cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting pro-apoptotic protein BAD inhibits survival and self-renewal of cancer stem cells

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that the resistance of cancer stem cells (CSC) to many conventional therapies accounts for the inability of these therapies to cure cancers. Current cancer therapies can only shrink tumors as they target and kill differentiated tumor cells that constitute the bulk of the tumor, but are unable to target rare CSC population. Thus, despite a wealth of the information in differentiated cancer cells, the active survival and self-renewal pathways in CSC have not been characterized in detail. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the survival, self-renewal, maintenance, and resistance of cancer stem cells to current therapeutic regimens is of immense clinical interest. Objectives: BAD is a proapoptotic protein that has been shown to modulate apoptosis in cancer cells. However, the potential role of BAD in CSC biology has not been investigated. The objectives of this study are to address the role of pro-apoptotic protein BAD in survival and self-renewal of cancer stem cells, and test whether BAD expression can be used as a biomarker. Methods: Sphere formation method was used to enrich cancer stem cells from breast, prostate and melanoma cell lines. BAD expression was reduced by lentiviral-mediated delivery of shRNA specific to BAD. Apoptosis was induced in CSC by inhibiting the survival kinases PI3K and MAPK using pharmacological inhibitors LY294002 and PD98059, respectively. The cytoprotective and self-renewal effects of growth factors and neuropeptides were assessed. RT-PCR was used to quantify the expression of BAD in tumors of prostate cancer patients. Results and conclusion: Using sphere-derived CSC, we show that the BAD phosphorylation is essential for the survival of CSC as they are addicted to the expression of phosphorylated BAD. While none of CSCs could survive in the absence of BAD phosphorylation, both drugs and growth factors delivered their respective cytotoxic and protective effects by modulating the BAD phosphorylation in CSC. We also show that the self-renewal ability of cancer stem cells is significantly reduced at least in part by specifically knocking down the expression of BAD. In addition, about 65% tumors display increased BAD expression compared to tumor adjacent normal tissue, suggesting a role of BAD in tumor advancement. Taken together, our findings suggest that BAD plays a critical role in both differentiated cancer cells and CSC and thus targeting BAD might be an attractive strategy for development of novel therapeutics, and BAD expression might be used as a biomarker for tumor progression.
Deviations from Beer's law and precision in atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Abstract The effect of deviations from Beer's law on the precision of atomic absorption analysis has been examined from a theoretical point of view. It has been shown that precision decreases (i) with increasing deviation from Beer's law and (ii) with increasing absorbance. A function has been derived which makes it possible to evaluate quantitatively the effect of such deviations on the precision of analysis.
MRI Temperature Mapping and Determination of Liquid-particulate Heat Transfer Coefficient in an Ohmically Heated Food System

Real-time temperature maps of ohmically heated liquid-particulate mixtures were acquired using the Proton Resonance Frequency (PRF) shift method incorporated into a fast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Noise in the MRI images induced by the electrical heating power was eliminated by a post-processing algorithm of the PRF shift method and correction phase images. The time-dependent interface heat transfer coefficients (h fp ) were determined during the holding period using the MRI temperature maps and numerical solutions to the Fourier's 2nd law. The calculated values of h fp range from 30 to 105 W/m 2. K, consistent with literature values for
A Behaviorally Focused Measure for Relationships: The Couple Behavior Report (CBR)

This study reports the development and validation of the Couple Behavior Report (CBR), a 36-item scale to assess behaviors important to maintaining a couple's relationship. A principal components analysis was used to construct six six-item scales: (1) Salutary Recognition, acknowledging the partner; (2) Small Talk, engaging the partner in "everyday" conversations; (3) Ego-Building Comments, praising the partner; (4) Expanding Shared Memories, reminiscing about times shared together; (5) Exciting Activities, engaging in mutually interesting activities; and (6) Feedback, mutual honesty including encouragement and correction. The CBR has several advantages over currently available instruments because (a) it is brief, (b) predicts relationship satisfaction measures, (c) focuses on positive couple behaviors, (d) and may allow the therapist to develop behavioral prescriptions to improve the relationship.
Unemployment effects of climate policy

Abstract This paper models the unemployment effects of restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, embodying two of the most significant types of short-term economic imperfections that generate unemployment: sectoral rigidities in labor mobility and sectoral rigidities in wage adjustments. A labor policy is also analyzed that would reduce the direct negative economic effects of the emissions restrictions. The politics of limiting greenhouse gas emissions are often dominated by relatively short-term considerations. Yet the current economic modeling of emissions limitations does not embody economic features that are likely to be particularly important in the short term, in particular, the politically sensitive unemployment rate. Moreover, only a few of these studies also consider policies that would offset the negative direct economic effects of emissions restrictions. For plausible estimates of the parameters, the model shows that, with the labor market imperfections, if there were no offsetting policies, the reductions in GNP in the U.S. in the first 10 years after emissions restrictions were imposed would be as much as 4%. However, if there were two policies, instead of just one: a counteracting labor market policy, as well as the emissions restrictions, the negative direct economic effects could be completely eliminated.
Performance at Two Rearing Temperatures of White Leghorn Lines Selected for Increased and Decreased Survival Under Heat Stress

