cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aldosterone regulates a 5ʹ variant sgk1 transcript via a shared hormone response element in the sgk1 5ʹ regulatory region

We previously identified a 5ʹ variant alternate transcript of Sgk1 (Sgk1_v3) encoding an NH2‐terminal variant Sgk1 isoform, Sgk1_i3 that, like Sgk1, is expressed in the distal convoluted tubule, connecting tubule and collecting duct and can stimulate epithelial Na+ transport (Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 303: F1527–F1533, 2012). We now demonstrate that, similar to Sgk1, aldosterone and glucocorticoids stimulate Sgk1_v3 expression in cell lines from the collecting duct and airway epithelia. In mice, short term aldosterone infusion and maneuvers that increase endogenous aldosterone secretion including dietary Na+ deprivation and K+ loading increases distal nephron Sgk1\_v3 expression in vivo. Although Sgk1\_v3 has a different 5ʹ proximal regulatory region from Sgk1, the transcription start sites are less than 1000 bp apart. We cloned the 5ʹ regulatory region for Sgk1 and Sgk\_v3 upstream of a luciferase gene and by deletion and reporter gene analysis we localized the corticosteroid regulatory region for Sgk1\_v3 to a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) that had previously been identified for Sgk1 (Am J Physiol Endo Metab 283: E971–E979, 2002). We tested this element with MR in an MR‐null cell line and demonstrate that aldosterone stimulates Sgk1 and Sgk1\_v3 via this GRE. We conclude that corticosteroids stimulate Sgk1 and Sgk1\_v3 expression in epithelial cells via activation of a common conserved GRE in the 5ʹ flanking region of Sgk1.
Oscillators Coupled by Delayed Pulses

Action potentials in the brain travel at a finite speed. The conduction delays between different brain areas can be on the order of 10 ​ms or more [151, Table 1]. Nonetheless, precise synchronization between oscillations in different parts of the brain has been reported numerous times [166]. This may sound surprising at first. However, there is a large body of theoretical work proposing mechanisms that could lead to synchronization in the presence of conductance delays. In this chapter, we discuss what is arguably the simplest result of this sort. We consider two identical oscillators, called A and B, pulse-coupled as in Chapter 26, but with a conduction delay.
On Blackbox Backpropagation and Jacobian Sensing

From a small number of calls to a given “blackbox" on random input perturbations, we show how to efficiently recover its unknown Jacobian, or estimate the left action of its Jacobian on a given vector. Our methods are based on a novel combination of compressed sensing and graph coloring techniques, and provably exploit structural prior knowledge about the Jacobian such as sparsity and symmetry while being noise robust. We demonstrate efficient backpropagation through noisy blackbox layers in a deep neural net, improved data-efficiency in the task of linearizing the dynamics of a rigid body system, and the generic ability to handle a rich class of input-output dependency structures in Jacobian estimation problems.
In Vitro Growth of Non-Human Primate Pre- and Peri- Implantation Embryos

The close phylogenetic relationship between man and non-human primates has made these animals, especially the rhesus monkey, of particular interest for scientific research. However, since the early pioneer work (Hartman and Corner, 1941; Heuser and Streeter, 1941; Lewis and Hartman, 1941), only a few investigators have studied preimplantation embryology in non-human primates. A major reason for this situation is the expense of maintaining these long-lived animals (at least 30 years in captivity), which are largely monotocous and normally yield relatively few embryos in each reproductive season (albeit females may have as many as 18 reproductive seasons [years]). Additionally, some standard animal research procedures that would curtail the fertility of the animals (e. g., the excision of oviducts for ova/embryo flushing) may be contraindicated by the goals of breeding programs that have been established to maintain adequate supplies of these animals. In the past, the scarcity of non-human primate embryos has tended to obviate their clear appropriateness as models for the study of early human development. Recent advances in the techniques of super-stimulation of follicular growth, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture have increased the supply of non-human primate embryos (Bavister et al., 1983a; Boatman and Bavister, 1984; Boatman et al., 1986; Balmaceda et al., 1984).
Experimental chlorpromazine cataracts.

Chronic ingestion of large doses of chlorpromazine (CPZ) by human beings has been associated with the production of corneal and lens opacities, and less frequently with chorioretinal pigmentation, and a peculiar purplish coloration of exposed skin and conjunctiva. When guinea pigs were fed large doses of CPZ and exposed to ultraviolet light, lens opacities were consistently produced that resemble those in human patients on chronic high doses of CPZ. They developed in albino and pigmented animals. A progressive increasing deposition of CPZ with increased treatment was demonstrated in the lens and other tissues of treated guinea pigs, and occurred in albino and pigmented animals. The respiratory metabolism of lens epithelium of CPZ-treated animals teas reduced by a statistically significant amount in this study, xohen compared to control values. Sodium succinate was shown to stimidate respiration in CPZtreated, but not control, lens epithelium (both exposed to glucose substrate). It appears that CPZ alters respiratory mechanisms by effecting a metabolic block at some site preceding succinate. On the basis of this study, the CPZ cataract has no apparent relation to melaniti. It may represent foci of denatured protein resulting from the interaction of light with the drug, a photosensitizing agent, and lens protein, or possibly deposits of drug within the lens.
Orderpotent f-rings

