cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DON'T SAY IT WITH NIGHTSHADES: SENTIMENTAL BOTANY AND THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ATROPA BELLADONNA

THE VICTORIANS' PASSION FOR plants has been well established as a defining feature of the period, and scholars from the humanities and the sciences – from literature, history, anthropology, botany, art, and religion – have lavishly documented how this obsession pervaded every aspect of nineteenth-century British life, creating what was truly the golden age for the “Culture of Flowers,” to borrow the title of Jack Goody's ethnobotanical study tracing traditional and ceremonial uses of flowers through history and around the globe. As Brent Elliott argues, improvements in greenhouse design beginning in 1817 and the use of the Wardian case from the 1830s for transporting plants by ship led to an unprecedented number of plant introductions to England, especially those intended for ornamental purposes (8–13). Decorative plants either of the indigenous, old-fashioned varieties or exotic new species were now widely available and visible everywhere – in vast public garden beds or small cottage plots; in pots or cut arrangements in the homes and on the window sills of the middle class and the well-to-do; in theaters, meeting halls, and fashionable shops; in churches for weddings, funerals, and holidays; in the boutonnieres of dandies and at the wrists, bosoms, and in the hair of ladies; for sale on the streets in flower carts and stalls; and in the shops of the burgeoning florist trade.
Time dependent variations in biomechanical properties of cadaveric fascia, porcine dermis, porcine small intestine submucosa, polypropylene mesh and autologous fascia in the rabbit model: Implications for sling surgery

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated time dependent variations in tensile strength, stiffness, shrinkage and distortion in 6 materials commonly used for transvaginal anti-incontinence surgery.Materials and Methods: A total of 15 rabbits were randomized into 3 survival groups (2, 6 and 12 weeks, respectively). Each rabbit had human cadaveric fascia, porcine dermis, porcine small intestine submucosa, polypropylene mesh and autologous fascia implanted on the anterior rectus fascia. At harvest tensiometry and image analysis were performed on each sling. Results were compared to baseline for each sling type and the percent decrease from baseline was compared among sling types.Results: Each type of human cadaveric fascia and porcine allografts showed a marked decrease (60% to 89%) in tensile strength and stiffness from baseline. Polypropylene mesh and autologous fascia did not differ in tensile strength from baseline. Polypropylene mesh increased in stiffness from baseline. Autologous fascia and small intestinal su...
Compound heterozygosity for Hb S [β6(A3)Glu→Val] and Hb Kenya (Aγ81Leu-β86Ala) in a Ugandan woman.

Hb Kenya is a hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer composed of two normal α- and two non α-globin chains. The latter are the product of a fusion gene in which the 5′ end is Aγ and the 3′ end is β. The crossover point is between codon 81 of the Aγ gene and codon 86 of the β gene. Like the other non α genes, the hybrid protein product (Aγ81Leu-β86Ala) has 146 amino acids. The purpose of this report is to highlight the laboratory findings of Hb Kenya and to emphasize the pitfalls in misdiagnosis, particularly when associated with another variant such as Hb S [β6(A3)Glu→Val].
Atmospheric products from the upper atmosphere research satellite (UARS)

This paper provides information on the products available at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) mission. The GES DAAC provides measurements from the primary UARS mission, which extended from launch in September 1991 through September 2001. The ten instruments aboard UARS provide measurements of atmospheric trace gas species, dynamical variables, solar irradiance input, and particle energy flux. All standard Level 3 UARS products from all ten instruments are offered free to the public and science user community. The Level 3 data are geophysical parameters, which have been transformed into a common format and equally spaced along the measurement trajectory. The UARS data have been reprocessed several times over the years following improvements to the processing algorithms. The UARS data offered from the GES DAAC are the latest versions of each instrument. The UARS data may be accessed through the GES DAAC website at
Plankton secondary productivity and biomass: Their relation to lake trophic state

The biomass and production of the most important zooplankton species were followed for two years in three lakes of varying trophic status in the Lake Washington watershed. Cladocerans and copepods were of equal importance in the biomass of lakes Findley and Chester Morse (both oligotrophic), whereas, copepods were the main biomass component in Lake Sammamish (mesotrophic). Cladocerans dominated production in lakes Sammamish and Chester Morse, while in Findley Lake their productive role, like that of biomass, was equal to that of the copepods. Rotifers contributed a relatively small biomass and production.
SU-E-T-285: Use of Computational Human Phantoms Combined with a Treatment Planning System to Study the Sensitivity of Reconstructed Normal Tissue Dose to Patient Size and Assumptions On Second Tumor Location

