cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression and regulation of interleukin-8 in human fallopian tubal cells

Abstract Objective: The human fallopian tube creates the microenvironment for fertilization and early embryogenesis. Salpingitis may result in infertility and ectopic pregnancy by causing tubal blockage and hydrosalpinx. To better understand the relationship between infectious inflammation and tubal damage, we investigated the expression and regulation of interleukin-8 in human tubal epithelial and stromal cells in culture. Study Design: Human fallopian tube epithelial and stromal cell cultures were used to measure interleukin-8 messenger RNA and interleukin-8 protein levels at basal conditions and after stimulation with interleukin-1α and tumor necrosis factor-α. Northern blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to evaluate messenger RNA and protein levels, respectively. Results: Tubal epithelial cells expressed high levels of interleukin-8 messenger RNA and secreted significantly more immunoreactive interleukin-8 into culture medium than did tubal stromal cells (2065 ± 153 pg/mg vs 530 ± 56 pg/mg of total protein, P Conclusion: The expression of interleukin-8 in human tubal epithelial and stromal cells is different. Interleukin-8 expression of tubal epithelial and stromal cells in response to inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1α and tumor necrosis factor-α also varies. This may be important in the pathogenesis of salpingitis. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:651-6.)
Combining Data Sets in a Partial Wave Analysis

Partial wave analyses are often done to extract resonance parameters from data. Using analyses of data from the Crystal Barrel Experiment (LEAR) as an example, it will be shown that this can be done with higher reliability and precision if different data sets containing related information are combined in one analysis.
COP1 and HY5 interact to mediate light-induced gene expression

The plant photomorphogenic mutants hy5 and cop1 have reciprocal phenotypes: hy5 has the long hypocotyl morphology of a dark-grown seedling when grown in the light, whereas cop1 mutants undergo many processes associated with photomorphogenesis, even in the absence of light. The opposing phenotypes of these two mutants extend into general growth characteristics such as lateral root development. The demonstration of a direct molecular interaction between COP1, a repressor of photomorphogenesis localized to the nucleus during the dark, and HY5,1 a bZIP transcription factor2that binds sequence specifically to the light-regulated CHS promoter,1 provides a possible mechanism by which COP1 transduces light signals to gene expression in Arabidopsis. BioEssays20:445–448, 1998. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons Inc.
The Androgen 5α-Dihydrotestosterone and Its Metabolite 5α-Androstan-3β, 17β-Diol Inhibit the Hypothalamo–Pituitary–Adrenal Response to Stress by Acting through Estrogen Receptor β-Expressing Neurons in the Hypothalamus

Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and androgen receptor (AR) are found in high levels within populations of neurons in the hypothalamus. To determine whether AR or ERβ plays a role in regulating hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function by direct action on these neurons, we examined the effects of central implants of 17β-estradiol (E2), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the DHT metabolite 5α-androstan-3β, 17β-diol (3β-diol), and several ER subtype-selective agonists on the corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) response to immobilization stress. In addition, activation of neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was monitored by examining c-fos mRNA expression. Pellets containing these compounds were stereotaxically implanted near the PVN of gonadectomized male rats. Seven days later, animals were killed directly from their home cage (nonstressed) or were restrained for 30 min (stressed) before they were killed. Compared with controls, E2 and the ERα-selective agonists moxestrol and propyl-pyrazole-triol significantly increased the stress induced release of corticosterone and ACTH. In contrast, central administration of DHT, 3β-diol, and the ERβ-selective compound diarylpropionitrile significantly decreased the corticosterone and ACTH response to immobilization. Cotreatment with the ER antagonist tamoxifen completely blocked the effects of 3β-diol and partially blocked the effect of DHT, whereas the AR antagonist flutamide had no effect. Moreover, DHT, 3β-diol, and diarylpropionitrile treatment significantly decreased restraint-induced c-fos mRNA expression in the PVN. Together, these studies indicate that the inhibitory effects of DHT on HPA axis activity may be in part mediated via its conversion to 3β-diol and subsequent binding to ERβ.
Visualizing Hurricane Katrina: large data management, rendering and display challenges

The onslaught of Hurricane Katrina has highlighted the need for effective information display. Visualization of geoscientific data faces challenges of size, integration and representation. Rendering methods need to cope with the surge of data due to advancements in acquisition techniques and computing power. Moreover, data stemming from different application communities are not compatible a-priori. Holistic representations are important to communicate the causes and impact of natural catastrophes to the scientists themselves, decision-makers and the general public. To address these issues, we have developed efficient data layout mechanisms to ensure fast and uniform access to diverse data. We apply effective rendering techniques that intuitively and interactively convey the phenomena. Finally, we discuss the use of high-resolution displays connected via high-speed networks to support collaboration. These components establish a framework for application in hurricane research, coastal modeling and beyond.
Involvement of phospholipase A2 in the regulation of [3H]hemicholinium-3 binding