The class off-rings in which the product of anyn elements is comparable to zero (n-order-potentf-rings) generalizes the concept of both totally ordered and nilpotentf-rings. Necessary and sufficient conditions are found for anf-ring to ben-orderpotent. It is shown thatn-orderpotency is closely related to the ring having sufficiently many annihilating elements. Special consideration is given to generalized semigroup rings, a rich source of examples.
The Nature of Family Meals: A New Vision of Families of Children with Autism

Families with children on the autism spectrum are often viewed in terms of their deficits rather than their strengths. Family meals are portrayed as sources of stress and struggle for parents and children. In this study, we take a resilience perspective to challenge underlying assumptions and get a more accurate picture of the nature of shared family meals. In-depth interviews were conducted and mealtimes were video recorded with 16 families for this thematic analysis. We identified four themes as being particularly salient to the mealtime experience: (1) schools and homework, (2) managing eating, (3) chores, and (4) intimate conversations. Our results elucidate the context of mealtimes as a site where parents struggle, yet negotiate, the challenges of everyday family life.
Relationship Between Historical Lameness, Medication Usage, Surgery, and Exercise With Catastrophic Musculoskeletal Injury in Racehorses

Background: The rate of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI) in racehorses is high in the United States compared to other countries. Few modifiable risk factors related to lameness, medication, and surgery history have been identified. Objective: To detect management factors that increase risk of CMI by comparing medical histories between horses that sustained, and horses that did not sustain, a CMI. Study design: Case-control. Methods: Racehorse necropsy data (May 2012-June 2013) were obtained through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program. Attending veterinarians of Thoroughbreds (TB) and Quarter Horses (QH) that experienced CMI, and of three matched control horses, were invited to complete an online veterinary medical history survey. We investigated associations between CMI and lameness, medication, surgery, and exercise history using multivariable logistic regression. Results: There were 146 TB (45 cases, 101 controls) and 17 QH (11 cases, 6 controls) surveys completed. TB cases were more likely to show signs of lameness within the 3 months prior to death compared to controls. A high proportion of both cases (64.3%) and controls (76.8%) were administered medications, but unraced TB case horses were more likely to have been administered systemic medications compared to those that previously raced. TB cases were more likely to have raced with greater intensity during their career, but had eased off in the month preceding CMI. For QHs, there was insufficient power to detect significant differences between cases and controls that showed signs of lameness, or that were administered medications. Surgery history was not associated with CMI. Main limitation: Insufficient power to detect small effect sizes. Conclusions: The study provides information that can be used to aid in identification of horses at high risk for catastrophic injury, and management factors that can be modified to reduce the risk for all horses.
Demonstratives, definite descriptions and non-redundancy

In some sentences, demonstratives can be substituted with definite descriptions without any change in meaning. In light of this, some have maintained that demonstratives are just a type of definite description. However, several theorists have drawn attention to a range of cases where definite descriptions are acceptable, but their demonstrative counterparts are not. Some have tried to account for this data by appealing to presupposition. I argue that such presuppositional approaches are problematic, and present a pragmatic account of the target contrasts. On this approach, demonstratives take two arguments and generally require that the first, covert argument is non-redundant with respect to the second, overt argument. I derive this condition through an economy principle discussed by Schlenker (in: Maier, Bary, Huitink (eds) Proceedings of Sub9, 2005).
CHAPTER 8 – Pesticide Use in Veterinary Medicine

This chapter discusses the pesticide used in veterinary medicine and their toxicity. Because of the need to control economically destructive pests, the use of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals on farm crops, buildings, and lands results in intentional or accidental exposure of our large and small domestic animals several times each year. The very nature of animals and animal husbandry practices make animals more susceptible to pesticide toxicity and death. Often, animals are intentionally sprayed with potent pesticides at fairly toxic concentrations. Protective materials for the body are not employed and a larger body surface area is exposed. The chapter discusses various causes of poisoning among various domestic animals and pesticide intoxication and mortality in non-target species, such as improper dosage or formulations, use of treated seeds as feeds, improper storage, accidental poisoning, and improper disposal. Various problems caused by pesticide poisonings such as acute toxicity, delayed neurotoxicities, and biological storage of pesticides have been studied. The treatment and management of pesticide toxicity vary with the species of animal involved and the type of offending pesticide.
Breakfast Skipping, Psychological Distress, and Involvement in Bullying: Is There a Connection?

