cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcription factor DNA binding activity in PC12 cells undergoing apoptosis after glucose deprivation

Abstract Following hypoglycemic injury to rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, cells display nuclear chromatin condensation and nucleosome-sized DNA fragmentation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to characterize binding of nuclear proteins to consensus sequences for AP-l, nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), and octamer family after glucose deprivation. While AP-1 DNA binding activity and NFκB DNA binding activity were transiently stimulated, DNA binding to the octamer motif decreased. These data suggest that changes in nuclear protein binding to specific consensus sequences are an early molecular event in hypoglycemic-ischemic injury-induced neuronal cell death.
Low threshold and high speed short cavity distributed feedback hybrid silicon lasers

In this paper we investigate reducing threshold and improving the efficiency and speed of distributed feedback hybrid silicon lasers. A low threshold current of 8.8 mA was achieved for a 200 μm cavity at 20 °C. A 3 dB bandwidth of 9.5 GHz as well as 12.5 Gb/s direct modulation of DFB laser diode was achieved on the hybrid silicon platform for the first time.
A Russian-German Dictionary of Hunting and Related Fauna

In today's political and social climate, the title of the work being reviewed here Jagdworterbuch Russisch-Deutsch (hereafter JRD) may put off some readers. If so, this is a pity, as its author, Irmgard Lorenz, has put together a useful little compilation, with items which will undoubtedly pose a great deal of interest to a variety of readers and prove useful for elucidating obscure terms in literature and specialist texts (p. 9). Tsarist Russia, and subsequently the Soviet Union, used to cover one-sixth of the earth's land surface, stretching from the Arctic almost to the tropics. The wide variety of climatic zones and the terrain encompassed by them suggest that the lexicon related to hunting the local wildlife might be large enough for a dictionary. After all, Russian still serves as a lingua franca for most of the area of the former Soviet Union.
Rho-dependent transcription termination in the tyrT operon of Escherichia coli.

Abstract A 178-bp repeat sequence comprises the distal end of the tyrT operon and also encodes the signal for Rho-dependent transcription termination. It is shown here that Rho-dependent transcription termination is highly efficient for each of the individually cloned first and second repeats. The presence of either repeat results in a termination efficiency of 88% (12% readthrough). When an individual DNA repeat is shortened, starting from the promoter-proximal end, so that only 56 bp remain upstream from the termination site, Rho-dependent termination activity is reduced approximately three-fold (to give 38% readthrough) and with further shortening, so that only 15 bp remain upstream, Rho-dependent termination is reduced an additional 1.8-fold (to give 59% readthrough). Finally, it is shown that the presence or absence of the tyrT terminator upstream from the λ t RI terminator does not affect the efficiency of transcription termination at λ t RI .
Comparison of measured and simulated motion of a scaled dragline excavation system

Motion measurements obtained from a maneuvering 1/16-scale dragline excavation system using a six camera motion capture system are compared against motion predictions of the same scenario using a complex dragline excavation system simulation. The dynamic model includes motion of the bucket, spreader bar, hoist cluster, and drag cluster, along with flexible rope and chain segments including the hoist rope, drag rope, dump rope, hoist chains, and drag chains. In general, measured and simulated motions agree quite favorably. However, a consistent difference between the measurements and the simulation model is damping of oscillations, where it is noticed that measurement data tend to damp more rapidly than simulation model results.
Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning induces an immunosuppressed B cell phenotype during endogenous protection from stroke.

Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning (RHP) creates an anti-inflammatory phenotype that protects from stroke-induced injury for months after a 2-week treatment. The mechanisms underlying long-term tolerance are unknown, though one exposure to hypoxia significantly increased peripheral B cell representation. For this study, we sought to determine if RHP specifically recruited B cells into the protected ischemic hemisphere, and whether RHP could phenotypically alter B cells prior to stroke onset. Adult, male SW/ND4 mice received RHP (nine exposures over 2 weeks; 8 to 11 % O2; 2 to 4 hours) or identical exposures to 21 % O2 as control. Two weeks following RHP, a 60-minute transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced. Standard techniques quantified CXCL13 mRNA and protein expression. Two days after stroke, leukocytes were isolated from brain tissue (70:30 discontinuous Percoll gradient) and profiled on a BD-FACS Aria flow cytometer. In a separate cohort without stroke, sorted splenic CD19+ B cells were isolated 2 weeks after RHP and analyzed on an Illumina MouseWG-6 V2 Bead Chip. Final gene pathways were determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Student’s t-test or one-way analysis of variance determined significance (P 1,900 genes differentially expressed by microarray analysis. Genes related to B-T cell interactions, including antigen presentation, B cell differentiation and antibody production, were profoundly downregulated. Maturation and activation were arrested in a cohort of B cells from pre-stroke RHP-treated mice while regulatory B cells, a subset implicated in neurovascular protection from stroke, were upregulated. Collectively, our data characterize an endogenous neuroprotective phenotype that utilizes adaptive immune mechanisms pre-stroke to protect the brain from injury post-stroke. Future studies to validate the role of B cells in minimizing injury and promoting central nervous system recovery, and to determine whether B cells mediate an adaptive immunity to systemic hypoxia that protects from subsequent stroke, are needed.
The mechanism of biological mineralization

