cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of reprogrammed macrophage endotoxin signal transduction after lipopolysaccharide pretreatment

Background. Dysregulation of macrophage tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) release results from repetitive lipopolysacharride (LPS) stimulation. In this study we investigated the mechanisms of LPS pretreatment (LPS p ) signal transduction producing altered LPS-activated (LPS a ) cytokine release. Methods. Murine macrophages were treated with medium alone, actinomycin D, cycloheximide, a protein kinase C inhibitor (H7), or the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NMA. Macrophages were then pretreated with 100 ng/ml LPS p and cultured in medium alone, a nitric oxide donor (sodium nitroprusside), or a cyclic adenosine monophosphate donor (8-bromoadenosine) for 20 hours. Cultures were then washed, and fresh medium containing 1 μg/ml LPS a was added. TNF and IL-1 release in 24-hour supernatant was measured by bioassays. Results. LPS p inhibited TNF and enhanced IL-1 release. The results with actinomycin D and cycloheximide suggested that LPS p effects did not require transcription, but IL-1 enhancement required protein synthesis. Addition of 8-bromo cyclic adenosine monophosphate, H7, or nitroprusside prevented LPS p -induced augmentation of IL-1 but had no effect on inhibition of TNF release. Inhibition of LPS p -induced nitric oxide production with L-NMA had no effect on T3F or IL-1. Conclusions. Complex, independent, but incompletely understood signal transduction pathways for LPS p -induced alterations in LPS a -stimulated macrophage TNF and IL-1 release were shown. Understanding altered signal transduction from prior LPS stimulation may suggest new therapies to control dysregulated macrophage cytokine release in sepsis. (SURGERY 1995 ;118 :220-8.)
Creating a bioinformatics nation

A web-services model will allow biological data to be fully exploited. During the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, Italy was fragmented into dozens of rival city-states controlled by such legendary families as the Estes, Viscontis and Medicis. Though picturesque, this political fragmentation was ultimately damaging to science and commerce because of the lack of standardization in everything from weights and measures to the tax code to the currency to the very dialects people spoke. A fragmented and technologically weak society was vulnerable to conquest, and from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries Italy was dominated by invading powers. The old city-states of Italy are an apt metaphor for bioinformatics today. The field is dominated by rival groups, each promoting its web sites, services and data formats. Unarguably, this environment of creative chaos has greatly enriched the field. But it has also created a significant hindrance to researchers wishing to exploit the wealth of genome data to its fullest. Despite its shaky beginning, the nation of Italy was eventually forged through a combination of violent and diplomatic efforts. It is now a strong and stable component of a larger economic unit, the European Union, with which it shares a common currency, a common set of weights and measures, and a common set of rules for national and international commerce. My hope is that bioinformatics will one day achieve the same degree of strength and stability by adopting a universal code of conduct along the lines I propose here.
NASA laser remote sensing technology needs for earth science in the next decade and beyond

In late 2005 the NASA Earth Science Technology Office convened a working group to review decadal-term technology needs for Earth science active optical remote sensing objectives. The outcome from this effort is intended to guide future NASA investments in laser remote sensing technologies. This paper summarizes the working group findings and places them in context with the conclusions of the National Research Council assessment of Earth science needs, completed in 2007.
Snai2 expression enhances ultraviolet radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis.

Snai2, encoded by the SNAI2 gene, has been shown to modulate epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), the conversion of sessile epithelial cells attached to adjacent cells and to the basement membrane into dissociated and motile fibroblastic cells. EMT occurs during development, wound healing, and carcinoma progression. Using Snai2-null mice (Snai2lacZ), we evaluated the role of Snai2 in UV radiation (UVR)-induced skin carcinogenesis. In chronically UVR-exposed nontumor-bearing skin from Snai2-null mice, inflammation and epidermal proliferation were decreased compared with wild-type (+/+) skin. Snai2-null mice had a consistently lower tumor burden than +/+ mice. In addition, null mice developed fewer aggressive spindle cell tumors, believed to arise from squamous cell carcinomas that have undergone EMT, than +/+ mice; however, the difference in tumor type distribution between the two genotypes was not statistically significant. No metastases were observed in either the +/+ or Snai2-null mice. Using quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, we showed that the spindle cell tumors in the Snai2-null mice demonstrated impaired EMT, as shown by decreased vimentin and increased cadherin 1 expression. This study confirms a role for Snai2 in EMT, but demonstrates that Snai2 expression is not required for the development or progression of UVR-induced skin tumors.
Massive cerebral embolization: successful treatment with retrograde perfusion

