cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pontocerebellar volume deficits and ataxia in alcoholic men and women: no evidence for “telescoping”

Introduction Brain volume shrinkage is common in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorders. Whether women are more vulnerable to brain dysmorphology than men despite lower alcohol consumption levels or shorter dependency (“telescoping effect”) remains controversial and has not been considered with respect to infratentorial structures or their potential contribution to ataxia.
Conserved polyadenylation signals in two negative-strand RNA virus families.

Abstract The five most abundantly expressed genes of the paramyxovirus, Sendai virus, terminate with the common sequence 3′-AUUC(U) 5 -5′. This is markedly similar to the geneterminal consensus sequence 3′-AUAC(U) 7 -5′ of the rhabdovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus.
Inhibition of sciatic nerve sterologenesis in hexacarbon-induced distal axonopathy in the rat

Abstract Sterologenesis from [ 14 C]acetate and [ 3 H]mevalonolactone has been studied, in vitro , in sciatic nerves of rats fed 1% 2,5-hexanedione in the drinking water for 6 weeks. Nerves from rats given 2,5-hexanedione, in comparison with those from pair-fed control rats, exhibited reduced incorporation of [ 14 C]acetate, but not of [ 3 H]mevalonolactone, into the sterol precursor squalene (38%), C 30 sterols (53%), C 27 sterols (46%), and digitonin-precipitable sterols (41%). Sterologenesis was not inhibited in nerves obtained from untreated rats and incubated in vitro with 1 m m 2,5-hexanedione, nor in nerves of rats that had inhaled 1000 ppm n -hexane for 6 hr. Incorporation of [ 14 C]acetate into triacylglycerols of nerves from rats exposed to n -hexane was increased by 50%; [ 14 C]acetate incorporation into other lipid fractions was similar in n -hexane-exposed and control rats. The concentration of 2,5-hexanedione in nerves of rats receiving 1% 2,5-hexanedione in drinking water for 6 weeks or exposed to 1000 ppm n -hexane for 6 hr was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and found to be 0.8 ± 0.2 and 5.2 ± 0.6 μg/g tissue wet weight, respectively.
Education and the Poor in 18th Century America.

(1971). Education and the Poor in 18th Century America. The Educational Forum: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 367-374.
Environmental Justice as Recognition and Participation in Risk Assessment: Negotiating and Translating Health Risk at a Superfund Site in Indian Country

Geographic research on environmental justice and risk is moving beyond its conventional focus on proximity and spatial distribution, increasingly recognizing multiple spatialities entailed in other dimensions of environmental justice—including recognition and participation—and in risk itself. Critical scholarship on environmental justice, however, has insufficiently considered the process of risk assessment, and research on the construction of risk has not fully engaged with the implications of environmental justice. Through analysis of human health risk assessment at the St. Regis Superfund site, on the Leech Lake Reservation in Minnesota, this article investigates intersections between spatialities of risk and spatialities of environmental justice as participation and recognition. I argue that the historical production of the reservation as place, territory, and scale lies at the origin not only of distributive injustices but also of injustices of misrecognition and marginalized participation in the ass...
The Role of Luteinizing Hormone in Regulation of Testicular Inhibin α and β-B Subunit Messenger RNAs in Immature and Adult Animals*

In vivo and in vitro evidence indicates that FSH is a primary regulator of testicular inhibin production. However, recent reports suggest that LH may also promote inhibin secretion in vivo. To investigate whether LH regulates inhibin subunit messenger RNA (mRNA) expression as well, we examined the effects of hypophysectomy and LH replacement on the testicular content of inhibin alpha and beta-B subunit mRNAs in sexually immature and adult rats. Twenty- and 60-day-old intact and hypophysectomized rats received saline or 0.25, 2.5, 25.0, or 250 micrograms ovine LH/100 g body wt sc, twice daily for 7 days beginning on the day after hypophysectomy (n = 5/group in three separate experiments). The inhibin subunit mRNA content of each testis was measured for statistical analysis by dot-blot hybridization, and experimental results were confirmed by northern analysis of poly(A) RNA from each sample. In immature animals, the testicular content of both inhibin subunit mRNAs was decreased after hypophysectomy; inhibin alpha and beta-B mRNA levels were decreased to 6.9 +/- 0.9% and 31.7 +/- 2.7% of intact control values, respectively. In adult animals, hypophysectomy resulted in a more modest decrease in inhibin alpha subunit mRNA per testis (44.9 +/- 3.1% of controls) but had no effect on beta-B subunit mRNA. Replacement of LH to immature hypophysectomized animals did not alter levels of mRNA for either inhibin subunit. However, in adults LH restored testicular inhibin alpha subunit mRNA content in testes of hypophysectomized animals to levels seen in intact, saline-treated control animals. LH replacement also slightly but consistently decreased testicular beta-B subunit mRNA content compared to levels seen in hypophysectomized, saline-treated rats. These results indicate that although the response of inhibin subunit mRNAs to pituitary input decreases as a function of sexual maturation, LH may play an important role in regulation of inhibin subunit mRNA expression in adult but not immature testes. The mechanism(s) of LH action on testicular inhibin subunit gene expression is currently unknown, but may involve either direct actions of LH on Leydig cell inhibin subunit mRNAs or indirect actions of interstitial cell factors on Sertoli cell inhibin subunit gene expression.
The posterior cruciate ligament in total knee replacement

