cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apparent seasonal rhythms in hypothalamic neuropeptides in rats without photoperiod changes

An apparent seasonal or circannual rhythm in the hypothalamic content of CRF, TRH, neurotensin, and neuromedin N has been observed in 12 separate monthly coherts (n = 10@ or 130 total) adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats obtained at the same time each month from a single commercial supplier and held under constant (12:12) photoperiod conditions since birth. Both annual and 4-month (terannual) harmonics can be statistically discerned in these apparent rhythms, which exhibit cycles containing concentration changes up to 3-fold the lowest levels across the year (CRF increases 390%, TRH increases 173%, neurotensin increases 136%, and neuromedin N increases 150%). Hypothalamic somatostatin did not exhibit these statistically significant robust rhythms nor did any peptide in regions outside the hypothalamus. These data indicate that a mechanism allowing enhanced or diminished physiological availability of these regulatory neuropeptides at different times of the year may exist and may display distinct cycles even in the absence of normal photoperiod cues. Possible regulatory responses of pituitary receptor populations for these hypothalamic peptides must be considered. As certain of these neuropeptides also appear to be altered in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with major depression or schizophrenia, similar hypothalamic cyclic changes may underly psychiatric symptoms with seasonal periodicity.
Field test of new procedure for removing lead-based paint from bridges

Removing the failed and failing lead-containing paint on the more than 7,000 steel-beam highway bridges maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation is an increasingly vexing problem given issues regarding the environment, worker health, and cost. The expense and liability associated with the paint debris generated as well as the debris resulting from the removal procedure further complicate the issue. The situation nationally is more dramatic: of approximately 200,000 structures, 80 to 90 percent have lead-based paint. Proven in the laboratory, the Electrostrip procedure, which uses an electrochemical treatment to cause paint to debond from steel, was tested in the field. The technology was first used at a production level to remove 74 m2 of lead-based paint from a bridge in service on the Virginia Interstate system. Over 7 workdays, this method was used to remove the lead-based existing and original paint system and generated 63 percent less solid debris than full abrasives blasting would hav...
From pumps to prevention: recent advances in the treatment of type 1 diabetes

Treatment options for pediatric patients living with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) have drastically changed over the past 30 years. Technological advances including the development of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have allowed for improved insulin delivery and a better understanding of blood glucose fluctuations. Manipulations of CSII and CGM will allow for the development of an artificial pancreas; initial studies of this technology will be reviewed. New medications for the treatment of T1DM have been developed, such as rapid-acting insulins. Another area of exploration is the autoimmune process that causes beta-cell destruction. Immunomodulators used for T1DM prevention and secondary intervention will be reviewed.
Recent ice ages on Mars

A key pacemaker of ice ages on the Earth is climatic forcing due to variations in planetary orbital parameters. Recent Mars exploration has revealed dusty, water-ice-rich mantling deposits that are layered, metres thick and latitude dependent, occurring in both hemispheres from mid-latitudes to the poles. Here we show evidence that these deposits formed during a geologically recent ice age that occurred from about 2.1 to 0.4 Myr ago. The deposits were emplaced symmetrically down to latitudes of ∼30°—equivalent to Saudi Arabia and the southern United States on the Earth—in response to the changing stability of water ice and dust during variations in obliquity (the angle between Mars' pole of rotation and the ecliptic plane) reaching 30–35°. Mars is at present in an ‘interglacial’ period, and the ice-rich deposits are undergoing reworking, degradation and retreat in response to the current instability of near-surface ice. Unlike the Earth, martian ice ages are characterized by warmer polar climates and enhanced equatorward transport of atmospheric water and dust to produce widespread smooth deposits down to mid-latitudes.
Establishment of epithelial cell lines from individual rabbit lenses

We describe a method of initiating primary cell cultures from lenses of rabbits by an explant-outgrowth technique. These primary cultures routinely yield epithelial cell lines when subcultured with collagenase-trypsin chicken serum. Most lines examined retain the diploid chromosome number through at least 30 passages.
Enabling Interoperability among Grid Meta-Schedulers

The goal of Grid computing is to integrate the usage of computer resources from cooperating partners in the form of Virtual Organizations (VO). One of its key functions is to match jobs to execution resources efficiently. For interoperability between VOs, this matching operation occurs in resource brokering middleware, commonly referred to as the meta-scheduler or meta-broker. In this paper, we present an approach to a meta-scheduler architecture, combining hierarchical and peer-to-peer models for flexibility and extensibility. Interoperability is further promoted through the introduction of a set of protocols, allowing meta-schedulers to maintain sessions and exchange job and resource state using Web Services. Our architecture also incorporates a resource model that enables an efficient resource matching across multiple Virtual Organizations, especially where the compute resources and state are dynamic. Experiments demonstrate these new functional features across three distributed organizations (BSC, FIU, and IBM), that internally use different job scheduling technologies, computing infrastructure and security mechanisms. Performance evaluations through actual system measurements and simulations provide the insights on the architecture's effectiveness and scalability.
An NMR approach for the determination of the substitution pattern in mono-modified cyclodextrins