Stroke is an unpredictable and morbid complication of cardiac operations. We report a patient who suffered massive bilateral cerebral embolization during aortic cannulation for coronary bypass. This was treated successfully with hypothermic circulatory arrest and high flow retrograde cerebral perfusion. The patient suffered only minimal neurologic impairment and improved rapidly. She was discharged home on postoperative day 7 neurologically intact.
Intelligent sensor tasking for space collision mitigation

Orbital collisions pose a hazard to space operations. Using a high performance computer modeling and simulation environment for space situational awareness, we explore a new paradigm for improving satellite conjunction analysis by obtaining more precise orbital information only for those objects that pose a collision risk greater than a defined threshold to a specific set of satellites during a specified time interval. In particular, we assess the improvement in the quality of the conjunction analysis that can be achieved using a distributed network of ground-based telescopes.
On finite partition representations of lattices

It was recently proved by Pudlak and Tuma that every finite lattice L can be represented as a sublattice of a finite partition lattice E(V). Here a graph-theoretical framework for the study of the integer invariant W(L) = min"F"P"R"("L")"|"V"| (where FPR(L) denotes the class of all such representations R:L -> E(V) of L) is presented, and then used to derive upper bounds for W(L) for certain geometric lattices L.
Early changes in defibrillation threshold following implantation of a nonthoracotomy system in dogs.

BACKGROUND Nonthoracotomy systems are rapidly becoming the preferred surgical method for implantation of cardioverter defibrillators. Testing is performed at the time of implantation to insure an adequate margin of safety for defibrillation. However, this safety margin may change with lead maturation. This study evaluated changes in defibrillation threshold following implantation of a nonthoracotomy system. METHODS AND RESULTS Ten dogs underwent implantation of a nonthoracotomy system consisting of a single catheter with a distal coil electrode in the right ventricular apex and a proximal coil electrode in the superior vena cava forming a common anode with a subcutaneous patch over the left thorax. Defibrillation threshold testing, using a biphasic waveform, was performed on each animal under general anesthesia at implantation (day 1) and subsequently on postoperative days 3, 7, 10, 17, 24, 31, 38, and 45. E50, the energy associated with a 50% likelihood of successful defibrillation, was determined at each setting. The mean E50 was 12.2 +/- 1.1 J at the time of implantation, increasing 36% to 16.8 +/- 2.0 J by day 38 (P < 0.01). Individual increases in E50 of 10-12 J were observed in four animals. CONCLUSIONS Energy requirements for defibrillation with a nonthoracotomy system increase during the early postoperative period, with the highest defibrillation threshold observed at 38 days. This increase may be applicable to humans and should be considered when selecting an adequate energy safety margin for defibrillation at time of implantation.
Studies on succinylated and maleylated ATP: creatine phsophotransferase.

After treatment of ATP creatine transphosphoryla.se with maleic or succinic anhydride, the enzyme was purified using Sephadex G-25 and the number of s-lysine groups that reacted determined by utilization of radioactive maleic anhydride, U. V. spectroscopy, titration of succinic acid liberated upon hydrolysis, and by dinitrophenylation. Before exposure to hydroxylamine, about J 20 moles anhydride were bound per mole of protein; and after exposure, about 68 moles remained ligated. Low speed sedimentation equilibrium experiments showed that maleylation induced formation of subunits of molecular weight half that of the original molecule. After digestion of the maleylated protein with trypsin, the resulting peptides were separated on a Dowex column, followed by high voltage electrophoresis and paper chromatography. Twenty-two spots were obtained, all of which were positive when sprayed with Sakaguchi reagent.
Conformational transformation and selection of synthetic prion strains

Abstract Prion protein is capable of folding into multiple self-replicating prion strains that produce phenotypically distinct neurological disorders. Although prion strains often breed true upon passage, they can also transform or “mutate” despite being devoid of nucleic acids. To dissect the mechanism of prion strain transformation, we studied the physicochemical evolution of a mouse synthetic prion (MoSP) strain, MoSP1, after repeated passage in mice and cultured cells. We show that MoSP1 gradually adopted shorter incubation times and lower conformational stabilities. These changes were accompanied by structural transformation, as indicated by a shift in the molecular mass of the protease-resistant core of MoSP1 from approximately 19 kDa [MoSP1(2)] to 21 kDa [MoSP1(1)]. We show that MoSP1(1) and MoSP1(2) can breed with fidelity when cloned in cells; however, when present as a mixture, MoSP1(1) preferentially proliferated, leading to the disappearance of MoSP1(2). In culture, the rate of this transformation process can be influenced by the composition of the culture media and the presence of polyamidoamines. Our findings demonstrate that prions can exist as a conformationally diverse population of strains, each capable of replicating with high fidelity. Rare conformational conversion, followed by competitive selection among the resulting pool of conformers, provides a mechanism for the adaptation of the prion population to its host environment.
Reelin, lipoprotein receptors and synaptic plasticity