Abstract Whether to retain or sacrifice the posterior cruciate ligament during total knee replacement is controversial. This review examines the evidence for and against retention of the ligament and suggests circumstances in which the ligament should be sacrificed and those in which it is advantageous to keep it. The review discusses the function and anatomy of the posterior cruciate ligament, a historical overview of knee prosthesis design, surgical techniques for performing knee replacement with either retention or resection and advantages and disadvantages of both methods.
Generalized hexagons of order (t,t)

A generalized hexagon of order (t,t) in which certain subsets are maximal may be characterized as the generalized hexagon associated with Dickson’s groupG2(t). From this geometric result, it follows that ifG is a group of automorphisms of a generalized hexagon of order (p,p) for a primep and ifG has rank 4 on points, thenG ⊵G2(p).
Czochralski growth of single-crystal gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7)

Single-crystal boules of gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7) were grown from even- and off-stoichiometry melts under differing conditions of oxygen fugacity (ƒO2). Growth was accomplished by the Czochralski method at 1600°C and 105 Pa (1 atm) total pressure, using inductively heated Ir or Pt-20%Rh crucibles. The supra melt gas ambients included air (ƒO2 = 0.2 × 104 Pa), Ar (10 Pa), Ar-50%CO2-2%H2 (10-2 Pa), and Ar-4%H2-1.5%H2O (10-4 Pa). Colorless, transparent material up to 8 mm diam. by 15 mm long was obtained from the evenly stoichiometric melt composition under Ar at growth rates of 1.5 mm/h or less. Growth at rates exceeding 2 mm/h or growth at a high ƒO2 (e.g., air), led to the formation of bubbles and elongated voids or inclusions, predominantly in the core regions of boules. Optical, X-ray diffraction, and electron-induced X-ray flourescence data are included.
Reclaiming the peppered moth

Once the textbook example of evolution in action, the peppered moth has been annexed by creationists. Now biologists are fighting to take it back
Intrinsic Optical Signal Imaging of Retinal Activation

Fast intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) correlated with stimulus-activated retinal responses are reviewed. Fast IOSs have a time course comparable to the stimulus-evoked electrophysiological kinetics of the retina, and thus promise a new methodology for high-resolution evaluation of the physiological health of the retina. However, practical application of fast IOSs for retinal study and diagnosis is challenging because of their low sensitivity and limited specificity. Using isolated amphibian retinas, a series of experiments to optimize and characterize fast IOSs has been conducted. Fast, high-resolution nearinfrared light imaging disclosed both positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing) optical responses in adjacent retinal areas, which satisfied spatial resolution essential to the differentiation of IOSs from opposite polarities. At the subcellular (∼μm) level, fast IOSs often exceeded 5% ΔI/I, where I is the dynamic optical change, and I is the background light intensity. Experiments with isolated frog retinas suggest that negative IOSs stem primarily from the photoreceptor layer, while positive IOSs come from inner retinal layers.
Bridging cardiogenic shock patients with short-term ventricular support at a community hospital to long-term ventricular support at a tertiary hospital.

Background Patients in cardiogenic shock require immediate circulatory support. Outcomes of patients who underwent short-term ventricular assist device (STVAD) implantation in a community hospital (CH) as a bridge to a long-term VAD (LTVAD) were compared with those who received both implants at the same tertiary hospital (TH). Methods Data were retrospectively reviewed for patients with a STVAD who were bridged to a LTVAD in a TH from 1997 to 2010. We studied outcomes and survival censored for cardiac transplantation. Results Thirty-seven patients (73% male) were identified. Mean age was 52 ± 16 years, 30% were diabetic, and 65% had intra-aortic balloon pump support. Reasons for STVAD implantation were an acute myocardial infarction, 38%; post-cardiotomy, 38%, decompensated chronic heart failure, 19%; and others, 5%. A STVAD was implanted in a CH in 20 patients (54%), and they had fewer cardiovascular risk factors than those whose STVAD was implanted at the TH. All patients at the CH were at Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support 1 compared with 71% at the TH ( p = 0.014). Patients from the CH tended to die sooner after LTVAD implant, although long-term survival was similar. At the 1-year follow-up, 65% from the CH were alive or had received a transplant vs 60% from the TH. Conclusion Patients with cardiogenic shock in whom a STVAD was implanted in a CH and then were bridged to a LTVAD in a TH had similar long-term survival as those bridged to LTVAD at the TH.
Two-dimensional surface strain measurement based on a variation of Yamaguchi's laser-speckle strain gauge