Abstract The control of supersaturation and the nucleation and growth of crystals in calcium phosphate systems are important in relation to the physiological deposition of bone and tooth. Other calcium salts such as the carbonate and oxalate hydrates are significant components of pathological mineral deposits. The use of a highly reproducible seeded growth technique has enabled kinetic studies to be made of the crystal growth of these minerals. Under conditions of relatively high supersaturation, secondary nucleation may be induced upon the surface of the seed crystals. In the case of the calcium phosphates, temperature, supersaturation, surface concentration, pH, ionic strength and presence of foreign ions are very important in determining the nature of the phase which grows upon the added seed crystals. Kinetic considerations are of overriding importance in determining the course of the reactions. It is not possible to predict the phase which forms purely on the basis of thermodynamic solubility data. Thus, in solutions appreciably supersaturated with respect to both dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) and hydroxyapatite (HAP), the addition of low concentrations of HAP seed results in the exclusive formation of DCPD whereas this phase is absent when the seed concentration is increased. The kinetic results for calcium oxalate and phosphates are discussed in terms of the important problems relating to tooth mineralization and the origin and growth of renal calculi.
Evolution of the DDG 51 Machinery Control System to Support SSGTG Local Controller Upgrades

The US NAVY DDG 51 Class Machinery Control System (MCS) provides control and monitoring capability of the ship’s auxiliary, damage control, electrical, and propulsion systems. As part of its electrical capability, MCS interfaces with the ship’s power generation and electrical distribution system. This paper focuses on MCS’ interface with the ship’s power generation equipment and how the interface has evolved since the class’ inception. The DDG 51 class has been in-service for nearly 2 decades and consists of over 60 ships. Over this period, a number of enhancements have been made to equipment on the ship to increase its functionality, enhance its operator interfaces, and address obsolescence issues. The Ship’s Service Gas Turbine Generator (SSGTG) local controller is one such piece of equipment that has evolved throughout the years. Each SSGTG local controller upgrade has provided an opportunity for MCS to evolve to provide additional capability and data to the end user.
Innovation and productivity: An analysis of the chemical, textiles and machine tool industries in the U.S.☆

Abstract The relationship between innovation and productivity growth in the chemical, textile and machine tool industries is explored here. Information about innovations has been obtained from published sources. Although the linkage between innovation and productivity can be a complex one, it is observed that the slowdown of the productivity growth in the chemical industry coincided with a significant slowdown in innovation. An opposite trend is observed in the textile industry. Although the machine tool industry showed an increase in innovation, the productivity growth slowed down consistently during 1967–1984. Cyclical fluctuation in the demand for machine tools might have created a difficult problem. Moreover, the small companies which were interested in producing machines for special purposes used labor intensive processes which did little to improve productivity and their excess wage could not be reflected in the price because of intense competition. The impact of environmental and other governmental regulations on innovation in the chemical and textile industry is also discussed.
Estimation of changes in the mechanical properties of stainless steel subjected to fatigue loading via electrical resistance monitoring

Abstract The paper focuses on experimental study of mechanical and electrical properties of fatigued specimens combined with the analysis of microstructural changes produced by cyclic loading. The specimens have been cut from stainless steel 304 and subjected to cyclic loading (up to 80,000 cycles) at several values of maximal stress σ max . At low values of σ max as well as at the low number of cycles no significant changes in mechanical properties and mild decrease in electrical conductivity (approximately uniform over the specimen) have been observed. The latter can be explained by generation cluster of new dislocations that can be seen in photo images in the form of black dots. As the number of cycles and σ max grow up, reduction in Young’s modulus and in ultimate strength of the specimens takes place. This reduction is accompanied by local decrease in electrical conductivity due to formation of the microcracks. Changes in Young’s modulus and electrical conductivity at high values of σ max (higher than the yield limit) follow the theoretically predicted cross-property connection for microcracked materials. Correlation between strength reduction and maximum value of local resistivity across the specimen has been observed at qualitative level.
Highly Efficient Self-Replicating RNA Enzymes

