cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Long-Term Manure Management System

Long-term studies are extremely beneficial to our understanding and evaluation of changes in soil quality and sustainability of specific management practices. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of 70 yr of intensive traditional tillage. Effect of moldboard plowing with manure (M) and inorganic fertilizer (F) additions on soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), particulate organic matter (POM) and its associated carbon (POM-C), and mineral-associated organic matter carbon (MAOM-C) were quantified. The Knorr–Holden study was initiated in 1912 on a Tripp sandy loam (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haplustolls) with furrow irrigated, continuous corn (Zea mays L.) production. Soil samples were collected in 2011 from the 0- to 5-, 5- to 10-, 10- to 15-, 15-to 30-, 30- to 60-, and 60- to 90-cm depths. On fixed-depth basis, SOC and STN in the 0- to 30-cm layer increased by 2.3-fold compared with the 30- to 60-cm layer and by 3-fold compared with the 60- to 90 cm layer. Similar differences in SOC and STN were observed when calculated on an equivalent soil mass (ESM) basis. The application of inorganic fertilizer plus manure (F+M) increased POM content in the 0- to 30-cm depth by 27 and 34% with 90+M and 180+M, respectively compared with F alone at 90 and 180 kg N ha-1. In the 0- to 15-cm soil depth, the relative POM-C to SOC content was 30% greater than in the 15- to 30-cm soil depth. In the 15- to 30-cm depth, the MAOM-C was 7% higher than the surface 0 to 15 cm. The MAOM-C represented 69% of SOC content associated with different treatments. Positive and significant correlations were found among SOC, POM-C, and MAOM-C. Our results indicate that measuring SOC distribution among different fractions, POM-C and MAOM-C, is important to improve our knowledge of SOC distribution as influenced by type of fertilization used at different depths. Overall, long-term manure amendment should be combined with F to enhance SOC and STN content in a system using intensive tillage and furrow irrigation.
DNA gains, losses, and rearrangements in eukaryotes.

Cells undergo various stable changes in structural and functional properties in a variety of situations. Several chapters in this volume discuss such changes and the circumstances and mechanisms associated with their occurrence. Stable changes in the structural and functional properties of cells are generally based on modifications at the level of DNA. Five kinds of modifications are known: (1) elimination of DNA sequences; (2) amplification of selected sequences; (3) rearrangement of DNA segments, with no loss or gain of sequence; (4) methylation of DNA; and (5) changes in transcriptional activity of DNA mediated by transcription factors.
A putative stemness biomarker gene set suggests γ-secretase inhibitor targets self-renewal and pluripotency programs in tumors

B41 Emerging evidence suggests that tumor initiating cell subpopulations bearing characteristics of stem cells may play an important role in drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis-- major challenges for today9s battle against cancer (1-8). Therefore, it is critical to identify biomarkers for assessing self-renewal and pluripotency programs, or “stemness”activity within tumors. However, it remains a challenge to reliably isolate pure stem cell-like subpopulations of cancer cells based on the activity of stemness using cell surface proteins. We report a novel approach to define a stemness signature by first identifying a set of genes whose expression levels are associated with the changes in self-renewal and pluripotency in both embryonic cells and tumor cell lines. The stemness gene is elevated in genetically manipulated tissue with elevated stem cells numbers. In human cancers, expression of the identified stemness genes is associated with distinct pathological phenotypes and the course of disease progression in breast cancer and chronic myelogenous leukemia. For instance, the expression of stemness genes was significantly anti-correlated with the probability of overall survival and metastasis free survival in retrospective analysis of breast cancer data. This correlation was supported by data from four independent studies. Therefore, our set of stemness genes may not only unveil the feature of stem cells within tumors, but also provide a novel measure of tumor progression and patient prognosis. Finally, we discovered that a γ-Secretase inhibitor (GSI) significantly down-regulated the stemness genes in T-ALL cell lines and in a murine model for breast cancer. These observations are in agreement with recent reports that Notch plays a critical role in regulating the fate of somatic stem cells, including its requirement to maintain the pluripotency and proliferative capacity of stem and progenitor cells at the base of gastrointestinal crypts. Our findings support the idea that GSIs target a sub-population of tumor cells with ectopic stemness activity. These cancer initiating cell sub-populations are thought to evade standard of care treatments with chemotherapy and radiation. Therefore it will be important to determine whether GSIs can provide increased clinical benefit when used in combination with cytotoxic therapies.
Ultra-high Photoresponsivity in Suspended Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Mesoscopic Multilayer MoS 2 Broadband Detector from UV-to-IR with Low Schottky Barrier Contacts