Abstract Body weight and percent mortality resulting from heat stress at 40.6 C were determined on two lines selected for resistance and susceptibility to heat stress by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station and reared from 5 to 9 weeks of age in two temperatures, 32.2 C and 21.1 C. The resistant line was significantly smaller in body weight at 5 and 9 weeks of age and had less gain in weight from 5 to 9 weeks of age than the heat susceptible line. Birds reared in the cold environment had significantly larger 9-week body weight and gain from 5 to 9 weeks of age than those reared in the hot environment. At 9 weeks of age the birds were heat stressed at 40.6 C and 50% relative humidity. The heat resistant line had a significantly lower percent mortality than the heat susceptible line. Birds reared at 21.1 C had a significantly greater percent mortality when heat stressed than those reared at 32.2 C. No interaction occurred between the selected lines and the temperatures in which they were reared for percent mortality or any of the body weight traits. Comparison with other experiments involving the same base population from which the Florida lines were selected indicated that the response to selection for resistance was greater than that to selection for susceptibility. It is suggested that natural selection for heat resistance could be responsible for the asymmetry of response. An estimate of the genetic correlations (rG) was derived as the geometric mean of the ratios of correlated to direct responses. The estimate of rG between body weight gain from 5 to 9 weeks of age and percent mortality under heat stress was .16.
Exploring the nonformal adult educator in twenty-first century contexts using qualitative video data analysis techniques

This study examined how YouTube creates a unique, nonformal cyberspace for Black females to vlog about natural hair. Specifically, we utilized qualitative video data analysis techniques to understand how using YouTube as a facilitation tool has the ability to collectively capture and maintain an audience of more than a million adult learners. After analyzing 30 videos, 4 themes emerged reflective of how using the technology of video assists these nonformal adult educators with regard to: (a) Demystifying Black Natural Hair Myths, (b) Digital Storytelling as an Educational Tool, (c) The Use of Humor, Honesty, and Humility While Facilitating Adults, and (d) The Natural Hair Thing Extends Beyond Cultural Differences. Lastly, we offer implications for future research with regard to the availability and credibility of YouTube as a data source and alternative qualitative video data analysis techniques.
Offsetting behavior and the benefits of food safety policies in vegetable preparation and consumption.

Foodbome disease outbreaks have a tremendous impact on society, including foodbome illnesses, hospitalizations, lost work time, and deaths. These food-safety events have a significant influence in shaping consumers' perception of risk. Outbreaks of foodbome illnesses also have an effect on the development of public health policy. Due to these safety-related uncertainties in the food supply chain, various regulatory, safety, and health policies are implemented to decrease harm to potential victims. The total effect of such food-safety policies looked at in terms of reduction of foodbome illness, mortality, and food-related diseases may possibly be smaller than the forecasted effect because of failure to consider offsetting behavior. Attenuation and possibly reversal of the direct policy effect on expected injuries may arise because of offsetting behavior. This study combines both theoretical and empirical models to test the presence of dominant or partial offsetting behavior (OB) in the preparation and consumption of vegetables if a food-safety policy such as the Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) is mandated in the vegetable sector. Our findings indicate that food-safety information that has an effect on outrage and locus of control, both factors which have an effect on consumers' perception of risk, will lead consumers to become lax in response to this food-safety policy.
Comparison of lipid‐walled microcapsules and lipid spray beads for the delivery of water‐soluble, low‐molecular‐weight materials to aquatic animals

Microparticles (< 40 μm diameter) composed of 600 mg g−1 tripalmitin/400 mg g−1 fish oil were used to encapsulate the low-molecular-weight (mol. wt 460) antibiotic oxytetracycline in the form of either oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC.HCl) or oxytetracycline hemicalcium salt (OTC.HEM). Dry, finely ground particles of core material were encapsulated in spray beads. Dissolved core material was encapsulated in lipid-walled microcapsules. Oxytetracycline (OTC) was most efficiently delivered (≈ 46.5 mg g−1 lipid after 24 h suspension in seawater) as a hemicalcium salt in spray beads. Lipid-walled microcapsules were most efficient for delivering OTC (≈ 8.7 mg g−1 lipid) as OTC.HCl dissolved in 0.2 M HCl at a concentration of 300 mg mL−1. Spray beads containing OTC.HEM were very stable over 1 month in storage. Lipid-walled microcapsules containing aqueous OTC.HCl lost ≈ 30% of their core material during storage. Freeze-drying of both microparticle types did not improve storage of spray beads, but showed promise for reducing leakage from lipid-walled microcapsules during storage and delivery to suspension feeders.
Algorithms for the database layout problem

