cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil Temperature Effects on Carbon Exchange in Taiga Trees

The tree communities of the taiga of interior Alaska form a mosaic-like pattern of vegetation types, their dominant species depending largely on time since last disturbance. One marked change, however, is a nearly exceptionless replacement of hardwoods by evergreen species with time. It is hypothesized that this replacement is due to unfavorable changes in the carbon balance of the hardwoods brought about by a gradual decline in soil temperatures at a site as forest floor organic materials build up, insulating the soil during the growing season. To test for a soil temperature effect on the carbon exchange of taiga hardwoods, both field (maximum photosynthesis) and laboratory (photosynthesis, root respiration) experiments were done under varied soil temperature regimes. Seedlings of paper birch, aspen, balsam, poplar, and alder were selected as test species since they are the hardwood pairs replaced by evergreens in the uplands and on the flood-plain respectively. It was found that in the laboratory total, growth, and maintenance root respiration as well as photosynthesis in some species was affected by soil temperature. A survey of maximum field rates of photosynthesis also showed reductions in gas exchange on sites with cold soils.
The First Amendment meets some new technologies

The First Amendment guarantee of freedom of expression ("Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press") in principle creates an independent sphere of public opinion in current parlance, a "public sphere" between civil society (economy) and state. The public sphere, as articulated in particular by Habermas, entails a space for a rational and universalistic politics distinct from both the economy and the state, an arena where people are addressed, and self-conciously address themselves, as citizens, as rational political beings, rather than as subjects or consumers.' It is in the public sphere where democracy is (potentially) most concretely manifest, because that arena both represents and constitutes the independent political institution wherein citizens can engage in unrestricted discussion of matters of the commonweal.
Use of Mind-Body Therapies Among Young Adults Aged 18-24 Years: Findings From the 2012 National Health Interview Survey.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and satisfaction of use of mind–body therapies (MBTs) in a nationally representative sample of young adults (ages 18–24 years). Methods Young adults interviewed in the 2012 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed (n = 3,286). Individual types (e.g., mindfulness) and a combined measure of use of any MBT were assessed. Reasons for and satisfaction with use was also investigated. Design-based F tests and logistic regression were used; all analyses were weighted and stratified by gender. Results Overall, 14.6% of young adults used MBT in the past year (9.6% of men and 19.1% of women, p Conclusions Young adulthood is a critical period in the life course when individuals are establishing lifestyle and health behaviors that can be enduring. Because stress is a persistent problem, and many MBTs can be helpful with management of stress and anxiety, young adult may be underutilizing these modalities. Public health and educational strategies for greater engagement in MBT among young adults are warranted.
Implementation of Additive Manufacturing Cost Estimation Tool (AMCET) Using Break-down Approach

Abstract Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the technique of producing parts directly from three-dimensional Computer-Aided Design (3D CAD) models by adding thin layers of material over each other, resulting in the desired final geometry. AM technology has application in several industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, commercial, healthcare, and dental. Cost estimation of AM is helpful for designers and engineers at the preliminary design stage to understand the cost impact of alternative designs. The aim of this research is to develop an additive manufacturing cost estimation tool (AMCET) using a break-down approach. The total cost is an addition of costs for machine, material, labor, and post-processing, which are calculated using a limited number of primary user input parameters. If additional part or process parameters are available, the user can enter the secondary input parameters to increase the accuracy of an estimate. The build time is estimated by considering the activities undergone by machine for preparation of a single layer and multiplying it by the total number of layers.
CRISPR-Mediated Approaches to Regulate YAP/TAZ Levels

The advent of CRISPR has revolutionized genomic engineering, and harnessing its power to regulate levels of the transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ represents an exciting new opportunity in the field of Hippo signaling. Initially repurposed from the microbial immune system to perform highly specific gene knockouts, CRISPR technology has now been expanded to modulate the transcriptional activity of any gene of interest in mammalian systems. Here, we describe strategies to employ CRISPR to genetically knock out the genes encoding for YAP (YAP1) or TAZ (WWTR1) in mammalian cell lines, as well as briefly outline an approach for utilizing CRISPR to transcriptionally modulate YAP/TAZ levels.
What Is the Appropriate Economic Goal of Copyright in the Digital Age