Abstract One of the problems in cyclodextrin chemistry is the unequivocal determination of structures of systems under investigation. A simple procedure that can be used for the determination of the position of the substitution in these systems is presented here. The main requirement of this procedure is that the proton attached to the substituted carbon has a magnetic environment that is different from other likely sites of attachment.
“Biomimetic micro-electronic systems as neural prostheses: Restoration of lost memory function and enhancement of normal memory function with implantable spatio-temporal models of hippocampal input-output activity”

Dr. Berger leads a multi-disciplinary collaboration with Dr. Sam Deadwyler (Wake Forest Univ.), Dr. John Granacki (USC), Dr. Vasilis Marmarelis (USC), and Dr. Greg Gerhardt (Univ. of Kentucky), that is developing a microchip-based neural prosthesis for the hippocampus, a region of the brain responsible for long-term memory. Damage to the hippocampus is frequently associated with epilepsy, stroke, and dementia (Alzheimer's disease), and is considered to underlie the memory deficits characteristic of these neurological conditions. The essential goals of Dr. Berger's multi-laboratory effort include: (1) experimental study of neuron and neural network function — how does the hippocampus encode information?, (2) formulation of biologically realistic models of neural system dynamics -- can that encoding process be described mathematically to realize a predictive model of how the hippocampus responds to any event?, (3) microchip implementation of neural system models -- can the mathematical model be realized as a set of electronic circuits to achieve parallel processing, rapid computational speed, and miniaturization?, and (4) creation of hybrid neuron-silicon interfaces -- can structural and functional connections between electronic devices and neural tissue be achieved for long-term, bi-directional communication with the brain? By integrating solutions to these component problems, the team is realizing a microchip-based model of hippocampal nonlinear dynamics that can perform the same function as part of the hippocampus. Through bi-directional communication with other neural tissue that normally provides the inputs and outputs to/from a damaged hippocampal area, the biomimetic model could serve as a neural prosthesis. A proof-of-concept will be presented using rats that have been chronically implanted with stimulation/recording micro-electrodes throughout the dorsoventral extent of the hippocampus, and that have been trained using a delayed, non-match-to-sample task. Normal hippocampal functioning is required for successful delayed non-match-to-sample memory. Memory/behavioral function of the hippocampus is blocked pharmacologically, and then in the presence of the blockade, hippocampal memory/behavioral function is restored by a multi-input, multi-output model of hippocampal nonlinear dynamics that interacts bi-directionally with the hippocampus. The model is used to predict output of the hippocampus in the form of spatio-temporal patterns of neural activity in the CA1 region; electrical stimulation of CA1 cells is used to “drive” the output of hippocampus to the desired (predicted) state. These results show for the first time that it is possible to create “hybrid electro-biological” systems that display normal physiological properties, and thus, may be used as neural prostheses to restore damaged brain regions.
Genetic susceptibility testing for beryllium: Worker knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes

Background We sought to gain insight into workers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes on the subject of testing for genetic susceptibility to beryllium. Methods Five focus groups were held with 30 current and former beryllium workers and nine family members. Audio recordings were transcribed and assessed by hierarchical coding using an inductive approach. Results Some workers were unclear about the distinction between genotoxicity and heritability. A key finding is that they perceived the benefits of a positive test result to be related to enhanced autonomous decision-making. The major concern cited by participants was potential abuse of genetic information by employers. Complete financial separation of a prospective testing entity from the employer was seen as crucial. Conclusions A window of opportunity exists to create regional partnerships for translational research on genetic susceptibility testing. Such partnerships would involve labor, management, public health scientists, primary care professionals, and other stakeholders. They would be critical to identifying testing strategies that maximize worker autonomy along with the public health advantages of genetic testing. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:521–532, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
FISH landmarks for Aedes aegypti chromosomes

Aedes aegypti metaphase chromosome landmarks have been developed so that each chromosome of the haploid genome can be unambiguously identified and oriented by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and digital imaging microscopy. The FISH tags were derived from three cosmids that contain repetitive Ae. aegypti sequences and their unique FISH tagging characteristics are demonstrated. The sequence of the three chromosomal tags revealed that the chromosome 1 tag is an 18S fragment from the ribosomal cistron, and the other two chromosomal tags are repeats found in Ae. aegypti with no apparent similarity to known sequences. A single plasmid that contains the three chromosomes tag sequences has been constructed to simplify future FISH physical mapping.
Spotted stream frog diversification at the Australasian faunal zone interface, mainland versus island comparisons, and a test of the Philippine ‘dual-umbilicus’ hypothesis