We present a formal analysis of the database layout problem, i.e., the problem of determining how database objects such as tables and indexes are assigned to disk drives. Optimizing this layout has a direct impact on the I/O performance of the entire system. The traditional approach of striping each object across all available disk drives is aimed at optimizing I/O parallelism; however, it is suboptimal when queries co-access two or more database objects, e.g., during a merge join of two tables, due to the increase in random disk seeks. We adopt an existing model, which takes into account both the benefit of I/O parallelism and the overhead due to random disk accesses, in the context of a query workload which includes co-access of database objects. The resulting optimization problem is intractable in general and we employ techniques from approximation algorithms to present provable performance guarantees. We show that while optimally exploiting I/O parallelism alone suggests uniformly striping data objects (even for heterogeneous files and disks), optimizing random disk access alone would assign each data object to a single disk drive. This confirms the intuition that the two effects are in tension with each other. We provide approximation algorithms in an attempt to optimize the trade-off between the two effects. We show that our algorithm achieves the best possible approximation ratio.
The effects of calcium on ADH action in cortical collecting tubules perfused in vitro.

The effects of calcium on ADH action have been the object of intense study for 20 years (1). Extreme elevations in serosal calcium (Ca++) concentration (10 mM) have been shown to block ADH-induced water flow in the toad urinary bladder (1,2). To test the effects of smaller elevations of calcium level on ADH action in a mammalian system, studies were performed in the ADH responsive cortical collecting tubule, “light” segment (3).
Do pediatric fellows recognize the importance and contribution of training to mastery of the general competencies

Background: Six general competencies form the framework for accreditation of postgraduate fellowship programs and maintenance of certification for physician specialists. Fellows' perceptions of these competencies, however, remain unexplored.Aims: To examine fellows’ perceptions of the importance of the competencies to medical education and the contribution of fellowship training to mastery of the competencies, and to explore the alignment of the competencies with critical learning experiences.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 pediatric fellows in five divisions at one institution. Fellows recounted critical learning experiences, rated each competency for importance and contribution of training, and explained their ratings. Interviews were analyzed using standard qualitative methods.Results: Fellows assigned high ratings to medical knowledge and patient care for importance and contribution of training to mastery, referring to these competencies as ‘staples of training’. They rated ...
Phylogeography of the yucca moth Tegeticula maculata: the role of historical biogeography in reconciling high genetic structure with limited speciation

Tegeticula maculata is one of the most ancient and morphologically variable lineages within the yucca moths, yet has apparently undergone little diversification in comparison with much younger yucca moth lineages that have rapidly diversified. A phylogeographic approach was used to determine the number of independent lineages within T. maculata and to examine whether these patterns corresponded with morphological differences between its subspecies maculata and extranea . Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence variation indicated that the two subspecies are in separate clades, but there was also an equally deep split within subspecies maculata . There was no evidence for gene flow among regions and there was considerable substructure within clades. The phylogeographic structure of moth populations among and within subspecies can be explained in part by historical biogeographic boundaries and increasingly patchy postglacial distribution of the exclusive host plant, Hesperoyucca whipplei . Local specialization and co-adaptation would be possible in the absence of apparent gene flow, yet gross morphological divergence is limited to the very old split between the subspecies. Sorting of ancient mitochondrial lineages followed by local genetic differentiation may explain the pattern of high genetic structure with limited speciation.
RADULAR TEETH OF INDO-PACIFIC MOLLUSCIVOROUS SPECIES OF CONUS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Species determination in the gastropod genus Conus, heretofore exclusively based on shell morphology and color pattern, has led to considerable uncertainty and disagreement. We propose that qualitative and quantitative radular tooth characters are potentially useful in differentiating species as well as geographic subspecies and will improve the taxonomic base. Molluscivorous species of Conus, sometimes placed in the subgenera Cylinder, Textilia, Darioconus, and the nominal subgenus, are taxonomically among the most difficult. We thus examined intra- and interspecific variation in radular morphology of 11 of these species, C. ammiralis, C. araneosus, C. bandanus, C. canonicus, C. episcopatus, C. marmoreus, C. nodulosus, C. omaria, C. pennaceus, C. textile, and C. victoriae, and intra- and interregional variations in radular morphology of C. pennaceus from three geographic regions. Taxonomically useful qualitative characters include presence/absence of one or two barbs and a blade, and whether the row of denticles comprising the serration is continuous or interrupted. Useful metric characters include the ratios of first barb, second barb, blade, serration, shaft width and base width to tooth length, the ratio of tooth length to shell length, the ratio of shaft width to base width, and the degree of curvature of the teeth. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA and unplanned pairwise comparison tests) distinguished 53 of the 55 possible species pairs from each other by at least one character. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated statistically significant differences between the species in the other two pairs. In C. pennaceus, ANOVA and unplanned pairwise tests differentiated Hawaiian from Indian Ocean samples, and MANOVA differentiated those from Maldives and Sumatra. The discrete radular characters sort the 11 species into three groups, and these are consistent with the distribution patterns of the quantitative characters. Radular tooth characters are thus potentially useful in differentiating species and subspecies and should be combined with other character sets in generating future phylogenetic hypotheses.
Hysteroscopic sterilization in patients with a Mirena intrauterine device: transition from extended interval to permanent contraception.

