cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent Epigenetic Reprogramming of Sweet Tase by Diet

Diets rich in sugar, salt, and fat alter taste perception and food intake, leading to obesity and metabolic disorders, but the molecular mechanisms through which this occurs are unknown. Here we show that in response to a high sugar diet, the epigenetic regulator Polycomb Repressive Complex 2.1 (PRC2.1) persistently reprograms the sensory neurons of D. melanogaster flies to reduce sweet sensation and promote obesity. In animals fed high sugar, the binding of PRC2.1 to the chromatin of the sweet gustatory neurons is redistributed to repress a developmental transcriptional network that modulates the responsiveness of these cells to sweet stimuli, reducing sweet sensation. Importantly, half of these transcriptional changes persist despite returning the animals to a control diet, causing a permanent decrease in sweet taste. Our results uncover a new epigenetic mechanism that, in response to the dietary environment, regulates neural plasticity and feeding behavior to promote obesity.
Immunotherapy and immunotherapy combinations in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Although most prostate cancers are localized, and the majority are curable, recurrences occur in approximately 35% of men. Among patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence and PSA doubling time (PSADT) less than 15 months after radical prostatectomy, prostate cancer accounted for approximately 90% of the deaths by 15 years after recurrence. An immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and impaired cellular immunity are likely largely responsible for the limited utility of checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) in advanced prostate cancer compared with other tumor types. Thus, for immunologically "cold" malignancies such as prostate cancer, clinical trial development has pivoted towards novel approaches to enhance immune responses. Numerous clinical trials are currently evaluating combination immunomodulatory strategies incorporating vaccine-based therapies, checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Other trials evaluate the efficacy and safety of these immunomodulatory agents' combinations with standard approaches such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), taxane-based chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Here, we will review promising immunotherapies in development and ongoing trials for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). These novel trials will build on past experiences and promise to usher a new era to treat patients with mCRPC.
Differences in objectively measured daily physical activity patterns related to depressive symptoms in community dwelling women - mPED trial.

Physical activity (PA) is an effective depression treatment. However, knowledge on how variation in day-to-day PA relates to depression in women is lacking. The purposes of this study were to 1) compare overall objectively measured baseline daily steps and duration of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and 2) examine differences in steps and MVPA on days of the week between women aged 25-65 years, who were physically inactive, with high and low depressive symptoms, enrolled in a run-in period of the mobile phone based physical activity education (mPED) trial. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to categorize low/high depressive symptom groups. We used linear mixed-effects models to examine the associations between steps and MVPA and depression-status overall and by day of the week, adjusting for selected demographic variables and their interactions with day of the week. 274 women were included in the final analysis, of which 58 had high depressive symptoms. Overall physical activity levels did not differ. However, day of the week modified the associations of depression with MVPA (p = 0.015) and daily steps (p = 0.08). Women with high depression were characterized by reduced activity at the end of the week (Posthoc: Friday: 791 fewer steps, 95% CI: 73-1509, p = 0.03; 8.8 lower MVPA, 95% CI: 2.16-15.5, p = 0.0098) compared to women with low depression, who showed increased activity. Day of the week might be an important target for personalization of physical activity interventions. Future work should evaluate potential causes of daily activity alterations in depression in women.
Immunity Expands to End a Pandemic by Vaccination

When the federal government hit the pause button on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, however, at least some of the 130 million non-anti-vaxxers in the U.S. with at least one shot already may have experienced vaccination-remorse. In the face of a global pandemic spreading with never-before speed, pharmaceutical companies responded just as fast. On the spectrum between the scientific method and old-fashioned faith, where exactly does the vaccination for COVID-19 fall, and perhaps more important, does it really even matter?
Evaluation of a Parsimonious COVID-19 Outbreak Prediction Model: Heuristic Modeling Approach Using Publicly Available Data Sets.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed public health policies and human and community behaviors through lockdowns and mandates. Governments are rapidly evolving policies to increase hospital capacity and supply personal protective equipment and other equipment to mitigate disease spread in affected regions. Current models that predict COVID-19 case counts and spread are complex by nature and offer limited explainability and generalizability. This has highlighted the need for accurate and robust outbreak prediction models that balance model parsimony and performance. Objective: We sought to leverage readily accessible data sets extracted from multiple states to train and evaluate a parsimonious predictive model capable of identifying county-level risk of COVID-19 outbreaks on a day-to-day basis. Methods: Our modeling approach leveraged the following data inputs: COVID-19 case counts per county per day and county populations. We developed an outbreak gold standard across California, Indiana, and Iowa. The model utilized a per capita running 7-day sum of the case counts per county per day and the mean cumulative case count to develop baseline values. The model was trained with data recorded between March 1 and August 31, 2020, and tested on data recorded between September 1 and October 31, 2020. Results: The model reported sensitivities of 81%, 92%, and 90% for California, Indiana, and Iowa, respectively. The precision in each state was above 85% while specificity and accuracy scores were generally >95%. Conclusions: Our parsimonious model provides a generalizable and simple alternative approach to outbreak prediction. This methodology can be applied to diverse regions to help state officials and hospitals with resource allocation and to guide risk management, community education, and mitigation strategies.
Abstract 3036: ALK protein expression and its prognostic significance in MYCN non amplified neuroblastoma