The design, fabrication, and characterization of ultra-high responsivity photodetectors based on mesoscopic multilayer MoS2 is presented, which is a less explored system compared to direct band gap monolayer MoS2 that has received increasing attention in recent years. The device architecture is comprised of a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector, where Mo was used as the contact metal to suspended MoS2 membranes. The photoresponsivity $${\boldsymbol{R}}$$ was measured to be ~1.4 × 104 A/W, which is > 104 times higher compared to prior reports, while the detectivity D* was computed to be ~2.3 × 1011 Jones at 300 K at an optical power P of ~14.5 pW and wavelength λ of ~700 nm. In addition, the dominant photocurrent mechanism was determined to be the photoconductive effect (PCE), while a contribution from the photogating effect was also noted from trap-states that yielded a wide spectral photoresponse from UV-to-IR (400 nm to 1100 nm) with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) ~104. From time-resolved photocurrent measurements, a decay time τ d ~ 2.5 ms at 300 K was measured from the falling edge of the photogenerated waveform after irradiating the device with a stream of incoming ON/OFF white light pulses.
Whispering-gallery-mode resonators for nanoscale sensing and measurement

I will discuss ultra-high-Q Whispering-Gallery-Mode (WGM) microresonators for ultra-sensitive detection and sizing of single virions, dielectric and metallic nanoparticles. I will show a new hand-held sensing platform based on WGM technologies.
Accuracy of a polarographic electrode at high oxygen concentrations.

Oxygen plays a central role in wound healing. It is required for angiogenesis, collagen deposition, epithelization, and superoxide production for intracellular bacterial killing. Wound oxygen concentration depends upon the complex interactions of blood perfusion, intercapillary distance, local oxygen consumption, arterial oxygen concentration, and oxyhemoglobin dissociation conditions. Accurate determination of wound p02 during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment requires direct measurement. Transport of oxygen to the hypoxic center of a wound, or to a wound with impaired perfusion, is often only possible with HBO exposure. Several studies have shown that HBO promotes wound healing, especially in hypoxic wounds.
A UNIVERSAL 5-MANIFOLD WITH RESPECT TO SIMPLICIAL TRIANGULATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview on a universal 5-manifold with respect to simplicial triangulation. One of the most important questions in geometric topology is whether or not every topological manifold has a locally finite simplicial triangulation. The chapter presents a geometric construction of a closed non-orientable topological 5-manifold N 5 with the property that N 5 has a simplicial triangulation if and only if every compact topological n-manifold M n n≥ 6 has a simplical triangulation. The chapter presents a theorem which states that if there exists a closed simplicially triangulated topological n- manifold N n for any n ≥ 5 with σ N ≠ 0 where σ N is the Kirby–Siebermann obstruction then all compact topological n- manifiolds M m with m ≥6 have a simplical triangulation.
Hacking the Human: The Prevalence Paradox in Cybersecurity:

Objective:This work assesses the efficacy of the “prevalence effect” as a form of cyberattack in human-automation teaming, using an email task.Background:Under the prevalence effect, rare signals a...
Specificity determinants for bacteriophage lambda DNA replication: II. structure of O proteins of λ-φ80 and λ-82 hybrid phages and of a λ mutant defective in the origin of replication

The essential replication protein encoded by gene O of bacteriophage λ (O-λ) is one of the major polypeptides produced in vitro in a DNA-dependent protein synthesizing system with λ DNA as template (Yates et al., 1977). We have used this system to identify the proteins encoded by lambdoid phages φ80 and 82 and equivalent in function to O-λ. The O protein of each phage type differs slightly in polypeptide molecular weight. Hybrid λ-φ80 and λ-82 phages derived by recombination within gene O direct synthesis of hybrid O proteins with the aminoterminal segment characteristic of one parent, and the carboxyl-terminal segment characteristic of the other. Differences in structure among O-λ, O-80 and O-λ82 segregate together with specificity determinants for interactions between the O protein and the control site ori, and between the O protein and the product of replication gene P. The coding region for the O protein includes ori.
Immune response and adult mortality associated with the B locus in chickens.

We are studying immune response to natural and synthetic antigens as related to viability and disease and are attempting to determine the extent to which the major histocompatibility complex (the B blood group system) is involved. We are using a noninbred line, SI, segregating for 3 B alleles and 7 inbred lines with inbreeding coefficients ranging from 60–97%. This gives us the opportunity to compare the experimental efficiency of inbreds and noninbreds for studies of immune response. A unique feature of our approach concerns the B1B1 genotype. In particular, B1B1 chickens show consistently high adult mortality, 4- or 5-fold higher than controls, and they are highly susceptible to Marek’s disease virus. Also, they have proved to be low responders to Salmonella pullorum bacterin, human serum albumin, GAT10, and (T, G)-A—L. We think that there is some broad immunodeficiency associated with BIBI but as yet we have not discovered it.
Gastric corticotropin-releasing factor influences mast cell infiltration in a rat model of functional dyspepsia

