cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early effects of prostaglandin E2 on bone formation and resorption in different bone sites of rats.

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine early effects of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) on bone mass, formation and resorption in a growing cancellous bone site (the proximal tibial metaphysis, PTM), non-growing cancellous bone site (the distal tibial metaphysis, DTM), and cortical bone site (the tibial shaft, TX) with histomorphometric analysis. Six mg PGE 2 /kg/d was given s.c. to 6-month-old Sprague-Dawley female rats for 5, 10 or 16 days. Double fluorescent labels were given to 0, 10- and 16-day PGE 2 treatment and 16-day control groups. Significant increase in bone mass was found after 16 days treatment in cancellous bone sites but not in the cortical bone site. Stimulated bone formation, indicated by the increase in osteoid perimeter, was observed as early as 5 days post-treatment in all 3 bone sites. Bone formation indices were increased after 10 days of treatment, however, there was no difference in selected bone formation indices between 10 and 16 days PGE 2 treatments at all 3 bone sites. Significant increase in eroded surface and eroded surface covered with osteoid was observed in cancellous bone sites after 5 days, but decreased after 10 days of treatment. Although the eroded surface was not elevated in TX at the 5th day, the eroded surface covered with osteoid was increased on endocortical surface which indicated that PGE 2 stimulated covered with on this surface prior to day 5. We concluded that PGE 2 stimulated the bone formation and resorption as early as 5 days post-treatment. The levels of stimulated bone formation was TX>DTM>PTM. The levels of bone resorption was DTM>PTM>TX. Bone formation exceeded bone resorption and the net bone balance was positive. These findings indicate that earlier time periods and cell-level mechanism studies are needed to characterize the early effects of PGE 2 .
A note on transition systems

This paper introduces a mathematical structure called transition systems. The notion of transition systems has been developed as a result of the study of Petri nets and vector addition systems. The intended use of transition systems is to model concurrent and asynchronous events. The concept of information flow in a complex system and communication between parts of a complex system can be formulated in this formal structure. This paper is concerned with the mathematical properties rather than the applications of transition systems. Patterns of activities in complex systems are defined in terms of termination and finiteness properties of transition systems. Concepts of conservation and repetitivity have been introduced. Structural properties of restricted classes of transition systems have been studied.
Multi-Model Adaptive Regulation for a Family of Systems Containing Different Zero Structures

Abstract An adaptive regulator is proposed for parameter dependent families of linear systems subject to changes in the zero structure. Adaptation is required for the parameter dependent family of plants but continuous adaptive regulation is limited by relative degree and right half plane zeros. A form of adaptive regulation is presented that accommodates parameter induced changes in the zero structure. The conditions for regulation divide the parameter space into disjoint sets thereby defining subfamilies of plants. These plant subfamilies guide controller design. Controller stability is guaranteed by Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) and a switch logic based on Lyapunov functions.
Neuroimmunotoxicology: Modulation of neuroimmune networks by toxicants

Abstract For the past few decades, neuroimmunology research has delineated pathways and mechanisms on the reciprocal interactions that exist between the nervous and immune systems. While there also has been a substantial amount of data on the effects of toxicants on the immune system (immunotoxicity) and the nervous system (neurotoxicity), the effects of toxicants on the dysregulation of one organ system leading to malfunctions of another, present a major concern for health. Building on substantiated neuroimmunological research, the multidisciplinary field of neuroimmunotoxicology has emerged. This review briefly describes some presently known links between the nervous and immune systems, namely the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic) nervous system, followed by a discussion of some mechanisms by which exposure to the prototypic toxicants, lead, mercury, and PCB's, may directly or indirectly modulate neuroimmune networks. Additionally, the possible sequelae of such exposures have been highlighted in relation to the etiology or progression of diseases and treatments.
Effects of UO2 deposit thickness on fission-fragment double-kinetic-energy measurements☆☆☆

Abstract This paper reports the findings of an experiment which was done to study the effect of thick source deposits on the results of fission-fragment double-kinetic-energy experiments. A thin UO 2 deposit (5 μg/cm 2 ) and two thick UO 2 deposits (260 and 375 μg/cm 2 ) on thin nickel backings (90 μg/cm 2 ) were used in the study. The effect of source deposit thickness on pulse-height spectra, detector energy calibration, and fission-fragment mass, energy, and timing resolution are examined. The experimental results indicate that the detector calibration technique which was used effectively compensates for fragment kinetic energy loss in the thick source deposits. The fission-fragment kinetic energy resolution of the system using the thick foils is estimated to be 3.2 MeV and 6.0 MeV fwhm. Estimates of the mass resolution for the system are 5.5 amu and 7.2 amu fwhm. These results indicate that low count rate experiments which require correlation of either fragment mass or kinetic energy with other quantities might advantageously use thicker source deposits without sever loss of mass and energy resolution capability.
Genetic clues to Alzheimer's disease.

