cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restoration of CFTR Activity in Ducts Rescues Acinar Cell Function and Reduces Inflammation in Pancreatic and Salivary Glands of Mice.

Background & Aims Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune pancreatitis are disorders with decreased function of salivary, lacrimal glands, and the exocrine pancreas. Nonobese diabetic/ShiLTJ mice and mice transduced with the cytokine BMP6 develop Sjogren's syndrome and chronic pancreatitis and MRL/Mp mice are models of autoimmune pancreatitis. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a ductal Cl − channel essential for ductal fluid and HCO 3 − secretion. We used these models to ask the following questions: is CFTR expression altered in these diseases, does correction of CFTR correct gland function, and most notably, does correcting ductal function correct acinar function? Methods We treated the mice models with the CFTR corrector C18 and the potentiator VX770. Glandular, ductal, and acinar cells damage, infiltration, immune cells and function were measured in vivo and in isolated duct/acini. Results In the disease models, CFTR expression is markedly reduced. The salivary glands and pancreas are inflamed with increased fibrosis and tissue damage. Treatment with VX770 and, in particular, C18 restored salivation, rescued CFTR expression and localization, and nearly eliminated the inflammation and tissue damage. Transgenic overexpression of CFTR exclusively in the duct had similar effects. Most notably, the markedly reduced acinar cell Ca 2+ signaling, Orai1, inositol triphosphate receptors, Aquaporin 5 expression, and fluid secretion were restored by rescuing ductal CFTR. Conclusions Our findings reveal that correcting ductal function is sufficient to rescue acinar cell function and suggests that CFTR correctors are strong candidates for the treatment of Sjogren's syndrome and pancreatitis.
Self-heating of a polymeric particulate composite under mechanical excitations

Abstract A theoretical thermo-viscoelastic model is developed to predict the mechanical and thermal response of a particulate composite beam subject to externally applied excitations. The effective viscoelastic material behavior of a polymeric particulate composite is obtained from the micromechanics-based modeling with the properties of the individual material phases and corresponding volume fractions. The thermo-mechanical response of a particulate composite beam consisting of a viscoelastic polymeric matrix and elastic aluminum particles is modeled under near-resonant excitations through a first-order shear deformable beam theory. To validate the model, particulate composite beams with a 30% volume fraction of the aluminum particles embedded in polydimethylsiloxane matrix were fabricated, and the self-heating behavior of the composite at near-resonant excitation was then investigated. The overall temperature rise at different locations of the composite predicted by the present model agrees well with the experimental measurement. This work provides a very useful platform for the design and development of new energetic materials under a certain loading environment. The present model can also be applied to more general particulate composite materials with different geometries consisting of different particle fillers and polymer matrices.
Smoking Transitions in Intensity and Frequency by Teenagers and Young Adults

This article employs the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 from 1997-2008, a 12-year panel to study smoking transitions among discrete categories defined in both intensity and frequency of smoking. We use the competing risk model to estimate effects of cigarette prices and smoke-free law in bars on these transitions. The results suggest that higher cigarette prices significantly promote regressive transitions and deter some progressive transitions in both intensity and frequency. Heavy smokers who smoke daily or more than 15 cigarettes a day are more price-responsive in quitting cold-turkey than the rest of smokers. In addition, smoke-free law in bars significantly decreases the probabilities of relapse and transition from light to heavy smoking. However, the prevention effects of policies tend to diminish with more intense smoking. Our findings present the complete picture of smoking dynamics among youth and young adult, add to the evidences on how a price increase leads to decreases in cigarette consumption and smoking participation by identifying its mediating effects on the intense and frequent levels of smoking and illustrate how policy responsiveness differ by these levels. The results underscore the effectiveness and importance of policy interventions in this critical stage.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Patients with Diabetes

Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) share many of the traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis with the notable exception of diabetes, as diabetes is paradoxically protective against AAA formation. Furthermore, if diabetics develop AAAs, they have a slower rate of AAA progression. Speculation as to the mechanism(s) involved in these protective features is multifactorial, including (1) a thicker aortic wall in diabetics as compared to non-diabetics; (2) decreased levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP2 and 9, in the diabetic aorta with relative preservation of elastin fibers in the medial layer; and (3) increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity in diabetics. However, once AAA repair is indicated, diabetes is no longer protective, and the surgical team must consider complications associated with diabetes. Comorbidities that have the greatest impact on AAA repair include cardiac dysfunction, renal impairment, and complications associated with increased atherosclerotic disease. AAAs may be repaired either endovascularly or open with efforts made to preserve renal function. While diabetes alone is not associated with poor postoperative outcomes, comorbid conditions associated with diabetes, such as renal failure, are linked with increased mortality. Blood glucose concentrations must be carefully controlled perioperatively to decrease wound complications. Nephrotoxic agents, especially iodinated contrast, should be avoided if possible, and alternative methods of surveillance may include ultrasound and noncontrast computed tomography. While diabetes is protective from developing AAAs, clinicians caring for patients with diabetes who undergo AAA repair should be aware of the increased risk of perioperative complications.
An Inductive Analysis of Factors Affecting Student Attitudes toward a Virtual World Learning Environment