The bounds of traditional copyright are being stretched and broken by technological change. The ease of digital copying, innovative forms of creative endeavor and new technologies such as 3D printing are leading to a tectonic shift in the copyright landscape. At the same time, national and regional economic actors are negotiating how to integrate disparate copyright regimes--within Europe, between Europe and the United States, and among the Pacific Rim nations, including the United States. Under these circumstances, policymakers and stakeholders cannot simply assume that everyone agrees on the ultimate goal of copyright. Is the main purpose of copyright to promote the creation of new artistic works? Should a copyright system be judged by how well it protects the rights of creators and authors, and allows them to benefit from their artistic endeavors? Or is the appropriate goal of copyright policy the increase of net jobs in an economy? To put it another way, a copyright system has three potential goals , associated with three potentially measurable outputs: • Number of new creative works • Compensation to rights holders • Number of workers in creative jobs or creative industries Obviously there’s a relationship between these three outputs—for example, holding average compensation to rights holders constant, an increase in the number of creative works is likely to be correlated with an increase in the number of people working in creative jobs or industries. However, some relationships are not immediately obvious. Is an increase in compensation to rights holders likely to accompany an increase or decrease the number of workers in creative jobs or creative industries? One could easily imagine either scenario. This paper is intended to lay out a framework for thinking about the three potential goals or outputs of copyright policy. We examine the current policy background for today’s copyright policy discussions, noting that there has been increased emphasis on both compensation to rights holders and the number of creative jobs as important goals of copyright policy. We then look at each goal or output in turn, with special attention to how the ease of digital copying affects that goal or metric. Surprisingly, while there has been much attention to estimating the employment in creative or copyright-intensive industries, there is currently little evidence about how changes in the ‘tightness’ or ‘looseness’ of a copyright system might affect the number of people working in creative industries or creative jobs. Given the importance of jobs in the overall economic debate, we identify this gap as a critical topic for future research.
Introduction to José Oiticica Filho's “Setting the Record Straighter”

This text introduces article “Setting the Record Straighter” (1951) by Brazilian photographer and artist Jose Oiticica Filho (1906–1964). The core of Oiticica Filho's article is a discussion of the...
Palladium-catalyzed substitution reactions of 4-allylimidazole derivatives

Abstract In the context of synthetic studies toward the oroidin family of pyrrole–imidazole alkaloids, we required an efficient method for conducting substitution reactions of allylic alcohols derived from urocanic acid. While in some cases this could be accomplished quite readily by classical nucleophilic substitution, it was complicated by allylic transposition in others. Application of Pd-catalyzed π–allyl chemistry provided a convenient solution, giving substitution without allylic transposition. Herein we describe the scope of this reaction in imidazole-containing substrates, and the elaboration of one adduct into a homologated histidine derivative, and into a cyclic homohistidine derivative.
Experimental realization of a reflective optical limiter

We report the first realization of a reflective optical limiter, which transmits low-level radiation while offering broadband reflection for high-intensity beams. The design consists of a nonlinear lossy defect embedded in a multilayer photonic structure.
Polyomaviruses: Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy and Other Diseases

Polyomaviruses are small, nonenveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses, which are widely distributed in nature. Viruses of this family infect many species including humans, monkeys, cattle, rabbits, rodents, and birds. The viruses are species specific and they do not naturally infect any species other than their natural hosts. Primary infections with human polyomaviruses generally occur in childhood and are not associated with serious illness, but the viruses persist in the infected host. Most of the diseases associated with human polyomaviruses occur later in life in immunosuppressed groups, probably as a result of recrudescence of active infection brought about by the immune deficiency of the host. Human illnesses associated with these viruses include progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) which is caused by JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) and is a frequent complication in individuals with HIV/AIDS, nephropathy in renal transplant recipients, and hemorrhagic cystitis in bone marrow transplant recipients, both caused by BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) and Merkel cell carcinoma, which is associated with the recently recognized Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV).
Integrating palliative care and hospice services in long term care: an eightfold path health policy analysis

It is evident in the literature that as near end of life approaches, health expenditure increases. The rehospitalization and underutilization of palliative and hospice services add to the burgeoning health cost. There is a lack of support for patients with advanced illness in long-term care facilities. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the problem and assess alternatives to reduce readmission among patients with advanced disease and those who are at the end of life. This paper adapted Bardach’s Eightfold Path analysis as a guide to analyzing the problem using a case study approach. The article discussed the issues, reviewed the literature for evidence, provided the alternatives, identified criteria, evaluated projected outcomes, discussed the trade-offs of adopting the policy, and provided a recommendation. In conclusion, integration of palliative and hospice care services across the continuum of long-term care is a viable alternative policy to address the problem.
The Effects of Propofol on the Human Blood Brain Barrier