All cases of familial Alzheimer9s disease are caused by mutations in either the gene for beta-amyloid precursor protein or the protein S182/STM. The normal functions of these transmembrane proteins are unknown, and it is unclear how they relate to one another. N. N. Dewji and S. J. Singer propose that these two proteins interact in a way analogous to the Sevenless and Bride of Sevenless proteins in the developing Drosophila eye and the lin-12 and sel-12 proteins in the developing vulva of Caenorhabditis elegans . He suggests that excess deposition of amyloid, a hallmark and likely cause of Alzheimer9s disease, would be a result of the abnormal processing of the protein-protein complex. This proposal is likely to provoke responses from the community. If you have a question or would like to comment on the ideas presented by Drs. Dewji and Singer in this Perspective or if you would like to read the comments posted by others, please go to our interactive Forum (click on the Forum button below). You can also read the full text of this Perspective by clicking on the Full Text button below.
Design of a retroviral-mediated ecdysone-inducible system and its application to the expression profiling of the PTEN tumor suppressor

We have engineered the ecdysone-inducible mammalian expression system for general retroviral delivery to cultured mammalian cells. We inducibly expressed PTEN in the glioblastoma cell line, U87MG, lacking this gene. Because nearly all cells are recruited on induction, we find both up- and down-regulated genes by cDNA microarray analysis. The changes we see are similar to those observed after treatment with LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase, fully consistent with the model that PTEN antagonizes phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase. Both treatments result in suppressed expression of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta gene and the genes of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Our results illustrate the power of using a fully inducible expression system in conjunction with cDNA microarray analysis for exploring gene function.
Saccharomycopsis crataegensis, a new heterothallic yeast.

A new species,Saccharomycopsis crataegensis, is described. The species is heterothallic and forms ellipsoidal ascospores with a single median longitudinal ledge. Strains of the species were isolated from grapes and hawthorne fruit obtained in Peoria, Illinois U.S.A. A comparison was made betweenS. crataegensis andS. vini, which included new strains of the latter species from hawthorne fruit.
Non‐inferior Nash strategies for routing control in parallel‐link communication networks

We consider a routing control problem of two-node parallel-link communication network shared by competitive teams of users. Each team has various types of entities (traffics or jobs) to be routed on the network. The users in each team cooperate for the benefit of their team so as to achieve optimal routing over network links. The teams, on the other hand, compete among themselves for the network resources and each has an objective function that relates to the overall performance of the network. For each team, there is a centralized decision-maker, called the team leader or manager, who coordinates the routing strategies among all entities in his team. A game theoretic approach to deal with both cooperation within each team and competition among the teams, called the Non-inferior Nash strategy, is introduced. Considering the roles of a group manager in this context, the concept of a Non-inferior Nash strategy with a team leader is introduced. This multi-team solution provides a new framework for analysing hierarchically controlled systems so as to address complicated coordination problems among the various users. This strategy is applied to derive the optimal routing policies for all users in the network. It is shown that Non-inferior Nash strategies with a team leader is effective in improving the overall network performance. Various types of other strategies such as team optimization and Nash strategies are also discussed for the purpose of comparison. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Why have a Bill of Rights

It is a joy as well as an honour to speak to you today about a subject that has been at the heart of my service on the Supreme Court. The American Bill of Rights, guaranteeing freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press, along with other important protections against arbitrary or oppressive government action, provides a noble expression and shield of human dignity. Together with the Civil War Amendments, outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude and ensuring all citizens equal protection of the laws and due process of law, the Bill of Rights stands as a constant guardian of individual liberty. My object this afternoon is not to argue that one or another right should be included in a catalogue of legal entitlements-that the American Bill of Rights is superior, for example, to the European Convention on Human Rights. Nor do I wish to join issue with Professor Hart, whose work has so enlightened us all, on the relation between law and morality or the extent to which legal rights, such as those enshrined in the American Constitution, have a conventional or naturalistic ground. My question is rather: why have a bill of rights, that is, some fairly general codification of civil liberties, at all? This is a large and difficult question. Part of the problem is its woolliness. The utility of a bill of rights cannot easily be gauged before its contents are specified. And even once the rights it protects have been defined, its efficacy depends upon whether those rights are subject to elimination or amendment or suspension by the executive or the legislature; it depends upon who is charged with enforcing them; and it depends upon the speed and nature of the mechanism through which they may be vindicated. Another part of the problem is that the need for a bill of rights varies with a community's culture, history, and political structure, as well as with the problems confronting it at any given time. Needless to say, I cannot consider all the permutations to which these considerations give rise. To make some headway, I shall therefore resort to some simplifying assumptions. First, I take as paradigmatic of a bill of rights the European Convention and the American Bill of Rights as supplemented by the Civil War Amendments. Among the liberties protected are freedom of speech, religion, publication, and association; freedom from compulsory self-incrimination, from arbitrary searches, arrest or detention, and from cruel or unusual
Loops in globular proteins: a novel category of secondary structure

