cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acyl-CoA:Cholesterol Acyltransferase Inhibition Reduces Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice

Background—Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) converts cholesterol to cholesteryl esters. The form of ACAT in macrophages, ACAT1, contributes to foam cell formation in the arterial wall and the development of atherosclerosis. Recent studies in a mouse model of atherosclerosis (the apolipoprotein E [apoE]–deficient mouse), however, have suggested that complete deficiency of ACAT1 activity is not antiatherogenic, in part because of toxicity resulting from adverse effects on tissue cholesterol homeostasis. We have tested whether partial inhibition of ACAT1 and ACAT2 (expressed in liver and intestine) activities reduces atherosclerosis development in apoE-deficient mice and avoids toxicity. Methods and Results—ApoE-deficient mice were maintained for 17 weeks on a Western-type diet without (control) or with the ACAT inhibitor F-1394 (effective against ACAT1 and ACAT2) at doses of either 300 (low) or 900 (high) mg/kg. Intimal lesion area at the aortic sinus in controls was 0.69±0.06 mm2. F-1394 treatme...
Feminist intra/internationalism, dualisms and method: A response to Louise Ryan's “A Question of Loyalty”

Abstract In a recent article for this journal, Louise Ryan (1997) uses me as her theoretical foil in an argument about Irish feminism and nationalism. She argues there are “implied dichotomies” in my earlier account of feminist nationalism written for this journal (West, 1992). I will first lay out Ryan's criticism as I understand it, show how she attributes cultural arguments solely to me that belong to others, and discuss how Ryan's use of dichotomy exemplifies dualistic thinking and illuminates problematic methodologies for theory construction on gender relations.
Comparison of Systemic and Mucosal Immunization with Helper-Dependent Adenoviruses for Vaccination against Mucosal Challenge with SHIV

Most HIV-1 infections are thought to occur at mucosal surfaces during sexual contact. It has been hypothesized that vaccines delivered at mucosal surfaces may mediate better protection against HIV-1 than vaccines that are delivered systemically. To test this, rhesus macaques were vaccinated by intramuscular (i.m.) or intravaginal (ivag.) routes with helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vectors expressing HIV-1 envelope. Macaques were first immunized intranasally with species C Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) prior to serotype-switching with species C HD-Ad6, Ad1, Ad5, and Ad2 vectors expressing env followed by rectal challenge with CCR5-tropic SHIV-SF162P3. Vaccination by the systemic route generated stronger systemic CD8 T cell responses in PBMC, but weaker mucosal responses. Conversely, mucosal immunization generated stronger CD4 T cell central memory (Tcm) responses in the colon. Intramuscular immunization generated higher levels of env-binding antibodies, but neither produced neutralizing or cytotoxic antibodies. After mucosal SHIV challenge, both groups controlled SHIV better than control animals. However, more animals in the ivag. group had lower viral set points than in in the i.m. group. These data suggest mucosal vaccination may have improve protection against sexually-transmitted HIV. These data also demonstrate that helper-dependent Ad vaccines can mediate robust vaccine responses in the face of prior immunity to Ad5 and during four rounds of adenovirus vaccination.
Role of hydrodynamic instability growth in hot-spot mass gain and fusion performance of inertial confinement fusion implosions

In an inertial confinement fusion target, energy loss due to thermal conduction from the hot-spot will inevitably ablate fuel ice into the hot-spot, resulting in a more massive but cooler hot-spot, which negatively impacts fusion yield. Hydrodynamic mix due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the gas-ice interface can aggravate the problem via an increased gas-ice interfacial area across which energy transfer from the hot-spot and ice can be enhanced. Here, this mix-enhanced transport effect on hot-spot fusion-performance degradation is quantified using contrasting 1D and 2D hydrodynamic simulations, and its dependence on effective acceleration, Atwood number, and ablation speed is identified.
On the calculation of the information matrix test in the normal linear regression model

Abstract In this paper we propose a simplified method of a calculating the information matrix test in the normal linear regression model. A simulation study demonstrates that our test has considerably better size properties than the Chesher (1983)-Lancaster (1984) version of this test. Our test converges to its asymptotic distribution by n = 600, whereas for the same model Taylor (1987) reports the Chesher-Lancaster test statistic has not converged to its asymptotic distribution by n = 8000.
Glucocorticosteroid inhibition of cytokine production: Relevance to antiallergic actions

Summary We believe that there are the following four classes of glucocorticoid-sensitive cytokines that are involved in cell recruitment: (1) those that activate endothelium nonspecifically; (2) those that activate endothelium specifically; (3) those that activate, prime, and prolong the survival of eosinophils; and (4) those that stimulate movement of cells up into the epithelium. Glucocorticoids inhibit the generation of these cytokines and thereby prevent several different aspects of inflamation, including the activation and recruitment of inflammatory cells (eosinophils, basophils, and lymphocytes) and the release of inflammatory mediators. We believe such pleiotropic actions account for the efficacy and widespread use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of asthma.
Optimal control of PEVs for energy cost minimization and frequency regulation in the smart grid accounting for battery state-of-health degradation