An RNA enzyme has been developed that catalyzes the joining of oligonucleotide substrates to form additional copies of itself, undergoing self-replication with exponential growth. The enzyme also can cross-replicate with a partner enzyme, resulting in their mutual exponential growth and enabling self-sustained Darwinian evolution. The opportunity for inventive evolution within this synthetic genetic system depends on the diversity of the evolving population, which is limited by the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. Directed evolution was used to improve the efficiency of the enzyme and increase its exponential growth rate to 0.14 min(-1), corresponding to a doubling time of 5 min. This is close to the limit of 0.21 min(-1) imposed by the rate of product release, but sufficient to enable more than 80 logs of growth per day.
The Broad Line Region in NGC?4051: An Inflow Illuminated by a 105?K Accretion Disk

Adopting a spherically symmetric steady-state ballistic inflow as the kinematic model for the gas distribution responsible for producing the H{alpha} emission line, and a central black hole (BH) mass of 1.7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun} determined from prior reverberation mapping, leads to the following dimensions for the size of the broad line region (BLR) in NGC 4051; an inner radius {approx}3 lt-day and a lower limit to the outer radius {approx}475 lt-day. Thus, the previously determined reverberation size for the BLR marks just the inner radius of a much larger volume of ionized gas. The number of ionizing photons required to sustain the H{alpha} emission line luminosity exceeds the number observed to be available from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) by a factor of 3-4. Such a large ionizing deficit can be reconciled if the BLR is ionized by a 10{sup 5} K accretion disk that is hidden from direct view by the high opacity of intervening H gas. A new definition is introduced for the ionization parameter that acknowledges the fact that H opacity significantly attenuates the flux of ionizing photons in the large, partially ionized nebula surrounding the AGN. Collectively, the results have important implications formore » BH masses estimated using reverberation radii and the structure of the BLR inferred from velocity-delay maps.« less
Proteins and polypeptides computer graphics for space-filling model representations

Abstract A compact versatile program for the drawing of protein or polypeptide molecular structures using a space-filling model representation is described. Thi
Linearizer: a heuristic algorithm for queueing network models of computing systems

A new algorithm is presented for the approximate analysis of closed, product-form queueing networks with single-server and delay (infinite-server) queues. This algorithm has the accuracy, speed, small memory requirements, and simplicity necessary for inclusion in a general network analysis package. The algorithm allows networks with large numbers of queues, job classes, and populations to be analyzed interactively even on microcomputers with very limited memory.
Impact of antiseizure medication level on the incidence of sudden unexplained death from epilepsy in patients from an inner city emergency department.

Abstract Sudden unexplained death from seizures (SUDS) accounts for death in approximately 10% of the epileptic population. 1–7 SUDS usually occurs in young males with a history of seizure disorders who are in otherwise good health. No definitive anatomical lesions are found at autopsy that explain death. 7 There is however, a correlation between SUDS and subtherapeutic levels of antiseizure medications. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review and compare drug levels from a seizure patient that presented to an inner city emergency department to those from the medical examiners office. This study was prompted by a wrongful death claim for substandard care in a known seizure disorder patient. The claim alleged that the death was directly attributed to subtherapeutic seizure medication levels. We report the results from 150 seizure patients that presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of a recent seizure and of 163 patients that were examined post mortem. 58% of the emergency department patients who were taking phenytoin, 79% taking carbamazapine and 82% of the patients taking phenobarbital had subtherapeutic levels. No patient in this population died and only 13% required hospital admission. These levels were comparable to the post mortem population.
The dual nature of HDL: Anti-Inflammatory and pro-Inflammatory

High density lipoprotein (HDL) has long been considered a protective factor against the development of coronary heart disease. Two important roles of HDL include reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and the modulation of inflammation. The main protein component of HDL; apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) is primarily responsible for RCT. Apo A-I can be damaged by oxidative mechanisms, which reduce the protein's ability to promote RCT. In disease states such as diabetes, associated with a chronic acute-phase response, HDL has been found to be dysfunctional and pro-inflammatory. HDL cholesterol levels do not predict composition and/or function and therefore it is important to evaluate the quality and not just the quantity of HDL cholesterol when considering the risk of cardiovascular events. In clinical practice, there are currently no widely available tests for measuring the composition, functionality, and inflammatory properties of HDL. Small peptides that mimic some of the properties of apo A-I have been shown in pre-clinical models to improve HDL function and reduce atherosclerosis without altering HDL cholesterol levels. Clinical trials using HDL and HDL mimetics as therapeutic agents are currently underway. Results in animal studies and early clinical trials will be reviewed.
Shaly-Sand Log Analysis in an Environmental Application: Abstract

