cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TGF-β: the perpetrator of immune suppression by regulatory T cells and suicidal T cells

Innate and adaptive immunity function to eliminate foreign invaders and respond to injury while enabling coexistence with commensal microbes and tolerance against self and innocuous agents. Although most often effective in accomplishing these objectives, immunologic processes are not fail-safe and may underserve or be excessive in protecting the host. Checks and balances to maintain control of the immune system are in place and are becoming increasingly appreciated as targets for manipulating immunopathologic responses. One of the most recognized mediators of immune regulation is the cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a product of immune and nonimmune cells. Emerging data have unveiled a pivotal role for TGF-beta as a perpetrator of suppression by CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells and in apoptotic sequelae. Through its immunosuppressive prowess, TGF-beta effectively orchestrates resolution of inflammation and control of autoaggressive immune reactions by managing T cell anergy, defining unique populations of Treg cells, regulating T cell death, and influencing the host response to infections.
On cerebral lactate production and blood flow in acute stroke.

Keywords: Brain, infarction, 10.781; Brain, ischemia, 10.781; Cerebral blood vessels, flow dynamics; Cerebral blood vessels, stenosis or obstruction
Interactive parser synthesis by example

Despite decades of research on parsing, the construction of parsers remains a painstaking, manual process prone to subtle bugs and pitfalls. We present a programming-by-example framework called Parsify that is able to synthesize a parser from input/output examples. The user does not write a single line of code. To achieve this, Parsify provides: (a) an iterative algorithm for synthesizing and refining a grammar one example at a time, (b) an interface that provides immediate visual feedback in response to changes in the grammar being refined, and (c) a graphical mechanism for specifying example parse trees using only textual selections. We empirically demonstrate the viability of our approach by using Parsify to construct parsers for source code drawn from Verilog, SQL, Apache, and Tiger.
The Naming of Parts: An Examination of the Origins of Technical and Scientific Vocabulary

Les racines latines ou grecques, les noms d'inventeurs ou de lieux, les noms de formes ou de fonctions ou encore les termes publicitaires sont le plus souvent a l'origine de la formation du vocabulaire scientifique et technique. Le volume d'information et la pertinence d'un terme, ses qualites phoniques et mnemotechniques sont les facteurs influents sur sa diffusion et sa duree de vie
Spatial Analyses of Installation Patterns and Characteristics of Residential Burglar Alarms

The dearth of research on spatial analyses for installation patterns and characteristics of residential burglar alarms exists in the crime prevention literature in general, and even a few existing studies are based on observational and anthropological approaches with little quantitative analyses. Spatially analytical approaches have not been used to examine the distribution and pattern of burglar alarms. With installation record of burglar alarms, spatial statistical techniques are used to examine spatial patterns of residential burglar alarms with demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristic variables. Various spatial analyses demonstrate that at a macro-level, many spatially concentrated areas of burglar alarm installation are observed, indicating that installation patterns of residential burglar alarms are not evenly distributed throughout the city. Such patterns occur depending on neighborhoods’ conditions such as demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics. A higher black popula...
Husbands' and Wives' Attachment Orientations and Depressive Symptoms: Predictors of Positive and Negative Conflict Behaviors in the Marriage

The present study examined both husbands' and wives' attachment orientations and depressive symptoms in predicting reports of marital conflict behaviors. Married couples (N = 60) completed questionnaires to assess their attachment orientations, depressive symptoms, and perceptions of positive and negative conflict behaviors in the marital relationship. Using hierarchical regression analyses, statistical models were tested wherein husbands' and wives' reports of marital conflict behaviors were regressed on their own and their spouses' attachment orientations and depressive symptoms. The results suggest that both attachment orientations and depressive symptoms were important predictors of reported marital conflict behaviors. However, different predictors were found for husbands' and wives' reports of positive and negative conflict behaviors. In general, spouses' attributes played only a small role in predicting reports of marital conflict behaviors.
Modular compactifications of the space of pointed elliptic curves I

We introduce a sequence of isolated curve singularities, the elliptic m-fold points, and an associated sequence of stability conditions, generalizing the usual definition of Deligne–Mumford stability. For every pair of integers 1≤m<n, we prove that the moduli problem of n-pointed m-stable curves of arithmetic genus one is representable by a proper irreducible Deligne–Mumford stack . We also consider weighted variants of these stability conditions, and construct the corresponding moduli stacks . In forthcoming work, we will prove that these stacks have projective coarse moduli and use the resulting spaces to give a complete description of the log minimal model program for .
A neuronal NO synthase (NOS1) gene polymorphism is associated with asthma.