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are considered the key to reducing the fossil fuel consumption and an important part of the smart grid. The plug-in electric vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in the smart grid infrastructure enables energy flow from PEV batteries to the power grid so that the grid stability is enhanced and the peak power demand is shaped. PEV owners will also benefit from V2G technology as they will be able to reduce energy cost through proper PEV charging and discharging scheduling. Moreover, power regulation service (RS) reserves have been playing an increasingly important role in modern power markets. It has been shown that by providing RS reserves, the power grid achieves a better match between energy supply and demand in presence of volatile and intermittent renewable energy generation. This paper addresses the problem of PEV charging under dynamic energy pricing, properly taking into account the degradation of battery state-of-health (SoH) during V2G operations as well as RS provisioning. An overall optimization throughout the whole parking period is proposed for the PEV and an adaptive control framework is presented to dynamically update the optimal charging/discharging decision at each time slot to mitigate the effect of RS tracking error. Experimental results show that the proposed optimal PEV charging algorithm minimizes the combination of electricity cost and battery aging cost in the RS provisioning power market.
Dependence of Conductivity on the Interplay of Structure and Polymer Dynamics in a Composite Polymer Electrolyte

The conductivity and transport properties of a composite polymer electrolyte were studied by comparing the structure and dynamics as a function of both salt and organic−inorganic composite content. The system consisted of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), an organic−inorganic composite (OIC) prepared from aluminum tri-sec-butoxide and [(3-glycidyloxy)propyl]trimethoxysilane (GLYMO) and lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3). The systems with and without salt yielded strikingly different physical properties when the OIC content exceeded 50%. Through analysis of 29Si NMR spectra, it was found that the lithium ion of LiCF3SO3 (LiTf) promotes the condensation of GLYMO, which peaks near 50% OIC content. Also, short-range structural evidence for PEO−OIC blending at high OIC content was observed in the salt-free system through comparisons of the line shapes of the 27Al NMR spectra. This blending is absent in the ternary system due to prominent PEO−LiTf interactions, as confirmed by X-ray, DSC, and impedance spectroscopy experime...
Profile of preoperative characteristics of patients having CABG over the past decade

Abstract The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Cardiac Database was used to determine the changes in preoperative characteristics and the predicted and observed risk of operative mortality of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting during the decade of 1984 to 1993. During this period, the data show an increase of 2.5 years in age and decreases of 3% both in incidence of male patients and in incidence of first operation. There was little change in the percentages of urgent/emergent procedures or mean left ventricular ejection fraction. There was a significant 17.5% decrease in the proportion of lowest risk patients (0% to 2.5% predicted mortality) from 61.1% to 43.6%. Although no change in the next higher risk group (> 2.5% to 5.0% predicted mortality) occurred, the higher risk groups showed increase of 6.2%, 9.1%, 1.4%, and 1.1% for the > 5% to 10%, > 10% to 20%, > 20% to 30%, and > 30% to 50% risk groups, respectively. Over the past 2 years, there have been no significant changes in the distribution of the risk groups. These data will provide a base for comparison of future endeavors to lower complication rates and cost of coronary artery bypass graft operations.
Plant-module for autonomous space-support (p-mass).

A wide variety of technical and science questions arise when attempting to envision the long-term support of plants, algae and bacteria in space. Currently, spaceflight data remain elusive since there are no U.S. carriers for investigating either the germane technical or scientific issues. The first flight of the Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET) will provide a nominal 30 day orbital opportunity to evlauate such issues. The P-Mass is a small payload that is designed to meet the mass (40 lbs), Volume (1.5cu. ft.), and power (120 W0 constraints of one of several COMET payloads while enabling flight evaluations of plants, algae and bacteria. Various biological sub-systems have been similarly evaluated. Through a variety of sensors coupled with color video, the P-Mass performance and the supported biological systems will be compared for terrestrial controls versus spaceflight materials. This small, low cost payload should return valuable regarding the requirements for hardware and biological systems needed to move toward biogenerative life support systems in space. In addition, it should be possible to accurately identify major unresolved difficulties that may arise in the long-term, this generic spaceflight capability should enable a variety of plant research programs focused on the use of microgravity to modulate and exploit plant products for commercial applications ranging from new agricultural products to pharmacological feedstocks and new controlled agricultural strategies.
Protein structural analysis from solid-state NMR-derived orientational constraints

High-resolution orientational constraints from solid-state NMR spectroscopy of uniformly aligned biological macromolecules provide a great structural analysis problem. Several approaches to this problem have been made in the past. Here a vector algebra method is developed that provides analytical solutions for the torsion angles and a concise and simple view of the structural possibilities. Numerical instabilities in this approach are easily predicted. Insight into how the structural ambiguities arise in the first place and how they can be reduced in number is demonstrated with this new approach.
Nature of the extended states in the fractional quantum Hall effect.