Abstract A procedure to determine ground-water quality from analysis of electromagnetic induction logs was developed to detect and assess the distribution of saltwater intrusion into the alluvial Great Bend Prairie aquifer. The cross correlation between the induction and natural gamma-ray logs from a freshwater well was optimized (based on empirical statistics) to reduce shaly-sand effects — the variations on the induction log due primarily to the presence of clay minerals. The correction method obviates determination of variations of aquifer porosity or cation-exchange capacity for detailed log analysis of porewater conductance. The method was applied to sets of logs collected from a network of monitoring wells in the aquifer. The corrected induction logs (units of mS/m) were calibrated to chloride concentration (mg/L) based on a highly significant linear-regression relationship (R=0.99) between the chlorinity of well-water samples and the median values of the corrected log for the screened intervals of the wells sampled. The derived freshwater-saltwater transition zone profiles were processed by curve-fitting techniques to develop objective, quantitative estimates of key characteristics such as the saturated thicknesses of the usably fresh and unusable salt water (at the 500 mg/L chloride interface) and the determination of aquifer dispersivity. The curve-fit method also allowed incomplete transition zone profiles to be completed to the base of the aquifer by extrapolation. The transition zone characteristics provide a database for regionalization of saltwater distribution and for monitoring changes of the distribution at both local and regional scales.
Cascaded multi-class pairwise classifier (CascaMPa) for normal, cancerous, and cancer confounder classes in prostate histology

Gleason grading of prostate cancer is complicated by cancer confounders, or benign tissues closely resembling malignant processes (e.g. atrophy), which account for as much as 34% of misdiagnoses. Thus, it is critical to correctly identify confounders in a computer-aided diagnosis system. In this work, we present a cascaded multi-class pairwise classifier (CascaMPa) to identify the class of regions of interest (ROIs) of prostate tissue biopsies. CascaMPa incorporates domain knowledge to partition the multi-class problem into several binary-class tasks, reducing the intra-class heterogeneity that causes errors in one-versus-all multi-class approaches. Nuclear centroids are detected automatically via a deconvolution and watershed algorithm, and a set of features are calculated from graphs (Voronoi, Delaunay, and minimum spanning tree graphs) constructed on the centroids. The cascaded multi-class algorithm identifies each feature vector as one of six tissue classes: Gleason patterns 3, 4, and 5, normal epithelium and stroma, and non-cancerous atrophy (a cancer confounder) using a decision tree classifier. Performance of CascaMPa is evaluated using positive predictive value (PPV) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). For a database of 50 image patches per class (300 ROIs) from 118 patient studies, the classifier achieves an average PPV of 0.760 and AUC of 0.762 across all classes, while the one-versus-all approach yields an average PPV of 0.633 and AUC of 0.444.
Displacement and the Post-war Reconstruction of Education: Displaced Persons at the UNRRA University of Munich, 1945–1948

In the first years after the Second World War, Munich was home to a unique institution, the UNRRA University. Created by and for Europe's displaced persons, the university was defined as a new kind of educational institution, dedicated to the cause of reviving humanism and promoting internationalism. By virtue of their experiences of occupation, persecution and dislocation, the university argued, displaced persons were uniquely qualified to spearhead the post-war reconstruction of education and culture. This article traces the social and intellectual history of the UNRRA University. It examines the university's ideas on nationalism and internationalism, the reconstruction of higher education and the role of the intellectual in the post-war world. It argues that while much of the literature on displaced persons has focused on national communities, wartime and post-war displacement also gave rise to new transnational solidarities and imaginaries among the displaced.
A performance analysis of robust constrained beamforming with random errors

Two causes of performance degradation in linearly constrained minimum variance beamforming are perturbation error and sample covariance estimation error. These causes were discussed by the authors (1991), who proposed an approach, termed the projection method, to reduce the sensitivity of the beamformer performance to both types of error. An analysis is given of the expected performance of the beamformer when it is implemented either with or without using the projection method. Based on a second order Taylor series expansion of an approximate expression for the signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the beamformer output, the analysis provides accurate results when either perturbation errors or sample covariance errors occur. A less accurate analysis based on a zeroth order Taylor series expansion is found to include results presented by N.K. Jablon (1986) and L. Chang and C. Yeh (1993) as special cases. >
Spongiform neurodegeneration-associated E3 ligase Mahogunin ubiquitylates TSG101 and regulates endosomal trafficking.

A null mutation in the gene encoding the putative E3 ubiquitin–protein ligase Mahogunin causes spongiform neurodegeneration, a recessively transmitted prion-like disease in mice. However, no substr...
Submilliampere-threshold InGaAs-GaAs quantum-well ridge-waveguide lasers with lateral confinement provided by impurity-induced disordering

Significant reduction of threshold currents in InGaAs-GaAs quantum-well ridge-waveguide lasers has been achieved by using silicon-induced disordering to provide lateral confinement. Room-temperature threshold currents as low as 0.7 mA for pulsed operation and 0.9 mA for cw operation have been obtained from an uncoated 137-/spl mu/m-long and 0.3-/spl mu/m-wide device. In addition, the effects of high-temperature annealing on the various device characteristics, such as the gain curve, internal loss, and quantum efficiency, have been investigated. >
Atmospheric carbon mitigation potential of agricultural management in the southwestern USA