The occurrence of bullying and cyber-bullying is widespread throughout the world, and serious consequences of this complex phenomenon continue to plague individuals and society. Many studies have revealed a link between victimization and multiple adversities including health and quality of life issues. Since very little research attention has been given to evaluate victimization and breakfast-eating behavior in adults, the current study sought to examine the association between breakfast skipping, psychological distress, and victimization (both traditional and cyber). Three hundred eighty-two undergraduate students (235 females, 147 males) enrolled in Introductory Psychology completed surveys assessing bullying involvement, psychological distress, and breakfast-eating tendencies. Results revealed that being bullied (face-to-face and online) was correlated negatively with breakfast consumption and positively with psychological distress. A hierarchical linear regression model indicated that psychological distress, breakfast skipping, and gender were significant predictors of cyber-victimization, while psychological distress and breakfast skipping were significant predictors of traditional victimization. Utilizing the biopsychosocial theoretical model, the findings suggest that psychological distress may help explain the link between bullying victimization and breakfast skipping. Results of the study support the relevance of breakfast-eating behavior in the phenomenon of bullying victimization and the need to include nutritional education in intervention programs.
A fuzzy system hazard analysis approach for human-in-the-loop systems

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to show how fuzzy representation of hazard risk (membership functions and risk bands) could be used along with quantification of human-automation reliability to produce precise risk assessments and broad sets of control measures. Background Although some prior research has integrated fuzzy logic into several hazard analysis techniques and identified advantages in terms of risk estimation and recommended control measures, in applying systems hazard analysis (SHA), analysts still rely on discrete risk assessment approaches. The SHA approach is the only hazard analysis technique that accounts for hazards due to interactions among system components. However, the original method does not consider the impact of human-automation reliability in risk exposure calculations. Method The Mamdani max-min inference method was used to calculate a “risk-reliability” (R-R) score based on a fuzzy definition of frequency of hazard occurrence, severity of hazard outcomes, and system reliability. The application of the proposed model is presented in the context of a complex-human-in-the-loop system using the MATLAB® fuzzy logic toolbox. Results The fuzzy R-R score provided a precise risk assessment and led to broader set of control measures, as compared to use of the original SHA in a construction safety application. The proposed fuzzy inference system can be used by analysts through a graphical user interface. Conclusion The enhanced SHA supports broader safety control recommendations and provides more comprehensive results than the original technique. However, the new approach needs to be further evaluated for reliability in different applications.
Chapter 1 – Element Abundance

Nucleosynthesis originating with the Big Bang and culminating in the formation of the Solar System ultimately determines the composition of planet Earth. The relative abundance of elements in the Solar System is constrained principally by stellar fusion and neutron-capture reactions and the stability of the nuclides produced by these and other nucleosynthesis reactions operating over at least two prior stellar generations. The Solar System segregated during planetary accretion, resulting in the formation of the four inner terrestrial planets, including Earth. Further segregation took place as the Earth stratified into layers: core, mantle, and lithosphere. Although differentiation continues to the present day as a result of the rock cycle and soil formation, planetary formation by far accounts for most of the enrichment and depletion of elements in rocks and soils. Segregation and differentiation transformed the original homogeneous element distribution inherited from the collapsing gas cloud into the heterogeneous distributions we find in the Earth’s terrestrial environment. Efforts to detect enrichment or depletion require statistical analysis of aliquots drawn from rock, soil, aquifer and water bodies of sufficient sample size to capture natural variability. Chemical analysis of samples draws from environmental bodies typically yields datasets with right-skewed frequency distributions. Estimates of the central-tendency concentration of an element and the variation of the sample dataset usually rely on logarithmic transformation of the dataset, a practice justified because the natural concentration-frequency distributions tend to be logarithmic-normal.
Unschooling Growth and Next Steps

In the final chapter, the future of unschooling is explored, using school-based examples such as the Independence Project at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Massachusetts, High Tech High School in California, and Hudson Valley Sudbury School in New York. Will unschooling one day serve as a model for more traditional schools in the future? Will we see a push for more intrinsically motivated, self-directed learning in public and private schools? The future of the unschooling movement, and its influence on education as a whole, is thoroughly considered.
Retrieving vegetation growth patterns from soil moisture, precipitation and temperature using maximum entropy

Abstract This study employs entropy theory to evaluate the relation of vegetation cover to soil moisture, precipitation and temperature patterns in the Texas Gulf watershed. Over a 12-year period, we consider the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) of the growing season (May to September) for deciduous forest and grasslands, as well as precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture data at a biweekly time scale. Using three different vegetation growth metrics, we analyze patterns in vegetation responses. An entropy scaling of the system of vegetation-soil moisture-precipitation-temperature reveals trends toward maximum entropy and shows the relevance of coupling these atmospheric variables in vegetation dynamic analysis. Our analysis indicates that soil moisture is potentially efficient to use for vegetation dynamics monitoring at finer time scales compared to precipitation. The near-surface (5 cm) soil moisture series shows meaningful relationship with vegetation growth series. This seems interesting, as the recent satellite soil moisture monitoring projects are designed for estimating near-surface moisture. Month-wise, the vegetation response to atmospheric variables shows important dissimilarities. Therefore, we use an entropy-based clustering approach to discriminate the growing season. Later, we propose a nested statistical model for retrieving an estimate of NDVI. We find that the inclusion of soil moisture and temperature explains up to 68% and 62% of the variation of NDVI, respectively, for deciduous forest and grassland during June and July. However, these relationships appear weaker during the end of the growing season (August and September). The outcomes of the study are suitable for ecosystem monitoring under the realm of climate change. Likewise, the techniques employed may find useful applications for water resources management at the scale of large watersheds. Nevertheless, further studies on the topic are necessary and should involve diversified ecosystems and remote sensed products.
Scaled Fast Nested Key Equation Solver for Generalized Integrated Interleaved BCH Decoders