Abstract We have examined the effects of exogenous phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) on the sodium- dependent high-affinity choline uptake mechanism as assessed by the specific binding of [ 3 H]hemi- cholinium-3 ([ 3 H]HCh-3). Incubation of striatal synaptic membranes with bee venom PLA 2 resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in the specific binding of [ 3 H]HCh-3. The effect of PLA 2 on [ 3 H]HCh-3 binding was inhibited by quinacrine, a PLA 2 inhibitor, and by removal of calcium. Scatchard analysis revealed that the observed changes in binding reflected a 2-fold increase in both the capacity and affinity of [ 3 H]HCh-3 for its binding site. Choline and tN -butylcholine inhibited the specific binding of [ 3 H]HCh-3 in both control and PLA 2 -treated membranes with similar potency. When a low concentration of PLA 2 was incubated with the striatal synaptosomes, a small but significant increase in high-affinity [ 3 H]choline uptake was observed. However, higher concentrations of PLA 2 , which further increased the specific binding of [ 3 H]HCh-3, caused a reduction of [ 3 H]choline uptake, apparently due to disruption of synaptosomal integrity by PLA 2 . Finally, potassium depolarization- and PLA 2 -induced increases in specific [ 3 H]HCh-3 binding were not additive. These results suggest a possible role for endogenous PLA 2 in the calcium-dependent regulation of sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake.
Femtosecond infrared studies of ligand rearrangement reactions: silyl hydride products from Group 6 carbonyls

The ultrafast dynamics of the SiH bond activation reaction by the Group 6 d6 organometallic compounds M(CO)5 (M=Cr, Mo, and W) have been studied in neat tri-substituted silanes under ambient conditions. The ultrafast spectral evolutions of the CO stretching bands were monitored following UV photolysis using femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopic methods. It was found that the coordinatively unsaturated species, which is formed following CO photolysis from the parent molecule, is quickly solvated (<2 ps) via the CH bonds of the solvent. These species then rearranged to the silyl hydride product on a timescale of a few nanoseconds. These results were augmented by rearrangement studies in neat ethanol, propanol and hexanol solutions in which the initially formed metal CH complex rearranged to the metal hydroxyl complex. The mechanism of this rearrangement was discussed by comparison of the data with various models in the literature. It was found that a mechanism that is primarily dissociative in nature provided the best description of the experimental data.
Fundamentals of Specular Neutron Reflectometry

An introduction to the methodology of neutron reflectometry is. given in which the fundamental aspects regarding the actual performance of specular reflection measurements and subsequent analysis of the data are described. The application of this technique to the determination of interfacial structure or composition in thin film and multilayer materials of interest in the fields of magnetism, superconductivity, polymer science, electrochemistry, and biology is illustrated by specific examples. The microscopic information provided by neutron reflectivity which complements that obtained by other probes is emphasized, in particular information which is obtainable because of the inherent isotopic (most notably in the case of hydrogenous materials) or magnetic moment (both magnitude and orientation) sensitivity of the neutron.
Malpractice and breast cancer: perceptions versus reality.

AJR:192, February 2009 dergo prophylactic bilateral mastectomy be­ cause of either a strong family history of breast cancer or because they were carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, estimated that their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer without mastectomies was 76%, with 28% of the women estimating that their lifetime risk for developing breast cancer was 100%. Independent mathematic models for calcu­ lating individual breast cancer risk by ap ply­ ing the Gail model or the Claus model estimated the average risk in these same women to be 26% [9]. Second, a survey conducted among women in whom ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was diagnosed disclosed that 40% of the women perceived that there was at least a moderate risk of developing invasive cancer within the next 5 years and a 53% risk within their lifetime. Researchers stated that the risk of developing invasive breast cancer after a diagnosis of DCIS that has been treated is actually less than 1% [10].
Understanding transactional memory performance

Transactional memory promises to generalize transactional programming to mainstream languages and data structures. The purported benefit of transactions is that they are easier to program correctly than fine-grained locking and perform just as well. This performance claim is not always borne out because an application may violate a common-case assumption of the TM designer or because of external system effects. This paper carefully studies a range of factors that can adversely influence transactional memory performance.
Feasibility and pragmatics of classifying working memory load with an electroencephalograph

A reliable and unobtrusive measurement of working memory load could be used to evaluate the efficacy of interfaces and to provide real-time user-state information to adaptive systems. In this paper, we describe an experiment we con-ducted to explore some of the issues around using an elec-troencephalograph (EEG) for classifying working memory load. Within this experiment, we present our classification methodology, including a novel feature selection scheme that seems to alleviate the need for complex drift modeling and artifact rejection. We demonstrate classification accuracies of up to 99% for 2 memory load levels and up to 88% for 4 levels. We also present results suggesting that we can do this with shorter windows, much less training data, and a smaller number of EEG channels, than reported previously. Finally, we show results suggesting that the models we construct transfer across variants of the task, implying some level of generality. We believe these findings extend prior work and bring us a step closer to the use of such technologies in HCI research.
Design and Implementation of an Adaptive Tuning System Based on Desired Phase Margin for Digitally Controlled DC–DC Converters