A novel optical method of measuring 2-D surface strain is proposed. Two linear strains along orthogonal axes and the shear strain between those axes is determined by a variation of Yamaguchi's laser-speckle strain gage technique. It offers the advantages of shorter data acquisition times, less stringent alignment requirements, and reduced decorrelation effects when compared to a previously implemented optical strain rosette technique. The method automatically cancels the translational and rotational components of rigid body motion while simplifying the optical system and improving the speed of response.
A randomized controlled trial of clean intermittent self-catheterization versus suprapubic catheterization after urogynecologic surgery.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of significant bacteruria between clean intermittent self-catheterization (CISC) and suprapubic catheterization (SPC) after urogynecologic surgery. Study Design Patients were randomized to CISC or SPC. A urinalysis and patient satisfaction questionnaire were conducted on postoperative days 2 and 7. Urine culture was performed for positive urinalysis. Significant bacteruria was defined as > 100,000 cfu/mL. To detect a decrease in bacteruria risk from 25% to 10%, 113 subjects per group were needed with 80% power and α of 0.05. Results Of 248 randomized patients, 210 were included in the final analysis. The overall risk of bacteruria was 27% with no difference between SPC and CISC (31% vs 23%, P = .23). Patients reported more frustration ( P = .01) and more difficulty ( P = .003) using CISC. Conclusion There was no difference in risk of significant bacteruria between CISC and SPC. Patients reported more frustration and difficulty with self-catheterization.
Gender, estrogen, and NOS: cautions about generalizations.

Evidence from observational studies as well as prospective randomized trials indicates that the incidence of coronary artery disease is less in premenopausal women compared with age-matched men and in postmenopausal women who are using estrogen replacement therapy.1 2 The mechanisms by which estrogen reduces development of cardiovascular disease are multifactorial and, in addition to alterations in lipid metabolism, include actions on all components of the vascular wall (endothelial, smooth muscle, and adventitial cells), neurons, and blood elements (platelets and leukocytes). Changes in production of nitric oxide (NO) have been implicated as one of the cellular biochemical-related pathways regulated by estrogen that may contribute to gender and hormonal differences in the progression of cardiovascular disease.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 NO is synthesized from l-arginine by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). NOS consists of three isoforms: type I, neuronal; type II, inducible; and type III, endothelial/constitutive. In this issue of Circulation Research , Garcia-Duran et al10 add to the accumulating body of evidence suggesting that estrogen directly modulates expression of NOS, in particular the neuronal isoform (type I) in neutrophils. With use of Western blot analysis of protein isolated from neutrophils, levels of neuronal NOS were greater in neutrophils from premenopausal women during the ovulatory phase of the estrus cycle when estrogen is high compared with the follicular phase when circulating levels of estrogen fall. In addition, expression of neuronal NOS increased in neutrophils of postmenopausal women who were using transdermal estrogen replacement (50 mg/d) for 4 months. The range of circulating estrogen over which these changes in neuronal NOS …
A hierarchy of evolution programs: An experimental study

In this paper we present the concept of evolution programs and discuss a hierarchy of such programs for a particular problem. We argue that (for a particular problem) stronger evolution programs (in terms of the problem-specific knowledge incorporated in the system) should perform better than weaker ones. This hypothesis is based on a number of experiments and a simple intuition that problem-specific knowledge enhances an algorithm's performance; at the same time it narrows the applicability of an algorithm. Trade-offs between the effort of finding an effective representation for general-purpose evolution programs and the effort of developing more specialized systems are also discussed.
Measuring and modelling seasonal variation of carbon dioxide and water vapour exchange of a Pinus ponderosa forest subject to soil water deficit.

