cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of CSF-I and CSF-I Receptor by Normal Lactating Mammary Epithelial Cells

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies suggested a potential role for macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF-1) in lactogenic differentiation of the breast. The aim of this study was to define the regulation of CSF-1 and its receptor (CSF-1R, the product of c-fms proto-oncogene) by lactogenic hormones in the breast in vivo during pregnancy and lactation and in vitro in organ culture and mammary epithelial cell lines. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining assays for the expression of CSF-1 and CSF-1R antigens were performed on sections of breast biopsies from nonpregnant (n = 10), prepartum (n = 4), and postpartum lactating patients (n = 7) and on sections of human mammary glands cultured in the presence of the lactogenic hormones insulin, prolactin, and glucocorticoids. Northern blot analyses were used to study the regulation of CSF-1 and CSF-1R by these same lactogenic hormones in normal and neoplastic mammary epithelial cell lines in cell culture. RESULTS: Normal, nonlactating mammary epithelium did not express CSF-1R and synthesized only low levels of CSF-1. During lactation, significant levels of both proteins could be observed in the epithelial cells that line actively lactating ducts and alveoli. Very similar increases in epithelial cell expression of CSF-1 and CSF-1R were observed in organ cultures of normal mammary gland biopsies exposed to prolactin, insulin, and glucocorticoids. Colony stimulating factor mRNA levels were increased by prolactin and/or insulin in a normal mammary epithelial cell line, while glucocorticoids had no apparent effect on CSF-1 mRNA levels. In contrast, we found that the levels of CSF-1R transcript are regulated primarily by glucocorticoids in breast carcinoma cells, while prolactin merely modulates the glucocorticoid effect. CONCLUSION: The observed increases in the expression of CSF-1 and its receptor during lactogenesis and the regulation of CSF-1/CSF-1R by lactogenic hormones suggests that this cytokine/receptor pair might play a regulatory role in the cellular events leading to the lactogenic differentiation of mammary epithelial cells.
Waste is a Terrible Thing to Mind

HIV/AIDS and incarceration rank among the most critical problems that have impacted the ethnic minority communities in the United States over the last twenty-five years. New York State (NYS) in particular has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, and its rates of incarceration of Blacks and Latinos are among the top three in the nation. The get-tough-on-crime policies imple- mented in the 1970s are the primary reason why poor Blacks and Latinos now make up the majority of people incarcerated in NYS. The sale, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs represents the single most important reason why these two groups enter prison at alarming rates; in addition, drugs (intravenous drug use) account for their high rates of HIV infection.
Measurement of the PSF for a CT scanner: appropriate wire diameter and pixel size

Both the theoretical and experimental data presented suggest that the diameter of the stainless steel wire used for the impulse response function should be adjusted in accordance with the spatial resolution of the CT unit being evaluated. According to theory, the standard wire size (0.356 mm) provided in the AAPM CT phantom is adequate for units with a cut-off frequency below 7 cycles/cm. In practice, this wire size could be used to test CT units with slightly higher cut-off frequencies. The pixel size used in PSF determinations should also be adjusted in accordance with the spatial resolution of the CT unit being evaluated. Experimental data suggest that pixel sizes of about one-sixth of the FWHM or 1/(5Uc) to 1/(6Uc) are most appropriate for PSF measurements. For most CT units, these recommendations translate into pixel sizes between 0.10 and 0.40 mm, depending upon the spatial resolution of the unit; CT units with the highest spatial resolution should use the smaller pixel sizes in the PSF measurements.
A broadly applicable gene knockout system for the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus based on simvastatin selection

Sulfolobus species have been developed as excellent model organisms to address fundamental questions of archaeal biology. Interesting patterns of natural variation among Sulfolobus islandicus strains have been identified through genome sequencing. Experimentally testing hypotheses about the biological causes and consequences of this natural variation requires genetic tools that apply to a diversity of strains. Previously, a genetic transformation system for S. islandicus was reported, in which overexpression of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase gene on the shuttle vector pSSR allowed the selection of transformants resistant to high concentrations of the thermostable antibiotic simvastatin. Here, we developed a novel gene knockout system based on simvastatin resistance. With this system, we created via homologous recombination an in-frame, markerless deletion of the intact S. islandicus M.16.4 pyrEF genes encoding orotidine-5′-monophosphate pyrophosphorylase (OPRTase) and orotidine-5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPdecase), and a disruption of the lacS gene encoding β-galactosidase. Phenotypic analyses of the mutants revealed that the pyrEF deletion mutant lost the ability to synthesize uracil, and the lacS deletion mutants exhibited a white colour after X-Gal staining, demonstrating that the β-galactosidase function was inactivated. Our data demonstrate efficient tools to generate gene knockouts in a broad range of wild-type Sulfolobus strains.
Endothelial injury from a circulating mediator following rat liver ischemia.