A common apolipoprotein E (APOE) isoform confers risk for Alzheimer's disease. New evidence that APOE, cholesterol, reelin and APOE receptors are vital for synaptic plasticity in the adult brain might help to unravel some key pathological mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a cholesterol transport protein and an isoform-specific major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. The lipoprotein receptors that bind APOE have recently been recognized as pivotal components of the neuronal signalling machinery. The interaction between APOE receptors and one of their ligands, reelin, allows them to function directly as signal transduction receptors at the plasma membrane to control not only neuronal positioning during brain development, but also synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms through which APOE, cholesterol, reelin and APOE receptors control synaptic functions that are essential for cognition, learning, memory, behaviour and neuronal survival.
VOLATILE FLAVOR COMPONENTS OF COCONUT MEAT

SUMMARY Gas, chromatographic and mass-spectral techniques were employed in the isolation and identification of the volatile-flavor components of coconut meat. 15 compounds were positively identified. Odors of authentic compounds were described. Both delta-C8, -C10 lactones and n-octanol were the major volatile components and responsible for the characteristic aroma of coconut meat. The contributions of other minor components to flavor and their significance were also described.
One-time tillage of no-till crop land five years post-tillage.

Continuous no-till (NT) can be beneficial relative to tillage with fewer field operations, reduced erosion, and surface soil improvement. Field research was conducted at two locations for 5 yr in eastern Nebraska to test the hypotheses that one-time tillage of NT can result in increased grain yield, reduced stratification of soil properties persisting for at least 5 yr, a net gain in soil organic carbon (SOC), and a restoration of the soil microbial community to NT composition. Stratification of soil test P, SOC, and bulk density was similar for all tillage treatments at 5 yr after tillage. Water stable soil aggregates (WSA) were not affected by tillage treatments except that there was more soil as macroaggregates at one location in the 5- to 10-cm depth with moldboard plow tillage (MP) compared with NT. Tillage treatments had no effect on SOC mass in the 0- to 30-cm depth. Soil microbial biomass was greater at the 0- to 5-cm compared with the 5- to 10-cm depth. Biomass of bacteria, actinomycetes, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was greater with NT compared with one-time MP at one location but not affected by the one-time tillage at the other location. Microbial community structure differed among tillage treatments at the 0- to 5-cm depth at one location but not at the other location. Grain yield generally was not affected by tillage treatment. One-time tillage of NT can be done without measureable effects on yield or soil properties.
A stationary point for the stochastic frontier likelihood

The likelihood function for the stochastic frontier model is shown to possess an unusual stationary point which may or may not be a maximum. A condition is given to determine if the point is a maximum, and the result is interpreted in the context of specification and estimation. The specification and estimation of frontier or envelope functions has been a concern of econometricians for some time. The subject became of widespread interest with the introduction of a particularly attractive formulation of the model, the stochastic frontier of Aigner, Love11 and Schmidt (ALS) (1977) and Meeusen and Van den Broeck (1977). In that model, the random disturbance is composed of the sum of a symmetric and a one-sided random variable. This specification avoids the statistical problems of earlier formulations, while providing a convenient measure of the relative inefficiency. A recent survey may be found in F@sund et al. (1980). The distributional assumptions most commonly made are the zero-mean normal distribution for the symmetric component and the same distribution truncated above zero for the one-sized component.’ With this assumption, the likelihood equation is well defined, and ALS propose maximum likelihood estimation. This method has been widely applied [for examples, see (3), (4) and (5)]. However, recent experience with simulating the properties of competing estimators for this model has indicated that the likelihood function is not entirely well behaved.* We show that the likelihood function always has a stationary point at one particular set of parameter values.3 A condition is given when this point is a local maximum and when it is a
Biophysical and Functional Characterization of Full-length, Recombinant Human Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) Produced in Escherichia coli COMPARISON OF WILD TYPE AND AMINO-TERMINAL ALANINE APPENDED VARIANT WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MECHANISM OF TIMP FUNCTIONS

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) function in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix that is integral for many normal and pathological processes. The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases family, including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2), regulates the activity of these multifunctional metalloproteinases. TIMP family members are proteinase inhibitors that contain six conserved disulfide bonds, one involving an amino-terminal cysteine residue that is critical for MMP inhibitor activity. TIMP-2 has been expressed in Escherichia coli, folded from insoluble protein, and functionally characterized. The wild type protein inhibited gelatinase A (MMP-2), whereas a variant with an alanine appended to the amino terminus (Ala+TIMP-2) was inactive. Removal of amino-terminal alanine by exopeptidase digestion restored protease inhibitor activity. This confirms the mechanistic importance of the amino-terminal amino group in the metalloproteinase inhibitory activity, as originally suggested from the x-ray structure of a complex of MMP-3 with TIMP-1 and a complex of TIMP-2 with MT-1-MMP. The Ala+TIMP-2 variant exhibited conformational, pro-MMP-2 complex formation and fibroblast growth modulating properties of the wild type protein. These findings demonstrate that Ala+TIMP-2 is an excellent biochemical tool for examining the specific role of MMP inhibition in the multiple functions ascribed to TIMPs.
Law School Experience in Pervasive Electronic Communications.