Abstract Objective To estimate the feasibility and elucidate the benefits of performing hysteroscopic sterilization in patients who have a Mirena intrauterine device (IUD) in place. Design Retrospective case-controlled study with 3:1 ratio (Canadian Task Force Classification II-2). Setting Procedures were performed in an outpatient or office setting affiliated with an academic medical center. Hysterosalpingograms were obtained and interpreted jointly by an investigator and a radiologist using standard protocol. Patients Subjects included all patients undergoing hysteroscopic sterilization July 2007 thru December 2008 with a Mirena IUD in place. Patients without an IUD served as a comparison group. Interventions All procedures were performed with a 4.2-mm Bettocchi continuous-flow hysteroscope with saline solution insufflation. Delivery catheters were passed through a 5F operative channel. Essure implants were positioned and released per standard protocol. IUD devices were removed after confirmation of bilateral tubal occlusion. Measurements & Main Results There were 12 patients currently using a Mirena IUD for contraception who elected to undergo hysteroscopic sterilization. Procedures were performed in the usual manner. Chart review identified the most recently treated patients without an IUD in place matched for age and body mass index to study patients. Recorded details included age, body mass index, parity, procedure time, placement success, and tubal occlusion. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to any metric except completion of the 3- month hysterosalpingogram. Conclusion Hysteroscopic sterilization can be performed successfully with a Mirena IUD in place. Advantages include flexibility in timing of the procedure, assurance of contraception until confirmation of tubal occlusion, and increased likelihood of appropriate follow-up.
The Dominant Role of the User in Semiconductor and Electronic Subassembly Process Innovation

In an earlier study of scientific instrument innovations, it was found that instrument users rather than instrument manufacturers dominated the innovation work in approximately 80 percent of the innovation cases studied. In the present paper, this work is extended by examining 55 process innovations used in the manufacture of semiconductors and electronic subassemblies. In 67 percent of the process innovations studied in this field which involved novel process machinery, it is found that it is the process machinery user rather than the manufacturer who `dominates' the innovation process by: recognizing the need; inventing a solution; building a prototype; and using the prototype in commercial production prior to any involvement of a manufacturer of process machinery in the innovation work.
Improving outcomes in radiology: bringing computer-based decision support and education to the point of care.

Many computer applications have been developed in radiology and other medical disciplines to help physicians make decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI)—an approach to computer-based manipulation of symbols to simulate human reasoning—forms the basis of many of these systems. This article’s goals are to: acquaint the reader with the motivations and opportunities for computer-based medical decision support systems; identify AI techniques and applications in radiology decision making; assess the impact of these technologies; and consider new directions and opportunities for AI in radiology. Among the exciting new directions is the use of AI to integrate radiology reporting, online decision support, and just-in-time learning to provide useful information and continuing education that is embedded within a radiologist’s daily workflow.
SEE Testing of the Intersil ISL71840SEH 16-Channel Analog Multiplexer

We report the results of destructive and nondestructive heavy ion single-event effects (SEE) testing of the Intersil ISL71840SEH hardened 16-channel analog multiplexer, prefaced by a brief discussion of its functionality, electrical specifications and fabrication process.
Pressure-temperature-reaction history of metapelitic rocks from the Maryland Piedmont on the basis of correlated garnet zoning and plagioclase-inclusion composition

