cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential responses of pancreatic β-cells to ROS and RNS.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) direct the activation of distinct signaling pathways that determine cell fate. In this study, the pathways activated and the mechanisms by which ROS and RNS control the viability of pancreatic β-cells were examined. Although both nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induce DNA damage, reduce cell viability, and activate AMPK, the mechanisms of AMPK activation and cell death induction differ between each reactive species. Nitric oxide activates the unfolded protein and heat shock responses and MAPK kinase signaling, whereas H2O2 stimulates p53 stabilization and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation but fails to induce the unfolded protein or heat shock responses or MAPK activation. The control of cell fate decisions is selective for the form of stress. H2O2-mediated reduction in β-cell viability is controlled by PARP, whereas cell death in response to nitric oxide is PARP independent but associated with the nuclear localization of GAPDH. These findings show that both ROS and RNS activate AMPK, induce DNA damage, and reduce cell viability; however, the pathways controlling the responses of β-cells are selective for the type of reactive species.
Mitochondrial proteins that regulate apoptosis and necrosis are induced in mouse fatty liver

Fatty liver is common in nonalcoholic, obese individuals and in lean people who consume alcohol chronically. Although fatty liver is typically benign, a subset of individuals with steatosis develop steatohepatitis and eventually cirrhosis. The disparate outcomes of fatty liver suggest that it reflects a generally beneficial, adaptive response to obesity or alcohol-related stress, but may also increase hepatocyte vulnerability to other challenges. Thus, both protective factors (e.g., Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and factors that promote hepatocyte death by apoptosis (e.g., Bax) or necrosis (e.g., UCP2) may be increased in fatty livers. To evaluate this possibility, hepatocyte apoptosis, necrosis, and the expression of factors that regulate cellular viability were assessed in two models of fatty liver (i.e., genetically obese [ob/ob] mice and ethanol [EtOH]-fed lean mice). Findings in mice with fatty livers were compared with lean, control mice that did not have hepatic steatosis. Immunohistochemistry showed striking induction of hepatocyte proteins that promote (e.g., Bax) and inhibit (e.g., Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) apoptosis in both groups with fatty liver. Both models of fatty liver also increased hepatic transcripts for UCP2, a mitochondrial uncoupling protein, and the protein itself was induced in ob/ob hepatocytes. Despite the up-regulation of factors that threaten cell viability, hepatocyte death was not increased in either ob/ob or EtOH-fed mice, confirming that the liver's protective responses were sufficient under the conditions studied. However, if UCP2 induction reduces the efficiency of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, this initially harmless response might enhance the vulnerability of hepatocytes to necrosis.
Sex problems after menopause: a study of fifty married couples treated in a sex counseling programme *

This is a study of the sexuality of 50 couples among whom all of the women were post-menopausal. The population was seen in the Sex Counseling Service at Yale for treatment of sexual problems. The impact of biological changes accompanying the menopause appears to influence sexual interest, behaviour and response of both women and their male partners. The possible importance of oestrogen effects on perception and the significance of perceptual changes at menopause to the functioning of the sex response cycle is reported. Findings also include male emotions generated by female biological changes which inhibit male sexuality.
A distributed model for real-time flood forecasting using digital elevation models

A distributed model for real-time rainfall-runoff simulation during floods is presented. The model, called Distributed Basin Simulator (DBSIM) is based on the detailed topographical information provided by Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Basin representation uses the rectangular grid of the DEM. Soil properties, input data and state variables are also represented as data layers using the same scheme. Distributed rainfall input is used to map the topographically driven evolution of saturated areas as the storm progresses. The model applies a kinematic model of infiltration to evaluate local runoff generation in grid elements and accounts for lateral moisture flow between elements and surface flow routing in a simplified manner. Model performance is evaluated through sensitivity analyses and an exercise of model calibration and verification.
Influence of Solvent Quality and Thermal Fluctuations on Polymer-Mediated Depletion Interactions

Analytic integral equation theory for treating athermal mixtures of hard spheres and polymers is extended to study thermal interaction and solvent quality effects in suspensions of infinitely dilute spherical particles in dilute and semidilute polymer solutions. Our approach applies to all sphere/polymer size ratios, and polymer−polymer segmental attractive interactions are included using both liquid state and Flory−Huggins theory. The effect of such thermal interactions on the polymer-induced depletion potential between hard spheres is studied with emphasis on the sphere−sphere second virial coefficient and the free energy of particle insertion. Strong enhancement of the purely entropic attractive depletion interaction is found in the proximity of the polymer−solvent critical demixing point. The magnitude of this effect and the distance from the ϑ temperature where it becomes important are sensitive to system-specific factors.
Fabricating Authenticity: Modeling a Whale at the American Museum of Natural History, 1906–1974

ABSTRACT Historians of science have in recent years become increasingly attentive to the ways in which issues of process, matter, meaning, and value combine in the fabrication of scientific objects. This essay examines the techniques that went into the construction—and authentication—of one such scientific object: a model of a blue, or “sulfur‐bottom,” whale manufactured at the American Museum of Natural History in 1907. In producing their model, exhibitors at the American Museum employed a patchwork of overlapping discursive, procedural, and material techniques to argue that their fabrication was as authentic—as truthful, accurate, authoritative, and morally and aesthetically worthy of display—as an exhibit containing a real, preserved cetacean. Through an examination of the archival and published traces left by these exhibitors as they built their whale, I argue that the scientific meanings of authenticity at the American Museum were neither static nor timeless, but rather were subject to constant negot...
Recruitment of the Recombinational Repair Machinery to a DNA Double-Strand Break in Yeast.