TECHNOLOGY HAS CREATED a new dimension in communications and opened a global environment for transacting business and teaching that has yet to be measured. To position some of the issues affecting education, generally, and legal education and practice, this article reports on the experience in providing universal communications connectivity throughout an entire law school. This report describes the participants and the setting and how the students and the professors have begun to develop ways to use electronic communications to learn the law and practice it. The results of having this tool available throughout the school are examined, including the cultural and educational changes that have occurred. This experience points to the future in which students, professors and practitioners will collaborate in transitory national and international alliances to share their knowledge electronically.
Effect of arousal and retention delay on memory: a meta-analysis.

Summary Two meta-analyses were conducted to examine the magnitude of the interaction between arousal and retention delay on various types of memory, e.g., verbal, visual, etc., as initially reported by Kleinsmith and Kaplan in 1963 and 1964. Results of the first meta-analysis (29 studies, N = 2,637) indicated that the interaction was robust (d = .779), with low arousal leading to better immediate memory than high arousal, whereas high arousal led to better delayed memory than low arousal. Incorporating additional studies, a subsequent meta-analysis (48 studies, N = 3,143) on the effect of arousal on memory, taking retention delay as a moderator, provided further support. At a 2-min. delay, low arousal led to better immediate memory than high arousal (d = −.459). This difference decreased at a 20-min. delay (d = .106), when directions of high and low arousal effects on memory appeared to reverse. At longer delays than 20 min., high arousal led to better delayed memory than low arousal (ds = .753, .219, and...
Coming of age--the chemoprevention of cancer.

With the aging of the population and the continued fall in rates of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer will emerge soon after the year 2000 with the dubious distinction of being the lea...
Mechanics of soft active materials with phase evolution

This paper studies the mechanics of soft active materials where the actuation is generated due to the formation of phases that are stress-free at the moment of their creation and therefore experience no deformation in the associated configuration. Phase formation is a continuous time-dependent process, which results in individual phases forming at different times and in different configurations of the material body, and thus it is coupled with mechanical deformation. Subsequent deformation of the material body results in individual phases experiencing different states of deformation and the overall material response results from the combined responses of the individual phases weighted by their respective volume fractions. Therefore, a great challenge in modeling the mechanics of soft active materials with evolving phases is to track the deformation and evolution of individual phases formed at different times and in different configurations. In this paper, a generalized one-dimensional model framework is presented to address this challenge. However, this model proves to be computationally inefficient. In response, an effective phase model is developed that tracks the combined deformation histories of new phases through a single, effective deformation. Both the general and effective phase models are evaluated with two fundamentally distinct phase evolution rules for three common mechanical problems: extension, stress relaxation, and creep. The first evolution rule represents a discrete transition from one phase to another while the second rule corresponds to a general transition from several phases into one phase. The effective phase model demonstrates excellent agreement with the generalized theory for all three mechanical problems considered under both types of evolution rules.
Clinical utility of the Stanford brief activity survey in men and women with early-onset coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE To determine the utility of the Stanford Brief Activity Survey (SBAS) as a quick screening tool in a clinical population, where no other measure of physical activity was available. METHODS The SBAS was administered to 500 younger cases in the Atherosclerotic Disease Vascular Function and Genetic Epidemiology (ADVANCE) study, a case-control genetic association study, between December 2001 and January 2004. Younger cases in the ADVANCE study included men (<46 years old) and women (<56 years old) diagnosed with early-onset coronary artery disease. Frequency distributions of the SBAS and associations between SBAS activity categories and selected cardiovascular disease risk factors by sex were calculated. RESULTS Subjects were 45.9 +/- 6.4 years old, 68% married, 61% women, 51% white, and 21% college graduates. Clinical diagnoses for early-onset coronary artery disease included 61% myocardial infarction, 23% coronary revascularization procedure, and 16% angina pectoris. In women, associations between all cardiovascular disease risk factors examined across SBAS categories were statistically significant (P trend < .01). In men, the associations across SBAS categories were statistically significant (P trend < .01), except for body mass index (P trend = .065). Adjustment for body mass index, age, ethnicity, and education with interactions by sex did not change the results. CONCLUSION Subjects in the higher SBAS activity categories had more favorable cardiovascular disease risk profiles than did their less active counterparts, regardless of sex. The SBAS can be recommended for use in clinical populations providing immediate feedback on current physical activity level.
Determination of the recoilless fraction in iron oxide nanoparticles using the two-lattice method