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) point mutations (within the kinase domain), gene amplification and protein overexpression are identified (8-14%) both in familial and sporadic high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB). ALK mutations are much more frequent at time of relapse and were associated with poor clinical outcomes for children with HR-NB. Evidently, ALK is near exclusively co-amplified with MYCN, and the cooperative activity of ALK and MYCN are known to drive HR-NB pathogenesis. However, the ALK protein expression and its role in the prognosis of MYCN non-amplified NB remained unexplored. In this study, NB tumors representing varied stages, ages, sites, diagnosis/progressive disease, primary/metastatic site from a cohort MYCN non-amplified NB patients (n=92) were custom archived in TMAs and stained with ALK (immunohistochemistry) antibody. The correlations between ALK protein expression, and clinico-pathological and biological variables of MYCN non-amplified NB tumors were analyzed. Assessing the strong positivity, high expression of ALK protein could be detected in 47 (51%) of the 92 NB tumors. The majority of NBs with evident of ALK protein high expression exhibited undifferentiated or poorly differentiated histology (39/47, 82.9%). ALK protein high expression significantly predicted worse survival outcomes for NB (and HR-NB subset) patients with MYCN non-amplified status. Transcriptional data mining (R2: Genomics Analysis and Visualization Platform) across multiple cohorts of MYCN non-amplified NB patients revealed unique and defined associations of ALK to the adverse clinical prognostic factors (e.g. advanced disease stage, risk) and poor survival outcomes. Our study recognized the prognostic role of ALK protein expression in MYCN non-amplified NB. Since, ALK is indicated to transactivate MYCN, increase MYCN protein expression, and coordinate disease progression; further studies are warranted to define the mechanism(s) of ALK high-expression associated disease evolution in MYCN non-amplified HR-NB.Funding: This work was partially or in full, funded by Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, OCAST-HR19-04; National Institutes of Health, NIH-P20GM103639 and; NIH-NCI- Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA225520 Citation Format: Natarajan Aravindan, Dinesh Babu Somasundaram, Santny Shanmugarama, Sheeja Aravindan. ALK protein expression and its prognostic significance in MYCN non amplified neuroblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3036.
A transcriptomic atlas of mouse cerebellar cortex comprehensively defines cell types

The cerebellar cortex is a well-studied brain structure with diverse roles in motor learning, coordination, cognition and autonomic regulation. However, a complete inventory of cerebellar cell types is currently lacking. Here, using recent advances in high-throughput transcriptional profiling1–3, we molecularly define cell types across individual lobules of the adult mouse cerebellum. Purkinje neurons showed considerable regional specialization, with the greatest diversity occurring in the posterior lobules. For several types of cerebellar interneuron, the molecular variation within each type was more continuous, rather than discrete. In particular, for the unipolar brush cells—an interneuron population previously subdivided into discrete populations—the continuous variation in gene expression was associated with a graded continuum of electrophysiological properties. Notably, we found that molecular layer interneurons were composed of two molecularly and functionally distinct types. Both types show a continuum of morphological variation through the thickness of the molecular layer, but electrophysiological recordings revealed marked differences between the two types in spontaneous firing, excitability and electrical coupling. Together, these findings provide a comprehensive cellular atlas of the cerebellar cortex, and outline a methodological and conceptual framework for the integration of molecular, morphological and physiological ontologies for defining brain cell types. A comprehensive atlas of cell types and regional specializations in the mouse cerebellar cortex.
A Community-Based Management of COVID-19 in a Mobile Container Unit

Vaccine uptake is a multifactor measure of successful immunization outcomes that includes access to healthcare and vaccine hesitancy for both healthcare workers and communities. The present coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for novel strategies to expand vaccine coverage in underserved regions. Mobile clinics hold the promise of ameliorating such inequities, although there is a paucity of studies that validate environmental infection in such facilities. Here, we describe community-based management of COVID-19 through a Smart Pod mobile clinic deployed in an underserved community area in the United States (Aldine, Harris County, TX, USA). In particular, we validate infection control and biological decontamination of the Smart Pod by testing surfaces and the air-filtration system for the COVID-19 virus and bacterial pathogens. We show the Smart Pod to be efficacious in providing a safe clinical environment for vaccine delivery. Moreover, in the Smart Pod, up-to-date education of community healthcare workers was provided to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The proposed solution has the potential to augment existing hospital capacity and combat the COVID-19 pandemic locally and globally.
The Palladio Web Museum

This paper presents the overall information system architecture and the approaches used for creating the Palladio Virtual Museum — a heterogeneous database of history and architecture. Creating a virtual museum is treated as an information system engineering task[Martin90]. The World Wide Web (the Web) is used as the open access platform for both presentation and input. Client-server database transaction technology [Date95] is used to provide a concurrent real-time system for consumers (visitors) and producers of information. The system is a test bed for structuring, searching, and presenting historical, architectural, spatial information.
Physical association modeling of DNA alkylation. Some DNA conformational aspects.

