cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epithelial organization of the mammalian lens.

To understand the structural organization responsible for lens function, we have studied the three-dimensional arrangement of cells in the lens, and the location and molecular composition of specialized junctions controlling the paracellular and transcellular pathways. The lens is formed by a single layer of polarized cells that elongate along their apical-basal axis from the anterior to the posterior pole to form the cortex, and fold inward at the posterior pole to form the nucleus. The basal surfaces of all cells of the cortex (approximately two thirds of all lens cells) are bathed by the aqueous and vitreous humors. Therefore, their metabolism is not limited by diffusion of nutrients into the avascular lens. The apical surfaces of all cortical fibers are directed toward the interior of the lens, where they form two distinct structures here referred to as the 'apical interface' and the 'modiolus'. The apical interface is located at a point close to the anterior pole, and is formed by the association of the apical surface of anterior cortical cells and the apical surface of cortical fibers extending from the posterior pole. The modiolus is located close to the equator at the lateral edge of the apical interface, and is formed by the tapered apical ends of equatorial cortical fibers. The plasma membrane of cortical cells at the anterior pole are connected through 'leaky' tight junctions and small gap junctions. Extensive gap junction plaques composed of connexin43 connect equatorial fibers at the modiolus and posterior cortical fibers at the apical interface. Single cell-to-cell channels composed of connexin46 and connexin50 connect the lateral surfaces of equatorial and posterior cortical fibers. The lateral surfaces of these fibers also contain extensive junctions composed of aquaporin-0. The nucleus is connected to the humors through the paracellular pathway represented by the anterior (apical) and posterior (basal) suture lines. Therefore, the metabolic needs of nuclear fibers cannot be fulfilled by simple diffusion and requires the cell-to-cell pathway formed by specialized junctions. The lateral surfaces of nuclear fibers contain extensive wavy junctions composed of aquaporin-0, probably for the control of the permeability of the paracellular pathway. We propose a simple epithelium model for the lens in which nutrients move into the nucleus through the paracellular pathway represented principally by the suture lines, and the transcellular pathway represented by an extensive network of gap junction plaques composed of connexin43 at the apical surface, and single or small plaques of cell-to-cell channels composed of connexin46 and connexin50 in the lateral surfaces.
Impacting university physics students through participation in informal science

Informal education programs organized by university physics departments are a popular means of reaching out to communities and satisfying grant requirements. The outcomes of these programs are often described in terms of broader impacts on the community. Comparatively little attention, however, has been paid to the influence of such programs on those students facilitating the informal science programs. Through Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) at the University of Colorado Boulder, undergraduate and graduate physics students coach elementary and middle school children during an inquiry-based science afterschool program. As part of their participation in PISEC, university students complete preparation in pedagogy, communication and diversity, engage with children on a weekly basis and provide regular feedback about the program. We present findings that indicate these experiences improve the ability of university students to communicate in everyday language and positively influence their perspectives on teaching and learning.
Trace element effects on enamel pigmentation, incisor growth and molar morphology in rats

Abstract Of 18 trace elements added to the drinking water of Sprague-Dawley rats, changes in incisor pigmentation were produced by 5 ppm of cadmium (CdCl 2 ), 25 ppm of chromium (CrCl 3 .H 2 O), fluorine 5–75 ppm (NaF), 50 ppm of strontium (SrCl 2 .6H 2 O) and 50 ppm of yttrium (Y(NO 3 ) 3 .6H 2 O). Three of these were tested for effects on molar morphology. Intraperitoneal injections of strontium gave molars with wider fissures and thicker dentine. Yttrium had a similar, but less pronounced effect. Cadmium did not change tooth morphology.
A performance-dependent adjustment of the retention interval in a delayed non-matching-to-position paradigm differentiates effects of amnestic drugs in rats.

Operant delayed non-matching-to-position (delayed non-matching-to-position) tasks have been widely used as tests of working memory in rats, but have suffered some loss in sensitivity to differentiating selective mnemonic from non-mnemonic deficits due to floor and ceiling effects. To circumvent this problem, a novel delayed non-matching-to-position was developed in which the retention interval was adjusted on a trial-by-trial basis to hold performance accuracy at an intermediate value. The present study assessed the effects of three amnestic drugs in this delayed non-matching-to-position. Rats were administered (i.p.) NMDA receptor antagonist ((5R,10S)-(+)-5-Methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d,] cyclohepten-5,10-imine (Dizocilpine or MK-801), muscarinic receptor antagonist (-)-scopolamine hydrobromide (scopolamine), or cannabinoid receptor agonist ((R)-(+)-[2, 3-Dihydro-5-methyl-3-(4-morpholinylmethyl)pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1, 4-benzoxazin-6-yl]-1-naphthalenylmethanone) (WIN 55, 212-2). At high doses, both MK-801 (0.12-0.25 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.25 mg/kg) produced deficits not selective to working memory. At low doses, scopolamine (0.06-0.12 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.06 mg/kg) produced no deficits in any mnemonic or secondary measures. WIN 55, 212-2 produced deficits at 2.0 mg/kg that were consistent with a specific impairment of working memory. Using this particular delayed non-matching-to-position revealed that consistent changes in performance accuracy at the short retention interval were evident for scopolamine and MK-801, at times in the absence of changes in response tendency, which are consistent with an interpretation that these drugs produce general deficits in reference or procedural memory. In contrast, cannabinoid-induced deficits in choice accuracy support previous reports of delay-dependent deficits. Together, these data suggest that this delayed non-matching-to-position task is able to differentiate deficit patterns of amnestic drugs, and isolate the effects of motivational side effects of drugs from working memory measurement.
Protein and body weight accretion of chicks on diets with widely varying contents of soyabean meal supplemented or unsupplemented with its limiting amino acids.

1. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of relative deficiencies of methionine and threonine on the growth performance of 8- to 21-d-old chicks fed on isoenergetic diets containing a wide range of crude protein (CP) concentrations from dehulled soyabean meal (SBM). 2. Chicks fed on graded levels of SBM containing supplemental methionine and threonine (BAL) accreted whole-body protein more efficiently (P < 0.05) than those receiving graded levels of unsupplemented SBM (DEF), and superior (P < 0.05) growth performance was also obtained at lower CP levels when chicks were fed on the BAL diets. 3. Voluntary food intake increased between 30 and 220 g CP/kg in chicks fed on DEF diets, whereas food intake of chicks fed on BAL diets increased only between 30 and 100 g CP/kg, after which it decreased between 100 and 220 g CP/kg. 4. Protein efficiency ratio (g gain per g protein intake) decreased with each incremental increase in CP between 30 and 260 g CP/kg, regardless of whether diets were BAL or D...
Conceptual design using axiomatic design in a TRIZ framework

Abstract This paper explores the symbiotic relationship that can be established between axiomatic design and TRIZ, capitalizing on each method‘s strengths and simultaneously minimizing their weaknesses. Through a contextual example the paper illustrates how axiomatic independence axiom principles can be utilized to select appropriate standard solutions once a physical contradiction has been identified. It concludes by showing ways to use the same AD principles to qualitatively evaluate generated designs.
On the integrity of sperm DNA

Ejaculated rabbit spermatozoa washed with buffer prior to decondensation by Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol were good templates for DNA synthesis by Escherichia coli DNA polymerase. This result agrees with the observations of Zirkin and Chang [1977], and implies that the sperm DNA is nicked. Template activity, however, was reduced if spermatozoa were extensively washed before decondensation, and if DNase inhibitors EDTA or Na2SO4 were present during decondensation. Template activity was also low if decondensation was induced with DNase inhibitors thioglycollic acid, Na2SO3 or sodium dodecylsulphate and dithiothreitol instead of with Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol. Calf thymus DNA was completely degraded when incubated with rabbit seminal plasma or buffer-washed spermatozoa, but much less degradation was observed if EDTA, Na2SO4, thioglycollic acid, Na2SO3 or sodium dodecylsulphate were also present, or if spermatozoa were extensively washed with buffer. Centrifugation of spermatozoa through 2.05 M sucrose completely removed contaminating DNase, and such spermatozoa were inactive as DNA templates after decondensation. The DNA template activity of swollen rabbit sperm nuclei thus parallels the activity of a contaminating seminal plasma DNase. This suggest that the nicks in sperm DNA enabling it to act as a template for DNA synthesis were generated by the DNase during decondensation and thus are not a natural structural feature of the DNA. The presence of breaks in the DNA of decondensed buffer-washed spermatozoa (DNase contaminated) was confirmed by their incorporation of phosphate from [γ−32 P] ATP in the presence of the enzyme polynucleotide kinase. These spermatozoa were found to contain as few as two breaks/mole of DNA, but sucrose-washed spermatozoa (DNase free) were free of breaks. The possible use of this enzymic procedure for the assessment of sperm genome damage and the evaluation of the quality of a sperm population are discussed.
Quantum theory of the damped harmonic oscillator.

The quantum theory of a damped harmonic oscillator is developed by considering an exactly solvable model, previously discussed by Unruh and Zurek [Phys. Rev. D 40, 1071 (1989)]. A one-dimensional harmonic oscillator is coupled to a scalar field. The field is assumed to be initially in thermal equilibrium. The Heisenberg equations of motion are solved without approximation, and the first and second moments, 〈q(t)〉, 〈p(t)〉, 〈${\mathit{q}}^{2}$(t)〉, 〈${\mathit{p}}^{2}$(t)〉, and 〈q(t)p(t)+p(t)q(t)〉 of the coordinate and momentum of the oscillator are calculated. The high-temperature, zero-temperature, free-particle, and weak-damping limits are discussed. A Wigner function of Gaussian form is constructed. The density-matrix equation derived by Louisell $[---Quantum Statistical Properties of Radiation (Wiley, New York, 1973)] is examined and shown to have a solution in agreement with our weak-damping limit.
The preparation and some properties of a new germanium fluoride