Virtual world learning environments have great potential to enhance education, yet the specific factors that attract students are relatively under-researched. Drawing on insights from a qualitative analysis of student reactions to the Second Life environment, we identified five main factors that influence student attitudes toward using a technology in education: ease of use, usefulness, likability, technology accessibility, and system quality. The results supplement traditional notions of enhanced capabilities as the key to use of technology, by discovering additional factors that influence adoption and sustained use of new technology in a learning environment.
Cell Wall of Human Fungal Pathogens and its Interaction with Host Extracellular Matrix

Animal cells exist within a mesh of intercellular secreted proteins and polysaccharides, the extracellular matrix (ECM). The interactions of cells with this protein network have profound effects on the organization, migration, differentiation, and function of cells. Proteins of the ECM include fibronectin, laminin, collagen, entactin, tenascin, and vitronectin. There may be multiple forms of these proteins which may be derived from different genes, e.g. collagen, or from alternative RNA splicing, e.g. fibronectin. Typically, ECM proteins have multiple domains with specific binding sites for other matrix molecules and cells. These binding sites help organize the matrix and attachment of cells to it. (For more detailed discussion of ECM proteins, organization, and tissue and organ specificity, see textbooks on cell biology such as Alberts et al. 1994.)
What Is Random Behavior

A basketball player who makes 70% of her free throws has missed four in a row. Before her next shot, someone in the stands is sure to say that she is “due” to make this one. You have lost card games to your friends every night this week; you think to yourself, “Well, next week I’m due to win a few.” A couple has three children, all boys. “The next one is due to be a girl,” a friend remarks. Each of these events, the free throw, the card game, the birth of a child, involves chance outcomes that cannot be controlled. In the long run, the basketball player makes 70% of her free throws, you may win 60% of the card games, and approximately 50% of the babies born are girls. But do these long-run facts help us to predict behavior of random events over the short run?
RF/mmWave Front-End Module Switch in 22nm FDSOI Process

This paper highlights 22nm FDSOI technology application in RF and mmWave Front-End modules by demonstrating a 1-dB Insertion Loss SPST switch and a reduced substrate capacitance switch with an. excellent IIP3 of 43dBm at 28GHz. Reliability measurements show the switches can handle up to 23dBm of power at mmWave frequencies under mismatched conditions, an essential requirement for antenna switches. Also, a measured Ron* Coff of 98fs at 28GHz prove the viability of 22nm FDSOI in emerging 5G markets.
Measurements of In Vivo Strains in the Rat Tail Vertebra

The study of bone adaptation is important in understanding the etiology of age-related bone fractures, developing optimal designs for total joint replacements, and preventing bone loss during prolonged space flight. Numerous studies have attempted to quantify the relationship between mechanical loading and bone adaptation [1,2,3,4]. An in vivo rat tail vertebra model has been developed for trabecular bone adaptation studies where a controlled mechanical load can be applied to a whole vertebra [3]. The load levels applied in vivo were selected using in vitro strain gage measurements on cadaveric rat tails, resulting strains in the cortical shell of tail vertebrae within the physiological range. However, it is not clear what the physiological strain level in the rat tail vertebrae in vivo during normal cage activities is. In addition, the in vivo strain in the rat tail vertebra subjected to mechanical loads has not been quantified.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Abstract 96: High iron or high fat diet show similar effects in inducing hepatocellular carcinoma in a mouse model

