cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract C285: TLR9 signaling in the tumor microenvironment initiates cancer recurrence after radiation therapy.

Recent studies suggested that cancer radiotherapy is potentially immunogenic. However, it is unclear why such effects rarely prevent tumor recurrence. Here, we uncover a novel Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9)-dependent mechanism initiating tumor regrowth after local radiotherapy. Systemic inhibition of TLR9, but not TLR4, delayed the recurrence of B16 melanoma, MB49 bladder, and CT26 colon cancers after localized, high dose tumor irradiation. We demonstrate that soluble factors present in the microenvironment of regressing tumors trigger TLR9 signaling in freshly recruited myeloid cells within four days after radiotherapy. The tumorigenic effects of TLR9 depended on rapid upregulation of IL-6 expression, which in turn resulted in downstream activation of Jak/STAT3 signaling in myeloid cells. By comparing global gene expression in wild-type, Tlr9-, or Stat3-deficient myeloid cells derived from irradiated tumors, we identified a unique set of TLR9/STAT3-regulated genes involved in tumor-promoting inflammation and revascularization. To assess whether blocking STAT3 can correct the aberrant TLR9 signaling, we used mice with a myeloid cell-specific Stat3 gene ablation or we treated mice using CpG-Stat3 siRNA to target TLR9-positive cells. Both approaches confirmed that targeting STAT3 in myeloid cells abrogates TLR9-mediated cancer recurrence after radiation therapy. Our results suggest that combining localized tumor irradiation with myeloid cell-specific inhibition of TLR9/STAT3 signaling can generate new strategies for the elimination of radiation resistant cancers. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C285. Citation Format: Chan Gao. TLR9 signaling in the tumor microenvironment initiates cancer recurrence after radiation therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C285.
Toward an Aggregative Measure of Saving and Capital Finance for U.S. Farm Operator Families

The present economic accounting system for the farm production sector fails to measure the personal saving of sector participants and its allocation between financing farm and nonfarm investments. This paper discusses the conceptualization, estimation, and usefulness of two economic accounts covering 1970-75 that provide this information for farm operator families, the largest group of sector participants. These accounts also identify the portion of annual farm capital accumulation financed by internal versus external funds. Analytical ratios illustrating the substantial amounts of equity capital withdrawn to finance nonfarm investments in recent years are presented.
Weight control needs and experiences among rural breast cancer survivors.

Objective: Rural women are understudied in research on weight control among breast cancer survivors despite having higher obesity rates than their urban counterparts placing them at higher risk for recurrence. The purpose of this survey study was to describe weight status and methods used for weight control in rural breast cancer survivors and to examine psychosocial factors in this population associated with weight change since breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: Women treated for breast cancer within the past 6 years at one of three rural Cancer Centers were mailed a survey with a cover letter from their oncology provider. Results: Survey respondents (n=918, 83% response rate) were 96% White non-Hispanic, on average 3.2 years from treatment, and 11% reported metastatic disease. Among respondents without known metastatic disease, 68% were overweight or obese, 37% were obese, and 25% reported a weight gain exceeding 5 kg since diagnosis. Among the overweight/obese women, 61% were currently attempting weight loss, and the most common weight loss method was dieting on one's own without assistance. Psychosocial factors associated with weight gain since diagnosis included depression, fear of cancer recurrence, diminished physical strength, body image concerns, relationship changes, and financial stressors. Conclusions: The high response rate indicates a general interest in body weight issues among rural BrCa survivors, and the findings highlight the need for weight control programs in this population. Findings also indicate that factors related to poor adjustment to breast cancer are associated with weight gain among rural women. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dostoevsky and the Trial of Nastasia Kairova: Carnal Love, Crimes of Passion, and Spiritual Redemption

The commentaries on newly instituted jury trials in Russia that Dostoevsky provided in his Diary of a Writer during the 1870s has attracted scholarly attention mainly for the legal and moral issues he addresses in them. His commentary on two jury trials in particular–those of Kroneberg and Kornilova (both of which involve violence toward children)–has attracted most of this scholarly attention. The present article examines Dostoevsky's commentary on a different trial, that of Nastasia Kairova, an actress who attacked the estranged wife of her lover with a razor in an outburst of jealous passion. Rather than examine Dostoevsky's commentary on the Kairova case as an example of his views on moral, legal, criminal, and/or judicial issues, however, I will be exploring it against the background of the author's views on female sexuality. More specifically, I will be focusing upon how Dostoevsky's conceptualization of carnal desire as a violent and destructive passion shapes his understanding not only of sex and love, but also of justice and mercy. It thus influences in a very fundamental way his view of the role that love–maternal and conjugal as opposed to romantic and sexual–should play in helping to establish the moral structure of a life, a family, and a society. Dostoevsky believed that Kairova's crime of passion was triggered by the unbridling of her carnal lusts, by the unleashing of a dangerous and destructive appetite for power, aggression, and domination that he linked closely with sexual desire. As we will see, Kairova's unruly carnal lusts, in Dostoevsky's opinion, not only led to her violent crime of passion; they also stood in the way of her moral regeneration and spiritual redemption.
The dark side of fire: Postmodern critique and the elusiveness of the ideological