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by homologous recombination requires members of the RAD52 epistasis group. Here we use chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to examine the temporal order of recruitment of Rad51p, Rad52p, Rad54p, Rad55p, and RPA to a single, induced DSB in yeast. Our results suggest a sequential, interdependent assembly of Rad proteins adjacent to the DSB initiated by binding of Rad51p. ChIP time courses from various mutant strains and additional biochemical studies suggest that Rad52p, Rad55p, and Rad54p each help promote the formation and/or stabilization of the Rad51p nucleoprotein filament. We also find that all four Rad proteins associate with homologous donor sequences during strand invasion. These studies provide a near comprehensive view of the molecular events required for the in vivo assembly of a functional Rad51p presynaptic filament.
Multiplicity features of porous catalytic pellets—I. Single zeroth-order reaction case

Abstract The steady state multiplicity features of porous catalytic pellets, the temperature of which is uniform but different from that of the surrounding, are determined for a zeroth-order reaction. Simple algebraic expressions are derived which divide the global parameter space into regions with different number of solutions as well as with different types of bifurcation diagrams of surface temperature vs ambient Thiele modulus. The model predicts that up to five steady state solutions exist. The region of parameters with five solutions shrinks with increasing external mass transfer resistance and as the geometry of the pellet changes from a slab to a sphere.
S-Phase Fraction, p53, and HER-2/neu Status as Predictors of Nodal Metastasis in Early Vulvar Cancer

Abstract Objective. Our aim was to determine the value of the S-phase fraction, p53, and HER-2/neu status as predictors of inguinal nodal metastasis in early vulvar cancer. Methods. The charts of 100 consecutive patients with invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva were reviewed and a cohort of patients with clinical stage I or II disease treated primarily with radical surgery and inguinal node dissection was identified. Within this cohort, all node-positive patients were matched with node-negative controls by depth of invasion. Tumor from the 13 node-positive patients and 26 controls was then analyzed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results. The median value of the S-phase fraction was higher in tumor from patients with inguinal nodal metastasis (median, 18.2; 25th–75th percentile: 13.9–28.3) than in node-negative patients (median, 8.9; 25th–75th percentile: 5.4–15.6) ( P = 0.01). The presence of the HER-2/neu immunopositivity was also found to be associated with nodal metastasis (OR 4.05, 95% CI 1.0–16.6), but we found no evidence that DNA index or the presence of p53 immunopositivity was associated with nodal metastasis. Conclusion. Early vulvar cancer patients with inguinal node metastasis have a significantly higher S-phase fraction and are more likely to have HER-2/neu immunopositivity when compared to those without nodal metastasis.
Prototype Direction-Sensitive Solid-State Detector for Dark Matter.

A prototype weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) detector system is described. The detection efficiency is much larger when the incident neutral particle flux is perpendicular to the detector plane than when it is parallel to the plane. A greatly scaled-up system based on this device would therefore be sensitive to the diurnal rotation of the “WIMP wind” produced by the solar system’s rapid motion through the galactic halo. Experimental results are reported which exhibit the detection efficiency anisotropy when neutrons were used to simulate the interactions of WIMPS. [$0031-9007(96)00412-7]
Transverse motion of chlorophyll derivatives in phospholipid bilayers.

Abstract Chlorophyll derivatives were synthesized with spin labels attached to the porphyrin ring. These labels were incorporated into egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles in order to estimate the transbilayer motion (flip-flop) of this class of photosynthetic pigments. Using the ascorbate reduction method, the upper limit to the spin label half-life is τ 1 2 ≈ 4 min at 0° C . The flip-flop rate is rapid compared to that of a phospholipid spin label under the same conditions. The presence or absence of magnesium in the center of the porphyrin ring had no measurable effect on the flip-flop rate.
The influence of granular flow rate on the performance of a moving bed granular filter

Abstract The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of granular flow rate on the performance of a moving bed granular filter designed for hot gas filtration of fine char particles (dust) produced during fast pyrolysis of biomass. The filter employs a counter-current configuration, in which down-flowing granular material spreads out at the bottom of the filtration vessel to form an interfacial area where the dusty gas enters the granular bed and much of the gas cleaning is hypothesized to occur. This study uses a real-time particle counter to measure the instantaneous filtration efficiency during cold flow tests of the filter. Differential pressure measurements at various locations within the granular bed are used to assess the level of char dust hold-up over time. These experiments reveal a critical granular residence time below which the filter must be operated to achieve filtration efficiencies exceeding 99%. Operating above the critical value causes the filter to “clog” and decrease in efficiency. The clogging is characterized by a critical dust volume fraction as determined through a fixed bed filtration test. The filter is found to accumulate most of the dust at the interfacial region. Also the interfacial region is more efficient than the downcomer section of the granular bed in removing dust. Decreasing residence time of granular material in the filter reduces the hold-up of char dust in the filter, which is expected to mitigate coking reactions of organic vapors when the filter is used to remove char from fast pyrolysis gas streams.
Support groups for the bereaved