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has multiple risk factors such as Hepatitis virus infection and obesity. Iron overload may be another risk factor as patients with hemochromatosis have high levels of liver iron accumulation and higher incidence of HCC than the general population. This study aims to assess the risk of high iron diet in comparison to high fat diet in the development of HCC. Materials & Methods: We used C3HeB/FeJ male mice, which have been shown to spontaneously develop HCC. Two-month old mice were fed for 15 months with a control diet (10 kcal% from fat; 48 ppm Iron), high iron diet (HID) (10 kcal% from fat; 200 ppm Iron), high fat diet (HFD) (61.1 kcal% from fat; 48 ppm Iron), or high iron and fat diet (HIFD) (61.1 kcal% from fat; 200 ppm Iron). The presence of liver tumor was confirmed by ultrasound imaging and histology analysis. At termination, normal and tumor liver tissues were harvested for tumor size measurement, metal ion quantification, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression with RNA-seq. Results: HID like HFD induced significant body weight gain. All three diets induced HCC (4 out of 7 by HID, 7 out of 9 by HFD, and 8 out of 10 by HIFD). Yet, HCC was not found in the control diet group. The three diets showed no significantly different effects on tumor burden and grade. The concentrations of iron and copper were increased in the normal liver tissues of HID and HIFD groups. Interestingly, they were significantly lower in the tumor tissues than in the paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. Analyses of RNA-seq data revealed extensive overlap of tumor-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the three diet groups. The extensive overlap was also observed in the DEG-associated gene otology (GO) terms among the three diet groups. All three diets, but not the control diet, were shown to activate mTORC1 pathway in the tumors according to our RNA-seq data. The activation of mTORC1 pathway in the three diet-induced tumors was also confirmed with Real-time RT-PCR assays revealing upregulation of mTORC1 target genes and with immunohistochemistry showing increased phosphorylation of an mTORC1 substrate. Conclusions: The spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis in male C3HeB/FeJ mice requires HID or HFD. The lack of additive effect of HID and HFD on HCC incidence and the extensive overlap of DEGs and GO terms among tumors induced by HID and HFD suggest they may regulate common mechanisms such as mTORC1 in inducing HCC. Citation Format: Hakim Bouamar, Kalyan Kakarla, Matyas Cserhati, Fatima Ezzahra El Mroussi, Francis E Sharkey, Francisco Cigarroa, Lu-Zhe Sun. High iron or high fat diet show similar effects in inducing hepatocellular carcinoma in a mouse model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 96.
Stick-slip kinetics in a bistable bar immersed in a heat bath

Abstract Structural transitions in some rod-like biological macromolecules under tension are known to proceed by the propagation through the length of the molecule of an interface separating two phases. A continuum mechanical description of the motion of this interface, or phase boundary, takes the form of a kinetic law which relates the thermodynamic driving force across it with its velocity in the reference configuration. For biological macromolecules immersed in a heat bath, thermally activated kinetics described by the Arrhenius law is often a good choice. Here we show that ‘stick-slip’ kinetics, characteristic of friction, can also arise in an overdamped bistable bar immersed in a heat bath. To mimic a rod-like biomolecule we model the bar as a chain of masses and bistable springs moving in a viscous fluid. We conduct Langevin dynamics calculations on the chain and extract a temperature dependent kinetic relation by observing that the dissipation at a phase boundary can be estimated by performing an energy balance. Using this kinetic relation we solve boundary value problems for a bistable bar immersed in a constant temperature bath and show that the resultant force-extension relation matches very well with the Langevin dynamics results. We estimate the force fluctuations at the pulled end of the bar due to thermal kicks from the bath by using a partition function. We also show rate dependence of hysteresis in cyclic loading of the bar arising from the stick-slip kinetics. Our kinetic relation could be applied to rod-like biomolecules, such as, DNA and coiled-coil proteins which exhibit structural transitions that depend on both temperature and loading rate.
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist use after hospitalization of patients with heart failure and post-discharge outcomes: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) are an underutilized therapy for heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but the current impact of hospitalization on MRA use is not well characterized. The objective of this study was to describe contemporary MRA prescription for heart failure patients before and after the full scope of hospitalizations and the association between MRA discharge prescription and post-hospitalization outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at an academic hospital system in 2013–2016. Among 1500 included hospitalizations of 1009 unique patients with HFrEF and without MRA contraindication, the mean age was 71.9 ± 13.6 years and 443 (29.5%) were female. We compared MRA prescription before and after hospitalizations with McNemar’s test and between patients with principal and secondary diagnoses of HFrEF with the chi-square test, and association of MRA discharge prescription with 30-day and 180-day mortality and readmissions using generalized estimating equations. MRA prescriptions increased from 303 (20.2%) to 375 (25.0%) at discharge (+4.8%, p < 0.0001). More patients with principal diagnosis of HFrEF compared to those hospitalized for other reasons received MRA (34.9% versus 21.3%, p < 0.0001) and had them initiated (21.8% versus 9.7%, p < 0.0001). MRA prescription at discharge was not associated with mortality or readmission at 30 and 180 days, and there was no interaction with principal/secondary diagnosis. Among hospitalized HFrEF patients, 75% did not receive MRA before or after hospitalization, and nearly 90% of eligible patients did not have MRA initiated. As we found no signal for short-term harm after discharge, hospitalization may represent an opportunity to initiate guideline-directed heart failure therapy.
Robert A. Millikan and the Oil Drop Experiment