As scholars commonly maintain, the coming of modernity raised the stakes regarding the pursuit of objective truth and inaugurated the critique of error, unfounded beliefs, prejudice, and ideological interest. In our times, postmodernism has turned the weapons of critique against modernity itself and promoted the wholesale rejection of reason; in the aftermath, without any appraisal criteria left, ideological ‘opinions’ keep growing in numbers, get decentralized and multifaceted , and are considered as equivalent voices expressing the different experiences of individuals and local groups. But is this inward and self-destructive turn of critique warranted? Unpacking the relevant arguments one finds many contradictions inside postmodernism, derivative of its peculiar antinomial relations to modernity/modernism. A discussion of the various meanings and forms of the notion of ‘meta-narrative’ demonstrates the weaknesses of both the absolutist (modernist) and radical relativist (postmodernist) positions and points the way toward a moderate, critico-pragmatic understanding of the relationships between, on the one hand, knowledge and critique and, on the other, ideology.
The uncertain future of research chimpanzees.

The otherwise excellent News Focus article by Jon Cohen on the future of “The endangered lab chimp” (26 Jan., p. [450][1]) does not emphasize one compelling reason why studies of captive chimpanzees should continue—the significant differences in their disease patterns, incidence, and severity
A DNA double-strand break repair-deficient mutant of CHO cells shows reduced radiosensitization after exposure to hyperthermic temperatures in the plateau phase of growth.

Heat response and heat-induced radiosensitization were studied in plateau-phase cultures of CHO cells and their radiation-sensitive counterpart, the xrs-5 cells. The xrs-5 cells were more sensitive to heat alone than were CHO cells. A large enhancement in radiation-induced killing was observed in CHO cells pre-exposed to heat (43°C), expressed as a reduction in the values of Do and Dq. Contrary to the results obtained with CHO cells, pre-exposure to heat of xrs-5 cells affected radiation sensitivity to a much lesser extent. DI, the radiation dose required to reduce cell survival to 1%, decreased in CHO cells from 8ċ7 Gy to 2ċ5 Gy with increasing heat damage (cell survival after exposure to heat alone), whereas it decreased from 1ċ4 Gy to 0ċ9 Gy in xrs-5 cells. These results suggest that heat-induced radiosensitization is compromised in plateau-phase xrs-5 cells. Since xrs-5 cells are deficient in DNA dsb repair, it is hypothesized that DNA dsb repair proficiency is a prerequisite for heat radiosensitizati...
TIME‐LAPSE ANALYSIS OF GRAVITROPISM IN CERATODON PROTONEMATA

The tip cell of the protonema of the moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. is negatively gravitropic when grown in the dark on supplemented agar. Gravitropism, plastid distribution, and plastid movement were studied in living cells using time-lapse video microscopy and infrared light. A wrong-way (downward) curvature preceded upward curvature and was detected as early as 2 minutes after reorientation. Upward curvature began 30-45 minutes after reorientation to the horizontal. Cell division temporarily reversed upward curvature, but did not inhibit wrong-way curvature. Since significant amyloplast sedimentation always occurred before the start of upward curvature, it is possible that these amyloplasts function as statoliths for upward curvature. However, no significant amyloplast sedimentation occurred before wrong-way curvature. Thus, this early phase of gravitropism cannot require plastid sedimentation for gravity sensing. Most plastids moved within and between zones, and plastid zonation was highly dynamic. Plastids moved toward the apex and toward the base of the cell at rates much slower than cytoplasmic streaming. Despite the dynamic nature of plastid movement and zonation, during upward curvature the distance between sedimented plastids and the apex stayed constant. Time-lapse analysis has revealed intriguing events not readily seen previously using destructive sampling.
A LATE PLEISTOCENE / HOLOCENE BIOTIC COMMUNITY FROM MARMOT END ALCOVE, ESCALANTE RIVER BASIN, COLORADO PLATEAU, USA

ABSTRACT. Skeletal remains of the extinct mountain goat Oreamnos harringtoni and Marmota (marmot), an extralimital species, were recovered from Marmot End Alcove along with remains of montane plants that included Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir), Picea (spruce), Pinus flexilis (limber pine), and Juniperus communis (common juniper). The alcove is located in Harris Wash, a semiarid tributary in an unstudied portion of the Escalante River Basin on the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah. A Marmota incisor tooth and montane plant needles returned late Pleistocene AMS dates ranging from 12,300 yr BP to 15,600 yr BP.
Innovations in student-centered interdisciplinary teaching for general education in aging.

