cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the thalamus on spatial visual processing in frontal cortex

When we view a scene our eyes flit from one location to another, yet our perception of the scene remains steady. Marc Sommer and Robert Wurtz report a possible mechanism that could control this perceptual stability. It involves a brain circuit that relays information on quick eye movements from the midbrain via the thalamus to the frontal cortex, where neurons alter their receptive field to anticipate their effects. Each of our movements activates our own sensory receptors, and therefore keeping track of self-movement is a necessary part of analysing sensory input. One way in which the brain keeps track of self-movement is by monitoring an internal copy, or corollary discharge, of motor commands1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13. This concept could explain why we perceive a stable visual world despite our frequent quick, or saccadic, eye movements: corollary discharge about each saccade would permit the visual system to ignore saccade-induced visual changes6,7,8,9. The critical missing link has been the connection between corollary discharge and visual processing. Here we show that such a link is formed by a corollary discharge from the thalamus that targets the frontal cortex. In the thalamus, neurons in the mediodorsal nucleus relay a corollary discharge of saccades from the midbrain superior colliculus to the cortical frontal eye field10,11,12. In the frontal eye field, neurons use corollary discharge to shift their visual receptive fields spatially before saccades14,15. We tested the hypothesis that these two components—a pathway for corollary discharge and neurons with shifting receptive fields—form a circuit in which the corollary discharge drives the shift. First we showed that the known spatial and temporal properties of the corollary discharge predict the dynamic changes in spatial visual processing of cortical neurons when saccades are made. Then we moved from this correlation to causation by isolating single cortical neurons and showing that their spatial visual processing is impaired when corollary discharge from the thalamus is interrupted. Thus the visual processing of frontal neurons is spatiotemporally matched with, and functionally dependent on, corollary discharge input from the thalamus. These experiments establish the first link between corollary discharge and visual processing, delineate a brain circuit that is well suited for mediating visual stability, and provide a framework for studying corollary discharge in other sensory systems.
Interleukin-17 promotes early allograft inflammation

Acute cellular rejection of organ transplants is executed by donor-reactive T cells, which are dominated by interferon-γ-producing cells. As interferon-γ is dispensable for graft destruction, we evaluated the contribution of interleukin-17A (IL-17) to intragraft inflammation in major histocompatibility complex-mismatched heart transplants. A/J (H-2a) cardiac allografts placed into wild-type BALB/c (H-2d) mice induced intragraft IL-17 production on day 2 after transplant. Allografts placed into BALB/c IL-17−/− recipients demonstrated diminished production of the chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 and delayed neutrophil and T cell recruitment. However, by day 7 after transplant, allografts from IL-17−/− and wild-type recipients had comparable levels of cellular infiltration. The priming of donor-specific T cells was not affected by the absence of IL-17, and the kinetics of cardiac allograft rejection were similar in wild-type and IL-17−/− recipients. In contrast, IL-17−/− mice depleted of CD8 T cells rejected A/J allografts in a delayed fashion compared with CD8-depleted wild-type recipients. Although donor-reactive CD4 T cells were efficiently activated in both groups, the infiltration of effector T cells into allografts was impaired in IL-17−/− recipients. Our data indicate that locally produced IL-17 amplifies intragraft inflammation early after transplantation and promotes tissue injury by facilitating T cell recruitment into the graft. Targeting the IL-17 signaling network in conjunction with other graft-prolonging therapies may decrease this injury and improve the survival of transplanted organs.
Pushing Back Amber Production

Amber, the fossilized remains of tree resin, was precious and warm to Neolithic peoples, who gathered it from the cold shores of the Baltic Sea at least 13,000 years ago. Deposits of amber from Lebanon preserved insects trapped in it nearly 130 million years ago. On page 132 of this issue, Bray and Anderson ( 1 ) report that plants have been making amber for at least 320 million years. However, the most remarkable aspect of the newly discovered Carboniferous amber is that it has a molecular composition that has been seen only from angiosperms, which appeared much later in the Early Cretaceous.
Carbonate versus silicate weathering in the Raikhot watershed within the High Himalayan Crystalline Series

The major element and Sr isotope geochemistry of surface waters, bedrock, and river sands was investigated in the Raikhot watershed within the High Himalayan Crystalline Series (HHCS) in northern Pakistan. Mass-balance calculations of mineral-weathering contributions to the dissolved flux of ions from the watershed indicate that 82% of the HCO 3 − flux is derived from the weathering of carbonate minerals and only 18% is derived from silicate weathering, even though the bedrock is predominantly quartzofeldspathic gneiss and granite with only ∼1% carbonate in the watershed. This study demonstrates the importance of trace amounts of bedrock carbonate in controlling the water chemistry of glacial watersheds. We suggest that the flux of Sr with a high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in the major Himalayan rivers may be derived in large part from weathering of trace amounts of calcite within the largely silicate HHCS. Models that use the flux of radiogenic Sr from the Himalayas as a proxy for silicate weathering rates may, therefore, overestimate the amount of CO 2 consumption due to silicate weathering in the Himalaya.
Phenotypic Characterization of the Murine Nkx2.6 Homeobox Gene by Gene Targeting