Abstract The author discusses support groups for the bereaved: their organization, function, processes, role of professionals, and the use of such groups for professional training.
The rank transformation applied to a multivariate method of global optimization

Rank transformation has been used successfully in a recently proposed nonparametric global optimization method. The nonparametric method determines the location of its next guess based on the rank-transformed objective function evaluations rather than on the actual function values themselves. Here, application of the rank transformation to the multivariate method of global optimization is shown to significantly reduce the number of function evaluations needed for convergence within a specified tolerance. >
Plant species diversity and genetic diversity interactively influence community properties and ecosystem processes

Biodiversity is a critical element of community properties and ecosystem processes. Both plant species richness and genetic diversity positively affect processes ranging from primary production, ecosystem stability, and the maintenance of diversity. In nature, it is likely that species diversity and genetic diversity interactively affect how communities are structured and ecosystems function. However, the relative contribution of species diversity and genetic diversity to ecological processes has been rarely documented, and potential interactions between the two levels of diversity have not been investigated. Here, I report results from a common garden experiment conducted in a coastal freshwater dune habitat at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire, MI. I manipulated plant species diversity (0, 1, 3, or 6 species) and genetic diversity (0, 1, 3, or 6 populations) within a dominant, dune-building species (Ammophila breviligulata) to address how both levels of diversity simultaneously influence ecological properties and processes. In 2008, plant diversity influenced a wide range of ecological responses. Plant species diversity and genetic diversity within the dominant species synergistically increased above-ground biomass production, with biomass increasing the most with genetic diversity when there were 6 plant species present. A similar pattern was found for arthropod morphospecies richness and abundance. Separately, neither species diversity nor genetic diversity affected either biomass production or the arthropod community. Plant diversity also influenced below-ground properties and processes. For example, nematode abundance doubled with both increasing species diversity and genetic diversity, but there was no interaction between the two levels of diversity. These results suggest that interactions between levels of diversity are an important, but often overlooked, aspect of how diversity structures communities and mediates ecosystem processes and suggests that increasing awareness of these interactions may inform conservation and restoration strategies.
Comparative biochemistry of cotton resistant and susceptible to the root-knot nematode

Abstract Cotton varieties resistant and susceptible to the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita , have been compared by selected analyses of naturally occurring constituents of the roots. Quantitative data are presented on the occurrence of amino acids, free sugars, fatty acids, sterols, total lipids, total phenols and gossypol. No qualitative differences between varieties were detected.
The Arrhythmogenicity of Theophylline: A Multivariate Analysis of Clinical Determinants

Objective to determine the relation of serum theophylline concentrations (STC) to the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in a population of hospitalized patients. Study Design A cross-sectional study of 100 patients receiving theophylline who had electrocardiograms at the time STC had been obtained. Categorization was based on STC without knowledge of clinical status: group 1 (25) had STC 20 (27.8±1.1) mg/L. Setting A university-affiliated teaching hospital. Results Two-thirds of the patients were receiving theophylline in an oral form, with a similar distribution found in all groups. Groups were not different with respect to age, clinical diagnoses, electrocardiographic patterns, arterial pH or gases, serum calcium, or treatment with β-agonists. Although fewer patients in group 1 were receiving steroids than those in the other groups, and serum potassium was lower in group 3 than in group 1 (4.0±0.6 vs 4.5±0.5 mEq/L, p Conclusion Theophylline causes tachycardia and serious arrhythmias even at STC considered to be therapeutic. Multifocal atrial tachycardia, an arrhythmia associated with use of this drug, may herald sudden cardiac death.
Characterization of dental composite curing kinetics using dynamic light scattering

Polymer resin composites are a class of widely used restorative dental materials that undergo a complex polymerization curing process that has been the subject of substantial research. This study uses speckle correlation methods based on dynamic light scattering as a tool to monitor the rate and extent of dental composite polymerization during and after photo-curing. Thin disc-shaped samples (<2mm) were constructed using composite consisting of 50:50 BisGMA/TEGDMA resin, quartz silica filler particles, and camphorquinone as photo-initiator. A 633 nm HeNe laser beam was used to probe the top surface of the sample via a backscattered speckle pattern, while the bottom surface was illuminated with a halogen curing lamp (peak wavelength=470nm) to initiate the polymerization reaction. The speckle patterns were recorded with a CCD camera, and stored as a 'speckle cube' for post processing. Correlation values of the intensity fluctuation were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis for pairs of subsequent speckle images and then ensemble averaged. Results show a sharp decrease in correlation at the onset of curing, indicating a large amount of double bond conversion and movement within the composite. Correlation values then quickly increase, eventually reaching a plateau near unity, indicating cessation of molecular rearrangement. The kinetic behavior demonstrated by our correlation curves are in good agreement with curing data found in the literature, and demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for monitoring dental composite curing.
Creationism in Twentieth‐Century America