ABSTRACT The University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) General Education “Clusters” are innovations in student-centered undergraduate education focused on complex phenomena that require an interdisciplinary perspective. UCLA gerontology and geriatric faculty recognized the opportunity to introduce freshmen to the field of aging through this new initiative. In 2000, with support of the College of Letters and Science, the School of Medicine Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology created “Frontiers in Human Aging: Biomedical, Social and Policy Perspectives.” The active and cooperative student-centered teaching of aging that is integral to this course has successfully contributed to the development of intellectual skills needed for academic and life success in over 1,200 freshman honors students.
Reactivity of Mo(PMe3)5H2 towards catecholborane: synthesis and structure of Mo(PMe3)4(η2-H2BCat)H

Abstract Mo(PMe 3 ) 5 H 2 reacts with catecholborane (CatBH) to give Mo(PMe 3 ) 4 (η 2 -H 2 BCat)H. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction suggests that the complex is best represented as a borohydride complex, as opposed to a boryl-hydride derivative Mo(PMe 3 ) 4 (BCat)H 3 .
Initiation of auxin autonomy in Nicotiana glutinosa cells by the cytokinin-biosynthesis gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Agrobacteria carrying mutations at the auxin-biosynthesizing loci (iaaH and iaaM of the Ti plasmid) induce shoot-forming tumors on many plant species. In some cases, e.g. Nicotiana glutinosa L., tumors induced by such mutant strains exhibit an unorganized and fully autonomous phenotype. These characteristics are stable in culture at both the tissue and cellular level. We demonstrate that the cytokinin-biosynthesis gene (ipt) of the Ti plasmid is responsble for the induction of both auxin and cytokinin autonomy in N. glutinosa. Cloned cell lines carrying an ipt gene but lacking iaaH and iaaM are capable of accumulating indole-3-acetic acid. Interestingly, non-transformed N. glutinosa tissues exhibit an auxin-requiring phenotype when they are grown on medium supplemented with an exogenous supply of cytokinin. These results strongly indicate that exogenously supplied cytokinin does not mimic all the effects of the expression of the ipt gene in causing the auxin-autonomous growth of N. glutinosa cells.
Mechanisms of proton-induced stimulation of CGRP release from rat antrum

Mechanisms of acid-evoked CGRP release from gastric afferent nerves were investigated in rat antral mucosal/submucosal tissues. Low pH (pH 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0) stimulated antral CGRP release significantly and dose-dependently from rat antral fragments. Removal of extracellular calcium from the incubation medium resulted in significant inhibition (59%, P < 0.001) of acid (pH 4.0)-stimulated CGRP release. Conotoxin (1 · 10−7 M), the selective blocker of N-type calcium channels, also significantly inhibited proton (pH 4.0)-induced CGRP release to values that were 74% below net stimulated levels. Neither nifedipine (1 · 10−6 M), the L-type Ca2+-channel antagonist, nor indomethacin (1 · 10−5 M), inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, altered acid-induced CGRP release. In contrast, ruthenium red (1 · 10−5 M), capsaicin antagonist, almost completely prevented acid (pH 4.0)-stimulated CGRP release. Capsazepine (1 · 10−4 M), a specific capsaicin receptor antagonist, also completely abolished acid-induced CGRP release. In conclusion, the results of these studies indicate that hydrogen ions are capable of evoking CGRP release from peripheral sensory neurons in rat antral mucosal/submucosal tissues. Proton-evoked CGRP release requires extracellular calcium and involves N-type calcium channels. Furthermore, acid appears to exert a capsaicin-like effect to evoke sensory neuropeptide release that is sensitive to capsazepine and ruthenium red. These data suggest that proton-induced antral CGRP release represents a direct action of hydrogen ions on mucosal/submucosal sensory dendritic nerve endings to effect local release of neuropeptide.
Monte Carlo methods for modeling magnetostatic NDE phenomena: a feasibility study

Magnetostatic methods that are used for the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of ferromagnetic materials can be modeled by partial differential equations. Conventional numerical methods such as finite difference, finite elements or boundary integral methods for large problems typically require an iterative matrix inversion scheme to solve the system of equations. Parallel implementation of such schemes is extremely difficult due to the data dependencies in the matrices. Monte Carlo methods offer an alternative approach by reducing the differential equation to simple, independent, random processes that are inherently amenable to parallel implementation. This paper investigates the use of Monte Carlo methods for modeling magnetostatic flux leakage NDE phenomena. The model is validated by comparing the results with those obtained with finite element models. The approach offers significant reduction in computational burden especially for 3-D problems.
Community Participation in Rapidly Growing Communities in Southern Utah

Amenity-rich locations attract individuals searching for places to recreate, live, or retire. As a result, such areas, many of which are in the Western United States, experience changes related to population in-migration. Past research shows how the extensive in-migration of people with different values and perspectives can contribute to social conflict in affected communities. This study focuses on the relationship of community level indicators with community participation in a five-county rapidly growing amenity-rich area in southern Utah. The research team studied two main types of community members—seasonal and permanent residents. Differences among such residents can contribute to shifts in community social interaction and affect overall participation in community affairs. Because participation in community is a central aspect of fostering local community development, it is important to understand how these processes occur. This study found structural and interactional differences between permanent a...
Photoreceptors in the cnidarian hosts allow symbiotic corals to sense blue moonlight