The NK-2 homeobox genes have been shown to play critical roles in the development of specific organs and tissues. Nkx2.6 is a member of the NK-2 homeobox gene family and is most closely related to the Drosophila tinman gene. Nkx2.6 is expressed in the caudal pharyngeal pouches, the caudal heart progenitors, the sinus venosus, and the outflow tract of the heart and in a short segment of the gut at early stages of embryogenesis. To investigate the function of Nkx2.6 in vivo, we generated mice with null mutations of Nkx2.6 by the gene targeting technique. Homozygous Nkx2.6 mutant mice were viable and fertile. There were no obvious abnormalities in the caudal pharyngeal pouch derivatives (the thymus, parathyroid glands, and thyroid gland), heart, and gut. Expression of Nkx2.6 overlaps that of Nkx2.5 in the pharynx and heart and that of Nkx2.3 in the pharynx. Interestingly, in mutant embryos homozygous for Nkx2.6, Nkx2.5 expression extended to the lateral side of the pharynx, suggesting a compensatory function of Nkx2.5 in the mutant pharyngeal pouches.
Regulation of the Action of Steroid/Thyroid Hormone Receptors by Medium-chain Fatty Acids

Triiodothyronine (T3) causes a 30-fold increase in transcription of the malic enzyme gene in chick embryo hepatocytes; medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) inhibit this increase. T3 action is mediated by T3 receptors (TRs) that bind to T3 response elements (T3REs) in this gene's 5'-flanking DNA. In transiently transfected hepatocytes, fragments of 5'-flanking DNA of the malic enzyme gene or artificial T3REs that conferred T3 stimulation also conferred MCFA inhibition to linked reporter genes. Thus, MCFA inhibition may be mediated through cis-acting T3REs and trans-acting TRs, distinguishing MCFA action from that of other fatty acids which act through unique sequence elements. Using binding assays and overexpression of TR, we showed that MCFAs inhibited the transactivating but not the silencing function of TR and did not alter binding of T3 to TR or of TR to T3RE. The C-terminal ligand-binding domain of TR was sufficient to confer stimulation by T3, but not inhibition by MCFA. Inhibition of transactivation by MCFA was specific: ligand-stimulated transcription from T3 or estrogen response elements was inhibited, but that from glucocorticoid or cyclic AMP response elements was not. We propose that MCFAs or metabolites thereof influence the activity of a factor(s) that interacts with the T3 and estrogen receptors to inhibit ligand-stimulated transcription.
ANGIOGENIC IMBALANCES IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS

Endothelial cell proliferation and survival require continuous low levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The bioavailability of this angiogenic factor appears to be regulated by anti-angiogenic factors, including the soluble form of VEGF receptor 1 (sFlt-1) in the non-pregnant and pregnant states. During pregnancy a VEGF antagonist (sFlt-1) and other anti-angiogenic factors, including soluble endoglin (s-Eng), are produced by the human placenta and released into the maternal circulation; an excess of these anti-angiogenic factors can lead into angiogenic imbalances and pregnancy complications. This is important because regulation of VEGF action on angiogenic balances appears to be essential for a successful pregnancy.
John Desmond Clark (1916-2002)

J. Desmond Clark, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley, died of pneumonia in Oakland, California, on February 14, 2002, at the age of 85. One of the pioneers of systematic fieldwork in Africa, he was regarded as the leading authority on African prehistory and a major figure in human evolutionary studies. The depth and breadth of his knowledge of African prehistory has never been, and likely never will be, equaled. His work took him from England to Africa, where he lived and conducted field research for nearly a quarter century. He then moved to the United States, where he resided for the last 40 years of his life, although he maintained a brisk pace of fieldwork in various parts of Africa and Asia. During his long career, first as a museum director and then as a university professor, he taught and mentored dozens of successful students, including many from developing countries and numbers who became key figures in archaeology. Clark integrated valuable ethnographic information with prehistoric studies and published a wide-ranging and prodigious array of books and articles. Clark was born in London on April 10, 1916, and raised in the Chiltern Hills near Henley-on-Thames in England, where he developed a deep love of the countryside that likely served as a foundation for his lifelong passion for fieldwork. As a boy, he was educated in the humanities at the Monkton Combe School outside of Bath, where his archaeological interest (as well as an interest in rowing) began to take form. He then entered university at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied first history, then archaeology and anthropology under the eminent prehistorians Miles Burkitt and Grahame Clark. Desmond cred-
Trastuzumab interruption and treatment-induced cardiotoxicity in early HER2-positive breast cancer

