cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of fluid secretion by polycystic epithelia

Mechanisms of fluid secretion by polycystic epithelia. We have sought to determine the mechanisms driving fluid secretion by the cystic epithelium in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). We have performed in vitro experiments on intact cysts dissected from discarded ADPKD kidneys, on monolayers of cells cultured from the cystic epithelium and on microcysts clonally derived from single cultured cells. These preparations absorb fluid in the control state but secrete fluid in response to native cyst fluid, to adenylate cyclase agonists and to permeant analogues of cAMP. Measurements of short-circuit current and transepithelial voltage in the monolayers indicate that anion secretion must drive the fluid secretion. Fluid secretion by the intact cysts was inhibited by basolateral application of ouabain but not by apical application. The effect of ouabain on fluid secretion and short-circuit current in the monolayers followed the same pattern. Thus the functional Na,K-ATPase enzyme complex is located only in the basolateral membrane of the cystic cells and serves to maintain the transmembrane chemical and electrical gradients that drive anion secretion by other transport mechanisms. Fluid secretion and short-circuit current in the cultured monolayers was inhibited by the basolateral application of the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter inhibitors, bumetanide and furosemide, and by apical application of the chloride channel blocker, diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC). These data suggest that chloride is the anion that is actively secreted. Preliminary experiments utilizing the monolayers and the microcysts and measuring cell chloride concentration and chloride efflux across the apical membrane support this conclusion. Other preliminary data indicate that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator is present in the apical membrane. Thus active chloride transport generates fluid secretion by the cystic epithelium.
Diversity of Political Conversation on the Internet: Users' Perspectives

This essay provides an account of the perspectives of users of online political discussion spaces. In-depth interviews with 69 people who participate in online political discussion groups were conducted. The interviews suggest that they perceive themselves to be interacting with persons who differ from them. They appreciate and enjoy the diversity of people and opinions they encounter online. Although some interview participants expressed dislike at encountering racist or xenophobic perspectives, others appreciated the broad range of opinions they encountered. These findings lend support to the view that people appreciate the diversity of persons and viewpoints they encounter in their chosen discussion spaces. Information provided by interviewees did not offer much support for the homophily perspective–that people seek out like-minded others online–which raises questions about the accuracy of that perspective in characterizing people's online communication behavior.
Global aspects of homoclinic bifurcations of three-dimensional saddles

Abstract We use the manifold approach to study the homoclinic bifurcations of a saddle fixed point in three-dimensional flows. With the introduction of time delay functions and symbolic rules on manifolds, we construct complete three-dimensional pictures of the invariant manifolds for the global flows.
Ray tracing survey of Z mode emissions from source regions in the high‐altitude auroral zone

Three-dimensional ray tracing of Z mode radiation from sources in the auroral zone has been performed. A plasma model which includes a background ambient plasma, plasmasphere, and an optional region of field-aligned current is used. In the source region the waves are assumed to be excited by the cyclotron maser mechanism for frequencies f ≲ fg (where fg is the electron gyrofrequency) and for wave normal angles in the range 83° < ψ < 90°; we have also considered cases when the source region was located near the center of a region of field-aligned current. A number of different altitudes and a range of different field lines are used. In addition, we examine cases unrestricted by the cyclotron maser mechanism. Our results indicate that propagation is primarily perpendicular to the magnetic field line (horizontal propagation) for almost all sources considered, except when the wave source is assumed to be unrestricted by the cyclotron maser mechanism (f/fg < 0.9; and ψ < 80°). While the propagation is initially downward, refraction rapidly increases the wave normal angle, and only propagation at near-constant altitudes occurs. While smaller wave normal angles (ψ ∼ 84°) produce more downward propagation, the frequency bandwidth estimated from the ray paths is found to be less than that observed by DE 1. Large horizontal magnetic field gradients associated with field-aligned currents produce downward propagation, but still not sufficient to produce the observed bandwidths. These results indicate that wave growth may be due to mechanisms in addition to cyclotron maser resonance. In order to produce the observed bandwidth (Δf/fg ∼ 0.5), it is necessary that f/fg be as low as 0.7 and ψ be as low as 75°.
Ground states of the doped four-leg t-J ladder

Using density-matrix renormalization-group techniques, we have studied the ground states of the four-leg t-J ladder doped near half-filling. Depending upon J/t and the hole doping x, three characteristic types of ground states are found: (1) a state containing ${\mathrm{d}}_{{\mathrm{x}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{y}}^{2}}$ pairs, (2) a striped charge-density wave (CDW) domain-wall state, and (3) a phase-separated regime. The CDW domain walls consist of fluctuating hole pairs and this state has significant ${\mathrm{d}}_{{\mathrm{x}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{y}}^{2}}$ pair field correlations.
In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluation of Cyclic Aminoalkyl Benzilates as Potential Emission Tomography Ligands for the Muscarinic Receptor