The protein loop, a novel category of nonregular secondary structure, is a segment of contiguous polypeptide chain that traces a "loop-shaped" path in three-dimensional space; the main chain of an idealized loop resembles a Greek omega (omega). A systematic study was made of 67 proteins of known structure revealing 270 omega loops. Although such loops are typically regarded as "random coil," they are, in fact, highly compact substructures and may also be independent folding units. Loops are almost invariably situated at the protein surface where they are poised to assume important roles in molecular function and biological recognition. They are often observed to be modules of evolutionary exchange and are also natural candidates for bioengineering studies.
Inference about permutation parameter in large samples

Abstract The estimation problem of a permutation parameter on the basis of a random sample of increasing size is considered. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an estimator, asymptotically fully efficient for two different distributions families, is derived. We also study the application of this result to cyclic groups of order two and three.
Approaches for achieving broadband achromatic phase shifts for visible nulling coronagraphy

Visible nulling coronagraphy is one of the few approaches to the direct detection and characterization of Jovian and Terrestrial exoplanets that works with segmented aperture telescopes. Jovian and Terrestrial planets require at least 10(exp -9) and 10(exp -10) image plane contrasts, respectively, within the spectral bandpass and thus require a nearly achromatic pi-phase difference between the arms of the interferometer. An achromatic pi-phase shift can be achieved by several techniques, including sequential angled thick glass plates of varying dispersive materials, distributed thin-film multilayer coatings, and techniques that leverage the polarization-dependent phase shift of total-internal reflections. Herein we describe two such techniques: sequential thick glass plates and Fresnel rhomb prisms. A viable technique must achieve the achromatic phase shift while simultaneously minimizing the intensity difference, chromatic beam spread and polarization variation between each arm. In this paper we describe the above techniques and report on efforts to design, model, fabricate, align the trades associated with each technique that will lead to an implementations of the most promising one in Goddard's Visible Nulling Coronagraph (VNC).
The substance abuse services cost analysis program (SASCAP): a new method for estimating drug treatment services costs

Abstract To determine whether drug abuse treatment services are cost-effective, policy makers need accurate estimates of the cost of treatment services. The objective of our analysis was to develop a new method for estimating the costs of specific drug treatment services and to apply that method to 170 methadone treatment clinics that participated in the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's Evaluation of the Methadone/LAAM Treatment Program Accreditation Project. Our method extends previous research by including both indirect labor and nonlabor resources in service cost estimates. We found that service cost estimates that included indirect labor and nonlabor resources were two to three times higher than those that only included direct labor costs. Service costs ranged from $8 per patient per week for ongoing medical services to $106 for a session of initial patient assessment and treatment planning. Over all services, indirect labor and nonlabor costs combined accounted for between 41 and 69% of the estimated total service costs. We conclude that studies that only include direct labor costs are seriously underestimating the true costs of providing treatment services. Our services cost estimation method is applicable not only to the cost estimation of other drug treatment modalities but also to the cost estimation of other health care services.
Impact of Anti-hyperglycemic Medications on Bone Health

Diabetes has recently emerged as an independent risk factor for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures, and the underlying mechanisms are starting to be unveiled. Medications used in the treatment of diabetes may impact skeletal health in part through glycemic control. In addition, specific classes of anti-hyperglycemic medications directly influence bone metabolism. In particular, thiazolidinedione use is clearly associated with greater fracture risk. Preliminary studies suggest that medications that enhance the incretin effect (GLP-1 receptor analogs and DPP-4 inhibitors) could have a bone-protective effect, whereas SGLT-2 inhibitors could increase fracture risk. This manuscript reviews the impact of anti-hyperglycemic medications on bone health.
Immune response in irradiated mice with Peyer's patch shielding.

Shielding one Peyer's patch of a mouse during lethal x irradiation protects a sufficient number ol cells to cause rejection of a heterologous or homologous bone marrow graft. Shielding ll mm of the small intestine results in a similar but less violent reaction. A dosage of 650 r or more to the protected Peyer's patch is necessary to impair the capacity of the lymphatic tissue to reject the graft. Regeneration of lymphatic tissue is evident in the spleen, mesenteric lymph node and thymus in Peyer's patch-shielded mice 6 davs post- irradiation. On the other hand no bone marrow regeneration was observed nor was there evidence of granulocytic, megakaryocytic, or erythrocytic regeneration elsewhere. (auth)
MALIGNANCY SUPERVENING ON AN INTRAMEDULLARY NAIL

A primary, malignant, fibrous histiocytoma of bone occurring in association with a Hansen Street intramedullary nail occurred in a 39-year-old man. The physical and chemical characteristics of materials, in relation to the generation of secondary neoplasia are reviewed, but the problem of coincidence is difficult to exclude.
Fluid Mode Excitation in Launch Vehicle Feed Lines Induced by Pogo Accumulator Venting

