure t...
P Wave Changes Reflecting Atrial Morphology

The P wave configuration was studied in the limb leads and in precordial leads V 1 and V 2 in 73 cases of atrial derangement. The cases studied consisted of five cases of pulmonary heart disease, nine cases of pulmonary stenosis, ten cases of interatrial septal defect and 49 cases of mitral valve disease. This total group, presenting predominant right-sided cardiac enlargement, demonstrated high peaked waves in the limb leads (2,8 mm.) with an average duration of 0.191 seconds and a high pressure positive component in leads V 1 and V 2 . C=1.94 mm. (height of positive component) 1.94 mm. (width of negative component). The depth of the negative component, E, was 0.30 mm. (depth of P wave in precordial lead V 1 or V 2 ). Hemodynamic and angiographic studies did not correlate with the above P wave changes, which were assumed to reflect right auricular enlargement. The mitral group showed a mean average of: Component A=0.13 sec. (height and duration of P in standard leads) Component B=3.06 mm. Component C=1.9 mm. (height of P wave) Component D=0.069 sec. (width of negative component) Component E=2.13 mm. (depth of P wave in precordial lead V 1 or V 2 ) Of the 49 cases with mitral valve disease, 35 (69.4 per cent) had corroborative hemodynamic angiographic findings. Thirteen out of 14 (99 per cent) of a sub-group with dominant mitral insufficiency presented positive angiographic and hemodynamic findings of left atrial enlargement. The group with mitral valve disease demonstrated differences of a significant degree in the E (depth of P wave in precordial lead V 1 or V 2 ) component—an average of 1.83 mm. for the “pure mitral stenosis” group and 2.54 mm. for the mitral insufficiency group. These studies would indicate the plausibility of the inference that a marked E component in leads V 1 and V 2 is consistent with left atrial enlargement and that a value of greater than 0.20 mm. indicates mitral insufficiency.
Evidence from mosaic analysis of the masculinizing gene her–1 for cell interactions in C. elegans sex determination

SEX in Caenorhabditis elegans is determined by a regulatory cascade of seven interacting autosomal genes controlled by three X-linked genes in response to the X chromosome-to-autosome (X/A) ratio1,2. XX animals (high X/A) develop as self-fertile hermaphrodites, and XO animals (low X/A) develop as males. The activity of the first gene in the sex-determining cascade, her-1, is required for male sexual development3. XO her-l loss-of-function mutants develop as self-fertile hermaphrodites, whereas XX her-l gain-of-function mutants develop as masculinized intersexes4. By genetic mosaic analysis using a fused free duplication linkingher-l to a cell-autonomous marker gene, we show here thather-lexpression in a sexually dimorphic cell is neither necessary nor sufficient for that cell to adopt a male fate. Our results suggest thather-l is expressed in many, possibly all, cells and that its gene product can function non-autonomously through cell interactions to determine male sexual development.
Surface plasmon resonance transients at an electrochemical interface: time resolved measurements using a bicell photodiode

Abstract Thin film gold electrodes are frequently used for various sensor applications, and often it is necessary to know how the optical parameters of such an electrode depend on external electrochemical variables. In this work, we demonstrate a time resolved surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique for studying the correlation between the optical and electrochemical parameters of a thin (∼590 A) film gold electrode in a neutral aqueous electrolyte of 0.05 M NaNO 3 . The electrochemical double layer is charged by a potential step, generating a current transient. A bicell photodiode is used to record the resulting SPR transient, simultaneously with electrochemical measurement of the electrode current. A recently reported SPR detection technique is further extended for this purpose, and the working principle of this method is discussed in detail. The results show how voltage steps of different signs and magnitudes affect the optical properties of the Au surface.
Pathological Anatomy of Acute Hypertension of Pregnancy

With the possible exception of a unique glomerular lesion, the morphological changes in patients dying with convulsions, coma, and other complications of acute hypertension are not specific for a pathological entity initiated by aberrations peculiar to the pregnant state. Renal biopsies afford a means for classifying pregnant patients with acute hypertension. The glomerular lesion, believed to be pathognomonic of preeclampsia, was not found in 25% of 63 primiparas who fulfilled the clinical criteria for preeclampsia; chronic renal disease was present without the toxemic lesion in 30% of 214 pregnant patients with acute hypertension. These findings suggest that chronic renal disease plays a more important role in the acute hypertension of pregnancy than current statistics indicate, and that data pertaining to the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy must be interpreted with caution when their differentiation is based upon clinical criteria alone.
Industrial aspects of bronchiogenic neoplasms.