The generalized integrated interleaved BCH (GII-BCH) codes are among the best error-correcting codes for next-generation terabit/s memories. The key equation solver (KES) in the nested decoding of GII codes limits the achievable clock frequency. Recently, by polynomial scalar pre-computation, the critical path of the nested KES for Reed-Solomon (RS)-based GII codes has been reduced to one multiplier. However, for GII-BCH codes, the nested KES has more complicated formulas in order to skip the odd iterations and hence prior techniques do not directly extend. This paper proposes novel reformulations of the nested BCH KES to enable scalar pre-computation. Additionally, polynomial scaling is incorporated to enable complexity reduction. As a result, the critical path of the nested BCH KES with odd iterations skipped is reduced to one multiplier. For an example GII-BCH code over GF (212), the proposed design reduces the average nested BCH KES latency to around a half with similar silicon area compared to the best prior design.
Correlation of Hemoglobin A1C and Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19.

Abstract Objective Diabetes is a known risk factor for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted this study to determine if there is a correlation between hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) level and poor outcomes in hospitalized patients with diabetes and COVID-19. Methods This is a retrospective, single-center, observational study of patients with diabetes (defined by an HbA1C level of ≥6.5% or known medical history of diabetes) who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and required hospitalization. All patients were admitted to our institution between March 3, 2020, and May 5, 2020. HbA1C results for each patient were divided into quartiles: 5.1% to 6.7% (32-50 mmol/mol), 6.8% to 7.5% (51-58 mmol/mol), 7.6% to 8.9% (60-74 mmol/mol), and >9% (>75 mmol/mol). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included admission to an intensive care unit, invasive mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, acute thrombosis, and length of hospital stay. Results A total of 506 patients were included. The number of deaths within quartiles 1 through 4 were 30 (25%), 37 (27%), 34 (27%), and 24 (19%), respectively. There was no statistical difference in the primary or secondary outcomes among the quartiles, except that acute kidney injury was less frequent in quartile 4. Conclusion There was no significant association between HbA1C level and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes who are hospitalized with COVID-19. HbA1C levels should not be used for risk stratification in these patients.
Educator Knowledge and Implementation of Assistive Technology to Support Challenging Behaviors: An Exploratory Inquiry:

Emerging trends and advancements in technology allow educators to develop dynamic learning environments to support their students’ academic and behavioral needs. The study documented the lived expe...
Perceptions of science teachers’ growth-mindset practices and U.S. high school students’ initial science identity and its development

High school is a critical period for science identity development. Teacher influences are important but under-researched. Teachers’ growth-mindset practices may help students meet the growing chall...
Unbounded Renormalisations: Preliminary Results

At the present time a central problem in the probabilistic theory of numbers is to determine when a given additive function f(n) may be renormalised by functions α(x) and β(x) so that as x → ∞ the frequencies $$v_x (n;\frac{{f(n) - \alpha (x)}}{{\beta (x)}} \leqslant z)$$ (1) possess a weak limit.
An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy: The life of Siddhattha Gotama

Key terms and teachings Abhidhamma / Abhidharma: Pali and Sanskrit terms for the “higher” dhamma/dharma or teachings of the Buddha. These texts are the philosophical and psychological explanations, clarifications, and commentaries on the teachings of the Buddha contained in the suttas/sutras . Buddha: Pali and Sanskrit title, derived from the word “ budh ,” meaning to awaken, it is used for anyone who has achieved enlightenment ( bodhi ) or awakened to the truth about the way things really are. According to the Theravada tradition, the Buddha was a human being who, as a result of sustained disciplined practice, underwent a profound religious and spiritual transformation. This conception was considerably expanded by the Mahayana tradition to include numerous Buddhas from other worlds. The central function of a Buddha is to teach the Dhamma to unenlightened beings. Dassana / Darsana: Pali and Sanskrit words for “seeing” or “vision,” they refer both to what is sought in ritual practices (i.e., seeing and being seen by the gods) and to what is sought from a teacher or spiritual guide. In a philosophical sense, these terms refer to the “system” or “view” of a given thinker and his followers. Dhamma / Dharma: Perhaps the most ambiguous Pali and Sanskrit terms, they refer to the order of the universe, the nature and proper functioning of things, the basic elements of a thing, the moral law, ethical duties, and truth. […]
Geometric constraints for human detection in aerial imagery