Aim To utilize comprehensive geographical sampling and a new, multilocus dataset to re-examine the biogeography of spotted stream frogs (Hylarana signata complex) throughout Southeast Asia. To compare patterns of diversification among stream frog populations on land-bridge islands and oceanic islands and to re-evaluate a previous ‘dual-invasion’ hypothesis for the origins of endemic Philippine taxa. Location Southeast Asia, Sundaland, and the Philippines. Methods We sequenced two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene regions for members of the Hylarana signata complex. We used summary statistics and phylogenetic networks to characterize genetic variation; phylogenetic relationships and ancestral ranges were estimated using Bayesian and likelihood methods. We used the preferred topology and Bayesian methods to evaluate a previous biogeographical ‘dual-invasion’ hypothesis. Results In contrast to expectations, we found highly divergent, demographically stable and geographically regionalized lineages on the mainland and on land-bridge islands, but minimally divergent, widespread and clinally distributed populations, with evidence of recent demographic expansion, in adjacent oceanic island populations. Novel phylogenetic relationships depart from previous studies and our data strongly reject the previously published ‘dual-invasion’ hypothesis. Main conclusions Our results join new literature demonstrating that species on mainland and continental shelf islands may harbour high levels of unrecognized diversity, whereas adjacent oceanic island archipelagos can and do support naturally occurring widespread species. Although our data indicate that the individual identities of species previously hypothesized to be involved in the ‘dual-invasion’ scenario may have been incorrect, this mechanism for faunal exchange between the archipelago and adjacent mainland undoubtedly has contributed substantially to the accumulation of endemic vertebrate diversity in the Philippines.
Impacts of power structure on supply chains with uncertain demand

In this study, we use a game-theory-based framework to model power in a supply chain with random and price-dependent demand and examine how power structure and demand models (expected demand and demand shock) affect supply chain members' performance. We demonstrate that whether a firm benefits from its power depends on the expected demand model but not on demand shock model. A firm benefits from its power only for linear but not for constant elasticity expected demand. The impact of power structure on supply chain efficiency depends on the models of both expected demand and demand shock. With additive shock, supply chain efficiency is highest (lowest) when neither firm dominates for linear (constant elasticity) expected demand. With multiplicative shock, the supply chain efficiency is highest with a power retailer (manufacturer) for linear (constant elasticity) expected demand. The manufacturer always benefits from a reduction in demand uncertainty. However, the retailer loses (benefits) from demand uncertainty reduction for linear (constant elasticity) expected demand. With a power retailer, the retail price is always on the higher end for linear expected demand, and the customer service level is the lowest for constant elasticity expected demand. Consequently, consumers do not necessarily benefit from a power retailer.
Choosing the Best House in a Bad Neighborhood: Location Strategies of Human Rights INGOs in the Non-Western World

What determines the location of those human rights international non-governmental organization (INGO) resources found outside of the highly developed Western democracies? We draw a distinction between the bottom-up mobilization processes driving the location of human rights organization (HRO) members from the top-down strategic concerns driving where HRO leaders place permanent offices. In particular, we find that, while political opportunity structures generally increase the likelihood that a state has HRO members, it has a curvilinear influence on the number of HRO secretariats, which typically locate in areas seen as having a higher need for organizational resources. Further, while there is no clear connection between human rights abuses and HRO memberships in a state, HROs' strategic concerns lead them to place offices with reference to both local and neighborhood “need”—in other words, levels of repression.
FROM BIOLOGY TO EDUCATION: SCORING AND CLUSTERING MULTILINGUAL TEXT SEQUENCES AND OTHER SEQUENTIAL TASKS

This document describes a solution to a problem in the automatic content scoring of the multilingual character-by-character highlighting item type. This solution is language independent and represents a significant enhancement. This solution not only facilitates automatic scoring but plays an important role in clustering students' responses; consequently, it has a nontrivial impact on the refinement of the items and/or their scoring guidelines. Furthermore, though designed for a specific problem, the proposed solution is general enough for any educational task that can be transformed into a sequential one. To name a few: It can be used for a set of actions expected from a student in simulations or learning trajectories as projected by a teacher, inside an intelligent tutoring system, or even in a game—or it can simply be used for a set of student clicks, button selections, or keyboard hits expected to reach a correct answer. This solution provides flexibility for existing automatic-scoring techniques and potentially could provide more flexibility if coupled with statistical data-mining techniques.
Pancreatic Ductal Perfusion at Organ Procurement Enhances Islet Yield in Human Islet Isolation