Abstract Recent family-based studies have revealed evidence for linkage of chromosomal region 12q to both asthma and high total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Among the candidate genes in this region for asthma is neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1). We sought a genetic association between a polymorphism in the NOS1 gene and the diagnosis of asthma, using a case-control design. Frequencies for allele 17 and 18 of a CA repeat in exon 29 of the NOS1 gene were significantly different between 490 asthmatic and 350 control subjects. Allele 17 was more common in the asthmatics (0.83 vs 0.76, or 1.49 [95% CI 1.17–1.90], P = 0.013) while allele 18 was less common in the asthmatics (0.06 vs 0.12, or 0.49 [95% CI 0.34–0.69], P = 0.0004). To confirm these results we genotyped an additional 1131 control subjects and found the frequencies of alleles 17 and 18 to be virtually identical to those ascertained in our original control subjects. Total serum IgE was not associated with any allele of the polymorphism. These findings provide support, from case-control association analysis, for NOS1 as a candidate gene for asthma.
Simultaneous measurement of phase retardation and optic axis of a phase compensation film using an axially-symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystal

A new method for simultaneously measuring the phase retardation and optic axis of a uniaxial compensation film is demonstrated using an axially-symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystal (SPNLC). By overlaying a tested compensation film with a calibrated SPNLC cell between crossed polarizers, two dark spots are clearly observed in a CCD image. From the orientation direction and distance of these two spots, the optic axis and phase retardation value of the compensation film can be determined. This method is particularly useful for those optical systems whose optic axis and phase retardation are dynamically changing.
An Application of a "Political Economy" Approach To Effectiveness: Employment Service-Employer Exchanges

A "political economy effectiveness" model for analyzing the relationships between public agencies and their clients is developed. This model traces the effects of environmental exchange relationships on the goals guiding the behavior of public agency personnel who are responsible for implementing public policy. Empirical data for a preliminary test of the proposed model are presented. The results are used to assess several correlates of the effectiveness of the Employment Service in inducing a portion of their clients (employers) to make use of the agencies' services.
Abstract 4775: PI3K-p110β is required for leukemic transformation and HSC depletion in the absence of Pten

The tumor suppressor PTEN, which antagonizes PI3K signaling, plays critical roles in cell cycle, cell migration and stem cell self-renewal. PTEN is frequently mutated or inactivated in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In mice, HSC-specific deletion of Pten leads to myeloproliferative phenotype, transplantable leukemia, and increased cycling of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), leading to their depletion. Rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, rescues this phenotype. Thus, it is likely that PI3K itself plays an important role in Pten-deficient HSCs and leukemic cells, but the specific contributions of the PI3K isoforms are poorly understood. We demonstrate that genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of PI3K-p110β prevents myeloid neoplasia and prolongs survival. Importantly, p110β ablation rescues HSCs in the bone marrow (BM), and reinstates long-term hematopoietic reconstitution. Moreover, Pten deficiency leads to aberrant expression of Cxcl12 in the BM and spleen, enabling the generation of an alternative splenic niche. Inactivation of p110β rescues retention of HSCs, and perturbs the splenic niche by interfering with the Cxcl12-CXCR4 axis. This suggests that selective inhibition of p110β offers an alternative therapeutic strategy in PTEN deficient leukemias while restoring untransformed HSCs to their proper niche. Citation Format: Haluk Yuzugullu, Lukas Baitsch, Allison Steiner, Linda K. Clayton, Kira Gritsman, Jean J. Zhao. PI3K-p110β is required for leukemic transformation and HSC depletion in the absence of Pten. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4775. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4775
The linear least squares synthesis of multivariable control systems

A MULTIVARIABLE system is characterized by a multiplicity of inputs and outputs. In the following, it will be assumed that such systems can be described by linear, time-in variant, input-output relations over the whole range of operation or over the restricted range of interest. Thus, let then, the system input-output relation may be expressed compactly as where R, C, and A are input, output, and transfer-function matrices respectively; see Fig. 1. It is seen that a multivariable system derives each output by a simultaneous operation on all its inputs. Furthermore, it is apparent that the class of multivariable systems includes the common single-variable system as a special case.
CALCIUM‐DEPENDENT FLUORESCENCE LIFETIMES OF INDO‐1 FOR ONE‐ AND TWO‐PHOTON EXCITATION OF FLUORESCENCE

We characterized the fluorescence intensity decays of Indo-1, which is commonly used as an emission wavelength-ratiometric calcium probe. The apparent lifetime of the long-wavelength side of the emission of Indo-1 is dependent on Ca2+. This long-wavelength emission displays the characteristics of an excited-state reaction, that is, a negative preexponential component in the multiexponential analysis. The emission spectra and lifetime of Indo-1 appear to be identical for one-photon and two-photon excitation at 351 and 702 mn, respectively, suggesting that the relative one- and two-photon cross sections are similar for the calcium-free and calcium-bound forms of Indo-1. Also, the two-photon cross section of Indo-1 is relatively high, about 4 x 10(-49) cm4 s/photon molecule at 690 nm for both the calcium-free and calcium-bound forms. Hence, Indo-1 can be used for calcium imaging based on one- or two-photon excitation, using either emission wavelength ratios or lifetime imaging methods.
Sorting Second-Grade Students: Differentiating Those Retained From Those promoted

A cohort of 2nd-grade students provided comparisons of academic and social competence based on school retention/promotion decisions. Sample groups were (a) retained, (b) at risk for retention, (c) special education, and (d) promoted. Findings suggested most children with academic deficiencies are identified by schools early and are sorted into educational treatments differing in intensity that represent a continuum of competence. The authors provide empirical evidence counter to the assumptions that retained students have the requisite ability to catch up and have more problem behaviors than other low-achieving students. The relevance of high-stakes test scores for promotion/retention decisions and the parallels between schools' implementation of retention policy and implementation of regulations for identifying children with disabilities are included in the discussion.
Packaging modifications for protecting flavor of extended-shelf-life milk from light.