Summary We conducted ecosystem carbon and water vapour exchange studies in an old-growth Pinus ponderosa forest in the Pacific North-west region of the United States. The canopy is heterogeneous, with tall multiaged trees and an open, clumped canopy with low leaf area. Carbon assimilation can occur throughout relatively mild winters, although night frosts can temporarily halt the process and physiological factors limit its efficiency. In contrast, carbon assimilation is often limited in the ‘growing season’ by stomatal closure associated with high evaporative demand (D) and soil water deficits. All of these factors present a challenge to effectively modelling ecosystem processes. Our objective was to generate an understanding of the controls on ecosystem processes across seasonal and annual cycles from a combination of fine-scale process modelling, ecophysiological measurements, and carbon and water vapour fluxes measured by the eddy covariance method. Flux measurements showed that 50% and 70% of the annual carbon uptake occurred outside the ‘growing season’ (defined as bud break to senescence, ∼ days 125–275) in 1996 and 1997. On a daily basis in summer, net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was low when D and soil water deficits were large. Whole ecosystem water vapour fluxes (LE) increased from spring to summer (1.0–1.9 mm d−1) as conducting leaf area increased by 30% and as evaporative demand increased, while evaporation from the soil surface became a smaller portion of total LE as soil water deficits increased. The models underestimated soil evaporation, particularly following rain. In the SPA model, varying the temperature optimum for photosynthesis seasonally resulted in overestimation of carbon uptake in winter and spring, showing that in coniferous forests, assumptions about temperature optima are clearly important. Daily estimates of soil surface CO2 flux from measurements and site meteorological data demonstrated that modelling of soil CO2 flux based on an Arrhenius-type equation in CANPOND overestimated CO2 respired from the soil during drought and when temperatures were low.
How reading comprehension is embodied and why that matters

Reading comprehension, much like comprehension of situations and comprehension of oral language, is embodied. In all cases, comprehension is the ability to take effective action on the basis of affordances related to the body, the physical world, and personal goals and cultural norms. In language contexts, action-based comprehension arises from simulating the linguistic content using neural and bodily systems of perception, action, and emotion. Within this framework, a new approach to teaching reading comprehension is described: Teach children how to simulate while reading. The Moved by Reading intervention teaches simulation in two stages. In the first stage, physical manipulation, children manipulate toys to simulate the content of what they are reading. After success in physically manipulating the toys, the children are taught to manipulate the toys in imagination. Research demonstrates that both physical and imagined manipulation leads to large gains in memory and comprehension.
Understanding Foster Youth Outcomes Is Propensity Scoring Better Than Traditional Methods

Objectives: This study seeks to examine the relationship between foster care and outcomes using multiple comparison methods to account for factors that put foster youth at risk independent of care. Methods: Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, matching, propensity scoring, and comparisons to the general population are used to examine whether results differ depending on the matching strategy. Results: Propensity scoring produces a better model and more closely matched groups than traditional matching. No group differences emerge in outcomes using propensity scoring; however, differences emerge in other schemes. Conclusions: When examining outcomes for foster youth, it is important to consider multiple matching strategies, as this may affect results. Propensity scoring may be one approach to inform child welfare practice.
Endoscopic brow approach for frontal osteoma in a pediatric patient

Osteomas are benign bony growths that have been reported following trauma. Previous management of forehead osteomas has centered around direct excision, but there has been a recent interest in endoscopic resection to improve cosmesis. Endoscopic resection has previously been described in adults, but not in children. We describe a case of a 15-year-old who developed a forehead osteoma following trauma that was resected entirely endoscopically, leaving no visible scar with resolution of edema and good cosmetic result as early as post-operative day 9. Our case lends evidence to support the safe and effective use of this technique in adolescents.
Evidence of Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection in 4 Immunocompetent Patients with Encephalitis

We describe 4 patients with encephalitis due to possible reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection who were enrolled in the California Encephalitis Project. All were immunocompetent and had HHV-6 loads determined in cerebrospinal fluid specimens. Tests for detection of HHV-6 should be considered for individuals with encephalitis.
Toxicity of silica nanoparticles depends on size, dose, and cell type.

Monodisperse spherical silica nanoparticles (SNPs) with diameters of 20–200 nm were employed to study size, dose, and cell-type dependent cytotoxicity in A549 and HepG2 epithelial cells and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. These uniform SNPs of precisely controlled sizes eliminated uncertainties arising from mixed sizes, and uniquely allowed the probing of effects entirely size-dependent. Cell viability, membrane disruption, oxidative stress, and cellular uptake were studied. The extent and mechanism of SNP cytotoxicity were found to be not only size and dose dependent, but also highly cell type dependent. Furthermore, the 60 nm SNPs exhibited highly unusual behavior in comparison to particles of other sizes tested, implying interesting possibilities for controlling cellular activities using nanoparticles. Specifically, the 60 nm SNPs were preferentially endocytosed by cells and, at high doses, caused a disproportionate decrease in cell viability. The present work may help elucidate certain contradictions among existing results on nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity.
Why Retailers Sell Private Labels

This paper interprets private label marketing as a retailer instrument for overcoming the double-marginalization problem inherent in the distribution of well-known manufacturer brands. Retailers with some degree of market power carry private label substitutes for popular national brands in order to capture more profit from the vertical structures they share with brand manufacturers. The net effect of private label marketing is to improve the performance of distribution channels. After presenting a formal model and deriving analytical results, the paper gathers some empirical evidence that supports these results.
Studies of liquid-metal erosion and free surface flowing liquid lithium retention of helium at the University of Illinois