Background and Hypothesis: Recently, the safety of repeated and lengthy anesthesia in young children has been called into question. Previous studies have shown propofol, an anesthetic, can diminish blood-brain barrier (BBB) properties. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms are relatively unknown. The BBB is critical in ensuring that potentially harmful circulating factors are impermeable to the brain. Previous animal studies models have shown that propofol increases the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which have independently been shown to degrade the extracellular matrix and breakdown tight junctions, a critical component of the BBB. Hypothesis: Propofol exposure to a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived BBB model increases MMP activity ultimately contributing to a leaky barrier phenotype. Experimental Design or Project Methods: This study utilized human iPSCs differentiated into brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), the barrier forming cell type of the BBB. iPSC-derived BMECS were exposed to propofol (50μM) for three hours and barrier properties were monitored. Barrier tightness was monitored using trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and sodium fluorescein permeability assays. Tight junction localization was determined with immunocytochemistry. MMP activity was determined with SensoLyte assay kits. To determine the role of MMPs, a broad spectrum MMP inhibitor, GM6001, was utilized and barrier properties were monitored. Results: Propofol treatment significantly reduced TEER and increased sodium fluorescein permeability, indicative of a leaky barrier. Propofol treatment increased levels of MMP-2 activity but not MMP-9 when compared to non-treated BMECs. Inhibition of MMPs by GM6001 prior to propofol treatment appeared to partially restore barrier integrity as monitored by sodium fluorescein permeability. Conclusion and Potential Impact: These results indicate that increased MMP-2 activity levels could be in part responsible for diminished BBB properties. Inhibition of MMPs protected barrier integrity from propofol treatment. A further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of anesthetic-induced damage can potentially improve anesthesia safety.
FLASH: Fast, Parallel, and Accurate Simulator for HLS

A large semantic gap between a high-level synthesis (HLS) design and a low-level RTL simulation environment often creates a barrier for those who are not field-programmable gate array (FPGA) experts. Moreover, such a low-level simulation takes a long time to complete. Software HLS simulators can help bridge this gap and accelerate the simulation process; but their shortcoming is that they do not provide performance estimation. To make matters worse, we found that the current FPGA HLS commercial software simulators sometimes produce incorrect results. In order to solve these performance estimation and correctness problems while maintaining the high speed of software simulators, this article proposes a new HLS simulation flow named FLASH. The main idea behind the proposed flow is to extract scheduling information from the HLS tool and automatically construct an equivalent cycle-accurate simulation model while preserving C semantics. The experimental results show that FLASH runs three orders of magnitude faster than the RTL simulation.
Relationship between information communications technology, economic growth and carbon emissions: evidence from panel analysis of the G20

The paper deals with the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT) to economic growth and environmental sustainability by examining the long–run equilibrium relationships between ICT, carbon emissions and economic growth. The paper employs cointegration techniques, fixed–effects and random–effects models for panel data of the G20 countries from 1991 to 2010. The test results indicate that a long–run equilibrium relationship exists among these variables. In testing short–run relationship, ICT has been an important contributor to economic growth while the role of ICT as an important contributor to carbon emissions has been marginalised in advanced economies over the past two decades. In rapidly developing economies, ICT has also been an important contributor to economic growth while ICT is associated with a large increase in carbon emissions.
Targeting ASXL2 in macrophages: An antidote to adiposity?

Myeloid-specific Asxl2 deletion renders mice resistant to high-fat diet–induced obesity and related complications by regulating brown adipose tissue.
Forests of History: Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeological Survey in Southern Ghana

Archaeological research shows that people have inhabited the southern Ghanaian forest zone for millennia. Yet the cultural landscape is poorly known due to enormous logistical challenges that have frustrated survey efforts for the past century. Establishing long-term archaeological and regional perspectives on the settlement landscape and patterns of material culture is necessary to address larger social, political, and economic questions regarding the precolonial and pre-Atlantic history of West Africa. I argue that satellite remote sensing, combined with topographic data and traditional pedestrian survey methods, provides an important tool for surveying the forests of southern Ghana. These methods are used to identify settlement sites on hilltops and low rises in the coastal hinterlands occupied during the first and early second millennia AD. Satellite imagery is a useful tool not only for expediting archaeological survey but also for visualizing human relationships with the densely vegetated landscapes of West Africa.
Protein signatures from blood plasma and urine suggest changes in vascular function and IL-12 signaling in elderly with a history of chronic diseases compared with an age-matched healthy cohort