We propose a two-lattice method for direct determination of the recoilless fraction using a single room-temperature transmission M¨ ossbauer measurement. The method is first demonstrated for the case of iron and metallic glass twofoil system and is next generalized for the case of physical mixtures of two powders. We further apply this method to determine the recoilless fraction of hematite and magnetite particles. Finally, we provide direct measurement of the recoilless fraction in nanohematite and nanomagnetite with an average particle size of 19 nm. A list of values obtained for the recoilless fraction in various materials using the two-lattice method is given.
An ATM-independent S-phase checkpoint response involves CHK1 pathway

After exposure to genotoxic stress, proliferating cells actively slow down the DNA replication through a S-phase checkpoint to provide time for repair. We report that in addition to the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-dependent pathway that controls the fast response, there is an ATM-independent pathway that controls the slow response to regulate the S-phase checkpoint after ionizing radiation in mammalian cells. The slow response of S-phase checkpoint, which is resistant to wortmannin, sensitive to caffeine and UCN-01, and related to cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation, is much stronger in CHK1 overexpressed cells, and it could be abolished by Chk1 antisense oligonucleotides. These results provide evidence that the ATM-independent slow response of S-phase checkpoint involves CHK1 pathway.
Rapid recording of solvent-suppressed 2D COSY spectra with inherent quadrature detection using pulsed field gradients

Multidimensional NMR experiments have drawn much attention, particularly due to their ability to elucidate the structure of complex mo lecules. One of the ma jor drawbacks of many mu ltidimensional experiments is the long time required to record a dataset. In many cases, the m inimal experimental time is not lim ited by sensitivity, but rather by the number of repetitions needed to complete a phase-cycl ing protocol. Phase cycling may be necessary to select the desired coherence pathway ( 2 ) , to obtain absorptive l ineshapes (2-4, and to eliminate undesired signals such as axial peaks or quadrature artifacts (5). In order to reduce experimental time, efforts have been undertaken to design reduced phase-cycl ing schemes (6, 7). Spectral artifacts may also appear if the spin system is not in a constant state at the beginning of each pulse sequence, for example, in the case of a fast repetition rate. This problem may be solved by the use of a saturation-recovery sequence (8). Coherence pathways can also be selected in a single scan with the application of field gradients (9-11). Sotak et al. ( 12) have applied this principle to obtain in vivo 2D double-quantum spectra, and Hurd recently reported gradient-enhanced doublequantum-fi ltered COSY and gradient-enhanced TOCSY ( 13). In this contribution, we discuss how standard COSY spectra can be recorded without phase cycling if pulsed field gradients are available. Furthermore, it will be shown that quadrature detection in thef; doma in is attained inherently. F inally, solvent suppression is accomplished by using an alternative pulse sequence, and an improved deconvolut ion method for postprocessing. A similar approach, applied to in vivo 2D spectroscopy, has independently been reported by Z iegler et al. ( 14). F igure 1 a shows the two-pulse sequence for the basic COSY experiment (IS). Using the product-operator formalism to describe the evolution of a weakly coupled twospin system, the observable terms of the density operator after the second 90” pulse at the beginning of the detection period t2 are (16)
Function of the Tetraspanin CD151–α6β1 Integrin Complex during Cellular Morphogenesis

Upon plating on basement membrane Matrigel, NIH3T3 cells formed an anastomosing network of cord-like structures, inhibitable by anti-α6β1 integrin antibodies. For NIH3T3 cells transfected with human CD151 protein, the formation of a cord-like network was also inhibitable by anti-CD151 antibodies. Furthermore, CD151 and α6β1 were physically associated within NIH3T3 cells. On removal of the short 8-amino acid C-terminal CD151 tail (by deletion or exchange), exogenous CD151 exerted a dominant negative effect, as it almost completely suppressed α6β1-dependent cell network formation and NIH3T3 cell spreading on laminin-1 (an α6β1 ligand). Importantly, mutant CD151 retained α6β1 association and did not alter α6β1-mediated cell adhesion to Matrigel. In conclusion, the CD151–α6β1 integrin complex acts as a functional unit that markedly influences cellular morphogenesis, with the CD151 tail being of particular importance in determining the “outside-in” functions of α6β1-integrin that follow ligand engagement. Also, antibodies to α6β1 and CD151 inhibited formation of endothelial cell cord-like networks, thus pointing to possible relevance of CD151–α6β1 complexes during angiogenesis.
Mobilization of Component Interface Stresses Between Soil and Pile Under Lateral Loading