Abstract The erosion of liquid-metals from low-energy particle bombardment at 45° incidence has been measured for a combination of species and target materials in the ion-surface interaction experiment (IIAX) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Measurements include bombardment of liquid Li, Sn–Li and Sn by H+, D+, He+, and Li+ particles at energies from 100 to 1000 eV and temperatures from 20 to 420 °C. Lithium sputtering near and just above the melting point shows little change compared to room temperature, solid-Li yields. When lithium is sputtered, about 2/3 of the sputtered flux is in the charged state. Temperature-dependent sputtering results show enhanced (up to an order-of-magnitude increase) sputter yields as the temperature of the sample is increased about a factor of two of the melting point for all liquid-metals studied (e.g., Li, Sn–Li, and Sn). The enhancement is explained by two mechanisms: near-surface binding of eroded atoms and the nature of the near-surface recoil energy and angular distribution as a function of temperature. The Flowing Liquid Retention Experiment (FLIRE) measured particle transport by flowing liquid films when exposed to energetic particles. Measurements of retention coefficient were performed for helium ions implanted by an ion beam into flowing liquid lithium at 230 °C in the FLIRE facility. A linear dependence of the retention coefficient with implanted particle energy is found, given by the expression R = (5.3 ± 0.2) × 10−3 keV−1. The ion flux level did not have an effect for the flux level used in this work (∼1013 cm−2 s−1) and square root dependence with velocity is also observed, which is in agreement with existing particle transport models.
INTEGRATING THE PRINCIPLES OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT INTO LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANNING

The lack of early integration with the planning and decision-making process has been a major problem in environmental assessment. Traditional project-based environmental impact assessment has inadequate incentives and capacities to incorporate critical environmental impacts at a broader temporal or spatial scale. While many applications have been geared towards implementing project-level environmental assessments, comparatively little research has been done to determine how to incorporate strategically critical environmental impacts into local comprehensive land use planning. Although the principles of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) are not yet required in local comprehensive land use planning in the United States, these principles create a theoretical framework for local environmental assessment. This study builds a theoretical framework for more effectively integrating the principles of strategic environmental assessment into local comprehensive land use plans. The empirical case study results indicate that California local jurisdictions did not fully integrated the SEA principles into their local plans.
PKCζ participates in activation of inflammatory response induced by enteropathogenic E. coli

We showed previously that enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection of intestinal epithelial cells induces inflammation by activating NF-κB and upregulating IL-8 expression. We also report...
Gastrulation occurs in multiple phases at two distinct sites in Latrodectus and Cheiracanthium spiders.

The longstanding canonical model of spider gastrulation posits that cell internalization occurs only at a unitary central blastopore; and that the cumulus (dorsal organizer) arises from within the early deep layer by cell–cell interaction. Recent work has begun to challenge the canonical model by demonstrating cell internalization at extra-blastoporal sites in two species (Parasteatoda tepidariorum and Zygiella x-notata); and showing in Zygiella that the prospective cumulus internalizes first, before other cells are present in the deep layer. The cell behaviors making up spider gastrulation thus appear to show considerable variation, and a wider sampling of taxa is indicated. We evaluated the model in three species from two families by direct observation of living embryos. Movements of individual cells were traced from timelapse recordings and the origin and fate of the cumulus determined by CM-DiI labeling. We show that there are two distinct regions of internalization: most cells enter the deep layer via the central blastopore but many additional cells ingress via an extra-blastoporal ring, either at the periphery of the germ disc (Latrodectus spp.) or nearer the central field (Cheiracanthium mildei). In all species, the cumulus cells internalize first; this is shown by tracing cells in timelapse, histology, and by CM-DiI injection into the deep layer. Injection very early in gastrulation labels only cumulus mesenchyme cells whereas injections at later stages label non-cumulus mesoderm and endoderm. We propose a revised model to accommodate the new data. Our working model has the prospective cumulus cells internalizing first, at the central blastopore. The cumulus cells begin migration before other cells enter the deep layer. This is consistent with early specification of the cumulus and suggests that cell–cell interaction with other deep layer cells is not required for its function. As the cumulus migrates, additional mesendoderm internalizes at two distinct locations: through the central blastopore and at an extra-blastoporal ring. Our work thus demonstrates early, cell-autonomous behavior of the cumulus and variation in subsequent location and timing of cell internalization during gastrulation in spiders.
Designing a Scalable Parallel System: the IBM SP2

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the IBM SP2 is a general purpose scalable parallel system designed to address a variety of application areas and customer environments. Generally available SP2 systems range from 2 to 128 nodes, although much larger systems, up to 512 nodes have been delivered and are successfully being used today. The nodes are the latest POWER2 technology RS/6000 processors, interconnected with a high performance multi-stage packet-switched network for inter-processor communication. Standard AIX operating system is complemented with a set of software products for system management, job management, and application development and execution in the parallel environment. The system is designed for flexibility and availability, and addresses a wide range of application areas in the high-end UNIX technical and commercial computing area. The chapter discusses the underlying philosophy that guided the design of the SP2 system and then gives an overview of the architecture and structure of the system and some of the primary system components, including wherever relevant the rationale for significant system design decisions. There is also some discussion about the system performance and future system challenges.
Modulation of Estrogen Receptor-mediated Transactivation by Orphan Receptor TR4 in MCF-7 Cells