Agriculture in the southwestern USA is limited by water supply due to high evaporation and limited seasonal precipitation. Where water is available, irrigation allows for production of a variety of agricultural and horticultural crops. This review assesses the impacts of agriculture on greenhouse gas emission and sequestration of atmospheric C in soils of the hot, dry region of the southwestern USA. In Texas, conservation tillage increased soil organic C by 0.28 Mg C ha � 1 year � 1 compared with more intensive tillage. Conversion of tilled row crops to the conservation reserve program or permanent pastures increased soil organic C by 0.32 � 0.50 Mg C ha � 1 year � 1 . Soil organic C sequestration was dependent on rotation, previous cropping, and type of conservation tillage employed. Relatively few studies have interfaced management and C cycling to investigate the impacts of grazing management on soil organic C, and therefore, no estimate of C balance was available. Irrigated crop and pasture land in Idaho had soil organic C content 10–40 Mg C ha � 1 greater than in dryland, native grassland. Soil salinity must be controlled in cropland as soil organic C content was lower with increasing salinity. Despite 75% of the region’s soils being classified as calcic, the potential for sequestration of C as soil carbonate has been only scantly investigated. The region may be a significant sink for atmospheric methane, although in general, trace gas flux from semiarid soils lacks adequate characterization. Agricultural impacts on C cycling will have to be better understood in order for effective C sequestration strategies to emerge. Published by Elsevier B.V.
A MUSCLE ACETYLCHOLINE-RECEPTOR IS EXPRESSED IN THE HUMAN CEREBELLAR MEDULLOBLASTOMA CELL-LINE TE671

The human neuromedulloblastoma cell line TE671 is shown by single- channel recordings to express nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) that are blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha Bgt). These AChRs do not react with antisera to the alpha Bgt-binding protein of brain or with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to brain nicotinic AChRs that do not bind alpha Bgt. TE671 AChRs do react with autoantibodies to muscle AChRs from myasthenia gravis patients and with mAbs to muscle AChRs, including mAbs specific for extrajunctional AChRs. AChRs. AChRs purified from TE671 cells are composed of 4 kinds of subunits corresponding to those of muscle AChR. Sequences of cDNAs for the ACh- binding alpha subunit and the delta subunit of this AChR further identify it as muscle AChR. Expression of TE671 AChR can be up- regulated by nicotine and dexamethasone, and down-regulated by forskolin.
Preparing the Next Generation of Perinatal Nurses at Hawai'i Pacific Health Perinatal Nursing Academy

Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Perinatal nursing positions are among the most critical to fill. Nationally, there exists an overall nursing shortage, whereas locally, we have a surplus of new graduate nurses. This presentation explores the innovative approaches that our organization used to enhance our ability to bridge experienced and new graduate nurses into perinatal nursing. Proposed Change To create a flow of nurses to fill the most critical nursing area positions, an extensive initiative called the nursing pipeline was established throughout Hawai‘i Pacific Health. The goals of the initiative included delivering state‐of‐the‐art training to ensure the highest quality of care and create a process in which internal registered nurses (RNs) currently holding clinical assistant positions were identified and selected for training opportunities. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The redesigned Perinatal Nursing Academy uses a structured, validated, didactic curriculum following the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses’ (AWHONN) Perinatal Orientation and Education Program modules, integration of simulation training, and on unit precepting. Additionally, the Perinatal Nursing Academy involves a gradual introduction of topics where participants are brought to the classroom for lecture intermittently during the first 15 weeks of a 20‐week training program. This allows for delivery of content, absorption, application, and then questioning based on real‐life experience in the classroom setting. The Perinatal Nursing Academy has trained 43 labor and delivery RNs with a 98% pass rate and a 96% 2‐year retention rate. Data indicate that Academy nurses demonstrate significantly higher employee engagement scores than the general nursing population. We remain front runners in the state in getting this type of training to our nurses and addressing the community need to hire local new graduate nurses to avoid relocation to the mainland to seek employment. Implications for Nursing Practice The initiative creates a best practice approach that positions organizations to ultimately provide the best patient care using the highest trained nurses for the best outcomes while addressing the community need.
The Cultural Context of the Sierra Leonean Mende Woman as Patient

This article provides a clinically pertinent overview of Sierra Leonean immigrants, a growing patient population that most health care workers know little about. The focus is on Sierra Leonean Mende women and the relevance of their cultural perspective to clinical care. A literature review and interview responses from seven Sierra Leoneans are the sources of data. Immigrants from Sierra Leone are coming from a country that since the late 1990s has been ranked at the bottom of the United Nations’ Human Development Index. Practitioner knowledge of cultural norms such as female genital mutilation and discomfort with opposite sex health practitioners can improve cross-cultural interactions in the health arena. Given that most clinicians are unfamiliar with this unique patient population, this article provides background information including special attention to medically relevant aspects of the Sierra Leonean cultural milieu that will enhance the rapport between health care workers and these patients.
Causal structure learning over time: observations and interventions.