OBJECTIVE Pancreas preservation is a major factor influencing the results of islet cell transplantation. This study evaluated the effects of 2 different solutions for pancreatic ductal perfusion (PDP) at organ procurement. METHODS Eighteen human pancreases were assigned to 3 groups: non-PDP (control), PDP with ET-Kyoto solution, and PDP with cold storage/purification stock solution. Pancreatic islets were isolated according to the modified Ricordi method. RESULTS No significant differences in donor characteristics, including cold ischemia time, were observed between the 3 groups. All islet isolations in the PDP groups had more than 400,000 islet equivalence in total islet yield after purification, a significant increase when compared with the control (P = 0.04 and P < 0.01). The islet quality assessments, including an in vivo diabetic nude mice assay and the response of high-mobility group box protein 1 to cytokine stimulation, also showed no significant differences. The proportion of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells showing apoptosis in islets in the PDP groups was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both ET-Kyoto solution and cold storage/purification stock solution are suitable for PDP and consistently resulted in isolation success. Further studies with a larger number of pancreas donors should be done to compare the effects of the PDP solutions.
Role Taking and Socialization in Single-Parent Families

This article examines the conditions and consequences of role taking in single-parent families. First, the authors discuss the theoretical relevance of role taking for parent-child interaction. Second, they suggest some conditions for parental role taking. Third, the authors consider how social class and family structure affect role taking in single-parent families. They propose that in addition to role taking in the dyadic parent-child relationship, two other forms of role taking are consequential for child socialization and family relations. One is specific to triadic relationships, the other to the family unit. Second-order role taking occurs when a parent elicits the perspective of the spouse in understanding the child. Third-order role taking, similar to Mead's concept of the “generalized other” as the vantage point for role taking, occurs when a parent elicits the perspective of the family as a whole. The authors explore these ideas in a qualitative study of single and married parents.
Rhodopsin plays an essential structural role in Drosophila photoreceptor development

Null mutations of the Drosophila Rh1 rhodopsin gene, ninaE, result in developmental defects in the photosensitive membranes, the rhabdomeres, of compound eye photoreceptors R1-R6. In normal flies, Rh1 expression begins at about 78% of pupal life. At approximately 90% of pupal life, a specialized catacomb-like membrane architecture develops at the base of normal rhabdomeres. In ninaE null mutants, these catacombs do not form and developing rhabdomere membrane involutes into the cell as curtains of apposed plasma membrane. A filamentous cytoskeletal complex that includes F-actin and the unconventional myosin, NINAC, decorates the cytoplasmic surface of these curtains.
Differential Transmission of HIV Traversing Fetal Oral/Intestinal Epithelia and Adult Oral Epithelia

While human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission through the adult oral route is rare, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) through the neonatal/infant oral and/or gastrointestinal route is common. To study the mechanisms of cell-free and cell-associated HIV transmission across adult oral and neonatal/infant oral/intestinal epithelia, we established ex vivo organ tissue model systems of adult and fetal origin. Given the similarity of neonatal and fetal oral epithelia with respect to epithelial stratification and density of HIV-susceptible immune cells, we used fetal oral the epithelium as a model for neonatal/infant oral epithelium. We found that cell-free HIV traversed fetal oral and intestinal epithelia and infected HIV-susceptible CD4+ T lymphocytes, Langerhans/dendritic cells, and macrophages. To study the penetration of cell-associated virus into fetal oral and intestinal epithelia, HIV-infected macrophages and lymphocytes were added to the surfaces of fetal oral and intestinal epithelia. HIV-infected macrophages, but not lymphocytes, transmigrated across fetal oral epithelia. HIV-infected macrophages and, to a lesser extent, lymphocytes transmigrated across fetal intestinal epithelia. In contrast to the fetal oral/intestinal epithelia, cell-free HIV transmigration through adult oral epithelia was inefficient and virions did not infect intraepithelial and subepithelial HIV-susceptible cells. In addition, HIV-infected macrophages and lymphocytes did not transmigrate through intact adult oral epithelia. Transmigration of cell-free and cell-associated HIV across the fetal oral/intestinal mucosal epithelium may serve as an initial mechanism for HIV MTCT.
Original paper: Development of an integrated Cropland and Soil Data Management system for cropping system applications

Most cropping system models and decision support tools are structured for site-specific (i.e. field- or point-based) simulation and analysis. As the need grows for analyses on crop production and management at local, county, state, national, and even global scales, cropping system models and decision support tools are increasingly structured to provide the capability for area-wide simulation and analysis at a range of spatial scales. A major challenge is the development of a data management system that can provide dynamic access to large volumes of geo-referenced data needed by such applications. The objective of this paper is to present a methodology to develop a Cropland and Soil Data Management system that is capable of automatic data consolidation and integration, and can provide dynamic access to the integrated data by cropping system applications. The Cropland Data Management component of the system is based on the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) products from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service and is implemented with seven program modules: Data Requester, Data Fetcher, Data Parser, Geodatabase Builder, Map Service Builder, Map Cache Generator, and Cropland Map Viewer. The Soil Data Management component is based on the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and is implemented with six program modules: Data Requester, Data Fetcher, Data Parser, Database Builder, Soil Map Generator, and Soil Map Viewer. The approaches and methodology presented in the paper can serve as a reference for those who are interested in developing integrated cropping system applications.
Polyvinyl siloxane impression materials: An update on clinical use

