cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumour-educated macrophages promote tumour progression and metastasis

Evidence from clinical and experimental studies indicates that macrophages promote solid-tumour progression and metastasis. Macrophages are educated by the tumour microenvironment, so that they adopt a trophic role that facilitates angiogenesis, matrix breakdown and tumour-cell motility — all of which are elements of the metastatic process. During an inflammatory response, macrophages also produce many compounds — ranging from mutagenic oxygen and nitrogen radicals to angiogenic factors — that can contribute to cancer initiation and promotion. Macrophages therefore represent an important drug target for cancer prevention and cure.
A Holistic Approach towards Automated Performance Analysis and Tuning

High productivity to the end user is critical in harnessing the power of high performance computing systems to solve science and engineering problems. It is a challenge to bridge the gap between the hardware complexity and the software limitations. Despite significant progress in language, compiler, and performance tools, tuning an application remains largely a manual task, and is done mostly by experts. In this paper we propose a holistic approach towards automated performance analysis and tuning that we expect to greatly improve the productivity of performance debugging. Our approach seeks to build a framework that facilitates the combination of expert knowledge, compiler techniques, and performance research for performance diagnosis and solution discovery. With our framework, once a diagnosis and tuning strategy has been developed, it can be stored in an open and extensible database and thus be reused in the future. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through the automated performance analysis and tuning of two scientific applications. We show that the tuning process is highly automated, and the performance improvement is significant.
Compiling dynamic languages via statically typed functional languages

Dynamic languages enable rapid prototyping, but are generally not viewed as providing the best performance. As a result, software developers generally build a prototype in a dynamic language and then rewrite the application in C or Fortran for high performance. This costly rewriting step can be avoided by improving the performance of dynamic languages. Dynamic languages are usually interpreted for easier implementation. The traditional approach to improve their performance is to build an optimizing compiler. However, building a compiler from scratch is much more time-consuming than implementing an interpreter. Our thesis is that we can build effective compilers for dynamic languages by translating them into statically typed functional languages which have good compilers and automatic memory management. In particular, we believe that modern statically typed languages provide precise control over data representations, and come with runtime systems that have competitive performance. To investigate the viability of this approach, we have built a compiler for the dynamic language Python by translating it into the statically typed functional language OCaml. An interesting practical advantage of using modern statically typed functional languages is that they use Hindley-Milner type systems, which means that there is no need for the translation to construct type terms. We compare the performance of our implementation, Monty, with that of CPython, the reference Python implementation, and with Jython, a Java implementation of Python, using a suite of 370 benchmarks. Our experiments show that some programs compiled using our approach run up to 4.6 times faster than CPython. However, due to a number of engineering reasons, some programs also run significantly slower than CPython. We pinpoint the specific causes of performance degradation and assess the potential for removing these causes in future work. Our implementation is significantly faster than Jython, up to a factor of 100 in some cases. A by product of our research is a proposal for an improved array copying implementation in OCaml.
Guidelines for incorporating fish distribution shifts into a fisheries management context

The impacts of climate change have been demonstrated to influence fisheries resources. One way climate has affected fish stocks is via persistent shifts in spatio-temporal distribution. Although examples of climate-forced distribution shifts abound, it is unclear how these shifts are practically accounted for in the management of fish stocks. In particular, how can we take into account shifting stock distribution in the context of stock assessments and their management outputs? Here, we discuss examples of the types of fish stock distribution shifts that can occur. We then propose a decision tree framework of how shifting stock distributions can be addressed. Generally, the approaches for addressing such shifts fall into one of three main alternatives: re-evaluate stock identification, re-evaluate a stock unit area, or implement spatially explicit modelling. We conclude by asserting that the approach recommended here is feasible with existing information and as such fisheries managers should be able to begin addressing the role of changes in stock distribution in these fish stocks. The implications of not doing so could be notably undesirable.
Overcoming (and Maintaining) Reproductive Difference: Similarities in the Gendered Experience of Infertility

The social construction of gender is based on the idea of difference, and nowhere is this difference more pronounced or essentialized than in the area of reproduction. Research reinforces such divergence, as men are seldom included in studies of reproduction, and when they are included, studies often highlight their differences from women’s experiences. While such differences do exist, it is important to have a more nuanced understanding of reproduction, including examining why there is such difference, as well as recognizing similarities. Thus, in centering rather than marginalizing men’s voices in reproduction, this study reveals the commonalities across reproductive experiences. Through 43 in-depth interviews with men and women who have experienced infertility, the findings reveal that infertility has both physical and emotional implications for men as it does for women. Ironically, men’s reconciliation with those parallels further silences their experience and perpetuates difference. Exposing such effects extends understandings of infertility, reproduction, and gender.
An extensible online environment for teaching data science concepts through gamification