Trastuzumab improves outcomes among patients with HER2-positive breast cancer but is associated with a risk of treatment-induced cardiotoxicity (TIC). It is unclear how frequently TIC leads to trastuzumab interruption outside of prospective trials, and how TIC is managed in clinical practice. Patients with HER2-postive breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab from 2005 to 2010 were identified (n = 608). We evaluated the incidence, risk factors, and management of trastuzumab interruption due to TIC. In total, 488 (80 %) patients were treated with anthracycline prior to trastuzumab. Trastuzumab was interrupted in 108 (18 %) patients. Cumulative trastuzumab dose was lower in the interrupted group (median 86 vs. 108 mg/kg, p < 0.0001). The most common reason for interruption was TIC (66 of 108 patients): 20 had symptomatic heart failure and 46 had asymptomatic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decline. Patients with trastuzumab interruption for TIC were older (54 vs. 50 years, p = 0.014) with lower LVEF before anthracycline (63 vs. 67 %, p < 0.0001) and trastuzumab (62 vs. 67 %, p < 0.0001) therapy. Mean LVEF at baseline, TIC diagnosis, and follow-up after trastuzumab interruption was 63, 45, and 55 %, respectively. Thirty-three of 66 patients with TIC were re-challenged with trastuzumab, and five patients had recurrent LVEF decline. In clinical practice, trastuzumab interruption is common and most often due to TIC, with most patients receiving anthracycline prior to trastuzumab. Cardiac dysfunction improves after trastuzumab interruption but may not fully recover to baseline. Strategies to minimize cardiotoxicity and treatment interruption should be investigated to prevent persistent left ventricular dysfunction in affected patients.
Environmental temperature versus spontaneous running—wheel activity in the red squirrel, TAMIASCIURUS HUDSONICUS

The effect of ambient temperature on the daily running activity of the red squirrel TAMIASCIURUS HUDSONICUS was investigated. Running-wheel activity (min/day) of live-trapped male and female animals was monitored for 7 days in the laboratory after 10–16 days adaptation at environmental temperatures of 10°, 20°, 30° and 35°C and the mean daily activity correlated with Ta. The data show that activity and environmental temperature are inversely related. It is believed that the level of spontaneous running-wheel activity at these temperatures is a function of the heat balance of the animal.
Transcription-linked acetylation by Gcn5p of histones H3 and H4 at specific lysines

The yeast transcriptional adaptor, Gcn5p, is a catalytic subunit of a nuclear (type A) histone acetyltransferase linking histone acetylation to gene activation. Here we report that Gcn5p acetylates histones H3 and H4 non-randomly at specific lysines in the amino-terminal domains. Lysine 14 of H3 and lysines 8 and 16 of H4 are highly preferred acetylation sites for Gcn5p. We also demonstrate that lysine 9 is the preferred position of acetylation in newly synthesized yeast H3 in vivo. This finding, along with the fact that lysines 5 and 12 in H4 are predominant acetylation sites during chromatin assembly of many organisms, indicates that Gcn5p acetylates a distinct set of lysines that do not overlap with those sites characteristically used by type B histone acetyltransferases for histone deposition and chromatin assembly.
Tensile Failure of Steel Fiber‐Reinforced Mortar

Results are discussed from experimental and theoretical studies on the tensile failure of short, steel fiber-reinforced mortar/concrete SFRC composites. A displacement-controlled test method for conducting stable fracture tests on tension-weak brittle materials developed in an earlier study has been used for conducting uniaxial tension tests. Several concrete, mortar, paste, and SFRC mixes were tested. Fracture of SFRC in tension is observed to be influenced largely by the matrix softening behavior, the fiber-matrix interfacial response, and its composition parameters. The theoretical model proposed for the idealized SFRC composite takes into account these two primary nonlinear aspects of the failure mechanism in such composites, i.e., (1) the inelastic behavior of the fiber-matrix interface, and (2) the softening characteristics of the matrix. The model, in addition, is realistically sensitive to the reinforcement parameters like fiber volume content, aspect ratio, and the elastic properties of the fiber.
μ-Opioid Receptors Desensitize Less Rapidly than δ-Opioid Receptors Due to Less Efficient Activation of Arrestin

Receptor desensitization by G-protein receptor kinases (GRK) and arrestins is likely to be an important component underlying the development of tolerance to opioid drugs. Reconstitution of this process in Xenopus oocytes revealed distinct differences in the kinetics of GRK and arrestin regulation of the closely related opioid receptors mu (MOR), delta (DOR), and kappa (KOR). We demonstrated that under identical conditions, GRK and arrestin-dependent desensitization of MOR proceeds dramatically slower than that of DOR. Furthermore, GRK3 phosphorylation sites required for opioid receptor desensitization also greatly differ. The determinants for DOR and KOR desensitization reside in the carboxyl-terminal tail, whereas MOR depends on Thr-180 in the second intracellular loop. Although this later finding might indicate an inefficient phosphorylation of MOR Thr-180, increasing the amount of arrestin expressed greatly increased the rate of MOR desensitization to a rate comparable with that of DOR. Similarly, coexpression of a constitutively active arrestin 2(R169E) with MOR and DOR desensitized both receptors in an agonist-dependent, GRK-independent manner at rates that were indistinguishable. Together, these data suggest that it is the activation of arrestin, rather than its binding, that is the rate-limiting step in MOR desensitization. In addition, mutation of Thr-161 in DOR, homologous to MOR Thr-180, significantly inhibited the faster desensitization of DOR. These results suggest that DOR desensitization involves phosphorylation of both the carboxyl-terminal tail and the second intracellular loop that together leads to a more efficient activation of arrestin and thus faster desensitization.
Familial multiple myeloma