In this paper, we propose a method for detecting humans in imagery taken from a UAV. This is a challenging problem due to small number of pixels on target, which makes it more difficult to distinguish people from background clutter, and results in much larger searchspace. We propose a method for human detection based on a number of geometric constraints obtained from the metadata. Specifically, we obtain the orientation of groundplane normal, the orientation of shadows cast by humans in the scene, and the relationship between human heights and the size of their corresponding shadows. In cases when metadata is not available we propose a method for automatically estimating shadow orientation from image data. We utilize the above information in a geometry based shadow, and human blob detector, which provides an initial estimation for locations of humans in the scene. These candidate locations are then classified as either human or clutter using a combination of wavelet features, and a Support Vector Machine. Our method works on a single frame, and unlike motion detection based methods, it bypasses the global motion compensation process, and allows for detection of stationary and slow moving humans, while avoiding the search across the entire image, which makes it more accurate and very fast. We show impressive results on sequences from the VIVID dataset and our own data, and provide comparative analysis.
The Kidder Equation: uxx+2xux/1−αu=0

The Kidder problem is with and where . This looks challenging because of the square root singularity. We prove, however, that for all . Other very simple but very accurate curve fits and bounds are given in the text; . Maple code for a rational Chebyshev pseudospectral method is given as a table. Convergence is geometric until the coefficients are when the coefficients . An initial-value problem is obtained if is known; the slope Chebyshev series has only a fourth-order rate of convergence until a simple change-of-coordinate restores a geometric rate of convergence, empirically proportional to . Kidder's perturbation theory (in powers of α) is much inferior to a delta-expansion given here for the first time. A quadratic-over-quadratic Pade approximant in the exponentially mapped coordinate predicts the slope at the origin very accurately up to about . Finally, it is shown that the singular case can be expressed in terms of the solution to the Blasius equation.
Understanding interagency information sharing initiatives: frameworks for research about practice

This workshop builds on work begun during a workshop at the 2007 DG.o meeting entitled "Classifying Interagency Information Sharing Initiatives for Research about Practice." The purpose of the 2007 workshop was to identify and further develop frameworks for research on the creation and operational effects of interagency information sharing systems. This follow-on workshop will invite the previous participants and recruit new ones to further develop the framework materials from 2007 and craft a research agenda for further investigations. We intend the experience to promote future collaboration and research project development among the participants and their colleagues.
Development and piloting of a multi-level obesity prevention program for low income African American children: The B’More Healthy Communities for Kids study (132.4)

Multi-component interventions are needed in low income urban settings to address the complex environmental, economic, and social issues driving obesity. Low income neighborhoods in Baltimore can be...
Polypeptide Chains from Human Red Blood Cell Membranes

Human red blood cell membranes contain at least 17 polypeptides of differing molecular weight ranging from 27,000 to 220,000. Previous publications have reported higher values for the largest molecular weight species, but are in error owing to incorrect calibration of sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gels with unreduced proteins. The two highest molecular weight species which constitute approximately 40% of the total membrane protein have molecular weights of 200,000 and 220,000. It is shown that these polypeptides are not aggregates of a lower molecular weight species, and analysis of the entire membrane by gel filtration in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride reveals no significant amount of protein with molecular weight less than that of hemoglobin. Solubilization of a fraction of the membrane protein in EDTA according to the method of Marchesi et al. (Marchesi, S. L., Steers, E., Marchesi, V. T., and Tillack, T. W., Biochemistry, 9, 50 (1970)) produced a heterogeneous mixture of polypeptide chains. Prolonged exposure to this solvent leads to dissolution of over 90% of the membrane protein.
Abstract 223: The Structural Organization of Apolipoprotein A-I in Reconstituted High-Density Lipoprotein Discs Using Stable Isotope-Assisted Cross-Linking

X-ray crystallography studies of lipid-free apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and related apoA-IV have shown that the proteins form a reciprocating dimer which could be directly related to the structural organization of lipid-bound apoA-I. Previous work has demonstrated the success of chemical cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry to derive distance constraints for molecular modeling of apoA-I in reconstituted high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. However, these studies have been limited by i) the relative paucity of distance constraint data, and ii) ambiguities in determining the molecular span of the cross-links. Here, we have addressed the first issue by using an affinity-tagged cross-linker to purify cross-linked peptides away from non-modified peptides prior to sampling with mass spectrometry. This essentially boosts the signal from cross-linked peptides of interest that would have otherwise been suppressed by detection of non-modified peptides. Using this method, we identified >25 cross-linked peptides; the most reported to date for these particles. To address the issue of molecular span, we used a stable isotopic-labeling approach in which wild-type human recombinant apoA-I (14N) was mixed 1:1 with an isotopically labeled (15N) apoA-I. Analysis of the isotopic patterns of the resulting mass spectra allowed the unambiguous determination of the molecular span of the cross-linked peptides; i.e. whether the links were within the same molecule of apoA-I (intramolecular) or between the dimers of apoA-I (intermolecular). This information will be used to derive a detailed novel model of lipid-bound apoA-I in reconstituted HDL, an important step in our overall understanding of how native HDL species are organized and how they interact with plasma remodeling factors and cell surface proteins.
Effect of testosterone suppression on the pharmacokinetics of a potent gnRH receptor antagonist.

