cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 625: DNA mismatch repair protein MLH1 induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men and ranks the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Mismatch repair (MMR) enzymes act as proofreading complexes that maintain the genomic integrity and MMR-deficient cells show an increased mutation rate. MMR is essential to the survival of the cell and health of the individual. Recent studies have shown that MMR influence the regulation of tumor development in various cancers, such as colon, ovarian, and others, but their impact on prostate cancer growth has not been investigated thus far. One important gene in the MMR complex is MutL homolog 1 (MLH1). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of MLH1 on growth properties of prostate cancer. MLH1 levels were characterized in patients with prostate cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis was done on tissue microarrays (TMAs) by using a monoclonal antibody for MLH1. TMAs consisted of cores sampled from the center of donor tissue blocks from 36 prostate cancer cases of various Gleason's grades. Staining intensity was measured to estimate the expression level of MLH1 proteins in each core and compared. As MLH1 levels differed between grades of cancer, we then evaluated the functional effects of MLH1 on prostate cancer cells. Expression of MLH1 was initially measured in normal and cancerous prostate cell lines by real-time PCR and western blotting. Cancerous cells displaying the lowest levels of MLH1 as compared to normal cells was then transfected with MLH1 to determine gene effects on cell proliferation by utilizing the MTS assay, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. Immunohistochemical analysis showed patients with high Gleason's score to have reduced expression of MLH1 compared to those with low grade prostate cancer. To determine the role of MLH1 on prostate cancer cell growth, gene transfection studies were then performed. Of the various prostate cell lines, DU145 cells had dramatically reduced expression levels of MLH1 as measured by real-time PCR with no protein detected by western blotting, whereas levels were high in normal prostate cell lines. Interestingly, over-expressing the MLH1 gene in DU145 cells decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis compared to vector control. These results demonstrate MLH1 to protect against prostate cancer progression and to have a functional role by affecting apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. Citation Format: Shinichiro Fukuhara, Inik Chang, Takeshi Chiyomaru, Shahana Majid, Sharanjot Saini, Soichiro Yamamura, Sumit Arora, Varahram Shahryari, Koji Ueno, Hiroshi Hirata, Guoren Deng, Rajvir Dahiya, Yuichiro Tanaka. DNA mismatch repair protein MLH1 induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 625. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-625
Increased Efficiency of Case-Control Association Analysis by Using Allele-Sharing and Covariate Information

Objective: We compared the efficiency of case selection strategies for following up a genome-wide linkage screen of multiplex families. We simulated datasets under three models by w
Fibrinolytic markers and vasodilatory capacity following acute exercise among men of differing training status.

We evaluated the effect of differing physical activity patterns on fibrinolysis and vasodilatory capacity using a cross-sectional design with 16 endurance-trained (ET) (mean ± SE) (28 ± 6 years), 14 resistance-trained (RT) (28 ± 7 years), and 10 untrained (UT) (26 ± 7 years) men. t-PA and PAI-1 activity and t-PA antigen were measured before and after a maximal treadmill test (VO2peak). Vasodilatory capacity was assessed using strain-gauge plethysmography on the forearm following reactive hyperemia (RH) before and after the treadmill test. The ET group had a smaller body mass index (BMI) (22.8 ± 0.5 ET, 26.4 ± 0.4 RT, 25.1 ± 0.8 UT kg m−2) (P < 0.05) and a greater VO2peak (57 ± 1 ET, 42 ± 2 RT, 45 ± 2 UT mL min−1 kg−1) (P < 0.05). Peak vasodilatory capacity (29.7 ± 2 ET, 32.0 ± 2 RT, 27.4 ± 2 UT mL min−1 100 mL of tissue) was similar between groups before and after exercise. Area under the curve for forearm blood flow was greater following acute exercise (212 vs. 122, P < 0.05), again with no differences between groups. t-PA activity and antigen increased following maximal exercise in all groups (P < 0.0001), with no group differences. PAI-1 activity decreased the least in RT after exercise (70% decrease vs. 86% ET and 82% UT; P < 0.05). The change in t-PA activity with exercise was not related to exercise-induced change in overall vasodilatory capacity. These findings demonstrate that in healthy young men different physical activity patterns do not appear to impact the exercise-induced changes in fibrinolysis or vasodilatory capacity.
Gaze-based interaction for semi-automatic photo cropping

We present an interactive method for cropping photographs given minimal information about important content location, provided by eye tracking. Cropping is formulated in a general optimization framework that facilitates adding new composition rules, and adapting the system to particular applications. Our system uses fixation data
Regulation of transcription of the germline immunoglobulin alpha constant region gene.