Abstract The widespread occurrence of physical binding between biological macromolecules and small molecules has prompted us to hypothesize that physical binding contributes to DNA alkylation specificity. The preferred physical binding sites for a CH+3-like test probe were predicted for several sequences of DNA using molecular mechanics free space calculation methods. Sequences containing A = T basepairs direct physical binding to the minor groove, whereas sequences containing G ≡ C basepairs direct physical binding to the major groove. Physical binding calculations were also performed for model ‘unwound’ DNA conformations. The results of the test probe studies were subsequently employed as starting points to predict the preferred physical binding sites for the more complicated case of an actual alkylating agent, the dimethylaziridinium ion. These studies demonstrate that physical binding specificity is highly dependent upon DNA sequence and conformation, and correlates well with the DNA alkylation site specificity observed for alkylating agents in the dimethylaziridine class.
Towards trusted software-defined networks using a hardware-based Integrity Measurement Architecture

The rise of software-defined networks in recent years has allowed unprecedented agility in network configuration and orchestration. As physical links and configurations become virtualised, this has created many opportunities for dynamic and transparent deployment of services. This however, opens up a potential attack surface for new forms of attack. Thus, with the combination of SDN elements abstracting their administration to network administrators and the growing attack surface in network element software, this creates the possibility for malicious routers which do not comply with the higher-level abstractions used by their respective controllers. This paper focuses on building an assurable SDN network using Trusted computing mechanisms to: A) provide a strong hardware-based platform identity to check that network element software is healthy, and B) increase assurance that traffic flows are being forwarded to their intended destinations by dynamically monitoring the low-level configurations used to route virtual LANs. The architecture as a whole provides a mechanism to check the network posture, bridging the gap between the areas of remote attestation and virtual networking.
Teichmüller Space of Fibonacci Maps

We prove that all smooth Fibonacci maps with quadratic critical point are quasisymmetrically conjugate. The proof is based upon an idea of asymptotically conformal extension, which provides a link between smooth and holomorphic dynamics.
The evolution of gennetic algorithms: towards massive parallelism

One of the issues in creating any search technique is balancing the need for diverse exploration with the desire for efficient focusing. This paper explores a genetic algorithm (GA) architecture which is more resilient to local optima than other recently introduced GA models, and which provides the ability to focus search quickly. The GA uses a fine-grain parallel architecture to simulate evolution more closely than previous models. In order to motivate the need for fine-grain parallelism, this paper will provide an overview of the two preceding phases of development: the traditional genetic algorithm, and the coarse-grain parallel GA. A test set of 15 problems is used to compare the effectiveness of a fine-grain parallel GA with that of a coarse-grain parallel GA.
Search for Unbound Be-15 States in the 3n+Be-12 Channel

Background: $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ is expected to have low-lying $3/{2}^{+}$ and $5/{2}^{+}$ states. A first search did not find the $3/{2}^{+}$ [A. Spyrou et al., Phys. Rev. C 84, 044309 (2011)]; however, a resonance in $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ was populated in a second attempt and determined to be unbound with respect to $^{14}\mathrm{Be}$ by 1.8(1) MeV with a tentative spin-parity assignment of $5/{2}^{+}$ [J. Snyder et al., Phys. Rev. C 88, 031303(R) (2013)].Purpose: Search for the predicted ${}^{15}\mathrm{Be}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}3/{2}^{+}$ state in the three-neutron decay channel.Method: A two-proton removal reaction from a 55 MeV/u ${}^{17}\mathrm{C}$ beam was used to populate neutron-unbound states in $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$. The two-, three-, and four-body decay energies of the ${}^{12}\mathrm{Be}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}+$ neutron(s) detected in coincidence were reconstructed using invariant mass spectroscopy. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to extract the resonance and decay properties from the observed spectra.Results: The low-energy regions of the decay energy spectra can be described with the first excited unbound state of $^{14}\mathrm{Be}$ (${E}_{x}=1.54$ MeV, ${E}_{r}=0.28$ MeV). Including a state in $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ that decays through the first excited $^{14}\mathrm{Be}$ state slightly improves the fit at higher energies though the cross section is small.Conclusions: A $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ component is not needed to describe the data. If the $3/{2}^{+}$ state in $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ is populated, the decay by three-neutron emission through $^{14}\mathrm{Be}$ is weak, $\ensuremath{\le}11%$ up to 4 MeV. In the best fit, $^{15}\mathrm{Be}$ is unbound with respect to $^{12}\mathrm{Be}$ by 1.4 MeV (unbound with respect to $^{14}\mathrm{Be}$ by 2.66 MeV) with a strength of $7%$.
High-Temperature Drop Calorimetry