Seven studies examined how people learn causal relationships in scenarios when the variables are temporally dependent – the states of variables are stable over time. When people intervene on X, and Y subsequently changes state compared to before the intervention, people infer that X influences Y. This strategy allows people to learn causal structures quickly and reliably when variables are temporally stable (Experiments 1 and 2). People use this strategy even when the cover story suggests that the trials are independent (Experiment 3). When observing variables over time, people believe that when a cause changes state, its effects likely change state, but an effect may change state due to an exogenous influence in which case its observed cause may not change state at the same time. People used this strategy to learn the direction of causal relations and a wide variety of causal structures (Experiments 4–6). Finally, considering exogenous influences responsible for the observed changes facilitates learning causal directionality (Experiment 7). Temporal reasoning may be the norm rather than the exception for causal learning and may reflect the way most events are experienced naturalistically.
Introduction: Courts, Democracy, and Governance

This introduction and the articles that follow are motivated by three main goals. First, they elaborate and promote a comparative approach to the study of international legal institutions. Second, ...
Isolation and Utilization of Human Dendritic Cells from Peripheral Blood to Assay an In Vitro Primary Immune Response to Varicella-Zoster Virus Peptides

A human dendritic cell-based assay used to monitor a T cell proliferation response to viral peptides in vitro is described. Dendritic cells and autologous CD4+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood by a series of density-gradient centrifugations or magnetic bead separations (or both). Peptides corresponding to residues of the immediate early protein, IE62, of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were used as stimulating antigens, and persons with no history of varicella and no humoral or cellular immunity to VZV served as naive donors for the assays. Three VZV-susceptible donors were tested, and all demonstrated an in vitro response to multiple VZV peptides. This assay has potential as a screen to establish the immunogenicity of viral antigens in vitro using T cells from naive donors.
Peripheral oxytocin suppresses food intake and causes weight loss in diet-induced obese rats

Growing evidence suggests that oxytocin plays an important role in the regulation of energy balance and that central oxytocin administration induces weight loss in diet-induced obese (DIO) animals....
Tutorial teaching: problem solving in the classroom

The paradigm shift from the chalk-and-talk teaching method to recognizing learning styles and methodologies in engineering education is transforming the way engineers are prepared to solve problems for the 21st Century. The traditional method of lecturing has declined in usage, and more innovative methods of teaching are being applied to increase comprehension, retention, and application of basic engineering skills. Most of these methods are founded on essentially five basic problem solving approaches: routines, diagnosis, strategy, interpretation and generation. Innovative ways of quality instruction are re-examining not only "what" is taught, but "how" it is taught.
Using modern molecular markers to tailor breast cancer treatment: a new era for personalized medicine

Breast cancer is well known as a heterogeneous disease; the traditional morphological and pathologic anatomical classification cannot accurately predict its biological and clinical behavior, prognosis or response to treatment. Defining and understanding the ‘omics’ (the term used to characterize sets of biologic molecules, e.g., DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites) and pathway changes associated with individual tumors and their treatment can identify patient subsets and be used to tailor treatment regimens. Since the advent of such multidisciplinary initiatives, it has been a tremendously exciting time for oncology, and an opportunity for transforming clinical and translational research to deliver more effective and personalized cancer therapies faster has emerged. Personalized medicine is the new term for the 21st century approach: but what does it mean for breast cancer? Nowadays, it is not only important to identify the clinical stage, but also to use biologic or molecular markers that determine outcome (i.e., prognosis) and therapy (i.e., prediction); customarily, we determine the receptor status, including Ki67 proliferation index, p53 proto-oncogene, uPA/PAI-1 invasion factor and other selected markers that can partially help to determine prognosis and identify prediction for systemic therapy. The biomarkers are examined for their presence or absence and whether gene amplification has occured; occasionally, mutation is also checked for (e.g., p53) [1]. One of the most remarkable, fast-paced advances in breast cancer research has been the development of techniques for sequencing, identifying and profiling molecular and gene expression signatures [2]. Serial analyses of gene expression, as well as oligonucleotide and cDNA arrays, have been applied by several groups such as The Cancer Genome Atlas and the International Cancer Genome Consortium, and have led to the active sequencing and identification of thousands of cancer-related genes, transcriptomes and critical pathways that have subsequently been validated as prognostic and therapeutic targets and are in clinical use [3]. The first and most widely used test using these techniques is the 21-gene recurrence score (OncoType Dx), which was developed from an original database of the 250 most widely described genes related
RNA Secondary Structure Prediction Based on Free Energy and Phylogenetic Analysis