Regional structural interpretation, thermobarometry, and Gibbs-method calculations were combined to determine an approximate P- T path for kyanite-grade metapelitic rocks of the Baltimore Gneiss terrane. Garnet growth along the estimated P- T path was modeled using the computer program DiffGibbs. Models were evaluated by comparing calculated profiles of garnet components with measured profiles of a large garnet rich in plagioclase inclusions in a kyanite-bearing sample from the area. Modifications in the P- T path constrained by changes in garnet components along critical portions of the profile resulted in a very satisfactory match between measured and model-garnet profiles. In the most successful model, garnet growth began at 550°C and 6500 bars in the assemblage chlorite + biotite + garnet + muscovite + plagioclase + quartz with increasing temperature and with decreasing and then constant pressure. At 570 °C and 5724 bars, staurolite was added to the assemblage and some garnet was consumed. In the model, garnet growth resumed after chlorite was consumed along a path having a substantial increase in pressure. The region near the rim with low measured grossular content was reproduced by cessation of garnet growth as temperature increased at constant pressure to a maximum of 615°C at 6474 bars. After kyanite was added to the assemblage, grossular increased to the constant rim value only if temperature decreased and pressure increased. Cooling and decompression affected garnet zoning only very near the rim. Measured compositions of the rims of plagioclase inclusions in the garnet are consistent with plagioclase compositions predicted by the model. This study demonstrates that complex garnet zoning can be modeled successfully, even when the reaction history includes episodes of garnet consumption, over a path that is consistent with geologic evidence. Details of garnet zoning provide surprisingly tight constraints on the P-T path.
Forgotten classics: The Business of Advertising, by Earnest Elmo Calkins (1915)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and summarize Earnest Elmo Calkins’s The Business of Advertising and to assess its status as a legitimate forgotten classic of the marketing literature. Design/methodology/approach – The Business of Advertising is reviewed, summarized and placed in an historical context. Findings – Written during a key period in the history of mass marketing and national brand advertising, Calkins’s work represents a valuable primary source for marketing and advertising historians, especially those interested in marketing industry structures and relationships. Calkins was an influential figure in the development of the modern advertising agency, and his beliefs and approaches in regard to marketing research, campaign planning, branding, message strategy and creativity anticipated some late-twentieth-century approaches and remain highly relevant. Originality/value – The Business of Advertising was the object of a single-paragraph review at the time of its publication in 1915...
Network Analogy for Linear Structures

A mathematical analogy is made between the network problem and the arbitrary linear structure that allows a formulation of the structure, using the graph theory, which corresponds to the node method for a network. The formulation may serve as a basis for a general computer program for structural analysis. It provides a simple means by which research concerning the solution of large networks may be directly applied to structures (for example, Kron's Methods).
Manuel de Jesús Galván’s Enriquillo: A novel look at the environment of marriage in the first colony

Manuel de Jesus Galvan’s novel Enriquillo is typically read as arguing for the superiority of Dominican hispanidad over Haitian negritude. The current essay, however, treats a hitherto overlooked issue, namely that the marriages depicted in the novel reflect social responses to environmental conditions. The interplay of women’s choice in marriage and patriarchal constraints produces a society that is viable through time. Thus women’s choice in marriage is a previously unexamined aspect of foundational literature.
Predictors, barriers, and facilitators of lipid-lowering medication use among African Americans in a primary care clinic.

Introduction Hypercholesterolemic African Americans are less likely than white Americans to be taking lipid-lowering medications, yet they suffer disproportionately from coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods Through medical record abstraction and focus groups with patients and physicians, we sought a better understanding of the predictors, barriers, and facilitators to lipid-lowering medication use in a Detroit primary care clinic. Stepwise regression analysis included 634 African American patients with abnormal cholesterol values (n = 575) or currently prescribed a lipid-lowering medication (n = 59). Focus group transcripts were analyzed with a framework approach. Results Overall 174 (30.3%) of hypercholesterolemic African Americans were prescribed a lipid-lowering medication. Patients with hypertension or CHD were significantly more likely to have a lipid-lowering medication prescription than those without, adjusted prevalence ratio 2.56 (95% CI, 1.763.74) for hypertension and 1.70 (95% CI, 1.45-2.00) for CHD. Focus groups revealed 2 barriers to lipid-lowering medication use named by both physicians (n = 12) and patients (n = 23): cost and forgetting to take medication, often because of lack of symptoms. Conclusions Physicians and patients suggested better education by physicians and at the community level to improve lipid-lowering medication use. Simple and direct patient-physician discussions emphasizing long-term benefits are recommended.
The British Pharaoh?: James I and VI and internationalist religious writing at the wedding of Friedrich V and Elizabeth Stuart