Abstract A series of muscarinic antagonists were screened as potential receptor imaging agents. (+)2α-tropanyl benzilate (TRB), N-methyl-4-piperidyl benzilate (NMPB) and several analogs amenable to labeling with positron emitting isotopes were evaluated for muscarinic binding to mouse brain tissue in vitro and ex vivo using [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate as the probe. The in vitro assay directly compared the innate binding affinities of the compounds. The rank order of binding (IC50) was TRB (0.7 nm), QNB (0.8 nm), scopolamine (1.3 nm) and NMPB (1.6 nm). The ex vivo assay was used to gain information regarding the pharmacokinetics and brain penetration of the compounds in live animals. Ex vivo results demonstrated that TRB was rapidly taken up into the brain and was equipotent with QNB in occupying muscarinic binding sites at early time points, but TRB binding decreased twice as fast over time as QNB binding. The results suggest TRB would be a good candidate for radiolabeling and further study.
Effect of methylmercury(II) on the size of HeLa S3 carcinoma cells.

HeLa S3 suspension-culture cells were exposed to methylmercury(II) of sub-lethal ([CH3Hg(II)]< 3.2 μM) and lethal ([CH3Hg(II)]≧43.2 μM) concentrations for varied periods of time and their changes in volume monitored with the help of electric sensing zone instrumentation. The volume distribution of the cells was found to follow in almost all instances the logarithmic normal distribution. When deviations occurred, they were approximated as following a Gaussian distribution. Information on measures of central location such as median, mode, mean, and variance has been presented in tabulated form as a function of both organomercurial concentration in the growth medium and length of incubation. The cells were found to respond to increasing concentrations of methylmercury by at first enlarging their volume and then, particularly at high toxicant levels and after longer periods of incubation, by decreasing it. While the volume increase, reaching almost twice the volume of control cells, was generally accompanied by a spreading of the size distribution, indicating the presence of many differently-sized cells, the volume decrease led in all instances to a considerable narrowing of the distribution. The volume decreased by a factor of three-to-four below that of control cells. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of HeLa S3 cells at the toxicant levels listed above, but limited to a 12 h incubation period, supplemented the volume distribution measurements. As revealed by SEM, cells that are characterized by a wide size distribution possess a multitude of shapes and surface features while cells with narrow distributions are homogeneous in appearance. It was found that cell sizing, utilizing electric sensing zone instrumentation, represents a technique that is extremely sensitive to minor changes in cell volume and volume distribution and that it is thus uniquely suited to detect cellular injury at early stages of pathological conditions brought about by organic mercury compounds.
Prompt photon plus jet photoproduction at DESY HERA at next-to-leading order in QCD

The cross section for photoproduction of an isolated prompt photon in association with a jet is studied in next-to-leading order. The kinematics are those appropriate for the DESY $\mathrm{ep}$ collider HERA. The effects on the cross section of various experimental cuts including isolation cuts on the photon are examined. Comparisons with the ZEUS preliminary data using two parametrizations of the photon structure function are made, and good agreement is found. The data are not yet precise enough to make a distinction between various models for the photon structure function.
Chemical and electrochemical oxidation of N-alkyl cyclo[n]pyrroles

Cyclo[n]pyrroles (n = 6, 7, and 8), are expanded porphyrins that lack bridging meso carbon atoms. They adopt conformations that are near-planar and show features that are consistent with global aromaticity. In previous work, involving studies of cyclo[8]pyrroles, it was found that, in contrast to what is true for porphyrins, reductive per-N-alkylation led to the formation of non-planar products that displayed few signs of extended conjugation. These octa-N-alkylated species could be reoxidized electrochemically to produce dicationic, octa-N-substituted analogues of the starting aromatic cyclo[8]pyrroles. We have now extended this study to cyclo[6]pyrrole, and have found that reductive per-N-methylation can be readily effected using methyl iodide. However, in contrast to what is true in the case of cyclo[8]pyrroles, efforts to obtain the fully N-ethylated or N-benzylated products proved unsuccessful. Moreover, in the case of the hexa-N-methylated cyclo[6]-pyrrole product no viable chemical means of oxidizi...
Effect of rotavirus infection and malnutrition on uptake of a dietary antigen in the intestine.