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by dysregulated gut-brain interactions. Emerging evidence shows that low-grade mucosal inflammation and immune activation contribute to FGIDs, including functional dyspepsia (FD). Stress plays an important role in the onset of FD symptoms. In human subjects with FD, presence of gastric mast cells has been reported, but factors that influence mast cell infiltration remain uncharacterized. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) initiates the body's stress response and is known to degranulate mast cells. In this study, we delineated the role of the CRF system in the pathogenesis of FD in a rat model. Gastric irritation in neonate rat pups with iodoacetamide (IA) was used to induce FD-like symptoms. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to silence gastric CRF expression. Mast cell infiltrate in the stomach increased by 54% in IA-treated rats compared to controls and CRF-RNAi tended to decrease gastric mast cell infiltrate. Sucrose intake decreased in IA-treated rats and mast cell numbers showed a negative association with sucrose intake. IA treatment and transient silencing of gastric CRF increased hypothalamic CRF levels. In IA-treated rats, gastric levels of CRF receptor 2 (CRF2) decreased by ~76%, whereas hypothalamic CRF receptor 1 (CRF1) levels increased. Plasma levels of TNF-α showed a positive correlation with plasma CRF levels. Levels of phosphorylated p38 and ERK1/2 in the stomach showed a positive correlation with gastric CRF levels. Thus, CRF may contribute to low grade inflammation via modulating mast cell infiltration, cytokine levels, MAPK signaling, and the gut-brain axis.
Fantastic visual argument and the Food and Drug Administration’s The Real Cost campaign

AbstractDesigning campaigns to discourage youth smoking remains a difficult task. Paradoxically, data suggests that The Real Cost campaign has been a success, despite research predicting that its f...
How Much Bone Cement Is Utilized for Component Fixation in Primary Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty

Dear Editor, We read with great interest the timely study by Satish et al., How Much Bone Cement Is Utilized for Component Fixation in Primary Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty? (1). We applaud the authors, yet we hope they can clarify some points to make this study more applicable to a wider population.
R&d Knowledge Is Power

The phrase “knowledge is power” may be a cliche, yet in today's business environment it is as true a statement as ever. In fact, knowledge is a unique company resource because its value actually in...
Gender, Ethnic, and Geographic Variations in Psychotropic Drug Use Among Children Enrolled in Medicaid

This study examines variations in psychotropic drug use among children enrolled in Medicaid during 1995 in two midwestern states. A dataset was created from Kansas Medicaid prescription reimbursement claims and enrollment files that included age, gender, ethnicity, diagnoses, and drugs prescribed for each of the 5,574 children under age 20 years who received at least one psychotropic drug prescription in 1995. A similar database composed of information on 41,031 children from another midwestern state was used for comparisons between the two states. We found that boys were far more likely to receive psychotropic drug prescriptions than were girls. The overall ratio of male to female psychotropic drug users is highest among younger children and nearly equal among older adolescents. While African-American and Hispanic children represented 23% and 12%, respectively, of all children enrolled in Medicaid, they accounted for only 12% and 3.5% of psychotropic drug users, respectively. The striking differences in psychotropic drug use found suggest that patient gender may influence diagnosis and treatment in a way that physiological differences alone cannot account for. Ethnic disparities found here indicate possible access problems or underdiagnoses for minority children. Future efforts to improve the mental health of young people must include attempts to identify the causes of these disparities.
Assessment of a medical student led sex education curriculum for at risk US 9th graders aged 14–15 years

Santa Ana, California has the highest teenage birth rate in Orange County, USA, at 28.2 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 as compared to 12.0 per 1000 women of similar age elsewhere in the county. In the ...
Clinical correlates of depression chronicity among people living with HIV: What is the role of suicidal ideation?

Abstract Background Chronicity of depression among people living with HIV (PLWH) is associated with poorer viral suppression and mortality risk. The extent to which suicidal ideation (SI) and other baseline characteristics predict a prolonged duration of depressive illness among PLWH is not known but could help identify PLWH most at risk. Methods Data were drawn from a sample of 1002 depressed PLWH engaged in primary care at a metropolitan HIV clinic from 2007–2018, representing 2,569 person-years. Depression characteristics were derived from the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), administered during routine screening. Other characteristics were derived from clinic data. Unadjusted and covariate-adjusted survival analyses compared the time to depression remission between depressed participants with and without SI at their initial screening. Results At baseline, 38.4% of depressed PLWH endorsed SI. Depressed PLWH with SI took significantly longer to achieve remission from depression than those without SI. The association appeared to be mediated by depression symptom severity. When adjusted for age, depression diagnosis, any recent drug use, and depression symptom severity, baseline SI no longer predicted remission hazard. Limitations Participants were assessed for depression with variable frequency. The analysis assumed all patients received comparable treatment for their depression. Some variables were based on clinic measurements that may be subject to misclassification bias. Conclusions These data suggest that depressed PLWH with SI are at risk for greater chronicity of depression because their depression is more severe. Accordingly, PLWH should be urgently engaged in psychiatric care in the event of SI or severe depressive symptoms.
Accelerated spin-echo functional MRI using multisection excitation by simultaneous spin-echo interleaving (MESSI) with complex-encoded generalized slice dithered enhanced resolution (cgSlider) simultaneous multislice echo-planar imaging.