Different classes of antibodies serve different effector functions and therefore the production of different classes must be regulated during an immune response. Numerous recent studies support the accessibility model for the regulation of heavy chain class switch recombination, as heavy chain (CH) genes to which cells will switch have been shown to be hypomethylated and to be trarrscriptionally active (reviewed in Esser and Radbruch, 1990). Each of the unrearranged CH genes has been shown to be transcribed prior to switch recombination to that particular CH gene. The structures of all the CH gene germline transcripts are identical, i.e. they are initiated 5’ to the switch (S) regions and are transcribed in the same direction as and terminate near the same poly(A) sites as mature Ig mRNAs (Fig. 1). An exon 5’ to the S regions (I or germline exon) is spliced to the normal acceptor site for mature mRNAs. The germline RNAs tend to have multiple initiation sites probably due to the fact that they do not have TATA boxes and at least one (germline α RNA) has multiple splice donor sites for the I exon.
Management of platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: A cost-effectiveness analysis

Abstract Objective We wished to compare the cost-effectiveness of three chemotherapy regimens for treatment of recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Methods A Markov decision tree was constructed comparing three chemotherapy regimens: (1) carboplatin alone (C); (2) paclitaxel/carboplatin (PC); (3) gemcitabine/carboplatin (GC). Progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse event rates were estimated from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Costs of treatment and adverse events were obtained using Medicare reimbursement data. Results Estimated mean and median progression-free survival were 8.0 and 6.0 months for C, 10.1 and 7.8 months for PC, 10.5 and 8.4 months for GC, respectively. C was the least expensive strategy, costing $501 per progression-free month (PFM). PC had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $1297 per additional PFM ($15,564 per additional progression-free year (PFY)) compared to C. GC had an ICER of $23,199 per additional PFM ($278,388 per additional PFY) compared to PC. Results were insensitive to variation in the rates and costs of toxicities over clinically reasonable ranges. The model was sensitive to changes in PFS estimates. When the PFS of GC was assumed to be equivalent to that of PC, GC was strongly dominated (more expensive and no more effective) by PC due to the additional costs. Adjustment for neurotoxicity-associated quality of life (QoL) did not change rankings of strategies. Conclusions PC appears to be relatively cost-effective compared to C for the treatment of recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. GC appears to be less cost-effective compared to PC, with an ICER ten times higher.
Bird Species Diversity: The Effect of Species Richness and Equitability on the Diversity Index

A study of bird species diversity (BSD) on three seral stages characteristic of secondary succession on the New Jersey Piedmont was done during the winter of 1968—69, the spring of 1969, and the summer of 1969. The seral studies were a 2— to 33—year—old field (the herbaceous field), a 30—year—old field (the cedar field), and a climax oak—hickory forest (the oak forest). Two study plots, each with an area of 2 hectares, were chosen within each seral stage. Diversity indices were calculated using the Shannon—Weaver information formula, H'=—-Σpilogepi. The species count (species richness) was found to account for many of the differences in BSD between the seral stages. The evenness with which species were numerically distributed (equitability) was found to be lowest and to be lowest and to have its greatest influence on the diversity index in the herbaceous field, due to the presence of large flocks of non—nesting species. Equitability was higher and more constant in the cedar field and oak forest. Territoriality was thought to account for the higher equitabilities observed in summer. In winter, the more rigorous environment was thought to be a factor in lowering the equitability at least in the cedar field.Equitability was not lowered as much in the oak forest, possibly due to aggregations of birds into mixed species flocks. The cedar field and oak forest were qui te different in the seasonal patterns of equitability. Both species richness and equitability were concluded to be important parameters in ecological study.
Theory of mind... for a robot

One of the fundamental social skills for humans is a theory of other minds. This set of skills allows us to attribute beliefs, goals, and desires to other individuals. To take part in normal human social dynamics, a robot must not only know about the properties of objects, but also the properties of animate agents in the world. This paper presents the theories of Leslie (1994) and Baron-Cohen (1995) on the development of theory of mind in human children and discusses the potential application of both of these theories to building robots with similar capabilities. Initial implementation details and basic skills (such as finding faces and eyes and distinguishing animate from inanimate stimuli) are introduced. We further speculate on the usefulness of a robotic implementation in evaluating and comparing these two models.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Blood Alcohol Proficiency Test Program

The Blood Alcohol Proficiency Teat program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, designed to Improve and standardize blood alcohol testing procedures, Is described. Presently, one hundred end twenty state, municipal, and commercial laboratories voluntarily parUclpate In perlodlc proficiency testing conducted through the Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Statistical analyses and results to date are presented which show that an analytic tolerance range of g0 to 105% can be obtained. Further plans for the program are discussed.
Self-efficacy after bariatric surgery for obesity. A population-based cohort study.