We have measured the positions of the longitudinal resistance peaks in the fractional quantum Hall regime and found that they agree well with those predicted by theory in which quantum effects are crucial to the existence of extended states.
Benchmark study on glyphosate-resistant cropping systems in the United States. Part 4: Weed management practices and effects on weed populations and soil seedbanks.

BACKGROUND: Weed management in glyphosate-resistant (GR) maize, cotton and soybean in the United States relies almost exclusively on glyphosate, which raises criticism for facilitating shifts in weed populations. In 2006, the benchmark study, a field-scale investigation, was initiated in three different GR cropping systems to characterize academic recommendations for weed management and to determine the level to which these recommendations would reduce weed population shifts. RESULTS: A majority of growers used glyphosate as the only herbicide for weed management, as opposed to 98% of the academic recommendations implementing at least two herbicide active ingredients and modes of action. The additional herbicides were applied with glyphosate and as soil residual treatments. The greater herbicide diversity with academic recommendations reduced weed population densities before and after post-emergence herbicide applications in 2006 and 2007, particularly in continuous GR crops. CONCLUSION: Diversifying herbicides reduces weed population densities and lowers the risk of weed population shifts and the associated potential for the evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds in continuous GR crops. Altered weed management practices (e.g. herbicides or tillage) enabled by rotating crops, whether GR or non-GR, improves weed management and thus minimizes the effectiveness of only using chemical tactics to mitigate weed population shifts. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Correlations between orthogonal mechanical properties and density of trabecular bone: Use of different densitometric measures

To compare the numerous modulus-density and strengthdensity relations that have been found for human trabecular bone from the proximal tibia, correlations between various measures of density were sought. Hydrated and dry apparent density, ash density, and density from quantitative computed tomography (QCT) were determined for cubic trabecular specimens taken from the proximal portion of human tibiae, and correlations between these measures were found(r > 0.99, P <.001). Orthogonal moduli and strengths of the specimens were measured mechanically, and were significantly correlated with ash density according to power relations (r ≥ 0.85, P <.001). The strong correlation between density from QCT and ash density indicates that these measures can be used with nearly equal precision in estimating modulus and strength of tibial trabecular bone. Equations between mechanical properties and density reported in previous studies were converted to use a common density measure and, after considering the effects of specimen size, were in general agreement with results of the present study. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Using bicycles to teach system dynamics

The author reports on an innovative approach, based on open-ended design questions related to bicycles, for the teaching of dynamic systems concepts in an undergraduate mechanical engineering environment. He outlines needs for improved classroom learning, pedagogical methods and underlying philosophy, how the bicycle was introduced as a main portion of the instruction, how the class was managed, supporting materials used, and a summary of major benefits achieved. The results to date show that: (1) the notion of using the bicycle in the classroom as a teaching tool and research topic is feasible; (2) the associated economics are attractive; (3) students are able to apply the abstract notions of systems theory to a concrete problem; (4) the professor can improve his or her expertise in a designated area (such as two-wheeled vehicle dynamics); (5) the percentage and quality of students electing follow-up courses in the systems area increase; and (6) students improve their professional confidence. >
Effects of V-shaped rib arrays on turbulent heat transfer and friction of fully developed flow in a square channel

Abstract This study examines turbulent heat transfer and friction characteristics of fully developed flow of air in a square channel in which two opposite walls are roughened with aligned arrays of V-shaped ribs. The rib-roughened channel models the internal cooling passages in modern gas turbine airfoils. The anglesof-attack of the V-shaped rib arrays are 45°, 60°, 90° (same as 90° full ribs), 120°, and 135°. The 60° V-shaped ribs with p e = 10 have the highest ribbed wall heat transfer and smooth wall heat transfer for a given air flow rate, and the highest channel heat transfer per unit pumping power. They are recommended for internal turbine airfoil cooling, replacing 45° or 60° full ribs.
Prediction of neurologic morbidity in extremely low birth weight infants.