The inelastic deformations for pile foundations under lateral loading occur be low grade; therefore, the overall lateral load behavior of the system is influenced by the interaction between the shaft and the surrounding soil. This complex interaction is commonly modeled using p-y curves. The standard p-y method does not explicitly take into account all the key aspects of soil -pile interaction, namely the nonlinear response of the soil, frictional interface stresses between the soil and the pile, the generation of gaps between the soil and pile, damping under dynamic loads, and the str uctural response of the pile. Past research efforts (Nogami, et al., 1992, Boulanger, 1999, Lermitte, et al., 2001) have been aimed at developing unidirectional p-y interaction curves comprised of an assembly of distinct sub -elements; the subelements are each in charge of modeling a specific component of soil -pile resistance under lateral loading. These assembled soil -pile interaction curves are then compared to a backbone curve based on the existing standard p-y curves. However the current models for p-y curves are calibrated primarily from lateral load tests and lump all components of lateral resistance into one curve. Thus the contribution of each sub element to the overall assembled behavior of the interaction “ p-y” curve becomes somewhat arbitrary. This study examines the effects of nonlinear soil resistance to relative displacements between a model pile and soil, including the effects of gapping, cyclic degradation, and interfacial slip through laboratory testing. Measurements are presented for the normal compressive soil stress on the leading face of the pile, soil/pile interface stress along the sides of the pile, and active normal soil stresses on the pile. Using current sensor technology, normal stresses in soil are measured and side-frictional interface stresses are inferred. Professor Michael O’Neill stated in his Thirty -Fourth Karl Terzaghi Lecture (O’Neill, 2001) that “the design of deep foundations is a complex matter that should be addressed in a design context by engineers who are experienced in the observation of pile behavior, theoretical modeling, and the appropriate use of design methods” – this paper attempts to stay true to Professor O’Neill’s words by applying both observations from experimental measurements and theoretical modeling to a complex topic in foundation engineering.
Selection for independence of floral and vegetative traits: evidence from correlation patterns in five species

Underlying developmental and genetic relationships cause positive correlations among the sizes of a variety of plant traits. Selection for functional independence among traits, however, can reduce ...
Targeted cytotoxic therapy kills persisting HIV infected cells during ART.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV levels in plasma to undetectable levels, but rather little is known about the effects of ART outside of the peripheral blood regarding persistent virus production in tissue reservoirs. Understanding the dynamics of ART-induced reductions in viral RNA (vRNA) levels throughout the body is important for the development of strategies to eradicate infectious HIV from patients. Essential to a successful eradication therapy is a component capable of killing persisting HIV infected cells during ART. Therefore, we determined the in vivo efficacy of a targeted cytotoxic therapy to kill infected cells that persist despite long-term ART. For this purpose, we first characterized the impact of ART on HIV RNA levels in multiple organs of bone marrow-liver-thymus (BLT) humanized mice and found that antiretroviral drug penetration and activity was sufficient to reduce, but not eliminate, HIV production in each tissue tested. For targeted cytotoxic killing of these persistent vRNA+ cells, we treated BLT mice undergoing ART with an HIV-specific immunotoxin. We found that compared to ART alone, this agent profoundly depleted productively infected cells systemically. These results offer proof-of-concept that targeted cytotoxic therapies can be effective components of HIV eradication strategies.
Superconducting-gate silicon field effect transistors

A silicon field-effect transistor consisting of a superconducting yttrium barium copper oxide gate, an yttria-stabilized zirconia insulator layer, and p-type silicon substrate with phosphorous-implanted source/drain has been fabricated. The drain current-voltage characteristics at room temperature resemble results measured from a metal-oxide silicon field effect transistor. The key to this similarity lies in the existence of the interfacial silicon oxide layer between the gate insulator/buffer and silicon. >
Interventions aimed at decreasing obesity in children younger than 2 years: a systematic review.

Objective To assess the evidence for interventions designed to prevent or reduce overweight and obesity in children younger than 2 years. Data Sources MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Web of Science, and references from relevant articles. Study Selection Included were published studies that evaluated an intervention designed to prevent or reduce overweight or obesity in children younger than 2 years. Data Extraction Extracted from eligible studies were measured outcomes, including changes in child weight status, dietary intake, and physical activity and parental attitudes and knowledge about nutrition. Studies were assessed for scientific quality using standard criteria, with an assigned quality score ranging from 0.00 to 2.00 (0.00-0.99 is poor, 1.00-1.49 is fair, and 1.50-2.00 is good). Data Synthesis We retrieved 1557 citations; 38 articles were reviewed, and 12 articles representing 10 studies met study inclusion criteria. Eight studies used educational interventions to promote dietary behaviors, and 2 studies used a combination of nutrition education and physical activity. Study settings included home (n = 2), clinic (n = 3), classroom (n = 4), or a combination (n = 1). Intervention durations were generally less than 6 months and had modest success in affecting measures, such as dietary intake and parental attitudes and knowledge about nutrition. No intervention improved child weight status. Studies were of poor or fair quality (median quality score, 0.86; range, 0.28-1.43). Conclusions Few published studies attempted to intervene among children younger than 2 years to prevent or reduce obesity. Limited evidence suggests that interventions may improve dietary intake and parental attitudes and knowledge about nutrition for children in this age group. For clinically important and sustainable effect, future research should focus on designing rigorous interventions that target young children and their families.
Experience-Guided Search: A Theory of Attentional Control