Learn2Mine is a cloud-based environment developed to support the teaching of data science. This paper discusses the architecture of Learn2Mine, the research that guided its development, and the pilot implementation and formative assessment of its use in teaching data science. Learn2Mine was pilot-tested in Fall 2013 in an introductory data science source. At the end of the term, a survey of students concerning their experiences with the environment was conducted. Quantitative analysis of survey data showed that student opinion about the usefulness of the tool for learning course content was positive. Through open-ended comments, students provided constructive feedback on how the system might be improved. To collect expert opinion on both the didactic and usability aspects of the Learn2Mine system, a number of experts were enlisted to try the system. Experts responded to a survey regarding criteria typically expected of instructional software, such as system usability and flexibility, as well as accuracy and organization of content. Overall, the responses from experts were extremely positive. A plan for further development of the system, based on these results, is presented along with information on the developers' plans for making the environment available for use at other institutions.
Cortical neurones with Ca2+permeable AMPA/kainate channels display distinct receptor immunoreactivity and are GABAergic

A minority subset of cortical neurones exhibit kainate-activated Co2+ uptake, a marker for AMPA/kainate receptor gated Ca2+-permeable channels. Consistent with enhanced Ca2+ influx through these channels, Co2+-positive neurones are unusually vulnerable to death induced by exposure to either AMPA or kainate. Here we show that Co2+-positive cortical neurones express a distinctive profile of AMPA receptor subunits as determined by immunostaining. Co2+-positive neurones were much less likely to express GluR2/GluR3, and much more likely to express GluR1 or GluR4, than the general cortical neuronal population. Thus expression of AMPA receptors lacking the GluR2 subunit may explain the Co2+ staining, and selective vulnerability to kainate exhibited by Co2+-positive cells. Almost all GABAergic neurones, identified by immunostaining for glutamic acid decarboxylase, were Co2+-positive. The widespread presence of Ca2+-permeable AMPA/kainate receptor-gated channels on cortical GABAergic neurones may have important implications for the fate of cortical inhibition in disease states associated with the excitotoxic overstimulation of glutamate receptors.
The effects of prostaglandin F2alpha on the fine structure of the corpus luteum of the pregnant hamster.

Corpora lutea (C.L.) from normal and prostaglandin-treated pregnant hamsters were examined by light and electron microscopy. Luteal cells from pregnant control animals were hypertrophied and contained an abundance of agranular endoplasmic reticulum (AER) suggesting steroidogenic activity. Animals which were injected on day 4 of pregnancy had ovulated by the third day following the injection, hence, two generations of corpora lutea were present in the ovary. Luteal cells from the “old” C.L. of pregnancy underwent a progressive degeneration during the four days following the single prostaglandin injection, whereas, cells from “new” C.L. appeared viable in most respects. The presence of aggregated platelets in both “old” and “new” C.L. was noted. It is suggested that the “new” C.L. are responsible for the rebound of plasma progesterone reported in previous investigations three days following prostaglandin treatment in pregnant hamsters.
An Overwhelming Climb: The Complexities of Combining College, Full-Time Work, and Company Tuition Assistance

This paper examines the complex experiences of full-time employed adults trying to climb the career ladder in their company by making use of company tuition assistance to earn their first college degree. Guided by Savickas’ (2005) career construction theory, emphasizing the personal agency and meaning-making within career development, we conducted phenomenological interviews with a purposive sample of eight men and women from six different companies using company tuition assistance while working full-time. Participants held complex feelings toward dual roles of work and school including feeling overwhelmed and delayed in their progress as well as experiencing positive synergy between school and work roles. Workplace features such as flexible scheduling and having an encouraging supervisor facilitated progress. Implications for understanding and supporting the career development of full-time employed adults are discussed.
Single incision technique for distal biceps tendon repair: using the endobutton

Abstract Techniques have been described in the literature for the repair of distal biceps tendon ruptures. This techniqueuses a single incision approach with an Endobutton (Acuflex; Smith & Nephew Endoscopy, Mansfield, MA) for fixation. This fixation allows for early active range of motion and minimizes the risk of radioulnar synostosis. We have had success with this easily reproducible technique and no incidence of synostosis or neurologic complications.
Adipocyte Lineages: Tracing Back the Origins of Fat