Purpose: Epidemiologic studies of second cancer risk from radiotherapy require reconstruction of normal tissue doses for patients treated years ago and often rely on a single estimate, usually a mean tissue dose or less frequently, a point‐dose at the site of second cancer development. However, uncertainties of dose estimates due to assumptions made in dose reconstruction, e.g., body size and location of the tumor, are rarely quantified. To assess the uncertainty of the estimated incidental breast dose from radiotherapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma, we investigated the sensitivity of the point‐dose to dosimetric assumptions using computational human phantoms of different body sizes imported into a commercial treatment planning system (TPS). Methods: We converted three adult female hybrid phantoms representing the 20th, 50th, and 80th weight percentiles to DICOM images that we imported to a TPS featuring a three‐dimensional convolution/superposition algorithm. We simulated opposite mantle fields with 6 MV photons and typical lung blocks (transmission, 5%) to deliver 40 Gy at the phantom mid‐plane. We located a point in the left breast 1.7 cm below the surface and in‐field to reconstruct point‐dose for each phantom. We retrieved the lateral dose profile starting at the point and crossing the block boundary. Results: Point‐doses were 43, 44, and 46 Gy for the three phantoms with 20th, 50th, and 80th weight percentiles, respectively. To deliver 40 Gy at mid‐plane of the phantoms, a greater number of monitor units were required for thicker phantoms, resulting in a greater shallow dose. The lateral dose profile showed that the point‐dose estimate can vary by a factor of 10 depending on whether the point is under the block or not. Conclusion: Our new dose reconstruction strategy, combining computational human phantoms and a TPS, enabled us to examine the sensitivity of point‐dose estimate to patient size and assumed second tumor location.
α-Crystallin Is a Target Gene of the Farnesoid X-activated Receptor in Human Livers

Alpha-crystallins comprise 35% of soluble proteins in the ocular lens and possess chaperone-like functions. Furthermore, the alphaA subunit (alphaA-crystallin) of alpha crystallin is thought to be "lens-specific" as only very low levels of expression were detected in a few non-lenticular tissues. Here we report that human alphaA-crystallin is expressed in human livers and is regulated by farnesoid X-activated receptor (FXR) in response to FXR agonists. AlphaA-crystallin was identified in a microarray screen as one of the most highly induced genes after treatment of HepG2 cells with the synthetic FXR ligand GW4064. Northern blot and quantitative real-time PCR analyses confirmed that alphaA-crystallin expression was induced in HepG2-derived cell lines and human primary hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells in response to either natural or synthetic FXR ligands. Transient transfection studies and electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed a functional FXR response element located in intron 1 of the human alphaA-crystallin gene. Importantly, immunohistochemical staining of human liver sections showed increased alphaA-crystallin expression in cholangiocytes and hepatocytes. As a member of the small heat shock protein family possessing chaperone-like activity, alphaA-crystallin may be involved in protection of hepatocytes from the toxic effects of high concentrations of bile acids, as would occur in disease states such as cholestasis.
Expression of TCTP antisense in CD25high regulatory T cells aggravates cuff-injured vascular inflammation

Abstract This study examines our hypothesis that translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) expression in CD4+ CD25 high regulatory T cells (Tregs) is critical for the interleukin-2 (IL-2) withdrawal-triggered apoptosis pathway in Tregs, and modulation of Treg apoptosis pathway affects development of vascular inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we established a Tregs-specific TCTP antisense transgenic mouse model. Lower TCTP expression in Tregs than in CD4+ CD25− T cells is associated with the higher susceptibility of Tregs to apoptosis induced by IL-2 withdrawal. Overexpression of TCTP antisense in Tregs leads to decreased positive selection of CD25 high thymic Tregs and reduced survival of peripheral Tregs, which is correlated to our previous report that TCTP antisense knocks-down TCTP protein expression and promotes apoptosis. In addition, TCTP antisense transgene confers higher susceptibility of Tregs to apoptosis induced by IL-2 withdrawal than wild-type Tregs, which can be suppressed by exogenous supply of IL-2, suggesting that IL-2 promotes Treg survival at least partially due to promoting TCTP expression. Finally, decreased expression of TCTP in Tregs aggravates experimental vascular inflammation, presumably due to increased Treg apoptosis and failure of decreased Tregs in suppressing inflammatory cells and immune cells. These results suggest that the modulation of Tregs apoptosis/survival may be used as a new therapeutic approach for inflammatory cardiovascular diseases.
Transformation and reversal of time scale by a time-varying transmission line

The theory of a time-varying line is given for two special cases: (a) constant impedance, variable velocity; (b) discontinuous change of impedance. In (a), the time scale of a signal on the line can be transformed linearly using a largely arbitrary velocity function. In (b), a reflected wave is generated, whose time scale is inverted.
Collagen-based structures containing the peptoid residue N-isobutylglycine (Nleu): synthesis and biophysical studies of Gly-Nleu-Pro sequences by circular dichroism and optical rotation.