Lung cancer has increased strikingly in recent years; it now causes more than 18,000 deaths annually in the United States. Although much evidence incriminates cigarette smoking as a major factor in the disease, it is not the sole cause. Previous studies are cited to indicate the role played by occupational exposure. Interviews with 518 lung cancer patients in California hospitals, and a like number of non-cancer "control" patients, confirmed the greater frequency of cigarette smoking among lung cancer patients. The interviews also covered life-long occupational history. Analysis of this data disclosed that the following occupational groups appeared with substantially greater frequency among the lung cancer case histories, as compared with the controls: welding and sheet metal workers doing welding; electric bridge crane operators, metal industry; construction and maintenance painters; commercial cooks; occupations in the extraction of lead, zinc and copper ore; steamfitters, boilermakers, asbestos workers; marine engineers; firemen, oilers and wipers. The correspondence of this list of occupations with those arising from other studies of occupational factors in lung cancer is demonstrated. Further work is underway to confirm or refute the hypothesis that these occupations carry an excessive risk for lung cancer.
Hot corrosion of CoCrAlY by molten sulfate-vanadate deposits☆

Abstract The mechanisms of hot corrosion by molten sulfate-vanadate deposits were investigated by studying the corrosion of a CoCrAlY gas turbine blade coating alloy by Na 3 VO 4 , NaVO 3 , V 2 O 5 and Na 2 SO 4 , or combinations thereof, in air or in controlled SO 3 -air environments at 700 °C. Corrosion behavior was largely controlled by acid-base reactions between the metal oxides and the acidic-basic components (i.e. Na 2 O, V 2 O 5 and SO 3 ) of the contaminant salts. Under some conditions (e.g. corrosion by NaVO 3 under SO 3 -air), layers of cobalt vanadate (Co 2 V 2 O 7 ) formed at the outer corrosion phase surface and appeared to reduce the corrosion rate by lowering the V 2 O 5 activity and/or acting as a barrier film, limiting SO 3 and O 2 access to the corrosion front.
Enzymatic aminoacylation of an eight-base-pair microhelix with histidine.

Abstract The major determinant for the identity of alanine tRNAs is a single base pair in the acceptor helix that is proximal to the site of amino acid attachment. A 7-base-pair microhelix that recreates the acceptor helix can be charged with alanine. No other examples of charging of small helices with specific amino acids have been reported, to our knowledge. We show here that a 13-base-pair and an 8-base-pair hairpin helix that reconstruct a domain and subdomain, respectively, of histidine tRNAs can be charged with histidine. We also show that transplantation of a base pair that is unique to histidine tRNAs is sufficient to consider histidine acceptance on a domain and subdomain of alanine tRNA. Both alanine and histidine aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases retain specificity for their cognate synthetic substrates. Alanine- and histidine-specific microhelices may resemble a system that arose early in the evolution of charging and coding.
Propensity score analysis: promise, reality and irrational exuberance

Objectives The aim of this work is to examine the promise that propensity scores can yield accurate effect estimates in nonrandomized experiments, review research on the realities of the conditions needed to meet this promise, and caution against irrational exuberance about their capacity to meet this promise.
Washington, Sarkozy, and the Defence of Europe

With the onset of the Sarkozy presidency, an ‘era of good feeling’ has set in for the often fraught French–American relationship. But it is also a hyper presidency, as there is no way of predicting what surprise initiatives Sarkozy will think up next, and this may create problems, or at least adjustments, in the way Washington views him. Sarkozy's stated aim to bring France fully back into NATO was fulfilled at the NATO summit in April 2009, although his ‘condition’ that the European Security and Defence Policy first be strengthened clearly fell short of his expectations, due in part to the current financial and economic crisis.
Nitrogen loss from soil through anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to iron reduction