The obesity epidemic has intensified efforts to understand the mechanisms controlling adipose tissue development. Adipose tissue is generally classified as white adipose tissue (WAT), the major energy storing tissue, or brown adipose tissue (BAT), which mediates non-shivering thermogenesis. It is hypothesized that brite adipocytes (brown in white) may represent a third adipocyte class. The recent realization that brown fat exist in adult humans suggests increasing brown fat energy expenditure could be a therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. To understand adipose tissue development, several groups are tracing the origins of mature adipocytes back to their adult precursor and embryonic ancestors. From these studies emerged a model that brown adipocytes originate from a precursor shared with skeletal muscle that expresses Myf5-Cre, while all white adipocytes originate from a Myf5-negative precursors. While this provided a rational explanation to why BAT is more metabolically favorable than WAT, recent work indicates the situation is more complex because subsets of white adipocytes also arise from Myf5-Cre expressing precursors. Lineage tracing studies further suggest that the vasculature may provide a niche supporting both brown and white adipocyte progenitors; however, the identity of the adipocyte progenitor cell is under debate. Differences in origin between adipocytes could explain metabolic heterogeneity between depots and/or influence body fat patterning particularly in lipodystrophy disorders. Here, we discuss recent insights into adipose tissue origins highlighting lineage-tracing studies in mice, how variations in metabolism or signaling between lineages could affect body fat distribution, and the questions that remain unresolved. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Modulation of Adipose Tissue in Health and Disease.
Gender Differences in Economic Knowledge: An Extension of the Analysis.

Least-squares regression results show no consistent evidence that gender differences exist in college student performances on economic exams. Males do not perform better on questions requiring quantitative skills, nor do females perform better on questions requiring verbal skills.
An evaluation of six new intrauterine devices.

A newer generation of IUDs that includes the Copper T-380A/Ag (TCu-380A/Ag) IUDs and the Multiload Copper-375 (MLCu375) IUDS has been developed and marketed. The high efficacy of these IUDs in preventing accidental pregnancies has been equated to that of oral contraceptives and even sterilization. However, the reduction of two other IUD-related pertinent events, namely, expulsion and medical removal due to bleeding and/or pain, has been less impressive. Therefore, efforts are continuing to develop new IUDs.
Altered enteric microbiota ecology in interleukin 10-deficient mice during development and progression of intestinal inflammation

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) result from dysregulated immune responses toward microbial and perhaps other luminal antigens in a genetically susceptible host, and are associated with altered composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiota. The interleukin 10-deficient (IL-10 (-/-) ) mouse has been widely used to model human IBD; however the specific alterations that occur in the intestinal microbiota of this mouse model during the onset of colonic inflammation have not yet been defined. The aim of our study was to define the changes in diversity and composition that occur in the intestinal microbiota of IL-10 (-/-) mice during the onset and progression of colonic inflammation. We used high throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the diversity and composition of formerly germ-free, wild-type and IL-10 (-/-) mice associated with the same intestinal microbiota over time. Following two weeks of colonization with a specific pathogen-free (SPF) microbiota we observed a significant increase in the diversity and richness of the intestinal microbiota of wild-type mice. In contrast, a progressive decrease in diversity and richness was observed at three and four weeks in IL-10 (-/-) mice. This decrease in diversity and richness was mirrored by an increase in Proteobacteria and Escherichia coli in IL-10 (-/-) mice. An increase in E. coli was also observed in conventionally raised IL-10 (-/-) mice at the point of colonic inflammation. Our data reports the sequential changes in diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota in an immune-mediated mouse model that may help provide insights into the primary vs. secondary role of dysbiosis in human IBD patients.
THE EFFECT OF LIGHT ON THE USE OF THE NITROGEN RESERVES OF GERMINATING SOYBEAN SEEDS

Light affects the mobilization and distribution of several of the storage components of the cotyledons of germinating soybean seeds. The nitrogen content of the cotyledons began to decrease during the first day of germination, continued through day 12 for plants in the light, and day 14 for those in the dark. Cotyledons from both treatments had lost about the same amount of nitrogen by day 14. Plants from both treatments lost about the same amount of dry weight by day 8, but those in the light had taken up nitrogen from the nutrient solution; while those in the dark showed no increase. The plants in the light had higher concentrations of soluble amino nitrogen in the cotyledons than did those in the dark, but the opposite was true for the seedling axis. Aspartate and its amide accounted for half or more of the total free amino acids in all parts of dark-grown plants at 6 and 14 days. In the light-grown plants aspartate and asparagine usually accounted for less than half of the total free amino acids in all plant parts except the cotyledons at 6 and 14 days. Total soluble amino acids were much lower in these plants than those in the dark, excepting the cotyledons. DURING PART of the period of seed germination and early growth the young soybean plant is nutritionally dependent on storage products in the cotyledons. Most of the sugars are transported out of the cotyledons during the first three days of germination, and seedlings which were grown in the light after the first three days of germination used more of their fat reserves during a
Sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide induced changes in soybean physiology

Abstract Soybean ( Glycine max L. Merrill) plants were exposed to sulfur dioxide (SO 2 , 0.1 μl/l) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 , 450 μl/l), singly and in combination, in open-top field chambers at the flowering stage. The exposure for SO 2 and CO 2 was for 4 h and 12 h/day, respectively, for 5 days. Photosynthetic rate (PN), specific root nodule nitrogenase activity (SNA), foliar nitrogen (N) and chlorophyll (Ch-a and Ch-b) were measured after the exposure. The plants exposed to SO 2 showed reduction in PN (by 13%), SNA (by 28%), N (by 23%) without significant change in Ch-a and Ch-b. The plants exposed to CO 2 showed no change in PN, reduction in SNA (by 18%) and N (by 23%) and an increase in both Ch-a and Ch-b. When the plants were exposed to a combination of these two gases PN and SNA were the same as that of the control plants, N decreased slightly (by 6%) but both Ch-a and Ch-b increased significantly. Carbon dioxide was able to compensate the negative impact of SO 2 .
Recombinant thyrotropin versus thyroid hormone withdrawal in evaluating patients with thyroid carcinoma.