OBJECTIVE (1) Identify major determinants of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. (2) Compare neural networks and regression analysis in the prediction of major handicaps and Bayley scores (MDI and PDI) in individual ELBW neonates followed to 18 months. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of regional tertiary care NICU database. A database with 21 selected variables was divided into training (n = 144) and test sets (n = 74). The training set was used to train a neural network and develop regression equations to predict outcomes in the test set. RESULTS Determinants (descending order of contribution to variance): Major handicap: intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) grade, necrotizing enterocolitis > or = stage II, black race, and no chorioamnionitis; low MDI: IVH grade, plurality, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), lower maternal grade, and no chorioamnionitis; low PDI: IVH grade, BPD, periventricular leukomalacia, lower maternal grade, and no chorioamnionitis. Regression techniques and neural networks were comparable and had relatively low sensitivity and correlation with adverse outcomes. CONCLUSION Much of the variance in ELBW neurologic outcome cannot be explained by either regression analysis or neural network approaches.
The Zodiacal Light and Sun Pillars

THE appearance on clear evenings of the zodiacal light after sunset at this season of the year in this latitude is usual, and it has been frequent and beautiful to observe in this district for many nights. It would be interesting if the readers of NATURE could detect any definite movement of the arm of light, for much yet remains to be discovered about this phenomenon, and any observer can make this point a study. From a short half-hour after sunset to from 8 to 9 p.m., a straight line drawn from the sun's position at sunset to the Pleiades will not remain the centre line of the zodiacal light. It appears to emanate from the sun and move as the luminous spoke of a wheel which has the sun for centre frequently, but not invariably. What makes the light apparently fade away? Is it that the motion of the earth has drawn with it the arc of volcanic or meteoric particles, which may be the medium of the light, away from the sun? or is it not possible that such a band of dust is lit with a degree of earthshine? If so, may not this account for that other phenomenon of the Gergershein, which is usually brilliant in proportion to the brilliancy of the zodiacal light? Doubtless these phenomena are always present, but their visibility depends on the magnetic or electric condition of our atmosphere. Irritated by either of these conditions, the belts of dust would alter positions of all the bodies forming them, and so lie at a different angle and be clearer or dimmer accordingly.
Saccadic suppression by corollary discharge in the locust.

DURING rapid eye movements, saccades, human subjects do not perceive movement of their visual surroundings, and their sensitivity to light flashes and moving objects is reduced. This phenomenon is known as saccadic suppression. The physiological basis of this suppression is not well understood. The necessity for a mechanism which allows discrimination between retinal image movement generated by the object and that generated by the subject was recognised by Helmholtz1. Sperry2 proposed that along with the eye movement, the central nervous system generates a ‘corollary discharge’ into the visual centres that compensates for displacement of the retinal image, and von Hoist and Mittelstaedt3 independently postulated a similar ‘efference copy’ mechanism. Functionally significant efferent control has been demonstrated in several non-visual sensory pathways4,5. Such a mechanism could account for experimentally produced effects in human subjects6,7. The prevailing view8–12, however, is that saccadic suppression in higher mammals is caused not by corollary discharge but instead by inhibition derived from the retinal image motion generated by eye movement. This view has been extended to include saccadic suppression of the visual movement detector system in crickets and locusts13–15, in which the neural circuit performing the inhibitory function has been identified15,16. The experiments leading to this conclusion have all used passive movement of the animal with respect to the visual environment, or the reverse, and not true saccades. We have now investigated the effects of head movements by the locust on its visual responses, and report that movement detector neurones are strongly inhibited during the fast phase of optokinetic nystagmus and during voluntary sac-cades by a central nervous mechanism of the corollary discharge type. The effect of the inhibitory mechanisms of retinal origin are negligible by comparison.
A trapping system for the western pine beetle using attractive pheromones

A trapping system utilizing attractive pheromones is described for the suppression and survey of western pine beetle,Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), populations over large forested areas and for extended periods of time. Two types of compactable sticky traps are described. A large vane trap was developed for population suppression. It consists of 6 m2 of trapping surface comprised of four sticky coated fabric panels supported with a telescoping mast. A smaller cylindrical shaped trap with 0.19 m2 trapping surface was developed for survey purposes. Perchloroethylene cleaning devices were developed to remove insects from both traps. Methods for sample splitting and sequential counting of the sub-samples were developed to estimate numbers of insects on the suppression traps. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of both the traps and the counting procedures.
Sodium leak channels in neuronal excitability and rhythmic behaviors.

Extracellular K+, Na+, and Ca2+ ions all influence the resting membrane potential of the neuron. However, the mechanisms by which extracellular Na+ and Ca2+ regulate basal neuronal excitability are not well understood. Recent findings suggest that NALCN, in association with UNC79 and UNC80, contributes a basal Na+ leak conductance in neurons. Mutations in Nalcn, Unc79, or Unc80 lead to severe phenotypes that include neonatal lethality and disruption in rhythmic behaviors. This review discusses the properties of the NALCN complex, its regulation, and its contribution to neuronal function and animal behavior.
Improving computational efficiency in large linear inverse problems: an example from carbon dioxide flux estimation