In this issue of Blood, there are 2 reports on the increased risk of plasma cell disorders in the first-degree relatives of patients with multiple myeloma or MGUS.
Fully nonlinear analysis of composite girder cable-stayed bridges

Abstract Fully nonlinear analysis of composite girder cable-stayed bridges is presented in this paper. Three different types of cable-stayed bridges are considered: fan, semi-fan and harp type. By incorporating both material and geometric nonlinearities, the effect of various nonlinearities on the failure load and near-collapse behavior of composite girder cable-stayed bridges is investigated. Results obtained in this research and the conclusions made provide valuable insight and guidelines for the design of composite girder cable stayed bridges.
IN VITRO AND IN VIVO DRUG INTERACTIONS INVOLVING HUMAN CYP3A

Cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) is importantly involved in the metabolism of many chemically diverse drugs administered to humans. Moreover, its localization in high amounts both in the small intestinal epithelium and liver makes it a major contributor to presystemic elimination following oral drug administration. Drug interactions involving enzyme inhibition or induction are common following the coadministration of two or more CYP3A substrates. Studies using in vitro preparations are useful in identifying such potential interactions and possibly permitting extrapolation of in vitro findings to the likely in vivo situation. Even if accurate quantitative predictions cannot be made, several classes of drugs can be expected to result in a drug interaction based on clinical experience. In many instances, the extent of such drug interactions is sufficiently pronounced to contraindicate the therapeutic use of the involved drugs.
Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Endocarditis Treated with Combination Tigecycline and High-Dose Daptomycin

Objective:To report a case of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium requiring combination antibacterial therapy,Case Summary:A 39-year-old female presented with chest pain and a history of endocarditis 3 years prior to admission. Blood cultures were positive for E. faecium. She was treated initially with daptomycin 6 mg/kg daily, which was later increased to 8 mg/kg daily despite poor gentamicin clearance. A variety of antibiotics were used in combination with daptomycin, but the patient remained febrile, with positive blood cultures revealing vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) greater than 256 μg/mL and daptomycin MIC 3 μg/mL (and later, 4 μg/mL). Following the addition of tigecycline, the patient experienced rapid clinical and microbiologic improvement, and blood cultures remained negative 9 weeks after discharge.Discussion:Limited clinical data support the use of daptomycin for the treatment of E. faecium endocarditis, and information regarding the effects of escalating doses and comb...
Digestive and respiratory tract motor responses associated with eructation

We studied the digestive and respiratory tract motor responses in 10 chronically instrumented dogs during eructation activated after feeding. Muscles were recorded from the cervical area, thorax, and abdomen. The striated muscles were recorded using EMG and the smooth muscles using strain gauges. We found eructation in three distinct functional phases that were composed of different sets of motor responses: gas escape, barrier elimination, and gas transport. The gas escape phase, activated by gastric distension, consists of relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and diaphragmatic hiatus and contraction of the longitudinal muscle of the thoracic esophagus and rectus abdominis. All these motor events promote gas escape from the stomach. The barrier elimination phase, probably activated by rapid gas distension of the thoracic esophagus, consists of relaxation of the pharyngeal constrictors and excitation of dorsal and ventral upper esophageal sphincter distracting muscles, as well as rapid contraction of the diaphragmatic dome fibers. These motor events allow esophagopharyngeal air movement by promoting retrograde airflow and opening of the upper esophageal sphincter. The transport phase, possibly activated secondary to diaphragmatic contraction, consists of a retrograde contraction of the striated muscle esophagus that transports the air from the thoracic esophagus to the pharynx. We hypothesize that the esophageal reverse peristalsis is mediated by elementary reflexes, rather than a coordinated peristaltic response like secondary peristalsis. The phases of eructation can be activated independently of one another or in a different manner to participate in physiological events other than eructation that cause gastroesophageal or esophagogastric reflux.
Problems Measuring Social Presence in a Community of Inquiry

To improve research conducted on communities of inquiry, a group of researchers created the Community of Inquiry Questionnaire (CoIQ). While the development of the CoIQ is a step in the right direction, this instrument does not align as well as it could with previous research on each of the individual presences (i.e., cognitive presence, teaching presence, social presence) that make up the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. For instance, the questions in the CoIQ focused on measuring social presence do not align as well as they could with the previous indicators of social presence developed by Rourke, Anderson, Garrison, and Archer (2001). In this paper, we outline the misalignment we have encountered when using the CoIQ in our own research and ways we think future research on communities of inquiry could be improved. Preprint: “Problems measuring social presence in a community of inquiry” to appear in a special issue of E-Learning and Digital Media in 2013.
Neonatal lupus erythematosus and maternal lupus erythematosus mimicking HELLP syndrome.