ABSTRACT: Intestinal absorption of ovalbumin (OVA), a dietary macromolecule, was studied in malnourished and normally nourished suckling mice after experimentally induced infection with rotavirus. All mice developed diarrhea within 24 to 48 h postinoculation. The malnourished animals exhibited more severe symptoms and an increased number of rotavirus-containing enterocytes in intestinal sections as compared to well-nourished mice when examined 3 d postinoculation, at the peak of diarrhea. Histopathologic examination revealed villus atrophy and pronounced vacuolization of villus enterocytes in association with malnutrition and rotavirus infection. The combination of malnutrition and viral infection resulted in more severe mucosal damage, including disruption of microvillus borders. After a single oral dose of 100 μg OVA at 3 d postinoculation, the concentration of OVA in serum, gastric content, intestinal lavage fluid, and intestinal tissue homogenates was measured at different time intervals. The concentrations of OVA in intestinal tissue were significantly higher in malnourished animals, whereas lower values were found in rota virus-infected animals. In all mice, OVA was rapidly absorbed and could be consistently detected in the serum within 5 min. OVA levels peaked at 45 to 60 min and then gradually declined. In malnourished infected animals, the uptake of OVA was rapid and resulted in significantly higher serum levels when compared to well nourished or uninfected controls, respectively. The peak uptake of OVA per g body wt was about 4.5 times more in malnourished infected compared to well-nourished infected mice and 2.5 times higher in normally nourished infected animals when compared to uninfected controls. These results indicate that rotavirus infection in association with malnutrition may cause a significant rise in gut permeability to environmental macromolecules.
Enhancing Flow Boiling Heat Transfer in Microchannels Using Monolithically-Coated Silicon Nanowires

Flow boiling in microchannels has been attractive for cooling of high power electronics. However, the flow instability hinders the heat transfer performance such as the premature initiation of the critical heat flux (CHF) and could result in device burnout. Numerous methods have been implemented to suppress the instability of flow boiling, including integrating micro pin fins in the channels [1] and inlet restrictors [2], as well as fabricating microchannels with variable cross-sectional areas [3]. Recently, Li et al [4] and Chen et al [5] explored the pool boiling enhancement using nanowires, which shows much more uniform bubble generation and a higher heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux compared to plain surfaces. The work presented here is the very first effort to explor the impacts of nanowire coating on the flow boiling performance in parallel microchannels. We present here a monolithic integration process to fabricate silicon micro-channels coated with silicon nanowires and the flow boiling characterization of the microchannels. By comparing the flow boiling curves in the microchannels with and without nanowire coating, we show significant performance enhancement for a nanowire-coated microchannel, such as earlier ONB (onset of nucleate boiling), delayed OFO (onset of flow oscillation), enhanced HTC (heat transfer coefficient) and suppressed flow instability.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
RGS Expression Level Precisely Regulates the Duration of Rod Photoresponses

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) constitute a family of proteins that bind specifically to the activated α subunits of G proteins (Gα-GTP), acting as GTPase activating proteins, or GAPs, for the rate of GTP hydrolysis. In this issue of Neuron , Krispel et al. resolve a long-standing puzzle in phototransduction, establishing that RGS9 "GAPping" of G t α-GTP is the molecular mechanism underlying the dominant recovery time constant of mouse rod photoreceptors and that a precise level of expression of RGS9 is required for normal photoresponse timing.
The perceived instability of tax legislation and its effect on consumption-investment decisions

Abstract During the past decade, there appears to have been an alarming decline in the flow of investment capital into ventures with uncertain returns. One factor which may have contributed to investor aversion to such investments is an increase in the perceived instability of the tax laws. This study examines the effect which this increase in the perceived instability of the tax laws may have on the two representative consumption-investment decisions of an owner-manager of a closely held corporation, namely: 1) the optimal periodic salary to draw from the corporation, and 2) the optimal time horizon for planning corporate affairs. These decisions are analyzed in the context of multiperiod optimization models. The study reveals that: 1) under certain conditions, increased tax rate uncertainty causes an increase in salary, and 2) increased tax rate uncertainty may cause a decrease in the time horizon for planning corporate affairs.
Telepresence master glove controller for dexterous robotic end-effectors