Ischemia-reperfusion to the liver results in increased microvascular permeability in a nonischemic lung. We hypothesized that a circulatory mediator released from ischemic liver contributed to endothelial cell (EC) damage. Isolated rat livers, made ischemic for 2 h, were reperfused for 10 min. Bovine ECs were incubated for 5 h with pooled liver effluent collected before ischemia (Baseline) or after 10 min of reperfusion (Reperfusion). In the Reperfusion group, there was increased endothelial cell injury, as determined by release of 8-[14C]adenine, (39 ± 2%) compared to the Baseline group (22 ± 2%). Permeability of ECs to rhodamine B-labeled dextran (70,000 Mr) was also increased in the Reperfusion group by 54 ± 9%. There was no significant attenuation in EC injury following incubation with reperfusion effluent stored for 24 h, supplementation with antioxidants (superoxide dismutase + catalase), or inhibition of xanthine oxidase with allopurinol or tungstate. We conclude that the reperfused liver releases a long-lived circulatory mediator of EC injury, which may produce the clinical microvascular injury observed following hepatic ischemia. The mechanism of injury in our model is independent of oxidants or oxidants generated from the circulating xanthine oxidase released from reperfused ischemic liver.
Chemically-Conjugated Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 on Three-Dimensional Polycaprolactone Scaffolds Stimulates Osteogenic Activity in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) has received considerable attention in bone tissue engineering. However, the lack of osteoinductive ability of PCL limits its application. The aim of this study was to directly attach bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) to PCL scaffolds by a crosslinking conjugation method and to investigate whether the bound BMP-2 maintained bioactivity in vitro. Immunofluorescent staining against BMP-2 and quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements demonstrated that BMP-2 was successfully immobilized on the PCL three-dimensional scaffold by aminolysis and subsequent chemical conjugation. Conjugation produced much higher immobilization efficiency than the physical adsorption. Conjugated BMP-2 release from the PCL scaffolds was significantly slower than that from BMP-2-adsorbed PCL scaffolds over 15 days, which resulted in more BMP-2 locally retained on the conjugated scaffold. Further, the downstream Smads pathway was upregulated in bone marrow stromal cells cultured on the BMP-2-conjugated PCL scaffolds. Finally, gene expression of osteogenic markers (alkaline phosphotase, osteoclacin, and type I collagen) was upregulated in bone marrow stromal cells cultured on the PCL scaffolds with BMP-2 conjugation, but not on PCL scaffolds after BMP-2 adsorption. Therefore, our finding demonstrated that BMP-2 conjugation on polyester scaffolds is a feasible way to impart scaffolds with osteoinductive capability.
Structural and Kinetic Effects of PKC Phosphorylation and Selected HCM Mutations of cTnI on cTnI-CTnC Interactions within the Reconstituted Thin Filament

The switching activity of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) during activation can be modulated by protein kinase C (PKC) dependent phosphorylation and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutations found in the C-domain of cTnI. In this study, FRET was used to follow the cTnI-cTnC interactions associated with cTnI switching by monitoring changes in the distances from residue 89 of cTnC to residues 151 (inhibitory region-Ir) and 167 (regulatory region-Rr) of cTnI, respectively. PKC pseudo-phosphorylation mutants of cTnI (S43E, S45E and T144E) and three HCM-associated mutants of cTnI (R145G, R145Q and R162W), all containing a marker for FRET, were generated. The structural and kinetic effects of these mutants on cTnI-cTnC interactions were then investigated using steady-state and time-resolved FRET measurements and stopped-flow. Results showed that PKC pseudo-phosphorylation of cTnI decreased the Ca2+-sensitivity of both the cTnI(Ir)- and cTnI(Rr)-cTnC interactions, while the HCM mutants cTnI(R145G), cTnI(R145Q) and cTnI(R163W) increased Ca2+-sensitivity. Ca2+-dissociation induced structural kinetics of the cTnI(Ir)-cTnC interaction was accelerated with cTnI(S43E/S45E) and cTnI(S43E/S45E/T144E), and slowed with cTnI(T144E). The structural kinetics of the cTnI(Rr)-cTnC interaction was decreased in response to all PKC pseudo-phosphorylation combinations. Furthermore, the presence of any of the three HCM mutations slowed the kinetics of Ca2+-dissociation induced structural changes in both cTnI(Ir)- and cTnI(Rr)-cTnC interactions, but to a different extent. These results suggest that different HCM mutations and PKC phosphorylation of cTnI may have unique structural and kinetic effects on cTnI(Ir)- and cTnI(Rr)-cTnC interactions that collectively effect pathophysiology and functional modulation, respectively. Structural effects of the PKC pseudo-phosphorylation mutants and HCM mutants, as well as overall effects when PKC pseudo-phosphorylation and HCM mutations are combined into one mutant, on both cTnI(Ir)- and cTnI(Rr)-cTnC interactions will be also discussed.
Hemoglobin-containing cells of Neodasys (gastrotricha, chaetonotida)—II. Respiratory significance