: A 4-month-old boy had a faint, confluent, macular erythema involving the forehead, nose, and philtrum, and matllke telangiectases over the forehead and eyelids. The clinical features, course, and laboratory studies were characteristic of neonatal lupus erythematosus. He was otherwise healthy and the product of a preterm twin pregnancy complicated by the development of maternal HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome. The patient had elevated Ro(SSA) and La(SSB) antibody titers, and studies performed on maternal blood disclosed positive antinuclear antibodies and elevated Ro and La antibody titers.
Hop-by-hop routing algorithms for premium-class traffic in DiffServ networks

For the provision of quality of service (QoS) in the Internet, differentiated service (DiffServ) has been proposed as a cost-effective solution. Traffic is classified into several service classes with different priorities, premium class traffic being the highest. The routing algorithm used by the premium class service has significant effects on the traffic of all other classes as well as its own. Shortest hop-count routing used in the current Internet is no longer sufficient in DiffServ networks. Based on hop-by-hop routing, an optimal routing algorithm must be found for premium class traffic such that (1) it works correctly and efficiently for premium traffic; (2) it reduces negative influences (such as bandwidth starvation, excessive delay jitter, etc.) to other traffic classes. This problem, the optimal premium-class routing (OPR) problem, is NP-complete. To handle the OPR problem, first, we analyze the strength and weaknesses of two existing algorithms (widest-shortest-path algorithm and bandwidth-inversion shortest-path algorithm). Second, we apply to the OPR problem a novel heuristic algorithm, called the enhanced bandwidth-inversion shortest-path (EBSP) algorithm. We prove theoretically the correctness of the EBSP algorithm, i.e., it is a consistent and loop-free hop-by-hop routing algorithm. Our extensive simulations in different network environments show clearly that the EBSP algorithm performs better for premium class traffic in complex, heterogeneous networks than the other two hop-by-hop routing algorithms.
Bargaining based pairwise cooperative spectrum sensing for Cognitive Radio networks

Cognitive radio (CR) network is promising for military usage since it enables the CR users in the field to sense and take the opportunistic use of vacant frequency bands if no primary users are present. As a key component of the CR technology, spectrum sensing has been investigated actively in existing literature. Among all the problems related to spectrum sensing, two of them seem to be challenging: first, CR users are likely to miss the detection of the primary users, resulting in low sensing accuracy; second, to guarantee the frequency bands are available, CR users have to spend a large amount of time sensing those bands, which inevitably decreases their data transmission opportunities, leading to the so-called sensing efficiency problem. This paper proposes a bargaining based pairwise cooperative spectrum sensing (BBPCSS) scheme as a possible solution. In order to increase the sensing accuracy, the CR users are grouped into pairs for cooperative sensing instead of individual sensing. In each pair, rational CR users can bargain with each other over the sensing time division, and thus save the sensing time for data transmission. Our analysis and simulation results suggest that BBPCSS effectively improves the detection probability and enhances the sensing efficiency.
Bone and joint disease in sickle cell disease

Bone and joint disorders are the most common cause of chronic pain in patients who have sickle cell disease. The femoral head is the most common area of bone destruction in sickle cell patients, although other disease-related problems include avascular necrosis of the humeral head, changes in the thoracic and lumbar spine, infection with encapsulated organisms (Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus are the most common), bone marrow disturbances, and dental effects. Complications can occur at any location: epiphyseal, metaphyseal, or diaphyseal. The location and the extensiveness of the problems determine the pain and structural damage. The hip joint is particularly vulnerable in sickle cell disease. This article highlights aspects of sickle cell disease that affect healthy bone and joint function and discusses treatment options.
Acetoacetylated lipoproteins used to distinguish fibroblasts from macrophages in vitro by fluorescence microscopy

We have developed a procedure for labeling lipoproteins with the fluorescent probe 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine (Dil) and have used Dil-labeled native and acetoacetylated lipoproteins to differentiate macrophages from fibroblasts in mixed cell culture. Lipoproteins labeled with this probe were suitable for the direct viewing of their binding and internalization by cells in vitro. The labeling technique has been applied to human low density lipoproteins (LDL) and to two canine cholesterol-induced lipoproteins: apo-E HDLc, which contain only the E apoprotein (apo-E), and beta-migrating, very low density lipoproteins (beta-VLDL), which contain apo-B and apo-E. The Dil-labeled lipoproteins showed specific high affinity binding to human fibroblasts via the LDL (apo-B, -E) receptors. The equilibrium dissociation constant for the binding of Dil-labeled apo-E HDLc and LDL were the same as for the respective native lipoproteins. The specific binding of Dil-labeled LDL and apo-E HDLc was further substantiated by fluorescence microscopy. When an excess of native (non-fluorescent) lipoproteins was added to the Dil-labeled lipoproteins, essentially no fluorescently labeled lipoproteins were seen associated with the cells. The Dil-labeled LDL, apo-E HDLc, and beta-VLDL, which were bound to the cells at 4 degrees C, were associated with the cell surface and were often observed in linear arrays. Cells that were either incubated with Dil-labeled lipoproteins at 4 degrees C and subsequently heated to 37 degrees C or incubated with the Dil-labeled lipoproteins at 37 degrees C showed internalized perinuclear fluorescence. When Dil-labeled LDL, apo-E HDLc, or beta-VLDL were treated with diketene to acetoacetylate their lysine residues, and then were incubated at 37 degrees C with mixtures of fibroblasts and mouse peritoneal macrophages in culture, the fibroblasts did not become fluorescently labeled. The macrophages became highly fluorescent, however. The acetoacetylation inhibited the interaction of the lipoproteins with the apo-B, -E receptors of fibroblasts and stimulated their uptake by macrophages. The use of fluorescently labeled native lipoproteins and chemically modified lipoproteins may allow the functional differentiation of macrophages from other cell types (e.g., fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells) in the arterial wall. This differentiation may be useful in determining the origin of the lipid-laden foam cells of atherosclerotic lesions.
Is baseball a global sport? America's ‘national pastime’ as global field and international sport