Abstract Background: Eating behaviors often predict outcomes after bariatric surgery, and in this regard, self-efficacy has been shown to predict long-term behavior. We examined current eating self-efficacy in post-bariatric surgery patients comparing them to obese non-surgery patients to determine whether weight loss is associated with increased self-efficacy in post-bariatric surgery patients. Methods: We performed a population-based study of patients evaluated for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and administered a survey using the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle (WEL) Questionnaire. There were 148 surgical and 88 non-operative patients who responded. Overall WEL score was assessed using linear regression models. Predictors of an increased self-efficacy score were also examined. Results: Follow-up was 4.0 and 3.8 years in the operative and non-operative groups, respectively. Operative responders were slightly older and had a lesser BMI compared to non-responders, otherwise the demographics were similar. Difference in overall WEL between groups was 25.5 ± 5.3 points on a 0–180 scale. A 25% change in weight was associated with a difference of 15.4 points on the total WEL between groups. Current self-efficacy scores were highly related to weight loss and correlated to quality of life at follow-up (ρ = 0.36). Conclusion: Profound weight loss after bariatric surgery is associated with increased eating self-efficacy in a population of obese adults seeking medical treatment for obesity.
Discipline in Waiting

A brief response to Professor Perloff's critique of “Discipline in Crisis: The Shifting Paradigm of Mass Communication Research” in which I summarize our many points of agreement and enlarge upon our differences in interpretation.
Assimilation of Radar Radial Velocity Data with the WRF Hybrid Ensemble–3DVAR System for the Prediction of Hurricane Ike (2008)

AbstractAn enhanced version of the hybrid ensemble–three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system for the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) is applied to the assimilation of radial velocity (Vr) data from two coastal Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) radars for the prediction of Hurricane Ike (2008) before and during its landfall. In this hybrid system, flow-dependent ensemble covariance is incorporated into the variational cost function using the extended control variable method. The analysis ensemble is generated by updating each forecast ensemble member with perturbed radar observations using the hybrid scheme itself. The Vr data are assimilated every 30 min for 3 h immediately after Ike entered the coverage of the two coastal radars.The hybrid method produces positive temperature increments indicating a warming of the inner core throughout the depth of the hurricane. In contrast, the 3DVAR produces much weaker and smoother increments with negative values at t...
Culture and Comorbidity in East and West Berliners

Following the collapse of socialism, fluctuations in cardiac mortality rates in East Germany and a West-to-East cardiac health gradient became topics of interest. Researchers suggested possible causes for these phenomena, including stress from postsocialism. I proposed that a cultural investigation of heart disease comorbid with depression could inform our understanding of the potential health effects of the postsocialist transition. I conducted ethnographic and survey research. In the study described here, I administered a depression scale (CES-D) and an ethnographically derived measure of cultural stress (Good Life Survey) to over 200 East and West Berliners with cardiovascular disease. Comparison of the groups' depression means revealed no difference. However, correlation of the Good Life Survey and the CES-D revealed unique profiles of cultural variables associated with depression in the two groups, suggesting that culture shapes depression and cardiac risk. I discuss the value of cultural studies to comorbidity research.
Therapeutic antiviral T cells noncytopathically clear persistently infected microglia after conversion into antigen-presenting cells

Several viruses can infect the mammalian nervous system and induce neurological dysfunction. Adoptive immunotherapy is an approach that involves administration of antiviral T cells and has shown promise in clinical studies for the treatment of peripheral virus infections in humans such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and adenovirus, among others. In contrast, clearance of neurotropic infections is particularly challenging because the central nervous system (CNS) is relatively intolerant of immunopathological reactions. Therefore, it is essential to develop and mechanistically understand therapies that noncytopathically eradicate pathogens from the CNS. Here, we used mice persistently infected from birth with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) to demonstrate that therapeutic antiviral T cells can completely purge the persistently infected brain without causing blood–brain barrier breakdown or tissue damage. Mechanistically, this is accomplished through a tailored release of chemoattractants that recruit antiviral T cells, but few pathogenic innate immune cells such as neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. Upon arrival, T cells enlisted the support of nearly all brain-resident myeloid cells (microglia) by inducing proliferation and converting them into CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Two-photon imaging experiments revealed that antiviral CD8+ and CD4+ T cells interacted directly with CD11c+ microglia and induced STAT1 signaling but did not initiate programmed cell death. We propose that noncytopathic CNS viral clearance can be achieved by therapeutic antiviral T cells reliant on restricted chemoattractant production and interactions with apoptosis-resistant microglia.
Dietary n-3 fatty acids reduce the delayed hypersensitivity reaction and antibody production more than n-6 fatty acids in broiler birds

The splenocyte fatty acid profile and immune response of broiler chickens were investigated. One hundred and twenty day-old broiler chicks were fed diets containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (Diet I), sunflower oil (Diet II), flaxseed oil (Diet III) or fish oil (Diet IV). The total lipid content of the diets was 3.5%. Body weight and feed intake was higher (P 0.05) between treatment groups. N-3 fatty acids increased production performances and antibody mediated responses, while n-6 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid increased cell mediated responses in broiler birds.
Steroid 5 alpha-reductase: two genes/two enzymes.

BIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF STEROID Sa-REDUCTASE . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Protein Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 pH Optima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Kinetic Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Overexpression and Purification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Intracellular Turnover and Subcellular Localization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Optimum camera placement by robot teams in unstructured field environments

In field environments it is not usually possible to provide robotic systems with valid/complete geometric models of the task and environment. The robot or robot teams will need to create these models by performing appropriate sensor actions. Additionally, the robot(s) will need to position their sensors in a task directed optimum way. Here, an algorithm based on iterative sensor planning and sensor redundancy is proposed to enable them to efficiently position their cameras with respect to the task/target. The method assumes stationary robotic vehicles with cameras carried by articulated mounts. The algorithm uses the measured scene information to find new camera mount poses. Simulations and experiments show the effectiveness of this algorithm.
Solution process ZnO and pentacene bilayer transistor: ambipolar, p-channel and n-channel operation

In this paper we describe ZnO as n-type semiconductor (wide band gap stable inorganic), which has LUMO level at 4.4 eV (much closer to the work function of gold than typical organic semiconductor LUMO) and pentacene as p-type semiconductor (organic), whose HUMO level at 5.0 eV which is close to the gold work function (5.1 eV). ZnO films were prepared via a solution process. For this, we used zinc acetate [Zn(OAc)2] (15 mM to 40 mM ) and 2-ethanolamine (2 to 5 mM ) in ethanol solvent. The substrate was dip-coated with this solution at a speed approximately 2 mm/sec with an angle 60deg with the horizontal and immediately was placed on a 70degC heater. The zinc acetate coated substrate was inserted in a 500degC furnace and kept for 15 minutes to form a thin layer of continuous polycrystalline ZnO nanoparticle film. Vacuum deposited pentacene film of thickness 100 nm was then grown on the ZnO-coated Si-SiO2 substrate. Subsequently 50 nm-thick gold electrodes were deposited using a parallel TEM grid (200 mesh) as shadow mask.
Development of a visual speech synthesizer via second-order isomorphism

The goals of this study were to evaluate the synthesis of visible speech that was based on 3-D motion data using second-order isomorphism. To do this, word stimuli were generated for perceptual discrimination and identification tasks. Discrimination trials were based on word-pairs that were predicted to be at four levels of perceptual dissimilarity. Results from the discrimination tasks indicated that visual synthetic speech perception maintained the dissimilarity structure of visual natural speech perception. This study demonstrated that the relatively sparse 3-D representations of face motion could be used to synthesize visual speech that perceptually approximate visual natural speech, suggesting that synthesizer development and psychophysics can benefit mutually when the goals are aligned.
Prey Capture in Actinopterygian Fishes: A Review of Suction Feeding Motor Patterns with New Evidence from an Elopomorph Fish, Megalops atlanticus

Abstract Suction feeding is recognized as the dominant mode of aquatic prey capture in fishes. While much work has been done identifying motor pattern variations of this behavior among diverse groups of actinopterygian fishes, many ray-finned groups are still not represented. Further, the substantial amount of inherent variation in electromyography makes much of the pioneering work of suction feeding motor patterns in several basal groups insufficient for evolutionary comparisons. Robust evolutionary comparisons have identified conserved qualitative traits in the order of muscle activation during suction feeding (jaw opening > buccal cavity expansion > jaw closing). However, quantitative traits of suction motor patterns (i.e., burst durations and relative onset times) have changed over evolutionary time among actinopterygian fishes. Finally, new motor pattern evidence is presented from a previously neglected group, the Elopomorpha. The results suggest that future investigations of the muscles influencing ...
Thermal Analysis of a NAC-LWT Cask Under Normal and Fire Accident Conditions

Two and three dimensional thermal models of a Nuclear Assurance Corporation Legal Weight Truck (NAC-LWT) cask were constructed using the PATRAN commercial finite element package. The two-dimensional model included the effect of radial stiffeners in the package’s external neutron shield but three-dimensional model did not. A normal conditions of transport (NCT) simulation using both models predicted the peak cladding temperature was roughly 210°C. The NCT package temperatures were used as initial conditions for transient fire/post-fire simulations. Different assumptions were used to determine when the neutron shield liquid drained from the tank and was replaced by air. When the liquid was assumed to remain within the tank during and after the fire, the peak cladding temperature was predicted to exhibit a temporal maximum of roughly 300°C, approximately 6 hours after the end of the fire. If the liquid drained from the tank during the fire, the cladding temperature did not exhibit a temporal peak. Rather, it eventually reached a maximum temperature of roughly 280°C, which is the steady state NCT peak temperature when air is in the neutron shield tank. This undergraduate project will be used to lay down a foundation for further research on NACLWT casks. Two and three dimension package of the cask will be constructed using ANSYS, and simulations will be run for NCT and fire/post-fire conditions. The models will also be linked to Container Analysis Fire Environment (CAFE) to predict response of the package in fire. NOMENCLATURE
Information fusion for man-machine cooperation