This paper describes recent research in the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division at NASA's Ames Research Center to develop a glove-like, control and data-recording device (DataGlove) that records and transmits to a host computer in real time, and at appropriate resolution, a numeric data-record of a user's hand/finger shape and dynamics. System configuration and performance specifications are detailed, and current research is discussed investigating its applications in operator control of dexterous robotic end-effectors and for use as a human factors research tool in evaluation of operator hand function requirements and performance in other specialized task environments.
Transcriptional response of bathypelagic marine bacterioplankton to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Deepwater Horizon blowout released a massive amount of oil and gas into the deep ocean between April and July 2010, stimulating microbial blooms of petroleum-degrading bacteria. To understand the metabolic response of marine microorganisms, we sequenced ∼66 million community transcripts that revealed the identity of metabolically active microbes and their roles in petroleum consumption. Reads were assigned to reference genes from ∼2700 bacterial and archaeal taxa, but most assignments (39%) were to just six genomes representing predominantly methane- and petroleum-degrading Gammaproteobacteria. Specific pathways for the degradation of alkanes, aromatic compounds and methane emerged from the metatranscriptomes, with some transcripts assigned to methane monooxygenases representing highly divergent homologs that may degrade either methane or short alkanes. The microbial community in the plume was less taxonomically and functionally diverse than the unexposed community below the plume; this was due primarily to decreased species evenness resulting from Gammaproteobacteria blooms. Surprisingly, a number of taxa (related to SAR11, Nitrosopumilus and Bacteroides, among others) contributed equal numbers of transcripts per liter in both the unexposed and plume samples, suggesting that some groups were unaffected by the petroleum inputs and blooms of degrader taxa, and may be important for re-establishing the pre-spill microbial community structure.
Cortisone and mortality in mouse typhoid. II. Effect of environmental temperature.

SummaryMice infected with S. typhimurium were maintained for 3 weeks either in a warm environmental temperature of 29° to 36°C or a moderate temperature 21° to 25°C. At the warmer temperature, subcutaneous injections of cortisone were more effective in reducing survival. Room temperature had no significant effect upon survival of those infected mice which received the Aqueous Vehicle of cortisone.
AMS measurement of samples smaller than 300 μg at center for applied isotope studies, University of Georgia

Abstract The center for applied isotope studies has developed a protocol for the measurement of radiocarbon in the range 0.01–0.3 mg of carbon. We analyzed a series of radiocarbon-free and modern standards using the same sample preparation procedure as for unknown samples. We have studied the size dependency of 12C and 13C beam currents and 14C/13C ratios from cathodes containing less than 1 mg of carbon. The iron catalyst used for graphite preparation contains some carbon with activity about 60 pMC and the level of contamination varies between batches from the same supplier. The cathodes in the range smaller than 50 μg showed a very significant dependency between current and the sample size. In this range the current increased by about fifteen-fold; between 50 and 100 μg the current increased two-fold. Samples larger than 300 μg have shown negligible current variation. The 14C/13C ratio was significantly affected only for the samples less than 50 μg. Larger samples have shown very little variation in the 14C/13C ratio. For the measurement of ultra-small unknown samples in the range of 10–50 μg, we have found it to be important to use blanks and modern standards with exactly the same amount of carbon, which makes it possible to apply a mass-balanced correction.
Synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy as a means of studying the chemical composition of bone: applications to osteoarthritis

Infrared microspectroscopy combines microscopy and spectroscopy for the purpose of chemical microanalysis. Light microscopy provides a way to generate and record magnified images and visibly resolve microstructural detail. Infrared spectroscopy provides a means for analyzing the chemical makeup of materials. Combining light microscopy and infrared spectroscopy permits the correlation of microstructure with chemical composition. Inherently, the long wavelengths of infrared radiation limit the spatial resolution of the technique. However, synchrotron infrared radiation significantly improves both the spectral and spatial resolution of an infrared microspectrometer, such that data can be obtained with high signal-to-noise at the diffraction limit, which is 3 - 5 micrometers in the mid-infrared region.
The empirical relationship between risk and return: evidence from the UK stock market

Abstract Previous studies reach no consensus on the relationship between risk and return using data from one market. We argue that the world market factor should not be ignored in assessing the risk–return relationship in a partially integrated market. Applying a bivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity in mean (GARCH-M) model to the weekly stock index returns from the UK and the world market, we document a significant positive relationship between stock returns and the variance of returns in the UK stock market after controlling for the covariance of the UK and the world market return. In contrast, conventional univariate GARCH-M models typically fail to detect this relationship. Nonnested hypothesis tests supplemented with other commonly used model selection criteria unambiguously demonstrate that our bivariate GARCH-M model is more likely to be the true model for UK stock market returns than univariate GARCH-M models. Our results have implications for empirical assessments of the risk–return relationship, expected return estimation, and international diversification.
T1 and T2 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue: prognostic factors and the role of elective lymph node dissection.