Abstract When GeF4 is reduced by Ge under some conditions a compound is formed whose empirical formula is Ge2F5. In this compound 1 4 of the germanium is GeII. The compound melts at 129°C and decomposes on melting to yield three moles of GeF2 per mole of GeF4. The i.r. and Raman spectra of the compound indicate GeF bonding only; the compound does not have GeGe bonds. Its enthalpy of fluorination is −418 kcal mole−1 and its enthalpy of formation is −720 kcal mole−1. From this data it has been deduced that the empirical formula of the compound can be better written Ge3IIGeIVF10 and that the compound likely has the structure (GeF2)3GeF4.
An analysis of board of director size and composition in bankrupt organizations

Abstract Research on corporate boards of directors has suggested that organizations rely on boards to control external interdependencies. As such, organizations often build large boards staffed with a large number of outsiders who have access to critical resources. Little work has been done, however, to investigate the impact of boards in problematic environments or during crisis situations. Using a matched pairs design, this study examined a sample of 127 bankrupt firms along with an equal number of nonbankrupt firms. In the period leading to bankruptcy declaration, declining firms experiences loss of outside directors and decline in overall board size. When compared to their nonbankrupt counterparts, bankrupt companies were also found to have significantly different board structures and to make more changes in their boards in the period after Chapter 11 filing. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed along with the implications of these findings for researchers and corporate directors.
Input generation via decomposition and re-stitching: finding bugs in Malware

Attackers often take advantage of vulnerabilities in benign software, and the authors of benign software must search their code for bugs in hopes of finding vulnerabilities before they are exploited. But there has been little research on the converse question of whether defenders can turn the tables by finding vulnerabilities in malware. We provide a first affirmative answer to that question. We introduce a new technique, stitched dynamic symbolic execution, that makes it possible to use exploration techniques based on symbolic execution in the presence of functionalities that are common in malware and otherwise hard to analyze, such as decryption and checksums. The technique is based on decomposing the constraints induced by a program, solving only a subset, and then re-stitching the constraint solution into a complete input. We implement the approach in a system for x86 binaries, and apply it to 4 prevalent families of bots and other malware. We find 6 bugs that could be exploited by a network attacker to terminate or subvert the malware. These bugs have persisted across malware revisions for months, and even years. We discuss the possible applications and ethical considerations of this new capability
Diffusive shock acceleration of energetic electrons and the method of generations

The diffusive shock acceleration of energetic electrons at a plane shock is studied by means of the method of generations developed by Petukhov et al. (1986), where the particles are binned according to the number of particle acceleration cycles. The method emphasizes the cyclic character of the shock acceleration process, and takes into account the particle energy increment per cycle, the energy loss per cycle, and the escape probability of particles downstream of the shock. In the limit of a small fractional momentum gain per cycle, the method reproduces the known steady-state semianalytic solution for constant diffusion coefficients on both sides of the shock. It is demonstrated that the method may also be applied to time-dependent shock-acceleration problems.
Spectrophotometric studies of tin(II) and tin(IV) dissolved separately in water,methanol and hydrochloric acid

Ultra-violet absorption spectra are reported for SnCl4·5H2O dissolved in methanol, methanol-carbon tetrachloride, methanol-water, water and concentrated hydrochloric acid, and for SnCl2·2H2O in methanol and methanol-carbon tetrachloride. Especially noted are deviations from Beer's law and variations of molar extinction coefficient with changes in the composition of mixed solvents. Evidence for complex formation is given.
13-cis-retinoic acid causes patterning defects in the early embryonic rostral hindbrain and abnormal development of the cerebellum in the macaque.

Background We have previously reported that exposure of embryos to 13-cis-retinoic acid (cRA) results in an abnormal phenotype of the fetal cerebellum. In this study, we analyzed early changes in the cerebellar anlagen (midbrain–hindbrain junction) as well as lesions of the fetal cerebellar vermis after a teratogenic dosing regimen of cRA in the macaque model. Methods We examined embryo coronal sections of the midbrain–hindbrain junction immunostained for Pax-2, Engrailed-2 (En-2) and Krox-20. To characterize the cerebellum foliation and fissure formation processes, we analyzed vermal cortical cell layer development and the number and depth of the major fissures on sagittal sections of fetal vermis. We also examined Purkinje cell development in vermal sections immunostained for CD3. Results Compared with controls, there was a consistent truncation of the midbrain–hindbrain region of early embryos exposed to cRA. The cRA-induced fetal vermis lesions included inhibition in its anteroposterior growth, altered folial patterning, a general loss of prominence of the fissures accompanied by a total loss of sublobular fissures, and changes in cortical cell layer development. CD3+ Purkinje cells were abnormally dispersed deep into the molecular layer in the vermis. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the effects of cRA on the developing cerebellum involve interference with the hierarchy of complex cellular and genetic interactions that lead to the growth and subdivision of the cerebellum into smaller units. The regional vermal defects may be related to early postnatal functional deficits. Teratology 63:65–76, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Structural relaxation in amorphous silicon carbide