Key processes characterizing human aging are immunosenescence and inflammaging. The capacity of the immune system to adequately respond to external perturbations (e.g., pathogens, injuries, and biochemical irritants) and to repair somatic mutations that may cause cancers or cellular senescence declines. An important goal remains to identify genetic or biochemical, predictive biomarkers for healthy aging. We recruited two cohorts in the age range 70 to 82, one afflicted by chronic illnesses (non-healthy aging, NHA) and the other in good health (healthy aging, HA). NHA criteria included major cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and chronic pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and cancers. Quantitative analysis of forty proinflammatory cytokines in blood plasma and more than 500 proteins in urine was performed to identify candidate biomarkers for and biological pathway implications of healthy aging. Nine cytokines revealed lower quantities in blood plasma for the NHA compared with the HA groups (fold change > 1.5; p value 1.5; p value < 0.01). Among the proteins increased in abundance in the HA cohort were glycoprotein MUC18, ephrin type-B receptor 4, matrix remodeling–associated protein 8, angiopoietin-related protein 2, K-cadherin, and plasma protease C1 inhibitor. These proteins have been linked to the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion, and vascular remodeling and repair processes. In silico network analysis identified the regulation of coagulation, antimicrobial humoral immune responses, and the IL-12 signaling pathway as enriched GO terms. To validate links of these preliminary biomarkers and IL-12 signaling with healthy aging, clinical studies using larger cohorts and functional characterization of the genes/proteins in cellular models of aging need to be conducted.
Securities Regulation as Class Warfare

This Article examines the regulatory goals of creating "fair, orderly, and efficient" securities markets in light of the recent issues involving trading in the shares of GameStop Corp. (GME) through the broker-dealer firm Robinhood Financial LLC. The GameStop/Robinhood saga casts significant doubt on the notion that the SEC is achieving its “tripartite purpose to maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.” Moreover, the saga provides further support for the view that market forces tend to make markets fairer, where fairness is defined as investors “getting what they pay for,” rather than as investors “beating the market,”” by earning abnormal returns. Further, market process tend to make markets more efficient, while regulation tends to make markets less efficient. Finally, it appears that regulation tends to further the interests of Wall Street elites over the interests of ordinary investors.
Discretion versus Supersession: Calibrating the Power Balance Between Local Prosecutors and State Officials

Driven by shifts in public opinion, reform-minded prosecutors recently have unseated “tough-on-crime” incumbent prosecutors in local elections all across the United States. As these reformers institute more liberal prosecution policies, the “tough-on-crime” legal establishment in their states will be tempted to rely on laws allowing state officials to supersede local prosecutors. This Comment identifies the landscape in which supersession efforts will likely take place and offers a view as to the best way to calibrate local and state decision-making on this terrain. It first reviews the range of supersession laws that presently exist in the United States. It then singles out one state’s supersession regime — Pennsylvania’s — as striking the right balance between local discretion and state oversight, and advocates for its adoption in other states to both preserve prosecutorial discretion and prevent illegitimate prosecutorial abuses of power.
Comparison of Lethal and Nonlethal Mouse Models of Orientia tsutsugamushi Infection Reveals T-Cell Population-Associated Cytokine Signatures Correlated with Lethality and Protection

The antigenic diversity of Orientia tsutsugamushi as well as the interstrain difference(s) associated with virulence in mice impose the necessity to dissect the host immune response. In this study we compared the host response in lethal and non-lethal murine models of O. tsutsugamushi infection using the two strains, Karp (New Guinea) and Woods (Australia). The models included the lethal model: Karp intraperitoneal (IP) challenge; and the nonlethal models: Karp intradermal (ID), Woods IP, and Woods ID challenges. We monitored bacterial trafficking to the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, heart, and blood, and seroconversion during the 21-day challenge. Bacterial trafficking to all organs was observed in both the lethal and nonlethal models of infection, with significant increases in average bacterial loads observed in the livers and hearts of the lethal model. Multicolor flow cytometry was utilized to analyze the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations and their intracellular production of the cytokines IFNγ, TNF, and IL2 (single, double, and triple combinations) associated with both the lethal and nonlethal murine models of infection. The lethal model was defined by a cytokine signature of double- (IFNγ-IL2) and triple-producing (IL2-TNF-IFNγ) CD4+ T-cell populations; no multifunctional signature was identified in the CD8+ T-cell populations associated with the lethal model. In the nonlethal model, the cytokine signature was predominated by CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations associated with single (IL2) and/or double (IL2-TNF) populations of producers. The cytokine signatures associated with our lethal model will become depletion targets in future experiments; those signatures associated with our nonlethal model are hypothesized to be related to the protective nature of the nonlethal challenges.
Coalitions in climate mitigation policy re-design processes: The case of the regional greenhouse gas initiative

Abstract Using the recently proposed concept of “design coalitions,” this paper analyzes stakeholder participation in a subnational U.S. climate change mitigation policy redesign process. We demonstrate the utility of design coalitions for analyzing policy design processes, contending that it provides an opportunity to examine the understudied “secondary beliefs” of actors as described by the advocacy coalition framework. Our case study consists of an iterative, inductive content analysis of written input to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s 2016 policy redesign process. We developed a typology of 12 distinct stakeholder types who coalesced in 19 separate design coalitions, each espousing a stance on one of 11 elements of the policy design. These coalitions were dynamic, with radically different sets of stakeholder types participating simultaneously in many different design coalitions without coordination, usually for their own unique reasons. We observe that, although the updated policy reflected many stakeholder’s stances, their influence was limited by their exclusion from the agenda-setting phase of this policy redesign process. In this critical era of climate mitigation policy proliferation, it is important to develop a better understanding of climate policy design coalitions and how they engage in and influence climate mitigation policy design processes.
Pathophysiological mechanisms leading to muscle loss in chronic kidney disease.