People perform a remarkable range of tasks that require search of the visual environment for a target item among distractors. The Guided Search model (Wolfe, 1994, 2007), or GS, is perhaps the best developed psychological account of human visual search. To prioritize search, GS assigns saliency to locations in the visual field. Saliency is a linear combination of activations from retinotopic maps representing primitive visual features. GS includes heuristics for setting the gain coefficient associated with each map. Variants of GS have formalized the notion of optimization as a principle of attentional control (e.g., Baldwin & Mozer, 2006; Cave, 1999; Navalpakkam & Itti, 2006; Rao et al., 2002), but every GS-like model must be 'dumbed down' to match human data, e.g., by corrupting the saliency map with noise and by imposing arbitrary restrictions on gain modulation. We propose a principled probabilistic formulation of GS, called Experience-Guided Search (EGS), based on a generative model of the environment that makes three claims: (1) Feature detectors produce Poisson spike trains whose rates are conditioned on feature type and whether the feature belongs to a target or distractor; (2) the environment and/or task is nonstationary and can change over a sequence of trials; and (3) a prior specifies that features are more likely to be present for target than for distractors. Through experience, EGS infers latent environment variables that determine the gains for guiding search. Control is thus cast as probabilistic inference, not optimization. We show that EGS can replicate a range of human data from visual search, including data that GS does not address.
Antimutagenicity of an acetone extract of yogurt

Reconstituted non-fat dry milk powder, fermented by a mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus CH3 and Lactobacillus bulgaricus 191R to produce yogurt, was freeze-dried and extracted in acetone. After evaporation of the acetone, the extract was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and tested for antimutagenicity. In the Ames test, significant dose-dependent activity was observed against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), 4-nitro-quinoline-N-oxide (4NQO), 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB), 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole acetate (Trp-P-2). Weak activity was observed against 1,2,7,8-diepoxyoctane (DEO), and no activity was observed against methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), or aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). In a related assay (Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7), significant antimutagenic activity was detected against MNNG and 4NQO. Activity against the experimental colon carcinogens MNNG and DMAB was examined further, as assayed in the Ames test (Salmonella typhimurium TA100). Compounds responsible for both activities were less soluble in aqueous solutions than in DMSO. Adjustment of yogurt pH to 3, 7.6, or 13 prior to freeze-drying and acetone extraction did not significantly alter the amount of anti-MNNG activity recovered. In contrast, extractability of anti-DMAB activity was significantly greater at acidic pH. Conjugated linoleic acid, a known dairy anticarcinogen, failed to inhibit mutagenesis caused by either mutagen, suggesting that other yogurt-derived compound(s) are responsible. Unfermented milk was treated with lactic acid, yogurt bacteria without subsequent growth, or both, to determine if formation of antimutagenic activity required bacterial growth. Extracts of the milk treatments exhibited the same weak antimutagenicity observed in unfermented milk, approximately 2.5-fold less than in the yogurt extracts, suggesting that antimutagenic activity is associated with bacterial growth.
Lunar Surface Electromagnetic Sounding: A Theoretical Analysis

A theoretical analysis of the radiated fields and their polarization parameters has been made for a horizontal magnetic dipole situated on the surface of a layered half-space. With a view to using the system mounted on a lunar surface vehicle, two transmitter-receiver separations of 3 and 10 m, respectively, have been considered. A number of planar models of the lunar interior have been envisioned with various thicknesses of a debris top layer and with a second layer consisting of dry rock, 1 percent water-bearing wet rock and permafrost, respectively. A study of the results shows that resolution of layers can be achieved to depths of 20 m for these separations. The presence or absence of water in the lunar subsurface, for the materials that might exist in the moon, is clearly indicated by the characteristic signatures obtained over the frequency range of 103 to 107 Hz. The amplitude and phase of the vertical component of the magnetic field and the tilt angle, and the ellipticity of the magnetic polarization ellipse seem to be the most diagnostic parameters.
Automated Discovery of Credit Card Data Flow for PCI DSS Compliance