In 2018, we celebrated the sesquicentennial birthday of Robert A. Millikan, a Nobel laureate in physics who worked among the greats such as Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein. His name, however, is perhaps not as widely known. He was born in 1868 in Morrison, IL, and moved with his family to the small town of Maquoketa, IA, at age nine. It was in this tiny Iowan town that Millikan spent his foundational years. He passed the time playing baseball and cooling off in the Maquoketa River. Millikan’s interest in experimentation showed early on. Local changes to the rules of baseball sparked controversy over a new type of pitch: the curve ball. Silas Millikan, Robert’s father, was a college-educated man and staunchly maintained that the curve ball was simply an optical illusion, but young Millikan knew better. With the help of brothers and cousins, Millikan set up a simple experiment to prove the point. Millikan and his family set up three poles in a line out in the yard and repeatedly pitched curveballs at one another. With careful observation, Silas could see the ball travel straight along the first two poles, then visibly curve and land on the opposite side of the third. This experiment was a small victory for Millikan, and only foreshadowed his later investment in scientific study.
Second-harmonic generation in BaTiO3 thin films

Ferroelectric oxide thin films are being widely investigated for photonics applications. BaTiO3 is particularly attractive because of its large linear electro-optic coefficient, second-harmonic-generation (SHG) coefficient, and photorefractive effect. For efficient devices the films must be epitaxial and of controlled crystallographic orientation. It has proven difficult to use x-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the crystallographic orientation for several reasons. In bulk BaTiO3 the tetragonality is only 1%, leading to only a small splitting between the 00l and h00 lines. In a-axis-oriented films only the 00l lines are observed, and in c-axis, oriented films only the 00l lines are observed, and these lines may be shifted with respect to the line positions of the bulk material because of stresses or smaller tetragonality in the films.1 Thus, the unambiguous assignment of the XRD lines to the correct orientation requires a high degree of absolute accuracy in the diffraction angles and a knowledge of the strain and tetragonality of the film.
Protected Areas: Defining the Optimum Law Enforcement Resources

The chapter’s aim is to identify different strategies that are implemented in Africa and elsewhere to ensure better protection of protected areas newly created within the Lake Tumba Landscape and to find the most realistic approaches to ensure effective law enforcement, taking into account its social, economic, cultural, and historical contexts. Two models (guard density model, strategic deployment model) were used and theoretically tested. Guard density and strategic deployment scenarios were developed to project the number of staff needed by the Congolese Conservation Agency. Using the output of these scenarios, we developed a budget for optimal action in preserving the network of the Congolese protected areas. Both guard density and strategic deployment models indicated that PA in the DRC was globally understaffed, with current personnel representing respectively only 26% projected human force. The study suggested higher costs to render DRC’s PA functional, which meant that this should be borne in minds when creating new protected areas in Lake Tumba Landscape. Without minimizing the efforts of different international conservation initiatives in DRC and in Lake Tumba Landscape, the chapter conveys the message that effort consented in conservation in both areas are below minimum investment needed to make conservation work.
Visualization and Detection of Changes in Brain States Using t-SNE

Dimensionality reduction techniques are used primarily for visualization purposes. With sophisticated visualization techniques like t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE), we can preserve the original neighborhood information even in lower dimensions. Taking advantage of this property, we present a post-processing technique for fMRI data, which can identify changes in the brain states in the tSNE space. The predicted brain state changes detected by such method show high temporal correlation to actual experimental paradigm. Such a technique can be used to extract additional information and better understand the temporal characteristics during task and resting-state fMRI experiments.
Implementing Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis: A Review of Barriers and Solutions.

Specialized early interventions (SEI) for individuals diagnosed with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) are effective treatment modalities (Azrin et al. in Psychiatr Ann 45(11):548, https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20151103-05 , 2015). SEI offered immediately or shortly following a first episode improves functional and clinical outcomes for those individuals with, and at risk for, serious mental illness (SMI; Correll et al. in JAMA Psychiatry 75(6):555–565, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0623 , 2018). In the United States, SEI programs referred to as Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC), have been utilized to provide a beneficial, team-based, multi-component method of treating FEP. However, despite the success, CSC programming is still met with considerable challenges. This article reviews existing CSC literature to identify and explore relevant barriers to successful implementation of CSC. Identified barriers include stigma, cultural competence, disengagement, measurement and evaluation, workforce development, implementation in rural areas, and financial stability. The ongoing efforts to address these barriers are described and areas for continued improvements are discussed.
Ethnic-Racial Identity in Action: Structure and Content of Friends’ Conversations about Ethnicity and Race

Among emerging adults, peers are central to ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, acting as primary interlocuters in discussions about ethnicity and race. Although ERI development is understood...
Thin film instability driven dimple mode of air film failure during drop impact on smooth surfaces