Loss of muscle proteins is a deleterious consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that causes a decrease in muscle strength and function, and can lead to a reduction in quality of life and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The effectiveness of current treatment strategies in preventing or reversing muscle protein losses is limited. The limitations largely stem from the systemic nature of diseases such as CKD, which stimulate skeletal muscle protein degradation pathways while simultaneously activating mechanisms that impair muscle protein synthesis and repair. Stimuli that initiate muscle protein loss include metabolic acidosis, insulin and IGF1 resistance, changes in hormones, cytokines, inflammatory processes and decreased appetite. A growing body of evidence suggests that signalling molecules secreted from muscle can enter the circulation and subsequently interact with recipient organs, including the kidneys, while conversely, pathological events in the kidney can adversely influence protein metabolism in skeletal muscle, demonstrating the existence of crosstalk between kidney and muscle. Together, these signals, whether direct or indirect, induce changes in the levels of regulatory and effector proteins via alterations in mRNAs, microRNAs and chromatin epigenetic responses. Advances in our understanding of the signals and processes that mediate muscle loss in CKD and other muscle wasting conditions will support the future development of therapeutic strategies to reduce muscle loss. Loss of muscle protein is a deleterious consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that results in decreased muscle strength and function. This Review summarizes the cellular mechanisms that lead to reductions in muscle protein in patients with CKD and highlights commonalities with other catabolic conditions such as cancer and diabetes.
High-Speed Heterostructure Devices: From Device Concepts to Circuit Modeling

Preface Acknowledgements 1. Heterostructure materials 2. Semiclassical theory of heterostructures 3. Quantum theory of heterostructures 4. Quantum heterostructure devices 5. Scattering processes in heterostructures 6. Scattering-assisted tunneling 7. Frequency response of quantum devices from DC to infrared 8. Charge control of the two-dimensional electron gas 9. High electric field transport 10. I-V model of the MODFET 11. Small-and large-signal AC models for the long-channel MODFET 12. Small-and large-signal AC models for the short-channel MODFET 13. DC and microwave electrothermal modeling of FETs 14. Analytical DC analysis of short-gate MODFETs 15. Small signal AC analysis of the short-gate velocity-saturated MODFET 16. Gate resistance and the Schottky-barrier interface 17. MODFET high-frequency performance 18. Modeling high-performance HBTs 19. Practical high-frequency HBTs Index.
Metabolism of naturally occurring propenylbenzene derivatives

Abstract A more simplified method of identification of the tertiary aminopropiophenones formed from various allylbenzene derivatives is reported. By use of combined gas—liquid chromatography and chemical ionization mass spectrometry, one is able to detect and verify the chemical structure of the tertiary aminopropiophenones of elemicin on nanogram quantities in the crude basic urine fraction. By use of this analytical method, it is concluded that upon oral administration of purified elimicin the rat excretes in uriner the 3-N,N-dimethylamino-, the 3-piperidyl-, and the 3-pyrrolidinyl-1-(3′,4′.5′-trimethoxyphenyl)-propan-1-ones. These tertiary aminopropiophenones of elemicin seem to decompose more easily than those reported for safrole and myristicin.
Evaluation of crack tip fields and stress intensity factors in functionally graded elastic materials: Cracks parallel to elastic gradient

Particulate functionally graded materials (FGM) made of glass-filled epoxy with edge cracks parallel to the direction of the elastic gradient and subjected to pure bending have been studied. Crack tip measurements are used to examine continuum models for FGMs by treating the material as isotropic and nonhomogeneous at macroscales. Situations where cracks are located on the compliant and the stiff sides of the beams are separately examined by mapping crack tip deformations using optical interferometry. Comparative experiments on homogeneous compositions corresponding to identical elastic properties of the crack tip region in the FGM are also undertaken. A methodology for extracting fracture parameters in FGMs based on locally homogeneous material descriptions is advanced. Companion finite element models are used to aid the development of fringe analysis procedures and to provide a direct comparison to the optical measurements. Stress intensity factors in FGMs are compared to each other and to their homogeneous counterparts. Optical measurements near quasi-statically growing cracks in FGMs have been undertaken, and crack growth resistance behavior is explained using crack initiation toughness variation as a function of filler volume fraction in homogeneous sheets.
An Empirical Assessment of Student Loan Discharges and the Undue Hardship Standard