The human testicular orphan receptor 4 (TR4) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that shows a broad tissue distribution with higher expression in the nervous system and male reproductive tract. TR4 functions as a transcriptional modulator that controls various target genes via binding to the DNA hormone response elements. Here we report that instead of direct binding to hormone response elements for gene regulation, TR4 can also go through direct protein-protein interaction to repress estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated transactivation. Electrophoretic mobility shift and glutathioneS-transferase pull-down assays clearly demonstrate that the direct interaction between TR4 and ER will inhibit the homodimerization of ER and interrupt/prevent ER binding to the estrogen response element. The consequence of these events may then result in the suppression of ER target genes, such as cyclin D1 and pS2 and inhibition of ER-mediated cell proliferation in the MCF-7 cells stably transfected with TR4. Together, our results showing that TR4 can suppress ER function via protein-protein interaction not only represent a unique cross-talk signaling pathway in the nuclear receptor superfamily, it may also provide us with a new strategy to modulate ER function in the breast cancer cells.
Evolutionary and ecological response of pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) to late‐Holocene climatic change

Late-Holocene evolutionary and ecological response of pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) and other species to climatic change is documented by mammalian fossils from Lamar Cave, a palaeontological site in northern Yellowstone National Park. Pocket gophers illustrate ecological sensitivity to a series of mesic to xeric climatic excursions in the sagebrush-grassland ecotone during the last 3200 years, increasing in abundance during mesic intervals, and declining in abundance during xeric intervals. Four other small mammal taxa (Microtus sp., Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotoma cinerea and Spermophilus armatus) also show response to climatic change, increasing or decreasing in abundance in accordance with their preferred habitat requirements. To determine evolutionary response to climate, two craniodental characters for the northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) are investigated in modern representatives within a 400 km radius of Lamar Cave and then tracked through the time spanned by the fossils. One morphologic character shows that variation in body size, primarily a plastic response to the environment, demonstrates few taxonomically consistent patterns of geographic variation across 39 modern localities. In contrast, the other character indicates genetic relatedness within subspecies. Stasis in the genetically controlled character indicates that the same subspecies of pocket gopher (T. talpoides tenellus) has occupied northern Yellowstone for at least 3200 years. However, T. t. tenellus does show plastic response to climatic change because pocket gophers during the Medieval Warm Period were smaller than at any other time spanned by the deposit.
Drug-Eluting Stents: Careful Deployment Required

The question of adequate deployment or optimal expansion of coronary stents has been with us since the very beginning. On the one hand, it is well documented that stent underexpansion, or malapposition, both for bare-metal stents as well as drug-eluting stents (DES), is related to adverse events
Advances in determining asteroid chemistries and mineralogies

Abstract Considerable progress has been made in the last few years in determining asteroid chemistries and mineralogies. Dedicated spacecraft missions have allowed mineralogical predictions based on ground-based data to be confirmed or refuted. These missions include NEAR-Shoemaker to (253) Mathilde and (433) Eros, Hayabusa to (25143) Itokawa, and Dawn to (4) Vesta and (1) Ceres, the upcoming Hayabusa2 to (162173) Ryugu, and the upcoming OSIRIS-Rex to (101955) Bennu. All of these missions have or will make significant advances that could not have been made through just Earth-based observations. The recovery of Almahata Sitta from 2008 TC 3 was a rare opportunity to recover meteorite samples from a spectrally observed body from a naturally occurring event. This review will discuss the importance of spacecraft missions to asteroids.
Carbohydrate regulation of photosynthesis and respiration from branch girdling in four species of wet tropical rain forest trees