High purity single crystal and chemically vapor deposited (CVD) silicon carbide have been amorphized under fast neutron irradiation. The gradual transition in physical properties from the as-amorphized state to a more relaxed amorphous state prior to crystallization is studied. For the three bulk properties studied: density, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity, large property changes occur upon annealing between the amorphization temperature and the point of crystallization. These physical property changes occur in the absence of crystallization and are attributed to short and perhaps medium range ordering during annealing. It is demonstrated that the physical properties of amorphous SiC (a-SiC) can vary greatly and are likely a function of the irradiation state producing the amorphization. The initiation of crystallization as measured using bulk density and in situ TEM is found to be ∼875 °C, though the kinetics of crystallization above this point are seen to depend on the technique used. It is speculated that in situ TEM and other thin-film approaches to study crystallization of amorphous SiC are flawed due to thin-film effects.
Huaco and amole: A survey of the uses of Manfreda and Prochnyanthes

In the New World the family Agavaceae has yielded many plants used by the native people and even some that have found broader worldwide use. In the portion of the family related to Agave, three genera have been especially valuable. The genus Agave itself has been the subject of many papers about the fiber, food, and drink that the plants provide. The past and present uses of the second genus, Polianthes, were described by Trueblood (1973). That genus of 14 species includes the tuberose, which was an ornamental and medicinal plant of the Aztecs and is now valuable as a cut flower and perfume crop. The third genus, Manfreda, with 23 species, has also had economic value and has been employed in several different capacities. It is the purpose of this paper to detail those uses and thus to help complete the account of Agave and its relatives. Prochnyanthes, a fourth, monospecific genus figures in the story as well, and since it is closely related to Manfreda and Polianthes, it will also be included. Manfreda, like Agave, is native throughout Mexico, and it extends northward into Texas and the southeastern United States and southward into Honduras (Fig. 1 ). Proehnyanthes is within the western portion of the Manfreda range ( Fig. 1 ). It should not be surprising that since these are similar plants in the same range some of the uses are similar. Plants of Manfreda and Prochnyanthes are
Elinoar Bareket. Fustat on the Nile: The Jewish Elite in Medieval Egypt. The Medieval Mediterranean, vol. 24. Leiden: Brill, 1999. xvi, 295 pp. 8 plates.

Originally published in Hebrew under the title Shafrir Mitzrayim (Tel Aviv, 1995), this thoroughly researched monograph, based on some 800 documents from the Cairo Genizah, illuminates an obscure and overlooked chapter in the history of the Jewish communities that flourished in the medieval Islamic world. As the author notes in her foreword, previous studies of Jewish leadership in Muslim lands have discounted the importance of local political activity, emphasizing instead the dominant role of the central authorities, that is, the Exilarchate and the yeshivot of Babylonia and Palestine. Bareket takes up the question of local leadership by focusing on the careers of nine individuals who headed the Palestinian and Babylonian congregations in Fustat's Jewish community during the first half of the eleventh century. While these leaders formally recognized the sovereignty of the central authorities, they nevertheless exercised considerable autonomy, establishing in Fustat a local school ( midrash ) for Torah study, issuing their own responsa, imposing bans, and corresponding with Jewish leaders outside of Egypt.
A general method for estimating threshold concentrations of odorant molecules.

Abstract A description is given of a modification of the diffusion model technique that permits relatively rapid estimation of the behavioural threshold concentrations of odorant molecules. The method has been employed in studies of alarm behaviour in ants and is adaptable to a wide variety of laboratory and semi-natural conditions. The measurements must be made in still air and, in most conceivable cases, achieve maximum precision where the odorant is allowed to diffuse over distances of 1 to 10 cm.
The Intellectual Foundation and History of the Agricultural Extension Model

The agricultural extension services in the United States have been highly effective, especially in the past 40 years, in diffusing agricultural technologies to farmers, thus creating a so-called “agricultural revolution.” The results include a much higher agricultural productivity and a sharply decreased farm population. Here we review the history of the agricultural extension model, showing how its various elements developed gradually over time. We also analyze extensions of the agricultural model to Third World nations, to which the model was inadequately transferred, resulting in less-than-maximum benefits.
Thermal buckling of shallow shells

Thermal buckling modification in large deflection equations for thin shallow cylindrical shell
Anticonvulsant modification of tripelennamine effects on the electrographic activity of the cat brain