Single-chain peptide−peptoid structures, Ac-(Gly-Nleu-Pro)n-NH2 (n = 3, 6, and 10) and (Gly-Nleu-Pro)n-NH2 (n = 1 and 9), and template-assembled collagen analogs, KTA-[Gly-(Gly-Nleu-Pro)n-NH2]3 (n = 3 and 6; KTA represents cis,cis-1,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, also known as the Kemp triacid; Nleu denotes N-isobutylglycine), were prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis methods. Biophysical studies using circular dichroism (CD) and optical rotation measurements show that these collagen analogs form triple-helical conformations when the chain is longer than a critical length. Unlike collagen-based structures composed of Gly-Pro-Hyp and Gly-Pro-Nleu sequences, results reveal that the presence of a positive CD peak between 220 and 225 nm is indicative of triple-helical conformations for these collagen-based structures composed of Gly-Nleu-Pro sequences. Results also indicate that the Gly-Nleu-Pro sequence possesses a higher triple-helical propensity than the Gly-Pro-Nleu sequence as de...
Monumentality in Urban Design: The Case of Russia

A prominent American urban geographer and observer of the Russian urban scene provides an overview of grand planning and monumental urban design in Russia and the former Soviet Union through the lens of four themes outlined in a previous paper by Larry Ford (2008). In the process, he adds two more themes relevant to Russia and the former USSR: town building and architecture intended to define and legitimize state power, and the shaping or remodeling of society to reflect a regime's ideology. Noting the obstacles in the West to getting large urban projects planned, accepted, and completed, he argues that monumental urban landscapes appear to demand some degree of sustained, centralized, authoritarian leadership. The latter has been present in Russia and the USSR during much of the past millennium, including the present, but the emergence of new commercial/corporate forces in urban land development also bears scrutiny in studies of the processes promoting urban monumentality. Journal of Economic Literature,...
Push-Pull Mechanism of Selective Attention in Human Extrastriate Cortex

Selective attention operates in visual cortex by facilitating processing of selected stimuli and by filtering out unwanted information from nearby distracters over circumscribed regions of visual space. The neural representation of unattended stimuli outside this focus of attention is less well understood. We studied the neural fate of unattended stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging by dissociating the activity evoked by attended (target) stimuli presented to the periphery of a visual hemifield and unattended (distracter) stimuli presented simultaneously to a corresponding location of the contralateral hemifield. Subjects covertly directed attention to a series of target stimuli and performed either a low or a high attentional-load search task on a stream of otherwise identical stimuli. With this task, target-search-related activity increased with increasing attentional load, whereas distracter-related activity decreased with increasing load in areas V4 and TEO but not in early areas V1 and V2. This finding presents evidence for a load-dependent push-pull mechanism of selective attention that operates over large portions of the visual field at intermediate processing stages. This mechanism appeared to be controlled by a distributed frontoparietal network of brain areas that reflected processes related to target selection during spatially directed attention.
Intercultural training for managers: A comparison of documentary and interpersonal methods

Although much attention has been devoted to the issue of managerial training and development, little research has specifically focused on preparing managers for intercultural work. The present stud...
Community structure in Florida Escarpment seep and Snake Pit (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) vent mussel beds

Comparisons between invertebrate communities hosted by similar foundation species under different environmental conditions permit identification of patterns of species distributions that might be characteristic of the different ecosystems. Similarities and differences in community structure between two major types of chemosynthetic ecosystems were assessed by analyzing samples of invertebrates associated with Bathymodiolus heckerae Gustafson et al. mussel beds at the Florida Escarpment seep (Gulf of Mexico, 26°01.8′N; 84°54.9′W; October 2000) and B. puteoserpentis von Cosel et al. mussel beds at the Snake Pit vent (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 23°22.1′N; 44°56.9′W; July 2001). Macrofaunal species richness was nearly twice as high in the seep mussel bed compared to the vent mussel bed, and only a single morphospecies, the ophiuroid Ophioctenella acies Tyler et al., was shared between the sites. Similarities between the two faunas at higher taxonomic levels (genus and family) were evident for only a small percentage of the total number of taxa, suggesting that evolutionary histories of many of these seep and vent macrofaunal taxa are not shared. The taxonomic distinctiveness of the seep and vent mussel-bed macrofaunal communities supports the hypothesis that environmental and oceanographic barriers prevent most taxa from occupying both types of habitats. Macrofaunal community heterogeneity among samples was similar in seep and vent mussel beds, indicating that spatial scales of processes regulating community variability may be similar in the two types of ecosystems. Suspension feeders were not represented in the macrofauna of seep or vent mussel beds. Primary consumers (deposit feeders and grazers) contributed more to the total abundance of macrofauna of seep mussel beds than vent mussel beds; secondary consumers (polychaetes and shrimp) were more abundant in the vent mussel beds.
The Perceived Glass Ceiling and Justice Perceptions: An Investigation of Hispanic Law Associates

This study examined the relationship between the perceived glass ceiling, perceptions of promotion fairness, and attitudinal outcomes for a sample of Hispanic lawyers. The results showed that gender and perceptions of ethnic discrimination were positively related to perceptions of a glass ceiling, whereas the proportion of Hispanic law associates in the organization was negatively related to a perceived glass ceiling. The perceived glass ceiling was negatively related to perceptions of promotion fairness, which in turn were positively related to perceived career prospects and negatively related to intentions to leave. Overall, perceived glass ceiling had a substantial impact on turnover intentions. Implications are discussed.
Molecular mechanisms of developmental disorders