Purpose Spin-echo functional MRI (SE-fMRI) has the potential to improve spatial specificity when compared with gradient-echo fMRI. However, high spatiotemporal resolution SE-fMRI with large slice-coverage is challenging as SE-fMRI requires a long echo time to generate blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast, leading to long repetition times. The aim of this work is to develop an acquisition method that enhances the slice-coverage of SE-fMRI at high spatiotemporal resolution. Theory and methods An acquisition scheme was developed entitled multisection excitation by simultaneous spin-echo interleaving (MESSI) with complex-encoded generalized slice dithered enhanced resolution (cgSlider). MESSI uses the dead-time during the long echo time by interleaving the excitation and readout of 2 slices to enable 2× slice-acceleration, while cgSlider uses the stable temporal background phase in SE-fMRI to encode/decode 2 adjacent slices simultaneously with a "phase-constrained" reconstruction method. The proposed cgSlider-MESSI was also combined with simultaneous multislice (SMS) to achieve further slice-acceleration. This combined approach was used to achieve 1.5-mm isotropic whole-brain SE-fMRI with a temporal resolution of 1.5 s and was evaluated using sensory stimulation and breath-hold tasks at 3T. Results Compared with conventional SE-SMS, cgSlider-MESSI-SMS provides 4-fold increase in slice-coverage for the same repetition time, with comparable temporal signal-to-noise ratio. Corresponding fMRI activation from cgSlider-MESSI-SMS for both fMRI tasks were consistent with those from conventional SE-SMS. Overall, cgSlider-MESSI-SMS achieved a 32× encoding-acceleration by combining Rinplane × MB × cgSlider × MESSI = 4 × 2 × 2 × 2. Conclusion High-quality, high-resolution whole-brain SE-fMRI was acquired at a short repetition time using cgSlider-MESSI-SMS. This method should be beneficial for high spatiotemporal resolution SE-fMRI studies requiring whole-brain coverage.
A systematic review of behavioral interventions for rural breast cancer survivors

Rural breast cancer survivors (RBCS) are at greater risk for poorer health outcomes and face greater treatment barriers compared to their urban counterparts, necessitating behavioral interventions tailored for the unique needs of RBCS. A systematic review of studies examining behavioral interventions delivered to RBCS living in the United States from 2000 to 2020 was conducted following PRIMSA guidelines. Nineteen unique studies were included: eight randomized controlled trials, two matched-control studies, six pre-post intervention feasibility studies, and three post-intervention satisfaction studies. Thirteen interventions aimed to improve psychosocial support, three to improve weight management, and three to improve education. Results indicate interventions’ feasibility and acceptability. Six out of eight intervention conditions reported favorable outcomes compared to control conditions, suggesting promise for efficacy. However, variability in intervention objective, duration, delivery, and follow-up timing, and small sample sizes prevent overarching conclusions. Research involving larger sample sizes, higher quality control groups, and longer follow-up data is needed.
The Passenger Pigeon and the New World Myth of Plenitude

The fate of the passenger pigeon is perhaps the most dramatic historical example of anthropogenic species extinction. The first European settler-colonists observed their mass flights in search of forage and breeding grounds, a striking instance of New World natural bounty. From discovery to campaigns to promote settlement, the providential abundance of natural resources, especially food—game animals, fish, fowl, fruit, vegetables, and native grains—was a principal attraction. The great eastern forests were gradually cleared; colonists felt they were meant to transform the wilderness into a fruitful land—thus depriving the pigeons of their mass feeding ground. Indiscriminate slaughter of nestlings and adults seemed reasonable, given the supply. Extinction was the unintended consequence of a limitless human appetite for exploiting and consuming the miraculous natural abundance of the New World.
Clusterin as a Potential Biomarker of Obesity-Related Alzheimer's Disease Risk

Over 35% of the adult US population is obese. In turn, excess adiposity increases the risk of multiple complications including type 2 diabetes (T2D), insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease; yet, obesity also independently heightens risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), even after adjusting for other important confounding risk factors including blood pressure, sociodemographics, cholesterol levels, smoking status, and Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype. Among patients over the age of 65 with dementia, 37% have coexisting diabetes, and an estimated 7.3% of cases of AD are directly attributable to midlife obesity. Clusterin, also known as apolipoprotein J (ApoJ), is a multifunctional glycoprotein that acts as a molecular chaperone, assisting folding of secreted proteins. Clusterin has been implicated in several physiological and pathological states, including AD, metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease. Despite long-standing interest in elucidating clusterin's relationship with amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation/clearance and toxicity, significant knowledge gaps still exist. Altered clusterin expression and protein levels have been linked with cognitive and memory function, disrupted central nervous system lipid flux, as well as pathogenic brain structure; and its role in cardiometabolic disease suggests that it may be a link between insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and AD. Here, we briefly highlight clusterin's relevance to AD by presenting existing evidence linking clusterin to AD and cardiometabolic disease, and discussing its potential utility as a biomarker for AD in the presence of obesity-related metabolic disease.
Targeting novel structural and functional features of coronavirus protease nsp5 (3CL pro , M pro ) in the age of COVID-19.