How trees sense source-sink carbon balance remains unclear. One potential mechanism is a feedback from non-structural carbohydrates regulating photosynthesis and removing excess as waste respiration when the balance of photosynthesis against growth and metabolic activity changes. We tested this carbohydrate regulation of photosynthesis and respiration using branch girdling in four tree species in a wet tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. Because girdling severs phloem to stop carbohydrate export while leaving xylem intact to allow photosynthesis, we expected carbohydrates to accumulate in leaves to simulate a carbon imbalance. We varied girdling intensity by removing phloem in increments of one-quarter of the circumference (zero, one--quarter, half, three-quarters, full) and surrounded a target branch with fully girdled ones to create a gradient in leaf carbohydrate content. Light saturated photosynthesis rate was measured in situ, and foliar respiration rate and leaf carbohydrate content were measured after destructive harvest at the end of the treatment. Girdling intensity created no consistent or strong responses in leaf carbohydrates. Glucose and fructose slightly increased in all species by 3.4% per one-quarter girdle, total carbon content and leaf mass per area increased only in one species by 5.4 and 5.5% per one-quarter girdle, and starch did not change. Only full girdling lowered photosynthesis in three of four species by 59-69%, but the decrease in photosynthesis was unrelated to the increase in glucose and fructose content. Girdling did not affect respiration. The results suggest that leaf carbohydrate content remains relatively constant under carbon imbalance, and any changes are unlikely to regulate photosynthesis or respiration. Because girdling also stops the export of hormones and reactive oxygen species, girdling may induce physiological changes unrelated to carbohydrate accumulation and may not be an effective method to study carbohydrate feedback in leaves. In three species, removal of three-quarters of phloem area did not cause leaf carbohydrates to accumulate nor did it change photosynthesis or respiration, suggesting that phloem transport is flexible and transport rate per unit phloem can rapidly increase under an increase in carbohydrate supply relative to phloem area. Leaf carbohydrate content thus may be decoupled from whole plant carbon balance by phloem transport in some species, and carbohydrate regulation of photosynthesis and respiration may not be as common in trees as previous girdling studies suggest. Further studies in carbohydrate regulation should avoid using girdling as girdling can decrease photosynthesis through unintended means without the tested mechanisms of accumulating leaf carbohydrates.
Performance of Commercial Laying Hens when Six Percent Corn Oil Is Added to the Diet at Various Ages and with Different Levels of Tryptophan and Protein

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of corn oil in the diet of commercial layers as a method of increasing egg weight. In the first experiment, the performance of commercial layers receiving 6% added corn oil beginning at 18 to 30 wk at 2-wk intervals was evaluated. In the second experiment, comparisons were made between performance of young and old commercial layers when 6% corn oil was added to the diet. The third experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects upon commercial layers when 6% corn oil was added to diets varying in Trp content. In experiment 1, egg weights increased during the first 2 wk that corn oil was added to the diet. During this time, the intake of Trp was greater than or equal to the hen requirements. However, during the last 2 wk of the experiment, when Trp intakes were low, egg weights decreased when corn oil was added to the diet. In experiment 2, egg weights from young and old hens increased during the first 2 wk after corn oil was added to the diet. During the last 2 wk, egg weights from young hens decreased, whereas egg weights from old hens increased. In experiment 3, egg weight was not affected when the diet contained 0.166 or 0.176% Trp. However, egg weights significantly increased when corn oil was added to the diet containing 0.193% Trp. The data in these experiments indicate that the diet of a laying hen must contain a high level of Trp to get an increase in egg weight from the addition of corn oil to the diet. Also the need for other amino acids must be met. Therefore, the hen eats to meet her energy requirement for maximum egg production, and her amino acid intake determines the egg weight.
Christine Brooke-Rose and the Science of Fiction: Rethinking Conceptual Writing and Artificial Intelligence in Xorandor

ABSTRACTThis article discusses how Christine Brooke-Rose’s 1984 novel Xorandor grew out of a conventional science fiction story intended for pseudonymous publication. Her distinct priorities as an experimental writer—adopting grammatical and syntactical constraints—manifest themselves in her revisionary appropriation of the science fiction genre. She decided to rewrite the draft of her novel entirely in dialogue, accepting SF characters as representative rather than individualized. The book’s narrators are adolescent twins who uncover explanations for events in retrospect, when in traditional “hard SF” (stories that strictly adhere to invented scientific principles), exposition prefigures the narrative action. With this setup, Brooke-Rose crafts a narrative about a silicon creature discovered on Earth that uses English and programming language to converse with humans. The young adult narrators interacting with a living computer stages a fascinating reflection on how we humanize technology and how artifici...
Accurate and Efficient Per-Flow Latency Measurement Without Probing and Time Stamping

With the growth in number and significance of the emerging applications that require extremely low latencies, network operators are facing increasing need to perform latency measurement on per-flow basis for network monitoring and troubleshooting. In this paper, we propose COLATE, the first per-flow latency measurement scheme that requires no probe packets and time stamping. Given a set of observation points, COLATE records packet timing information at each point so that later, for any two points, it can accurately estimate the average and the standard deviation of the latencies experienced by the packets of any flow in passing the two points. The key idea is that when recording packet timing information, COLATE purposely allows noise to be introduced for minimizing storage space, and when querying the latency of a target flow, COLATE uses statistical techniques to denoise and obtain an accurate latency estimate. COLATE is designed to be efficiently implementable on network middleboxes. In terms of processing overhead, COLATE performs only one hash and one memory update per packet. In terms of storage space, COLATE uses less than 0.1-b/packet, which means that, on a backbone link with half a million packets per second, using a 256-GB drive, COLATE can accumulate time stamps of packets traversing the link for over 1.5 years. We evaluated COLATE using three real traffic traces, namely, a backbone traffic trace, an enterprise network traffic trace, and a data center traffic trace. Results show that COLATE always achieves the required reliability for any given confidence interval.
Topological order of mixed states in correlated quantum many-body systems