Background The management of micrometastatic disease from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral tongue remains controversial. This study describes prognostic factors in the disease and reviews the role of elective neck dissection (END). Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing definitive surgical treatment of T1 and T2 SCC of the oral tongue between 1956 and 1994 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham was performed. Results Patient, disease, and treatment variables were compiled for 169 patients. Multivariate analysis showed age (p = .02), sex (p = .02), disease differentiation (p = .0003), and palpable lymphadenopathy (p = .02) to be significant prognostic variables. Fifteen patients underwent END and 6 were shown to have micrometastatic disease (40.0%). There were no neck recurrences in these patients, but END was not shown to improve survival. Conclusions The presence of poorly differentiated disease gave the worst prognosis in this population of patients with T1 and T2 SCC of the oral tongue. A high incidence of nodal micrometastatic disease and the absence of recurrent disease after END suggest that END is appropriate therapy for these patients. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 124–130, 1999.
Novelties from the Austral Islands and French Polynesia. –Pacific Plant Studies 39

In 1934 the Mangarevan Expedition of the Bishop Museum made botanical collections in southeastern Polynesia. In the Austral Islands the following novelties were collected: Hemandia moerenhoutiana Guillem. ssp. elliptica (Hernandiaceae); Euodia angustior (Rutaceae); Acalypha tubuaiensis, and Macaranga raivavaeensis (Euphorbiaceae).
Regulatory Diversity of TUP1 in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans serotype A strains, the major cause of cryptococcosis, are distributed worldwide, while serotype D strains are more concentrated in Central Europe. We have previously shown that deletion of the global regulator TUP1 in serotype D isolates results in a novel peptide-mediated, density-dependent growth phenotype that mimics quorum sensing and is not known to exist in other fungi. Unlike for tup1Δ strains of serotype D, the density-dependent growth phenotype was found to be absent in tup1Δ strains of serotype A which had been derived from several different genetic clusters. The serotype A H99 tup1Δ strain showed less retardation in the growth rate than tup1Δ strains of serotype D, but the mating efficiency was found to be similar in both serotypes. Deletion of TUP1 in the H99 strain resulted in significantly enhanced capsule production and defective melanin formation and also revealed a unique regulatory role of the TUP1 gene in maintaining iron/copper homeostasis. Differential expression of various genes involved in capsule formation and iron/copper homeostasis was observed between the wild-type and tup1Δ H99 strains. Furthermore, the H99 tup1Δ strain displayed pleiotropic effects which included sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate, susceptibility to fluconazole, and attenuated virulence. These results demonstrate that the global regulator TUP1 has pathobiological significance and plays both conserved and distinct roles in serotype A and D strains of C. neoformans.
When Tex and Tess Carpenter Build Houses in Texas: Moderators of Implicit Egotism

Implicit egotism is an unconscious preference for things resembling the self. Four studies provided unprecedented evidence for implicit egotism. Study 1 used census data to show that men disproportionately worked in 11 traditionally male occupations whose titles matched their surnames (e.g., baker, carpenter, farmer). Study 2 used statewide marriage records to show that people disproportionately married others who shared their birthday numbers. Study 3 showed that men named Cal and Tex disproportionately moved to states resembling their names. Study 4 showed how it is possible to reverse implicit egotism in naming preferences. All four studies controlled for important confounds (e.g., gender, ethnicity, education), identified theoretically predictable moderators (e.g., implicit self-esteem, social status), or both. Future research should focus on other theoretically derived moderators of implicit egotism.
Rawls, Reciprocity and the Barely Reasonable

The concept of the reasonable plays an important role in Rawls's political philosophy, but there has been little systematic investigation of this concept or of the way Rawls employs it. This article distinguishes several different forms of reasonableness and uses them to explore Rawls's political liberalism. The discussion focuses on the idea, found especially in the most recent versions of this theory, of a family of liberal conceptions of justice each of which is regarded by everyone in a polity as reasonable, even if only barely so. The idea of such a family is central to Rawls's notion of reciprocity and the view of political cooperation associated with it. This article questions whether the concept of the reasonable can play the role that Rawls intends.
Genetic Interactions of Spt4-Spt5 and TFIIS With the RNA Polymerase II CTD and CTD Modifying Enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genetic and biochemical studies have identified many factors thought to be important for transcription elongation. We investigated relationships between three classes of these factors: (1) transcription elongation factors Spt4-Spt5, TFIIS, and Spt16; (2) the C-terminal heptapeptide repeat domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II; and (3) protein kinases that phosphorylate the CTD and a phosphatase that dephosphorylates it. We observe that spt4 and spt5 mutations cause strong synthetic phenotypes in combination with mutations that shorten or alter the composition of the CTD; affect the Kin28, Bur1, or Ctk1 CTD kinases; and affect the CTD phosphatase Fcp1. We show that Spt5 co-immunoprecipitates with RNA polymerase II that has either a hyper- or a hypophosphorylated CTD. Furthermore, mutation of the CTD or of CTD modifying enzymes does not affect the ability of Spt5 to bind RNA polymerase II. We find a similar set of genetic interactions between the CTD, CTD modifying enzymes, and TFIIS. In contrast, an spt16 mutation did not show these interactions. These results suggest that the CTD plays a key role in modulating elongation in vivo and that at least a subset of elongation factors are dependent upon the CTD for their normal function.
Muscle pain, cramps and hypertonicity