Creationism in Twentieth Century America: A Ten-Volume Anthology of Documents, 1903–1961 Gen ed. Ronald L. Numbers
Residual variations in the zeta potential of TiO2 (Anatase) suspension as a result of exposure to radiofrequency electric fields

Abstract Suspensions of TiO 2 (anatase) powder in both deionized water and dilute NaCl solutions were exposed to a radiofrequency (RF) electric field with a peak-to-peak, no-load amplitude of 34 V and a frequency of 44 MHz. Examination of the suspension after various exposure times revealed that significant changes in zeta potential, pH, and solution conductivity occurred as a result of treatment by the RF field. Under the conditions employed in this study, the maximum decrease in zeta potential for the TiO 2 suspensions occurred after approximately 30 min of exposure time. Oscillatory variations in the zeta potential were also observed to persist for periods of at least 90 min after the radiofrequency field had been removed. The changes in zeta potential observed during these studies are discussed in terms of interfacial polarization and residual, field-induced changes in the TiO 2 particles.
Rheokinetics of thermal-induced gelation of waterborne polyurethane dispersions

Thermal-induced gelation for waterborne polyurethane dispersion has been studied rheologically under isothermal condition over a wide range of frequencies at different constant temperatures (55, 60, 65, and 70 °C). The elastic storage modulus, G‘, at a constant temperature in the vicinity of the gel point increases abruptly, and the magnitude of the elevation in G‘ was found to be temperature dependent. Similar behavior has been observed for both the viscous loss modulus, G‘‘, and the complex dynamic viscosity, η*. The gel point, tgel, was determined from the point of intersection in tan δ vs gelation time for different constant shear frequencies, where tan δ is frequency independent and all curves cross over, indicating the validity of the Winter−Chambon criterion. The value of tgel obtained from the coincidence of G‘ and G‘‘ was in excellent agreement with that obtained from tan δ vs t. At the gel point, G‘ and G‘‘ showed a power law with shear frequency, i.e., G‘ ∼ G‘‘ ∼ ωn with critical exponents n‘ a...
A problem with algebra systems - revisited

Cet article decrit comment les algorithmes utilises dans des systemes d'algebre simple, peuvent etre radicalement simplifies, et comment un probleme difficile peut etre allege par l'usage d'un calculateur base sur une architecture specialement destinee a un secteur d'application
Use of Manure, Compost, and Cover Crops to Supplant Crop Residue Carbon in Corn Stover Removed Cropping Systems

Th e emerging cellulosic-based ethanol industry will likely use corn (Zea mays L.) stover as a feedstock source. Growers wishing to maintain, or increase soil C levels for agronomic and environmental benefi t will need to use C amendments such as manure, compost, or cover crops, to replace C removed with the corn stover. Th e objective of this research was to determine the eff ect of cover crops, manure, and compost on short-term C sequestration rates and net global warming potential (GWP) in a corn–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation with complete corn stover removal. Field experiments consisting of a corn–soybean–corn rotation with whole-plant corn harvest, were conducted near East Lansing, MI over a 3-yr period beginning in the fall of 2001. Carbon amendments were: compost, manure, and a winter cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop. Compost and manure amendments raised soil C levels in the 0 to 5 and 0 to 25 cm soil profi le but not in the 5 to 25 cm soil profi le over the relatively short-term duration of the study. Total soil organic C (SOC) (kg ha –1 ) in the 0 to 25 cm profi le increased by 41 and 25% for the compost and manure treatments, respectively, and decreased by 3% for the untreated check. Compost and manure soil amendments resulted in a net GWP of –1811 and –1060 g CO 2 m –2 yr –1 , respectively, compared to 12 g CO 2 m –2 yr –1 for untreated.
On the geometric sequences of reflection coefficients

It is shown that a decaying geometric sequence of reflection coefficients corresponds to a predictor polynomial that has all of its roots on a circle centered at the origin of the complex z plane. It is shown that the radius of this circle is equal to the magnitude of the ratio of any two consecutive terms in the geometric sequence. >
On Characterization of Some Distributions by Truncation Properties

Abstract This article draws attention to some elementary results—that belong to the folklore of actuarial science—on the characterization of a reliability function S(x) by the “life expectancy” ly at age y and other expectations and moments of the residual life of a y survivor, whether the residual life is measured in the usual scale of time or a new scale. These provide closed-form expressions for models based on life expectancy or other truncated or generalized moments hypotheses. The often neglected notion of life potential is emphasized and the notion of H-potential or life utility introduced. Poisson processes and “negative” (inverse) distributions are used as expository background in view of their heuristic unifying value. A test for exponentiality is also considered.
C-tightness criterion for non-adapted random fields