Polyvinyl siloxane impression materials have applications in a variety of indirect procedures in prosthodontics and restorative dentistry. Favourable handling properties, good patient acceptance and excellent physical properties have resulted in their popularity in today's practice. In this review, the chemistry and important physical properties of polyvinyl siloxanes are summarized, and recent clinical questions of improved hydrophilics, tray adhesives, disinfection, and glove-induced polymerization inhibition are addressed.
Projectile interactions in theoretical triple differential cross sections for simultaneous excitation–ionization of helium

The importance of projectile interactions in triple differential cross sections (TDCS) is explored for the problem of simultaneous excitation–ionization of helium by electron impact using a new approach that we call the four-body distorted wave model (4DW). The 4DW model includes all projectile interactions, namely initial- and final-state projectile–target interactions, and the post-collision interaction between the two continuum electrons. Results are presented for an incident electron energy of 500 eV and are compared to experimental data, as well as a second-order R-matrix theory and the first Born approximation. Results for absolute TDCS ratios of ionization without excitation to excitation–ionization are also presented.
El Nino and health risks from landscape fire emissions in southeast Asia

Emissions from landscape fires affect both climate and air quality1. In this study, we combine satellite-derived fire estimates and atmospheric modeling to quantify health effects from fire emissions in Southeast Asia from 1997 to 2006. This region has large interannual variability in fire activity due to coupling between El Nino-induced droughts and anthropogenic land use change2,3. We show that during strong El Nino years, fires contribute up to 200 μg/m3 and 50 ppb in annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) surface concentrations near fire sources, respectively. This corresponds to a fire contribution of 200 additional days per year that exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) 50 μg/m3 24-hour PM2.5 interim target (IT-2)4 and an estimated 10,800 (6,800-14,300) person (~2%) annual increase in regional adult cardiovascular mortality. Our results indicate that reducing regional deforestation and degradation fires would improve public health along with widely established benefits from reducing carbon emissions, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecosystem services.
the far side of Hurun: the management of Melanesian millenarian movements

Investigations of Melanesia's so-called cargo cults tend to concentrate on the circumstances under which millenarian contexts of belief, attitude, and value are generated. In themselves, though, contexts do not precipitate millenarian movements. Instead, as the millenarian history of the Yangoru Boiken, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea indicates, movements must be constructed from millenarian milieus, a process requiring that leaders not only generate attractive explanatory schemes but also present themselves as particularly privileged ideological sources. Success in this latter task, however, will be serendipitously configured by nonideological factors, especially historical and geocultural circumstances that help create a perception of regular and favored access to knowledge of Westerners and their wealth. These limiting contingencies must therefore be considered in any comprehensive attempt to understand the leadership, spatiotemporal patterning, and scale of Melanesian millenarian movements.
Hadron Masses in a Gauge Theory

We explore the implications for hadron spectroscopy of the "standard" gauge model of weak, electromagnetic, and strong interactions. The model involves four types of fractionally charged quarks, each in three colors, coupling to massless gauge gluons. The quarks are confined within colorless hadrons by a long-range spin-independent force realizing infrared slavery. We use the asymptotic freedom of the model to argue that for the calculation of hadron masses, the short-range quark-quark interaction may be taken to be Coulomb-like. We rederive many successful quark-model mass relations for the low-lying hadrons. Because a specific interaction and symmetry-breaking mechanism are forced on us by the underlying renormalizable gauge field theory, we also obtain new mass relations. They are well satisfied. We develop a qualitative understanding of many features of the hadron mass spectrum, such as the origin and sign of the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ mass splitting. Interpreting the newly discovered narrow boson resonances as states of charmonium, we use the model to predict the masses of charmed mesons and baryons.
Game-Theoretic Paradigm for Resource Management in Spectrum Agile Wireless Networks

We propose a new way of architecting the wireless multimedia communications systems by jointly optimizing the protocol stack at each station and the resource exchanges among stations. We model wireless stations as rational players competing for available wireless resources in a dynamic repeated game. We investigate and quantify the system performance and the impact of different cross-layer strategies deployed by wireless stations onto their own performance as well as the competing station performance. We show through simulations that the proposed game-theoretic resource management outperforms alternative techniques such as air-fair time and equal time resource allocation in terms of the total system utility.
Evidence for Regulation of Long Terminal Repeat Transcription by Wnt Transcription Factor TCF-4 in Human Astrocytic Cells

The Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in neural cell development and function. The key components of this pathway, β-catenin and its partner TCF-4/LEF-1, exert their effects on transcription by entering the nuclei, where they associate with the TCF-4/LEF-1 DNA motif positioned in the promoters of several important genes. Here we examined the role of TCF-4 upon transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promoter in human astrocytic cells. Our results showed that expression of TCF-4 in human astrocytic cells (U-87MG cells) decreased the basal and Tat-mediated transcription of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR). Results from promoter deletion studies revealed that the promoter sequence of the LTR with no classical binding motif for TCF-4/LEF-1, which spans positions −80 to +80 of the LTR, remained responsive to down-regulation by TCF-4. Noticeably, removal of the sequences between positions −80 and −68 decreased the negative effect of TCF-4 on viral gene transcription. A mutant variant of TCF-4 with no binding site for β-catenin was able to down-regulate LTR transcription, suggesting that β-catenin may not be directly involved in the observed regulatory events. Results from the glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay as well as the combined immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis of protein extract from U-87MG cells revealed an interaction of Tat with TCF-4. Subcellular examination of TCF-4 and Tat in cells expressing either protein alone showed a predominantly nuclear accumulation of these proteins. However, in cells which coexpressed both TCF-4 and Tat, significant levels of these proteins were found in the cytoplasm. All together, these observations provide evidence for the cooperative interaction of TCF-4, the important transcription factor of the Wnt pathway, with Tat; this interaction may determine the level of viral gene transcription in human astrocytic cells.
A microscale model for strain-induced phase transformations and chemical reactions under high pressure

A simple strain-controlled kinetic equation for strain-induced phase transformations and chemical reactions is thermodynamically derived. This model is applied to explain various mechanochemical phenomena observed under compression and shear of materials in diamond or Bridgman anvils. In particular, it explains zero-pressure hysteresis and the appearance of new phases, especially strong phases, which were not obtained without shear. Also an explanation was obtained as to why a nonreacting matrix with a yield stress higher (lower) than that for reagents significantly accelerates (slows down) the reactions. Some methods to characterize and control strain-induced transformations and reactions are suggested.
A posteriori analysis and adaptive error control for operator decomposition solution of coupled semilinear elliptic systems

SUMMARY In this paper, we develop an a posteriori error analysis for operator decomposition iteration methods applied to systems of coupled semilinear elliptic problems. The goal is to compute accurate error estimates that account for the combined effects arising from numerical approximation (discretization) and operator decomposition iteration. In an earlier paper [1], we considered “triangular” systems that can be solved without iteration. In contrast, operator decomposition iterative methods for fully coupled systems involve an iterative solution technique. We construct an error estimate for the numerical approximation error that specifically addresses the propagation of error between iterates and provide a computable estimate for the iteration error arising due to the decomposition of the operator. Finally, we extend the adaptive discretization strategy in [1] to systematically reduce the discretization error. Copyright c 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of aliphatic alcohols as nucleophiles for palladium-catalyzed DYKAT reactions: total synthesis of (+)-hippospongic acid A.

The ability to use aliphatic alcohols as competent nucleophiles in the palladium-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation of Baylis−Hillman adducts is explored. High yield and enantioselectivity is obtained for both the kinetic transformation and dynamic kinetic transformation. The absolute stereochemistry of the products is used to explore the reactive conformation of 2-substituted π-allyl complexes with DPPBA-based chiral ligands. The utility of this method is further demonstrated in the context of a concise total synthesis of the gastrulation inhibitor (+)-hippospongic acid A. The synthesis features three palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reactions to introduce three different bond types: C−S, C−H, and C−O.
Volume warping for adaptive isosurface extraction

Polygonal approximations of isosurfaces extracted from uniformly sampled volumes are increasing in size due to the availability of higher resolution imaging techniques. The large number of I primitives represented hinders the interactive exploration of the dataset. Though many solutions have been proposed to this problem, many require the creation of isosurfaces at multiple resolutions or the use of additional data structures, often hierarchical, to represent the volume. We propose a technique for adaptive isosurface extraction that is easy to implement and allows the user to decide the degree of adaptivity as well as the choice of isosurface extraction algorithm. Our method optimizes the extraction of the isosurface by warping the volume. In a warped volume, areas of importance (e.g. containing significant details) are inflated while unimportant ones are contracted. Once the volume is warped, any extraction algorithm can be applied. The extracted mesh is subsequently unwarped such that the warped areas are rescaled to their initial proportions. The resulting isosurface is represented by a mesh that is more densely sampled in regions decided as important.
APLITE, A NEW CERAMIC MATERIAL*

The chemical and mineralogical content and the physical properties of zoisitic aplite rock, mined in Amherst County, Virginia, and milled in Nelson County, Virginia, have been investigated. The possibilities of various ceramic uses of zoisitic aplite are discussed.
Walking GPS: a practical solution for localization in manually deployed wireless sensor networks

We present the design, implementation and evaluation of a simple, practical and cost effective localization solution, called walking GPS, that can be used in real, manual deployments of wireless sensor networks. We evaluate our localization solution exclusively in real deployments of MICA2 and XSM motes. Our experiments show that 100% of the deployed motes localize (i.e,. have a location position) and that the average localization errors are within 1 to 2 meters, due mainly to the limitations of the existing commercial GPS devices.
Elastic/Plastic Oblique Impact Analysis for Head Disk Interface Operational Shock