Launch vehicles with liquid rocket engines have feed lines through which propellants flow to the engine. To prevent feedback between structural responses and propellant pressure and flow oscillations, a compliant device called a pogo accumulator is typically installed in the propellant feed line. Even if a catastrophic interaction is thus averted, the fluid-induced structural responses may exceed those for important flight events such as liftoff and atmospheric buffeting. In that case, the fluid-induced excitation must be predicted in order to ensure adequate structural margins for the launch vehicle and space vehicle hardware. Venting of compliant gas in the pogo accumulator prior to engine shutdown is known to exacerbate the fluid-induced excitation. In particular, for the Atlas V launch vehicle, a 5–7 Hz fluid mode with large pressure gains at the aft end of the liquid oxygen feed line often excites structural modes just prior to engine cutoff. A methodology for the prediction of these structural responses is presented.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Influence of photoperiod on growth, pigment composition and vegetative propagule formation for Potamogeton nodosus Poir. and Potamogeton pectinatus L.

Abstract Photoperiods of 10 or 12 h enhanced vegetative propagule production by Potamogeton nodosus Poir. and P. pectinatus L. The proportion of plants producing vegetative propagules and the number and weight of propagules per plant increased over time, and were greatest after 8 weeks. Maximum vegetative propagule production was 12±6 tubers per plant (mean±S.D.; n =7) for P. pectinatus and 5±3 for P. nodosus . Tuber or winter-bud dry weight accounted for 38 or 27% of total plant dry weight, respectively, for plants grown for 56 days under a 10-h photoperiod. Vegetative propagules appeared to be produced instead of new shoot tissue under short-day conditions. Chlorophyll a and carotenoid content were lower for P. nodosus at short photoperiods, but not for P. pectinatus . The changes in chlorophyll a : b and carotenoid:ratio chlorophyll a suggest that synthesis/degradation of these pigments is tightly coupled and that short photoperiods may initiate senescence in P. nodosus .
Quantification of Human and Rodent Brown Adipose Tissue Function Using 99mTc-Methoxyisobutylisonitrile SPECT/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT

For brown adipose tissue (BAT) to be effective at consuming calories, its blood flow must increase enough to provide sufficient fuel to sustain energy expenditure and also transfer the heat created to avoid thermal injury. Here we used a combination of human and rodent models to assess changes in BAT blood flow and glucose utilization. Methods: 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) SPECT (n = 7) and SPECT/CT (n = 74) scans done in adult humans for parathyroid imaging were reviewed for uptake in regions consistent with human BAT. Site-directed biopsies of subcutaneous and deep neck fat were obtained for electron microscopy and gene expression profiling. In mice, tissue perfusion was measured with 99mTc-MIBI (n = 16) and glucose uptake with 18F-FDG (n = 16). Animals were kept fasting overnight, anesthetized with pentobarbital, and given intraperitoneally either the β3-adrenergic receptor agonist CL-316,243, 1 mg/kg (n = 8), or saline (n = 8) followed by radiotracer injection 5 min later. After 120 min, the mice were imaged using SPECT/CT or PET/CT. Vital signs were recorded over 30 min during the imaging. BAT, white adipose tissue (WAT), muscle, liver, and heart were resected, and tissue uptake of both 99mTc-MIBI and 18F-FDG was quantified by percentage injected dose per gram of tissue and normalized to total body weight. Results: In 5.4% of patients (4/74), 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT showed increased retention in cervical and supraclavicular fat that displayed multilocular lipid droplets, dense capillary investment, and a high concentration of ovoid mitochondria. Expression levels of the tissue-specific uncoupling protein-1 were 180 times higher in BAT than in subcutaneous WAT (P
On the competition between artificial methods and boundary integral methods for the Stokes equations in exterior domains

We compare the computer implementation and accuracy of the numerical approximation of the exterior Stokes problem in two dimensions.
Metabolic responses to acute toxicity of alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates in Elliptio complanata measured by calorespirometry

Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are important contaminants of world water systems with effects on aquatic life. Metabolic responses to short-term acute toxicities of alkylphenol and alkylphenolethoxylates were investigated in the freshwater bivalve mollusk Elliptio complanata using isothermal batch microcalorimetry and respirometry. Metabolic heat rates were altered following short-time exposure of the gill tissue to these compounds over the concentration range of 10−6 to 10−3 M. There was a time and concentration dependence of the effects of alkylphenol and alkylphenolethoxylates on metabolic heat rates. In general, treatment with alkylphenols and alkylphenolethoxylates at concentrations ranging from 10−6 to 10−4 M caused stimulation of metabolic heat rates, possibly due to uncoupling of oxidative metabolism. Higher concentrations subsequently caused inhibition of metabolic activity and thus decreased heat rates. Rates of oxygen consumption by the gill tissue exposed to the surfactants, as a measure of effects on electron flux through mitochondria, showed a similar pattern of respiratory rate stimulation at low concentration and inhibition at higher concentration. Therefore, the batch calorespirometric method proved to be a useful technique to assess the toxicity of a group of surfactants on the control of energy flux in gills of a freshwater bivalve mollusk.
Psychomotor performance in lung transplant recipients: Simple reaction time