Abstract. Addressing a variety of questions within Earth science disciplines entails the inference of the spatiotemporal distribution of parameters of interest based on observations of related quantities. Such estimation problems often represent inverse problems that are formulated as linear optimization problems. Computational limitations arise when the number of observations and/or the size of the discretized state space becomes large, especially if the inverse problem is formulated in a probabilistic framework and therefore aims to assess the uncertainty associated with the estimates. This work proposes two approaches to lower the computational costs and memory requirements for large linear space–time inverse problems, taking the Bayesian approach for estimating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and uptake (a.k.a. fluxes) as a prototypical example. The first algorithm can be used to efficiently multiply two matrices, as long as one can be expressed as a Kronecker product of two smaller matrices, a condition that is typical when multiplying a sensitivity matrix by a covariance matrix in the solution of inverse problems. The second algorithm can be used to compute a posteriori uncertainties directly at aggregated spatiotemporal scales, which are the scales of most interest in many inverse problems. Both algorithms have significantly lower memory requirements and computational complexity relative to direct computation of the same quantities (O(n2.5) vs. O(n3)). For an examined benchmark problem, the two algorithms yielded massive savings in floating point operations relative to direct computation of the same quantities. Sample computer codes are provided for assessing the computational and memory efficiency of the proposed algorithms for matrices of different dimensions.
Observations on the use of microwave irradiation in azaheterocycle synthesis

A comparison of conventional heating and microwave irradiation in the synthesis of azaheterocycles is discussed. Microwave irradiation was found to increase the yields of the desired products, shorten the reaction times, and extended this chemistry to recalcitrant amide substrates and weak nucleophiles.
Euclidean shortest paths in the presence of rectilinear barriers

In this paper we address the problem of constructing a Euclidean shortest path between two specified points (source, destination) in the plane, which avoids a given set of barriers. This problem had been solved earlier for polygonal obstacles with the aid of the visibility graph. This approach however, has an Ω(n2) time lower bound, if n is the total number of vertices of the obstacles. Our goal is to find interesting cases for which the solution can be obtained without the explicit construction of the entire visibility graph. The two cases are (i) the path must lie within an n-vertex simple polygon; (ii) the obstacles are n disjoint and parallel line segments. In both instances greedy O(n log n) time algorithms can be developed which solve the problems by constructing the shortest-path tree from the source to all the vertices of the obstacles and to the destination.
Strengthening Refactoring: Towards Software Evolution with Quantitative and Experimental Grounds

Refactoring is a process meant to improve the internal quality of software systems. However, while on one hand, the guidelines for this delicate process are still empirical and qualitative, on the other hand, software product metrics often indicate that this process has the opposite results. Also, there is a lack of evidence regarding improvements on maintainability due to refactoring. This means that this process, although widely acknowledged as one of the best software practices, is difficult to deploy within large scale software systems, and can be better grounded. To address these challenges, we propose a method for refactoring with quantitative and experimental grounds. Upon the consolidation of this method, we will build the necessary blocks to implement and validate it.
Cognition, Culture, and Charity: Sociolinguistics and “Donor Dissonance” in a Baptist Denomination

Previous researchers who applied cognitive dissonance theory to charitable giving found that giving is for many donors a means of acting consistently with their self-concepts as rational and moral beings. The present study extends this inquiry by investigating how “rationality” and “morality” are culturally constructed norms. Donor communications are effective insofar as their use of language reproduces the expectations of the stakeholder community’s shared culture. This finding is indicated by the author’s extensive ethnographic fieldwork in a Baptist denomination in the United States. The capacity of professional leaders to arouse, preempt, or reduce members’ cognitive dissonances over giving derived from language use that activated (as it simultaneously reified) concepts and associations approved by their Baptist subculture. Building on this and previous studies, the present author proposes a process model for pre- and post-decision cognitive dissonance over charitable giving.
Macrophages, macrophage foam cells, and eccentric intimal thickening in the coronary arteries of young children.

Abstract We surveyed the incidence and location of macrophages and macrophage foam cells in the coronary artery intima of 63 children that died in the first 5 years of life. We related the data on macrophages and macrophage foam cells to intimal smooth muscle cells and to measurements of intima : media area and thickness. All morphometric data were obtained from coronary arteries that were fixed by perfusion with glutaraldehyde under pressure, embedded in Maraglas, and cut into 1-μm cross-sections, and 65-nm fine sections. Coronary artery intima was always thicker (eccentric thickening) at bifurcations in the half of the circumference opposite to the flow divider. This was true for both male and female children. The remaining part of the coronary artery intima was less thick (diffuse thickening). Both types of intimal thickening were composed of an inner layer in which glycosaminoglycan ground substance predominated and a deeper musculoelastic layer. Fifty-nine children (94%) had intimal macrophages. Twenty children also had macrophage foam cells. Of 33 children aged to 8 months, 15 (45%) had macrophage foam cells. Of the 30 children older than 8 months, 5 (17%) had macrophage foam cells. Macrophages and macrophage foam cells occurred in the GAG-rich layer of the intima as isolated cells. In 5 infants macrophage foam cells occurred also as clusters of many cells. Macrophages were more numerous in cases that also had macrophage foam cells. Macrophages were 6 times, and macrophage foam cells 5 times more numerous in eccentric intimal thickening than in diffuse intimal thickening.
Molecular Electronic Junctions