Abstract The modification of tripelennamine effects on the electrographic activity of cat brain by pretreatment with phenobarbital, trimethadione, diphenylhydantoin or saline was examined with the aid of power spectral density analysis. Only phenobarbital and trimethadione pretreatments effectively increased the tripelennamine dose required for induction of paroxysmal activity. Diphenylhydantoin and phenobarbital pretreatments resulted in greater cortical amplitude increases during tripelennamine infusions, reaching mean normalized power values of 520 and 330%, respectively, just prior to paroxysm. With trimethadione pretreatment marked power changes were not induced during the tripelennamine infusion although more sharp wave activity was noted than was seen with saline pretreatment. Tripelennamine-induced hippocampal power changes were minimal except with diphenylhydantoin pretreatment, reaching 190% just prior to paroxysm. Dominant hippocampal 4.0–4.5 Hz activity, which was induced by tripelennamine with saline pretreatment, was reduced or eliminated with all anticonvulsant pretreatments. The findings indicate that the previously suggested role of hippocampal theta activity in the production of tripelennamine-induced paroxysmal activity is abolished by anticonvulsant pretreatment. The cerebral cortex appears to play a primary role in the production of epileptiform activity by tripelennamine in the presence of anticonvulsants.
Reducing financial barriers to vaccination in the United States: call to action

Vaccines are among the most successful preventive measures available to modern medicine. Their application is responsible for the dramatic reduction in the incidence of 10 vaccine-preventable diseases during the 20th century in the United States.1 The potential for disease prevention with vaccines has continued in the 21st century with the licensure and recommendation of vaccines against 6 additional diseases for routine use among children and adolescents. These vaccines hold the promise of prevention of morbidity and death both for individuals who receive them and for society as a whole. However, these new vaccines are expensive, in part because of the complex process of development, licensure, and manufacture. The cost to purchase all recommended vaccines for a child up to age 19 at the federal contract price increased more than sevenfold for boys and more than ninefold for girls between 1995 and 2008.2 This has threatened to slow the implementation of vaccination programs and to delay achievement of the high population coverage necessary to yield the benefits of community immunity. Concerns that the financing of vaccines could become a major barrier to successful vaccination programs in the United States date back at least 2 decades. After widespread measles outbreaks in the late 1980s and early 1990s, attributable largely to failure to vaccinate, the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program was implemented in 1994, providing a comprehensive approach to solving the vaccine financing problem and ensuring accessibility to vaccines for many of our nation's poorest children. VFC has been very successful in supplying vaccines free of charge for children in the Medicaid program, uninsured children, underinsured children served at federally qualified health centers, and Native American and Alaskan Native children. VFC has enabled these children to receive vaccines in their medical homes, which are predominantly private physician practices (large and … Address correspondence to Guthrie S. Birkhead, MD, MPH, New York State Department of Health, Room 1415, Corning Tower ESP, Albany, NY 12237. E-mail: gsb02{at}health.state.ny.us
Climbing flight performance and load carrying in lesser dog-faced fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis).

SUMMARY The metabolic cost of flight increases with mass, so animals that fly tend to exhibit morphological traits that reduce body weight. However, all flying animals must sometimes fly while carrying loads. Load carrying is especially relevant for bats, which experience nightly and seasonal fluctuations in body mass of 40% or more. In this study, we examined how the climbing flight performance of fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis; N=4) was affected by added loads. The body weights of animals were experimentally increased by 0, 7, 14 or 21% by means of intra-peritoneal injections of saline solution, and flights were recorded as animals flew upwards in a small enclosure. Using a model based on actuator disk theory, we estimated the mechanical power expended by the bats as they flew and separated that cost into different components, including the estimated costs of hovering, climbing and increasing kinetic energy. We found that even our most heavily loaded bats were capable of upward flight, but as the magnitude of the load increased, flight performance diminished. Although the cost of flight increased with loading, bats did not vary total induced power across loading treatment. This resulted in a diminished vertical velocity and thus shallower climbing angle with increased loads. Among trials there was considerable variation in power production, and those with greater power production tended to exhibit higher wingbeat frequencies and lower wing stroke amplitudes than trials with lower power production. Changes in stroke plane angle, downstroke wingtip velocity and wing extension did not correlate significantly with changes in power output. We thus observed the manner in which bats modulated power output through changes in kinematics and conclude that the bats in our study did not respond to increases in loading with increased power output because their typical kinematics already resulted in sufficient aerodynamic power to accommodate even a 21% increase in body weight.
Hematopoietic Fas Deficiency Does Not Affect Experimental Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation despite Inducing a Proatherogenic State

The Fas death receptor (CD95) is expressed on macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and T cells within atherosclerotic lesions. Given the dual roles of Fas in both apoptotic and nonapoptotic signaling, the aim of the present study was to test the effect of hematopoietic Fas deficiency on experimental atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-null mice (Ldlr−/−). Bone marrow from Fas−/− mice was used to reconstitute irradiated Ldlr−/− mice as a model for atherosclerosis. After 16 weeks on an 0.5% cholesterol diet, no differences were noted in brachiocephalic artery lesion size, cellularity, or vessel wall apoptosis. However, Ldlr−/− mice reconstituted with Fas−/− hematopoietic cells had elevated hyperlipidemia [80% increase, relative to wild-type (WT) controls; P < 0.001] and showed marked elevation of plasma levels of CXCL1/KC, CCL2/MCP-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 subunit p70, and soluble Fas ligand (P < 0.01), as well as systemic microvascular inflammation. It was not possible to assess later stages of atherosclerosis because of increased mortality in Fas−/− bone marrow recipients. Our data indicate that hematopoietic Fas deficiency does not affect early atherosclerotic lesion development in Ldlr−/− mice.
An update on PARP inhibitors for the treatment of cancer