Investigation of the slider corner/disk impact process at the Head Disk Interface was carried out using a dynamic elastic-plastic finite element model of a sphere obliquely impacting a thin-film disk. The effect of slider corner radius and impact velocity on critical contact parameters was examined. To characterize the energy losses due to the operational shock impact damage, the coefficient of restitution for oblique elastic-plastic impact was studied using the finite element model. A method to use a physics-based elastic-plastic oblique impact model in conjunction with an analytical normal impact model was proposed to accurately predict coefficient of restitution for a rigid sphere impacting a half-space. This analytical model results compared favorably to the FEA results for the whole range covering low impact angles (primarily normal impacts) to high impact angles (primarily tangential impacts).Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Curie temperatures and dielectric properties of doped and undoped KTiOPO/sub 4/ and isomorphs

The Curie temperatures and dielectric properties of KTiOPO/sub 4/ (KTP), RbTiOPO/sub 4/, KTiOAsO/sub 4/, RbTiOAsO/sub 4/, CsTiOAsO/sub 4/, Ba:KTP, and Ga:KTP were measured with small-signal relative dielectric permittivity ( kappa ) analysis, piezoelectric resonance analysis, and optical second harmonic generation. All the isomorphs and the doped KTP exhibit lower Curie temperatures than KTP, ranging from 637 degrees C for CsTiOAsO/sub 4/ to 955 degrees C for hydrothermally (HT) grown KTP. The Curie-Weiss law is obeyed in all samples. With the exception of CsTiOAsO/sub 4/, all doped and undoped crystals show large dielectric relaxation at frequencies below 100 KHz throughout the temperature range of 500 degrees C-800 degrees C. For the barium-doped KTP, it was found that the Curie temperature decreases with increasing Ba/sup ++/-doping concentration. Barium doping also significantly modifies dielectric and piezoelectric properties of KTP. >
Role of placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction on the activation of fetal hepatic glucose production

Glucose is the major fuel for fetal oxidative metabolism. A positive maternal-fetal glucose gradient drives glucose across the placenta and is sufficient to meet the demands of the fetus, eliminating the need for endogenous hepatic glucose production (HGP). However, fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) from pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency have an early activation of HGP. Furthermore, this activated HGP is resistant to suppression by insulin. Here, we present the data demonstrating the activation of HGP in animal models, mostly fetal sheep, and human pregnancies with IUGR. We also discuss potential mechanisms and pathways that may produce and support HGP and hepatic insulin resistance in IUGR fetuses.
Points of Intersection: Mathematics Teaching and Learning with and Through Education Technology

This is an exciting time to be a teacher. Currently, sweeping changes are under way in both the fields of education technology and mathematics education. New standards are shaping these fields, in terms of classroom practices, in profound ways. In this chapter, we: Look at these two new sets of standards in relation to one another Explore fruitful ways in which these standards work together Suggest ways in which classroom teachers might use these together to enhance the work that they do with their students
Autobiography, Developmental Theory, and Teacher Education

AbstractInstrumental approaches to teaching human development ask students to learn about children at different ages and stages so as to plan appropriate instruction. An alternative approach stresses the connections between psychological theories of growth and the life experiences of the students themselves, with the goals of increasing intrapersonal awareness and identity achievement. In one such course, students wrote autobiographical texts, interviewed each other, and wrote essays on their texts and "official" texts in human development. This case study focuses on the narratives of one woman, who used Erikson's psychosocial theories to analyze her stories of adolescent conflict and school difficulties. (Developmental Psychology-Education)
Engineering Privacy in Social Applications

Experience with a social application depends crucially upon how it supports or interferes with the users' social expectations. Because privacy is central to the user's experience, the authors introduce Danio, a methodology based on modeling users' expectations in various contexts. Preliminary evaluation involving 34 developers suggests that Danio simplifies the development of social applications and saves time during implementation and testing.
Acute stroke trials without informed consent: Toward an evidence-based ethical practice.

Progress in treatment requires progress in experiment, and the treatment of acute stroke, along with many other neurologic diseases, needs more human experiments in the form of clinical trials. However, the acuity of the disease, the need for rapid intervention, and the decisional impairments in some patients present a challenge to obtaining informed consent for such trials. In addition, requiring written informed consent may select for patients who differ in clinically meaningful ways from patients who either are not able to provide it or who lack a surrogate who can do so for them. Most jurisdictions have mechanisms to allow, under certain circumstances, some types of clinical research without written informed consent. Some acute stroke trials are conducted with such waivers.
Changes in ribs of guinea pigs following administration of cattle anterior pituitary extract. (Acromegalic rosary.).