In many species of symbiotic corals, spawning occurs synchronously several nights after the full moon. This process is correlated with the level of lunar irradiance, but the mechanism by which these cnidarian/zooxanthellate symbioses can detect such low levels of light remains unknown. Here we report the first biophysical evidence that the host animal exhibits extraordinarily sensitive photoreception in the blue region of the spectrum. Using a high-resolution laser-induced signal to detect tentacle scattering, we measured the effect of low irradiance on the contraction of polyps in the corals that normally have their tentacles extended in darkness. Similar to most deep-sea invertebrates, the action spectra of coral photoreception reveal a maximum sensitivity in the blue, at 480 nm, with a spectral band width (at full-width half-maximum) of ca. 110 nm. The spectra closely overlap the maximal transparency of oligotrophic tropical waters, thus optimizing the perception of low light at depth. The detected threshold of photoreception sensitivity is ∼1.2 X 10 15 quanta m -2 s -1 in the blue region. This makes corals capable of sensing the blue portion of lunar irradiance, as evidenced from the recorded slight contractions of polyp tentacles under variations in moonlight intensity.
Ethanol, oxidative stress, and cytokine-induced liver cell injury

Both clinical findings and results of experiments with animal models of alcoholic hepatitis have shown the importance of cytokine-mediated cell-cell interactions in the onset of ethanol-induced liver damage. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and interleukin-6, are released from Kupffer cells or infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages and elicit defensive responses in parenchymal cells, including activation of apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), generated in response to cytokine-induced stress signals in parenchymal cells and also by activation of Kupffer cells and inflammatory cells, further mobilize cellular defense mechanisms. When these defensive responses are overwhelmed cells may die by necrosis, further stimulating inflammatory responses and infiltration of neutrophils. Chronic ethanol intake (i.e., many years of heavy alcohol use in human patients, several weeks or months in experimental animals) enhances the damaging consequences of these events through a variety of mechanisms. The formation of cytokines in the liver is stimulated by increasing circulating levels of endotoxin and by enhancing the responsiveness of Kupffer cells to such stimuli. In addition, ethanol promotes oxidative stress, both by increased formation of ROS and by depletion of oxidative defenses in the cell. Furthermore, liver cells from ethanol-treated animals are more susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of TNF-alpha and other cytokines than cells from control animals. Mitochondria play a critical role in the apoptotic response, and alterations in mitochondrial function after chronic ethanol treatment may contribute to enhanced cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. How the shift in the balance of cytokine-induced defensive and damage responses in hepatocytes contributes to the liver injury that occurs in alcoholic hepatitis remains poorly characterized and should be a rewarding area for future studies.
E-scapes: The electronic physical environment and service tangibility

Tangible cues in a firm's physical environment play an important role in affecting consumer attitudes and behavior (Baker, Berry, & Parasuraman, 1988; Bitner, 1990, 1992; Darden & Babin, 1994; Donovan & Rossiter, 1982; Zeithaml, 1981). The physical environment has typically been conceptualized as in-store variables such as lighting, music, color, smell, and store layout, but the Internet has created a new type of electronic physical environment, the e-scape, based in cyberspace. This research investigates the role of tangibility in maximizing the effectiveness of an e-scape for service firms. The effectiveness of the Berry and Clark (1986) documentation, physical representation, and association strategies is explored by empirically examining the impact of Web sites employing these strategies on attitudinal and behavioral measures. The results suggest that the documentation strategy is effective for increasing the tangibility of services and elicits more positive evaluations of the service and the Web site, higher unaided recall, and higher loyalty. The results also indicate that the physical representation strategy is more effective than the association strategy in certain conditions. The mechanism driving these effects is described and managerial implications are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Catalytic and direct oxidation of cysteine by octacyanomolybdate(V).

The oxidation of cysteine by [Mo(CN)8]3- in deoxygenated aqueous solution at a moderate pH is strongly catalyzed by Cu2+, to the degree that impurity levels of Cu2+ are sufficient to dominate the reaction. Dipicolinic acid (dipic) is a very effective inhibitor of this catalysis, such that with 1 mM dipic, the direct oxidation can be studied. UV−vis spectra and electrochemistry show that [Mo(CN)8]4- is the Mo-containing product. Cystine and cysteinesulfinate are the predominant cysteine oxidation products. The stoichiometric ratio (ΔnMo(V)/Δncysteine) of 1.4 at pH 10.8 is consistent with this product distribution. At pH 1.5, the reaction is quite slow and yields intractable kinetics. At pH 4.5, the rates are much faster and deviate only slightly from pseudo-first-order behavior. With 2 mM PBN (N-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone) present at pH 4.5, the reaction rate is about 20% less and shows excellent pseudo-first-order behavior, but the stoichiometric ratio is not significantly changed. The rates also display a...
Scarcity-Induced Domestic Conflict: Examining the Interactive Effects of Environmental Scarcity and ‘Ethnic’ Population Pressures