One of the central tenets of developmental psychopathology is the belief that we can learn more about normal functioning through the study of psychopathology and arrive at a better understanding of pathological conditions through investigations of normal behavior. Advances in knowledge from one area will inform us regarding mechanisms at work in the other. A similar perspective is the driving force behind recent scientific advances in our understanding of certain developmental disorders. In this paper, molecular findings for four developmental disorders are reviewed: Prader-Willi syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Williams syndrome, and lissencephaly. These disorders were chosen for discussion because putative genes for each of them have been isolated. The ways in which mutations within these genes disrupt normal cognitive and behavioral functioning are discussed. Although considerable progress has been achieved in understanding the genetic mechanisms for these illnesses, much more research is needed to identify the environmental and genetic factors that interact to contribute to the expression of the more complex behavioral disorders.
Effects of backup routes and cache timeout mechanism on reliable source routing in mobile ad-hoc networks

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) consists of a set of mobile hosts capable of communicating with each other without the assistance of any base stations. In this paper, we propose an adaptive cache timeout mechanism for the known MANET routing protocol BSR (backup source routing), which establishes and maintains backup routes that can be utilized after the primary path breaks. In order to explore quantitatively the two techniques, namely backup routes and cache timeout mechanism, we have also produced a comprehensive simulation study. The experimental results show that both of them affect the performance of routing protocols. Especially, we have observed the following two features: (1) the backup route mechanism seems to be a significant factor in most cases, and (2) the cache timeout mechanism has a notable performance improvement in the situations with a high level of mobility.
Purification of carbon nanotubes by dynamic oxidation in air

We describe a new approach to the purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), based on the selective oxidation of carbonaceous impurities by heating at a constantly increasing temperature (i.e. dynamic oxidation) in air. Using UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) we demonstrate the superior purity of dynamically oxidized SWCNTs. In addition to being faster than other methods, dynamic oxidation allows for an efficient removal of carbonaceous impurities without significant loss of nanotubes. It is hypothesized that the advantages of dynamic oxidation arise from the exposure of the raw material to a wider range of temperatures than in conventional isothermal oxidation.
A variational thermodynamic approach for modeling internal capacitances of Trench Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (TIGBTs) to interpret measured capacitance-voltage characteristics

The Trench Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (TIGBT) is a device of great complexity consisting of a large number of interacting internal capacitances. It is imperative to understand these capacitances and interactions among them because of their direct implication in the device switching power loss and speed. Standard numerical modeling of the TIGBT using finite element (FE) methods is not completely satisfactory for a number of reasons. We here present a novel approach to modeling the static behavior of this device at a level of detail not otherwise available either experimentally or by standard methods of analysis. We base our model on evaluating the thermodynamic Free Energy of the device using parameterized ‘trial functions’ for the electrostatic potential in each of the seven electronically active regions of the transistor. Charge carrier concentrations are calculated using standard band gap theory. The resulting closed-form expression for Free Energy is minimized using the free parameters present in the trial functions. The results of this process can be employed to construct a terminal capacitance model by appropriately combining the internal capacitances distributed throughout the structure. The model can then be verified with measured terminal capacitance-voltage characteristics of the device to interpret individual contributions.
Calcium and magnesium balance in 9-14-y-old children.

Few data are available regarding calcium and magnesium absorption and endogenous fecal excretion in children. We used a multitracer stable isotope technique to assess calcium and magnesium balance in 12 boys and 13 girls aged 9-14 y (mean weight: 42 kg) maintained on relatively high calcium intakes (mean: 1310 +/- 82 mg/d). There were no significant differences in absorption of calcium or magnesium from milk between boys and girls. Calcium retention (balance) correlated positively with calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) concentration (r = 0.48, P = 0.02) and serum alkaline phosphatase activity (r = 0.44, P = 0.03). There was no significant relation between magnesium balance and concentration. When data from this study were combined with our previously reported data, an increase in total calcium absorption was seen for pubertal (Tanner stages 2-4) but not prepubertal (Tanner stage 1) white children over the range of intakes from approximately 750 to 1350 mg/d. Despite intakes similar to the 1989 recommended dietary allowance for magnesium (mean intake: 6.4 +/- 1.2 mg.kg-1.d-1), 11 of the 25 subjects (6 girls and 5 boys) were in negative magnesium balance. We conclude that benefits from higher calcium intakes, < or = 1350 mg/d, were most apparent in pubertal children. In addiction, higher magnesium intakes should be considered for children.
Timing and number of minor infections as risk factors for childhood arterial ischemic stroke