For years, academics have argued that the undue hardship standard for discharging student loans in bankruptcy is both unduly burdensome and applied in an inconsistent manner. By reviewing a nationwide sample of student loan bankruptcy disputes, this study shows that neither criticism is warranted. First, judges grant a hardship discharge to nearly forty percent of the debtors who seek one. Second, successful debtors differ from their unsuccessful counterparts in three important respects. They are (1) less likely to be employed, (2) more likely to have a medical hardship, and (3) more likely to have lower annual incomes the year before they filed for bankruptcy.The real failing of the student loan discharge process is lack of participation by those in need. Incredibly, only 0.1 percent of student loan debtors who have filed for bankruptcy attempt to discharge their student loans. That statistic is even more surprising in light of this Article’s finding that a debtor does not need to hire an attorney to be successful. In fact, debtors without attorneys were just as likely to receive discharges as debtors with attorneys were. Ultimately, the low rate of filing shows that, although the system is broken, many of its flaws stem from a failing not previously discussed in the literature.
Pumping iron: the strange partnership of the hemochromatosis protein, a class I MHC homolog, with the transferrin receptor

People suffering from hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) can not regulate the uptake of iron properly and gradually accumulate iron in their body over their lifetime. The protein involved in HH, HFE, has been recently identified as a class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) homolog. The wild-type HFE associates and co-traffics with the transferrin receptor (TfR). The mutation responsible for 83% of HH (C260Y) results in the failure of HFE to form a critical disulfide bond, bind β2 microglobulin, bind TfR, and traffic to the cell surface. In non-polarized cells, the partnership of HFE and TfR results in decreased iron uptake into cells. The mechanism whereby a class I MHC homolog modifies the function of a membrane receptor and how this dynamic complex of molecules regulates iron transport across intestinal epithelial cells is the subject of this review.
Kinetic Properties and Inhibition of Orotidine 5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase EFFECTS OF SOME ALLOPURINOL METABOLITES ON THE ENZYME

Abstract The 1- and 7-ribosyl 5'-phosphates of oxipurinol [4,6-dihydroxypyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine] were enzymatically synthesized. These nucleotides, 3-xanthosine 5'-phosphate, and the 1-ribosyl 5'-phosphate of allopurinol [4-hydroxypyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine] were characterized by spectral, chromatographic, and enzymatic procedures. The oxipurinol nucleotides were found to be potent competitive inhibitors of orotidine 5'-phosphate decarboxylase from yeast. This enzyme exhibited bimodal substrate saturation kinetics, the characteristics of which were consistent with the involvement of a single enzyme. Inhibition by nucleotides was also bimodal; thus, two Ki values could be determined for each inhibitor. The most effective inhibitor tested was 1-ribosyloxipurinol 5'-phosphate, which had Ki values of 0.02 and 0.003 µm at high (12 to 48 µm) and low (0.5 to 2 µm) substrate concentrations, respectively. The corresponding N-7 derivative had corresponding Ki values of 0.7 and 0.06 µm. 1-Ribosylallopurinol 5'-phosphate, 3-xanthosine 5'-phosphate, and several naturally occurring nucleotides were less inhibitory. Nucleotide inhibitors also stabilized the enzyme against loss of activity at 37°. Inhibition constants determined with the enzyme from rat liver were similar to those from yeast. The findings furnish direct, quantitative support for the idea that it is the inhibition of orotidine 5'-phosphate decarboxylase by the nucleotides of oxipurinol that is primarily responsible for the increased urinary excretion of orotic acid and orotidine in patients treated with allopurinol.
An execution model for demonstration-based visual languages

An abstract execution model for demonstration-based and example-based visual languages is presented. The formalism, causality graphs, are a simplified version of Petri nets, and possess similar execution properties. The author shows how programming, compilation, and execution of demonstration-based languages may be expressed as the construction and analysis of causality graphs. The model provides a basis for a theory of demonstration-based languages, and leads to a number of suggestions for the design and implementation of these languages. >
A computationally practical approach for modeling complex mean flows in mildly heterogeneous media

[1] We present in this paper a critical review of recent research on nonuniform mean flows in heterogeneous porous media, examine why existing stochastic methods are computationally so difficult to implement, and introduce a new and efficient alternative. Specifically, we reformulate the nonstationary spectral method of Li and McLaughlin (1991, 1995) and present a new way for its numerical implementation, combining the best advantages of efficient analytical solutions and flexible numerical techniques. The result is a substantially improved stochastic technique that allows modeling efficiently the nonlinear scale effects for moderately heterogeneous media in the presence of general nonstationarity. In particular, the reformulated approach allows computing the nonlocal and nonstationary mean “closure” flux using a coarse grid without having to resolve numerically the small-scale heterogeneous dynamics. The methodological innovation significantly increases the size and expands the range of groundwater problems that can be analyzed with stochastic methods. The effectiveness of the new spectral approach is illustrated with two concrete examples and a systematic comparison with existing stochastic methods.
Prenatal to postnatal transfer of motor skills through motor-compatible sensory representations