Abstract Sufficient conditions are given for the C-tightness of anticipating two-parameter processes (random fields). Similar result for processes with temporal parameters on R were obtained by Rebolledo (1990).
Reconstitution of the outer mitochondrial membrane with monoamine oxidase

Abstract Monoamine oxidase was greatly enriched in the outer membrane of kidney and heart mitochondria. Purified monoamine oxidase combined preferentially with resolved preparations of outer membranes.
OCCURRENCE OF PREDATORY AND FUNGIVOROUS MITES IN LEAF DOMATIA

Domatia are small invaginations and hair tufts usually found at vein junctions on the undersides of leaves in many woody dicots. Domatia of 32 plant species (of worldwide origin from 18 families) growing in California, Hawaii, and Costa Rica were examined for mites. Domatia of 31 of 32 (97%) of these plants contained mites, and 24 of 32 (75%) contained mite eggs. Mites were found within the domatia of 48% of the sampled leaves. The domatia of 26 of 31 (84%) plants had mite species considered beneficial (primarily in the families Phytoseiidae and Tydeidae, but also Bdellidae, Cheyletidae and Stigmaeidae), while 6 of 31 (19%) had mite species considered harmful (Tenuipalpidae and Eriophyidae). Based on these findings (and in part upon Lundstrom's 1887 domatia theory), we hypothesize the existence of a widespread facultative mutualism between plants with leaf domatia and beneficial mites: leaf domatia serve as shelters and nurseries for mites which in turn eat phytophagous arthropods and pathogens using the plants. This proposed mutualism could be of importance to agriculture since domatia are known to occur in some crop plants, including coffee, grape, and walnut.
THE SOCIOECONOMIC ROOTS OF SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA

This article examines how socioeconomic context and status affect intrinsic and overt support for democracy among Latin American publics. The relationship is important since many theorists have long proposed that citizens' attitudes matter for democratic stability and, more recently, the quality of democracy. The empirical results indicate that educated and wealthy individuals are most likely to support democratic governance and the values of "self-expression" that democratic institutions embody and protect. At the macro level, economic development fosters intrinsic support while inequality and poverty have negative effects on overt support for democratic governance in Latin America. Based on this analysis, I argue that aggregate and individual socioeconomic conditions play crucial roles in the formation of support for democracy. I conclude with a call for more explicit research into the connection between democratic support and the quality of democracy in post-authoritarian Latin America.
Importance of organic carbon quantity on the variation of K oc in marine sediments

The current study was conducted to investigate the importance of organic carbon quantity on the detection of statistical differences in the partitioning of three nonpolar organic chemicals (Lindane, fluoranthene, and a tetrachlorobiphenyl) to five marine sediments. The experimental design allowed for testing the statistical significance of differences between site K oc S. Geochemical information, including elemental composition, stable carbon isotopes and grain size, show Narragansett Bay sediments are heterogeneous receiving organic carbon from at least two inputs: terrestrial/anthropogenic and aquatic (planktonic) sources. Statistical comparisons of K oc s by site demonstrated basic differences in the geochemical behaviors of the contaminants. K oc S between sites for the pesticide Lindane and the PCB were not statistically different (α = 0.05). Fluoranthene K ocS were more variable with logarithmic values ranging from 4.71 to 5.02 although no significant differences were detected in site comparisons. I...
Influence of xanthan gum on physical characteristics of heat-denatured whey protein solutions and gels

Abstract The influence of xanthan on the phase separation, optical properties and rheology of aqueous solutions and gels containing native (N) or heat-denatured (HD) whey protein isolate (WPI) was studied. In the absence of added salt, xanthan promoted phase separation in HD-WPI solutions but not in N-WPI solutions, which was attributed to the increased effective molecular weight of the heated proteins. In the presence of salt, xanthan caused a significant increase in gelation rate, shear modulus and opacity of HD-WPI solutions gelled by adding 200 mM NaCl. Rheology and turbidity measurements suggested that HD-WPI gels containing xanthan formed water-in-water emulsions consisting of xanthan-rich regions surrounded by a protein-rich aqueous phase. These results indicate that the thermodynamic incompatibility of xanthan and heat denatured whey proteins can be utilized to create products that exhibit a variety of different physicochemical characteristics.
Characterization of TGF-β-regulated interleukin-8 expression in human prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND Interleukin (IL)-8 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 are overexpressed in advanced prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate TGF-β1-regulated IL-8 expression in prostate cancer cells. METHODS TGF-β receptor expression was evaluated by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. TGF-β1-regulated IL-8 expression was determined by real-time RT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunoabsorbance assay (ELISA), nuclear run-on, and IL-8 promoter reporter assay. RESULTS PC-3MM2 cells expressed type I and type II TGF-β receptors (TβRI and TβRII). LNCaP cells expressed significantly lower level of TβRII. Constitutive expression of IL-8 was detected in PC-3MM2 cells and LNCaP cells engineered with TβRII (LNCaP-TβRII). TGF-β1 stimulated IL-8 expression in dose- and time-dependent manners, which was blocked by cycloheximide (CHX) and actinomycin D (ActD). The nuclear run-on and IL-8 luciferase reporter assays show that TGF-β1 activated IL-8 gene transcription. CONCLUSIONS TGF-β1 signaling regulates IL-8 expression in prostate cancer cells and may contribute to the overexpression of IL-8 in human prostate cancer. Prostate 66: 996–1004, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Education through Robotics at the United States Air Force Academy