The development of poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]) ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) has progressed greatly over the last few years and has shown encouraging results in the BRCA1/2 mutation-related cancers. This article attempts to summarize the rationale and theory behind PARPi, the clinical trials already reported, as well as ongoing studies designed to determine the role of PARPi in patients with and without germline mutations of BRCA genes. Future plans for PARPi both as monotherapy and in combination with standard cytotoxics, other biological agents, and as radiosensitizers are also covered. The widening scope of PARPi adds another important targeted agent to the growing list of molecular inhibitors; future and ongoing trials will identify the most effective role for PARPi, including for patients other than BRCA germline mutation carriers.
Enamel Matrix Proteins in Normal and Abnormal Amelogenesis

Histochemical techniques have been used to study three stages of enamel maturation in normal (fetal calf, newborn human, adult human) and abnormal amelogenesis (odontodysplasia, fluorosis, a compound-complex odontome, and an invaginated odontome). The amount of Type I matrix secreted decreases as amelogenesis progresses. Pockets of Type II matrix may be left at the dentino-enamel junction after maturation of enamel to Type III. Fluorosed enamel contains pockets which may extend the width of the enamel. All stages of enamel maturation may be seen in the compound-complex odontoma.
Synthesizing correlated RSS news articles based on a fuzzy equivalence relation

Purpose – Tens of thousands of news articles are posted online each day, covering topics from politics to science to current events. To better cope with this overwhelming volume of information, RSS (news) feeds are used to categorize newly posted articles. Nonetheless, most RSS users must filter through many articles within the same or different RSS feeds to locate articles pertaining to their particular interests. Due to the large number of news articles in individual RSS feeds, there is a need for further organizing articles to aid users in locating non‐redundant, informative, and related articles of interest quickly. This paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a novel approach which uses the word‐correlation factors in a fuzzy set information retrieval model to: filter out redundant news articles from RSS feeds; shed less‐informative articles from the non‐redundant ones; and cluster the remaining informative articles according to the fuzzy equivalence classe...
In vivo trans-synaptic tract tracing from the murine striatum and amygdala utilizing manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI).

Small focal injections of manganese ion (Mn^(2+)) deep within the mouse central nervous system combined with in vivo high-resolution MRI delineate neuronal tracts originating from the site of injection. Previous work has shown that Mn^(2+) can be taken up through voltage-gated Ca^(2+) channels, transported along axons, and across synapses. Moreover, Mn^(2+) is a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent, causing positive contrast enhancement in tissues where it has accumulated. These combined properties allow for its use as an effective MRI detectable neuronal tract tracer. Injections of low concentrations of MnCl_2 into either the striatum or amygdala produced significant contrast enhancement along the known neuronal circuitry. The observed enhancement pattern is different at each injection site and enhancement of the homotopic areas was observed in both cases. Ten days postinjection, the Mn^(2+) had washed out, as evidenced by the absence of positive contrast enhancement within the brain. This methodology allows imaging of neuronal tracts long after the injection of the ion because Mn^(2+) concentrates in active neurons and resides for extended periods of time. With appropriate controls, differentiation of subsets of neuronal pathways associated with behavioral and pharmacological paradigms should be feasible.
Systematic framework to evaluate the status of physical activity research for persons with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Background Exploring the current state of health behavior research for individuals with multiple sclerosis is essential to understanding the next steps required to reducing preventable disability. A way to link research to translational health promotion programs is by utilizing the Behavioral Epidemiological Framework, which describes a sequence of phases used to categorize health-related behavioral research. Objective This critical audit of the literature examines the current state of physical activity research for persons with multiple sclerosis by utilizing the proposed Behavioral Epidemiological Framework. Methods After searching MEDLINE, PUBMED, PsycINFO, Google Scholar and several major areas within EBSCOHOST (2000 to present), retrieved articles were categorized according to the framework phases and coding rules. Results Of 139 articles, 49% were in phase 1 (establishing links between behavior and health), 18% phase 2 (developing methods for measuring behavior), 24% phase 3 (identifying factors influencing behavior and implications for theory), and 9% phase 4 and 5 (evaluating interventions to change behavior and translating research into practice). Conclusions Emphasis on phase 1 research indicates the field is in its early stages of development. Providing those with multiple sclerosis with necessary tools through health promotion programs is needed to reduce secondary conditions and co-morbidities. Reassessment of the field of physical activity and multiple sclerosis in the future could provide insight into whether the field is evolving over time or remaining stagnant.
More on imagery and the recall of adjectives and nouns from meaningful prose