Credit cards are key instruments in personal financial transactions. Credit card payment systems used in these transactions and operated by merchants are often targeted by hackers to steal the card data. To address this threat, the payment card industry establishes a mandatory security compliance standard for businesses that process credit cards. A central pre-requisite for this compliance procedure is to identify the credit card data flow, specifically, the stages of the card transaction processing and the server nodes that touch credit card data as they travel through the organization. In practice, this pre-requisite poses a challenge to merchants. As the payment infrastructure is implemented and later maintained, it often deviates from the original documented design. Without consistent tracking and auditing of changes, such deviations in many cases remain undocumented. Therefore building the credit card data flow for a given payment card processing infrastructure is considered a daunting task that at this point requires significant manual efforts. This paper describes a tool that is designed to automate the task of identifying the credit card data flow in commercial payment systems running on virtualized servers hosted in private cloud environments. This tool leverages virtual machine introspection technology to keep track of credit card data flows across multiple machines in real time without requiring intrusive instrumentation of the hyper visor, virtual machines, middleware or application source code. Effectiveness of this tool is demonstrated through its successful discovery of the credit card data flow of several open and closed source payment applications.
Variations in chemistry of macerals as refl ected by micro-scale analysis of a Spanish coal

An Oligocene lignite (Ebro Basin, Spain) and its density fractions were analyzed petrographically and with microscale techniques (electron microprobe and micro-FTIR) to gain insight into differences between individual macerals of low rank high-sulfur coal. The density of the alginite-dominated fraction is below 1.26g/cm 3 , and that of the huminite-dominated fraction is above 1.38g/cm 3 . Densities within 1.26-1.38g/cm 3 represent mixtures of liptinite and huminite macerals. With regard to elemental composition, alginite has the highest carbon content (75.6% on average) and the lowest oxygen content (6.1% on average). Corpohuminite is characterized by the lowest carbon content (62.3% on average) and the highest oxygen content (21.5% on average). Nitrogen contents for corpohuminite and ulminite (~1%) are similar, but are signifi cantly lower in alginite (0.2% on average). Sulfur content is highest in alginite (13.4% on average), followed by corpohuminite (9.8%) and ulminite (7.7%). Functional group analysis documents large differences between macerals of the huminite and liptinite group, but also indicates differences between individual macerals within both the huminite and liptinite group. These differences are most notable in aromaticity, degree of aromatic ring condensations, and hydrocarbon potential. Lignite. Macerals. Elemental composition. Functional groups.
Effects of Prophylactic Subcutaneous Fentanyl on Exercise-Induced Breakthrough Dyspnea in Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract Context Dyspnea is one of the most distressing symptoms in patients with cancer, and often worsens with breakthrough episodes on exertion. We hypothesized that fentanyl given prophylactically may alleviate breakthrough dyspnea. Objectives To determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial of subcutaneous fentanyl in patients with cancer, and examine the effects of fentanyl on dyspnea, walk distance, vital signs, and adverse events. Methods In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we asked ambulatory patients with breakthrough dyspnea to perform a baseline six minute walk test (6MWT), and then assigned them to either subcutaneous fentanyl or placebo 15 minutes before a second 6MWT. We documented the change in dyspnea Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score, walk distance, vital signs, and adverse events between the first and second 6MWT. Results A total of 20 patients were enrolled (1:1 ratio) without attrition. Comparison between baseline and second walk showed that fentanyl was associated with significant improvements in dyspnea NRS score at the end of the 6MWT (mean [95% CI] −1.8 [−3.2, −0.4]), dyspnea NRS score at rest of 15 minutes after drug administration (−0.9 [−1.8, −0.04]), Borg Scale fatigue score at the end of the 6MWT (−1.3 [−2.4, −0.2]), 6MWT distance (+37.2m [5.8, 68.6]), and respiratory rate (−2.4 [−4.5, −0.3]). Nonstatistically significant improvements also were observed in the placebo arm, with no difference between the two study arms. No significant adverse effects were observed. Conclusion Prophylactic fentanyl was safe and improved dyspnea, fatigue, walk distance, and respiratory rate. We also observed a large placebo effect. Our results justify larger randomized controlled trials with higher fentanyl doses (clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT01515566).
The pulling, pushing and fusing of lens fibers: a role for Rho GTPases.

Lens development and differentiation are intricate and complex processes characterized by distinct molecular and morphological changes. The growth of a transparent lens involves proliferation of the epithelial cells and their subsequent differentiation into secondary fiber cells. Prior to differentiation, epithelial cells at the lens equator exit from the cell cycle and elongate into long, ribbon-like cells. Fiber cell elongation takes place bidirectionally as fiber tips migrate both anteriorly and posteriorly along the apical surface of the epithelium and inner surface of the capsule, respectively. The differentiating fiber cells move inward from the periphery to the center of the lens on a continuous basis as the lens grows throughout life. Finally, when fiber cells reach the center or suture line, their basal and apical tips detach from the epithelium and capsule, respectively, and interlock with cells from the opposite direction of the lens and form the suture line. Further, symmetric packing of fiber...