High-temperature drop calorimetry is an experimental technique to measure enthalpy changes associated with reactions or change of temperature. The technique is widely used for the determination of enthalpies of formation of compounds. A variety of methods have been developed to characterize compounds formed by solid state, liquid, and gas reactions. The technique is also used to determine the specific heat of substances. Keywords: calorimetry; thermodynamics; enthalpy; specific heat; compound; alloy
Biochemical sensors using high-Q polymer microring resonators fabricated by an imprinting technique

High Q-factor polymer microrings, fabricated using imprinting technique, were demonstrated as biochemical sensors. They could provide label-free detection and capability of detecting small and large biomolecules with a detection limit as small as 250 pg/mm/sup 2/.
Nitrogen Response of Grain Sorghum in Rotation with Soybean

The grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation is the major sorghum production system in Nebraska. Fertilizer N needs for rotations are commonly determined by adjusting the N rate for continuous sorghum by a fertilizer nitrogen replacement value (FRV). The FRV due to rotation with soybean varies widely and, given the importance of the soybean-sorghum rotation, a basis for direct determination of N rates for grain sorghum following soybean is needed that includes the cost of fertilizer N. Thirty-nine N rate trials for grain sorghum following soybean were conducted in southern Nebraska on medium to fine texture soils. The treatment structures varied but generally included five or more N rates in increments of 35 kg ha -1 or less. Grain sorghum yield response to applied N and the economically optimum nitrogen rate (EONR) increased as yield level increased. The agronomic efficiency of applied N increased with increased yield level and, within each yield category, decreased with increased N rate. Agronomic N efficiencies were <6 kg grain kg N -1 applied at sites with maximum yields of <6 Mg ha -1 , indicating presence of severe constraints other than N. The EONR decreased and the range of profitable N rates decreased as the N price-grain price (P N :P G ) ratio increased. Expected sorghum yield, as well as P N :P G , was therefore important for the determination of EONRs. Soil organic matter (SOM; 17-37 g kg -1 in the 0- to 20-cm depth) and soil nitrate concentration (1.3-6.7 mg kg -1 in the 0- to 120-cm depth) were positively correlated with grain yield without N application, but showed no correlation with the yield response to applied N. Within the ranges represented by these trials, soil information was less essential for determining the EONR for grain sorghum following soybean than setting a realistic yield goal (YG).
Commentary: data monitoring confidentiality and FDA transparency.

Clinical trials provide the data on which patients, clinicians, policy makers, and others rely to make decisions that impact the health, welfare, and resources of individuals and communities. Producing these data requires the cooperation of stakeholders whose interests can dovetail or conflict with one another, or with the requirements of sound science. The delicate task of effective regulation and oversight is to create structures and policies that align the interests of these stakeholders with the production of high-quality medical evidence and prevent any one stakeholder from co-opting the system for purely personal gain. Rules that determine flow and control of information play a critical role in this process. In 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidance that alters the way that two oversight bodies—Data Monitoring Committees (DMCs) and the FDA—handle information during the development of drugs for type 2 diabetes mellitus. In ‘‘Protecting the Confidentiality of Interim Data: Addressing Current Challenges,’’ Thomas R. Fleming describes procedures intended to permit DMCs to comply with this guidance while ‘‘preserving the essence of confidentiality.’’ Out of a concern for the integrity of ongoing trials, he defends what I will call ‘‘moderated asymmetric’’ confidentiality, the view that DMCs should be permitted to disclose detailed interim trial data to the FDA but must not disclose it to other stakeholders, such as patients and their care givers. In what follows, I suggest that even if asymmetric confidentiality poses fewer risks to study integrity than symmetric disclosure of interim results, a broader defense of the regulatory innovations that make asymmetric confidentiality necessary is needed to justify the practice.
Biochemical changes in rat parotid gland lysosomal enzyme activities after isoprenaline or starvation.