The marriage of Elizabeth Stuart and Friedrich V, Prince Palatine, has recently been described as “the pinnacle of Protestant European festival,” a transnational, transcultural event celebrated throughout Protestant Europe. Politically, it marked a high point of internationalist Protestant sentiment in England. In this article, I examine three sermons preached for the occasion, by the court preacher Andrew Willet, the Wiltshire parson George Webbe, and Friedrich’s court chaplain, Abraham Scultetus. All three use the wedding to advocate an internationalist agenda and subtly critique the Church of England. This is done, in part, through a shared typological understanding of the event based on Psalm 45, read by early moderns as a song on the marriage of Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter, which aligns James with an idolatrous Pharaoh. Their interpretation of the marriage implicitly anticipates a move toward the pure biblical worship practiced by the continental reformed churches, and shifts the focus of Pan-Prot...
Phagocytosis of Hydroxyapatite or Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Crystals by Rabbit Articular Chondrocytes Stimulates Release of Collagenase, Neutral Protease, and Prostaglandins E2 and F2α

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) microcrystals are phagocytosed by rabbit articular-cartilage chondrocytes in primary culture. The ingestion of crystals greatly stimulated the release of collagenase, neutral protease, and prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha into the ambient medium. Lactate dehydrogenase was not released by either crystal despite electron microscopic evidence of cell damage by HA crystals (partial loss of phagolysosomal membrane and increased myelin figures). HA, but not CPPD crystals, stimulated release of beta-glucuronidase. HA crystal concentrations from 50 to 200 micrograms ml-1 induced a dose-dependent release of collagenase and of extracellular protein. Both phagocytosis and collagenase release were greatly attenuated when HA crystals were added to the chondrocyte monolayers in the absence of serum. As HA and CPPD crystals have been identified in human articular cartilage in association with degenerative changes, it is possible that the cell-crystal interaction described here may be pathogenetically important.
A Public Use Sample of the 1880 U.S. Census of Population

The Social History Research Laboratory at the University of Minnesota...is now creating a Public Use Sample of the 1880 U.S. Census of Population. With a sampling density of 1 in 100 cases the project will yield information on just over 500000 individuals living in just under 100000 families. This note provides a brief overview of other public use samples a description of the 1880 census and its value for historical analysis and a summary of our sampling strategy. Its purpose is to inform potential users of the project and to invite comments and suggestions that could improve the final product. (EXCERPT)
On the stability of the guanine-cytosine hydrogen bond.

Die Anderung des molaren Extinktionskoeffizienten naturlicher Desoxyribonucleinsauren wurde untersucht in Abhangigkeit der Basenzusammensetzung. Aus den experimentellen Befunden wird geschlossen, dass die Wasserstoffbindung zwischen Cytosin und Guanin im Doppelhelix schwach ist und in wassriger Losung ohne die stabilisierende Wirkung benachbarter Adenin-Tyminbindungen nicht vorliegt. Die mit der Nucleinsaure verbundenen Proteine liefern einen zusatzlichen Stabilisationsfaktor zur Guanin- und Cytosinbindung.
Decreasing Step Voltage by Optimizing Current Distribution Proportion of Multi-ring DC Ground Electrode

By decreasing the step voltage,the size and cost of DC ground electrode could be significantly reduced.Focusing on double-ring DC ground electrode,we proposed a new method to decrease the maximum step voltage by employing grading resistances.Based on the electromagnetic field theory and the analysis of the step voltage distribution characteristics of multi-ring ground electrode,the relationship between the maximum step voltage and the current distribution proportion among ring electrodes is established,which could be used to optimize the value of grading resistance and to minimize the maximum step voltage.Meanwhile,the method is validated by experiment in laboratory.The results of both theoretical analysis and experiment show that adjusting current distribution proportion between two ring electrodes using grading resistances can decrease the step voltage effectively,and little affects the ground electrode.This method can be put into actual application.
Competency-based optics instruction.

BACKGROUND: The Competency-Based Instruction (CBI) system has been used to teach physics for more than 20 years in the Michigan State University Physics Department. In this approach, traditional lectures have been replaced by a learning environment that contains a variety of instructional aids, including written materials, computer-assisted instruction, and interactions with a consultant. The CBI system allows students to adjust their pace through the course, moving nearly as quickly as they are able, with constant feedback to the student on his or her progress. METHODS: I have used an adapted version of the CBI system for use in the Physical Optics and Photometry course of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, School of Optometry for four years. This article will describe the mechanics of the system and discuss experiences with it.
Oxidative refolding from inclusion bodies

This protocol describes the growth and purification of bacterial inclusion body proteins with an option to selenomethionine label the targeted protein through feedback inhibition of methionine biosynthesis in common (non-auxotrophic) strains of E. coli. The method includes solubilization of inclusion body proteins by chemical denaturation and disulfide reduction, renaturation of the solubilized material through rapid dilution by pulsed injection into refolding buffer containing arginine and a mixture of oxidized and reduced glutathione, recovery of the recombinant protein using a stirred cell concentrator, and removal of the aggregated or misfolded fraction by passage over size-exclusion chromatography. The quality of the resulting protein can be assessed by SDS-PAGE.
Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250: The first Byzantine century (1000–1100)