Abstract We describe a computational method for the prediction of RNA secondary structure that uses a combination of free energy and comparative sequence analysis strategies. Using a homology-based sequence alignment as a starting point, all favorable pairings with respect to the Turner energy function are identified. Each potentially paired region within a multiple sequence alignment is scored using a function that combines both predicted free energy and sequence covariation with optimized weightings. High scoring regions are ranked and sequentially incorporated to define a growing secondary structure. Using a single set of optimized parameters, it is possible to accurately predict the foldings of several test RNAs defined previously by extensive phylogenetic and experimental data (including tRNA, 5 S rRNA, SRP RNA, tmRNA, and 16 S rRNA). The algorithm correctly predicts approximately 80 % of the secondary structure. A range of parameters have been tested to define the minimal sequence information content required to accurately predict secondary structure and to assess the importance of individual terms in the prediction scheme. This analysis indicates that prediction accuracy most strongly depends upon covariational information and only weakly on the energetic terms. However, relatively few sequences prove sufficient to provide the covariational information required for an accurate prediction. Secondary structures can be accurately defined by alignments with as few as five sequences and predictions improve only moderately with the inclusion of additional sequences.
Peer-to-Peer Multimedia Streaming Using BitTorrent

We propose a peer-to-peer multimedia streaming solution based on the BitTorrent content-distribution protocol. Our proposal includes two modifications that allow it to deliver multimedia data on time. First, we replace the rarest-first chunk downloading policy of BitTorrent by a policy requiring peers to download first the chunks that they will watch in the near future. Second, we introduce a new randomized tit-for-tat peer selection policy that gives free tries to a larger number of peers and lets them participate sooner in the media distribution. Our simulations indicate that both changes are required to achieve a good streaming quality.
The relation of Rh incompatibility to abortion.

Abstract 1. A total frequency of abortion of 15.44 per cent was reported in the 6,003 pregnancies of the 3,171 white women studied. 2. No significant increase in abortion was found in the histories of 209 Rh-negative sensitized women. A slight rise, if real, may be accounted for by the higher average number of pregnancies per woman in this class, in comparison with the Rh-positive and especially with the Rh-negative nonsensitized groups. 3. The analysis of 2,500 histories of Rh-positive women discloses a highly significant increase in abortion in the latter half history, irrespective of gravidity.
Spitz nevus arising in the eyelid of a teenager

A 16-year-old boy developed over a 2-month interval a lightly pigmented left upper eyelid lesion measuring 1.5 mm in greatest diameter that, when excised, microscopically was hypercellular and composed almost exclusively of nonpigmented epithelioid cells that created florid, large intraepidermal junctional nests and sheets and nests of subepidermal cells. The diagnosis was a Spitz nevus. HMB-45, MART-1, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor were all positive and established the melanocytic nature of the benign tumor. The Ki-67 proliferation index (5%) and 2 mitoses/mm(2) were both low; p16 protein was immunohistochemically identified in the nevoid cells. We review the clinical, histopathologic, and other immunohistochemical features of this entity and provide a brief differential diagnosis (including separation from a Spitzoid melanoma). This is only the third eyelid Spitz nevus reported in the literature and is the most fully characterized immunohistochemically. At their present stage of development, contemporary immunohistochemical biomarkers, while providing supplemental information, nonetheless remain less than definitive in terms of reliably distinguishing benign from malignant Spitz lesions.
Glottographic analysis of phonation in the excised canine larynx.

An excised canine larynx model of phonation was developed to assess the effect of vocal fold lenght and tension on glottographic waveforms.The canine larynx in an experimentally produced phonatory model vibrated in a two mass system comparable to human voice production.
Highly Efficient Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes

We report the synthesis of a flexible nanocomposite electrode and the fabrication of OLEDs with significantly improved light extraction. Stretchable OLEDs will also be rpesented.
Neurophysiology and Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Density in Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathy Type 1 (HSAN1) (P03.202)