Topological order has become a new paradigm to distinguish ground states of interacting many-body systems without conventional long-range order. Here, we discuss possible extensions of this concept to density matrices describing statistical ensembles. For a large class of quasithermal states, which can be realized as thermal states of some quasilocal Hamiltonian, we generalize earlier definitions of density-matrix topology to generic many-body systems with strong correlations. We point out that the robustness of topological order, defined as a pattern of long-range entanglement, depends crucially on the perturbations under consideration. While it is intrinsically protected against local perturbations of arbitrary strength in an infinite closed quantum system, purely local perturbations can destroy topological order in open systems coupled to baths if the coupling is sufficiently strong. We discuss our classification scheme using the finite-temperature quantum Hall states and point out that the classical Hall effect can be understood as a finite-temperature topological phase.
Abstract 232: Delayed Inhaled Carbon Monoxide Improves Diabetic Wound Healing

Background Nonhealing wounds are a major source of morbidity in diabetic patients. These wounds persist due to a persistent inflammatory state and poor resistance to infection. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a naturally occurring byproduct of heme degradation that possesses both anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties. Thus, we hypothesize that inhaled CO will improve cutaneous wound healing in the setting of diabetes. Methods Excisional wounds (1.5 x 1.5 cm) were created in db/db mice. The mice were treated with inhaled CO at 250 ppm for 1 hr daily starting immediately after wounding or starting on day 8. Control mice remained in room air. Wounds were measured by planimetry. At day 20, mice were sacrificed and the residual wounds were collected for immunohistochemistry. Results Inhaled CO initiated immediately after wounding did not improve healing with less granulation tissue formation. However, when CO treatment was delayed until day 8, wound healing was greatly improved compared to controls (residual wounds measuring 27.2 ± 5.3% of original vs 52.2 ± 5.8% on day 20; N=10-14 per group; p < 0.005). CD31 staining showed increased angiogenesis in the delayed CO treated animals (Figure 1). Conclusions Early inhaled CO was detrimental to wound healing while delaying CO treatment accelerated healing, potentially through increased angiogenesis. Early administration of CO likely inhibits inflammatory responses and cellular recruitment essential for wound healing. Delayed CO may inhibit the persistent inflammation that leads to chronic non-healing wounds, allowing for improved wound healing in diabetes. ![Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Stem cell-based approach in diabetes and pancreatic cancer management

Stem cell-mediated therapy is a promising strategy for treating pancreatic diseases such as Type-1 diabetes (T1D) and pancreatic cancers. Although islet transplantation has been reported to be an effective diabetes therapy, its worldwide application is extremely limited due to the shortage of donor islets and immune rejection problems. Stem cell-based approach for islet neogenesis in vivo could provide a promising alternative source of islets for treating diabetes. On the other hand, targeting the cancer stem cells could be very effective for the treatment of pancreatic cancers. In this review, we focused on the present progress in the field of adult pancreatic stem cells, stem cell-mediated strategies for treating T1D, and pancreatic cancer stem cells, while discussing of the possible challenges involved in them.
Descartes and Merleau-Ponty on the Cogito as the Foundation of Philosophy

When one refers to Rene Descartes’ dualism one usually refers to his metaphysical dualism of mind and body. However, there is also an epistemological dualism which is fundamental to his philosophy. Not only are the mind and body distinct substances, but one can know that one’s body and the rest of the material world exist only after one knows that one exists as a mind or thinking thing. Although Descartes never calls himself a dualist in either of these senses, these expressions accurately describe his view. Maurice Merleau-Ponty rejects Descartes’ epistemological project as a whole and, in particular, rejects the cogito, as understood by Descartes, as the foundation of knowledge. In effect, he denies that what I call “epistemological dualism” is legitimate and questions the conclusions Descartes draws from it.
Hierarchical simulation modelling of distribution centers

Order picking is the most expensive operation in a distribution center. Due to a large amount of labor used in order picking, the cost associated with the labor is high. The objective of this paper is to build a simulation model that would help distribution center managers to forecast their throughput by optimizing the worker configuration. The research uses a hierarchical approach to build a simulation model. The simulation model is divided into small submodels. The submodels are completely independent of each other. The submodels can be combined to make various different complete models. In this research, the submodels are used to build a simulation model of an actual industrial distribution center. The model is then run for twenty-four hours and the results are compared with the flat simulation model of the same distribution center.