A myriad of organized sports and physical leisure activities took shape in the nineteenth century and spread quickly from the West to the Rest through imperial and mercantile circuits. Among them, the competitive team spectator sports of soccer, cricket, and baseball were perhaps the most consequential in reach and influence, adopted and adapted in what I have called elsewhere 'uncanny mimicry'. The differences in the world histories of the three sports are as significant as their commonalities, and in this article I focus on some of the distinctive features of baseball's development in the USA and its move through the Caribbean and the western Pacific regions. Unlike soccer and cricket (and American football), baseball developed outside elite schools; it was fully commercialized and professionalized early on; it never had antagonisms or rivalries with amateur or school forms of the sport; and it never had very strong ideological associations with a 'character' ethic. On the other hand, it was quickly 'nationalized' as the American pastime, and in that image it was emulated and resisted in the locations in which it took root. The argument is extended through a case study of 'samurai' baseball in Japan and its uncanny mimicry.
Th17: an effector CD4 T cell lineage with regulatory T cell ties.

The naive CD4 T cell is a multipotential precursor with defined antigen recognition specificity but substantial plasticity for development down distinct effector or regulatory lineages, contingent upon signals from cells of the innate immune system. The range of identified effector CD4 T cell lineages has recently expanded with description of an IL-17-producing subset, called Th17, which develops via cytokine signals distinct from, and antagonized by, products of the Th1 and Th2 lineages. Remarkably, Th17 development depends on the pleiotropic cytokine TGF-β, which is also linked to regulatory T cell development and function, providing a unique mechanism for matching CD4 T cell effector and regulatory lineage specification. Here, we review Th17 lineage development, emphasizing similarities and differences with established effector and regulatory T cell developmental programs that have important implications for immune regulation, immune pathogenesis, and host defense.
Effect of high dietary zinc concentration and length of zinc feeding on feed intake and tissue zinc concentration in sheep

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of high dietary Zn concentration and length of Zn feeding on feed intake and tissue Zn concentration in sheep. In Experiment 1, 24 whethers were fed a basal diet containing 41 mg kg −1 Zn dry matter (DM) basis and supplemented with 0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, or 2500 mg kg −1 Zn as reagent grade ZnSO 4 · 7H 2 O for 10 days and voluntary feed intake was measured daily. There was no difference in average feed intake among treatment groups. Intake of feed decreased between Day 2 and Day 5 for sheep given most diets, but recovered thereafter. In Experiment 2, 27 wethers were supplemented with 700, 1400, or 2100 mg kg −1 Zn added to the basal diet containing 30 mg kg −1 Zn (DM basis) for either 10, 20, or 30 days, in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangment of treatments. Three additional sheep were killed at the start of the experiment to serve as controls for tissue Zn concentration. Feed intake did not differ among treatments. There was no difference in bone, heart, or muscle Zn due to dietary treatment or time. Liver and kidney Zn increased with increasing dietary Zn and length of feeding period. Spleen Zn also increased with dietary Zn. The best fits to a linear model were found for liver and kidney Zn concentration at 20 days. These tissues appear to be the most sensitive for future Zn bioavailability studies with ruminants.
A working group classification of focal prostate atrophy lesions.

Focal atrophy is extremely common in prostate specimens. Although there are distinct histologic variants, the terminology is currently nonstandardized and no formal classification has been tested for interobserver reliability. This lack of standardization hampers the ability to study the biologic and clinical significance of these lesions. After informal and formal meetings by a number of the authors, focal atrophy lesions were categorized into 4 distinct subtypes as follows: (i) simple atrophy, (ii) simple atrophy with cyst formation, (iii) postatrophic hyperplasia, and (iv) partial atrophy. In phase 1 of the study, pathologists with varying levels of experience in prostate pathology were invited to view via the Internet a set of "training" images with associated descriptions of lesions considered typical of each subtype. In phase 2 of the study, each participant provided diagnoses on a series of 140 distinct "test" images that were viewed over the Internet. These test images consisted of the 4 subtypes of atrophy and images of normal epithelium, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and carcinoma. The diagnoses for each image from each pathologist were compared with a set of "standard" diagnoses and the κ statistic was computed. Thirty-four pathologists completed both phases of the study. The interobserver reliability (median κ) for classification of lesions as normal, cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or focal atrophy was 0.97. The median κ for the classification of atrophy lesions into the 4 subtypes was 0.80. The median percent agreement with the standard diagnosis for the atrophy subtypes were: simple 60.6%, simple with cyst formation 100%; postatrophic hyperplasia 87.5%; partial atrophy 93.9%. The lower percentage for simple atrophy reflected a propensity to diagnose some of these as simple atrophy with cyst formation. Seven pathologists completed the phase 2 analysis a second time, and their intraobserver reproducibility was excellent. Three of 4 pathologists with low agreement with the standard diagnosis for simple atrophy improved their scores after repeating the analysis after re-examination of the "training set" of images. In conclusion, these criteria for variants of focal prostate atrophy may facilitate studies to examine the relation between various patterns of prostate atrophy and prostate cancer. Copyright
Functional Recovery Following Spinal Cord Hemisection Mediated by a Unique Polymer Scaffold Seeded with Neural Stem Cells