Objective: To quantify the impact of the SPTLC1 mutation upon neurological outcome measures in HSAN1 patients. Background Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1 (HSAN1) is the most common inherited neuropathy to predominantly affect sensory neurons. The disorder is caused by mutations in SPTCL1, which encodes the enzyme serine palmitoyltransferase. Design/Methods: We studied two HSAN1 families with different mutations (n = 8). Five patients carried the C133Y mutation, three the C133W mutation. The median age was 34 years (range 26-59); the median age of onset was 19 (range 15-54). All eight patients underwent neurological examination and were scored using the CMT symptom score (CMTSS). Nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the upper and lower extremities were conducted in all (including 3 motor NCS and 4 sensory NCS). Six patients had skin biopsies at the distal leg and proximal thigh to assess the intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD). Results: The average CMTSS was 12.38 (SD +/-6.74). All patients complained of neuropathic pain apart from two patients who had the highest CMTSS. Sensory symptoms (average score 2.9) were prominent but motor symptoms (average score 1.2) were present as well. No sensory responses were obtainable in 5/8; lower extremity motor responses were absent in 6/8 patients. None of these 6 patients had epidermal nerve fibers detected at the distal leg, while they were present in the thigh in all patients. The correlation coefficient between CMTSS and IENFD was -0.8 and between CMTSS and median motor amplitudes was -0.75. Conclusions: Beyond sensory there is also motor impairment present in HSAN1 patients. In our limited sample size we found an inverse correlation between both CMTSS and IENFD and CMTSS and nerve conduction studies. This study provides important clinical characterization of both neurophysiology and the IENFD in HSAN1. Disclosure: Dr. David has nothing to disclose. Dr. Oaklander has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Novak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brown has received personal compensation for activities as an advisory board member. Dr. Eichler has nothing to disclose.
Video Recall for Analysis of Performance by Collegiate Female Tennis Players

Employing the Interpersonal Process Recall technique, 7 Division I college tennis players reviewed and analyzed their performance, thoughts, and feelings as they watched video tapes of themselves competing in conference matches. Analysis of the audio transcripts indicated these women identified performance strengths, weaknesses, and intervening psychological factors.
The limitations of molecular systematics: a palaeobotanical perspective

In a recent issue of Molecular Evolution and Systematics, Chaw & al. (1997) presented a phylogeny of modern seed plants based on comparisons of rRNA sequences. Studies of this kind, which use only characters available in extant taxa to reconstruct the phylogeny of a group known to have numerous extinct members, serve to keep alive the controversial issue of the role of fossils in phylogeny reconstruction. Historically, advocates of cladistic methodology, particularly those known at least to their detractors as "pattern" or "transformed" cladists, have suggested that the cladistic revolution can be thought of as a "reform of paleontology" (Nelson & Platnick, 1984). They present one of the manifest goals of this research programme as an effort to reclaim the perceived hegemony of palaeontology in phylogeny reconstruction. This view reached its most extreme expression in Patterson's (1981: 219) often quoted pronouncement that "... it is rare, perhaps unknown, for fossils to overthrow theories of relationship based on recent forms". Naturally, many palaeontologists took this rhetoric as a challenge and have clearly demonstrated that fossils can play an indispensable role in reconstructing phylogeny, particularly in ancient groups with many extinct members. The pitfalls of ignoring fossil evidence have been demonstrated with actual data sets, such as the Gauthier & al. (1988) amniote phylogeny, as well as simulation studies (Huelsenbeck, 1991). Using examples from seed plant phylogeny, Doyle & Donoghue (1986) have shown that fossils can have a major impact on hypotheses of character evolution even when they do not alter tree topology. The relatively new molecular techniques for sequencing and comparing DNA and RNA have spawned numerous phylogenetic studies which promise to resolve many problems that have not yielded to morphological study. Despite the power of sequencing techniques however, the problem of extinct taxa is even greater since intact nucleic acid sequences can be extracted from fossils only in very rare circumstances. The pitfalls of excluding fossil taxa from some analyses apply to molecular phylogenies as well as morphological studies. Therefore, the complexities and subtleties of phylogenetic reconstruction and character analysis cannot be forgotten in the rush to produce trees of living taxa based on nucleic acid sequences. Unfortunately, this seems to be the trend, as we point out in the following critique of aspects of the Chaw & al. (1997) nuclear 18S rRNA phylogeny of the seed plants. As palaeobotanists, our expertise is not in assessing the techniques used in sequencing or tree construction. We are concerned mainly with Chaw & al.'s apparent misunderstanding of fundamental phylogenetic concepts in their interpretations of the published trees, as well as their assessments of competing character evolution hypotheses. We reject the implicit assumption that such molecular studies are capable of resolving palaeobotanically based hypotheses in the manner in which these authors attempt.
Biomass Gasification Fire and Explosion Accident BN-LOPA Analysis

In this paper an assessment method for biomass gasification fire and explosion accident based on BN- LOPA is proposed. The biomass gasification fire and explosion accident fault tree is drawn out and turned into Bayesian network,finding out the probability of the accident with 2. 600 × 10- 3. The risk grade is given to 10 based on risk matrix,so it needs safety measures to reduce risk designedly. The posterior probability of basic events by Bayesian network is calculated and the points are found out,which will easily lead to accident after failure. The independent protective layer for the points is set and the probability of basic events and top event after setting protective layer is calculated. Finally it is found out that the probability of biomass gasification fire and explosion accident can be reduced to 8. 068 × 10- 6and the corresponding risk grade reduced from 10 to 5. So it can meet the requirements of the safety production.