This study argues that environmental scarcity is more likely to result in civil conflict in countries that experience ‘ethnic’ population pressures (i.e. where the size of the largest minority group is close to parity with the majority group). I refer to this argument as the ‘parity-threat’ approach to the study of scarcity-induced domestic conflict. I empirically test my argument by analysing time-series cross-section data for the period 1979–2000 using four alternative environmental indicators: (1) ecological footprint, (2) biocapacity, (3) scarcity of ecological reserves and (4) water scarcity. The results demonstrate that environmental scarcity increases the probability of civil conflict when conditioned by ‘ethnic’ population pressures.
The Cognitive Dynamics of Negated Sentence Verification

We explored the influence of negation on cognitive dynamics, measured using mouse-movement trajectories, to test the classic notion that negation acts as an operator on linguistic processing. In three experiments, participants verified the truth or falsity of simple statements, and we tracked the computer-mouse trajectories of their responses. Sentences expressing these facts sometimes contained a negation. Such negated statements could be true (e.g., "elephants are not small") or false (e.g., "elephants are not large"). In the first experiment, as predicted by the classic notion of negation, we found that negation caused more discreteness in the mouse trajectory of a response. The second experiment induced a simple context for these statements, yet negation still increased discreteness in trajectories. A third experiment enhanced the pragmatic context of sentences, and the discreteness was substantially diminished, with one primary measure no longer significantly showing increased discreteness at all. Traditional linguistic theories predict rapid shifts in cognitive dynamics occur due to the nature of negation: It is an operator that reverses the truth or falsity of an interpretation. We argue that these results support both propositional and contextual accounts of negation present in the literature, suggesting that contextual factors are crucial for determining the kind of cognitive dynamics displayed. We conclude by drawing broader lessons about theories of cognition from the case of negation.
Members' perceptions of co-leaders' influence and effectiveness in group psychotherapy

Abstract Effects of the leader gender on clients' perceptions of co-leader influence and effectiveness were examined. No significant differences were found. Implications for treatment effectiveness are discussed.
An assessment of chicken husbandry including Newcastle disease control in rural areas of Chibuto, Mozambique

This paper describes the management practices of village poultry in Chibuto and the impact of the Newcastle disease vaccination program conducted between January 2005 and August 2008. A 51-question survey was conducted in 11 villages involved in the Newcastle disease vaccination program in Chibuto, Mozambique. The mean flock size was significantly higher in households that provided their chickens with feed (15.0) than chickens that only scavenged (8.7; P = 0.0001). The mean flock size was significantly higher in households with vaccinated chickens (16.9) than those with unvaccinated chickens (10.0; P = 0.0005). The average number of chicks hatched during the most recent brooding was significantly higher in households that fed their chickens (9.2) than chickens that only scavenge (6.9; P = 0.0335). The mean hatch rate was significantly higher in households with vaccinated chickens (0.8) than those with unvaccinated chickens (0.7; P = 0.0324). It was determined that unvaccinated chickens are approximately five times more at risk to die of Newcastle disease (odds ratio = 4.79). This study supported the efficacy of the I-2 Newcastle disease vaccine as shown by the increased average flock size and decreased incidence of chicken mortality due to Newcastle disease. The level of farmer involvement and ongoing commitment by community vaccinators suggest that the Chibuto vaccination program is likely to be sustainable in the medium- to long-term.
It's Just a Joke: Violence Against Males in Humorous Advertising

Violence in the media has been an issue of research and public debate for many years. An examination of current humorous ads reveals widespread portrayal of men as victims of violence or in denigrating situations that are construed as humorous. This portrayal of men is an unanticipated twist on traditional themes of gender and subordination and suggests a change in what it means to be "male" in contemporary consumer society.
Analysis of a sequenced cDNA library from multiple sclerosis lesions

To identify genes that are expressed in MS pathogenesis, we have analyzed a normalized cDNA library made from mRNA obtained from CNS lesions of a patient with primary progressive MS. Complementary DNA clones obtained from this library were subjected to automated DNA sequencing to generate expressed sequence tags. Analysis of this MS cDNA library revealed the presence of 54 cDNAs that were associated with immune activation and indicated the presence of an ongoing inflammatory response with evidence of both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. The surprising finding was that 16 of the cDNAs encoded autoantigens associated with seven other autoimmune disorders, while only three of these 16 autoantigen cDNAs were present in a similarly constructed adult brain library. Such aberrant autoantigen expression could provide a source of secondary autoimmune stimulation that could contribute to the ongoing inflammatory response in MS. In addition, two cDNAs were found that mapped to a known MS susceptibility locus (5p14-p12): one encoded an excitatory amino acid transporter and the other a human homologue of the Drosophila disabled gene. This approach to the molecular biology of MS pathogenesis may help to illuminate previously unappreciated aspects of this disease.
Attitudes of Genetic Counselors Towards Genetic Susceptibility Testing in Children