This letter presents an online adaptive tuning technique for digitally controlled switched-mode power supplies (SMPS). The approach is based on continuous monitoring of the system crossover frequency and phase margin, followed by a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) control loop that continuously and concurrently tunes the compensator parameters to meet crossover frequency and phase margin targets. Continuous stability margin monitoring is achieved by injecting a small digital square-wave signal between the digital compensator and the digital pulsewidth modulator. The MIMO loop adaptively adjusts the compensator parameters to minimize the error between the desired and measured crossover frequency and phase margin. Small-signal models are derived, and the MIMO control loop is designed to achieve stability and performance over a wide range of operating conditions. Using modest hardware resources, the proposed approach enables adaptive tuning during normal SMPS operation. Experimental results demonstrating system functionality are presented for a synchronous buck SMPS.
Cocalibration of Four Large-Particle Impactors

Four high-flow rate impactor stages of a mobile, large-particle sampling system developed at the University of Florida have been calibrated by two independent laboratories. In addition to determining the particle collection efficiency characteristics of these single-stage, rectangular impactors, particle losses to the impactor walls were also quantified. Calibrated values of the impactors' Dp50 cutpoints by the two laboratories were found to agree within a few percent but differed significantly from those predicted by standard impactor theory. A dramatic difference between the large-particle collection characteristics of greased and glass-fiber filter impaction substrates was observed.
A genetically encoded aldehyde for rapid protein labelling

Using a mutant pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNAPylCUA pair, 3-formyl-phenylalanine is genetically incorporated into proteins at amber mutation sites in Escherichia coli. This non-canonical amino acid readily reacts with hydroxylamine dyes, leading to rapid and site-selective protein labelling.
Cooperative learning in simulation

Traditionally, class periods have meant that students listen to a professor lecture for about an hour. Cooperative learning can replace some of that lecture time with methods designed to get students actively involved during the class period. In this article, I highlight some methods of cooperative learning and suggest ways of integrating it into simulation study. Detailed examples are given on cooperative learning in a simulation course where GPSS/H is used for simulation modeling. Student feedback and results using the new methods are briefly discussed.
A distributed shared object model based on a hierarchical consistency protocol for heterogeneous clusters

The significant performance-to-cost ratio advantage of clusters, combined with recent advances in middleware (programming environment) and networking technologies, has made them the single most popular and fastest growing platform for high performance computing in recent years. While the message passing interface (MPI) still dominates as a means of parallel programming in clusters, it is nevertheless desirable for programmers to program in a single address space, not only across a cluster but also among multiple, likely heterogeneous, clusters so as to significantly extend the computing power of a single cluster. In this paper we propose a distributed shared object (DSO) model based on a distributed hierarchical consistency model (DHCM) protocol for heterogeneous clusters. DHCM, inspired by but significantly improved over the local consistency, is designed to help maintain coherence and consistency in a DSO programming environment and to adapt to different levels of consistency. The notion of adaptive consistency is proposed and partially implemented to improve the efficiency in consistency control, and scalability is addressed as well through the hierarchical structure of the protocol design. We implemented this model purely in Java for portability and heterogeneity. The performance of DHCM is evaluated by executing the LU application chosen from the SPLASH-2 benchmark suite on a 128-node Linux cluster. The experimental results show that the protocol with a hierarchical structure significantly outperforms the protocol with a single-tier in terms of execution time, indicating higher scalability.
A Systematic Comparison of Phrase Table Pruning Techniques

When trained on very large parallel corpora, the phrase table component of a machine translation system grows to consume vast computational resources. In this paper, we introduce a novel pruning criterion that places phrase table pruning on a sound theoretical foundation. Systematic experiments on four language pairs under various data conditions show that our principled approach is superior to existing ad hoc pruning methods.
Specificity determinants of human cathepsin s revealed by crystal structures of complexes.

Cathepsin S, a lysosomal cysteine protease of the papain superfamily, has been implicated in the preparation of MHC class II αβ-heterodimers for antigen presentation to CD4+ T lymphocytes and is considered a potential target for autoimmune-disease therapy. Selective inhibition of this enzyme may be therapeutically useful for attenuating the hyperimmune responses in a number of disorders. We determined the three-dimensional crystal structures of human cathepsin S in complex with potent covalent inhibitors, the aldehyde inhibitor 4-morpholinecarbonyl-Phe-(S-benzyl)Cys-Ψ(CHO), and the vinyl sulfone irreversible inhibitor 4-morpholinecarbonyl-Leu-Hph-Ψ(CHCH−SO2−phenyl) at resolutions of 1.8 and 2.0 A, respectively. In the structure of the cathepsin S−aldehyde complex, the tetrahedral thiohemiacetal adduct favors the S-configuration, in which the oxygen atom interacts with the imidazole group of the active site His164 rather than with the oxyanion hole. The present structures provide a detailed map of noncoval...
Adaptive Teaching in Literacy Instruction: Case Studies of Two Teachers