We first note that since humans communicate using linguistic terms central to man-machine cooperation is the availability of a common vocabulary understandable by both parties. Here we draw upon structures from granular computing, particularly fuzzy sets, to provide this capability. Having this capability allows the machine to use the types of information humans commonly provide. We then focus on some tools useful for the fusion of information and question answering in the context of man-machine cooperation. We describe methods for fusing information from multiple sources and we provide the capability to have multiple fused values. We also investigate the fusion of probabilistic and possibilistic information.
Inhibition of Friend virus (FVP)-induced erythropoiesis by an erythropoiesis-inhibitory factor (EIF).

SummaryAn erythropoietin-independent murine erythroleukemia (FVP) has been used to evaluate the effects of an erythro-poiesis-inhibitory factor (EIF) isolated from human urine. The consequent inhibition of FVp-induced erythropoiesis suggests that EIF exerts its effect independently of ESF. The inhibitory effect of EIF on FVP-induced erythropoiesis may reveal a potential for the physiological control of some types of erythroleukemia.
GRAIL Trajectory Design: Lunar Orbit Insertion through Science

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will be travelling to the Moon in September 2011 as the eleventh selection from NASA’s Discovery program. The three month Science Phase is preceded by a 10 week period used to maneuver the twin GRAIL spacecraft from the low-energy trans-lunar cruise trajectory to the final science orbits. The two orbiters are individually operated and the trajectory design strategy described in this paper assures that the orbiters attain the required formation in time to begin science while remaining adequately separated throughout this period. I. Introduction HE primary objectives of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission are to determine the structure of the lunar interior and gain a better understanding of the thermal evolution of the Moon. To accomplish this goal, the twin GRAIL spacecraft will work together to make high-accuracy measurements of the lunar gravity field on a global, regional, and local scale. During the 82-day Science Phase, the GRAIL spacecraft will fly in formation about the Moon in low-altitude, near-polar, coplanar orbits. The close formation allows for constant evaluation of the Ka-band signal between them, which provides a direct and precise measurement of the range-rate between the two orbiters. Post-processing of the range-rate data produces the final gravity field. The six months leading up to the Science Phase take the orbiters through five other mission phases: Launch, Trans-Lunar Cruise (TLC), Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI), Orbit Period Reduction (OPR), and Transition to Science Formation (TSF). The series of maneuvers to go from the trans-lunar trajectory to the final Science Phase orbits is the focus of this paper.
Freezing-Level Estimation with Polarimetric Radar

Abstract A simple empirical procedure for determining freezing levels with polarimetric radar measurements is described. The algorithm takes advantage of the strong melting-layer signatures and the redundancy provided by the suite of polarimetric radar measurements—in particular, radar reflectivity, linear depolarization ratio, and cross-correlation coefficient. Freezing-level designations can be made with all volumetric scanning strategies. Application to uniform (stratiform) precipitation within 60 km of the radar and with brightband reflectivity maxima of greater than 25 dBZ suggests an accuracy of 100–200 m.
Endosarcomeric and Exosarcomeric Cytoskeleton: Emergence of Cell and Molecular Biology in the Muscle Field

In the early 1970s the sliding filament, attached cross-bridge, model of muscle contraction had become dogma and attention was directed to elucidating the mechanisms of muscle activation and cross-bridge function. Of course this was a two filament model of contraction with the thin filaments anchored at the Z disc and the thick filaments held in place at the M band. But there were lingering questions. In the classic experiments of Huxley and Hanson (1954), extraction of actin and myosin did not cause the collapse of the myofibril but rather “ghost” myofibrils resulted that still exhibited elasticity. They explained this observation by suggesting that an unseen elastic structure existed that held the Z discs together. With the exciting advances in understanding of activation and cross-bridge function, this observation seemed to have been forgotten. But there was more, striated muscles are striated because of the precise lateral alignment of the myofibrils across the fiber. The classic experiments of Huxley and Niedergerke (1954) showed that this alignment did not change when a living fiber shortened actively or was stretched while at rest. What determines this alignment? What is the molecular nature of the Z disc and M band that hold the filaments together transversely and what structure holds the sarcomeres together longitudinally even in the absence of actin and myosin (endosarcomeric structures)? What structures bind the myofibrils together transversely across a muscle fiber (exosarcomeric structures). Electron microscopic evidence provided some early clues but the results were inconsistent and there were concerns about artifacts associated with fixation.
The Artist, the Muse and the Audience: International Calibrations for Authorial Rights in Visual Works