Abstract The effectiveness of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )-loaded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to reduce light-induced oxidation of extended-shelf-life milk (2% total fat) was studied. The objective was to determine differences over time in sensory quality, vitamin retention, and oxidative chemistry as a function of packaging and retail light exposure duration. Effectiveness of packaging for protecting milk quality was assessed by sensory evaluation (triangle tests, untrained panel), changes in volatile compounds, thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), and riboflavin concentration. Milk (2%) was stored in HDPE packages consisting of TiO 2 at 3 levels (low: 0.6%; medium: 1.3%; high: 4.3%) at 3°C for up to 43 d. Light-protected (translucent, foil-wrapped) and light-exposed (translucent) HDPE packages served as controls. The high TiO 2 -HDPE package provided protection similar to light-protected control package through d 22 of light exposure, with less consistent performance by the medium TiO 2 package. The TBARS increased in all treatments during storage. Under the experimental conditions used, a TBARS value of 1.3mg/L could be considered the limiting sensory threshold for differentiating oxidized milk from light-protected milk. Riboflavin concentration decreased 10.5% in the light-protected control and 28.5% in the high TiO 2 packaged milk past 29 d of light exposure, but losses were greater than 40% for all other packages. The high TiO 2 package protected riboflavin concentration from degradation and controlled aldehyde concentration throughout the test period.
Corporate Tax Reform Paying the Bills with a Carbon Tax

I measure the industry impacts of an environmental tax reform in which a carbon tax is used to finance full or partial corporate tax integration. Using an input-output framework with fifty-eight industry sectors, I find that the industry impacts of such a reform are likely to be modest.
Electrical Control Features of the Bonneville Hydroelectric Project

With the addition of the second hydroelectric powerhouse at the Bonneville project a method of control of the second powerhouse needed to be designed. The development of this control will be explained by general discussion. A review of the method of integrating the second powerhouse control with the first powerhouse control will present a unique approach taken to the problem. The material presented should provide useful information to anyone confronted with a similar problem.
Predetermination of Self-Cooled Oil-Immersed Transformer Temperatures Before Conditions are Constant

The temperature rises of dynamo-electric machines, in changing from one steady thermal state to another, follow an exponential law of the form 1 ? ??st, where 1/s is the thermal time constant, or the time required to attain 63. 2 per cent of the final change in temperature rise. It is shown here that while the winding temperature rise over room of self-cooled oil-immersed transformers follows this law only after a certain time has elapsed, quite accurate results may be obtained by calculating the time-temperature curves of the top oil temperature rise above room, and the winding temperature rise above top oil separately, since each follows the above exponential law quite closely, then adding them together to get the winding temperature rise above room at any time before conditions are constant. A procedure is explained in detail for calculating s, for either the top oil rise or the winding rise above top oil from the weights of materials the iron and copper losses and the winding and top oil constant temperature rises at any given load. Comparisons of temperatures by test and calculation are presented.
Treating self-injection phobia in patients prescribed injectable medications: A case example illustrating a six-session treatment model

This article provides a case description of a patient with multiple sclerosis prescribed interferon beta-1a (IFNβ-1a), a weekly intramuscular injection, who met DSM-IV criteria for specific phobia, blood/injection type. This patient successfully completed a 6-week manualized cognitive-behavioral treatment for self-injection anxiety. Issues presented include dealing with vasovagal responses and examples of typical dysfunctional thoughts related to self-injecting. The patient was able to successfully self-inject following treatment, and gains were maintained for 18-month follow-up.
Digital HDTV compression techniques

The roles that digital high-definition television (HDTV) compression techniques play in HDTV applications, such as digital HDTV terrestrial broadcasting, are discussed. Images can be encoded intraframe and/or interframe, depending on the requirement of compression rate and the picture quality. Using source coding, redundancy in the spatial and temporal domains can be greatly reduced while preserving the level of image quality required for the given application. >
High-resolution imaging through strong turbulence