Patients with previously treated thyroid carcinoma require lifelong monitoring for recurrent disease. Two diagnostic tests that play a central role in follow-up of these patients — radioiodine whole body scanning and serum thyroglobulin measurement — are most accurate during thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulation. Temporary discontinuation of thyroid hormone therapy was previously the sole effective approach for TSH-stimulated testing. However, hormone withdrawal was associated with the morbidity of hypothyroidism and occasional tumor progression. The introduction of recombinant TSH (rTSH)-stimulated testing offers an alternative therapy. Recent clinical trials have shown that the sensitivity of combined rTSH-stimulated radioiodine scanning and serum thyroglobulin measurement has equivalent sensitivity to testing after thyroid hormone withdrawal. Furthermore, measurement of the rTSH-stimulated thyroglobulin concentration is a more sensitive way to detect residual thyroid cancer or normal tissue than thyroglobulin measurement on thyroid hormone therapy alone. The results of these trials are reviewed and strategies for implementing rTSH-mediated testing are presented.
Hegemony and Anthropology: Gramsci, exegeses, reinterpretations

Reprenant la definition de l'« hegemonie » selon A. Gramsci (leadership intellectuel et moral), l'A. presente les differents types d'hegemonie expliques par les exegeses de Gramsci : W. L. Adamson, J. V. Femia, R. Bocock, A. S. Sassoon qui ont resitue ce concept dans une epistemologie marxiste et l'ont lie a la culture. D'autres auteurs ont reinterprete cette notion d'hegemonie : R. William la considere comme une forme de domination culturelle, E. Laclau et C. Mouffe comme un discours ideologique pour promouvoir la democratie socialiste radicale. Les Comaroff subordonnent l'hegemonie a l'ideologie et la relegue au statut d'une tradition culturelle. R. Fox et P. Carsten ont repris l'analyse de R. William
Quantitative Detection of Nitroxyl Upon Trapping with Glutathione and Labeling with a Specific Fluorogenic Reagent

Donors of nitroxyl (HNO) have shown promise for treatment of stroke, heart failure, alcoholism and cancer. However, comparing the pharmacological capacities of various donors is difficult without first quantifying the amount of HNO released from each donor. Detection and quantitation of HNO has been complicated by the rapid self-consumption of HNO through irreversible dimerization, poor selectivity of trapping agents against other nitrogen oxides, and/or low sensitivity towards HNO. Here, an assay is described for the trapping of HNO by glutathione (GSH) followed by labeling of GSH with the fluorogenic agent, naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA), and subsequent quantitation by fluorescence difference. The newly developed assay was used to validate the pH-dependence of HNO release from isopropylamine NONOate (IPA/NO), which is a dual donor of HNO and NO at physiological pH. Furthermore, varied assay conditions were utilized to suggest the ratios of the products of the reaction of GSH with HNO. At intracellular concentrations of GSH, the disulfide (GSSG) was the major product, but significant concentrations of glutathione sulfinamide (GS(O)NH₂) were also detected. This suggests that GS(O)NH₂, which is a selective biomarker of HNO, may be produced in concentrations that are amenable to in vivo analysis.
Group interventions for patients with cancer and HIV disease: an introduction.

It is my pleasure to provide an introduction to the series of articles that will be appearing in this and the next three issues of the Journal, a series entitled Group Interventions for Patients with Cancer and HIV Disease. I think it would be useful to provide some background as to how the project that has resulted in these four articles came about. In 2001, the American Group Psychotherapy Association signed a contract with the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), a U.S. government program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a subdivision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Our responsibility under the terms of the grant was to write a White Paper, which is an official governmental document that the program owns and disseminates as it sees fit, on the subject of the group treatment of patients with medical illnesses. After securing the contract, we went about creating a task force to carry out the project. On the recommendation of one of our most senior members, we began talking with Allen Sherman, a psychologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr.
Ionization in the Upper Atmosphere of the Earth