Researchers frequently suggest that effective teachers adapt their teaching to navigate the complexity of classroom literacy instruction. However, little research has examined how teachers adapt th...
Staging of Dietary Patterns among African American Women

This article describes the development of a behavioral staging algorithm for use in the Eat Well, Live Well Nutrition Program, a peer-delivered community-based program for African American women (N = 301). The authors examined whether increased frequency in performing low-fat eating behaviors and lower percentage calories from fat intake resulted as a participant moved through five stages of readiness to change each of five low-fat dietary patterns. Frequency of performing low-fat dietary behaviors was significantly different (p<.05) between four stages for the pattern of avoid fried foods, three stages for modify meats, and two stages for the patterns of substitution, avoid fat as seasoning, replacement. Percentage calories from fat were significantly different (p<.05) between four stages for the pattern of replacement, three stages for avoid fried foods and modify meats, and two stages for substitution and avoid fat as seasoning. Implications of these findings for the tailoring of community-based dietary programs are presented.
Sliding mode control of a direct-injection monopropellant-powered actuator

This paper describes the modeling and control of a direct-injection monopropellant-powered actuator. The actuation system utilizes the catalytic decomposition of a monopropellant, the products of which are directly injected into opposing chambers of a pneumatic cylinder in order to obtain a controllable force source. The system incorporates a pair of proportional liquid fuel valves and a three-way rotary spool valve to control the pressurization and depressurization of each chamber of the actuator. A model of the catalytic decomposition of the monopropellant and the compressible gas dynamics is derived in order to control the output force of the hot gas actuator. Using a Lyapunov function, a model-based sliding mode controller is developed for the multi-input single-output nonlinear system. Experimental results of the actuator force tracking demonstrate the validity of the model of the monopropellant-based actuator and the performance of the nonlinear controller.
And Now For Something Completely Different: Humor in Psychoanalysis Commentary on Paper by Joseph Newirth

In this commentary, I argue that if humor is to be considered in an intersubjective context, the impact of any comment or action by analyst or patient cannot be predicted with much confidence. An interaction that is experienced by both parties as humorous depends on an unconscious confluence that is largely spontaneous. Efforts to orchestrate a particular outcome to an intervention that is meant to be humorous may well reveal more than was intended, and thus have an unpredictable unconscious resonance.
Intrinsic coherence resonance in excitable membrane patches

The influence of intrinsic channel noise on the spiking activity of excitable membrane patches is studied by use of a stochastic generalization of the Hodgkin-Huxley model. Internal noise stemming from the stochastic dynamics of individual ion channels does affect the electric properties of the cell-membrane patches. There exists an optimal size of the membrane patch for which the internal noise alone can cause a nearly regular spontaneous generation of action potentials. We consider the influence of intrinsic channel noise in presence of a constant and an oscillatory current driving for both, the mean interspike interval and the phenomenon of coherence resonance for neuronal spiking. Given small membrane patches, implying that channel noise dominates the excitable dynamics, we find the phenomenon of intrinsic coherence resonance. In this case, the relatively regular spiking behavior becomes essentially independent of an applied stimulus. We observed, however, the occurrence of a skipping of supra-threshold input events due to channel noise for intermediate patch sizes. This effect consequently reduces the overall coherence of the spiking.
Death Investigation in America

Dr. Jeffrey M. Jentzen, Director of Autopsy and Forensic Services at the University of Michigan, formerly Chief Medical Examiner for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, has written an excellent book that ...
Zero Divisor Graphs of Upper Triangular Matrix Rings

Let R be a commutative ring with identity 1 ≠ 0 and T be the ring of all n × n upper triangular matrices over R. In this paper, we describe the zero divisor graph of T. Some basic graph theory properties of are given, including determination of the girth and diameter. The structure of is discussed, and bounds for the number of edges are given. In the case that R is a finite integral domain and n = 2, the structure of is fully described and an explicit formula for the number of edges is given.
End-To-End Programmability for QOS Controlled Mobility in ATM Networks and their Wireless Extension

The main Quality of Service (QOS) challenge in a combined wireline/wireless ATM network derives from the combination of multi-rate multimedia connections with mobility. A connection with certain capacity reserved at a particular cell may have to be re-routed to another when the mobile device changes its location. The new path to the desired location may not have the original required capacity. Therefore re-negotiation of resources allocated to the connection is needed. At the same time, the flow (e.g., audio or video) should be transported and presented ‘seamlessly’ to the destination device with a smooth change of perceptual quality. In this paper we describe a distributed systems platform which takes end-to-end programmability for QOS controlled ATM mobility as its primary design goal. We use the term controlled QOS to distinguish it from hard QOS guarantees offered by fixed ATM networks. Implicit in the term is the notion that mobile flows can be represented as multi-resolution scalable flows at the mobile terminal.
Two Cheers for Rubin and Summers