SummaryAdministration of acid extract of cattle anterior pituitary, when continued over long periods of time, leads to the following changes at the chondro-osseous junction of the ribs of the growing guinea pig: (1) The preexisting resting and columnar cartilage cells undergo hyperplastic and hypertrophie changes which are associated with certain retrogressive processes in the cells. (2) In the cells of the perichondrium and periosteum a pronounced hyperplasia takes place followed by an accelerated conversion of these cells into cartilaginous tissue with subsequent calcification. (3) The bone marrow becomes transformed into fibrous connective tissue in which cartilaginous islands develop in places adjoining the hyperplastic cartilage. Through the cooperation of both these growth processes an abundance of cartilage may develop.We find various transitions between ordinary hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the preexisting cartilage cells to the formation of a rosary-like newgrowth. In advanced cases, at a time ...
Optical Fourier Techniques for Medical Image Processing

Photo-controlled absorption and polarization of Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) films are exploited to perform spatial filtering for screen film as well as digital mammograms. The results offer useful information to radiologists for early detection of breast cancer.
Entrepreneurship as dynamic, complex, disequilibrious: A focus that benefits strategic organization:

We continue the conversation in SO! about possible beneficial relationships between the fields of entrepreneurship and strategic organization, consistent with SO!’s ambition of reducing the distances currently separating fields that share research phenomena (Baum et al., 2003). We do so with a focus on how entrepreneurship (ENT) – as a field with a central focus on dynamic, complex, disequilibrium problems (Bygrave, 1989; Herron et al., 1991) – can add to the understanding of strategic organization (SO). We complement the approaches taken in past SO!apbox essays that have advocated how ENT insights (e.g., on newer and smaller firms, on individual-level versus organizational-level processes, on social welfare, on left-censoring issues, on constrained, bricolagelike resource use, on opportunity recognition, and on other ‘entrepreneurial’ capabilities – Baker and Pollock, 2007; Phillips and Tracey, 2007) can inform SO research.
Inheritance of resistance to Puccinia coronata var. avenae in six selections of Avena sterilis

Six selections of Avena sterilis, introduced from Israel as sources of resistance to oat crown rust, were crossed with susceptible A. byzantina ‘Frazier’. The number of genes conditioning resistance to culture H-14 of race 326 of Puccinia coronata var. avenae in each of the six selections was determined from studies of F1, F2 and F3 populations from the crosses. P.I. 287211, P.I. 295919 and P.I. 296244 each appeared to have a single dominant gene for resistance, and P.I. 296265 and P.I. 296266 each two dominant ones. C.I. 8295 had a single partially dominant gene for resistance. Crosses among the A. sterilis parents indicated that at least four different genes conditioned resistance to culture H-14.
Clinical Analysis of the Relationship between Retinopathy at Severe eclampsia and Prognosis of Mother and Infant

Objective To discuss the relationship between retinopathy and hypertension, proteinuria,disease course and prognosis of mother and infant. Methods 458 patients with severe preeclampsia were examined normal fundus check. Results Among 458 cases,patients with retinopathy were 312 cases(68.12%),cases at stage I were 198 cases(63.46%),stage Ⅱ 46 cases(14.74%),stage Ⅲ 68 cases(21.79%). Among 312 cases with retinopathy, placenta abruption 48 cases,heart failure 29 cases, postpartum hemorrhage 85 cases,no death. Neonatal mild asphyxia 44 cases(9.61%),severe asphyxia 11 cases(2.40%),dead 6 cases(1.3%). Conclusion The occurrence and severity of retinopathy is related with hypertension, proteinuria,disease course and prognosis of infant and is helpful to judge the prognosis of mother and infant and take relevant measures and improve the prognosis of mother and infant.
Epidemiological analysis of bacillary dysentery in Fujian province,2005-2011

Objective To understand the epidemiological features of bacillary dysentery in Fujian province in 2005-2011,and to provide scientific basis for disease control and prevention.Methods Data of bacillary dysentery cases reported by health institutions in Fujian province through the National Disease Surveillance System from 2005 to 2011,was collected and analyzed descriptively.Results In general,the incidence of bacillary dysentery showed a down-ward trend from 2005 to 2011(χ2trend=703.98,P0.05).The peak season was from July to September,and the highest incidence was found to be in those younger than 5 years old.The difference of incidence between male(6.96 per 100 thousand population)and female(4.95 per 100 thousand population)was statistically significant(χ2=427.08,P0.05),as well as between those from rural area(6.35 per 100 thousand)and from city(5.61 per 100 thousand population)(χ2=57.48,P0.05).Most cases appeared in Xiamen,Longyan and Zhangzhou and were scattered children which accounted for 35.68% of total patients.Majority were diagnosed clinically instead of by laboratory diagnosis.Conclusions The incidence of bacillary dysentery in some regions is still high especially in rural areas,and children under 5 years old are at high-risk,therefore,more effective preventive measures should be applied.