Random fluctuations in the index of refraction, caused by differential heating and cooling of the atmosphere, can severely limit the quality of ground-based observations of space objects. Techniques such as adaptive optics can help compensate for the deleterious effects that turbulence has on the images by deforming the telescope mirror and thus correcting the wave-front. However, when imaging through strong turbulence such techniques may not adequately correct the wave-front. In such cases blind restoration techniques - which estimate both the atmospheric turbulence characterized by the atmospheric point-spread-function and the object that is being observed - must be used. We demonstrate high quality blind restorations of object scenes, obtained when observing through strong turbulence, by using a sequence of images obtained simultaneously at different wavelengths and prior information on the distribution of the sources of regions of low spectral power in the data.
Frequency and intentionality in (un)marked choices in codeswitching: “This is a 24-hour country”

This paper has three, related goals. Its main goal is to provide quantitative evidence supporting the claim that in bilingual conversation the unmarked choice can be identified via a frequency-based criterion(cf. Myers-Scotton,1993b). Accordingly, frequency also identifies the marked choice. Second, it shows that not all participants in the same conversation necessarily have the same unmarked choice. Data come from a Malawian family temporarily living in the United States. Both parents and the children engage in codeswitching, but how the two languages are employed and their frequency within the overall codeswitching pattern shows that for the parents, English is marked, while for the children Chicheŵa is marked. Finally, the paper reinforces the argument that people are rational actors in the sense that they perceive selecting one way of speaking over another as a means to optimize their outcomes in interpersonal relationships(cf. Myers-Scotton, 1998; Myers-Scotton & Bolonyai, 2001). When speakers are bilingual and codeswitching is a component of the community, the types of code choices they make in codeswitching conversations become a means of achieving such goals. Specifically, marked choices become self-presentations
Financing Rural New England University Health Services: A Pilot Study

Abstract “Serologic Evidence of Chlamydial and Mycoplasmal Pharyngitis in Adults.” In a study of 763 adult patients we found serologic evidence of infection (a fourfold increase in antibodies) with Chlamydia trachomatis in 20.5 percent of the patients and with Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 10.6 percent, but with group A streptococcus (by culture) in only 9.1 percent. Pharyngitis, the most common problem for which patients seek medical care in the United States, may be caused by nonviral, potentially treatable organisms more often than had been suspected. (Science 1983;222:927–9.) “Induction of Menstrual Disorders by Strenuous Exercise in Untrained Women,” BEVERLY A. BULLEN, et al. We performed a prospective study of 28 initially untrained college women with documented ovulation and luteal adequacy to determine whether strenuous exercise spanning two menstrual cycles would induce menstrual disorders. To ascertain the influence, if any, that weight loss might exert, we randomly assigned the subjects to weight-lo...
Comparison of H2O2 and O3 content in atmospheric samples in the San Bernardino mountains, Southern California

Concentrations of atmospheric H2O2 were measured in air, rain, cloud and dew samples in forested areas of the San Bernardino Mountains, southern California, from spring through fall of 1987–1990 O3 measurements in air were also conducted for comparison. Typical ranges of H2O2 concentrations measured were 1–3 ppb in air, 10–90 μM in rain and cloud water, and < μM in dew. The results show that gas-phase H2O2 concentrations were slightly higher at nighttime than at daytime or nearly constant throughout a 24-hr period, whereas O3 concentrations were highest during the afternoon, when polluted air masses from Los Angeles carried by daily sea breezes reached the mountain region. Afternoon concentrations of gaseous H2O2 and O3 in the mountain region were compared with those measured in Los Angeles urban sites to elucidate the regional variation of these oxidants. The results show that ambient concentrations of H2O2 and O3 were about 50–100% higher at the mountains sites than at the Los Angeles sites.
Transmural Ileal Ganglioneuromatosis in a Young Boer Goat (Capra hircus)

Summary A diagnosis of transmural ileal ganglioneuromatosis was made in a 15-day-old goat that was found dead following a period of diarrhoea and inappetence. Grossly, the entire length of the wall of the ileum was pale and firm with a variably segmental to transmural thickening. Microscopically, the ileal transmural thickening was due to a diffuse proliferation of both ganglionic and glial cells forming cell nests or packets that infiltrated the wall and into the mesentery surrounding a mesenteric lymph node. The neoplastic ganglionic cells were immunoreactive for S100, synaptophysin and triple neurofilament, while the glial spindle cells were immunoreactive with glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100 and laminin confirming their Schwann cell identity. Nerve fibres expressing neurofilament protein 200 and phosphorylated neurofilament (SMI-31) were observed rarely. Ganglioneuromatosis is defined as diffuse exuberant proliferation of all components of the intestinal ganglionic plexuses. In man, the transmural form has more grave clinical consequences than a focal pattern and is commonly associated with germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. Whether there is any comparable molecular genetic abnormality in animals remains unknown; however, ganglioneuromatosis needs to be included in the differential diagnosis of tumours of the autonomic enteric nervous system.
Letter to the Editor Regarding Aranguri et al.