Coronavirus protease nsp5 (Mpro, 3CLpro) remains a primary target for coronavirus therapeutics due to its indispensable and conserved role in the proteolytic processing of the viral replicase polyproteins. In this review, we discuss the diversity of known coronaviruses, the role of nsp5 in coronavirus biology, and the structure and function of this protease across the diversity of known coronaviruses, and evaluate past and present efforts to develop inhibitors to the nsp5 protease with a particular emphasis on new and mostly unexplored potential targets of inhibition. With the recent emergence of pandemic SARS-CoV-2, this review provides novel and potentially innovative strategies and directions to develop effective therapeutics against the coronavirus protease nsp5.
Modifying Curriculum for Novice Computational Thinking Elementary Teachers and English Language Learners

The demand for computational thinking (CT) problem solving abilities surge as every aspect of life becomes more dependent on complex digital technologies. Just as in math and language, a strong CT foundation needs to be established in early education in order for students to develop an instinctive CT perspective of the world. The urgent demand for CT instruction in elementary school quickly draws attention to the shortage of elementary school-level teachers qualified and interested in CT. Additionally, with a commitment to equity in the United States education system and knowledge of the high percentage of English language learning (ELL) students in schools, the obligation to create curricula that will provide access to CT knowledge, skills, and practices for elementary-level ELL students is loudly apparent. In response to these two needs, our team has adapted existing Scratch-based CT curriculum to support classroom teachers with minimal CT experience and to be more accessible to English language learners. The purpose of this paper is to share the framework that guided the curriculum adaptations, to describe the specific changes that were made, and to discuss discoveries made during the process. This journey may be helpful to anyone who is tasked with modifying a curriculum to meet the needs of novice content teachers and ELL students.
Prediction of California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Using Index Soil Properties and Compaction Parameters of Low Plastic Fine-Grained Soil

California bearing ratio (CBR) is a significant test for geotechnical and highway engineering. CBR requires extensive time and physical effort, which affects the productivity of the projects. This study aims to develop correlations to predict CBR with index properties of fine-grained soils. Several natural soil samples were collected from different areas of Islamabad, Pakistan. Geotechnical laboratory tests of grain size analysis, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, standard Proctor, and California bearing ratio were performed. Multi-linear regression analysis (MLRA) was performed using statistical analysis software, SPSS. Multiple predictive models for CBR were developed using SPSS in three stages, each stage with a different set of index soil properties as input variables. Based on this study, it is observed that CBR of fine-grained soils can be predicted with excellent accuracy using index soil properties and compaction parameters as input parameters with high R2 values ranging from 0.786 to 0.957 and significance of 0.000 for all predictive models. MLRA models presented in this study are based on low plastic fine-grained soils and might not be suitable to predict CBR for high plastic or course-grained soils.
Testing Factor Models on Characteristic and Covariance Pure Plays

We test the recent Fama-French five-factor model and Hou-Xue-Zhang four-factor model using test assets from Fama-MacBeth regressions, which are pure plays on particular characteristics or covariances. Our tests resolve the errors-in-variable bias in Fama-MacBeth regressions with estimated betas. Monte Carlo evidence shows that the tests are unbiased even with time-varying stock betas and characteristics. For both factor models, characteristic pure plays generally have positive alphas, and covariance pure plays have negative alphas. The models fail especially in explaining returns to investment and when pure plays are momentum-neutral. The rejections are economically significant.
Integrating Gender into Legal Education: The Obstacles, Challenges, and Possibilities

I. GENDER AND TEACHING LAW 279 II. CURRICULA AND SYLLABI 280 III. SPECIALIZED COURSES 280 A. Offering the Course for Students Just Beginning or for Students Concluding Their Studies 280 1. Offering the Course in the First Years 280 2. Offering the Course Towards the End of Law School 281 B. Should the Course be Compulsory or Elective? 282 1. Compulsory Course 283 2. Elective Course 283 IV. NEW CONTENT FOR COURSES IN THE REGULAR PROGRAM 284 A. Interested Professors 284 B. Alternative Syllabi 286 C. Appropriate Material for the Classes 287 V. DEVELOPING THEORY 287 VI. TEACHING MATERIALS 288 VII. CONCLUSION 289
The economic and social benefits of space communication: A global overview of past, present and future applications

Abstract This study takes two different approaches to trying to estimate the ‘worth’ of satellite applications, one based upon tariff services and their pyramidal value and the other of estimating derived benefits on a sector-by-sector basis to total the economic value of business and application satellite services. These procedures result in an order-of-magnitude estimate for direct and indirect benefits of satellites of $390 billion per year or about 2% of the global economy. Estimations of social benefits are more difficult to quantify. The business, cultural, social and educational benefits of satellite communications are shown to be tremendous, and wherever possible clear economic terms are used.
Inhibitory Effect of Bombesin/Gastrin-releasing Peptide Antagonist RC-3095 and High Dose of Somatostatin Analogue RC-160 on Nitrosamine-induced Pancreatic Cancers in Hamsters