How can sensory-motor skills developed as a fetus transfer to postnatal life? We investigate a simulated reaching task by training controllers under prenatal conditions (i.e. confined space) and evaluating them based on postnatal conditions (i.e. targets outside of the confined training space). One possible solution is to identify a sensory representation that is easy to extrapolate over. We compared two kinds of sensory representations: world-centered sensory representation based on Cartesian coordinates and agent-centered sensory representation based on polar coordinates. Despite similar performance under prenatal conditions, controllers using agent-centered sensory representation had significantly better performance than controllers using world-centered sensory representation under postnatal conditions. It turns out that the success of the agent-centered sensory representation is (in part) due to being complementary to the action encodings. Further analysis shows that the action encodings (i.e. changes in joint angles) were highly predictive of the change in state when agent-centered sensory representation was used (but not world-centered). This suggests that a powerful strategy for transferring sensory-motor skills to postnatal life involves selecting a sensory representation that complements the action encodings used by an agent.
Size Fractionation of Metal Nanoparticles by Membrane Filtration

Keywords: QUANTUM DOTS; SEMICONDUCTOR CLUSTERS; LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY; GOLD NANOPARTICLES; POLYMER MEMBRANES; NANOCRYSTALS; MOLECULES; NANOCLUSTERS; MIXTURE; BRUSH Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-166577doi:10.1002/adma.200400636 Record created on 2011-06-06, modified on 2017-05-10
Exact monopole solutions in SU(n) gauge theory

We construct exact monopole and dyon solutions in a renormalizable SU(N + 1) gauge theory broken down to SU(N) x U (1) by one Higgs multiplet in the adjoint representation. The solutions saturate the Bogomolny lower bound and are spherically symmetric with respect to the angular momentum operator J = -ir x del + T, where T spans the maximal SO(3) subalgebra of SU(N + 1). The solutions are obtained after a remarkable factorization of the relevant coupled nonlinear second-order radial equations into a product of coupled linear first-order equations.
The equivalent invariant mass of closed systems of massive particles

The use of relativistic frame invariants is very well established, especially when it comes to the energy-momentum. What is less understood is the notion of ‘invariant mass’ as it applies to systems of particles. In a previous paper (Sfarti, 2010), we have derived some very interesting theorems for the conservation of the energy and momentum for closed systems of particles. In the derivation, we have made use of the invariance of the equivalent mass of the system. In the present paper, we will prove that the equivalent mass of a system of particles is indeed frame invariant. We will then present several applications for the calculation of energy momentum in experiments involving particle collisions.
Dealing with the digital panopticon: the use and subversion of ICT in an Indian bureaucracy

To what extent can information technology be used to eliminate government corruption? In this paper, I examine an ambitious experiment by a South Indian state in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within a bureaucracy to reduce corruption. In this initiative, the senior bureaucrats built a digital network to remotely control the implementation of a public rural employment scheme. Focusing on the technology-based implementation for this paper, I show that centralization of implementation that the technology enabled could significantly overcome the endemic corruption that tends to happen in the local "last mile" of such schemes. I also find how technology designed for control can be subverted at the local level. My work suggests that the future of such government programs lies in incrementally resolving the conflicting forces and interests involved and that the move towards technical is as much a political project.
Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on cytochrome P450 induction in the chick embryo hepatocyte culture