Abstract The content of several lysosomal enzymes was measured in the rat parotid gland when the normal secretory cycle was altered by either reducing or enhancing secretion. The findings support the concept that lysosomes play a role in regulating the gland content of secretory products. The secretory protein, amylase, began to accumulate when secretion was reduced. This was immediately followed by an increase in lysosomal enzymes (cathepsin D and acid phosphatase). Thereafter, amylase activity decreased rapidly followed by a smaller reduction in lysosomal enzymes. When secretion was enhanced by an injection of isoprenaline, amylase was reduced by 95 per cent within two hours; the lysosomal enzymes were decreased by 15–30 per cent. Within 24 h, amylase was restored and increased by 50 per cent whereas the lysosomal enzymes were increased only 10–30 per cent. The activity of acid phosphatase was measured with two different substrates. Activity measured with β-glycerophosphate paralleled that of cathepsin D whereas that measured with p -nitrophenylphosphate did not when secretion was reduced but did when secretion was enhanced. The results support the hypothesis that acid phosphatase activity measured with β-glycerophosphate is lysosomal whereas that measured with p -nitrophenylphosphate may have another cellular location in addition to lysosomes.
Ground retreat and slope evolution on regraded surface‐mine dumps, waunafon, gwent

Ground retreat was monitored on two vegetated and two unvegetated profiles over a five-year period. The average annual retreat of the two unvegetated profiles was 5.84 mm and 3.62 mm; that of the two vegetated profiles 2.34 mm and 2.07 mm. Slope evolution was controlled by the mid-slope-ward migration of two zones of accelerated erosion and the resulting replacement of a central rectilinear slope segment by the upper and lower slope elements.
ESTADO SOCIAL COMO FÓRMULA EN LA CONSTITUCIÓN CHILENA

The Welfare State is a politic-constitutional formula developed after World War II. It is not a mere statement, but from its statement, the building of the society must embody the requirements that are a concern which goes beyond assistance. Despite the difficulties and challenges that are placed upon the welfare state, the problem that gave it its origin remains latent. While it's true that economy, its language and codes have attempted to develop and explain all the phenomena of every-day life, the welfare state has not declined, but it is necessary and vital to respond to current challenges in Chile, particularly on equality and concern for the less advantaged sectors of society
Granularity, microstructure, and flux creep in TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9+δ superconducting powder and silver-sheated tapes

Abstract Silver-sheathed TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9+δ (Tl-1223) tapes, with a transport critical current density, Jct, of 6200 A/cm2 at 75 K under zero magnetic field, were fabricated by the oxide-powder-in-tube (OPIT) method and characterized using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The results of the magnetization and SEM study indicate that, in these tapes, individual grains are distributed randomly in orientation and weak links exist. However, strongly linked percolative current paths within the tape persisting in increasing fields, accompanied by strong intrinsic interplanar coupling, sustain a significant Jct at high fields and lead to the plateau in the Jct-H curve. Dislocation networks, which may act as effective pinning centers, are the common features observed in the tapes. To investigate the effects on flux pinning due to thermomechanical processing, magnetic relaxation at 1 and 2 T over 5–50 K was measured. The tape shows slightly lower normalized relaxation rates (S=-(1/Mo)dM/ dln t) than the cauliflower-like precursor powder. Analyses of the relaxation data obtained from the tape, after incorporating temperature dependence and field scaling, yield an expression for the effective pinning energy Ueff(J,T,H) = (U1/H0.54)[1-(T/ 72.5)2]4(J/Ji)μ. This result was compared with the prediction of the collective flux-creep model, which suggests that Tl-1223 has a three-dimension-like (3D-like) vortex lattice. Presumably, a more plate-like powder morphology may result in improved texturing by the OPIT process. Tl0.5Bi0.5Sr2CaCu2O7+δ ((Tl,Bi)-1212) powder with this morphology was therefore synthesized for comparison.
One Hundred Percent Americanism: Material Culture and Nationalism, Then and Now

This article examines the ways that specific interest groups within the American nation use material culture to attempt to define the parameters of a shared national identity. Case studies are drawn from the first decades of the twentieth century (1900–30) and the early years of the 21st century (2000–12). Analysis of landscapes and artifacts excavated from the working-class industrial town of Berwind in southern Colorado show how an early twentieth-century corporation and its immigrant workers used mundane objects to debate, through symbols, the meanings of citizenship and the nation. An analysis of yellow ribbon magnets used and created by supporters of the Iraq War (2003+) in the 21st century will show how material symbols are deployed in an attempt to reinforce a specific, but contested vision of the nation and the nature of her citizenry.
Generating the triangulations of the projective plane

Abstract Using the operations of face splitting and its dual, vertex splitting, one can generate all of the triangulations of the projective plane from two minimal triangulations. One of the minimal triangulations is the familiar embedding of the complete graph on 6 vertices. The other is a triangulation with 7 vertices.
Analysis of Balmer α intensity measurements near solar minimum

Abstract Balmer α intensity measurements made with a dual etalon Fabry–Perot spectrometer at Haleakala during two campaigns in 1988 are presented. The data from each campaign demonstrate night-to-night stability, despite variations in geophysical conditions. Analysis of these data using a nonisothermal Lyman β radiative transport code, updated solar Lyman β line-center flux estimates, and corrected thermospheric atomic hydrogen density profiles points to the resolution of the “factor of 2” problem. A careful reassessment of other mechanisms for upper atmospheric Balmer α excitation has also been carried out.
The submissive speaks: the semiotics of visuality in virtual BDSM fantasy play