Abstract Background Many transplant recipients report difficulty completing fine motor activities such as eating, writing and manipulating buttons. These impairments are thought to stem from the immunosuppressive medications being taken by these patients. The purpose of this study was to examine central and peripheral processes and the force regulation involved in producing appropriate and quality movement in lung transplant recipients. Methods Fifty-one right-handed subjects were recruited from 3 study groups (17 in each group): Group 1, lung transplant recipients (LTR); Group 2, subjects with advanced emphysema; and Group 3, healthy adult controls. Each subject completed a fine motor and gross motor simple reaction time task. Central processing was examined by measuring pre-motor time, peripheral processing was measured by motor time, and force regulation was measured using movement time. A 3 × 5 multivariate analysis of co-variance (MANCOVA) was utilized to examine group differences, with the performance on the 6-minute walk test serving as co-variant. Correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between medication and psychomotor performance. Results The lung transplant recipient group exhibited a longer movement time and a trend toward longer pre-motor times. There was also a significant relationship between medication and movement time. Conclusions The results support the hypothesis that lung transplant recipients have deficits in psychomotor performance, which is consistent with the literature showing that immunosuppressive medications and hypoxia have adverse effects on skeletal muscle. This line of research is relevant to the restoration of function and improvement in quality of life of LTR.
Characteristics of patients with severe root resorption

Structured Abstract Author – Sameshima GT, Sinclair PM Objectives – The purpose of this study was to compare a group of patients in whom all four maxillary incisors were resorbed at least 20% with a matched group. Materials and Methods – Retrospective, case–control. Root resorption was measured on pre- and post-treatment periapical radiographs collected from 868 patients treated in private practices in southern California. Diagnostic and treatment factors were recorded, and vertical and horizontal apical movement calculated from cephalometric films. Root shape was assessed with a six-object non-parametric rating system. From this patient population, 25 patients were found who had >20% root resorption on all four maxillary incisors. A case control group without severe root resorption matched by sex, treating office, age at start, ethnicity, and duration of treatment was created with two controls for each severe case. Results – There were no statistically significant differences found for extractions, use of Class II and finishing elastics, transverse treatments, overjet, overbite, vertical, tooth length, habits, and root shape. Higher estimated risk was found for abnormal root shape for both maxillary incisors, and tongue thrust. Horizontal apical displacement was not significantly different (p = 0.07) but severely resorbed incisors were retracted an average of one millimeter further. Conclusions – Twenty-five of 868 patients were found to have over 20% of all four of their maxillary incisors resorbed. This is <3% of the total patients. Matching this group by sex, ethnicity, office, treatment time, and age greatly reduced the number of factors that would differentiate these patients from 50 who did not get severe root resorption. We conclude that horizontal root displacement, tongue thrust, and abnormal root shape may have higher estimated risk but interoffice variability and treatment time cannot be underestimated.
Regular graphs with given girth pair

The girth pair of a graph gives the length of a shortest odd and a shortest even cycle. The existence of regular graphs with given degree and girth pair is proved and simple bounds for their smallest order are developed. Several infinite classes of such graphs are constructed and it is proved that two of these families consist of smallest graphs.
Arabidopsis-insect interactions.

1.1 Plant-Insect Interactions Insects are the most species-rich class of eukaryotes on earth and roughly half of all insect species are herbivores. Besides being species-rich, insects are also quite abundant, making up more biomass than any other animal class. It is therefore likely that during their life, most plants will encounter herbivorous insects chewing on their tissue, sucking up their cell content and/or passively feeding on their vascular sap. Not surprisingly, plants are not defenseless against these herbivores. Plants have evolved a wide range of defense mechanisms which can be constitutively present and/or induced by herbivory. Many of these defense mechanisms have a direct effect on the herbivore by negatively affecting its physiology (e.g. through toxins or anti-nutritional compounds) or by interfering with its behavior (e.g. through repelling or deterring compounds) (Schoonhoven et al., 1998). Besides direct defense mechanisms, plants can make use of ‘bodyguards’ to protect themselves against herbivorous insects. Often, these bodyguards are insects themselves: predators or parasitoids preying or parasitizing on the herbivores. Plants can reward these bodyguards by providing them shelter, additional food and/or information (Van Poecke and Dicke, 2004). But plants do not only rely on insects as bodyguards. For many plant species insects form an essential part of plant reproduction by transporting their pollen (Pichersky and Gershenzon, 2002). Clearly, insects play an important part in the ecology of plants, whether considered from a natural, agricultural or an evolutionary perspective. In the last decade, Arabidopsis thaliana has been introduced to studies on plant-insect interactions, especially with the aim to get a better understanding of the plant molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction. As the number of publications on Arabidopsis - insect interactions is steadily increasing, this review aims to summarize their most important findings.
Cryptochrome: the second photoactive pigment in the eye and its role in circadian photoreception.