Genetic susceptibility research and testing is leading to an era of personalized medicine. Genetic counselors act as liaisons between the medical genetics community and the public. Understanding the opinions of genetic counselors will be important in developing testing guidelines. Attitudes towards genetic susceptibility testing in children were assessed for 216 NSGC members. Genetic counselors were likely to support testing if the results would determine: disease progression or prognosis, likelihood of survival after a specific treatment, or risk for an adverse drug reaction. Genetic counselors were unlikely to support testing to determine susceptibility to later disease development or in the absence of available intervention. There was a strong positive correlation between attitudes associated with desire to test their own child, if at risk and their support for genetic testing in any child at risk. Respondents strongly favored parent/guardian and child’s rights over doctor or insurance rights. They indicated assent should be obtained prior to testing, when appropriate, and that a copy of results should be kept in a permanent medical record. Respondents expressed concerns about insurance discrimination, testing in the absence of medical necessity, and taking away a child’s autonomy.
An Exploratory Analysis of Federal Litigation in the United States Challenging Asset Forfeiture

This article examines the results of research that analyzed asset forfeiture litigation from the U.S. Court of Appeals. More specifically, the research focused on the characteristics and outcomes of 193 cases in which plaintiffs were seeking the return of assets. The research also examined the predictors of success for plaintiffs in these cases. Among the findings, we found that most assets were seized through criminal proceedings and involved cash forfeitures. When forfeiture proceedings began, however, 94% were carried out using the civil process. Plaintiffs lost most of the cases, but several variables significantly increased or decreased the likelihood of winning. When the plaintiff was a corporation, and when the case originated through the criminal asset forfeiture proceeding, the likelihood of the plaintiff prevailing increased. However, gender (specifically, being male), third-party involvement, and cash forfeitures reduced the likelihood of the plaintiff ’s winning. This article discusses the imp...
Numerical Modeling of Damping Characteristics in a Torsional Micro-Resonator

The dynamic behavior of torsional micro-resonators with dimensions, 100 μm × 20 μm, 100 μm × 10 μm, 100 μm × 5 μm, and 100 μm × 2.5 μm are modeled under continuum conditions in ambient air and different liquids and at angular frequencies of 1000 Hz and 5000 Hz respectively. The dynamic response in terms of energy lost per cycle, torsional amplitude and the phase shift are calculated and non-dimensionalized suitably. Finally efforts have been made to establish a relationship between the parameters of interest and the aspect ratio.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Alumina ceramic as a mounting medium for electron microprobe analysis and 40Ar/39Ar laser microprobe dating of mineral grains

Abstract Using a commercial ceramic adhesive, we have developed a technique by which loose mineral grains may be mounted for electron microprobe (EMP) analyses and imaging prior to 40 Ar/ 39 Ar laser microprobe (LMP) dating. Successively applied and cured layers of the adhesive encase mineral grains aligned along the surface of a glass slide; this slide is subsequently ground off to expose the mineral grains for polishing and EMP analysis. Following removal of the conductive coating, irradiation, and heating to 500°C in vacuo (to drive off atmosphere, hydrocarbons, and moisture) the entire grain mount is introduced into the LMP line. Tests of the ceramic's properties were performed by subjecting 125–500μm-diameter grains of a 35.04±0.84-Ma amphibole to the full preparation and analytical regimen. Resulting isotopic data reveal that the ceramic does not interfere with the Ar systematics of the enclosed grains, but does contribute a large component of atmospheric Ar. Curing the grain mounts in a nitrogen atmosphere, and treating them at 700°C in vacuo prior to dating reduces the atmospheric contribution to negligible levels; using laser energies necessary to fuse amphibole grains, heating of the nitrogen-cured, 700°C-treated ceramic fails to evolve significant quantities of any Ar isotopes. This technique is designed for use in the dating of detrital and authigenic grains, each of which may have a different composition and range of inclusion and alteration phases. It is also applicable to the study of other minerals which must be concentrated or processed as grain separates prior to 40 Ar/ 39 Ar LMP analysis.
Applications of electron holography to the study of interfaces

Abstract Electron holography has been applied to a variety of layered structures to assess its usefulness for supplying information about composition profiles across heterogeneous interfaces. The phase of the exit-surface electron wave, which to a first approximation is dependent upon the mean inner potential and the specimen thickness, was extracted from electron holograms acquired from suitable cross-sectional multilayer specimens. Line profiles from the reconstructed phase images were analyzed to obtain information about interface diffuseness and layer width with a spatial resolution of about 5 A. Using spatial averaging parallel to the interface, increased measurement precision was obtainable in some special cases. Differences in interdiffusion widths between Mo-Si and Si-Mo interfaces in an Mo/Si multilayer structure were confirmed, and the width of the amorphous layer at Si 3 N 4 grain boundaries was measured to be about 12 A. It was concluded that off-axis electron holography represented a useful complementary technique for characterizing interfaces.
Functional expression of a fusion-dimeric MoFe protein of nitrogenase in Azotobacter vinelandii.