While the US Treasury has finally recognised the problem with pegged exchange rates, what they still fail to see, says Professor Steve Hanke, John Hopkins University, is that floating rates cannot be sustained in countries with weak central banks and bad monetary histories.
Rescher’s Epistemological System

The main focus of Rescher’s recent work has been epistemology. In a series of interrelated books and articles,1 he has developed a comprehensive and novel epistemological position, one which is both labyrinthine in its complexity and also radically and deliberately eclectic. The resulting epistemological system defies any simple characterization or assessment. In this paper, I shall neglect many of its aspects in order to focus on what is arguably its core: Rescher’s account of the manner in which a theory of empirical knowledge is itself to be justified. Thus, adapting a familiar distinction from moral philosophy, our primary concern will be with Rescher’s meta-epistemological position, as opposed to his normative-epistemological position (though the distinction between these two is in the end much less sharp for Rescher than it is for most epistemologists). Focusing on the meta-epistemological issue will give us a thread which we may hope to follow through some selected parts of the labyrinthe without losing our way altogether.
Effects of Ordinal Position: Tripartite Analysis

Birth order has long been assumed a highly influential factor in psychological development ( 1, 3 ) . However, most of this research (e.g., 5 ) has typically focused upon comparisons between firstborn and other siblings. The purpose of this study was to expand the scope of research on birth order by comparing firstborn, lastborn, and siblings neither firstnor lastborn on selected characteristics. As such, only children were excluded from the analysis. Family size was not controlled. Ss were 92 undergraduate females at the University of Texas. The sample was controlled for sex because of recent findings stressing differential ordinal influences for each sex ( 4 ) . Each S completed a lengthy questionnaire which provided extensive demographic, physiological, attitudinal, behavioral, self-image, and personality data (a total of 71 variables) about herself. For the analysis Ss were separated into three groups on the basis of ordinal position: 35 firstborns, 26 lastborns, and 31 neither firstnor lastborn. Analysis of variance was then applied to determine which variables significantly differentiated among the groups. The results1 were sur~rising in light of urior research. No significant differences were found among the three ~ 7 t h respect to personality or self-image variables. Only one difference was found in reported behavior; firstand lastborn females reporred smaller cigarette consumption than the other group. The demographic and attitudinal items produced 6 significant differences. Two of these were expected; the number of children in the family and the number of brothers discriminated among groups, with middle-born females coming from larger families and possessing more brothers than the other groups. Although physiological differences (e.g., height, weight, hair and eye color, etc.) were minimal, rwo relationships indicated that laterborn Ss tended to possess slightly larger physiques than earlier born Ss. An interesting relationship was communication with parents. Firstborns communicated most and lastborns reported least parental communication. Finally, firstand lastborns were different from the other group in that the former two reported greater current happiness. Probably the most striking aspect of the findings was the lack of difference among the groups. While this may be due, in part, to the homogeneity of the sample, this study supports such research as that by Greenberg, er a / . ( 2 ) in indicating that ordinal position may not be as powerful an influence as generally believed. Second, of the few significant differences observed, approximately half indicated similarities between firstand lastborns as compared to the remaining siblings. Perhaps, then, studies of ordinal position should utilize three or more ordinal positions rather than dichotomous comparisons.
L’(in)efficacia dell’amore in Non ti muovere di Margaret Mazzantini

Questo saggio si occupa del significato dell’amore passionale nel romanzo di Margaret Mazzantini Non ti muovere (2001). Narratore e protagonista della storia e Timoteo, chirurgo di successo, sposato con Elsa, la cui figlia adolescente, Angela, si trova in ospedale tra la vita e la morte. Ad Angela, che non puo ascoltarlo, Timo racconta la storia della relazione extraconiugale che ebbe nel periodo della nascita della ragazza e che cambio il suo modo di guardare all’umanita. Quella storia inizio con uno stupro.Nel romanzo, l’amore e rappresentato come forza rivoluzionaria che diventa strumento critico di conoscenza dell’altro e agisce spingendo il protagonista fuori dalla sua vita altoborghese, costringendolo a ripensare la sua umanita. Timoteo si apre cosi a una comprensione del genere umano piu profonda, laddove norme e pratiche sociali della sua classe d’appartenenza avevano invece fallito. Eppure, a dispetto del potere che esercita sull’individuo, l’amore lascia inalterate le strutture sociali che sfida...
NoC design for future mobile communication terminals

With the rapid development of the technology of communication and integrated circuits,more powerful mobile communication terminals come into being.Future mobile communication terminals should support not only higher data transfer rate but also more applications.In addition,they should also support different network protocols to achieve seamless access.To satisfy all these characteristics,the number of cores on a single chip will increase and the communication between the cores will be critical for the system.Consequently,the current bus architecture of SoC cannot satisfy these requirements and will be replaced by Network-on-Chip(NoC).NoC architecture has better scalability,flexibility,reusability and can perform well with the increasing number of cores.In this paper,we will focus on some key problems in designing NoC,including design constrains,design objectives,topology,floorplan,simulation and so on.Based on the analysis of these key problems,we give an application-specific NoC design flow.Finally,the design flow is specified with an example.
Molecular control of the neural crest and peripheral nervous system development.