Drop impact with a smooth surface can produce a dimple mode of contact due to a combined effect of a capillary wave and a thin film instability.
Radiology in Endodontics

Endodontics requires radiographic imaging for diagnosis, treatment planning, therapy, and follow-up. Dental radiography allows for the identification of pathologic changes in the periradicular tissues that cannot be visualized by clinical inspection. For the precise execution of endodontic therapy, regular radiographic verification of individual treatment steps is necessary. As a review for clinicians, normal and pathologic findings relevant to Endodontics are presented. Key radiographic imaging techniques, such as the paralleling and bisecting techniques, as well as horizontal and vertical eccentric radiographs, are discussed. The increasing utilization and impact of cone-beam computed tomography providing 3-dimensional volume imaging are reviewed.
Energy Efficiency in Optical Networks

Energy efficiency is important for optical networks in terms of scalability, low-cost operation, and sustainability. At the same time, optical networks play an important role in enabling energy efficiency for the Internet as a whole and for information and communication technologies more generally. Understanding energy in the context of optical networks begins with an understanding of the constituent components and equipment that make up an optical network and how their energy use is evolving over time. The network architecture, describing how these parts are put together and operated, will also have a considerable impact on the energy efficiency of optical networks. This impact can be modeled and understood in different ways. Perhaps the largest energy impact, however, comes from including optical networks in cross-layer design and survivability strategies. These aspects of energy-efficient optical network design are examined, along with issues related to mobile and optical network convergence, nonlinear optics and optical processing, and computer and optical network cross-optimization. An introduction to resources for recommendations and guidance from standards bodies and other organizations on the energy efficiency of optical networks is also provided.
Di-butyl phthalate (DBP) induces defects during embryonic eye development in zebrafish

Di-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a phthalate ester (PAEs) added during the manufacturing of plastics to make them stronger, yet more pliable. DBP is noncovalently bound to plastics resulting in leaching into the environment. Concerning concentrations of DBP have been noted in surface and groundwater, aquatic ecosystems, soil and atmospheric environments globally. Global production of phthalates and thus concomitant exposure has increased over the years making studies on the ecological and environmental safety needed. Most of the literature on DBP focuses on the endocrine disrupting properties of phthalate esters, but the developmental toxicity of DBP is an understudied area. Here, we treat gastrula staged zebrafish embryos with environmentally relevant concentrations of DBP (2.5 µM). We find defects in eye development at 96 h post fertilization including a decrease in the size of the lens and retina in DBP-treated embryos. Defects in eye vascularization as well as loss of the optic nerve and optic tectum were also noted. Here we conclude that exposure to environmentally relevant doses of DBP during early embryonic development is toxic to eye development.
Combining physics-based and data-driven modeling in well construction: Hybrid fluid dynamics modeling

Abstract This study presents a hybrid modeling approach combining physics-based and data-driven models for improved standpipe pressure prediction during well constructing. The proposed approach provides a more robust and accurate model that mitigates some of the disadvantages of using purely physics-based or data-driven models. We start with purely physics-based modeling of standpipe pressure, both steady-state and transient. The steady-state model can predict the magnitude of pressure during drilling and circulation, while the transient model can simulate dynamic behavior such as pressure spikes when flow is initiated and fluid gels in the wellbore are broken. We then evaluate several machine learning techniques including neural network, deep learning, Gaussian process, support vector machine, and random forest, which were trained with drilling time-series datasets. Finally, machine learning techniques are combined with physics-based models via a hidden Markov model, which involves a rule-based, stochastic decision-making algorithm. The results of the hybrid modeling exercise show that the proposed hybrid model can more accurately predict standpipe pressure and capture the transient events when compared to either physics-based or machine learning models used by themselves. The hybrid model also provides better interpretability of results compared to a purely data-driven black-box model. This is because purely data-driven models lack a connection to the underlying physics. Being able to accurately model and manage the pressure response during drilling operations is essential, especially for wells drilled in narrow-margin drilling environments. We demonstrate how pressure can be more accurately predicted through our proposed hybrid modeling, leading to safer, more optimized operations. The work is also presented as an example of the benefits of hybrid modeling in general, which can be applied to many areas of well construction beyond mere standpipe prediction.
Summary of Symposium on Malignant Transformation by Viruses