A review with 228 references on experimental investigation of conductor/molecule/metal molecular electronic junctions is presented. Devices based on covalent and Langmuir−Blodgett bonding of single molecules or molecular monolayers to conducting substrates are reviewed, as characterized by scanning probe microscopy and microelectronic techniques. Phenomena observed to date include molecular rectification, conductance switching, and nonlinear current/voltage behavior. Prospects and problems for the application of molecular junctions to the more general area of molecular electronics are discussed.
Primary lymphoma of the uterine cervix

Primary lymphoma of the cervix is very rare. A case report is presented and 24 cases published in the English literature are reviewed. Evaluation, staging, treatment, and prognosis of this rare tumor are discussed.
Electrophoretic study of keratin polypeptides in chemically-induced oral carcinomas in the hamster.

Abstract Comparison was made of the electrophoretic keratin polypeptide patterns of normal hard palate epithelia from three hamsters and of eight palatal squamos cell carcinomas induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) treatment. Keratin polypeptides from normal epithelia had a molecular weight range of about 48,000 to 70,000. In the tumour extracts, the large polypeptides (above 61,000) found in the normal epithelia were absent, but the majority of other small polypeptides below 61,000 were expressed. Three as yet undefined polypeptides, in the range of 40,000 to 70,000, were detected in tumour extracts, but not in extracts of normal palatal mucosa. The keratin polypeptide electrophoretic alterations in carcinomas of hamster palatal mucosa are similar to those reported for extra-oral carcinomas in other animal species.
Subcellular Localization and Functional Analysis of the Arabidopsis GTPase RabE

Membrane trafficking plays a fundamental role in eukaryotic cell biology. Of the numerous known or predicted protein components of the plant cell trafficking system, only a relatively small subset have been characterized with respect to their biological roles in plant growth, development, and response to stresses. In this study, we investigated the subcellular localization and function of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) small GTPase belonging to the RabE family. RabE proteins are phylogenetically related to well-characterized regulators of polarized vesicle transport from the Golgi apparatus to the plasma membrane in animal and yeast cells. The RabE family of GTPases has also been proposed to be a putative host target of AvrPto, an effector protein produced by the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, based on yeast two-hybrid analysis. We generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants that constitutively expressed one of the five RabE proteins (RabE1d) fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP-RabE1d and endogenous RabE proteins were found to be associated with the Golgi apparatus and the plasma membrane in Arabidopsis leaf cells. RabE down-regulation, due to cosuppression in transgenic plants, resulted in drastically altered leaf morphology and reduced plant size, providing experimental evidence for an important role of RabE GTPases in regulating plant growth. RabE down-regulation did not affect plant susceptibility to pathogenic P. syringae bacteria; conversely, expression of the constitutively active RabE1d-Q74L enhanced plant defenses, conferring resistance to P. syringae infection.
Thermal properties of sand from Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS): Spatial variations within the Proctor Crater dune field on Mars

[1] Thermal inertia, a parameter calculated from surface temperatures obtained from spacecraft, has long been used to quantify the amount of loose, fine-grained material on the Martian surface. With little “ground truth” available, studies often refer to Martian dune fields to calibrate thermal inertias. The well-understood physical properties of dune sand make it an ideal basis for comparison to more complex surfaces. However, higher-resolution data sets available from the TES (Thermal Emission Spectrometer onboard Mars Global Surveyor) and THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System onboard Mars Odyssey) show spatial variations in the thermal properties within dune fields, calling into question their effectiveness as controls for thermal inertia studies. In order to explain these variations, we apply a thermal model developed for TES data to a commonly investigated dune field in Noachis Terra, that on the floor of Proctor Crater. We show that in this dune field, the thermal variations on the scale of 30 J m−2 s−0.5 K−1 are present and correlate spatially with aeolian features in the dune field. These variations correspond to three types of surfaces observed in the Mars Orbital Camera Narrow Angle (MOC NA) images: (1) dune sand, (2) interdunes exposing the surface underlying the dune field, and (3) sand-covered interdunes, or dune troughs. Both the interdunes and the dune troughs have cooler nighttime temperatures than the dune sand, corresponding to lower thermal inertia values. The dune troughs may be sand-covered areas with either minor amounts of dust accumulation or a mean sand grain size lower than that of dune sand. Because fine sand grains tend to preferentially accumulate on dune crests rather than in dune troughs, the second hypothesis is considered less likely than the first. This has implications for the recent sedimentary history of the dune field: Dust accumulation in dune troughs may imply that sand saltation is not prevalent enough to scour away all of the dust settling out from suspension in the atmosphere; however, it is prevalent enough to keep the dunes crests themselves clear of dust.
Interaction of pneumococcal phase variation and middle ear pressure/gas composition: an in vitro model of simulated otitis media.