A transient and unique population of multipotent stem cells, known as neural crest cells (NCCs), generate a bewildering array of cell types during vertebrate development. An attractive model among developmental biologists, the study of NCC biology has provided a wealth of knowledge regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms important for embryogenesis. Studies in numerous species have defined how distinct phases of NCC specification, proliferation, migration, and survival contribute to the formation of multiple functionally distinct organ systems. NCC contributions to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are well known. Critical developmental processes have been defined that provide outstanding models for understanding how extracellular stimuli, cell–cell interactions, and transcriptional networks cooperate to direct cellular diversification and PNS morphogenesis. Dissecting the complex extracellular and intracellular mechanisms that mediate the formation of the PNS from NCCs may have important therapeutic implications for neurocristopathies, neuropathies, and certain forms of cancer.
Oxidative phosphorylation by an enzyme complex from disrupted brain mitochondria.

Although various attempts have been made to isolate a submitochondrial fraction capable of oxidative phosphorylation, it was not until the recent work of Cooper and Lehninger (1) that any degree of success was achieved. Among the techniques used for disrupting mitochondria have been ultrasonic disintegration, freezing-thawing, dispersion with a variety of chemical agents, and variations in pH values. Although slight oxidative phosphorylation (low P:O) was sometimes achieved (a), such treatment preserved only the oxidative portion of the system. Cooper and Lehninger (1) recently obtained a lipoprotein complex from digitonin extracts of rat liver mitochondria which was considerably more active than intact mitochondria on a weight basis. The present study describes a multienzyme preparation from rat brain mitochondria which is similar to Cooper and Lehninger’s Fraction P-l (1) in many respects, but at the same time exhibits certain distinct differences. After work with a variety of dispersing agents, including digitonin, it was found that the detergent Tritonl yielded the most active and consistent preparations. In addition to oxidizing such substrates as pyruvate and glutamate, the submitochondrial fraction from rat brain yields P: 0 ratios closely approaching those of intact mitochondria.
Activation Of Protein Kinase C by 12(S)-HETE: Role in Tumor Cell Metastasis

Protein kinase C (PKC), the Ca2+ and phospholipid dependent kinase, belongs to the family of protein serine/threorine kinases (1). It is an important enzyme in mediating cell growth, cell differentiation and tumor promotion (2,3). Physiologically, PKC is activated by diacylglycerol (DAG) generated during phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover. Metabolism of PI is usually initiated by the action of phospholipase C in response to extracellular factors including hormones, growth factors and neurotransmitters. In addition to DAG, inositol trisphosphate (IP3) is generated during PI turnover. While DAG activates PKC, IP3 oblizes intracellular Ca2+(2). Tumor promoting phorbol esters, such as phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), directly activates PKC by a mechanism similar to that of DAG (3).
Clinical Assessment of Medical Students in Emergency Medicine Clerkships: A Survey of Current Practice

Abstract Background Assessment practices in emergency medicine (EM) clerkships have not been previously described. Clinical assessment frequently relies on global ratings of clinical performance, or “shift cards,” although these tools have not been standardized or studied. Objective We sought to characterize assessment practices in EM clerkships, with particular attention to shift cards. Methods A survey regarding assessment practices was administered to a national sample of EM clerkship directors (CDs). Descriptive statistics were compiled and regression analyses were performed. Results One hundred seventy-two CDs were contacted, and 100 (58%) agreed to participate. The most heavily weighted assessment methods in final grades were shift cards (66%) and written examinations (21–26%), but there was considerable variability in grading algorithms. EM faculty (100%) and senior residents (69%) were most commonly responsible for assessment, and assessors were often preassigned (71%). Forty-four percent of CDs reported immediate completion of shift cards, 27% within 1 to 2 days, and 20% within a week. Only 40% reported return rates >75%. Thirty percent of CDs do not permit students to review individual evaluations, and 54% of the remainder deidentify evaluations before student review. Eighty-six percent had never performed psychometric analysis on their assessment tools. Sixty-five percent of CDs were satisfied with their shift cards, but 90% supported the development of a national tool. Conclusion There is substantial variability in assessment practices between EM clerkships, raising concern regarding the comparability of grades between institutions. CDs rely on shift cards in grading despite the lack of evidence of validity and inconsistent process variables. Standardization of assessment practices may improve the assessment of EM students.
Laser system for high-efficiency hydrogen ion stripping