A dual scaffold structure made of biodegradable polymers and seeded with neural stem cells has been developed to address the issues of spinal cord injury including axonal severance and the loss of neurons and glia. The general design of the scaffold is derived the structure of the spinal cord with an outer section which mimics the white matter with long axial pores to provide axonal guidance and an inner section seeded with neural stem cells to address the issues of cell replacement and mimic the general character of the gray matter. The seeded scaffold leads to improved functional recovery as compared with the lesion control or cells alone following spinal cord injury.
Synthesis of the Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzymes in Cultured Rat Ovarian Granulosa Cells: Induction by Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Dibutyryl Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate*

The effects of FSH and (Bu)2cAMP on synthesis of the components of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage (SCC) enzyme complex, namely SCC cytochrome P-450 (P-450scc), the iron-sulfur protein adrenodoxin (ISP), and NADPH:ISP reductase (Red), were investigated in granulosa cells obtained from ovaries of immature estrogen-primed rats cultured for up to 72 h in defined medium in the presence or absence of FSH and (Bu)2cAMP. The cells were lysed, and proteins were subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, followed by immunoblotting using antibodies specific to bovine adrenocortical P-450scc, ISP, and Red. A time-dependent increase was observed in the specific contents of these three components of SCC, but not of the reference mitochondrial protein, F1-ATPase, upon treatment with FSH or (Bu)2cAMP. The increase in the content of these three enzymes was accompanied by a rise in progesterone and 20 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone production. The synthesis of P-450scc, ISP, and Red increased 3- to 4-fold with time upon FSH or (Bu)2cAMP treatment respectively, as evidenced by pulse labeling of the cell proteins with [35S]methionine, followed by immunoprecipitation. Immunoprecipitation of P-450scc and ISP from an in vitro translation system programmed by RNA isolated from cultured cells revealed that treatment with FSH or (Bu)2cAMP resulted in an increase in the levels of translatable mRNA specific for these proteins, and that the initial products of translation were precursor forms of cytochrome P-450scc and ISP, similar to those observed in bovine adrenal and granulosa cells. It is concluded that in cultured rat ovarian granulosa cells, FSH induces the synthesis of cytochrome P-450scc, ISP, and Red by increasing the content of translatable mRNA coding for the precursor forms of these enzymes and that this action is mediated by cAMP. Furthermore, the effects of FSH and (Bu)2cAMP provide an explanation for the action of these compounds to stimulate progestin synthesis in cultured ovarian cells.
Silicon nanowire growth on poly-silicon-on-quartz substrates formed by aluminum-induced crystallization

The vertical growth of Si nanowires on non-monocrystalline substrates is of significant interest for photovoltaics and other energy harvesting applications. In this paper, we present results on using poly-Si layers formed by aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) on fused quartz wafers as an alternative substrate for the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of vertical Si nanowires. Oxidation of the Al surface to Al2O3 before the a-Si deposition was shown to be a key requirement in the formation of the poly-Si template since it promotes the crystallization of the a-Si into Si(111) which is required for vertical silicon nanowire growth. The effect of Al deposition technique (DC sputtering versus thermal evaporation) on a-Si crystallization and Si nanowire growth was investigated. The use of Al thermal evaporation yielded AIC poly-Si layers with the highest fraction of 〈111〉 grains as measured by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) which enabled the growth of vertical Si nanowires. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the 〈111〉 Si nanowires grew epitaxially off of {111}poly-Si grains in the AIC layer. This study demonstrates the potential of using AIC poly-Si as a template layer for the vertical growth of silicon nanowires on amorphous substrates.
Cutaneous stigmata of occult spinal dysraphism

We describe a 4-year-old Hispanic boy with a dermal pit and an overlying macular vascular malformation in the lumbosacral area. Magnetic resonance imaging of the region revealed an intraspinal lesion at L1-L2. A fibrous tract was excised. A benign lipoma intrinsic to the roots of the cauda equina was noted at surgery. The cutaneous stigmata of occult spinal dysraphisms are reviewed.
Forensic Elemental Analysis of Materials by Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