To the Editor:—“Patterns of Communication through Interpreters: A Detailed Sociolinguistic Analysis,”1 seemingly addresses the important issue of interpreters and their impact on provider-patient communication. The authors state, “many of the structural difficulties exist regardless of who is interpreting for whom, based more in the nature of interpreter discourse itself and the time constraints of a medical interaction than through the specifics of the interpreter.” This is an alarming, and false, conclusion based on the data. This study only documents the negative impact of untrained interpreters on health communication. Immigrant patient advocates and the health care system are working hard to ensure that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act2 is enforced to decrease immigrant health disparities. Published data, used to help inform such service delivery, need to be scientifically rigorous. This study, with its sweeping conclusions based on untrained interpreters, could be potentially misleading. There are marked differences between trained, professional interpreters and the ad hoc interpreters they studied. Because of this, the Department of Justice “Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons”3 strongly discourages the use of untrained interpreters. The Center for Immigrant Health has conducted a randomized controlled study of outcomes by various interpreting modalities, as well as in same language encounters. In fact, our audiotape analyses of 214 encounters reveal that in visits using a trained remote simultaneous interpreter, physicians give an equal number of instructions per visit as they do in Spanish language concordant encounters (mean # per encounter 14.29, SD 6.9; 14.33, SD 6.33). Usual and customary interpreting, however, results in significantly fewer instructions (mean # per encounter 11.9, SD 6.17). Trained, professional medical interpreters are key to the elimination of health care disparities.
Optical Considerations in the Application of Holographic Stereomodels to Topographic Mapping

This paper describes a new method of holographically recording photogrammetric stereo-models. A twin projector system is used to form a stereomodel on a rear-projection screen. The two individual projections on the screen are recorded in a hologram independently by using two different reference beams. The holographic record of the stereomodel is viewed either through selective polarization of the reconstructing beams or through selective illumination of the hologram. A review of factors essential to the production of an accurate high resolution stereomodel indicates that "speckle" limits the resolution. For performing stereo presentation of photogrammetric data, holographic stereomodels have definite advantages over other types of synthesized 3-D holograms.
Cytogenetic location and expression of collagen-like genes in Drosophila.

Much of the present interest in vertebrate collagens stems from the important part which these extracellular, structural proteins play in developmental processes and tissue organization as well as from their complex gene structure. So far the only vertebrate collagen genes examined encode the constituent polypeptide (pro α) chains of type I procollagen, that is, the pro α2(I) genes from chicken1,2 and sheep3, and the pro α1(I) gene from mouse4. Recently, we have isolated several collagen-like genomic DNA clones from Drosophila melanogaster5. In addition to providing data on the evolutionary history of this gene family, studying Drosophila has distinct advantages for cytogenetic localization of genes and for defining the functional roles of individual collagens by the application of genetic techniques. Here we compare the hybridization patterns, cytogenetic localization and expression of two of the Drosophila clones, DCg1 and DCg2. Although they are cytogenetically unlinked, they share similar developmental RNA profiles.
Pigmented purpuric eruption associated with injection medroxyprogesterone acetate

Pigmented purpuric eruptions are characterized clinically by purpura, most commonly petechial, and brownish pigmentation. Although there are several idiopathic variants, several drugs have been associated with these eruptions. We present a patient who experienced pigmented purpura on her lower extremities several months after initiating medroxyprogesterone acetate injection. The eruption cleared several weeks after discontinuation of the medication.
Observations on compatibility of nylon 66/polyethylene mixtures

Abstract Phase compatibility of nylon 66 in mixtures with polyethylene of various compositions and concentrations was investigated. Optical microscopy and thermal analysis verified incompatibility, predicted by theory, in concentrations as low as 1 wt% polyethylene, regardless of type and molecular weight (melt index). Although incompatible, mixtures in this range are of importance in various industrial applications where, typically, the polyethylene component serves as carrier for pigments and additives.
Tzaraat— ℬbiblical leprosyℭ

Tzaraat refers to a group of skin diseases that, according to the Old Testament, renders one ritually unclean. Analysis of the text reveals that there are four categories of lesions discussed. Each category has a primary lesion as well as specific secondary changes. The primary lesions include depigmented lesions on previously healthy skin, lesions on previously abnormal skin, lesions on areas of diffuse alopecia, and lesions of localized alopecia. It is unlikely that these diseases have a modern-day counterpart.
Granitic Rocks from the Blake Plateau

Erratic rocks were recovered by twelve dredge hauls from the Blake Plateau, off the southeastern coast of the United States. Fifty-two percent of the rocks are granitic or granitic gneiss completely foreign to the carbonate Plateau. The presence of the granite is best explained by tree rafting from the Guiana Shield area of northeastern South America. Lack of manganese staining and the unweathered nature of the erratics suggest a Pleistocene age for the rocks.
Isoforms of cathepsin D and human epidermal differentiation