Abstract Female Syrian golden hamsters with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-induced pancreatic cancers were treated for 2 months with new pseudononapeptide bombesin receptor antagonist [d-Tpi6,Leu13ψ(CH2NH)-Leu14]bombesin(6-14)(RC-3095), administered s.c. with implanted osmotic minipumps releasing 20 µg/day of the analogue. The results were compared to those obtained by treatment with somatostatin analogue RC-160 (35 µg/day and 150 µg/day) or [d-Trp6]luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (25 µg/day), which inhibited the growth of pancreatic cancers in our previous studies. A new acetylated somatostatin analogue Ac-d- (RC-160-II) (30 µg/day) also was used for comparison of therapeutic response. All peptide analogues induced tumor inhibition by at least one of the measured parameters. Bombesin antagonist RC-3095 and high dose of RC-160 (150 µg/day) had the greatest inhibitory effect on pancreatic cancers: A significant decrease in the number of animals with tumors, reduced pancreatic weight, 87–89% inhibition of tumorous pancreas weight, and a significant diminution in the number of tumor nodules and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region count in tumor cell nuclei were observed in the groups treated with these regimens. We were able to detect receptors for bombesin in membranes of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-induced pancreatic tumors and these receptors were not down-regulated after treatment with the bombesin antagonist. In hamsters treated with bombesin antagonists, tumor inhibition might be explained by a significant decrease in the binding capacity of epidermal growth factor receptors in pancreatic cancers. The acetylated somatostatin analogue RC-160-II had a similar inhibitory effect on the tumors as the original analogue RC-160. Our results suggest that the increase in the dose of RC-160 improves the therapeutic response, and this finding should be taken into account in clinical use of this somatostatin analogue. In view of its strong inhibitory effect on experimental pancreatic tumors, the bombesin antagonist RC-3095 might be considered as a possible new agent for the therapy of human exocrine pancreatic cancer.
Should nanometer circuits be periodically tested in the field

Escapes from manufacturing test: A large system built out of well-tested components can still have a significant probability of failure due to test escapes. Unfortunately field testing is unlikely to detect such failures because manufacturing tests, carried out on individual parts and on assembled (sub)systems, are far more comprehensive. Indeed, any proposed field test can be applied as part of manufacturing tests, but reapplying all manufacturing tests is generally not possible in the field. Thus it is unrealistic to expect a significant number of manufacturing test escapes to be picked up by subsequent field-testing, unless the defects “grow” in the field and cause additional malfunction. Concurrent test methods, such as self checking, on the other hand, can be effective here since they can detect errors for input conditions not observed during test.
Effects of glia maturation factor overexpression in primary astrocytes on MAP kinase activation, transcription factor activation, and neurotrophin secretion.

Using the replication-defective adenovirus vector, we overexpressed rat glia maturation factor (GMF) in primary astrocyte cultures derived from embryonic rat brains. Among the three isoforms of MAP kinase, there was a big increase in the phosphorylation of p38, as detected with Western blotting using the phosphospecific antibody. Likewise, there was a substantial increase in the phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB. Using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), we found a stimulation in the transcription factor NF-κB. The activations of CREB and NF-κB were blocked by inhibitors of either p38 (SB-203580) or MEK (PD-098059), suggesting that they were events downstream of MAK kinase. There was an increased secretion of BDNF and NGF into the conditioned medium, along with an increase in their messenger RNA. The inductions of BDNF and NGF were also blocked by inhibitors of p38 and MEK, as well as by the inhibition of NF-κB with a decoy DNA sequence. Taken together, the results suggest that GMF functions intracellularly in astrocytes as a modulator of MAP kinase signal transduction, leading to a series of downstream events including CREB and NF-κB activation, resulting in the induction and secretion of the neurotrophins.
Classifying the mobility of users and the popularity of access points

There is increasing interest in location-aware systems and applications. It is important for any designer of such systems and applications to understand the nature of user and device mobility. Furthermore, an understanding of the effect of user mobility on access points (APs) is also important for designing, deploying, and managing wireless networks. Although various studies of wireless networks have provided insights into different network environments and user groups, it is often hard to apply these findings to other situations, or to derive useful abstract models. In this paper, we present a general methodology for extracting mobility information from wireless network traces, and for classifying mobile users and APs. We used the Fourier transform to convert time-dependent location information to the frequency domain, then chose the two strongest periods and used them as parameters to a classification system based on Bayesian theory. To classify mobile users, we computed diameter (the maximum distance between any two APs visited by a user during a fixed time period) and observed how this quantity changes or repeats over time. We found that user mobility had a strong period of one day, but there was also a large group of users that had either a much smaller or much bigger primary period. Both primary and secondary periods had important roles in determining classes of mobile users. Users with one day as their primary period and a smaller secondary period were most prevalent; we expect that they were mostly students taking regular classes. To classify APs, we counted the number of users visited each AP. The primary period did not play a critical role because it was equal to one day for most of the APs; the secondary period was the determining parameter. APs with one day as their primary period and one week as their secondary period were most prevalent. By plotting the classes of APs on our campus map, we discovered that this periodic behavior of APs seemed to be independent of their geographical locations, but may depend on the relative locations of nearby APs. Ultimately, we hope that our study can help the design of location-aware services by providing a base for user mobility models that reflect the movements of real users.
Directional efficiency in geared transmissions: Characterization of backdrivability towards improved proprioceptive control