We describe the design, installation, and commissioning result of a macro-pulsed megawatt UV laser system for high-efficiency laser stripping of 1 GeV hydrogen ion beam in the accumulator ring of Spallation Neutron Source accelerator complex.
Multiplexed Force Spectroscopy using DNA Nanoswitch a Centrifuge

We present high-throughput single-molecule manipulation using a benchtop centrifuge, overcoming limitations common in other single-molecule approaches such as cost, throughput, technical difficulty, and infrastructure requirements. An inexpensive and compact Centrifuge Force Microscope adapts to a commercial centrifuge enabling use by non-specialists, and integration of DNA nanoswitches facilitates reliable measurements. We demonstrate new features by measuring temperature and magnesium dependent DNA unzipping together with multiplexed DNA force-extension and overstretching.
Evaluation of Substrate Properties for Settlement of Caribbean Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis Larvae in a Land-Based System

AbstractStony coral culture has recently been the focus of increasing interest and effort, with most production taking place by asexual reproduction through fragmentation. In corals grown for reef restoration, techniques for sexual propagation offer the potential to increase genetic diversity of species for which this is a concern. After decades of population decline, the Caribbean staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2006, along with its congener, elkhorn coral A. palmata. We used practical large-scale, land-based culture conditions with aquaria set up in a choice/no-choice design to test three substrate properties for their influence on settlement and metamorphosis in staghorn coral planula larvae. This transitional life stage is critical for sexual reproduction and currently represents a culture bottleneck. A total of 999 live primary polyps were produced across all experimental substrates. Planula larvae showed significant preference for...
Effect of Growth Temperature on GaAs Solar Cells at High MOCVD Growth Rates

Increasing epitaxial growth rate is an important path toward III–V solar cell cost reductions; however, photovoltaic device performance has been shown to degrade with increasing growth rate. In this study, gallium arsenide (GaAs) material has been deposited via metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at growth rates varying between 14 and 60 μm/h. Deep-level transient spectroscopy is utilized to elucidate an exponential rise in EL2 trap density as a function of growth rate when all other growth conditions are held constant. Evidence is provided that this EL2 defect is responsible for limiting the Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) lifetime of very high growth rate solar cells. The effect of growth temperature on devices at high growth rate is subsequently investigated as a strategy to reduce trap density and improve solar cell performance. From this investigation, EL2 trap density is suppressed, and single-junction on-substrate GaAs solar cells grown at 60 μm/h are reported with 1.01 V 1-sun open-circuit voltage and 23.8% AM1.5G efficiency.
P.D. En'ko: An early transmission model (1889)

This chapter examines a Russian paper from the fourth quarter of the 19th century, which may represent the first, but certainly one of the earliest, descriptions of an infectious disease transmission model. It is a discrete-time deterministic model. It is based on the assumptions that subjects are either fully susceptible or fully immune. Upon infection in time interval t a subject may infect susceptibles during the following interval. After that period, infected subjects are put in isolation, as was the practice in the school setting. The theoretical model is accompanied by a simulation experiment. The results of the simulation are compared to outbreaks of measles and scarlet fever in two boarding schools for girls. The reader is guided through all relevant derivations and calculations.
New approaches to wood bonding A base-activated lignin adhesive system

Current knowledge of wood surface characteristics and surface modification are briefly reviewed and the postulated effects of chemical activation are summarized. It was found that aqueous sodium hydroxide can effectively activate wood surfaces to give strong dry autohesive bonds, but only low wet strength was obtained. However, excellent dry and wet wood bond strengths, equivalent to phenol-formaldehyde bonded samples, were obtained when methylolated lignin was used in combination with 3N sodium hydroxide activation. Several mechanisms of base activation are suggested, including enhanced wood surface contact and reactivity.
Intertidal crustaceans use seaweed-derived chemical cues to mitigate predation risk

As predation is a primary driver of mortality, the need to minimize predation risk can shape prey behavior, influencing habitat selection and investment in vigilance. As structurally complex habitats can reduce predation risk, prey within heterogeneous environments may have evolved sensory abilities to locate them. In temperate rocky intertidal systems, fucoid seaweeds are a main source of structural complexity and can provide shelter for small organisms. This study examined the effects of predation risk on habitat selection in a tide pool-dwelling shrimp, Palaemon affinis, specifically testing whether predation risk drives preferences for fucoid seaweeds and if shrimps use chemical cues to locate fucoid-rich habitats. While tide pools with and without fucoids were equally abundant, P. affinis densities were >3 times higher in pools containing fucoids. The relationship between P. affinis and fucoids appears to be related to predation risk with P. affinis exhibiting a preference for fucoid microhabitats when a potential predator was present. Shrimps could distinguish between olfactory signatures from tide pools with and without fucoids and the odor of fucoids from other marine algae, suggesting that chemical cues are used to identify these structurally complex habitats. In addition to reducing predation risk, fucoid-rich habitats may provide better access to essential resources and reduce exposure to other biotic and abiotic stressors. This study shows that prey organisms can rapidly modify habitat use based on ambient predation risk, with olfactory cues used to identify the shelter characteristics of different habitats. Predation is the major source of mortality for most animal species. For this reason, animals may have evolved ways to minimize predation risk by modifying their behavior. In this study, we show that small tide pool-dwelling shrimps modify their habitat use in response to predators, using chemical cues to locate and identify structurally complex habitats that could reduce predation risk when this risk is high.
Lossy subset source coding