In a world saturated with imagery of infinite variety - in both digital and traditional formats - copyright law is confronted with a new playing field where its very role as a regulator of content use is being questioned by artists, authors, business people, Internet search engines, traditional knowledge holders, academic institutions and fashion designers, amongst others. Copyright law's subject matter; that subject matter's potential for alteration and international dissemination as well as its reproduction capacity have rightly gained new attention in the past quarter century, leaving legislators and courts to contemplate and interpret a body of law whose calibration arguably needs fine-tuning.
Crossing the Threshold: the role of density dependence and demographic stochasticity in the evolution of cooperation

We make two simplifications to a joint population model developed by M. Doebeli et al. of two populations whose growth rates depend on total population density and pay-offs governed by the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma. One population uses the ‘Always Defect’ strategy and the second uses the ‘Tit for Tat’ (TFT) strategy. In the deterministic model, there are two simple basins of attraction that lead to the extinction of one or the other population. In particular, a small TFT population cannot spread from rarity. We compute the boundary between these two regions. If, on the other hand, the growth rate of the TFT population is stochastic, then it is possible for the TFT population to become established if the growth rate at any given time is sufficiently large to allow the TFT population to cross the threshold computed in the deterministic model. We describe the factors that increase the likelihood of TFT establishment and explain why density dependence is an essential feature of the model. In particular, we ...
Robust Poisson Surface Reconstruction

We propose a method to reconstruct surfaces from oriented point clouds with non-uniform sampling and noise by formulating the problem as a convex minimization that reconstructs the indicator function of the surface’s interior. Compared to previous models, our reconstruction is robust to noise and outliers because it substitutes the least-squares fidelity term by a robust Huber penalty; this allows to recover sharp corners and avoids the shrinking bias of least squares. We choose an implicit parametrization to reconstruct surfaces of unknown topology and close large gaps in the point cloud. For an efficient representation, we approximate the implicit function by a hierarchy of locally supported basis elements adapted to the geometry of the surface. Unlike ad-hoc bases over an octree, our hierarchical B-splines from isogeometric analysis locally adapt the mesh and degree of the splines during reconstruction. The hierarchical structure of the basis speeds-up the minimization and efficiently represents clustered data. We also advocate for convex optimization, instead isogeometric finite-element techniques, to efficiently solve the minimization and allow for non-differentiable functionals. Experiments show state-of-the-art performance within a more flexible framework.
Dietary Intake in Patients with Arthritis and Other Chronic Diseases

1. Dietary intake was studied in ninety-four patients—forty-two with rheumatoid arthritis, twenty-seven with degenerative arthritis, and twenty-five with some other chronic disease, chiefly neurological. 2. Patients with degenerative arthritis averaged 15.10 pounds overweight, whereas those with rheumatoid arthritis averaged 10.33 pounds underweight. The controls averaged 1.72 pounds underweight. These mean weights showed significant differences between the patients with degenerative arthritis and those with rheumatoid arthritis and between those with degenerative arthritis and the controls, but not between those with rheumatoid arthritis and the controls. 3. In none of the three groups was there any statistically significant difference in the mean dietary intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, or minerals. 4. Ninety-two per cent of all the patients had intakes of one or more vitamins and minerals below the recommended daily allowance and 68 per cent had intakes of one or more vitamins and minerals below the minimum daily requirement. 5. Over 30 per cent of all the patients had intakes below the minimum daily requirement and over 50 per cent had intakes below the recommended daily allowance for thiamine, phosphorus, and calcium (Chart I). 6. Four patients—two with rheumatoid arthritis who were receiving steroids, one with degenerative arthritis, and one control—had neuropathy. All four had a protein intake below the recommended daily allowance and all had intakes below the minimum daily requirements for from two to six vitamins and minerals. 7. There were significant differences in the mean base (alkaline) excess in the diet between the two arthritic (rheumatoid and degenerative) groups and the [See figure in the PDF file] control group. The difference between the means of the two arthritic groups was not significant. The control group had more base excess in the diet.
Sex, Death, and Witchcraft: A Contemporary Pagan Festival

This book breaks boundaries on several levels. In the process of describing the ‘Faunalia’ festival in southwest Australia (a pseudonym), Douglas Ezzy deepens our understanding of ritual experience...
LITTORAL DRIFT ALONG BAYSHORE OF A BARRIER ISLAND