The MoFe protein component of the complex metalloenzyme nitrogenase is an α2β2 tetramer encoded by thenifD and the nifK genes. In nitrogen fixing organisms, the α and β subunits are translated as separate polypeptides and then assembled into tetrameric MoFe protein complex that includes two types of metal centers, the P cluster and the FeMo cofactor. In Azotobacter vinelandii, the NifEN complex, the site for biosynthesis of the FeMo cofactor, is an α2β2 tetramer that is structurally similar to the MoFe protein and encoded as two separate polypeptides by the nifE and the nifNgenes. In Anabaena variabilis it was shown that a NifE-N fusion protein encoded by translationally fused nifE andnifN genes can support biological nitrogen fixation. The structural similarity between the MoFe protein and the NifEN complex prompted us to test whether the MoFe protein could also be functional when synthesized as a single protein encoded by nifD-Ktranslational fusion. Here we report that the NifD-K fusion protein encoded by nifD-K translational fusion in A. vinelandii is a large protein (as determined by Western blot analysis) and is capable of supporting biological nitrogen fixation. These results imply that the MoFe protein is flexible in that it can accommodate major structural changes and remain functional.
Computed alignment of serial sections for 3D reconstructions

Image alignment is an absolute requirement for creating three-dimensional reconstructions from serial sections. The rotational and translational components of misalignment can be corrected by an iterative correlation procedure, but for images having significant differences, alignment can fail with a likelihood proportional to the extent of the differences. We found that translational correction was much more reliably determined when lowpass filters were applied to the product transforms from which the correlations were calculated. Also, rotational corrections based on polar analyses of the images' autocorrelations instead of the images directly contributed to more accurate alignments. These methods were combined to generate 3-D reconstructions of brain capillaries imaged by transmission electron microscopy.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transport model of optical beams in a plasma

Abstract A new kind of a particle simulation algorithm suitable for following long time scale evolution of electromagnetic beams in plasma is presented. The algorithm is based on particle and field equations averaged over the rapid laser oscillations and the model constitutes the electromagnetic counterpart for the Zakharov's model for electrostatics. This code can be reduced to a fully fluid code, if so desired, by replacing the electron dynamics. Computational remarks upon implementation of the algorithm are given. Test results of the code applied to the Rayleigh spread and self-focusing of an intense laser beam in a plasma are discussed.
Interleukin-8 expression in AIDS-associated lymphoma B-cell lines.

Interleukin 8 (IL-8), a member of the CXC subfamily of chemokines, is a potent inflammatory cytokine produced by many cell types in response to several stimuli. In an attempt to determine whether human B-cell IL-8 functions as an autocrine growth factor, a wide panel of B-cell lines derived from patients with AIDS-associated B-cell lymphomas (AABCL) (n = 5) and from non-AABCLs (n = 8) was studied for expression of IL-8, IL-8 Receptor type A (IL-8R), and secretion of IL-8 protein. Using RT-PCR and Northern Blot analysis, we were able to observe IL-8 expression ubiquitously. However, IL-8R expression was seen only in EBV negative (4 out of 7) B-cell lines. EBV and HIV-1 activated B-cell line; HBL-1, was the major secretor of IL-8. Our results demonstrate that IL-8 is expressed in malignant B-cell phenotypes that correspond to a narrow window in the B-cell differentiation pathway (pre-B, early-B, and intermediate-B) as well as in normal CD19-enriched B-cells. Furthermore, IL-8 autocrine loops were not evident since IL-8R was detected only in cell lines that did not secrete IL-8 protein.
Polyphosphazenes with amino acid citronellol ester side groups for biomedical applications

Abstract In order for a material to be considered a potential candidate as a scaffolding substrate, it should be biodegradable to non-toxic products, and possess similar physical characteristics to those of the living tissue being replaced. Previous work centered on the direct linkage of citronellol, an anti-inflammatory molecule, to a polyphosphazene backbone. Moreover, the hydrolysis rate in that study was tuned by incorporating alanine ethyl ester co-substituent units thereby decreasing the amount of citronellol in the final polymer. By contrast, in this work citronellol was used as an ester unit linked to the carboxylic acid moiety of the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, and phenylalanine that were in turn linked to the polymer backbone through the amino functionality. This method allowed the hydrolysis rate to be controlled via the steric hindrance generated by the amino acid ester while still providing two crosslinkable sites per repeat unit from the citronellol units. A hydrolysis study of the uncrosslinked polymers at physiological temperature showed between a 19.8% and 28.8% mass loss and between a 80.4% and 98.9% molecular weight decline after 12 weeks. The double bond in the citronellol structure also allowed polymer crosslinking by UV radiation to further control the polymer properties.
A Quantitative and Morphological Study of Bovine Longissimus Fat Cells