New clinical syndromes involving presumed muscle pain (myalgia), cramps, and hypertonicity are being recognized in veterinary medicine, but there are few published reports. In general, these have been breed specific and still poorly described. The aim of this article is to give a brief introduction to the concepts of myalgia, cramps, and hypertonicity and to present new clinical syndromes with specific breed predilections. It is the hope of this author that this introduction will alert clinicians to these interesting syndromes and stimulate interest for further exploration.
An overview of the mTOR pathway as a target in cancer therapy

Introduction: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling cascade is a key regulatory pathway controlling initiation of mRNA translation in mammalian cells. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and its derivatives have shown potent antineoplastic activities in many preclinical models and clinical trials. First-generation mTOR inhibitors are now FDA-approved for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Areas covered: This article reviews the components of the mTOR pathway and their normal functions, highlighting the most common alterations in the pathway, seen in various human malignancies. It also discusses elements and effectors of this signaling cascade and reviews the therapeutic relevance of pharmacological inhibitors of the pathway in several malignancies, including lymphomas, leukemias, sarcomas, renal cell carcinoma, and breast cancer. Expert opinion: mTOR targeting is a highly promising therapeutic approach. First-generation mTOR inhibitors have already shown substantial activity in the treatment of ...
Memory encoding following complete callosotomy

Three patients with complete resection of the corpus callosum were tested in a series of memory tasks to determine the effects of callosotomy on the encoding and retrieval of information in memory. Verbal and pictorial conjunction tests were administered to measure patients' ability to consolidate the elements of a stimulus into an accurate composite memory. Patients were also tested in a paired-associate learning task to determine the consequences of callosotomy on the encoding and retrieval of associations between stimuli. Although callosotomy patients were unimpaired in the verbal conjunction task, results from both the pictorial conjunction task and the paired-associate learning task suggest that the absence of callosal cross-talk impairs encoding in these patients. In addition, the pattern of results in the paired-associate learning task suggests that callosotomy impairs retrieval processes. The role of the callosum in the formation of memory traces for nonverbal material and associations between verbal stimuli is discussed.
What for Internally

. The present paper is concerned with the internal structure of Germanic what for phrases. A comparative look at what for across Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish, and Swiss German leads to a drastic revision of the traditional view on what for. The proposal recognizes an (often silent) functional nominal SORT as a constitutive part of the what for construction. For is analyzed as a prepositional complementizer whose complement contains the (silent) nominal and the trace of what, to which for assigns accusative Case. The projection of for, forP, is argued to sit in a specifier position in the extended projection of the head noun, similar to adjectival modifiers on a Cinquean view. What moves out of forP into the left periphery of the noun phrase.
Justifying Hercules: Ronald Dworkin and the Rule of Law

Few, if any, philosophers of law have attracted as much attention over the past 15 years as Ronald Dworkin has; controversy clings to Dworkin like metal to a magnet. No doubt, the reasons for this are numerous. Dworkin holds both the Professorship of Jurisprudence at Oxford-the most prestigious chair in jurisprudence in the English-speaking world-and a position at a major American law school; he writes frequently for highly regarded and widely read journals such as the Times Literary Supplement and the New York Review of Books; and he injects himself into academic and political controversies more regularly and more forcefully than any other prominent legal, moral, or political philosopher of our times.' Better still, he writes in a style which is both nontechnical and deceptively accessible.
An Active Disturbance Rejection Control solution for hysteresis compensation

An Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is proposed herein whereby hysteresis with unknown characteristics is treated as disturbance and rejected. In place of the prevailing model inversion method, which requires detailed mathematical model of the hysteresis, the proposed active disturbance rejection approach offers an appealing alternative to hysteresis compensation, one that does not require a detailed model of hysteresis. The benefits include the ease of initial design and the potential for continued operation without recalibration, as compared to the existing model based methods such as model inversion. Promising results are obtained via simulation in applying the proposed method to typical hysteresis compensation problems found in a multitude of processes and applications, which imposes severe limitations on their performance. Beyond the particular solution offered here, we believe that the readers will find in this paper a new way of thinking in regards to hysteresis compensation.
A Sampling Study of Minimum Absolute Deviations Estimators

Small sample properties of minimum absolute deviations estimators were studied via a simulation model. A four-parameter model of full rank was proposed and 50 random samples were drawn consistent with this model. Results indicated that, for this experiment, m a d estimators were about 20 per cent efficient compared to minimum variance estimators, using Aitken's concept of generalized efficiency. No significant biases were found in the experiment.
Fixation Comparison for Chevron Osteotomies