The purpose of a summary of a symposium such as we have just attended is obviously not merely to give a series of ultra-brief abstracts of everything that has been presented, but rather to give one man’s perspective of the bearing that the data to which we were exposed during the last two days have on some of the fundamental issues in the malignant transformation of cells by viruses. Another question that I have had to consider was for whom is such a summary intended. Is it for my many colleagues, who meet each other rather frequently at such symposia critically to evaluate new advances and to be stimulated into new lines of experimentation, or is it for the benefit of people who are engaged in work on malignant transformation of cells by procedures and substances that do not, at least knowingly, involve viruses, or is it for the undergraduates at this symposium, who may be enticed to enter the field of cancer research, because the program indicates that the symposium is sponsored by an Undergraduate Cancer Training Grant from the National Cancer Institute? I have decided to attempt a summary that may be both comprehensible and meaningful to all of these people.
A Mechanistic View of the Fungal/Plant Interaction Based on Host-Specific Toxin Studies

Studies of host-specific toxins in the United States have been initiated in several laboratories, but the primary proponent of their utility to probe molecular mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis was Robert P. Scheffer. Under his influence, advances have been made in the discovery of host-specific toxins, their chemistry, their sites of action in and physiological effects on host plants, their roles in fungal pathogenesis, and the genetics of toxin production by fungi. One of his most significant contributions was to identify single genetic elements, each of which controls biosynthesis of a particular host-specific toxin. This led several investigators, after the advent of molecular genetics, to clone these elements and discover that they are large complex regions of DNA containing genes essential for toxin biosynthesis and transport. Moreover, each of these regions is unique to the genome of a particular toxin producing strain, prompting speculation that toxin biosynthesis in fungi arises as a result of horizontal gene transfer. Although it is well established that host-specific toxins contribute to the determination of fungal host range, other factors are required for general pathogenesis to plants. We have recently cloned a gene encoding a cyclic peptide synthetase, which is found in a wide array of fungal plant pathogens, and have proven by gene disruption that the hypothetical cyclic peptide is required for pathogenesis by at least two of them. Thus, it appears that some fungi exploit their capacity for production of multiple secondary metabolites to mediate their interactions with host plants.
Facilitating Revision in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Composition Classroom through Computer-Based Multimodal Composing Activities: A Case Study of Composing Practices of ESL Students.

Literature on second language (L2) writing indicates that, on their own, L2 writers are not able to notice problems with the linguistic and rhetorical features of their drafts and do successful self-revision; and that there is the need to facilitate self-revision in the L2 writing classroom. In view of this need, this dissertation explored the potential of computer-based multimodal composing activities (CBMCA) to help L2 writers’ do self-revision in academic writing. It analyzed how 22 English as a second language (ESL) students used the CBMCA to facilitate self-revision as they composed academic papers. Data collection and analysis were based on a descriptive case study with embedded quantitative data and an integrated theoretical framework of Multimodality, (Kress V however, there was a significant correlation
The Effect of Direct to Consumer Advertising on Prescription Drug Prices and Sales

The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs on prescription drug prices and sales. Major increases in broadcast DTCA began in August 1997 when the FDA eliminated the requirement that broadcast advertising present all of the information on the product insert in the advertisement. From 1995 to 2005 DTCA went from $380 million year to $4.24 billion year. Today only the U.S. and New Zealand allow broadcast DTCA. The model shows that a time limited monopoly will initially set prices low and advertising high which will reverse over the patent life. Advertising ends with the expiration of the patent. A pooled data set for all advertised and non-advertised drugs in four major therapeutic classes spanning the period of 1994-2005 was created. Regression models of prescription drug prices and sales on DTCA, detailing, free samples and patent expiration were estimated. Preliminary results suggest that broadcast DTCA has increased prescription drug prices and sales. The expansion in broadcast DTCA may be responsible for about 18 percent of the overall growth in prescription drug expenditures over the sample period. About two-thirds of the growth in expenditures is due to increased sales and about one-third is due to higher prices.
Comparison of unburned fuel and aldehyde emissions from a methanol-fueled stratified charge and homogeneous charge engine

This paper presents the results of an experimental program in which a Texaco L-163S engine was fueled with methanol and operated in its traditional stratified charge mode and then modified to run as a homogenous charge spark ignited engine. The primary data taken were the aldehyde and unburned fuel emissions (UBF). These data were taken using a continuous time-averaging sampling probe at the exhaust tank and at the exhaust port and with a rotary time-resolving sampling valve located at the exhaust port. The data indicate that for both the stratified charge and the homogeneous charge modes of operation formaldehyde was the only aldehyde detected in the exhaust and it primarily originated in the cylinder.
Numerical computation of incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals of the Hankel type for complex-valued arguments