Materials analysis and characterization can provide important information as evidence in legal proceedings. Although the utility of trace elemental analyses for comparisons of glass, paint chips, bullet lead and metal fragments has been shown to offer a high degree of discrimination between different sources of these materials, the instrumentation required for the generation of good analytical data in forensic comparisons can be beyond the reach of many forensic laboratories. Scanning Electron Microscopy with an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (LA-ICP-AES) and, more recently, LA-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) have been used in forensic laboratories for elemental analysis determinations. A newly developed Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument (Foster and Freeman Ltd., Evesham, U.K.) has been evaluated as a tool for the forensic elemental analysis of glass and compared in performance to other elemental methods in order to determine the utility of comparing casework sized glass samples. Developments in the instrumental design of this LIBS system, which is specifically designed to address the analytical requirements of the forensic laboratory, are presented. The utility of the LIBS system for the analysis of glass, paint, metals, gun shot residue and other matrices are also presented. The power of the LIBS-based elemental analysis to discriminate between different glass samples is also compared to the discrimination power of SEM-EDS, XRF and LA-ICP-MS. The relatively low cost (expected to be ~ $ 60,000.), ease of operation and almost non-destructive nature of the LIBS analysis makes the technique a viable forensic elemental analysis tool.
On theLU factorization ofM-matrices

In this paper, we give in Theorem 1 a characterization, based on graph theory, of when anM-matrixA admits anLU factorization intoM-matrices, whereL is a nonsingular lower triangularM-matrix andU is an upper triangularM-matrix. This result generalizes earlier factorization results of Fiedler and Ptak (1962) and Kuo (1977). As a consequence of Theorem 1, we show in Theorem 3 that the conditionx T A?0 T for somex>0, for anM-matrixA, is both necessary and sufficient forPAP T to admit such anLU factorization for everyn×n permutation matrixP. This latter result extends recent work of Funderlic and Plemmons (1981). Finally, Theorem 1 is extended in Theorem 5 to give a characterization, similarly based on graph theory, of when anM-matrixA admits anLU factorization intoM-matrices.
Regulation of cholesterol mobilization in mice by bile acids.

SummaryThe effects of cholic and hyo-deoxycholic acids on mouse liver and carcass cholesterol mobilization were investigated. Cholic acid inhibited liver cholesterol mobilization, while hyodeoxycholic acid promoted a rapid elimination of accumulated liver cholesterol. Hyodeoxycholic acid reversed the inhibition caused by cholic acid. Neither of these substances effected the rate of carcass cholesterol mobilization.
Study on Zinc Extraction from Zinc Oxide Ore by Ammonium Sulfate Roasting Method

Employing low grade zinc oxide ore and industrial ammonium sulfate as raw materials,Zn2+was extracted from low grade zinc oxide ore by the method of sulphating roasting.The optimum technological conditions,which could guarantee an extraction ratio as high as 92%,were figured out through orthogonal experiment L9(34) and with the aid of SEM,XRD to be: molar ratio of ammonium-to-ore 1.4,reaction temperature 425℃ and reaction time 90min.The influences of dissolving temperature and time,agitating speed,and the ratio of liquid to solid on the extraction rate of zinc during dissolving were also discussed.The optimum technological conditions for dissolving were obtained as temperature of 90℃,time of 60min,ratio of liquid to solid of 4∶1 and agitation speed of 400r/min.Zinc was dissolved in the solution,and silicon,lead,strontium were enriched in the residue.
What is Happening in Psychology of Learning Courses

Current practices in the undergraduate Psychology of Learning course were assessed through a survey in which a questionnaire probing the teaching of the course was sent to 238 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Fifty-four percent of the questionnaires were returned. Learning courses were taught at all but 10 of the schools that responded. The course typically is one of several that can be selected to fulfill requirements for the major in psychology. The course orientation and content varied widely from cognitive to eclectic to behavioral, and laboratory requirements existed in less than half of the courses. The effects of these practices on behavior analysis are considered and several suggestions are made for teaching behavior analysis in the Learning course and elsewhere to undergraduates.
Growing Game Worlds

Where is the development of game worlds heading? Looking at a simplified development of digital game worlds, this essay argues for a more rigorous inclusion of physical spaces in our work on game environments. Not only was this physical condition always part of the game world, it becomes evermore important in modern game and media design as new technologies allow new interaction design. Touching on a number of examples, the argument bridges the ideals of early cyberspace apostles with the contested digital game worlds of today’s industry to point to the hybrid game spaces that are emerging in more futuristic designs. The development is presented as a gradual evolution that calls for a critical shift of our scholarly focus.
Taking the Detour, Finding the Rebels: Crossroads of Caribbean and Modernist Studies

‘Where have all the rebels gone?’ With this question, Susan Stanford Friedman launches an illuminating analysis of the conflicting uses of the terms modern, modernity, and modernism (Chapter 1, 11 ). Friedman refers to student rebels of the 1960s, who found the study of literary modernism in accord with their own ideals. In her quest, however, she finds another kind of rebellion, one that continually unsettles the definitional order in modernist studies. She concludes her examination of the history and scope of these conflicts by resisting definitions and, instead, exposing patterns of contestation: order and disruption as necessary to one another’s meaning; the center’s dissipation even as it comes into being; the self-dismantling of modernity’s grand narratives; the invention of tradition in order to ‘make it new’ (30). On the terrain of these contradictory dynamics, we might explore again the question Friedman asks at the essay’s beginning. It seems that the rebellion surges beyond definitional control and perhaps beyond Friedman’s attempts to resist definition. For even in the patterns she locates, something else seems to brew alongside or beneath the conflicting impulses.