A theory of the ionization of the upper atmosphere of the earth by the ultra-violet light of the sun is developed based on known laws of pressures and constitution of the high atmosphere, ionic recombination, attachment of free electrons to neutral molecules, and diffusion of ions. It is concluded that the solar ultra-violet light is a necessary and sufficient cause of the Kennelly-Heaviside layer, and that hypotheses of other agencies of ionization, such as charged particles from the sun, penetrating radiation, etc., are uncalled for except perhaps in unusual cases. Assuming the solar ultra-violet energy to be that of a black body at 6000\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and using known, or estimated, absorption coefficients of the atmospheric gases for ultra-violet waves below $\ensuremath{\lambda}1300\mathrm{A}$ which cause photo-electric ionization, the electron curve for the sun overhead, i.e. for high noon in summer in the temperate zone, has a maximum of 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ electrons per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ at a height of 190 km. Below this the ionization can not be calculated exactly, because of the lack of many facts which future laboratory experiments may supply, but a density of ${10}^{4}$ to ${10}^{5}$ electrons per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$, or ${10}^{9}$ to ${10}^{10}$ ions per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ (or a suitable mixture of ions and electrons) seems possible down to, say, 100 km. This ionization is shown to explain quantitatively many facts of wireless telegraphy, i.e., the skip distances, overhead absorption coefficients, limiting waves, ranges and the apparent heights reached by the waves. Taking into account the seasonal changes in the upper atmospheric pressures and the altitude of the sun, the electron layer for winter noon is found to have a maximum of 1.42\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ at a height 147 km, and the ionization below this is less than the summer values by a factor of 2 or so. After sunset the maximum ionization is found to decrease by a factor of about 6 in the small hours of the morning; below the maximum the decrease is greater. These seasonal and diurnal changes in the ionization are shown to be in agreement with the corresponding variations in wireless wave propagation phenomena.The potential energy of the daytime ionization in a 1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ column of the atmosphere is found to be at least 1 erg and the assumption that less than 1% of this is liberated as light will account for the light of the night sky, or the non-polar aurora, as Rayleigh calls it. Due to diffusion of the ions along the lines of magnetic force the upper ionic spray of the ionized layer diffuses to the magnetic poles, concentrates there and causes the aurora. Calculation indicates that the ozone of the atmosphere is perhaps not directly connected with the foregoing ionization, but is formed by longer wave-lengths of ultra-violet light from $\ensuremath{\lambda}1300\mathrm{A} \mathrm{to} 1800\mathrm{A}$.
Evaluar el riesgo de incendio mejora la seguridad

EN LOS ULTIMOS ANOS los profesionales de la salud han empezado a prestar mas atencion a la disminucion del riesgo de incendios en las areas quirurgicas (AQ). De 2005 a 2009, uno de los Objetivos Nacionales para la Seguridad de los Pacientes de la Joint Commission ha sido reducir el riesgo de incendios en las AQ. Aunque la seguridad ante los incendios se centra principalmente en los pacientes quirurgicos, el riesgo es similar en enfermos sometidos a procedimientos en otras areas. En el centro Christiana Care Health System de Wilmington (Delaware) se ha priorizado la prevencion del riesgo de incendios dentro y fuera de las AQ. Este articulo describe esta estrategia innovadora para categorizar el riesgo de incendio antes de iniciar cualquier procedimiento y explica como disminuir las probabilidades en base al nivel de riesgo identificado. Veamos en primer lugar los factores que contribuyen al riesgo de incendios.
Applications of Estimates near the Boundary to Regularity of Solutions in Linearized Elasticity

In this paper the tame estimate of Moser [Ann. Scuola Norm. Sup. Pisa (3), 20 (1966), pp. 265–315] is used to extend the standard regularity estimate of Agmon, Douglis, and Nirenberg [Comm. Pure Appl. Math., 17 (1964), pp. 35–92] for systems of strongly elliptic equations in linearized elasticity so that the components of the elasticity tensor need only lie in the Sobolev space $W^{m,p}(\Omega)$ for $p>n/m$, rather than $p>n$, when one obtains $W^{m+1,p}$-regularity of the solution. This improvement is necessary if one wants to prove global continuation results in such spaces for the equations of nonlinear elasticity.
Using LSA and noun coordination information to improve the precision and recall of automatic hyponymy extraction

In this paper we demonstrate methods of improving both the recall and the precision of automatic methods for extraction of hyponymy (IS_A) relations from free text. By applying latent semantic analysis (LSA) to filter extracted hyponymy relations we reduce the rate of error of our initial pattern-based hyponymy extraction by 30%, achieving precision of 58%. Applying a graph-based model of noun-noun similarity learned automatically from coordination patterns to previously extracted correct hyponymy relations, we achieve roughly a five-fold increase in the number of correct hyponymy relations extracted.
The importance of attitudes in the decision to use mass transit

This paper reports the results of tests of the hypotheses that attitudinal variables are important in mode choice decisions and that they can significantly increase the explanatory power of network-based mode choice models. Conflicts between the results of previous work by Lovelock and Johnson are resolved by this study. Attitudinal items used by Johnson and by Lovelock in separate studies in the San Francisco Bay area were included in a survey of Chapel Hill households. Tests of the incremental explanatory power of the attitudinal variables in mode choice models confirm that the items used by Johnson do not contribute to the explanatory power of models using network time and cost data. Similar tests showed that Lovelock's attitudinal items do significantly increase the predictive ability of the models. The conflicting results of these previous studies are therefore due to the content of the items. Attitudinal data, including both attitude items and measures of perceptions of system attributes, do enhance the predictive power of models involving network data.
Peptide YY: a key mediator of orexigenic behavior.