[1] Incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals (ILHIs) form an important class of special functions since they appear in numerous applications in engineering and physics. While ILHIs of the Hankel type can be expressed as linear combinations of ILHIs of the Bessel and Neumann types, this procedure can lead to computational inaccuracies. As shown in this paper, these inaccuracies can be avoided by directly computing ILHIs of the Hankel types (both the first and second kinds). If desired, these results can then be combined to obtain accurate values for the ILHIs of the Bessel and Neumann types. Series representations for complementary incomplete Lipschitz-Hankel integrals (CILHIs) are also derived in this paper. CILHIs are often needed to avoid numerical inaccuracies caused by finite precision arithmetic. In order to better understand this group of special functions, the characteristics of ILHIs and CILHIs of the Hankel type are also discussed.
Insulin receptor signaling

VIII. Summary In conclusion, major advances in the mechanisms of IR signaling have occurred during the past year. The observation that the IR functions, at least in part, by activating members of the Ras family allows new strategies for elucidating the specific effects of the IR on protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. Hopefully, these studies will lead to a greater understanding of the defects in IR signaling that occur in NIDDM.
ROLE OF GLYCOSYLATION IN THE EXPRESSION OF HUMAN PROCATHEPSIN D

Human procathepsin D carries two N-linked glycosylation sites at asparagine residues 70 and 199, widely separated on the surface of the folded protein. We created monoglycosylated procathepsin D molecules by site-directed mutagenesis in vitro of the individual glycosylation sites. With only two exceptions, all 12 mutants of this type were expressed efficiently in mammalian cells. The expressed proteins were stable, targeted to the lysosome, and partially secreted into the medium. When both glycosylation sites were eliminated, however, the expressed proteins (9 different mutants) were stable but most were not secreted and targeted poorly to the lysosome. Mammalian fibroblasts appear to sort nascent procathepsin D efficiently only if it is N-glycosylated. Procathepsin D monoglycosylated at N70 is readily distinguished from the endogenous protein in transfected human cells and thus provides an excellent substrate for studying lysosomal targeting in an homologous system.
Drugs, insecticides and other agents from Artemisia.

Abstract Essential oils from Artemisia (wormwood) are of botanical and pharmaceutical interest. They are used in traditional remedies in many parts of the world. In pure from the oil is a narcotic poison. Nearly all species are intensively bitter and strongly aromatic. Extracted substances from the plant have an antibacterial action and some of these subtances have potential use in mosquito control. Other properties include toxicity to nematodes and inhibition of seedling growth of. Several chemical compounds have been isolated and identified.
Closed circles or open networks?: Communicating at a distance during the scientific revolution

L'A. analyse les travaux et le sens des eventuels liens des echanges internationaux de l'information scientifique a la fin du XVII e siecle
Fracture strength characterization of tubular ceramic materials using a simple c-ring geometry

The potential application of the c-ring compression specimen for strength determinations involving tubular ceramic samples was investigated. Mathematical descriptions of the stress distributions generated within the c-ring were derived using several approaches. The resulting equations were used in conjunction with a Weibull analysis to predict a relationship between failure probability and fracture strength. Finally, the validity of the c-ring test was examined for a SiC ceramic by comparing the c-ring strength data with that obtained from four-point bend samples.
Investigations into the efficacy of 1,N6-ethenoadenosine triphosphate as a substrate for contractility studies☆

Abstract 1, N 6 -Ethenoadenosine triphosphate was found to support superprecipitation of actomyosin and contraction of fibers. Its reactivity toward myosin parallels that of ITP. The relevance of these results in elucidating the mechanism for myosin nucleotide triphosphatase is discussed.
Cancer genome sequencing: the challenges ahead.

A major challenge for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Project is solving the high level of genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity of cancer. For the majority of solid tumors, evolution patterns are stochastic and the end products are unpredictable, in contrast to the relatively predictable stepwise patterns classically described in many hematological cancers. Further, it is genome aberrations, rather than gene mutations, that are the dominant factor in generating abnormal levels of system heterogeneity in cancers. These features of cancer could significantly reduce the impact of the sequencing approach, as it is only when mutated genes are the main cause of cancer that directly sequencing them is justified. Many biological factors (genetic and epigenetic variations, metabolic processes) and environmental influences can increase the probability of cancer formation, depending on the given circumstances. The common link between these factors is the stochastic genome variations that provide the driving force behind the cancer evolutionary process within multiple levels of a biological system. This analysis suggests that cancer is a disease of probability and the most-challenging issue to the TCGA project, as well as the development of general strategies for fighting cancer, lie at the conceptual level. BioEssays 29:783–794, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional response and progeny production of the Madeira mealybug parasitoid, Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope: The effect of host stage preference