Even before his final victory over Samuel and his followers Gabriel Radomir and John Vladislav, Emperor Basil's war against Bulgaria had a considerable influence upon political and military developments in the neighboring regions. The so-called Long Life of Saint Gerald , an early fourteenth-century compilation of different sources, contains a much earlier and extraordinary account, perhaps written by an eyewitness, of a chieftain ruling over the region of western Romania and southwestern Hungary now known as Banat. Named Achtum, he was a powerful pagan “king” who “had taken his power from the Greeks” and had been baptized in the Orthodox faith in Vidin, an event that must have postdated the Byzantine conquest of that city in 1002. His base of power was in Morisena (now Cenad, on the Romanian–Hungarian border), a stronghold on the Lower Mures River, close to its confluence with the Tisza. Shortly after his baptism in Vidin, Achtum established a monastery dedicated to St. John the Baptist in Morisena, which he populated with Greek monks, no doubt coming from Byzantium. Achtum's power was based on considerable resources, mainly cattle and horses, but given the position of his stronghold at Morisena, he also controlled traffic along the Mures River and taxed transports of salt from Transylvania to the heartland of Pannonia. It is in relation to salt that he found himself in conflict with Stephen, the newly proclaimed king of Hungary.
Surface plasmon damping effects due to Ti adhesion layer in individual gold nanodisks

The adhesion layer used in nanofabrication process of metallic nanostructures affects the surface plasmon modes. We characterize the localized surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) of gold nanodisks of various diameters and heights while varying the thickness of the Ti adhesion layers. Scattering, absorption, and extinction coefficient calculations show a significant dependence of the SPR on the size of nanostructures and the adhesion layer thickness. Comparisons of peak resonance wavelengths of different Ti adhesion layer thicknesses indicate a significant red shift and a reduction in amplitude as the Ti thickness increases. A comparison of spectral broadening of the plasmon mode indicates a linear increase with Ti thickness and percentage. In addition, the decay time of the plasmon mode decreased significantly as the adhesion layer size increases. These observations aid in understanding size dependent adhesion layer effects and optimized fabrication of single nanoplasmonic structures.
Anatomy and roles of lymphatics in inflammatory diseases

The lymphatic system maintains tissue homeostasis by transporting interstitial fluid, lipids and debris from tissues to the main circulation, and delivers antigen and antigen presenting cells to local lymph nodes where they elicit immune responses. During inflammation, lymph flow increases to limit edema and prevents tissue antigen-presenting cell transport. Lymphatics also adjust their contractile activity to increase fluid transfer during acute inflammation. Conversely, chronic inflammation can provoke lymphostasis, which might limit pathogen spread within the circulation; however, decreased lymph flow leads to the persistence of immune cells and mediators in tissues to intensifying injury. Here, we review lymphatic structure function within the gut, heart and central nervous system, discussing potential roles of these lymphatics in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease, myocarditis and neurovascular disease, and as novel targets for therapeutic management of several disease states.
A decoupled Crank-Nicolson time-stepping scheme for thermally coupled magneto-hydrodynamic system

Thermally coupled magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) studies the dynamics of electro-magnetically and thermally driven flows, involving MHD equations coupled with heat equation. We introduce a partitioned method that allows one to decouple the MHD equations from the heat equation at each time step and solve them separately. The extrapolated Crank-Nicolson time-stepping scheme is used for time discretization while mixed finite element method is used for spatial discretization. We derive optimal order error estimates in suitable norms without assuming any stability condition or restrictions on the time step size. We prove the unconditional stability of the scheme. Numerical experiments are used to illustrate the theoretical results.
Explorations within topic tracking and detection

This chapter presents the system used by the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval (CIIR) at the University of Massachusetts for its participation in four of the five TDT tasks: tracking, detection, first story detection, and story link detection. For each task, we discuss the parameter setting approach that we used and the results of our system on the test data.For the task of link detection, we look more carefully at score normalization across different languages and media types. We find that we can improve results noticeably though not substantially by normalizing scores differently depending upon the source language. We also consider smoothing the vocabulary in stories using a "query expansion" technique from Information Retrieval to add additional words from the corpus to each story. This results in substantial improvements.In addition, we use TDT evaluation approaches to show that the tracking performance that sites are achieving is what is expected from Information Retrieval technology. We further show that any first story detection system based on a tracking approach is unlikely to be sufficiently accurate for most purposes. Finally, we present an overview of an automatic timeline generation system that we developed using TDT data.
Partial dust obscuration in active galactic nuclei as a cause of broad-line profile and lag variability, and apparent accretion disc inhomogeneities