Cathepsin D is an ubiquitously expressed lysosomal aspartic proteinase, with well-determined structural and chemical properties but a less clearly defined biological role. In stratified epithelia, the chronology of cathepsin D activation and degradation can be connected with stages of cellular differentiation. We partially purified cathepsin D from human epidermis and from separated stratum corneum by standard biochemical procedures, monitored by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, and verified its identity as to molecular mass, pH optimum, N-terminal sequencing, reactivity with the specific antibody, inhibition by pepstatin A, and specific enzyme activity. It had hemoglobin-degrading activity over the acid range, with maximum at pH 3. It also degraded bovine serum albumin, human keratins, and stratum corneum extracts at pH 4. We discerned all three isoforms of human cathepsin D (the 52 kDa proenzyme and the active forms at 48 kDa and 33 kDa) in the epidermis; both active forms were also seen in the stratum corneum, but the proenzyme was not. Gene expression of cathepsin D in epidermal keratinocytes resembled that of suprabasal structural proteins (involucrin, keratin K10, transglutaminase) in its response to the calcium switch. An antibody to the 33 kda isoform immunolocalized to the granular layer and the stratum corneum (whereas antibodies to the 48 kDa isoform have been reported to stain mainly the upper spinous and granular layers). A plausible hypothesis to harmonize these results is that cathepsin D is first expressed as the proenzyme in the upper spinous layer, is activated in the lysosomes in the granular layer to the 48 kDa form, and is degraded to the 33 kDa form in the transition zone between the granular layer and the stratum corneum. As the stratum corneum is an acid environment, with an ambient pH of approximately 4.5, cathepsin D is available and suited to contribute to desquamation.
The distribution of neuropeptide Y gene expression in the chicken brain

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is demonstrated to play an important role in central control of voluntary feed intake (FI) of a variety of species. The commercial broiler chicken has been intensively selected over generations for increased body weight, achieved largely through increased FI. This has resulted in a contemporary animal that does not regulate FI to maintain energy balance, and represents a model for hyperphagia and obesity if allowed unrestricted access to feed. In the present study, the distribution of NPY mRNA was mapped in the brain of juvenile, broiler-strain chicken, and results interpreted in the context of previous data for strains that do not exhibit hyperphagia. NPY mRNA was widely distributed in the broiler brain, and highly expressed in the hippocampus, nucleus commissurae pallii, infundibular hypothalamic nucleus, nucleus pretectalis pars ventralis and neurons around the nucleus rotundus. Moderately labeled neurons were found in the lateral septal organ, nucleus periventricularis hypothalamus and nucleus paraventricularis magnocellularis. The pallium exhibited only sparse labeling. Generally, the distribution of cell groups expressing NPY mRNA was consistent with those regions exhibiting NPY immunoreactivity, and also matches the distribution of receptor binding sites reported in the literature for the chicken brain. This suggests that NPY may be involved in functions controlled by these regions. The observation of NPY gene expression in brain regions involved in appetite regulation is consistent with the recognized importance of NPY in FI regulation in a variety of species, and with the chronic hyperphagia, characteristic of the broiler.
Preparation of Lagt Ans Via Oxidation of Cyclic, Tertiary and Secondary Amines with Hg(II)-Edta Complex in Alkaline Medium

Abstract Oxidation of N-alkylpiperidines and other cyclic, tertiary amines with Hg(ll)-EDTA complex in basic solution yields lactams, similar oxidation of N-hydroxy-plperidines gives hydroxamic acids (presumably via nitrones) and oxidation of N-unsubstituted piperidines affords lactams, probably via 1-piperideine trimers.
Ontogenesis of cytoplasmic organelles in rat hepatocytes and the effects of prenatal phenobarbital on endoplasmic reticulum development

The ontogenesis of liver cytoplasmic organelles was studied by electron microscopy in the rat from the first day of appearance of liver primordium to postnatal day 5. On gestation day 11, numerous ribosomes, a large Golgi complex, prominent centrioles, and a few mitochondria and microbodies were present. The free ribosomes decreased progressively to reach the adult appearance by day of birth. The centrioles, present in almost all cells on days 11 and 13 decreased progressively and were only occasionally seen by day 17 and thereafter. The mitochondria increased progressively in number and complexity. The Golgi complex, large and multiple during fetal life, became single, small, and inconspicuous after birth. The microbodies remained without significant changes throughout development, increased sharply at birth, and remained as such postnatally. Lysosomes, absent throughout prenatal life, appeared in large numbers at birth and acquired the adult pattern at that time. RER became most prominent on gestation day 13. Electron dense material, seen for the first time within the RER cisternae on day 15, increased further until day 20 and disappeared at birth. SER, absent during the early fetal period, appeared for the first time gestation day 20. The number of cells containing SER, as well as the amount of SER, progressively increased. However, SER distribution was still not comparable to that in the adult hepatocyte on postnatal day 5. Our attempts to induce SER formation prior to gestation day 20, its normal time of appearance, using phenobarbital as inducer, were unsuccessful.
Orogen-parallel and orogen-perpendicular extension in the central Nepalese Himalayas