A comparison study of temporary K-wire fixation, permanent Herbert Whipple screw fixation, versus no osteotomy fixation was performed on distal chevron osteotomies for hallux valgus deformities. Nineteen chevron osteotomies were performed on 17 patients. Six patients received a Herbert Whipple screw for fixation, seven patients received temporary K-wire fixation, and six patients received no fixation for the chevron osteotomy. The average postoperative hallux valgus (HV) angle improved by 7.1 degrees with no fixation, 6.3 degrees with temporary K-wire fixation, and 9.5 degrees with Herbert Whipple screw fixation. Comparison of the three groups using the Student's t-test revealed no statistical difference between the three groups (P = 0.6). The increased anesthesia time and operative costs for Herbert Whipple screw fixation was found to be statistically significant in comparison with the use of no fixation (P = <0.001). Time and cost studies were not significantly different for the K-wire and no fixation groups. Follow-up averaged 3.3 years. All patients reported satisfaction with the procedure and an improvement of their preoperative complaints. No significant difference in patient satisfaction was found to exist between the groups receiving fixation and those who did not have fixation. The results of this study can find no long-term benefit when comparing costs and patient satisfaction with the use of any temporary or permanent fixation of osteotomy sites when performing chevron osteotomies.
Bayesian quickest change process detection

Recent attention in quickest change detection in the multi-sensor setting has been on the case where the densities of observations change at the same instant at all the sensors due to the disruption. In this work, a more general change process scenario is studied where the change propagates across the sensors, and its propagation can be modeled as a Markov process. A centralized, Bayesian version of this problem is considered, with a fusion center that has perfect information about the observations and a priori knowledge of the statistics of the change process. Insights into the structure of the optimal stopping rule are presented, that minimizes average detection delay subject to false alarm constraints. In the limiting case of rare disruptions, it is shown that this test structure reduces to a threshold rule. The asymptotic optimality (in the vanishing false alarm regime) of this threshold test is established under a certain condition on the Kullback-Leibler (K-L) divergence between the post- and the pre-change densities. In the special case of near-instantaneous change propagation across the sensors, this condition reduces to the mild condition that the K-L divergence be positive. Numerical studies show that this low-complexity threshold test results in a substantial improvement in performance over naive tests such as a single-sensor test or a test that incorrectly assumes that the change propagates instantaneously.
Multi-core implementation of F-16 flight surface control system using Genetic Algorithm based adaptive control algorithm

A Multiple Model Reference Adaptive Control (MMRAC) with Genetic Algorithm (GA) based model selection scheme for a F-16 flight surface control system has been proposed. It is an extension of previously reported work [5]. It simulates all three rotation motion controls such as pitch, roll and yaw. It then incorporates numerical solution of differential equation using 4th order Runge-Kutta algorithm in the simulation. This paper focuses on implementation of the proposed algorithm on a 4-core-Architecture of Intel® i5 CPU. The sequential code was first written in C++ on .NET Framework 4. Parallel processing approaches were exploited for parallelization of the control system. Several optimization techniques were used to achieve the maximum speed up. The parallelized algorithm is appropriate for real time computation.
Long-term effects of daily grazing orbits on nutrient availability in Sahelian West Africa: 2. Effects of a phosphorus gradient on spatial patterns of annual grassland production

This paper reports on an investigation of the effect of a livestock-generated gradient in phosphorus- availability on spatial patterns of annual rangeland production around pastoral watering points in the Sahelian region of West Africa. The study was conducted along a major transhumance corridor used for at least the past century by herds managed by agropastoralists of the Inland Niger Delta of Mali. Eighteen sites on sandy substrate were established at varying distances from: (1) a more persistent pan from which livestock disperse to graze primarily during the early dry season (DI); and (2) a line of ephemeral pans from which livestock disperse to graze during the rainy season (D2). Data on the species composition, standing herbaceous mass, and annual herbaceous cover were collected at these sites over the 2 years following a significant drought. These vegetative parameters show considerable interannual variation in their spatial pattern. As reported elsewhere (companion paper), chemical analyses of soil and plant samples collected at these sites show a significant negative correlation between phosphorus availability and D2. This is consistent with livestock-mediated nutrient transfer from outlying zones toward rainy-season pans. The effect of this phosphorus gradient on annual rangeland production was analysed using a regression modelling approach. Two vegetative production parameters, vegetated surface fraction (VSF) and herbaceous above-ground standing mass of vegetated surface (VAGM), were regressed in a two-and three-step process on the following factors: (1) background soil and rainfall data; (2) forb fraction of herbaceous production (for VAGM only), followed by: (3) DI and D2. These analyses find that while the phosphorus- availability gradient had a significant effect on spatial patterns of herbaceous production during the year immediately following the drought, it had little effect in the subsequent year's production. This difference is explained by the increased importance of nitrogen in limiting herbaceous production during the second year, resulting from its different rainfall history.
Climatology of nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) in the Central Pacific and South American sectors