Objective: In a population-based case-control study, we examined whether the timing and number of minor infections increased risk of childhood arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: Among 102 children with AIS and 306 age-matched controls identified from a cohort of 2.5 million children in a large integrated health care plan (1993–2007), we abstracted data on all medical visits for minor infection within the 2 years prior to AIS or index date for pairwise age-matched controls. We excluded cases of AIS with severe infection (e.g., sepsis, meningitis). Using conditional logistic regression, we examined the effect of timing and total number of minor infections on stroke risk. Results: After adjusting for known pediatric stroke risk factors, the strongest association between infection and AIS was observed for infectious visits ≤3 days prior to stroke (odds ratio [OR] 12.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5, 57, p = 0.002). Respiratory infections represented 80% of case infections in that time period. Cases had more infectious visits, but not significantly so, for all time periods ≥4 days prior to the stroke. A greater cumulative number of infectious visits over 2 years did not increase risk of AIS. Conclusions: Minor infections appear to have a strong but short-lived effect on pediatric stroke risk, while cumulative burden of infection had no effect. Proposed mechanisms for the link between minor infection and stroke in adults include an inflammatory-mediated prothrombotic state and chronic endothelial injury. The transient effect of infection in children may suggest a greater role for a prothrombotic mechanism.
Assembly-history dynamics of a pitcher-plant protozoan community in experimental microcosms.

Background: History drives community assembly through differences both in density (density effects) and in the sequence in which species arrive (sequence effects). Density effects arise from predictable population dynamics, which are free of history, but sequence effects are due to a density-free mechanism, arising solely from the order and timing of immigration events. Few studies have determined how components of immigration history (timing, number of individuals, frequency) alter local dynamics to determine community assembly, beyond addressing when immigration history produces historically contingent assembly. Methods/Findings: We varied density and sequence effects independently in a two-way factorial design to follow community assembly in a three-species aquatic protozoan community. A superior competitor, Colpoda steinii, mediated alternative community states; early arrival or high introduction density allowed this species to outcompete or suppress the other competitors (Poterioochromonas malhamensis and Eimeriidae gen. sp.). Multivariate analysis showed that density effects caused greater variation in community states, whereas sequence effects altered the mean community composition. Conclusions: A significant interaction between density and sequence effects suggests that we should refine our understanding of priority effects. These results highlight a practical need to understand not only the ‘‘ingredients’’ (species) in ecological communities but their ‘‘recipes’’ as well.
Calbindin-D28K Cells Selectively Contact Intra-Scn Neurons

Calbindin-D 28K-immunoreactive cells are tightly packed within a discrete region of the caudal aspect of the suprachiasmatic nuclei of hamsters. These cells receive direct retinal input and are Fos-positive in response to a light pulse. Knowledge of their aierent and eierent connections is necessary to understand suprachiasmatic nucleus organi- zation. The ¢rst aim of the present study is to identify interconnections between calbindin and other peptidergic cells of the suprachiasmatic nuclei, using epi- and confocal microscopy and intra-suprachiasmatic nucleus tract tracing. The results indicate that essentially all calbindin cells receive numerous appositions from vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neuropeptide Y and serotonin ¢bers and that most receive appositions from gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) and cholecystokinin (CCK) ¢bers. Reciprocal connections are seen from VIP, GRP and CCK cells but surprisingly, not from dorsomedial vasopressin cells. Injection of biotinylated dextran amine into the suprachiasmatic nucleus indicates that the ventrolateral suprachiasmatic nucleus projects to the entire nucleus, while the dorsal and medial regions of the supra- chiasmatic nucleus project densely to most of the nucleus, except to the calbindin region. Analysis of colocalization of the peptides in the calbindin cell region shows that 91% of thesubstanceP ce lls, 42 % of theGRP ce lls and 60 % of theVIP cells in the calbindin subnucleus coexpress calbindin-D28K. Our results reveal a highly specialized topographical organization of connections among suprachiasmatic nucleus cells. C 2002 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Correlating Cerebral Hypometabolism With Future Memory Decline in Subsequent Converters to Amnestic Pre–Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background Before symptomatic memory loss, healthy apolipoprotein E e4 ( APOE e4 ) (OMIM104310) carriers demonstrate accelerated longitudinal decline on memory tests, suggesting the existence of a transitional state between normal aging and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which we have called amnestic pre-MCI . Objective To support our neuropsychological construct of pre-MCI by characterizing and comparing the relationship between measurements of baseline regional hypometabolism and subsequent rates of memory decline in a group of individuals with neuropsychologically defined asymptomatic memory decline (pre-MCI group) and in nondecliners after controlling for APOE e4 gene dose. Design Longitudinal study. Setting Academic medical center. Participants Of 139 healthy individuals in the Arizona APOE Cohort aged 50 to 69 years who underwent longitudinal neuropsychological testing and fludeoxyglucose F 18–positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) since 1994, 10 met our criteria for amnestic pre-MCI, and 15 showed no decline. Main Outcome Measures Correlations between lower regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (CMRgl) and rates of verbal memory test decline that occurred at a mean of 41 months after baseline FDG-PET using an automated brain mapping algorithm (SPM5). Results The pre-MCI and nondecliner groups did not differ in mean (SD) age (56.8 [4.8] years), education (16.5 [2.3] years), sex (19 women [76%]), or APOE e4 carrier status (12 e4 carriers [48%)]. After controlling for APOE e4 gene dose, the pre-MCI group had significant correlations between lower baseline CMRgl in the posterior cingulate, bilateral parietal, and left prefrontal regions (known to be preferentially affected by Alzheimer disease) and subsequent verbal memory decline. Nondecliners had significant correlations bilaterally in the posterior and midcingulate cortices. Correlations in the left parietal, left temporal, and bilateral frontal regions were significantly greater in the pre-MCI group than those in the nondecliner group. Conclusion Individuals with amnestic pre-MCI showed significantly greater correlations between cerebral hypometabolism and subsequent long-term memory decline than nondecliners in Alzheimer disease–affected brain regions.
Understanding the effect of dwell time on fatigue life of packages using thermal shock and intrinsic material behavior