Following Morris & Reid (1972), two groups of Ss were each given a different version of the same passage to read for comprehension. Version H had high-imagery adjectives, Version L had low-imagery adjectives. Both groups were then tested for free recall of adjectives and adjective-cued recall of nouns. Significant differences were found in mean number of adjectives and mean number of nouns recalled. A direct function was implied between number of adjectives recalled and adjectives correctly recalled and then correctly paired with nouns.
Retrievals and uncertainty analysis of aerosol single scattering albedo from MFRSR measurements

Abstract Aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) can be retrieved from the ratio of diffuse horizontal and direct normal fluxes measured from multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer (MFRSR). In this study, the measurement channels at 415 nm and 870 nm are selected for aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom coefficient retrievals, and the measurements at 415 nm are used for aerosol SSA retrievals with the constraint of retrieved Angstrom coefficient. We extensively assessed various issues impacting on the accuracy of SSA retrieval from measurements to input parameters and assumptions. For cloud-free days with mean aerosol loading of 0.13–0.60, our sensitivity study indicated that: (1) 1% calibration uncertainty can result in 0.8–3.7% changes in retrieved SSA; (2) without considering the cosine respond correction and/or forward scattering correction will result in underestimation of 1.1–3.3% and/or 0.73% in retrieved SSA; (3) an overestimation of 0.1 in asymmetry factor can result in an underestimation of 2.54–3.4% in retrieved SSA; (4) for small aerosol loading (e.g., 0.13), the uncertainty associated with the choice of Rayleigh optical depth value can result in non-negligible change in retrieved SSA (e.g., 0.015); (5) an uncertainty of 0.05 for surface albedo can result in changes of 1.49–5.4% in retrieved SSA. We applied the retrieval algorithm to the MFRSR measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. The retrieved results of AOD, Angstrom coefficient, and SSA are basically consistent with other independent measurements from co-located instruments at the site.
Solution-based approaches for making high-density sodalite waste forms to immobilize spent electrochemical salts

Abstract Three different solution-based approaches were taken to make sodalite minerals as a host for a mixed salt simulating the waste in the electrochemical separations process of nuclear fuel reprocessing. The methods used an aqueous solution of mixed chlorides (simulated waste) but the other reactants varied: (1) Al(OH) 3 + NaOH + CS, (2) NaAlO 2 + CS, and (3) Al 2 Si 2 O 7 + NaOH, (CS = colloidal silica). The products were dried, ground, pressed into pellets, and fired at 650–950 °C. In some cases, either 5 or 10 mass% of a Si–Na–B oxide glass sintering aid was introduced at different stages in the process. Method (2) proved the most successful at producing high sodalite fractions (up to 100%) with minimal sintering aid additions and showed high consolidation potential (up to 91.4% of theoretical density) at reduced firing temperatures.
HDL-mediated mechanisms of protection in cardiovascular disease

Low plasma levels of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) represent a strong and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. HDL particles display a wide spectrum of atheroprotective activities, which include effluxing cellular cholesterol, diminishing cellular death, decreasing vascular constriction, reducing inflammatory response, protecting from pathological oxidation, combating bacterial infection, lessening platelet activation, regulating gene expression by virtue of microRNAs, and improving glucose metabolism. It remains presently indeterminate as to whether some biological activities of HDL are more relevant for the protection of the endothelium from atherogenesis when compared with others. The multitude of such activities raises the question of a proper assay to assess HDL functionality ex vivo. Together with clear understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying atheroprotective properties of HDL, such assay will provide a basis to resolve the ultimate question of the HDL field to allow the development of efficient HDL-targeting therapies.
Selective adsorption of 4He on the NaCl(001) surface

The diffraction of 4He nozzle beams at several energies from cleaved (001) surfaces of NaCl has been studied. Resonance features are identified and give binding energies of 4.1 ± 0.1, 1.5 ± 0.1 and 0.3 ± 0.15 meV. One feature suggests an energy of 5 meV, but this is unsubstantiated. The resonance signatures are in disagreement with elastic scattering theories.
060 Signal Transduction Mechanisms of IL-8-Induced Endothelial Permeability

Permeability of the endothelium occurs early in the angiogenic process, resulting from the initial loss or disruption of endothelial cell-cell adhesions, which is followed by endothelial cell contraction, forming paracellular gaps. We are interested in the angiogenesis and endothelial permeability induced by inflammation; thus, we have chosen to study mechanisms involved in the endothelial permeability stimulated by the angiogenic chemokine Interleukin-8 (IL-8/CXCL8). We have found that IL-8 induces permeability in a receptor-dependent process requiring the activation of Gαi and the regulation of PKA activity. Pertussis toxin abolishes the effect of IL-8 on endothelial permeability, while a PKA inhibitor, H89, results in a similar effect. Thus, regulation of the level of PKA activity appears critical in IL-8-induced permeability, potentially due to the differential regulation of molecules downstream of PKA, such as SREBP and RhoA. PKA and cAMP are thought to inhibit the activation of SREBP, a protein involved in lipid metabolism; we have also found, using inhibitors of SREBP that this molecule is likewise necessary for the permeability stimulated by IL-8. Furthermore, SREBP inhibitors block IL-8-induced activation of RhoA, a GTPase that has been implicated in permeability induced by multiple factors. Taken together, our results indicate a possible signal transduction pathway downstream of the IL-8 receptors, in which the inhibition of cAMP production, and, thus, of PKA activation, by Gαi increases SREBP activity, resulting in increased RhoA activity, leading to endothelial cell contraction and gap formation, increasing endothelial permeability. Because IL-8 plays important roles in the permeability observed in inflammatory disorders, knowledge of the signaling mechanisms induced by this chemokine during permeability increases may be used to identify targets for drug development. This project has been funded by the American Heart Association.
Constrained iterative speech enhancement with application to automatic speech recognition