This paper studies the lossy version of a problem recently proposed by the authors termed subset source coding, where the focus is on the fundamental limits of compression for subsets of the possible realizations of a discrete memoryless source. An upper bound is derived on the subset rate-distortion function in terms of the subset mutual information optimized over the set of conditional distributions that satisfy the expected distortion constraint with respect to the subset-typical distribution and over the set of certain auxiliary subsets. By proving a strong converse result, this upper bound is shown to be tight for a class of symmetric subsets. As illustrated in our numerical examples, more often than not, one achieves a gain in the fundamental limit, in that the optimal lossy compression rate for the subset can be strictly smaller than the rate-distortion function of the source, although exceptions can also be constructed.
Randomized Clinical Trial of 2-Incision vs Mini-Posterior Total Hip Arthroplasty: Differences Persist at 10 Years.

Abstract Background A previous randomized clinical trial at our institution demonstrated slower recovery of 35 2-incision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) when compared with 36 mini-posterior THAs at 2 years. The primary aim of the present study was to report concise 10-year follow-up results. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the 71 patients in the previous randomized clinical trial, comparing clinical outcomes, revisions, reoperations, and implant survivorship between the 2-incision and the mini-posterior THAs. Results At the most recent follow-up, the mean Harris hip score was 85 in the 2-incision group and 87 in the mini-posterior group ( P = .4). There were 4 revisions and 2 reoperations (16%) in the 2-incision group vs 1 revision and 3 reoperations (11%) in the mini-posterior group ( P = .5). Ten-year survivorship free of aseptic revision or reoperation was 77% in the 2-incision group vs 90% in the mini-posterior group ( P = .15). Conclusion There were no improvements in early or midterm clinical outcomes with the 2-incision technique. However, there was a clinical trend toward a higher rate of aseptic revisions in the 2-incision THA group.
Hydrologic Transport of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon and Its Control on Chemical Weathering

Chemical weathering is one of the major processes interacting with climate and tectonics to form clays, supply nutrients to soil micro-organisms and plants, and sequester atmospheric CO2. Hydrology and dissolution kinetics have been emphasized as factors controlling chemical weathering rates. However, the interaction between hydrology and transport of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in controlling weathering has received less attention. In this paper, we present an analytical model that couples subsurface water and chemical molar balance equations to analyze the roles of hydrology and DIC-transport on chemical weathering. The balance equations form a dynamical system that fully determines the dynamics of the weathering zone chemistry as forced by the transport of DIC. The model is formulated specifically for the silicate mineral albite, but it can be extended to other minerals, and is studied as a function of percolation rate and water transit time. Three weathering regimes are elucidated. For very small or large values of transit time, the weathering is limited by reaction kinetics or transport, respectively. For intermediate values, the system is transport-controlled and is sensitive to transit time. We apply the model to a series of watersheds for which we estimate transit times and identify the type of weathering regime. The results suggest that hydrologic transport of DIC may be as important as reaction kinetics and dilution in determining chemical weathering rates.
An approach for identifying and selecting improvement projects

When improvement projects are properly aligned with an organisation’s strategy, they help achieve strategic business goals. Often, however, it can be challenging for organisations to select the mos...
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of late‐onset BK virus nephropathy in kidney and kidney‐pancreas transplant recipients

BACKGROUND BK virus nephropathy (BKPyVAN) is a major complication in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and typically occurs within 1 year of transplant. Guidelines vary in recommendations for BKPyV screening beyond 1 year. A systematic characterization of risk factors and outcomes of late-onset (>1 year) BKPyVAN has not previously been reported. METHODS We retrospectively compared characteristics and outcomes of early- ( 10 000 copies/mL]) in a cohort of 671 KTR and simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant (SPK) recipients between 2008 and 2013 at a single US transplant center. Proportions were compared using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test with P .05 all comparisons). In a pooled analysis of prior studies of BKPyVAN in SPK recipients, 62.9% (17 of 27) were late-onset. CONCLUSION A significant proportion of BKPyVAN is late-onset, especially among SPK recipients, and supports a longer duration of BKPyV monitoring for SPK recipients than recommended in some guidelines.