The oxidation of ammonium is a key step in the nitrogen cycle, regulating the production of nitrate, nitrous oxide and dinitrogen. In marine and freshwater ecosystems, anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to nitrite reduction, termed anammox, accounts for up to 67% of dinitrogen production 1‐3 . Dinitrogen production through anaerobic ammonium oxidation has not been observed in terrestrial ecosystems, but the anaerobic oxidation of ammonium to nitrite has been observed in wetland soils under iron-reducing conditions 4,5 . Here, we incubate tropical upland soil slurries with isotopically labelled ammonium and iron(III) to assess the potential for anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to iron(III) reduction, otherwise known as Feammox 6 , in these soils. We show that Feammox can produce dinitrogen, nitrite or nitrate in tropical upland soils. Direct dinitrogen production was the dominant Feammox pathway, short-circuiting the nitrogen cycle and resulting in ecosystem nitrogen losses. Rates were comparable to aerobic nitrification 7,8 and to denitrification 9 , the latter being the only other process known to produce dinitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. We suggest that Feammox could fuel nitrogen losses in ecosystems rich in poorly crystalline iron minerals, with low or fluctuating redox conditions.
Habitat evaluation procedures (HEP) applied to mitigation banking in North Carolina

Fifteen highway sites in eastern North Carolina were evaluated for anticipated bottomland hardwood wetland losses resulting from roadway construction. Wetland takings were expressed in acres of HEP (habitat evaluation procedures) units for comparative purposes. Debits were withdrawn from the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT's) Company Swamp mitigation bank. Acre-for-acre transactions were found to provide only one third of the functional value replacement when compared to HEP unit debiting. In addition, an analysis of accrued habitat unit values for the 15 sites over the 90-year study period revealed negligible differences. Study findings demonstrated that similar systems evaluated under similar circumstances over similar periods of time may result in similar accrued HEP values.
Individual condition indicators of thermal habitat quality in field populations of redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri)

We monitored redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) physiological status in multiple streams across eastern Oregon, USA that exhibit various summer thermal profiles. Summer river temperatures were higher overall in 2009 than in 2010. Heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) levels in both liver and fin tissue from redband trout increased with temperature regardless of location. Lipid levels were lower in fish from waters above 23 °C (in terms of degree-day exposure), and lipids were also related to food availability in 2010. Overall, fish ate more in 2009 than in 2010. Fish size increased more rapidly, and lipids were higher and hsp70 was lower in the cooler Crooked River relative to streams in the John Day River system, though the Crooked River did not have the highest food available. While food availability plays a role in physiological health, our data suggest that temperature is the most influential factor driving growth and energy reserves in stream salmonids during high temperature months; we argue that monitoring physiological indicators in individual fish can serve as a useful proxy for overall thermal habitat quality and population status.
Surface-Impedance Anomalies at Perpendicular-Field Cyclotron Resonance in the Anomalous-Skin-Effect Regime

A model of a rough surface is proposed in which the physical effects are simulated mathematically in a Boltzmann-equation formalism by allowing the scattering time for electrons to depend upon their depth beneath the surface. The nonlocal conductivity in this model is evaluated by solving the linearized Boltzmann equation, and the field which that conductivity supports is then determined variationally. This model accounts for one of the two types of anomalies in the surface resistance observed at perpendicularfield cyclotron resonance in the anomalous-skin-effect regime. The possibility of constrained electrons producing the other type of anomaly is briefly considered.
Improved time to exhaustion following ingestion of the energy drink Amino Impact

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a commercially available energy drink on time to exhaustion during treadmill exercise. In addition, subjective measures of energy, focus, and fatigue were examined Methods: Fifteen subjects (9 men and 6 women; 20.9 ± 1.0 y; 172.1 ± 9.1 cm; 71.0 ± 9.4 kg; 16.9 ± 9.7% body fat) underwent two testing sessions administered in a randomized, double-blind fashion. Subjects reported to the laboratory in a 3-hr post-absorptive state and were provided either the supplement (SUP; commercially marketed as Amino Impact™) or placebo (P). During each laboratory visit subjects performed a treadmill run (70% VO2 max) to exhaustion. Mean VO 2 was measured during each endurance exercise protocol. Subjects were required to complete visual analog scales for subjective measures of energy, focus and fatigue at the onset of exercise (PRE), 10-mins into their run (EX10) and immediately post-exercise (IP). Results: Time to exhaustion was significantly greater (p = 0.012) during SUP than P. Subjects consuming the supplement were able to run 12.5% longer than during the placebo treatment. Subjects consuming SUP reported significantly greater focus (p = 0.031), energy (p = 0.016), and less fatigue (p = 0.005) at PRE. Significant differences between groups were seen at EX10 for focus (p = 0.026) and energy (p = 0.004), but not fatigue (p = 0.123). No differences were seen at IP for either focus (p = 0.215), energy (p = 0.717) or fatigue (p = 0.430). Conclusions: Results of this study indicate that the supplement Amino Impact™ can significantly increase time to exhaustion during a moderate intensity endurance run and improve subjective feelings of focus, energy and fatigue.
Christians, Colonists, and Conversion: a View from the Nilotic Sudan