This paper introduces the phenomenon of directional efficiency, a property of spur gear transmissions in which the coefficient of torque dependent efficiency is function of the power flow direction; the efficiency in the step-up direction differs from that of step-down. Understanding the directional efficiency is important in robot design where the mechanical impedance of the transmission significantly affects the dynamics of physical interaction with the environment. This paper is the first to address ‘backdrivability’ by investigating directional efficiency on a high gear ratio robotic actuator, industrial servo gearboxes and over a family of gears. The kinematic model shows that a single pair of gears operates at higher efficiency in step-down than in step-up and the effect is confirmed in experiment, albeit with discrepancy in the magnitude of difference. Experimental results show that step-down and step-up directional efficiency are 98% and 96% respectively for a PIC DESIGNS 6∶1 gearbox over the range of tested velocities. Additionally the overall energy efficiencies of the Dynamixel robotic servo motor with a gear ratio of 248∶1 are approximately 75% and 70% for step-down and step-up respectively over a range of tested velocities. For the Dynamixel servo actuator, modeling with directional efficiency coefficients reduces error in predicted output force to 2–4% compared to a 4–8% with a single efficiency coefficient and 30% for models without friction.
Industrial involvement in undergraduate research: online determination of thermal properties of food materials

A description is given of an undergraduate research project, developed with the aid of an engineer in industry, involving the determination of thermal properties of several food materials. The objective was to instruct chemical engineering students at the sophomore level in research methodology. The students would determine the heat capacities and thermal conductivities of cocoa powder, whole milk powder, and cane sugar, both dry and as a 50:50 mixture (by mass) with water. The involvement of an industrial contact was found to be a motivating factor by demonstrating to the students that the subject of the research project was significant, and by implying that the subject matter the students were learning could be applied to a 'real world' problem. >
Uncertainty in real–world particulate matter emission measurements from a transportable heavy–duty vehicle emissions testing laboratory

In recent years, significant improvements have been made in the measurement and characterisation of in–use emissions from heavy–duty vehicles. The recent efforts to measure in–use (real–world) emissions has been underscored by the need to improve the models used to generate mobile source emission inventories. The emissions data generated by the West Virginia University Transportable Heavy–Duty Vehicle Emission Testing Laboratories is filling the void in the database. The increasingly stringent standards on exhaust emissions necessitate a higher degree of accuracy and repeatability in the measurements. This paper will present an analysis of the uncertainty of the inaccuracy associated with in–use particulate matter measurements using the transportable laboratory. It was found that the error in the HC, CO, CO2, and NOx, measurements were dependent upon the bias and random errors inherent with each of the analysers. While the emission measurements of particulate matter were affected by the error in the analysers, a sensitivity analysis revealed that the largest contributor to the uncertainty in this measurement was the dilute exhaust mass flow rate, Vmix. The uncertainty in the particulate matter emission measurement was found to be less than 2%. It was found that the error in the particulate measurement was directly proportional to the error in the Vmix. When the error in the Vmix was 1% the error in the particulate measurement was approximately 1%. The errors associated with the pressure transducer, which measured the absolute pressure at the critical flow venturi inlet, and the critical flow venture constant, Κ, also contributed significantly to the uncertainty.
The transmission line model for rectangular patch antennas

Early analyses of rectangular patch antennas have been based on the transmission line model [1,2]. Although this model provides results adequate for engineering purposes, it predicts a resonant frequency which is lower [2] and also it cannot account for the dependence of the resonant frequency on the patch aspect ratio and the substrate thickness [3]. Later, the cavity model [4] and its modification [2,3] have been developed to analyze such antennas; these methods provide accurate results but require elaborate computation.
Transient heat transfer in a thick thermal boundary layer with spherical symmetry

Abstract Unsteady heat diffusion in a thick thermal boundary layer over a spherical surface in radial motion is studied. The boundary layer is divided into two parts, one towards the outer edge of the layer, and the other adjacent to the surface. A method of successive approximation is employed to obtain the solutions appropriate to these regions. An explicit expression for the temperature distribution is presented in the zero order when the temperature at infinity and the temperature gradient at the spherical surface are specified. The convergence of the approximation procedure and the joining of the inner and outer solutions are discussed. Results may be applied to the problems of bubble growth or collapse in a liquid and droplet evaporation and particle sublimation in a hot environment.
The shape of the chymotrypsinogen molecule from x-ray diffraction.