Abstract Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope Noyes & Menezes (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a koinobiont parasitoid with an oviposition preference for the third-instar and pre-reproductive adult female Madeira mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). In this study, we report that host stage preference significantly influenced the parasitoid’s functional response and progeny production. The parasitoids exhibited a type II functional response when offered either second-instar or pre-reproductive adult female P. madeirensis at densities of 2–70 mealybugs per patch. The number of mealybugs parasitized within a 24-h period increased with host density up to the estimated maximum of 13 adults and 28 second-instar nymphs. The total number of progeny produced was higher from adult mealybugs and increased with host density until threshold densities (20 adults or 30 second-instar nymphs per patch) were reached. The maximum number of progeny produced in both host stages over a 24-h period was limited by the daily egg load, which was on average 23. Brood size was consistently higher in adult mealybugs and at higher host densities. The proportion of males decreased with an increase in host density and was higher when emerging from the adult mealybugs. Brood size and sex ratio of Anagyrus sp. nov. nr. sinope were similar at higher host densities, suggesting that there was a critical density after which the parasitoids only deposited a fixed brood size or sex ratio.
Performance of an Active Composite Strut for an Intelligent Composite Modified Stewart Platform for Thrust Vector Control

Adaptive or intelligent structures which have the capability for sensing and responding to their environment promise a novel approach to satisfying the stringent performance requirements of future space missions. This research effort focuses on the development and performance evaluation of an active composite strut (ACS) with precision positioning and active vibration suppression capabilities for use in space structures. Such ACS has potentials to be used as active strut members in Stewart platforms, modified Stewart platforms (MSPs), space truss structures, etc. The developed ACS utilizes piezoelectric actuators/sensors providing precision positioning and vibration suppression capabilities that would enhance mission performance of space structures by fine position-tuning, and potentially eliminating the nonoperational period of a satellite while minimizing the fuel consumption utilized for its position correction in a thrust vector control (TVC) application.Precision positioning of the ACS is achieved by...
Examining the Interaction of Acceptance and Understanding: How Does the Relationship Change with a Focus on Macroevolution?

The goal of this research was to illuminate the relationship between students’ acceptance and understanding of macroevolution. Our research questions were: (1) Is there a relationship between knowledge of macroevolution and acceptance of the theory of evolution?; (2) Is there a relationship between the amount of college level biology course work and acceptance of evolutionary theory and knowledge of macroevolution?; and (3) Can college student acceptance of the theory of evolution and knowledge of macroevolution change over the course of a semester? The research participants included 667 students from a first-semester biology course and 74 students from the evolutionary biology course. Data were collected using both the MATE (a measure of the acceptance of evolutionary theory) and the MUM (a measure of understanding of macroevolution). Pre-instruction data were obtained for the introductory biology course, and pre- and post-data were obtained for the evolutionary biology course. Analysis revealed acceptance of evolution (as measured by the MATE) was correlated to understanding of macroevolution, and the number of biology courses was significantly correlated to acceptance and knowledge of macroevolution. Finally, there was a statistically significant change in students’ understanding of macroevolution and acceptance of evolution after the one-semester evolutionary biology course. Significance of these findings is discussed.
Long-range radical cation migration in DNA: Investigation of the mechanism

During the past decade, long-range radical cation migration in DNA has been an area of extensive experimental and theoretical examination. The motivations for the vigorous investigation of this topic are its potential to yield a deeper understanding of the processes that cause oxidative damage of genomic DNA and the potential for use of DNA architectures in molecular electronics. This investigation has revealed the mechanisms of charge transport and the limitations of DNA as a functional element in devices. In this article we discuss various aspects of the radical cation migration process and present the plausible mechanism by which this process occurs.
Structure-activity relationships for nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules

Twenty-four nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules, mono- and dicyclic homologs from each of 12 different analog sets, were studied to determine their relative acute static toxicities, monitored as population growth impairment to the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. Quantitative structure-activity correlations between the molecular descriptors log l-octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) and log toxicity are reported. Using the complete data set the descriptor does not provide an adequate model for predictability. A scatter plot of log Kow versus log toxicity suggests two parallel linear correlations: one consisting of the more complex multiple H-polar nitrogen-containing compounds and the other with the single H-polar and in-ring substituted nitrogen-containing compounds.
The age distribution, rates, and types of surgery for stress urinary incontinence in the USA

The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery across age groups in the USA in 2003. Patients were grouped into four age categories: reproductive, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly. Data from the 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey and National Census were used to estimate surgical rates by age group. In 2003, 129,778 women underwent 165,776 surgical procedures for SUI. Of these women, 12.2, 53.0, 30.4, and 4.5% belonged to reproductive, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly age groups, respectively. Surgical rates (per 10,000 women) were 4, 17, 19, and 9 in these age groups, respectively. Complications occurred most frequently in reproductive age women. Overall, SUI surgical rates were similar for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and exceeded that in the elderly population. The greatest percentage of surgical procedures occurred in perimenopausal women. Women at all stages of reproductive life may seek surgical treatment for SUI.