A barrier island is an easily recognized geographical land feature along the south-east Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. It is characterized by a large ratio of length to width. It has a bay on one side and an ocean on the other. The inlets, on the ends, connect the bay to the ocean. The sand movement along the bayshore side is subjected to steeper and shorter waves which respond to local wind conditions. The physical boundary constraint of a bay is also different from open coast shorelines. Virtually no information exists with regard to the littoral drift rate on a bay shoreline. This paper tries to answer the question of whether or not the drift on the bay shoreline is different from that of the open coast since it is under different wave climates and physical constraints.
A Recommendation System Based on Hierarchical Clustering of an Article-Level Citation Network

The scholarly literature is expanding at a rate that necessitates intelligent algorithms for search and navigation.For the most part, the problem of delivering scholarly articles has been solved. If one knows the title of an article, locating it requires little effort and, paywalls permitting, acquiring a digital copy has become trivial. However, the navigational aspect of scientific search – finding relevant, influential articles that one does not know exist – is in its early development. In this paper, we introduce Eigenfactor Recommends – a citation-based method for improving scholarly navigation. The algorithm uses the hierarchical structure of scientific knowledge, making possible multiple scales of relevance for different users. We implement the method and generate more than 300 million recommendations from more than 35 million articles from various bibliographic databases including the AMiner dataset. We find little overlap with co-citation, another well-known citation recommender, which indicates potential complementarity. In an online A-B comparison using SSRN, we find that our approach performs as well as co-citation, but this new approach offers much larger recommendation coverage. We make the code and recommendations freely available at babel.eigenfactor.org and provide an API for others to use for implementing and comparing the recommendations on their own platforms.
Using Systems Theory to Promote Academic Success for African American Males

Through an ecological systems perspective, this study explores factors that influence successful academic achievement for African American males in at-risk settings. This qualitative study examines...
Clenbuterol, a beta 2-agonist, retards wasting and loss of contractility in irradiated dystrophic mdx muscle

Treatment with the adrenergic beta 2-receptor agonist clenbuterol prevented, in dystrophic muscle from mdx mice, a pronounced loss of contractile strength that is observed after blockade of muscle regeneration with gamma irradiation. In addition, muscle mass and myosin content were greater (62-109%) in irradiated hindlimbs from clenbuterol-treated mdx mice, whereas the effects of the beta 2-agonist were relatively smaller (12-21%) in the nonirradiated hindlimbs. Together, these results suggest that beta 2-agonists can antagonize degenerative processes occurring in muscle fibers lacking dystrophin.
On the Defensive, 1950–1

When Parliament reassembled in early March 1950, the caution of the Cabinet was at once evident in the face of an almost equally-divided House. The King’s speech indicated a complete absence of contentious measures, and Churchill commented that it might well have read ‘My Government will not introduce legislation in fulfilment of their election programme because the only mandate they have received from the country is not to do it.’1 But Attlee announced the Government’s determination to give effect to the Act already on the Statute Book for the nationalisation of Iron and Steel, and this was the issue on which the Government had to face its first major Parliamentary challenge, in the form of an amendment to the Address, which both Conservatives and Liberals were willing to support.2 In spite of this the amendment was defeated by 14 votes, and later divisions on a Housing amendment and on the Civil Supplementary Estimates were won by the Government with larger majorities, because the Liberals were either supporting them or abstaining. In the course of the debate on Supplementary Estimates Cripps declared that the Health Estimates for 1950–1, which were the major component of the Bill, would be regarded in the future as a ‘ceiling’.3 The Government’s first defeat in the Commons came on 29 March, when they lost an adjournment motion after a debate on fuel and oil supplies, but the Prime Minister did not regard this as an issue of confidence. He instructed the Whips, though, in future to try to avoid divisions between the hours of 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m., in order that Ministers might be able to devote the afternoons to the work of their Departments; but after 7 p.m. Ministers must be prepared to set an example of regular attendance in the House.4
Ripple Effects and the Fog of War in Vanity Fair

The previous chapters have discussed several ways in which realist fiction tries to step in and fill some of the moral lacunae of political economy, either by imagining a secular omniscient overview that may have a subtle moral influence on the reader or by directly challenging the reader to respond to the social problems caused by industrialization. This chapter will focus on a narrative that aims less to solve social problems than to thematize the difficult ironies of a society organized around the political-economic world-view of self-interested behaviour and unintended consequences. Whereas Smith focuses on the positive results of invisible hand social theory, the comic view of William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1847–48 Vanity Fair is sometimes optimistic but more often darkly satirical, critiquing both the narrator’s and the reader’s inadequacies of vision. The self-consciousness of Thackeray’s narrator, while parodying Fielding, also expresses much more doubt about society’s ability to turn disadvantages into advantages and straying characters into worthy protagonists. Thackeray’s narrator uses his omniscience to dramatize the characters’ delusions, manipulations, and ignorance of each other’s intentions, vices that sometimes lead to happy outcomes but sometimes to undeserved disaster. Even the novel’s happy ending, in which Dobbin finally gets his Amelia, is undercut by Dobbin’s growing awareness that his devotion was directed towards an unworthy object. Meanwhile, the novel’s anti-heroine Becky Sharp has only been temporarily deflected from her attempt to transform others’ vanity and folly into her own social power.
Genital Involvement In Pre-Pubertal Pediatric Population: A Rare Aspect of Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation that causes the loss of immune tolerance leading to bizarre inflammatory signals and disruption of mucosal barriers. Environmental triggers and interaction of genetic determinants also play an indispensible role. In this case report, we present a pre-pubertal girl with intermittent and refractory genital swelling. We emphasize that Crohn’s disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent, non-tender, erythematous and edematous lesions of the genital area. We conclude with future directions for diagnosing and managing vulvar Crohn’s disease in pediatric population.
Pseudotachylyte increases the post-slip strength of faults