The majority opinion of those who have contributed to the literature on conversion in sub-Saharan Africa suggests that Islam has been more ‘successful’ than Christianity in attracting the faithful. The standard inventory of explanations for this state of affairs include the following: first, it has been commonly noted, Islam has proved to be more compatible than Christianity with indigenous customs, cosmology, and morality. A second point that has been argued with some consistency (though evidencing not a small measure of ethno-centric bias) is that ‘it is easier for the African to govern himself by the few rules set forth by Mohammedanism…than…by the all-embracing stringent laws of Christianity’. A third, more encompassing stance, implies that conversion to Islam can be accounted for sociologically, ‘while the acceptance of Christianity involves the recognition of divine truth’, in which case a similar line of analysis is uncalled for. Thus, according to William Arens, a thorough review of the voluminous literature indicates that there is an ‘ideological flavour’ in much of what is accepted as objective and authoritative material on this topic, and that a more balanced understanding of the facts could be realised if greater attention was given to the study of the social context of evangelical Christianity in Black Africa.
Thermodynamic and Physical Properties of Molten Sodium Polysulfides from Open‐Circuit Voltage Measurements

The open-circuit votlage of the cell Na/..beta..-alumina/Na/sub 2/S/sub x//pyrolytic graphite has been measured as a function of temperature and sodium-polysulfide composition. From these data, differential free energy, entropy, and enthalpy values for the potential-determining reaction and the differential free energy of formation for various polysulfide compositions were calculated. The partial differential enthalpy (Hnumber/sub 1/) of adding Na to the polysulfide melt is -47.6 KCAL/MOL independent of melt composition and temperature. The solubility of sulfur in sodium pentasulfide was determined between 280/sup 0/-390/sup 0/C, and the Na/sub 2/S-S phase diagram of Pearson and Robinson was revised in the Na/sub 2/S/sub 2/S range and extended to show the Na-rich border of the miscibility gap. 5 references.
An object-oriented VHDL design environment

A system-level design environment (SDE) for the VHSIC hardware description language (VHDL) is presented. The object-oriented approach is used for modeling the VHDL entities, design constraints, and even design patterns. The data model and its internal schema, which are suitable for the VHDL semantics, are proposed. SDE allows a designer to reconfigure the designed schematic by binding its generic components to technology-specific ones. It is effectively used for version control. SDE verifies the design by dynamically checking the constraints. The standard VHDL is extended in order to represent the constraints properly. >
Compile-time techniques for improving scalar access performance in parallel memories

Compile-time techniques for storage allocation of scalar values into memory modules that limit run-time memory-access conflicts are presented. The allocation approach is applicable to those operands in instructions that can be predicted at compile-time, where an instruction is composed of the multiple operations and corresponding operands that execute in parallel. Algorithms to schedule data transfers among memory modules to avoid conflicts that cannot be eliminated by the distribution of values alone are developed. The techniques have been implemented as part of a compiler for a reconfigurable long instruction word architecture. Results of experiments are presented demonstrating that a very high percentage of memory access conflicts can be avoided by scheduling a very low number of data transfers. >
Tracking recurrent concept drift in streaming data using ensemble classifiers

Streaming data may consist of multiple drifting concepts each having its own underlying data distribution. We present an ensemble learning based approach to handle the data streams having multiple underlying modes. We build a global set of classifiers from sequential data chunks; ensembles are then selected from this global set of classifiers, and new classifiers created if needed, to represent the current concept in the stream. The system is capable of performing any-time classification and to detect concept drift in the stream. In streaming data historic concepts are likely to reappear so we don't delete any of the historic classifiers. Instead, we judiciously select only pertinent classifiers from the global set while forming the ensemble set for a classification task.