Although empirically based relationships for fatigue based on temperature change (AT) have long existed for metals (Coffin-Manson, etc.), their translation to package reliability applications have often yielded inexplicable differences. These contradictions can now begin to he explained through physics based deductions about the material properties of the composite package and additional details surrounding the temperature cycle profile, specifically the ramp rate and dwell time. The technique outlied in this paper focuses on assessing thermo-mechanical fatigue for package level assemblies. By coupling the time to data merits of a thermal shock metrology with the precision of in-situ response monitoring and linking the results hack to intrinsic material properties, a deeper understanding is being formulated in the reliability modelig of thermo-mechanical failures. Through the integration of this meh-ology, data acquisition, and material property measurement techniques, faster and more accurate reliability assessments can he drawn.
Distributed Occlusion Reasoning for Tracking with Nonparametric Belief Propagation

We describe a three-dimensional geometric hand model suitable for visual tracking applications. The kinematic constraints implied by the model's joints have a probabilistic structure which is well described by a graphical model. Inference in this model is complicated by the hand's many degrees of freedom, as well as multimodal likelihoods caused by ambiguous image measurements. We use nonparametric belief propagation (NBP) to develop a tracking algorithm which exploits the graph's structure to control complexity, while avoiding costly discretization. While kinematic constraints naturally have a local structure, self- occlusions created by the imaging process lead to complex interpendencies in color and edge-based likelihood functions. However, we show that local structure may be recovered by introducing binary hidden variables describing the occlusion state of each pixel. We augment the NBP algorithm to infer these occlusion variables in a distributed fashion, and then analytically marginalize over them to produce hand position estimates which properly account for occlusion events. We provide simulations showing that NBP may be used to refine inaccurate model initializations, as well as track hand motion through extended image sequences.
Interface science in nanoparticles: An electronic structure view of photon‐in/photon‐out soft‐X‐ray spectroscopy

The ability to control the particle size and morphology of nanoparticles is of crucial importance nowadays both from a fundamental and industrial point of view considering nanostructured 3d metal compounds in the applications of solar photovoltaic, sunlight water splitting and photoelectrochemical cells, chemical and biosensors, etc. In the soft X-ray region, the question tends to be, what are the electrons doing as they migrated between the atoms? Soft-X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy have basic features that are important to interface science. X-ray is originating from an electronic transition between a localized core state and a valence state that makes this probe localized to one specific atomic site and gives the method chemical state sensitivity and further, particular symmetry information. The possibility to select the energy of the excitation has created an extra degree of freedom and opens a new field of study by disclosing many new possibilities of soft-X-ray resonant inelastic scattering. In this presentation, recent findings regarding X-ray spectroscopic studies of various nanomaterials are presented. Also, in situ characterization of nanocrystal suspensions demonstrated the way for real-time studies of nanomaterial growth and chemical reactions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Ubiquitin-interaction motifs of RAP80 are critical in its regulation of estrogen receptor α

In this study, we demonstrate that receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80) interacts with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in an agonist-dependent manner. The interaction is specific for ERα as ERβ and several other nuclear receptors tested did not interact with RAP80. Interaction between RAP80 and ERα was supported by mammalian two-hybrid, GST pull-down, and co-immunoprecipitation analyses. The hinge/ligand-binding domain of ERα is sufficient for interaction with RAP80. RAP80 overexpression reduces ERα polyubiquitination, increases the level of ERα protein, and enhances ERα-mediated transactivation. Knockdown of endogenous RAP80 expression by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced ERα protein level and the E2-dependent induction of pS2. In this study, we also demonstrate that RAP80 contains two functional ubiquitin-interaction motifs (UIMs) that are able to bind ubiquitin and to direct monoubiquitination of RAP80. Deletion of these UIMs does not affect the ability of RAP80 to interact with ERα, but eliminates the effects of RAP80 on ERα polyubiquitination, the level of ERα protein, and ERα-mediated transcription. These data indicate that the UIMs in RAP80 are critical for the function of RAP80. Our study identifies ERα as a new RAP80-interacting protein and suggests that RAP80 may be an important modulator of ERα activity.
A Longitudinal Investigation of Dropout from College in the United States