Abstract Streptococcus pneumoniae , a leading cause of otitis media (OM), undergoes spontaneous intra-strain variations in colony morphology. Transparent (T) variant is more efficient in colonizing the nasopharynx while the opaque (O) variant exhibits greater virulence during systemic infections. We hypothesized that changes in middle ear (ME) gas pressure/composition during Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction and the treatment of that dysfunction, e.g., tympanostomy tube (TT) insertion, play a role in selecting the S. pneumoniae variant that can efficiently colonize/infect the ME mucosa. Human ME epithelial cells were preconditioned for 24 h under one of three conditions that simulated (1) normal ME, (2) ME with ET obstruction (ETO) and (3) ME with TT; subsequently exposed to a dose (∼10 7 CFU/ml) of either T or O variant of S. pneumoniae , and then incubated for 1 h and 3 h. Under the simulated ETO and TT conditions, T variant exhibited a higher growth rate and greater epithelial adherence and killing than did O variants. Attachment of T variant to epithelial cells was documented by scanning electron microscopy. These results suggest that the T variant is more highly adapted to various ME environments than the O variants.
Wrinkle-like Weertman pulse at the interface between two blocks of foam rubber with different velocities

We verify the existence of self-sustaining wrinkle-like Weertman velocity pulses along a pre-stressed interface between two dissimilar (ΔV = 60%) blocks of foam rubber. Properties of the observed velocity pulses are similar to the theoretical prediction of Weertman (1980), and the numerical calculations of Andrews and Ben-Zion (1997). Particle displacement, in the direction perpendicular to the fault, is much larger in the slower medium than in the faster medium, resulting in a separation of the interface during the passage of the slip pulse. The rupture velocity is near the shear wave velocity in the slower material, and the direction of propagation is nearly always in the direction of the shear particle motion in the slower block. The pulse is self-maintaining, that is, it does not die out from radiation damping, obtaining the necessary energy by releasing locally stored shear potential energy.
Valuing the Benefits of the Urban Forest: A Spatial Hedonic Approach

This paper measures the benefits of the urban forest by examining its effect on housing prices. A Geographic Information System is used to develop a measure of the urban forest, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, from satellite imagery and to construct other variables from a variety of sources. Spatial hedonic housing price models for the Indianapolis/Marion County area are estimated. The models indicate that greener vegetation around a property has a positive, significant effect on housing price, holding everything else constant. This effect is dominated by measures at the neighborhood level. These findings indicate that property owners value the urban forest, at least in part, by the premium they pay to live in neighborhoods with greener, denser vegetation. These findings also indicate that public action to maintain and enhance the urban forest may be warranted. Planners and urban foresters can use these findings to inform public and policy debates over urban forestry programs and proposals.
Carl Busch: Danish-American Music Educator

Carl Reinhardt Busch (1862-1943) was a Danish immigrant musician who contributed to the development of music education in the United States as a teacher, conductor, adjudicator, and composer. He pr...
Oscillatory instability of body weight in alternating anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

The present study was undertaken to clarify the longitudinal course, from adolescence to the age of 40, of weight fluctuations in a woman with alternating anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Although it has long been appreciated that a single person may fluctuate between states of binge eating and obesity on the one hand, and starvation on the either, few data exist regarding the nature and mechanism of this interrelationship. As opposed to the gradual linear increase in weight normally observed in human beings from early adulthood through middle-age, our patient with alternating bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa showed chronic weight oscillation of great magnitude
Women and irrigation in highland Peru

Abstract Women remain invisible in Peruvian highland irrigation despite their increasing participation in other aspects of political life. Despite norms that define irrigation as men's work, women irrigate crops and contribute labor to system surveillance and maintenance. Women who work in irrigation tend to be members of poor, smallholder households and single heads of households. Their labor contributions are not matched by participation in system management, because, with the bureaucratic transition in highland irrigation, the critical task is no longer controlling water per se, but gaining and controlling access to external resources and government assistance. Interactions with the male‐dominated irrigation bureaucracy are dominated by the paternalistic politics of normalcy, rather than the open, confrontational politics of crisis. With token exceptions, women are informally excluded from these interactions or co‐opted into peripheral roles as users of domestic water.
The selfobject as immortal self.