This paper discusses the use of robotics in the electrical and computer engineering curricula at the United States Air Force Academy. One of our important educational goals is to endow graduates with engineering fundamentals and the important hardware and software engineering skills associated with designing, programming, constructing, debugging, and testing complex systems. To support this goal, we embed multiple opportunities into the curricula for students to learn and practice the requisite skills, gradually increasing the complexity as students advance. Collectively, robotics is incorporated into our curricula at two levels. At the fundamentals level, we use robots to teach basic concepts such as digital logic, analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, programming, and power management. These concepts then form the basis for the development of more advanced skills such as microcontroller interfacing and control, and circuit design. At the more advanced level, robotics provides students with opportunities to work on sophisticated systems. System design provides valuable experience in partitioning difficult design problems from both the hardware and software perspectives, and facilitates the development of effective teamwork skills. The two-level approach has shown to be effective in meeting our educational goals.
Terrain‐Shape Indices for Modeling Soil Moisture Dynamics

This study examined spatial and temporal relationships between measured soil moisture and terrain-based proxies for soil moisture dynamics. Two catenas were intensively sampled reflecting a mosaic of differences in degree of soil development in California's Sierra Foothill Region. A catena containing weakly developed soils (Haploxerepts + Haploxeralfs) formed from granitic parent materials was compared to a catena of well-developed soils (Haploxeralfs and Palexeralfs) formed from metavolcanic parent materials. Soil moisture was monitored at 10-, 30-, and 50-cm depths in 15 profiles in the granitic catena and 100 profiles in the metavolcanic catena. Seven post-rainfall periods during the 2008-2009 water year were selected to compare terrain shape indices and measured soil moisture. No single terrain index (slope, tangential curvature, profile curvature, mean curvature, topographic prominence, terrain characterization index, and compound topographic index [CTI]) consistently described variability in mean water content or dry-down rates, across depth or space. However, within the granitic catena, a combination of CTI and modeled beam radiance consistently accounted for 30 to 70% of the total variance in mean water content at 10 cm, and 10 to 40% at 30- and 50-cm depths. The predictive capacity of digital elevation model (DEM)-derived terrain shape indices for soil moisture dynamics varied widely in time and space, and was influenced by spatial patterns in the degree of soil development. Efforts to describe soil moisture variability are an important attribute of digital soil mapping (DSM). Moreover, soil variability influences soil moisture dynamics, thus synergistic activities are needed to integrate landscape scale variability with digital soil mapping. © Soil Science Society of America, All rights reserved.
On the quantization of string field theory

Abstract The quantization of free, gauge-fixed and covariant open-string field theory is examined. It is noted that the BRST symmetry of the world sheet is not exactly relevant for second quantization. An extra local symmetry in the auxiliary sector requires a gauge-fixing condition, which then breaks the BRST symmetry. The remaining BRST symmetries are identified and are shown to contain the “physical” BRST symmetry, which corresponds to the BRST symmetry found in the usual Yang-Mills theories. The gauge-fixing and ghost lagrangian is written as an anticommutator of the sum of the surviving BRST charges and a bilinear in field operators.
FANCC interacts with Hsp70 to protect hematopoietic cells from IFN-γ/TNF-α-mediated cytotoxicity

The Fanconi anemia (FA) complementation group C gene product (FANCC) functions to protect hematopoietic cells from cytotoxicity induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Because apoptotic responses of mutant FA-C cells involve activation of interferon-inducible, dsRNA-dependent protein kinase PKR, we sought to identify FANCC-binding cofactors that may modulate PKR activation. We identified the molecular chaperone Hsp70 as an interacting partner of FANCC in lymphoblasts and HeLa cells using ‘pull-down’ and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. In vitro binding assays showed that the association of FANCC and Hsp70 involves the ATPase domain of Hsp70 and the central 320 residues of FANCC, and that both Hsp40 and ATP/ADP are required. In whole cells, Hsp70–FANCC binding and protection from IFN-γ/TNF-α-induced cytotoxicity were blocked by alanine mutations located in a conserved motif within the Hsp70-interacting domain of FANCC. We therefore conclude that FANCC acts in concert with Hsp70 to prevent apoptosis in hematopoietic cells exposed to IFN-γ and TNF-α.
Accurate determination of specific heat at high temperatures using the flash diffusivity method

The flash diffusivity method of Parker et al. (1961) was used to measure accurately the specific heat of test samples simultaneously with thermal diffusivity, thus obtaining the thermal conductivity of these materials directly. The accuracy of data obtained on two types of materials (n-type silicon-germanium alloys and niobium), was + or - 3 percent. It is shown that the method is applicable up to at least 1300 K.
The encapsulation process in Biomphalaria glabrata experimentally infected with the metastrongylid Angiostrongylus cantonensis: enzyme histochemistry.