Abstract Peptide YY (PYY) is the most potent orexigenic peptide or substance known. However, neither the underlying physiology of this hyperphagia nor PYY’s natural role in brain are well understood. Thus, this review details the neuroanatomical sites, the neurochemical and systemic interactions, the food-related properties and the motivational factors that characterize hyperphagia elicited by central PYY. Emphasis also is given to evidence that central PYY has properties functionally distinct from neuropeptide Y. Finally, future research directions are outlined that aim at accelerating our understanding of the roles that brain PYY and PYY-preferring receptors occupy in normal and abnormal feeding behavior.
Thyroid Hormone and Retinoic Acid Interact to Regulate Zebrafish Craniofacial Neural Crest Development

Craniofacial and ocular morphogenesis require proper regulation of cranial neural crest migration, proliferation, survival and differentiation. Although alterations in maternal thyroid hormone (TH) are associated with congenital craniofacial anomalies, the role of TH on the neural crest has not been previously described. Using zebrafish, we demonstrate that pharmacologic and genetic alterations in TH signaling disrupt cranial neural crest migration, proliferation, and survival, leading to craniofacial, extraocular muscle, and ocular developmental abnormalities. In the rostral cranial neural crest that gives rise to the periocular mesenchyme and the frontonasal process, retinoic acid (RA) rescued migratory defects induced by decreased TH signaling. In the caudal cranial neural crest, TH and RA had reciprocal effects on anterior and posterior pharyngeal arch development. The interactions between TH and RA signaling were partially mediated by the retinoid X receptor. We conclude that TH regulates both rostral and caudal cranial neural crest. Further, coordinated interactions of TH and RA are required for proper craniofacial and ocular development.
Transcription intermediary factor 1γ decreases protein expression of the transcriptional cofactor, LIM-domain-binding 1

Abstract LIM-domain-binding 1 (LDB1) is a cofactor that participates in formation of regulatory complexes involving transcription factors containing LIM domains as well as other factors. We have examined the ability of transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ (TIF1γ) to decrease LDB1 expression. An expression vector for TIF1γ was found to decrease expression of LDB1. A mutation which disrupts the ubiquitin ligase activity of TIF1γ was found to block the ability of TIF1γ to decrease LDB1 expression. Proteasome inhibitors were also able to block TIF1γ effects on LDB1. Immunoprecipitation studies provided evidence that LDB1 interacts with TIF1γ in intact cells. Knockdown of TIF1γ in zebrafish embryos led to increased expression of LDB1 providing evidence for a physiological role of TIF1γ in regulating LDB1 expression. Reporter gene assays demonstrated that TIF1γ can alter the activity of LIM-homeodomain transcription factor-responsive promoters. These studies are consistent with a model in which TIF1γ acts to ubiquitinate LDB1 leading to degradation of LDB1 and changes in transcription of LDB1-dependent promoters.
Performance and materials aspects of Ge:Be photoconductors

Ge:Be photoconductors were developed for low photon background applications in the 30 to 50 MM wavelength region. These detectors provide higher responsivity and lower noise equivalent power (NEP) than the Ge:Ga detectors currently operating in this wavelength range. Beryllium doped single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from a carbon susceptor under a vacuum of approx. one million torr. An optimum detective quantum efficiency of 46% at a background flux of 1.5 x 10 to the 8th power photons/second (7 x 10 to the 13th power W) was reported. Ge:Be detector performance is strongly influenced by the absolute concentrations and the concentration ratio of residual shallow donors and shallow acceptors.
Flat field of UVCS detectors for early part of SOHO mission

The Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) comprises two telescopes and two spectrometer channels for spatially resolved ultraviolet spectral diagnostics of the solar corona. The principal lines for which the two channels are optimized are the H I 'Lyman-(alpha) ' line at 121.5 nm and the O VI (O5+) doublet at 103.2 and 103.7 nm. An 'in-flight' method, using observations of stars and scattered solar disk light, has been devised to determine the flat field function, i.e., the relative detection efficiency of the detector pixels. We present the details and results of this process. Local pixel-to-pixel efficiency variation is found to be, typically, about plus or minus 9% to plus or minus 17% (1 (sigma) ) for the H I Lyman-(alpha) channel and plus or minus 9% for the O VI channel.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Market performance and bidders' bidding behavior in the New York Transmission Congestion Contract market