North-dipping, gravitationally driven extensional structures that unroof the high-grade core of the Himalayas have been recognized in several parts of the orogen. Recent work in west-central Nepal demonstrates that the extensional history at the top of the Greater Himalayan metamorphic sequence in this region is laterally variable. In the upper Marsyandi valley there is evidence for three generations of early to middle Miocene west-directed (orogen-parallel) extensional structures. The study area consists of two tectonostratigraphic sequences. The lower sequence consists of a 12-km-thick section of high-grade metasedimentary rocks of the Greater Himalayan sequence. The higher sequence consists of a 4-km-thick section of medium-grade marble of the Tibetan sedimentary sequence; it overlies the Greater Himalayan sequence in the Marsyandi valley along a northwest-dipping ductile shear zone (the Chame detachment). Mylonitic fabrics in footwall rocks show evidence of west-directed displacement at sillimanite-grade through greenschist-grade conditions. A cataclastic zone indicates progressively more brittle deformation at the eastern end of the outcrop trace of the Chame detachment. In the Dudh Khola valley, 15 km west of the Marsyandi valley, the Tibetan sedimentary sequence is juxtaposed with the Greater Himalayan sequence by an early Miocene north-dipping ductile shear zone (the Dudh Khola detachment) that has well-developed, north-trending stretching lineations formed during sillimanite-grade metamorphism. North-directed (orogen perpendicular) extension in the Dudh Khola region is interpreted as coeval with west-directed (orogen-parallel) extension in the Marsyandi region. Along-strike variations in the orientation of extensional strain at the top of the Greater Himalayan sequence may be explained by lateral crustal thickness gradients.
Sorption Rates of Water-Soluble Dyes on Soft Gelatin Capsules

A method was developed for determining sorption rates of water-soluble dyes by soft gelatin capsules. This method was used for determining the diffusivities and activation energies of five FD&C water-soluble dyes. The activation energies of these dyes were in either of two groups which had ranges of 25.1–25.7 and 34.8–36.0 kcal/mole.
Mental illness and the criminal justice system: Where are we now?

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report on Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates published in 2006, 56% of state prisoners, 45% of federal prisoners, and 64% of jail inmates had a mental health problem. Studies suggest that up to 15% of persons in city and county jails and state prisons have severe mental illness. A study by Steadman and colleagues published in 2009 evaluating the prevalence of serious mental illness (defined as major depressive disorder; depressive disorder not otherwise specified [NOS]; bipolar disorder I, II, NOS; schizophrenia spectrum disorder; schizoaffective disorder; schizophreniform disorder; brief psychotic disorder; delusional disorder; and psychotic disorder NOS) among jail inmates found rates of 14.5% for male inmates and 31.0% for female inmates. The term “severely psychiatrically disabled” may be defined as those individuals demonstrating psychopathology similar to those of acute inpatients in state mental health facilities.
Quantification of Random Fiber Arrangements Using a Radial Distribution Function Approach

Radial distribution functions (RDFs) for random, hard-core model patterns and actual composite material microstructures have been determined. The environs of the typical fiber in the random pattern have a higher fiber areal density nearer to the fiber than farther away. These differences increase with volume fraction. The RDFs for random patterns show good agreement with theory. The RDFs for Nicalon/zirconia titanate composites appear similar to the random case, but also display an angular dependence on near-neighbor distribution. The proximity of near-neighbors has important ramifications for modeling the micromechanics of tow-based fiber composite mateials.
Dimensions of the public affairs/government relations function in major American corporations

The public affairs/government relations (PA/GR) function appears to be growing in importance in large corporations. A survey of the 500 largest U.S. industrial concerns was undertaken to ascertain their views and practices with regard to the PA/GR function. 130 of the 163 firms responding to the survey have a formalized PA/GR function in place. Survey data supports the idea that top corporate decision makers are allocating significant staff and decision making authority to the PA/GR function and that this activity differs significantly from the traditional lobbying and public affairs activities of the past.
Fibre-buckling in composite systems: a model for the ultrastructure of uncalcified collagen tissues

Rat tail tendon and other connective tissues are being studied as unusual fibre-filled composite materials of biological origin. The collagen fibres of these tissues follow a planar wavy course along the axis of the bundle of fibres, and the straightening of this waveform produces an initial “toe region” of low modulus in the stress-strain curve, followed by a linear high-modulus region associated with stretching of the fibres themselves. Presumably this mechanical behaviour is valuable to the animal as an impact absorption mechanism.
Facile Synthesis of MoS2@CNT as an Effective Catalyst for Hydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can produce hydrogen gas from organic compounds in an energy-efficient way by taking advantage of the potential generated by microorganisms. However, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in MECs is slow and thus requires catalysts. A challenge for MEC development therefore lies in the development of cost-effective HER catalysts. In this study, a nanocomposite with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) coated on highly conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was synthesized as an alternative HER catalyst, and examined in an MEC for hydrogen production. Linear sweep voltammogram experiments demonstrated enhanced HER activity with increasing CNT content. The results suggest that conductivity may be the main limiting factor for overall HER catalysis by MoS2. MEC tests showed that MoS2/CNT-90 achieved hydrogen production that was comparable to the Pt-based catalyst. The low cost of the MoS2 composites will make it competitive as an effective HER catalyst for future MEC applications.
The e/π and π0/π ratios measured, and monochromatic γ and π0 beams explored in the DØ test calorimeter☆