A set of iterative speech enhancement techniques using spectral constraints is extended and evaluated. The approaches apply inter- and intraframe spectral constraints to ensure optimum speech quality across all classes of speech. Constraints are applied on the basis of the presence of perceptually important speech characteristics found during the enhancement procedure. Results show improvement over past techniques for additive white noise distortions. Three points are addressed in the present study. First, a convenient and consistent terminating point for the iterative technique is presented which was previously unavailable. Second, the techniques have been generalized to allow for slowly varying, colored noise. Finally, a comparative evaluation has been performed to determine their usefulness as preprocessors for recognition in extremely noisy environments in the vicinity of 0 dB SNR. >
Quantitative steganalysis of LSB embedding in JPEG domain

We construct new quantitative steganalyzers for steganographic techniques that hide data using LSB embedding in quantized DCT coefficients of a JPEG file. Two approaches are explored -- change-rate estimation using the maximum likelihood principle with a precover model and a heuristic approach based on minimizing a penalty functional obtained from a combined analysis of the embedding operation and properties of natural images. The techniques are applied to Jsteg and its modified version called symmetric Jsteg. Experiments are used to compare the new methods with current state of the art.
How to identify food deserts: measuring physical and economic access to supermarkets in King County, Washington.

Objectives. We explored new ways to identify food deserts.Methods. We estimated physical and economic access to supermarkets for 5 low-income groups in Seattle–King County, Washington. We used geographic information system data to measure physical access: service areas around each supermarket were delineated by ability to walk, bicycle, ride transit, or drive within 10 minutes. We assessed economic access by stratifying supermarkets into low, medium, and high cost. Combining income and access criteria generated multiple ways to estimate food deserts.Results. The 5 low-income group definitions yielded total vulnerable populations ranging from 4% to 33% of the county’s population. Almost all of the vulnerable populations lived within a 10-minute drive or bus ride of a low- or medium-cost supermarket. Yet at most 34% of the vulnerable populations could walk to any supermarket, and as few as 3% could walk to a low-cost supermarket.Conclusions. The criteria used to define low-income status and access to superm...
Perceptibility and acceptability of CIELAB color differences in computer-simulated teeth.

Objectives To determine the perceptibility and acceptability of tooth color differences using computer-generated pairs of teeth with simulated gingival displayed on a calibrated color monitor using appropriate signal detection theory methodology (SDT).
High-temperature langasite SAW oxygen sensor

High-temperature langasite SAW oxygen sensors using sputtered ZnO as a resistive gas-sensing layer were fabricated and tested. Sensitivity to oxygen gas was observed between 500°C to 700°C, with a sensitivity peak at about 625°C, consistent with the theoretical predictions of the acoustoelectric effect.
Understanding earthquake fault systems using QuakeSim analysis and data assimilation tools

We are using the QuakeSim environment to model interacting fault systems. One goal of QuakeSim is to prepare for the large volumes of data that spaceborne missions such as DESDynI will produce. QuakeSim has the ability to ingest distributed heterogenous data in the form of InSAR, GPS, seismicity, and fault data into various earthquake modeling applications, automating the analysis when possible. Virtual California simulates interacting faults in California. We can compare output from long time-history Virtual California runs with the current state of strain and the strain history in California. In addition to spaceborne data we will begin assimilating data from UAVSAR airborne flights over the San Francisco Bay Area, the Transverse Ranges, and the Salton Trough. Results of the models are important for understanding future earthquake risk and for providing decision support following earthquakes. Improved models require this sensor web of different data sources, and a modeling environment for understanding the combined data.
Ontology-Supported Web Recommender for Scholar Information

In this quickly developed and shifting era of Internet, how to make use of webpage indexing structure or search engines which let information demanders fast and precisely search and extract out advantage information has become extremely important capability in users on the Web. This paper combined a data mining tool SPSS Clementine with the domain ontology to mine out usefully important information from huge datum, and then to employ Java to develop an information recommender for scholars--- Onto Recommender, in which can recommend suitably important information to scholars. The preliminary experiment outcomes proved the reliability and validation of the recommender achieving the regular-level outcomes of information recommendation, and accordingly proved the feasibility of the related techniques proposed in this paper.