This study investigates the dropout behavior of college students in the United States. Previous attrition studies have typically focused on dropout at specific points in time, such as the first year of enrollment. In this study we examine the timing of dropout over a five-year period and find that factors that affect student dropout often have effects that change over time. For instance, the results demonstrate that students who receive financial aid generally have lower dropout rates than non-aided students. But of special interest is our findings that dropout rates vary depending on the amount and timing of student financial aid.
Cloransulam absorption, translocation, and efficacy on common broadleaf weed species

Abstract Field and laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate herbicide efficacy, absorption, and translocation of cloransulam within broadleaf weeds. Control of morningglory species and velvetleaf with cloransulam was dependent upon application rate and timing. A reduced rate of cloransulam (9 g ai ha−1) was as effective as the labeled rate (18 g ha−1), when applications were targeted to small to midsize morningglory and velvetleaf. Prickly sida, hemp sesbania, and sicklepod were suppressed by cloransulam. Contour maps predicted accurately weed control for all species except tall morningglory. Cloransulam absorption and translocation provided some information about tolerance mechanisms. Susceptible species, entireleaf morningglory and velvetleaf, both rapidly absorbed 14C-cloransulam. Absorption in the more tolerant velvetleaf was 20% lower than entireleaf morningglory at all harvest times. Absorption of 14C-cloransulam in prickly sida was only 26% 6 h after treatment, and absorption did not increase ...
Competitive cation binding to phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate domains revealed by X-ray fluorescence

Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is an important signaling phospholipid in the inner leaflet of the cell membrane. Due to the high negative charge of its headgroup, PIP2 strongly interacts with cellular cations. We have used synchrotron diffraction and fluorescence techniques to determine preferential cation binding to two-dimensional PIP2 templates. The natural, highly unsaturated PIP2 is manipulated as a Langmuir monolayer on a physiological buffer containing 100 mM KCl and varying amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+. X-ray fluorescence shows an 800% surface enhancement in K+ concentration (bound to PIP2) compared to bulk concentration. Adding physiological levels of Ca2+( 1–100 μM) results in gradual replacement of K+ by Ca2+ ions, leading to a significant change in the organization of the PIP2 model membrane, while higher concentrations (100–1000 μM) lead to three orders of magnitude increase in surface [Ca2+]. Similar experiments with Mg2+ ions also show strong ion binding to PIP2 at physiological levels (1 mM) with a lesser structural effect. For mixed solutions of Mg2+ and Ca2+ we find that Ca2+ occupies the majority of binding sites. Remarkably we find that, with both 1 mM Mg2+ and 1 mM Ca2+ in the subphase there is still a 400% surface enrichment of K+ ions at the headgroup region.
Written information may not improve factual recall after verbal counseling of mothers in premature labor – a randomized controlled trial

Background: Prenatal consultation is an integral step in the care of women at high risk for preterm delivery. Aims: To examine whether the provision of written information regarding prematurity would improve factual recall and satisfaction following prenatal consultation. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of expectant mothers from 22 to 30 weeks gestational age. Eligible women received routine verbal prenatal consultation prior to enrollment and randomization. Women in the control group received written information about breast feeding. Women in the intervention group received additional written information about prematurity. Later, a survey was administered to elicit their factual recall and satisfaction. Results: A total of 32 women completed the survey. There was no significant difference in mean factual recall score between both groups (control 76%; intervention 71%; P = 0.45) nor in patients' satisfaction (control 4.31; intervention 4.18; P = 0.71). Conclusions: Providing written information about prematurity to mothers in preterm delivery did not improve their factual recall or satisfaction. This suggests that written information may not have added value to verbal communication in delivering key information to women overwhelmed by the stress of preterm labor. The wide range of individual performance on the factual recall test indicates that some women in preterm labor may not be adequately informed by the prenatal consultation, despite their high level of satisfaction.
Impact of High EGCG Consumption on Mouse Liver

Tea is one of the most popular beverages especially among Middle East countries. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), the principal component of green tea is known to have many beneficial effects in therapeutic doses. However, higher doses of EGCG may have a damaging impact on liver. This study was initiated to explore the effects of high doses of EGCG alone and under predisposing factors. One of these predisposing factors is fever that can be induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mice (ND4) were given single or multiple intragastric (IG) doses of EGCG 1500 mg/kg and(LPS) was injected intraperitoneal (IP) as a single dose of 6 mg/kg. Histopathological examination of liver was done and survival rates of animals were observed and statistically analyzed. A single high IG dose of EGCG alone did not show liver toxicity, while combination of a single dose of EGCG with a single dose of LPS, initiated liver toxicity as observed on histopathology. Repeated administration of high IG doses of EGCG without LPS showed mortality among treated mice; but mortality was increased under the influence of LPS. It can be concluded from this study that administration of high doses of EGCG alone can initiate liver toxicity. However, under febrile condition (induced by LPS), this toxicity can lead to increased mortality.
Electrically Tunable Bandgaps in Bilayer MoS2