Abstract. We present occurrence rate statistics for nighttime medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) in the Central Pacific and South American sectors using data collected by 630.0 nm filtered CCD imaging systems. The data were collected from September 2006 through December 2012. In general, the statistics are in good agreement with the basic linear theory of MSTIDs, with observations coinciding with low F10.7A values, representative of solar minimum. Overall, MSTIDs are observed in approximately 68% of the usable nights near the solstices at mid-latitudes and approximately 20% of the usable nights for equinox periods. Observations closer to the geomagnetic equator yielded a maximum occurrence rate of about 10–20% during the solstices and about 0–3% during the equinoxes. The lower number of MSTID observations near the low latitudes is attributed to limitations of MSTID growth rate, propagation, and/or geometrical observational effects. The relatively large number of MSTID occurrences during the solstices can be accounted for by the neutral wind contribution to the MSTID growth rate either at the local or magnetic conjugate point.
The Effect of Interscholastic Sports Participation on Academic Achievement of Middle Level School Students

Eighth graders (N = 136) were divided into two groups: students who had participated in at least one interscholastic sport and were classified as athletes (n = 73), and students who not participate...
COOH-terminal collagen Q ( COLQ ) mutants causing human deficiency of endplate acetylcholinesterase impair the interaction of ColQ with proteins of the basal lamina

Collagen Q (ColQ) is a key multidomain functional protein of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), crucial for anchoring acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to the basal lamina (BL) and accumulating AChE at the NMJ. The attachment of AChE to the BL is primarily accomplished by the binding of the ColQ collagen domain to the heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan and the COOH-terminus to the muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK), which in turn plays a fundamental role in the development and maintenance of the NMJ. Yet, the precise mechanism by which ColQ anchors AChE at the NMJ remains unknown. We identified five novel mutations at the COOH-terminus of ColQ in seven patients from five families affected with endplate (EP) AChE deficiency. We found that the mutations do not affect the assembly of ColQ with AChE to form asymmetric forms of AChE or impair the interaction of ColQ with perlecan. By contrast, all mutations impair in varied degree the interaction of ColQ with MuSK as well as basement membrane extract (BME) that have no detectable MuSK. Our data confirm that the interaction of ColQ to perlecan and MuSK is crucial for anchoring AChE to the NMJ. In addition, the identified COOH-terminal mutants not only reduce the interaction of ColQ with MuSK, but also diminish the interaction of ColQ with BME. These findings suggest that the impaired attachment of COOH-terminal mutants causing EP AChE deficiency is in part independent of MuSK, and that the COOH-terminus of ColQ may interact with other proteins at the BL.
Requirements for Conversion of the Na+-Driven Flagellar Motor of Vibrio cholerae to the H+-Driven Motor of Escherichia coli

Bacterial flagella are powered by a motor that converts a transmembrane electrochemical potential of either H+ or Na+ into mechanical work. In Escherichia coli, the MotA and MotB proteins form the stator and function in proton translocation, whereas the FliG protein is located on the rotor and is involved in flagellar assembly and torque generation. The sodium-driven polar flagella of Vibrio species contain homologs of MotA and MotB, called PomA and PomB, and also contain two other membrane proteins called MotX and MotY, which are essential for motor rotation and that might also function in ion conduction. Deletions in pomA, pomB, motX, or motY in Vibrio cholerae resulted in a nonmotile phenotype, whereas deletion of fliG gave a nonflagellate phenotype. fliG genes on plasmids complemented fliG-null strains of the parent species but not fliG-null strains of the other species. FliG-null strains were complemented by chimeric FliG proteins in which the C-terminal domain came from the other species, however, implying that the C-terminal part of FliG can function in conjunction with the ion-translocating components of either species. A V. cholerae strain deleted of pomA, pomB, motX, and motY became weakly motile when the E. coli motA and motB genes were introduced on a plasmid. Like E. coli, but unlike wild-type V. cholerae, motility of some V. cholerae strains containing the hybrid motor was inhibited by the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone under neutral as well as alkaline conditions but not by the sodium motor-specific inhibitor phenamil. We conclude that the E. coli proton motor components MotA and MotB can function in place of the motor proteins of V. cholerae and that the hybrid motors are driven by the proton motive force.