The paper explores the mutually-constituted relations between avatars, space, and artifacts depicted in players' profile portraits in a Second Life BDSM community. The significance of these images is not simply their representation of the lifestyle; they also convey the entertainment and interactive significance of virtual BDSM fantasy play. Through 3D game technology and photographic conventions, participants of Second Life BDSM community collectively construct a grammar and symbolism of power and submission through institutional structures (BDSM communities and lifestyle practices), enforced roles (dominance and submission, master/mistress and slave), and virtual photographic technologies (in-game instant snapshots). In the process, the spectator consciously and unconsciously participates in the power dynamics that these portraits depict.
Cellular aging (The hayflick limit) and species longevity: A unification model based on clonal succession

A model is presented which proposes a specific cause-and-effect relationship between a limited cell division potential and the maximum lifespan of humans and other mammals. It is based on the clonal succession hypothesis of Kay which states that continually replicating cell beds (e.g. bone marrow, intestinal crypts, epidermis) could be composed of cells with short, well-defined division potentials. In this model, the cells of these beds are proposed to exist in an ordered hierarchy which establishes a specific sequence for cell divisions throughout the organism's lifespan. The depletion of division potential at all hierarchical levels leads to a loss of bed function and sets an intrinsic limit to species longevity. A specific hierarchy for cell proliferation is defined which allows the calculation of time to bed depletion and, ultimately, to organism mortality. The model allows the existence of a small number (n) of critical cell beds within the organism and defines organism death as the inability of any one of these beds to produce cells. The model is consistent with all major observations related to cellular and organismic aging. In particular, it links the PDLs (population doubling limit) observed for various species to their mean lifespan; it explains the slow decline in PDL as a function of age of the donor; it establishes a thermodynamically stable maximum lifespan for a disease-free population; and it can explain why tissue transplants outlive donors or hosts.
Experimental Coxsackie virus B4 valvulitis in cynomolgus monkeys.

Abstract Valvular lesions were found in 6 of 7 cynomolgus monkeys inoculated intravenously with Coxsackie virus B 4 . Typical valvular lesions of mitral stenosis were found in 2 monkeys, verrucous aortic valvulitis was found in 2 monkeys, and verrucous mitral valvulitis was found in 3 monkeys. Viral antigen was identified in the valves of the 3 monkeys in whom fluorescent antibody staining was carried out. Valvular lesions were not found in 2 monkeys inoculated with virus-free monkey kidney culture fluid. These studies demonstrate that Coxsackie virus produces valvular lesions in cynomolgus monkeys. Since Coxsackie viruses are among the most common infective agents of man, and since a substantial number of patients with chronic valvular disease give no history of rheumatic fever, it is suggested that some instances of valvulitis in man may be due to viral rather than rheumatic disease.
Existence of highly ordered smectic structures in a series of main-chain liquid-crystalline polyethers

Abstract A series of polyethers has been synthesized from 1-(4-hydroxy-4′-biphenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propane and α,ω-dibromoalkanes having both odd and even numbers of methylene units [TPP( n = odd)s and TPP( n = even)s]. These polymers exhibit multiple thermodynamic first-order transitions during cooling and heating which demonstrate little supercooling dependence at different rates. The transition thermodynamic properties (enthalpy and entropy changes at the transitions) are studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry experiments. The contributions of the mesogenic groups and methylene units to each ordering process can be separated and indicate the characteristics of these processes, thereby providing estimations of the transition types. To construct the phase diagrams for both TPP( n = odd)s and TPP( n = even)s, identification of each phase structure can be obtained from wide-angle X-ray diffraction powder and fiber patterns at different temperatures as well as from electron diffraction experiments. In addition to the nematic liquid-crystalline phase, highly ordered smectic F, smectic crystal G and H phases have been identified. These phase assignments are also supported by morphological observations in the liquid crystals under polarized light and transmission electron microscopy. The concepts of the liquid-crystalline phases defined for small-molecule liquid crystals are applicable to main-chain liquid-crystalline polymers.
Effects of snow and firn ventilation on sublimation rates

Vapor transport in snow and firn plays a key role in post-depositional changes of many reactive species, in mass and energy balance of large snow-covered areas, and in metamorphic changes of the crystal structure of the snow itself. While conventional estimates of vapor transport and sublimation rate are based on diffusion of water vapor from the snow surface to the atmosphere, ventilation (airflow through interstitial pore spaces) in snow and firn can affect the top several meters of firn, yet the effects of ventilation on sublimation rates in firn have not been previously investigated. In this paper we present the first calculations of sublimation rates due to advective/ diffusive airflow and vapor transport in the snow and firn. Airflow velocities, vapor transport and sublimation rates are calculated using a two-dimensional finite-element model. the airflow patterns induce regions of sublimation and regions of condensation within the snow and firn. Because small surface sastrugi move in time as the snow surface profile changes due to wind redeposition, the subsurface flow and regions of condensation and sublimation will also likely change on a time-scale of days to weeks. However, if the roughness features are such that they move very little over time, it is likely that the regions of condensation and sublimation will have a noticeable effect on the microstructure of the firn. While the highest mass-transfer rates occur near the surface, the depth of vapor transport and phase change depends on firn properties, wavelength of the snow surface roughness, and temperature.
An integrated geophysical imaging of the upper-crustal features in the Harney Basin, southeast Oregon