Abstract The e / π response ratio of the DO end calorimeter has been measured by comparing data from 10 to 150 GeV/c electron and pion beams. The “intrinsic” e / π of the fine-hadronic module has also been studied with the pions alone, by selecting π 0 -like showers contained within individual layers of the calorimeter. The measurements are compared to GEANT Monte Carlo simulations. A technique to generate monochromatic test beams of photons and neutral pions was successfully investigated. Preliminary results from central calorimeter modules exposed to these beams are discussed, and are compared to calculated expectations.
The coronal spectra of Fe xv and Ni xvii

Predicted allowed and forbidden EUV line intensities of Fe XV and Ni XVII are presented in explicit graphical form, clarifying and extending the earlier treatment of Bely and Blaha (1968). In the case of the former ion a detailed comparison with available observations leads to questioning or rejection of some presently accepted line identifications (323.57 A, 317.61 A), and on the other hand suggests that a quiet sun line at 304.853 A is due to Fe XV. For the little known ion Ni XVII estimates of level structure and line wavelengths are given and a preliminary comparison is made with recent flare observations.
Binding of wheat germ agglutinin by HeLa cells: effects of prednisolone.

SummaryA new technique utilizing a platelet aggregometer was devised for evaluating agglutination of tissue culture cells by wheat germ lipase agglutinin (WGA). The hypothesis that HeLa cells grown in the presence of glucocorticoids accumulate sialopeptides at the cell surface was examined by subjecting such cells to agglutination by WGA. The steroid-treated cells were found to bind more agglutinin at the cell surface and were agglutinated more strongly than the controls.
Proportions in time: interactions of quantification and aspect

Proportional quantification and progressive aspect interact in English in revealing ways. This paper investigates these interactions and draws conclusions about the semantics of the progressive and telicity. In the scope of the progressive, the proportion named by a proportionality quantifier (e.g. most in The software was detecting most errors) must hold in every subevent of the event so described, indicating that a predicate in the scope of the progressive is interpreted as an internally homogeneous activity. Such an activity interpretation is argued to be available for telic predicates (e.g. cross the street) because these receive a partitive interpretation except in combination with a completive operator, which asserts that the event so described has culminated. The obligatoriness of the completive operator in the preterit is shown to parametrically distinguish those languages that show completion entailments in the preterit, e.g. English, from those that do not, e.g. Malagasy, Hindi, and Japanese.
Invited Article: Objective function formulation of the BCM theory of visual cortical plasticity: Statistical connections, stability conditions

In this paper, we present an objective function formulation of the Bienenstock, Cooper, and Munro (BCM) theory of visual cortical plasticity that permits us to demonstrate the connection between the unsupervised BCM learning procedure and various statistical methods, in particular, that of Projection Pursuit. This formulation provides a general method for stability analysis of the fixed points of the theory and enables us to analyze the behavior and the evolution of the network under various visual rearing conditions. It also allows comparison with many existing unsupervised methods. This model has been shown successful in various applications such as phoneme and 3D object recognition. We thus have the striking and possibly highly significant result that a biological neuron is performing a sophisticated statistical procedure.
A nitrogen-15 isotope dilution study of ammonium production and consumption in a marsh sediment1

Gross rates of ammonium production and consumption by microbes were estimated from isotope dilution of extractable 15NH,+ in surface sediment samples from a tidal freshwater marsh in Massachusetts. At 13°C gross ammonium production was 11.6 + 2.9 nmol N.(cm3 fresh sedimerit)-* . h-l. This rate equaled or exceeded gross ammonium consumption in the absence of plant root uptake [6.4 + 4.0 nmol N.(cm3 fresh sediment)-’ ah-*] so that ammonium accumulated linearly for 50-70 h in the sediment samples [5.2 -t 1.6 nmol N.(cm3 fresh sediment)-‘*h-l]. In the field, this excess ammonium is presumably available for plant uptake. Ammonium production and consumption rates were highest in surface sediments and fell rapidly with depth. Temperature has a strong influence on both rates (Q,,, = 2.6). Substrate quality and availability, both of which generally decrease with sediment age or depth, are probably more important than end-product inhibition as rate-controlling factors in these sediments. In particular, the relationship between ammonium production and consumption rates at different depths and sediment ligin content is clearer than between these rates and dry weight or ash-free dry weight sediment. The annual, net rate of ammonium production in the top 10 cm of unmixed, surface sediments was estimated from short term ammonium accumulation rates to be about 1.7 mol N.rne2. However, net ammonium production severely overestimated the true turnover time of ammonium as estimated by isotope dilution (5 days). Most important, while isotope dilution of ammonium is a good indicator of ammonium turnover rates, it may be a poor indicator of total nitrogen turnover in sediments (and so of total microbial activity) because it is insensitive to the nitrogen that microbes assimilate directly from the solid substrates to which they adhere.