Abstract Enzyme histochemistry has revealed that encapsulation reactions surrounding larvae of the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis 4 wk after infection of the gastropod Biomphalaria glabrata are the sites of highly localized acid phosphatase and nonspecific esterase activities. Lesser amounts of alkaline phosphatase and β-glucuronidase activities also occur within such capsules, but aminopeptidase activity cannot be demonstrated. In addition, it has been ascertained that acid phosphatase activity gradually increases as the encapsulation reaction progresses during the first to the fourth week postinfection.
A promoter with an internal regulatory domain is part of the origin of replication in BPV-1

Extrachromosomal elements that are stably maintained at a constant copy number through cell doublings are a good model system for the study of the regulation of DNA replication in higher eukaryotes. Previous studies have defined both cis and trans functions required for the regulated plasmid replication of the bovine papilloma virus in stably transformed cells. Here, a sequence known to be a cis-dominant element of the replication origin of the plasmid is shown to contain a promoter for transcription. Both in vitro and in vivo assays have been used to define this promoter and show that a sequence located just 3' to the transcriptional start site is required for activity. This DNA sequence element, which has been defined through deletions, coincides with a binding site for a cellular factor and is also required for a functional origin of replication. Possible models for how a transcription factor may play a role in the regulation of DNA replication are discussed.
“It would have been worse under Saddam:” Implications of counterfactual thinking for beliefs regarding the ethical treatment of prisoners of war

Abstract In response to criticism following news of the mistreatment of Iraqis at the US prison in Abu Ghraib, some media personalities and politicians suggested that the treatment of these prisoners “would have been even worse” had former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein still been in power. It was hypothesized that the contemplation of this argument has undesirable consequences because counterfactual thinking can elicit both contrastive and assimilative effects. In the reported study, participants considered how the prisoners at Abu Ghraib would have been worse off under Saddam. The results revealed that generating downward counterfactuals made participants feel better about Abu Ghraib (thereby evidencing contrast), and also lowered ethical standards regarding how the US should treat prisoners of war in the future (thereby evidencing assimilation).
Natural Modes of Oscillation of Rotating Flexible Structures about Nontrivial Equilibrium

This paper is concerned with the vibrational characteristics of rotating flexible structures in the neighborhood of steady rotation. It is assumed that the structure undergoes deformations during the steady rotation, so that the equilibrium is nontrivial. The object of the paper is to formulate the eigenvalue problem associated with small oscillations of the structure about the nontrivial equilibrium and to develop efficient methods to compute the system natural frequencies and modal vectors. A numerical example showing the procedure for the calculation of spacecraft modes is presented.
2-Desoxy-Zucker, V. Digitoxigenin-2-desoxy-β-D-allopyranosid

2-Desoxy-D-allose wird in ihr Tetra-p-nitro-benzoat ubergefuhrt, das unter der Einwirkung von HCl oder HBr das entsprechende krist. 2-Desoxy-3.4.6-tri-O-[p-nitro-benzoyl]-α-D-ribo-hexosylhalogenid (III a bzw. IIIb) ergibt. Das Bromid IIIb wird mit Digitoxigenin umgesetzt und liefert nach Verseifung das krist. Digitoxigeni-2-desoxy-β-D-allopyranosid (V), welches starke herzaktive Wirksamkeit besitzt.
Overexpression of Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase-1B in Adipocytes Inhibits Insulin-stimulated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Activity without Altering Glucose Transport or Akt/Protein Kinase B Activation

Abstract Previous studies suggested that protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) antagonizes insulin action by catalyzing dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) and/or other key proteins in the insulin signaling pathway. In adipose tissue and muscle of obese humans and rodents, PTP1B expression is increased, which led to the hypothesis that PTP1B plays a role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Consistent with this, mice in which the PTP1B gene was disrupted exhibit increased insulin sensitivity. To test whether increased expression of PTP1B in an insulin-sensitive cell type could contribute to insulin resistance, we overexpressed wild-type PTP1B in 3T3L1 adipocytes using adenovirus-mediated gene delivery. PTP1B expression was increased ∼3–5-fold above endogenous levels at 16 h, ∼14-fold at 40 h, and ∼20-fold at 72 h post-transduction. Total protein-tyrosine phosphatase activity was increased by 50% at 16 h, 3–4-fold at 40 h, and 5–6-fold at 72 h post-transduction. Compared with control cells, cells expressing high levels of PTP1B showed a 50–60% decrease in maximally insulin-stimulated tyrosyl phosphorylation of IR and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity associated with IRS-1 or with phosphotyrosine. Akt phosphorylation and activity were unchanged. Phosphorylation of p42 and p44 MAP kinase (MAPK) was reduced ∼32%. Overexpression of PTP1B had no effect on basal, submaximally or maximally (100 nm) insulin-stimulated glucose transport or on the EC50 for transport. Our results suggest that: 1) insulin stimulation of glucose transport in adipocytes requires ≤45% of maximal tyrosyl phosphorylation of IR or IRS-1 and <50% of maximal activation of PI3K, 2) a novel PI3K-independent pathway may play a role in insulin-induced glucose transport in adipocytes, and 3) overexpression of PTP1B alone in adipocytes does not impair glucose transport.
Degradation of self-assembled monolayers in organic photovoltaic devices