The profiles of the broad emission lines of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the time delays in their response to changes in the ionizing continuum ("lags") give information about the structure and kinematics of the inner regions of AGNs. Line profiles are also our main way of estimating the masses of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs). However, the profiles often show ill-understood, asymmetric structure and velocity-dependent lags vary with time. Here we show that partial obscuration of the broad-line region (BLR) by outflowing, compact, dusty clumps produces asymmetries and velocity-dependent lags similar to those observed. Our model explains previously inexplicable changes in the ratios of the hydrogen lines with time and velocity, the lack of correlation of changes in line profiles with variability of the central engine, the velocity dependence of lags, and the change of lags with time. We propose that changes on timescales longer than the light-crossing time do not come from dynamical changes in the BLR, but are a natural result of the effect of outflowing dusty clumps driven by radiation pressure acting on the dust. The motion of these clumps offers an explanation of long-term changes in polarization. The effects of the dust complicate the study of the structure and kinematics of the BLR and the search for sub-parsec SMBH binaries. Partial obscuration of the accretion disc can also provide the local fluctuations in luminosity that can explain sizes deduced from microlensing.
Vascular effects of apelin: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Apelin is a vasoactive peptide and is an endogenous ligand for APJ receptors, which are widely expressed in blood vessels, heart, and cardiovascular regulatory regions of the brain. A growing body of evidence now demonstrates a regulatory role for the apelin/APJ receptor system in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology, thus making it a potential target for cardiovascular drug discovery and development. Indeed, ongoing studies are investigating the potential benefits of apelin and apelin-mimetics for disorders such as heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Apelin causes relaxation of isolated arteries, and systemic administration of apelin typically results in a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and an increase in blood flow. Nonetheless, vasopressor responses and contraction of vascular smooth muscle in response to apelin have also been observed under certain conditions. The goal of the current review is to summarize major findings regarding the apelin/APJ receptor system in blood vessels, with an emphasis on regulation of vascular tone, and to identify areas of investigation that may provide guidance for the development of novel therapeutic agents that target this system.
Cellularity of Growths

In this chapter we consider relationships between the existence of families of open subsets of a space X and the cellularity of X* =βX\X. Recall that the cellularity of a space Y is the smallest cardinal number m for which each pairwise disjoint family of non-empty open sets of Y has m or fewer members. The density of a space Y is the smallest cardinal number which can be the cardinal number of some dense subspace of Y. It is clear that the density of a space is at least as great as the cellularity. Most of the results will take the form of providing a lower bound for the cellularity of X* by demonstrating the existence of families of pairwise disjoint open sets in X*. The methods used will be reminiscent of that used in Chapter 3 to show that the cellularity of ℕ* is c. In the last sections of the chapter, we will show that there exists a point in ℕ* which belongs to the closure of each member of a family of c pairwise disjoint open sets of ℕ*.
Flow and melting of a heterogeneous mantle: 2. Implications for a chemically nonlayered mantle

Abstract We have recently examined the importance of upper mantle flow and melting of a heterogeneous mantle on the incompatible trace element and isotope composition of ocean island basalts (OIBs) and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) [G. Ito, J. Mahoney, Flow and melting of a heterogeneous mantle 1: method and importance to the geochemistry of ocean island and mid-ocean ridge basalts, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 230 (2005) 29-46]. We found that the combination of thicker lithosphere and enhanced mantle upwelling deep in the melting zone beneath hotspots can lead to many geochemical characteristics that distinguish OIBs from MORBs. These results occurred in the absence of any geochemical distinction between mantle plumes, which we assumed to feed OIB volcanism, and the upper mantle, which we assumed to feed MORB volcanism. Our findings renew the possibility for OIB and MORB geochemical systematics to arise out of a well-stirred heterogeneous mantle without large-scale layering. In this study, we test this possibility by solving for the mantle source compositions that, when melted in a hot plume beneath lithosphere of appropriate thickness, can explain key geochemical correlations at specific hotspots. Both the age of the seafloor at the time of volcanism and correlations between Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes are considered in model fits to the OIB data. We then compute the magma composition that would arise out of these same mantle sources when melted at normal temperatures beneath a mid-ocean ridge. On one hand, some predicted MORB compositions lie outside the range of compositions represented by our collection of “normal” MORB data. This result is consistent with the conventional wisdom that mantle plumes sample a deep mantle layer that is compositionally distinct from the upper mantle. On the other hand, many solutions are indistinguishable from the observed MORB compositions and thus do not require a chemically layered mantle. Focusing on these solutions, the implied range of (nonlayered) mean mantle compositions can satisfy the global Th and U budget if the upper-bound estimates for the content of these elements in the continents are used. Our mean mantle produces only a small percentage (