The Harney Basin is a relatively flat-lying depression in the northeast corner of the enigmatic High Lava Plains volcanic province in eastern Oregon. A thick blanket of volcanics including flood basalts, rhyolites, tuffs, ash flows, and distinct eruptive centers covers the basin, making it very difficult to study the upper-crustal features. In addition to a portion of the High Lava Plains active source seismic data in the Harney Basin area, we employed geologic, gravity, magnetic, digital elevation, and other geospatial data in our integrated study. We generated an upper-crustal 3D seismic tomographic model of the Harney Basin using a sparse grid of 2D seismic lines and constructed an integrated geophysical model of the upper-crustal structure, which reveals that the basin reaches as deep as 6 km in its central area. The tomographic inversion also detected some unusually high-velocity (>6.5 km/s) bodies in the upper crust near the central basin area. The presence of several ash-flow tuffs and voluminous rhyolites in the Harney Basin region indicates that the sources of these materials are nearby. We observe two major caldera-shaped features within the basin, which we interpret to be likely candidates for the source of some of these tuffs. These potential calderas are associated with low seismic velocities, low gravity anomaly values, and topographic depressions. We interpret the extent and evolution of these potential calderas based on our integrated analysis.
Sediment slides and sediment waves in the Bonin Trough, western Pacific☆

Abstract Seismic reflection profiles, 3.5-kHz and 12-kHz echograms reveal a major sediment-slide deposit in the Bonin Trough, western Pacific. On the seismic reflection profiles the deposit appears as an acoustically transparent zone with incoherent reflectors and a slightly rough to hummocky surface. On 3.5- and 12-kHz echograms the surface appears as hyperbolae with varying vertex elevations. This hyperbolated zone and a small area of relatively smooth, transparent sediment (on 3.5-kHz echograms) are elevated with respect to the surrounding undisturbed sea floor. A piston core containing a section of highly disturbed sediment was taken from the hyperbolated zone and confirms our slide deposit interpretation. Poorly defined sediment waves are also observed along the lower margin of the Bonin Trough where they form two bands that parallel the regional bathymetric contours. In the north the sediment waves appear to migrate upslope. These observations suggest a bottom current origin, but nephelometer stations imply only a moderate to weak bottom current at present. The waves may be relict features.
Can young children benefit from collaborative problem solving? Tracing the effects of partner competence and feedback

This research was designed to ascertain the extent to which and the conditions under which 5- to 6-year-olds benefit from collaborative problem-solving. We were interested in the impact of (a) repeated collaborative sessions, with the problem difficulty tied to the current independent ability of the target children; (b) working with a more competent partner, an equally competent partner, or with no partner; and (c) immediate feedback from the materials. The data (obtained from a sample of 81 children) revealed that collaboration with a more competent partner was more beneficial than working alone or working with an equally competent partner, but only when feedback was not provided. With feedback, singletons improved more than those who worked with a partner, irrespective of the partner's relative competence. No benefits were found for repeated collaborative sessions; improvement occurred early and then levelled off. The results are set in the context of Piagetian and Vygotskian theory, and serve to illustrate that with regard to peer collaboration these theoretical positions are complementary rather than in opposition.
Bilirubin, renal hemodynamics, and blood pressure.

Bilirubin is generated from the breakdown of heme by heme oxygenase and the reduction of biliverdin by the enzyme biliverdin reductase. Several large population studies have reported a significant inverse correlation between plasma bilirubin levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Protection from cardiovascular disease is also observed in patients with Gilbert’s syndrome which is a disease characterized by mutations in hepatic UGT1A1, the enzyme responsible for the conjugation of bilirubin into the bile. Despite the strong correlation between plasma bilirubin levels and the protection from cardiovascular disease, the mechanism by which increases in plasma bilirubin acts to protect against cardiovascular disease is unknown. Since the chronic antihypertensive actions of bilirubin are likely due to its renal actions, the effects of moderate increases in plasma bilirubin on renal hemodynamics as well as bilirubin’s potential effects on renal tubule function will be discussed in this review. Mechanisms of action as well as the potential for antihypertensive therapies targeting moderate increases in plasma bilirubin levels will also be highlighted.
A New Mechanism for Photosynthetic Energy Transfer