Abstract Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on n-octylphosphonic acid (C8PA) and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctanephosphonic acid (PFOPA) were investigated for application as an anode buffer layer in C60-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. We found that the degradation of the OPV efficiency with respect to air exposure was significantly reduced with the perfluorinated PFOPA compared to the aliphatic C8PA. We attribute the OPV degradation to moisture diffusion from the top aluminum electrode and the lowering of the anode work function as a result of hydrolysis of the SAM buffer layer.
Comparison of assessment of citrus canker foliar symptoms by experienced and inexperienced raters.

Bock, C. H., Parker, P. E., Cook, A. Z., Riley, T., and Gottwald, T. R. 2009. Comparison of assessment of citrus canker foliar symptoms by experienced and inexperienced raters. Plant Dis. 93:412-424. Citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri) is destructive in many citrus production regions in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Assessment of canker symptoms is required for diverse reasons, including monitoring epidemics, evaluating the efficacy of control strategies, and disease response in breeding material. The objectives were to compare the ability of experienced and inexperienced raters at assessing citrus canker, to identify factors that affect the quality of the assessment, to determine common sources of error, and to discern how error is related to actual disease magnitude. Two-hundred digital leaf images (0 to 37% area infected) were assessed once by 28 raters, five of whom were experienced plant pathologists (PPs), and 23 who had no experience in disease severity assessment (NPPs). True disease (lesion number [LN], % necrotic area [%N], and % chlorotic+necrotic area [%CN]) was measured using image analysis on a leaf-by-leaf basis, and each parameter was estimated by the 28 raters. LN was neither severely over- nor underestimated, while %N was greatly overestimated, with a lesser tendency to overestimate %CN over the true severity range of these two symptom types. A linear relationship existed between estimate of the disease and true disease for all measures of severity. Data were heteroscedastic and error was not constant with increasing true disease. Agreement between rater estimates and true disease was measured with Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (ρc). LN showed greatest agreement (ρc = 0.88 to 0.99), followed by %CN (ρc = 0.80 to 0.95) and %N (ρc = 0.19 to 0.84). Greater lesion number resulted in overestimation of area infected for both %N and %CN. Overestimation was particularly noticeable at low disease severities. There was a linear relationship between log variance and log true disease for LN (r2 = 0.71), %N (r2 = 0.85), and %CN (r 2 = 0.88), and raters tended to estimate disease above 10% to the nearest 5 or 10%. GLM analysis showed differences between PP and NPP groups in assessing disease. For LN, precision of assessment for both groups was similar (r 2 > 0.92 and 0.94, respectively), but for estimates of %N and %CN, the PPs were more precise (%N and %CN, r2 = 0.61 and 0.73, respectively) compared to NPPs (%N and %CN, r 2 = 0.45 and 0.58, respectively). Absolute error for mean LN was low. The absolute error of %N and %CN showed overestimation to approximately 8% area infected. Above 8%, absolute error increased, but comprised both over- and underestimation. For %N and %CN, relative error was almost exclusively positive and dramatic at severity 10% it was relatively small. Error in rater estimates of canker severity is ubiquitous. Understanding these sources of error will aid in the development of both appropriate training and relevant rating aids.
Estimating hourly crop ET using a two-source energy balance model and multispectral airborne imagery

Efficient water use through improved irrigation scheduling is expected to moderate fast declining groundwater levels and improve sustainability of the Ogallala Aquifer. An accurate estimation of spatial actual evapotranspiration (ET) is needed for this purpose. Therefore, during 2007, the Bushland ET and Agricultural Remote Sensing Experiment (BEAREX07) was conducted at the USDA-ARS, in Bushland, Texas, to evaluate remote sensing (RS)-based surface energy balance models. Very high-resolution aircraft images were acquired using the Utah State University airborne multispectral system. Instantaneous ET was estimated using a two-source energy balance model (TSM). A minor modification was made in the calculation of sensible heat fluxes to improve ET estimation. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis of selected variables was conducted to evaluate their effect on ET estimation. Data from four weighing lysimeters, planted to sorghum and corn, were used for evaluating ET predictions. Instantaneous ET was predicted with mean bias error and root mean square error of 0.03 and 0.07 mm h−1 (4.3 and 11.7%), respectively. Results indicated that crop height, roughness length for momentum transfer, clumping factor and soil resistance sub-models need to be refined. Nevertheless, the application of the TSM using high-resolution RS imagery in the Southern High Plains is promising.