Abstract A model structure is assumed for type D crystals of chymotrypsinogen in which the molecule is represented by a 21 A sphere, and for which the calculated X-ray intensities out to a Bragg spacing of 18 A give satisfactory agreement with observation. Phases deduced for this model are used together with observed amplitudes to compute a 3-dimensional Fourier map in which some of the gross features of the molecule are visible.
Identification of a QTL for Adipocyte Volume and of Shared Genetic Effects with Aspartate Aminotransferase

Plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), a liver enzyme, are elevated in patients with visceral obesity. This study examined whether adipocyte volume is under the influence of genetic factors and evaluated its genetic correlations with AST. Fasting plasma levels of 344 pedigreed baboons from the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, TX, USA, were assayed for AST. Adipocyte volume was measured using biopsies of omental adipose tissue. Adipocyte volume, body weight, and plasma AST were heritable. Genetic correlations between the measured adiposity-related phenotypes and AST were significant. A quantitative trait locus (LOD score 3.2) for adipocyte volume was identified on the baboon homolog of human chromosome 6 near marker D6S1028. These results suggest that omental adipocyte volume is under genetic regulation and that shared genetic factors influence adiposity-associated traits and AST.
Noncanonical MMS2-Encoded Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme Functions in Assembly of Novel Polyubiquitin Chains for DNA Repair

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant (UEV) proteins resemble ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) but lack the defining E2 active-site residue. The MMS2-encoded UEV protein has been genetically implicated in error-free postreplicative DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that Mms2p forms a specific heteromeric complex with the UBC13-encoded E2 and is required for the Ubc13p-dependent assembly of polyubiquitin chains linked through lysine 63. A ubc13 yeast strain is UV sensitive, and single, double, and triple mutants of the UBC13, MMS2, and ubiquitin (ubiK63R) genes display a comparable phenotype. These findings support a model in which an Mms2p/Ubc13p complex assembles novel polyubiquitin chains for signaling in DNA repair, and they suggest that UEV proteins may act to increase diversity and selectivity in ubiquitin conjugation.
Calcium localization pattern in clover root hair cells associated with infection process: Studies with aureomycin

Localized regions of calcium were shown to change in clover root hair cells after infection withRhizobium trifolii as shown with the Ca++ binding antibiotic, chlorotetracycline. Some root hairs from the immature zone showed increased calcium fluorescence distributed through most of the cell. These root hair had a morphology with a notched side wall, typical of cells infected by bacteria. The maturing root hairs that show a growing infection thread or start of an infection thread, have a similar increased calcium fluorescence, especially around the area of origin of infection thread and tip of the root hair cell.
Ligand-Binding Characteristics of the Cyclic Nucleotide Binding Domain (CNBD) of the HERG Potassium Channel and Long QT Syndrome

cAMP may regulate human ether-a-go-go-related gene potassium channel (HERG) by either stimulating protein kinase A (PKA) to phosphorylate the channel or direct binding to the cyclic nucleotide binding domain (CNBD) of HERG. The consequence of direct cAMP binding to HERG is still unclear. Mutations throughout the HERG channel can disrupt its function, leading to the Long QT syndrome. Dysfunction of HERG harboring mutations in the CNBD has been attributed to inability to bind cyclic nucleotides and/or improper trafficking. We characterized ligand binding of HERG potassium channel nucleotide binding domain (CNBD) using surface plasma resonance (SPR), fluorescence and affinity pull down experiments. Recombinant HERG-CNBD was purified and used for these studies. SPR measured cAMP binding to the isolated CNBD domain with estimated Kd value of 14 - 39 μM. Long QT2 mutants (F805S, G816V, S818L V822M and R823W) introduced into the recombinant protein retained binding with cAMP, suggesting that deleterious channel effects of these naturally occurring mutations are not caused by direct disruption of cAMP binding. Progressive deletion/truncation study of HERG-CNBD showed that a 16-amino acid region (residues 755-811) of HERG contributed most to the cAMP binding. Our results confirmed the direct binding of cAMP to HERG CNBD motif and narrow down the region involved. Disruption of ligand binding however does not seem to be a primary mechanism for channelopathy disease. Further studies are needed to determine if CNBD causes conformational change upon cAMP binding leading to channel regulation.
Anomalous atmospheric spectral features between 300 and 310 nm interpreted in light of new ozone absorption coefficient measurements

Real structure is revealed, by an analysis of continuous scan data from the solar backscattered UV instrument on Nimbus 7, in the backscattered atmospheric albedo region between 300 and 310 nm where spectral anomalies have been reported in ground-based observation. The spectral anomalies are explainable as structure at the 1-5% level in the ozone absorption coefficient, as measured by Bass and Paur (1981). The new absorption coefficient measurements are judged to approach the 1%-level of accuracy in atmospheric radiation calculation, which should resolve discrepancies between different Dobson wavelength pairs and between different instruments and permit the more accurate analysis of such second-order effects as NO emission, SO2 absorption in polluted atmospheres, and Raman scattering effects.