Artificial semiconductors with manufactured band structures have opened up many new applications in the field of optoelectronics. The emerging two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), cover a large range of bandgaps and have shown potential in high performance device applications. Interestingly, the ultrathin body and anisotropic material properties of the layered TMDs allow a wide range modification of their band structures by electric field, which is obviously desirable for many nanoelectronic and nanophotonic applications. Here, we demonstrate a continuous bandgap tuning in bilayer MoS2 using a dual-gated field-effect transistor (FET) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) is employed to calculate the field dependent band structures, attributing the widely tunable bandgap to an interlayer direct bandgap transition. This unique electric field controlled spontaneous bandgap modulation approaching the limit of semiconductor-to...
Computational modeling of the effect of the mismatch repair protein hMLH1 upon cell cycle responses and cytotoxicity of 5-iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) in colon cancer cells.

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4411 Previous studies in our laboratory have described increased and preferential radiosensitization of mismatch repair (MMR) deficient colon cancer cells with 5-iododeoxyuridine (IUdR). We have shown that mismatch repair deficient colon cancer cells incorporate 25% to 42% more IUdR than mismatch repair competent cells, and that IUdR and IR interact to produce up to three-fold greater radiosensitivity in MMR deficient cells. The present study utilizes mathematical models to describe the effects of IUdR incorporation upon the cell cycle for the purpose of increasing IUdR radiosensitivity in mismatch repair deficient cells by improving the timing of the ionizing radiation (IR) to maximize the DNA damage caused by IR-induced base excision repair responses. To date, two computational models have been developed towards this goal, the first being a stochastic model of the progression of cell cycle states, which gives the cell cycle distribution at any given time for two synchronized colon cancer cell lines, one proficient for mismatch repair and the other deficient, treated with and without IUdR. The second model defines the relation between the percentage of cells in the different cell cycle states at any time, and the corresponding IUdR incorporation at this point. Together, these models can be combined to predict IUdR incorporation at any time in the cell cycle by substituting the distributions of the first model into the second model. Ultimately these mathematical models can be used to maximize therapeutic gain in mismatch repair deficient cells by predicting the optimal dose and the optimal time in the cell cycle for delivery of IUdR and IR to increase the synergistic action of the DNA repair responses to IUdR- and IR- induced damage. Further computational modeling studies are being developed to this purpose.
Effects of phosphate on the transport of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in saturated quartz sand.

Consumption of groundwater contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 has led to several waterborne disease outbreaks over the past decade. A thorough understanding of the transport of E. coli O157:H7 within the soil-groundwater system is critical to the protection of public health. Although phosphate is ubiquitous in the natural environment, the influence of phosphate on the transport of E. coli O157:H7 in the groundwater system remains unknown. In this research, we performed column transport experiments to evaluate the effect of phosphate on the transport of E. coli O157:H7 cells within saturated sand. The pH of the solutions was maintained at 7.2, the ionic strength varied from 10 to 100 mM, and the phosphate concentration ranged from 0 to 1 mM. Our results show that (1) phosphate could enhance the transport of E. coli O157:H7 cells under both ionic strength conditions; (2) E. coli O157:H7 displayed lower retention in sand under higher ionic strength conditions; (3) increased phosphate in the mobile aqueous pha...
Effects of rat atrial extract on sodium transport and blood pressure in the rat.

Atrial cardiocytes contain specific atrial granules ( SAGs ) which are the storage site of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether ANF produces natriuresis by inhibiting Na+-K+ pump activity and whether this factor is similar to the humoral sodium transport inhibiting factor ( HSTIF ) previously demonstrated in acutely volume expanded animals and humans as well as in experimental and human essential hypertension. Our results indicate that, in contrast to the HSTIF , ANF does not inhibit membrane Na+,K+-ATPase, vascular smooth muscle cell Na+-K+ pump activity, or sodium transport in the toad bladder. Intravenous infusion of ANF in the bilaterally nephrectomized, hexamethonium-treated rat produces only a small transient pressor response, probably due to potentiation of endogenous norepinephrine. These findings strongly suggest that the ANF is not the same as the HSTIF detected on acute volume expansion and in some forms of hypertension. They also suggest that the diuretic and natriuretic effects of ANF are due to mechanism(s) other than blood pressure elevation and inhibition of Na+-K+ pump activity.
Cytomegalovirus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with myasthenia gravis treated with azathioprine

![Figure][1] A 47-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis treated with azathioprine, prednisone, and plasmapheresis was admitted for respiratory failure following 2 weeks of fever with splenomegaly, jaundice, coagulopathy, and pancytopenia (white blood cells, 1.1 × 109/L with 64% neutrophils;