This paper begins by defining the selfobject and elucidating its role in the structuring of the self for each unique individual. The self becomes a repository of the memory images of emotional experiences with significant others. This process of internalization through which the self is continually nourished, and which enables it to grow, goes on throughout life. However, as a case example illustrates, the ability to internalize a selfobject depends on the ability to receive and to give love. Once the selfobject is incorporated into the self of “an other” it is perpetuated in another, is perpetuated, analogous to the transmission of genetic material. Each individual carries others within himself or herself and has the potentiality for continuing to live within the self of another. This is a kind of immortality.
A Method for Evaluating Surrogate Markers When Measured with Error Using the Cox Model

The identification of a surrogate marker for a clinical endpoint is very important from an ethical as well as a cost containment point of view. In most clinical trials markers are measured periodically with error. In the presence of measurement error, the naive method of using the observed marker values in the Cox model to evaluate the relationship between the marker and clinical outcome produces biased estimates and can lead to incorrect conclusions when evaluating a potential surrogate. A two-stage approach for estimating the association of clinical outcome to the time-varying covariates and treatment is proposed. In the first stage, an empirical Bayes estimate of the time dependent covariate is computed at each event time. In the second stage, these estimates are imputed in the Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the regression parameter of interest. It is clearly demonstrated through extensive simulations that this methodology greatly reduces the bias of the regression estimate and correctly id...
Structure in the Eridani Dusty Disk Caused by Mean Motion Resonances with a 0.3 Eccentricity Planet at Periastron

The morphology of the Eridani dust ring is reproduced by a numerical simulation of dust particles captured into the 5 : 3 and 3 : 2 exterior mean motion resonances with a 0.3 eccentricity 10-4 M☉ planet at periastron at a semimajor axis of 40 AU. The morphology will differ when the planet is at apastron, in about 140 yr. Moderate eccentricity planets in outer extrasolar systems will cause observable variations in the morphology of associated dusty rings.
348. Kruppel-Like Factor 4 Regulates Proliferation of Human and Mouse Hematopoietic Stem-Progenitor Cells, but Is Not Essential for Mouse Hematopoietic Repopulation

Quiescence is a key characteristic of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), postulated to prevent premature exhaustion of the stem cell pool and to protect HSCs from insults such as proliferative stress, irradiation, and chemotoxins. Similarly, quiescence is also thought to play a role in chemoprotection of |[ldquo]|cancer stem cells|[rdquo]| postulated to give rise to various hematologic malignancies. Understanding of pathways that regulate the cell cycle may contribute to our ability to genetically modify and expand HSC. Several Kruppel-like factor family members, including KLF1, KLF2, KLF3, and KLF6 have been shown to have pivotal roles in hematopoiesis. Experiments in zebrafish have suggested that KLF4 may also play a role in hematopoiesis. Here we found that enforced expression of KLF4 in hematopoietic cells induced cell cycle arrest without triggering apoptosis. Based on the high levels of expression of KLF4 in mouse and human hematopoietic stem-progenitor cells (HSPCs) and that KLF4 has previously been shown to regulate p21cip1/waf1, we hypothesized that KLF4 regulates proliferation of these cells through regulation of p21cip1/waf1. We next examined hematopoiesis of KLF4|[minus]|/|[minus]| mice to test whether lack of KLF4 led to HSPC expansion or led to other hematopoietic abnormalities. However, KLF4|[minus]|/|[minus]| fetal liver cells had normal numbers of all mature lineages and provided normal radioprotection, similar to wild type controls. Furthermore, in long-term competitive repopulation assays, KLF4|[minus]|/|[minus]| mouse HSPCs demonstrated hematopoietic potency equivalent to the wild type. We found that KLF2 has a similar expression pattern to that of KLF4 during hematopoiesis, and propose that KLF2 may play a compensatory role in KLF4|[minus]|/|[minus]| HSPCs.
Soil carbon saturation: Implications for measurable carbon pool dynamics in long-term incubations

The efficiency of agricultural management practices to store SOC depends on C input level and how far a soil is from its saturation level (i.e. saturation deficit). The C Saturation hypothesis suggests an ultimate soil C stabilization capacity defined by four SOM pools capable of C saturation: (1) non-protected, (2) physically protected, (3) chemically protected and (4) biochemically protected. We tested if C saturation deficit and the amount of added C influenced SOC storage in measurable soil fractions corresponding to the conceptual chemical, physical, biochemical, and non-protected C pools. We added two levels of C-13- labeled residue to soil samples from seven agricultural sites that were either closer to (i.e., A-horizon) or further from (i.e., C-horizon) their C saturation level and incubated them for 2.5 years. Residue-derived C stabilization was, in most sites, directly related to C saturation deficit but mechanisms of C stabilization differed between the chemically and biochemically protected pools. The physically protected C pool showed a varied effect of C saturation deficit on C-13 stabilization, due to opposite behavior of the POM and mineral fractions. We found distinct behavior between unaggregated and aggregated mineral-associated fractions emphasizing the mechanistic difference between the chemically and physically protected C-pools. To accurately predict SOC dynamics and stabilization, C Saturation of soil C pools, particularly the chemically and biochemically protected pools, should be considered. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.