▪ Abstract Circadian rhythms are oscillations in the biochemical, physiological, and behavioral functions of organisms that occur with a periodicity of approximately 24 h. They are generated by a molecular clock that is synchronized with the solar day by environmental photic input. The cryptochromes are the mammalian circadian photoreceptors. They absorb light and transmit the electromagnetic signal to the molecular clock using a pterin and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as chromophore/cofactors, and are evolutionarily conserved and structurally related to the DNA repair enzyme photolyase. Humans and mice have two cryptochrome genes, CRY1 and CRY2, that are differentially expressed in the retina relative to the opsin-based visual photoreceptors. CRY1 is highly expressed with circadian periodicity in the mammalian circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Mutant mice lacking either Cry1 or Cry2 have impaired light induction of the clock gene mPer1 and have abnormally short or long intrinsi...
Thermodynamic model of hydride formation and dissolution in spherical particles

A model of hydride formation and dissolution has been proposed for a single spherical particle and for a collection of such particles with a given size distribution. The phase transformation strain gives rise to an elastic barrier to the transformation, which scales with the volume of the particle and produces a hysteresis effect known experimentally. Experimentally observed finite slopes of hydrogen pressure vs. chemical composition plots (instead of expected plateaus) are explained by the model for both the hydrogenization and dehydrogenization processes. These finite slopes and the amount of the pressure hysteresis depend on elastic properties of the hydride and metal phases, the transformation strain, and on the particle-size distribution in the powder.
Increased Bile Acids in Enterohepatic Circulation by Short-term Calorie Restriction in Male Mice

Abstract Previous studies showed glucose and insulin signaling can regulate bile acid (BA) metabolism during fasting or feeding. However, limited knowledge is available on the effect of calorie restriction (CR), a well-known anti-aging intervention, on BA homeostasis. To address this, the present study utilized a “dose–response” model of CR, where male C57BL/6 mice were fed 0, 15, 30, or 40% CR diets for one month, followed by BA profiling in various compartments of the enterohepatic circulation by UPLC-MS/MS technique. This study showed that 40% CR increased the BA pool size (162%) as well as total BAs in serum, gallbladder, and small intestinal contents. In addition, CR “dose-dependently” increased the concentrations of tauro-cholic acid (TCA) and many secondary BAs (produced by intestinal bacteria) in serum, such as tauro-deoxycholic acid (TDCA), DCA, lithocholic acid, ω-muricholic acid (ωMCA), and hyodeoxycholic acid. Notably, 40% CR increased TDCA by over 1000% (serum, liver, and gallbladder). Interestingly, 40% CR increased the proportion of 12α-hydroxylated BAs (CA and DCA), which correlated with improved glucose tolerance and lipid parameters. The CR-induced increase in BAs correlated with increased expression of BA-synthetic (Cyp7a1) and conjugating enzymes (BAL), and the ileal BA-binding protein (Ibabp). These results suggest that CR increases BAs in male mice possibly through orchestrated increases in BA synthesis and conjugation in liver as well as intracellular transport in ileum.
A two-type data cache model

Cache types are of two kinds - inclusive and exclusive. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. This paper proposes a new cache type which consists of both of the kinds of the cache. Initially the entire cache system is exclusive in nature which changes with reuse of the cache block/way to inclusive nature for the reused block/way. When a new block is fetched into the cache, the corresponding way is reset to exclusive way. On a reuse of a block in level one cache, the block is made inclusive. Else, the block is exclusive in nature. Conditions when this model outperforms traditional inclusive cache are derived. The model is simulated with SPEC 2000 benchmarks and a performance improvement of 22% over inclusive cache and 46% over exclusive cache is observed.
PID controller using the TMS320C31 DSK with online parameter adjustment for real-time DC motor speed and position control

This paper addresses real-time DC motor speed and position control using the low-cost TMS320C31 digital signal processing starter kit (DSK). A PID controller is designed using MATLAB functions to generate a set of coefficients associated with a desired controller's characteristics. The controller coefficients are then included in an assembly language program that implements the PID controller. Code Explorer is used to load and run the PID controller to achieve real-time control. Furthermore, the PID parameters can be adjusted while the motor is running, so that online adjustment is achieved. This avoids shutting-down the system, re-assembling and re-compiling the source code each time the PID parameters are adjusted. Both speed and position control are investigated on a DC motor system with speed feedback and position feedback. Results show the improvement of system outputs as expected with a PID controller, with actual system outputs matching theoretical calculations.
Survival of turkey arthritis reovirus in poultry litter and drinking water