Purpose. The expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) in animals and humans is under complex hormonal regulation. Chronic treatment with drugs that alter sex hormone levels such as GnRH receptor agonists or antagonists may affect the expression of hormone-dependent CYPs, and as a result the pharmacokinetics of drugs metabolized by them. Methods. Enzyme kinetic parameters were obtained by incubating AG-045572 (0.1-30 μM) with human or rat liver microsomes, or expressed CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. The pharmacokinetics of AG-045572 (10 mg/kg i.v. or 20 mg/kg p.o.) were studied in intact male, female, castrated male and male rats pretreated with AG-045572 for 4 days. Results. AG-045572 is metabolized by CYP3A in both rats and humans. The Km values were similar in male and female human, female rat liver microsomes, and expressed CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 (0.39, 0.27, 0.28, 0.25, and 0.26 μM, respectively). The Km in male rat liver microsomes was 1.5 μM, suggesting that in male and female rats AG-045572 is metabolized by different CYP3A isozymes. The oral bioavailability of AG-045572 in intact male rats was 8%, while in female or castrated male rats it was 24%. Pretreatment of intact male rats with AG-045572 i.m. for 4 days resulted in suppression of testosterone to castrate levels, accompanied by an increase in oral bioavailability of AG-045572 to 27%. In the same experiment, the male-specific pulsatile pattern of growth hormone remained unchanged with slightly elevated baseline levels. Conclusions. The potent GnRH receptor antagonist AG-045572 is metabolized by hormone-dependent CYP3A. As a result, suppression of testosterone by pretreatment with AG-045572 “feminized” its own pharmacokinetics.
Software atom of optical physics

We have written a collection of computer programs to implement most of the semiclassical theory of light-matter interactions for an atom with an arbitrary level scheme and for arbitrary driving light. Both a direct numerical system and a symbolic-manipulation scheme employing Mathematica are discussed. Examples are given on resonance fluorescence of a sodium atom, laser cooling in three-dimensional optical molasses, and polarization gradient cooling of a trapped ion.
Optimal software pipelining of nested loops

The article presents an approach to software pipelining of nested loops. While several articles have addressed software pipelining of single (non-nested) loops, little work has been done in the area of applying it to nested loops. The article solves the problem of finding the minimum iteration initiation interval (in the absence of resource constraints) for each level of a nested loop. The problem is formulated as one of finding a rational quasi-affine schedule for each statement in the body of a perfectly nested loop which is then solved using linear programming. This allows us to treat iteration-dependent statement reordering and multidimensional loop unrolling in the same framework. Unlike most work in scheduling nested loops, we treat each statement in the body as a unit of scheduling. Thus, the schedules derived allow for instances of statements from different iterations to be scheduled at the same time. Optimal schedules derived here subsume extant work on software pipelining of non-nested loops, in the absence of resource constraints. >
Are Two Heads Better than One? Assessing the Influence of Collaborative Judgements and Presentation Mode on Deception Detection for Real and Mock Transgressions

The current study examined three primary goals within the deception detection literature that have not been previously assessed in combination. First, we assessed if decisions about the veracity of a statement are more accurate in dyads than individuals. Second, we evaluated whether type of lie (mock transgressions versus real transgression [RT]) influenced observers' ability to distinguish a truthful statement from a lie. Third, we assessed if the presentation mode (audio versus video with audio) impacted deception detection accuracy. A sample of college students (n = 282) evaluated eight previously recorded statements for veracity. True and false statements were elicited through a cheating paradigm (i.e. RTs) or a mock transgression paradigm. Participants either viewed and listened to these statements or only listened to an audio recording. Results of an analysis of variance indicated that working in dyads did not improve deception detection accuracy. Participants were significantly more accurate in detecting deception in situations where the speaker believes a RT has occurred. The highest accuracy rates were achieved in the real transgression audio condition. Implications of these results for the practice of detecting deceit are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Improved Automated Determination of Serum Total Cholesterol with a Single Color Reagent

An anhydrous color reagent containing ferric chloride is pumped through Tygon tubing to a glass coil in a 95° heating bath. Manually prepared serum extracts (1:20 isopropanol dilution) are presented to the stream of preheated color reagent, and the two are passed through three mixing coils, connected in series. The absorbance of the resultant color is determined at 550 mµ in a 15 mm. tubular flow-cell. The improved N-automated procedure gave values of greater precision (5.6%) for total cholesterol determined in replicate samples from sera pools than the N-automated procedure which lacked precision (27.7%). The values found in 60 individual serums are within 6.0% of total cholesterol values determined by the Abell et al. method.
Linear arrays formed by interaction of thiocyanate with Pb monolayers