Calculations reveal a new kind of non'adiabatic fu nnel that electronically enhances anti'correlated vibrational wavepackets on the ground state. These wavepackets replicate all observed 2D signatures of photosynthetic energy transfer, including one not previously explained.
DRIFT TRANSFORMATIONS OF SYMMETRIC DIFFUSIONS, AND DUALITY

Starting with a symmetric Markov diffusion process X (with symmetry measure m and L2 (m) infinitesimal generator A) and a suitable core ${\mathcal C}$ for the Dirichlet form of X, we describe a class of derivations defined on ${\mathcal C}$. Associated with each such derivation B is a drift transformation of X, obtained through Girsanov's theorem. The transformed process XB is typically non-symmetric, but we are able to show that if the "divergence" of B is positive, then m is an excessive measure for XB, and the L2 (m) infinitesimal generator of XB is an extension of f ↦ Af + B (f). The methods used are mainly probabilistic, and involve the notions of even and odd continuous additive functionals, and Nakao's stochastic divergence. These methods yield a probabilistic approach to the adjoint of the semigroup of XB, and in particular lead to a solution of a problem of W. Stannat.
Genes and cardiac repolarization: the challenge ahead.

Cardiovascular diseases are caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors.1,2 Deciphering these genetic factors should provide fundamental new insights into their pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Previous large-scale association studies have been able to identify patterns of DNA sequence variations that confer susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases3 or alter pharmacological responsiveness.4 The most common type of genetic variant, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), is a difference between chromosomes in the base present at a particular site in the DNA sequence. Nonsynonymous SNPs (ie, those resulting in amino acid substitution) have the potential to alter the functional properties of the protein encoded by the polymorphic gene, thereby giving rise to a distinct phenotype. The simultaneous presence of multiple nSNPs within the same gene (eg, in the gene encoding the human β2-adrenergic receptor4) or the occurrence of a novel mutation within a polymorphic gene may result in a more complex phenotypic alteration, with each variant individually contributing to its manifestation. See p 1251 In this issue of Circulation , Crotti and coworkers5 provide compelling clinical and genetic evidence that co-inheritance of a novel, low-penetrance mutation in the KCNH2 gene (ie, the gene encoding the pore-forming α-subunit of the channel mediating the rapidly activating component of the cardiac delayed-rectifier potassium current, I Kr ) and a common, nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism in the same gene is associated with increased QTc duration and sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia, whereas heterozygous carriers of either gene variant alone were asymptomatic or exhibited only transient and mild QTc prolongation.5 Furthermore, using a heterologous expression system and conventional voltage-clamp technology, the authors elegantly demonstrate that paired expression of the mutant and polymorphic KCNH2 channel genes, but not coexpression of either allele with the wild-type gene, gives rise to …
A special purpose formal verifier for systolic designs in DSP applications

In verifying the design correctness of a specific class of architecture, special purpose formal design verifier has the advantage of being able to exploit the attributes of that architecture class to produce efficiency in the design verification process. Such development is important due to the fact that architecture design verification using general purpose theorem prover is usually extremely time consuming. This paper briefly presents the techniques and a Prolog-based verifier VSTA that we developed for formal design verification of systolic array architectures in DSP applications. Systolic architecture has been a popular class of parallel architecture due to its suitability for VLSI implementation. The techniques developed are discussed and a formalism (STA) developed for specifying and verifying systolic designs is reviewed. The strategies and notation adopted exploit systolic attributes for fast design verifications. We develop a Prolog-based verifier to automate our techniques due to Prolog's powerful pattern matching and automatic back-tracking mechanism, its popularity and quality, its similarity in representing facts with STA, and its wide acceptance for lower level module and circuit verification (so as to achieve multilevel reasoning later). In the paper, we also describe the application for our tool to verify the correctness of two systolic array designs. Executing the verifier on our workstation shows that a typical array design can usually be verified in less than 10 minutes.
Linguistic Structure and Transposition

Transfer of a learned discrimination along the size dimension was studied in groups of American and African tribal children. The language spoken by the African children contains an asymmetry in the expression of size comparisons that is not present in English. Contrary to theories of linguistic mediation of choice behavior, transfer choices were not related to the differing linguistic patterns; however, initial choices and post-test descriptions of choices were so related.
Density Functional Theory-Based Database Development and CALPHAD Automation

We report our research activities on density functional theory-based alloy thermodynamics, including method/software developments, the integration of first-principles calculations, CALPHAD modeling, and the automation of phase diagram calculations. Examples to be discussed include phonon dispersions of rhombohedral BiFeO3, the solution to the long-outstanding problem of imaginary phonon frequencies for cubic perovskites using EuTiO3 as an example, the calculation of excess specific heat for the magnetic phase transition in EuTiO3, and the automated calculation of a phase diagram for the Al-Mg system.