SUMMARY— A quantitative and morphological study was made of bovine fat cells from three marbling groups of longissimus muscle. Tracings on acetate paper were made of the visual marbling depots and the area measured at three positions with an ocular grid for both size and distribution of fat cells. Comparisons were also made of subcutaneous, intermuscular and intramuscular fat cell size. Intrafiber lipid accumulation was observed and the average number of red fibers per bundle determined. These results indicate that traceable intramuscular fat is not a good measure of total intramuscular fat. There did not appear to be a consistent medial, central and lateral marbling pattern among the three marbling groups; however, significant differences were apparent within groups. Fat cell size increased with increases in cell mass, marbling and total chemical fat of the muscle. Fat cells accumulated and grew in close proximity to portions of the circulatory system. Lipid deposits adjacent to the muscle contained larger fat cells than was evident in the extrafascicular spaces within the muscle. Intrafiber lipid was readily apparent in approximately 35% of the muscle fibers and probably represented either mitochondria or triglyceride. The interrelationship of subjective marbling scores, chemically determined fat, fat cell size, fat cell distribution and intrafiber lipid characteristics are complex and require complete investigation before the association of muscle fat and meat quality can be resolved.
Guaranteeing employment to the rural poor: Social functions and class interests in the employment guarantee scheme in Western India

Abstract Numerous observers rightly term the landless rural population the ‘most intractable development problem’ in poor societies. Given the extraordinary political and administrative obstacles to redistrubution of rural assets in India (the widely-recognized failture land reforms), attention and finances have recently been focused on public rural employment programmes to alleviate rural distribution. Within India, the State of Maharashtra, with a size and population of a large European nation, has instituted a striking departure from traditional rural works programmes: a guarantee of employment to rural adults on demand. The Employment Guarantee Scheme in one state has since become a significant policy model, and the experience in that state provides something like a laboratory for its analysis. Based on analysis of previous studies and original field work in rural Maharashtra, the article argues that the scheme is something of a rare bird: a programme which seems to be in the objective and subjective interests of the rural poor, as well as consistent with the interests of the rural landed elite, despite their early political objections. The fiscal structure of the scheme is a direct contradiction of Lipton's (1977) model of ‘urban bias’ in Third World development strategies; the Employment Guarantee Scheme is rather more a manifestation of ‘kulak power’. Though promulgated as an alternative to policies entailing redistribution of rural assets, and clearly superior to doing nothing about rural distribution, the scheme is inferior to genuine redistribution in terms of altering the rural political economy. The functions, if not the motivations, of the scheme are profoundly conservative in a structural sense, politically and economically; the philosophical underpinnings, and perhaps , potentially, the consequences for mobilization of the rural poor, are quite the opposite.
Reinnervation of villi of rat jejunum following severe mucosal damage.

We studied the time course of the regeneration of the jejunal mucosa of the rat after it was damaged by exposure to the surfactant, benzalkonium chloride. We placed particular emphasis on assessing the morphology of the nerve fibers within the villi during and after regeneration. The application of benzalkonium chloride resulted in virtually complete loss of villi within the treated segment; however, the crypts were only partially damaged. The mucosa began to regenerate within 6 hr of the insult. The villus lengths and crypt depths returned to pretreatment values within two to four days. The mucosal innervation was assessed through immunohistochemistry for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). At all stages of regeneration, VIP, NPY, and NSE immunopositive fibers within the lamina propria extended to the tips of the villi. The density of the immunopositive fibers in the lamina propria at four days after mucosal insult was similar to that in control tissues regardless of the neuronal marker visualized. We conclude that the nerve fibers innervating the small intestinal mucosa grow at a rate of approximately 100 μm/day and that the entire length of each villus contains nerve fibers throughout the regeneration process. The innervation of the regenerated mucosa appears identical to that of control mucosa.
Chlorine-36 Releases from the Savanniah River Site Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facilities

Determinations of 36CI (T½= 301,000 a) in waters on and near the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina reveal that nuclear fuel reprocessing activities there have released measurable amounts of this radionuclide to the environment. The natural atmospheric flux of 36CI at the latitude of SRS is 20-25 atoms m-2 sec-1. Atmospheric releases of 36CI from SRS, within the site boundaries, have increased this flux by a factor of at least 10 to 20. Approximately 3×109 Becquerels (Bq) [84 millicuries (mCi)] of site-derived 36 CI have been deposited within 200 km of the plant boundaries. By comparison, fallout of 36CI from nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s deposited twice this amount of activity in the same area. Surface-water 36CI concentrations in on-site streams represent about 0.01 percent of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking-water standard and therefore pose no health concern. At SRS and similar facilities, this additional source of 36CI should prove useful for validating ground-water and atmospheric transport models.
William Ludlam: portrait of an eighteenth-century mathematician

In 1785, William Ludlam wrote a book entitled The rudiments of mathematics. After I purchased the 1790 edition of this text some years ago at an antiquarian bookstore in Connecticut, I became interested in learning more about him. Ludlam's name had appeared as a footnote in several histories of mathematics, but little else had been written about him. I began some research, simply out of curiosity. What emerged was a story of an interesting mathematician, scientist, inventor, and clergyman—and a man who often found himself in the middle of controversy and subject to personal attacks, whether deserved or not. This article is a biography of Ludlam, in which I have used his own words, as well as those of his adversaries, wherever possible.