Abstract Using publicly available bidder level bids data for Transmission Congestion Contracts (TCCs) and the realized awards of TCCs in the NYISO monthly reconfiguration auctions from June 2000 to December 2004, we examine both market performance and bidders' bidding behavior in the auctions. The data show significant under-pricing in the realized awards of TCCs. Theories suggest that under-pricing may arise from risk-aversion, monopsonistic market power or winner's curse. Our empirical analysis illustrates that all of the three effects play a role in the NYISO TCCs market. Both market performance and bidders' bidding strategies can be best explained by the theoretical model with asymmetric information and risk-averse bidders.
The effect of contributing substantively on perceptions of participation

Participation often affects group processes and decision making. Members who are considered to be more useful participators often speak more frequently and are more influential than other participa...
Chemistry of the phenoxathiins i. Synthesis of 1-azaphenoxathiin analogs as potential new CNS depressant agents

The condensation of the disodium salt of 2-mercapto-3-pyridinol with various ortho-nitrohalo-benzenes to yield a group of previously unreported 1-azaphenoxathiins is described. The synthetic pathway and the substituent location on the products is unequivocably demonstrated by Fourier Transform1 3 C-nmr. Preliminary pharmacologic evaluation of the title compounds as potential CNS depressant agents is also reported.
Influence of electron and nuclear spin on photofragment alignment: Application to CICN dissociation at 157.6 nm

Abstract The alignment determined from rotationally resolved CN emission following CICN photodissociation does not describe the quadrupole moment of the nuclear
Human epidermal melanocyte and keratinocyte melanocortin receptors: visualization by melanotropic peptide conjugated microspheres (latex beads).

The objectives of this research were to determine whether melanocortin receptors are characteristic (constant) membrane markers of human epidermal melanocytes. Methodologies were developed to visualize melanotropin receptors by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Multiple copies (up to a hundred) of [Nle4,D-Phe7]alpha-MSH, a superpotent analog of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), were conjugated to a macromolecular carrier (latex beads: microspheres). Incubation in the presence of the melanotropin-conjugated microspheres resulted in binding of human normal epidermal melanocytes to the beads. Almost every (possibly all) melanocyte possesses melanocortin receptors as visualized by SEM. Specificity of binding of the macromolecular conjugate was demonstrated by several studies: 1) Binding of melanocytes to the microspheres was specific since it could be blocked by prior incubation of the cells in the presence of the unconjugated hormone analog; 2) microspheres lacking bound ligand did not bind to the melanocytes; 3) microspheres that were first treated with reducing agents (e.g., dithiothreitol) did not subsequently bind to melanocytes; 4) another peptide hormone ligand (e.g., a substance-P analog) attached to the latex beads failed to bind to the cells; 5) B16/F10 mouse melanoma cells known to express melanocortin receptors bound to the microspheres; and 6) cells of nonmelanocyte origin (e.g., mammary cancer cells, small-cell lung cancer cells, fibroblasts) did not bind to the macromolecular conjugate. One exception was that human epidermal keratinocytes also expressed melanocortin receptors as determined by all the criteria established above for epidermal melanocytes. Thus, cell specific melanocortin receptors appear to be characteristic cell surface markers of epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes.
Aryl-hydrocarbon receptor activation regulates constitutive androstane receptor levels in murine and human liver.

The aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a basic helix-loop-helix/Per-Arnt-Sim transcription factor that can be activated by exogenous as well as endogenous ligands. AhR is traditionally associated with xenobiotic metabolism. In an attempt to identify novel target genes, C57BL/6J mice were treated with β-naphthoflavone (BNF), a known AhR ligand, and genome-wide expression analysis studies were performed using high-density microarrays. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) was found to be one of the differentially regulated genes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) verified the increase in CAR messenger RNA (mRNA) level. BNF treatment did not increase CAR mRNA in AhR-null mice. Time-course studies in mice revealed that the regulation of CAR mRNA mimicked that of Cyp1A1, a known AhR target gene. To demonstrate that the increase in CAR mRNA translates to an increase in functional CAR protein, mice were sequentially treated with BNF (6 hours) followed by the selective CAR agonist, TCPOBOP (3 hours). qPCR revealed an increase in the mRNA level of Cyp2b10, previously known to be regulated by CAR. This also suggests that CAR protein is present in limiting amounts with respect to its transactivation ability. Finally, CAR was also up-regulated in primary human hepatocytes in response to AhR activation by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and benzo[a]pyrene. Conclusion: This study identifies a mode of up-regulating CAR and potentially expands the role of AhR in drug metabolism. This study also demonstrates in vivo up-regulation of CAR through chemical exposure. (HEPATOLOGY 2007;46:209–218.)
Regulation of sodium-dependent phosphate transport by parathyroid hormone in opossum kidney cells: adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