We used scanning tunneling microscopy to examine the effect of introducing SCN- to the Pb monolayer island structure formed during the underpotential deposition (upd) of Pb on Au(111). In the absence of SCN-, upd of Pb initially leads to the formation of Pb islands exhibiting the same hexagonal structure and atom−atom spacing (0.34 nm) as does the Pb bulk deposit. Upon addition of SCN-, a new type of structure is formed, featuring linear rows of Pb adatoms, held apart from each other by SCN-, which are lying flat on the electrode surface. These linear Pb structures reflect templating by the ambidentate SCN- molecule.
On the failure of power system automatic generation control due to measurement noise

This paper discusses a class of measurement noise that has the potential to destabilize power systems with automatic generation control (AGC). AGC is responsible for maintaining nominal frequency and interchange power between balancing areas as scheduled. The results in this paper show that AGC is robust to measurement white noise. However, when the intensity of the measurement noise depends on the system state, the AGC system fails to meet its performance requirements. The measurement noise is modeled as a stochastic process, while the overall power system dynamic behavior is described by a stochastic differential equation (SDE) model. The impact of measurement noise is evaluated through a set of differential equations describing the evolution of the statistics of the system states, which are derived from the SDE model. Mitigation strategies to address this problem are also discussed.
Interleukin-10 functions in vitro and in vivo to inhibit bacterial DNA-induced secretion of interleukin-12.

Bacterial DNA (bDNA) has a number of biologic properties, including the ability to induce interleukin-12 (IL-12) production by macrophages. We studied the role of the regulatory cytokine IL-10 as a potential inhibitor of bDNA-induced IL-12 production. IL-10 concentrations as low as 0.3 ng/ml profoundly inhibited bDNA-induced macrophage IL-12 production as measured by Elispot analysis of IL-12 p40-secreting cells. Additionally, we found that IL-10 inhibited bDNA-induced IL-12 secretion by the macrophage cell lines J774 and RAW 264. Preincubation of splenic adherent cells with IL-10 markedly reduced bDNA-induced transcription of IL-12 p40 mRNA. Interestingly, after 2 h of exposure, bDNA also induces transcription of IL-10 mRNA by splenic adherent cells. The importance of IL-10 in the in vivo regulation of bDNA-induced cytokine secretion was illustrated by the response of mice with disrupted IL-10 genes (IL-10 ko mice) to i.v. bDNA challenge. Compared to +/+ mice, IL-10 knockout (ko) mice exhibited increased numbers of IL-12 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-secreting cells following either single or repeated challenge with bDNA. These findings indicate that IL-10 plays a key role in regulating bDNA-induced production of inflammatory cytokines.
Measurement of mirror birefringence at the sub-ppm level: Proposed application to a test of QED

smaller, limited by one’s ability to split the cavity linewidth. Such measurement capability will open up interesting measurements regarding intrinsic mirror properties and their modification by light beams: the Cotton-Mouton effect in various gases @1#, the influence of parity-nonconserving effects in chiral molecules, and an interesting test of QED based on magnetically induced birefringence of the vacuum, the so-called ‘‘light-by-light’’‐scattering Feynman diagram @2#. With the intracavity light beam of a high finesse cavity threaded through a string of strong dipole magnets, the shotnoise-limited measurement sensitivity of the cavity resonance would allow for the detection ~and measurement! of the predicted Dn ~birefringence! due to QED vacuum polar
The Infrared Absorption of Benzene in the Liquid, Solid and Vapor States

The 2.19\ensuremath{\mu}, 2.46\ensuremath{\mu}, and 3.25\ensuremath{\mu} infrared absorption regions of benzene were investigated in the liquid, solid and vapor states with a grating spectrograph whose theoretical resolving power was almost 15,000. For all the bands measured the solid absorption was approximately the same as that of the liquid but with the bands shifted slightly towards longer wave-lengths; the 3.25\ensuremath{\mu} and 2.46\ensuremath{\mu} bands showed a shift of about 13A, and the bands lying in the 2.19\ensuremath{\mu} region showed a shift of about 20A. In the vapor the absorption was quite different from that of the liquid. The 3.25\ensuremath{\mu} region had two strong bands in the vapor, each showing evidences of three components, while the liquid had three bands; interpreting the three components of the vapor bands as the envelopes of the vibration-rotation bands the value, 14\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}39}$ g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, is obtained for the moment of inertia of the benzene molecule. The 2.46\ensuremath{\mu} region showed a doublet in the vapor while the liquid had a single strong band. The 2.19\ensuremath{\mu} region showed two bands incompletely resolved in the vapor, but the liquid and solid showed a group of five bands with indications of a sixth.
Stability of scapolite in the system Ab-An-NaCl-CaCO3 at 4 kb and 750°C