Abstract Turkey reoviruses (TRVs) can cause arthritis, tenosynovitis, and enteric diseases in turkeys, leading to huge economic losses. The TRVs are tentatively divided into turkey arthritis reoviruses (TARVs) and turkey enteric reoviruses (TERVs) depending on the type of disease they produce. This study was conducted to determine the survival of these viruses in autoclaved and nonautoclaved poultry litter and drinking water at room temperature (approx. 25°C). Three isolates of TARV (TARV-O'Neil, TARV-MN2, and TARV-MN4) and one each of TERV (TERV-MN1) and chicken arthritis reovirus (CARV) were used in this study. The viruses were propagated and titrated on QT-35 cells. In autoclaved dechlorinated tap water, all 5 viruses were able to survive for 9 to 13 wk. In nonautoclaved water, all 5 viruses survived for at least 2 wk. In autoclaved litter, the viruses survived for 6 to 8 wk, and in nonautoclaved litter, they survived for 6 to 8 d only. The implications of these results are discussed below.
Hematopoietic stem cell mobilization with G-CSF induces innate inflammation yet suppresses adaptive immune gene expression as revealed by microarray analysis.

Objective Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used to boost granulocyte counts in immunocompromised patients, but its effects on the immune system may be counterproductive. We tested the hypothesis that G-CSF–mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) products are immunologically downregulated based on gene microarray analysis. Methods Ten peripheral blood samples from normal donors for allogeneic PBSC transplantation were obtained before and after administration of G-CSF and tested on Affymetrix Human U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChip microarrays and by flow cytometry. Significant changes in gene expression after G-CSF were reported by controlling the false discovery rate at 5%. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method was used to validate expression of representative genes. Results All immune cells measured, including neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and dendritic cells, were significantly increased after G-CSF. In terms of gene expression, inflammatory and neutrophil activation pathways were upregulated after G-CSF. However, adaptive immune-related gene expression, such as antigen presentation, co-stimulation, T-cell activation and cytolytic effector responses, were downregulated. Conclusion Despite significant increases in lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells, G-CSF–mobilized PBSC allografts exhibit a suppressive adaptive immune-related gene-expression profile. However, innate and inflammatory responses are elevated. Our data provides an explanation for the potentially immunosuppressive effects observed after G-CSF administration.
Randomized controlled trial of computerized alcohol intervention for college students: role of class level

BACKGROUND: Because of their ability to reach a much wider audience than face-to-face counseling or psychoeducation, computer-delivered interventions for risky or potentially problematic use have been increasing on college campuses. However, there are very few studies that examine who benefits most from such interventions. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in Alcohol-Wise, a computerized intervention, is associated with changes in alcohol drinking behavior and its consequences, perceptions of college drinking norms, and expectancies. It was hypothesized that class level (i.e. freshman/sophomore versus junior/senior) would moderate the effectiveness of Alcohol-Wise. METHOD: College students (n = 58) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (i) the computer-delivered intervention or (ii) wait-list control. Measures were completed at baseline and approximately 30-days later. RESULTS: At follow-up, freshman and sophomore students in the intervention group showed significant reduction in peak number of standard drinks and blood alcohol concentration, but the effect was not observed for juniors and seniors. The intervention group reported more accurate estimates of drinking norms at follow-up relative to controls. There were no significant changes over time in alcohol expectancies in either group. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for the potential usefulness of Alcohol-Wise intervention at reducing short-term drinking among underclassmen but not upperclassmen in a 4-year college setting. These findings suggest that computerized interventions may be more effective when provided early, but not later, in a student's college career. Language: en
Evidence (2002-2003 Survey of New York Law)

This article is a survey of developments in evidence rules in 2002-2003. This covers Procedure, Relevancy, Witnesses, Cross-examination and Impeachment, and Hearsay. Procedure includes: Preservation, Harmless Error, Res Ipsa Loquitur, and Reopening of a Party's Case. Relevancy includes: General concerns, Other Crimes, Habit Demonstrative, and Real Evidence. Witnesses includes: Calling of Witnesses by the Court, Rebuttal Witnesses and Confrontation. Cross-Examination and Impeachment includes: Prior Convictions, Prior Inconsistent Statement, Perception, Religious Belief, and Prior Consistent Statements. Hearsay includes: Speaking Agent, Present Sense Impression, Excited Utterance, State of Mind, Statement of Physical Condition Business Records.
Correlation between High Risk Behavior and STD/AIDS Prevalence among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Objective To examine the correlation between high risk behavior and the prevalence of STD/HIV among men who have sex with men(MSM), and to provide the scientific evidence for developing of intervention strategy targeting MSM. Methods MSM were recruited using a snowballing method, and information was collected during the face-to-face interview. 5 ml of blood sample was also collected for the testing of HIV and syphilis. All data were analyzed by the software SPSS 12.0. Results A total of 1 000 MSM were interviewed. Their average age was(27.8±9.1) years old, and the average age they had their first sex was(18.8 ± 3.4). 78.6 % of interviewee had anal sex in the past 6 months and the average number of sexual partners was 3.7. Only 31.8% of interviewee used condom. The prevalence of HIV and syphilis was 10.4% and 9.3%, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of HIV and syphilis is high in MSM. Multi-sexual partners and anal intercourse without condom are the risk factors of having AIDS. It is important to continue monitor this specific group of individuals.
Applying WebTables in Practice