Abstract The effects of pure synthetic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners on the induction of cytochrome P450 and associated activities were examined in cultured chick embryo hepatocytes. Dose-response effects for the induction of total cytochrome P450, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, and benzphetamine demethylase (BPDM) activity were studied using 10 selected tetra- to hexachlorinated PCB congeners. These studies revealed that PCBs caused effects in the chick hepatocyte culture different from previously observed effects in rat liver. Based on their effects in chick hepatocytes, the PCBs could be categorized into two groups. The first group (consisting of 3,3′,4,4′-PCB, 3,3′,4,4′,5-PCB, 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-PCB, 2′,3,3′,4,5-PCB, 2,3,3′,4,4′,5′-PCB, and 2,3,4,4′,5-PCB) induced total cytochrome P450 2.4- to 2.9-fold and EROD activity from 1–2 pmol/min/mg protein to 162–247. There was marked variation in potency, but all these congeners had a maximal inducing dose above which cytochrome P450 concentrations and EROD activities declined. BPDM activities were increased only slightly (1.2- to 1.6-fold) at the maximal cytochrome P450 inducing dose. The second group of congeners (consisting of 2,2′,4,5,5′-PCB, 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-PCB, and 2,2′,3,4,4′,6-PCB) induced total cytochrome P450 concentrations 4.0-fold and BPDM activities 2.2- to 2.6-fold with greatest activity occurring at the highest doses which could be added (10–50 μ m ). However, EROD activities were also increased by these congeners to 60–112 pmol/min/mg protein with declining activities seen at the highest PCB doses (i.e., resembling EROD induction patterns of the first group). The EROD induction patterns with these latter PCB congeners are noteworthy since these PCBs do not induce EROD activity in the rat. For both groups of PCB congeners, EROD induction was associated with increased accumulation of uroporphyrin in cultures exposed to exogenous 5-aminolevulinate. Studies investigating the reason for the depression of cytochrome P450 concentrations and/or EROD activities by high doses of the PCBs revealed that with the first group there was slightly decreased total protein synthesis, decreased total cell heme concentrations, and decreased accumulation of radiolabeled heme synthesized from 5-[14C]aminolevulinate. These changes might represent nonspecific toxic effects of the first group of PCBs. However, since these changes were not seen with the second group of PCBs, it is unlikely that either inhibition of heme synthesis or toxicity cause the depression of EROD activity With high PCB doses.
Understanding the role of social media in online health: A global perspective on online social support

Around the globe, people are increasingly using social media for the provision of online social support. Online social support may be especially relevant for parents who have children that are afflicted with rare chronic diseases such as MECP2 Duplication Syndrome. Despite increasing evidence that online social support enhances a person’s psychological well-being, there is little research that seeks to understand how and why various forms of social media facilitate social support. This study develops a theoretical framework from the existing psychosocial and media theories that describes the relationship between social media and social support. This paper concludes with implications for health information systems design.
A functional proteomic strategy to discover inhibitors for uncharacterized hydrolases

Hydrolytic enzymes constitute one of the largest and most diverse protein classes in Nature and play key roles in nearly all physiological and pathological processes. The mammalian serine hydrolase superfamily contains a remarkable number of uncharacterized members, with at least 40−50% of these enzymes lacking experimentally verified endogenous substrates and products. Assignment of metabolic and cellular functions to these enzymes requires the development of pharmacological tools to selectively perturb their activity. We describe herein a functional proteomic strategy to systematically develop potent and selective inhibitors for uncharacterized serine hydrolases and its application to the brain-enriched enzyme α/β-hydrolase-6. We anticipate that the methods described herein will facilitate the development of selective chemical probes to annotate the metabolic and (patho)physiological functions of many of the uncharacterized serine hydrolases that currently populate eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteomes.
Effect of acute exercise on glutathione deficient heart

The role of glutathione (GSH) in myocardial antioxidant defense was investigated in Swiss-Webster mice either performing swim exercise to exhaustion or rested in both the GSH adequate (GSH-A) and GSH deficient (GSH-D) states. GSH deficiency was accomplished by injecting mice with L-buthionine [S,R]sulfoximine (BSO; 2 nmol/kg body wt, i.p.) and providing BSO (20 mM) in drinking water for 12 days. GSH and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) contents in the GSH-D hearts were decreased to 10 and 8%, respectively, of those in the GSH-A mice. This decrease was associated with a significant decline of the total glutathione level in the liver, skeletal muscle and plasma. Myocardial GSH peroxidase and GSH sulfur-transferase activities decreased significantly following GSH deficiency, whereas superoxide dismutase activity was significantly elevated. GSH deficiency did not affect exercise endurance performance. However, exhaustive exercise decreased GSH content in the myocardium of the GSH-A and GSH-D mice by 22 and 44% (p < 0.05), respectively. The GSH:GSSG ratio was not altered significantly following exercise because of a concomitant decrease in GSSG (p < 0.05). γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase activity was significantly increased after exercise, especially in the GSH-D hearts (72%; p < 0.05). GSH content after exercise correlated negatively with exercise time in both GSH-A and GSH-D mice (p < 0.05). These data indicate that GSH is actively used in the myocardium during prolonged exercise at moderate intensity and that GSH deficiency is tolerated by the heart, possibly compensated for by an increased GSH uptake from the plasma.
Alkaline phosphatase synthesis in a cell-free system using DNA and RNA templates

We have demonstrated the synthesis of the enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, in a cell-free system using 80d pho A DNA as a template. We have detected both monomers of the enzyme, using a subunit rescue method, and active dimeric enzyme. The identity of the activity was confirmed by the observation that DNA from an amber mutant in pho A on the transducing bacteriophage fails to express this activity. The active enzyme can be programmed either by DNA or messenger RNA made in vitro .