Abstract Scapolite solid solution has been synthesized at 750°C and 4 kbar and is stable relative to plagioclase + calcite + halite over the range of plagioclase compositions from Ab 85 An 15 to Ab 70 An 30 , although albite + halite is stable relative to marialite, Na 4 Al 3 Si 9 O 24 Cl, and anorthite + calcite is stable relative to meionite, Ca 4 Al 6 Si 6 O 24 CO 3 . A chloride-free scapolite, mizzonite, has been synthesized at the approximate composition NaCa 3 Al 5 Si 7 O 24 CO 3 (Ab. 2An. CaCO 3 ). In the absence of chloride, a three-phase invariant assemblage, sodic plagioclase (~Ab 60 An 40 ) + scapolite + calcite is stable relative to plagioclase + calcite over the approximate range of plagioclase composition Ab 60 An 40 -Ab 35 An 65 and another three-phase invariant assemblage, calcic plagioclase (~Ab 15 An 85 ) + scapolite + calcite is stable over the approximate range Ab 30 An 70 -An 15 An 85 . Unit-cell dimensions and refractive indices have been determined for the scapotite synthesized in these experiments and are compared with values for chemically analyzed natural scapolites. Scapolite must be regarded as a ternary solid solution in which, at a given equivalent An-content, the Cl/CO 3 ratio in the large anion site can vary as a function of NaCl and CaCO 3 activities.
Mississippi-grown Cannabis sativa L. III: Cannabinoid and cannabinoid acid content

A procedure for the assay of acidic and nonacidic cannabinoids qualitatively and quantitatively by chemical fractionation prior to TLC and GLC analyses is reported. Various samples of foreign and domestic, wild and cultivated marijuana were analyzed. It was demonstrated that cannabinoids occur largely as acids, that these acids undergo decarboxylation upon storage, and that plants vary significantly in their cannabinoid composition due to heredity.
PL2-1: Macrophages as Novel Targets for Therapy in Breast Cancer.

While BC has not historically been linked to underlying inflammation or infection, it exhibits tumor-associated inflammation marked by infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells into developing tumors. In BC, macrophages are one of the most abundant innate immune cells present. BC-associated macrophages are regulated in part by colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), a key cytokine involved in monocyte/macrophage maturation, recruitment and activation, and its cognate receptor CSF1R. Macrophage presence in BC correlates with increased CSF1, increased vascular density, and worse clinical outcome. We reported that CD4+ T cells promote invasion and metastasis of mammary adenocarcinomas by directly regulating macrophage phenotype that in turn fosters invasive tumor growth, presence of circulating tumor cells and pulmonary metastasis. This preclinical data implied that women with BC heavily infiltrated by macrophages would have a worse clinical outcome as compared to tumors not heavily infiltrated with macrophages. We evaluated survival outcomes in 698 women with invasive BC treated with surgery alone and found that recurrence-free survival could be stratified based upon macrophage and T cell infiltration. Thus, we investigated CSF1 and CSF1R antagonists, in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy (CTX) in mouse models of mammary carcinogenesis. We found that when macrophage infiltration in mammary adenocarcinomas was blocked, paclitaxel (PTX) chemosensitivity was increased, accompanied by development of productive anti-tumor immune responses and CD8+ cytotoxic T cell (CTL) infiltration. The combined effects of these changes were reduced primary tumor growth, 85% reduction in metastases and increased survival. In collaboration with clinical colleagues, we are currently evaluating the clinical benefit of macrophage modulation in preclinical models of BC to facilitate biomarker identification, and inform clinical trials of CTX in combination with macrophage-antagonists. Based on our preliminary data, we hypothesize that components of macrophage responses in BC can be identified to serve as biomarkers for risk stratification. And, that these components can be effectively targeted for therapeutic intervention, resulting in reduced late-stage BC development and metastasis when combined with CTX. LMC acknowledges generous support from the NIH/NCI (R01CA130980, R01CA13256, R01CA140943, R01CA15531), the Department of Defense (W81XWH-09-1-0342, W81XWH-10-BCRP-EOHS-EXP) and the Susan G Komen Foundation (KG111084) Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PL2-1.
Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Intersubjectivity in Economic Geography: Evidence from the Internet and Blogosphere

Prevailing attempts to reconcile paradigmatic differences in human and economic geography have tended to occur at the methodological level. Methodological concerns, however, do not adequately address the chasm that divides constructivist and positivist geographers in their understanding of the first-person subject and third-person object. Separability of the first- and third-person positions perpetuates a Cartesian world of subjects and objects. A relational economic geography coordinates subjective and objective relations intersubjectively through the second-person position. This intersubjective approach highlights knowledge construction as an interrelated phenomenon arising from the social interactions and communication of economic agents. Subjects and objects change positions while interacting, so that objective facts and judgment become subjectivized, and subjective experiences also become objectivized. We illustrate the role of interpersonal and reciprocal knowledge construction using the case exampl...