The hormonal regulation of Na+-dependent phosphate transport was studied in opossum kidney (OK) cells. PTH caused time- and concentration-dependent decreases in Na+-dependent phosphate transport, with 10 pM PTH-(l–34) producing a 19% decline in phosphate transport. The EC50 for PTH inhibition of phosphate transport was 50 pM. Kinetic analyses of phosphate transport indicated that PTH decreased the maximum velocity without affecting the Km for phosphate. PTH increased cAMP formation with an EC50 of 10 nM. 8- Bromo-cAMP and (Bu)2cAMP also inhibited phosphate transport. Forskolin increased cAMP formation and decreased phosphate transport, whereas the cyclase-inactive forskolin analog 1,9-dideoxyforskolin also inhibited phosphate transport. The PTH analog [8,18-norleucine,34-tyrosinamide]PTH-(3–34) reduced phosphate transport at concentrations from 10 nM to 30 μm, but did not increase cAMP formation at concentrations up to 10 μM. The adenylate cyclase inhibitor 2′,5′-dideoxyadenosine produced concentration-de...
International portfolio diversification of real assets: An inquiry

Abstract American multinational firms have grown in size and number over the past two decades. Some of this growth has been due to the search for the valuable natural resources such as oil and copper, but the search for low cost labor also has been a factor. In addition, technological advances, especially in the drug and computer industries, have stimulated the foreign investments of many firms. Another possible— and more subtl—reason for this growth in foreign business is far different from these traditional “gains from trade”; i.e., the firms could be achieving a greater stability through an international diversification of their operations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible benefits of internationally diversified portfolios of real assets in reducing the variance of returns.
Diffusion of latex spheres through solutions of hydroxypropylcellulose in water

Abstract Translational diffusion coefficients of polystyrene latex spheres in solutions of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) have been measured using dynamic light scattering. As observed by other workers, latex clustering occurs, involving a bridging interaction of adsorbed HPC, which can be prevented using the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100. In the presence of Triton X-100, the diffusion data serve to test hydrodynamic theories of the Brownian motion of inert spheres in a matrix of entangled polymer chains. As predicted by certain theories, the diffusion data follow a stretched exponential function of the HPC concentration. For two HPC fractions of low molecular weight, we find that probe diffusion coefficients follow the Stokes-Einstein (SE) law, determined by the bulk viscosity of the HPC solution. For two fractions of high-molecular-weight HPC, the microviscosity measured by the SE equation is substantially smaller than the bulk viscosity. Within experimental error, the latter data follow the stretched exponential law D/D0 = exp[α(Cν - C+ν)] with α ∝ MσRϵ, where ϵ = 0.7 ± 0.1, σ = 0.8 ± 0.1, and ν = 1.0. The characteristic concentration C+ is numerically comparable to incipient overlap of the chains in a hexagonal close-packing arrangement. These results are discussed in terms of different theoretical models for the diffusion of spherical particles through a polymer matrix.
In vitro protein synthesis directed by separated transcripts of bacteriophage f1 DNA.

RNA was synthesized by purified Escherichia coli RNA polymerase from covalently closed circular replicative form I DNA isolated from E. coli infected with bacteriophage f1. The transcripts were fractionated on the basis of size, and their template activities studied. Both unfractionated and the largest RNA codes for essentially the same products as are made from f1 replicative form I when the DNA is used as a template in a “coupled” system. Other size classes of RNA fail to code for one or more f1-specific products. Hybridization-competition studies suggest that the largest RNA contains sequences common to the smaller RNAs. These data, together with a consideration of the genetic map of f1, support the hypothesis of Sugiura et al. (1969) that filamentous phage DNA contains a number of promoters and one strong terminator. Our data suggest that the terminator is located between the gene VIII and gene III boundaries. Promoter locations are discussed.
Phonon anharmonicity of rutile TiO 2 studied by Raman spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulations

Raman spectra of rutile titanium dioxide (TiO_2) were measured at temperatures from 100 to 1150 K. Each Raman mode showed unique changes with temperature. Beyond the volume-dependent quasiharmonicity, the explicit anharmonicity was large. A new method was developed to fit the thermal broadenings and shifts of Raman peaks with a full calculation of the kinematics of three-phonon and four-phonon processes, allowing the cubic and quartic components of the anharmonicity to be identified for each Raman mode. A dominant role of phonon-phonon kinematics on phonon shifts and broadenings is reported. Force-field molecular dynamics calculations with the Fourier-transformed velocity autocorrelation method were also used to perform a quantitative study of anharmonic effects, successfully accounting for the anomalous phonon anharmonicity of the B_1_(g) mode.
The Influence of Information Control upon On-line Shopping Behavior

Previous studies have explored privacy instruments and disclosures as factors that affect on-line shopping intentions or attitudes. However, few have evaluated how information control affects this behavior. This paper draws on psychological and social justice theories to gain an understanding of how information control impacts on-line purchasing directly or indirectly through the mediation of intrinsic motivation. The resulting causal model was validated using structural equations with data from 179 respondents. Results show that perceived information control affects cognitive absorption, and users, as expected, value procedural fairness.