Solidified frictional melts, or pseudotachylytes, are observed in exhumed faults from across the seismogenic zone. These unique fault rocks, and many experimental studies, suggest that frictional melting can be an important process during earthquakes. However, it remains unknown how melting affects the post-slip strength of the fault and why many exhumed faults do not contain pseudotachylyte. Analyses of triaxial stick-slip events on Westerly Granite (Rhode Island, USA) sawcuts at confining pressures from 50 to 400 MPa show evidence for frictional heating, including some events energetic enough to generate surface melt. Total and partial stress drops were observed with slip as high as 6.5 mm. We find that in dry samples following melt-producing stick slip, the shear failure strength increased as much as 50 MPa, while wet samples had <10 MPa strengthening. Microstructural analysis indicates that the strengthening is caused by welding of the slip surface during melt quenching, suggesting that natural pseudotachylytes may also strengthen faults after earthquakes. These results predict that natural pseudotachylyte will inhibit slip reactivation and possibly generate stress heterogeneities along faults. Wet samples do not exhibit melt welding, possibly because of thermal pressurization of water reducing frictional heating during slip.
Carrier-Mediated and Targeted Cancer Drug Delivery

Major advances in the use of carrier vehicles delivering pharmacologic agents and enzymes to sites of disease have occurred in the past 10 years. This chapter focuses on the concepts and preclinical as well as clinical evaluation of carrier-mediated anticancer agents that are administered intravenously or orally. The primary types of carrier-mediated anticancer agents are nanoparticles, nanosomes, which are nanoparticle sized liposomes, and conjugated agents. Nanosomes are then subdivided into stabilized and nonstabilized or conventional nanosomes. The theoretical advantages of carrier-mediated drugs are increased solubility, prolonged duration of exposure, selective delivery of entrapped drug to the site of action, improved therapeutic index, and potential to overcome resistance to anticancer agents. The disposition of carrier-mediated agents depends on the physiochemical characteristics of the carrier, such as size, surface charge, membrane lipid packing, steric stabilization, dose, and route of administration. The primary sites of accumulation of carrier-mediated agents are the tumor, liver, and spleen compared to nonnanosomal formulations. The factors affecting the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability of these agents remain unclear, but most likely include the reticuloendothelial system (RES), which has also been called the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). As existing anticancer agents go off patent, these agents will most likely be evaluated in some type of carrier-mediated formulation. Future studies need to evaluate clearance mechanisms of carrier-mediated agents to identify the factors associated with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability in patients and specifically in tumors. However, carrier-mediated anticancer agents represent a promising platform for the targeted delivery of antitumor therapy.
Predictors of willingness to use a smartphone for research in underserved persons living with HIV.

Abstract Objectives The burden of HIV/AIDS is borne disproportionally by a growing number of racial and ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. Developing mHealth interventions for the everyday self-management needs of persons living with HIV (PLWH) can be challenging given the current constraints of the U.S. healthcare system, especially for those from underserved communities. In order to develop effective, evidence-based mHealth self-management interventions, we need a better understanding of the factors associated with mHealth research. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with PLWH's for participation in research using smartphones. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study (parent study) to examine the relationships among HIV self-management, age, gender and mental wellness. Relevant to this study, we analyzed the relationship between self-reported use of smartphones, willingness to use a smartphone for research, and other predictor variables including: HIV stigma, social isolation, social integration functions, and depression. We selected these variables because previous work indicated they may influence smartphone or mHealth use and because they also tend to be elevated in PLWH. Results We found increased age, HIV stigma and social isolation were negatively associated with smartphone use, which supports the use of smartphones for conducting research with PLWH but also suggests that age, stigma, social integration functions and social isolation need to be considered in research involving PLWH. Conclusions Findings here support smartphone use in research involving PLWH. However, future mHealth interventions targeting PLWH should take into account the inverse relationship between smartphone use and age, HIV stigma, and social isolation, and other predictor variables.