We started investigating the collection of HTML tables on the Web and developed the WebTables system a few years ago [4]. Since then, our work has been motivated by applying WebTables in a broad set of applications at Google, resulting in several product launches. In this paper, we describe the challenges faced, lessons learned, and new insights that we gained from our eorts. The main challenges we faced in our eorts were (1) identifying tables that are likely to contain high-quality data (as opposed to tables used for navigation, layout, or formatting), and (2) recovering the semantics of these tables or signals that hint at their semantics. The result is a semantically enriched table corpus that we used to develop several services. First, we created a search engine for structured data whose index includes over a hundred million HTML tables. Second, we enabled users of Google Docs (through its Research Panel) to nd relevant data tables and to insert such data into their documents as needed. Most recently, we brought WebTables to a much broader audience by using the table corpus to provide richer tabular snippets for fact-seeking web search queries on Google.com.
Manager attitudes concerning flexible work arrangements: fixed or changeable?

ABSTRACTFlexible work arrangements (FWAs) present a vehicle for supporting caregiving responsibilities, but have yet to be widely implemented, in part, because of limited support from managers. This study examines transformation of manager attitudes toward FWAs in the context of a change initiative. Panel surveys of 721 managers revealed positive and negative attitudes concerning the use of FWAs and predictors of changes in these attitudes. Over the course of one year, the attitudes shifted in positive and negative directions consistent with conservation of resources and symbolic interactionism theory. Experience in supervising workers in FWAs, exposure to training, and perceived career rewards predicted favorable changes in attitudes. Findings offer support for advocacy for FWAs on the basis of a positive spiral of affirmation that connects experience and attitudes toward FWAs. The viewing of a personalized report on support of flexible work use by peers predicted development of more favorable attitudes ...
Diagnosing collisionless energy transfer using field-particle correlations: Vlasov-Poisson plasmas

Turbulence plays a key role in the conversion of the energy of large-scale fields and flows to plasma heat, impacting the macroscopic evolution of the heliosphere and other astrophysical plasma systems. Although we have long been able to make direct spacecraft measurements of all aspects of the electromagnetic field and plasma fluctuations in near-Earth space, our understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for the damping of the turbulent fluctuations in heliospheric plasmas remains incomplete. Here we propose an innovative field–particle correlation technique that can be used to measure directly the secular energy transfer from fields to particles associated with collisionless damping of the turbulent fluctuations. Furthermore, this novel procedure yields information about the collisionless energy transfer as a function of particle velocity, providing vital new information that can help to identify the dominant collisionless mechanism governing the damping of the turbulent fluctuations. Kinetic plasma theory is used to devise the appropriate correlation to diagnose Landau damping, and the field–particle correlation technique is thoroughly illustrated using the simplified case of the Landau damping of Langmuir waves in a 1D-1V (one dimension in physical space and one dimension in velocity space) Vlasov–Poisson plasma. Generalizations necessary to apply the field–particle correlation technique to diagnose the collisionless damping of turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind are discussed, highlighting several caveats. This novel field–particle correlation technique is intended to be used as a primary analysis tool for measurements from current, upcoming and proposed spacecraft missions that are focused on the kinetic microphysics of weakly collisional heliospheric plasmas, including the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Solar Probe Plus, Solar Orbiter and Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) missions.
On our rapidly shrinking capacity to comply with the planetary boundaries on climate change.

The planetary boundary framework constitutes an opportunity for decision makers to define climate policy through the lens of adaptive governance. Here, we use the DICE model to analyze the set of adaptive climate policies that comply with the two planetary boundaries related to climate change: (1) staying below a CO2 concentration of 550 ppm until 2100 and (2) returning to 350 ppm in 2100. Our results enable decision makers to assess the following milestones: (1) a minimum of 33% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2055 in order to stay below 550 ppm by 2100 (this milestone goes up to 46% in the case of delayed policies); and (2) carbon neutrality and the effective implementation of innovative geoengineering technologies (10% negative emissions) before 2060 in order to return to 350 ppm in 2100, under the assumption of getting out of the baseline scenario without delay. Finally, we emphasize the need to use adaptive path-based approach instead of single point target for climate policy design.