Abstract 1. 1. The properties of the intracellular hemoglobin of Neodasys sp. are described and the utility of the hemoglobin in oxygen transport and storage is considered. 2. 2. The hemoglobin is located in immobile cells which occupy 14% of the total body volume. Heme concentration in these cells was 18.5 mM and the oxygen p50 (in vivo) was approximately 1.0 mmHg. 3. 3. It is argued that oxygen storage is the most likely function of Neodasys hemoglobin. A simple geometric argument indicates that body wall oxygen transport is not greatly improved by facilitation. 4. 4. Respiratory function in Neodasys is compared with that in a related gastrotrich, Turbanella, which is morphologically similar and is sympatrie, but does not possess hemoglobin.
The Spearman footrule and a Markov chain property

Abstract An equivalent representation of the Spearman footrule is considered and a characterization in terms of a Markov chain is established. A martingale approach is thereby incorporated in the study of the asymptotic normality of the statistics.
Demography and Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Making the Connection.

The tools and techniques of population sciences are extremely relevant to the discipline of public health emergency preparedness: protecting and securing the population’s health requires information about that population. While related fields such as security studies have successfully integrated demographic tools into their research and literature, the theoretical and practical connection between the methods of demography and the practice of public health emergency preparedness is weak. This article suggests the need to further the interdisciplinary use of demography by examining the need for a systematic use of population science techniques in public health emergency preparedness. Ultimately, we demonstrate how public health emergency preparedness can incorporate demography to develop more effective preparedness plans. Important policy implications emerge: demographers and preparedness experts need to collaborate more formally in order to facilitate community resilience and mitigate the consequences of public health emergencies.
Coupled-cluster calculations of properties of the boron atom as a monovalent system

We present relativistic coupled-cluster (CC) calculations of energies, magnetic-dipole hyperfine constants, and electric-dipole transition amplitudes for low-lying states of atomic boron. The trivalent boron atom is computationally treated as a monovalent system. We explore performance of the CC method at various approximations. Our most complete treatment involves single, double, and the leading valence triple excitations. The calculations are done using several approximations in the CC method. The results are within 0.2$%$--0.4$%$ of the energy benchmarks. The hyperfine constants are reproduced with 1$%$--2$%$ accuracy.
Benefit-cost analysis at the EPA

Abstract This article employs a case study approach to examine two recent Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) of proposed regulations performed by the Environmental Protection Agency under Executive Order 12291. The first analyzes a micro-level decision: the allowable lead content in solder used in water pipes. The second RIA has a much broader focus, as it examines alternate design st andards for the nation's 6,000-plus municipal solid waste l andfills. Three questions are addressed. First, is the agency doing “good” benefit-cost? Second, do the benefit-cost studies actually influence policy decisions? Third, assuming an affirmative answer to the second question, does the benefit-cost process lead to “better” regulatory decisions?
Static compressive tracking

This paper presents the Static Computational Optical Undersampled Tracker (SCOUT), an architecture for compressive motion tracking systems. The architecture uses compressive sensing techniques to track moving targets at significantly higher resolution than the detector array, allowing for low cost, low weight design and a significant reduction in data storage and bandwidth requirements. Using two amplitude masks and a standard focal plane array, the system captures many projections simultaneously, avoiding the need for time-sequential measurements of a single scene. Scenes with few moving targets on static backgrounds have frame differences that can be reconstructed using sparse signal reconstruction techniques in order to track moving targets. Simulations demonstrate theoretical performance and help to inform the choice of design parameters. We use the coherence parameter of the system matrix as an efficient predictor of reconstruction error to avoid performing computationally intensive reconstructions over the entire design space. An experimental SCOUT system demonstrates excellent reconstruction performance with 16X compression tracking movers on scenes with zero and nonzero backgrounds.
Cluster analysis of the vibrations of the p(2 × 2) oxygen structure on Ni(100)

We have used cluster techniques to carry out an analysis of the vibrational spectrum of the p(2 × 2) oxygen overlayer on Ni(100). A set of harmonic force constants has been determined which yields a best fit to recent experimental data by Ibach, including not only the oxygen mode polarized parallel to the surface but also the dispersion of both the perpendicular and parallel modes. The most reasonable fit to experiment is achieved when the oxygen is positioned 0.88 A above the four-fold hollow site of the Ni(100) surface (in agreement with other experimental evidence), and the NiO bond stretching force constant is assigned a value of 1.6911 mdyn A−1. A significant off-diagonal force constant which couples opposing NiO bond stretching coordinates for a given adsorbate atom is necessary to obtain agreement with the frequency of the oxygen mode polarized parallel to the surface. The value of this off-diagonal force constant is ƒNiO,NiO=−0.3640 mdyn A−1.
λ-Cyhalothrin Resistance Detection in the German Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

Abstract : Lambda-Cyhalothrin resistance levels of 13 recently collected field strains of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), were determined by topical insecticide bioassay. The resistance levels ranged from 21- to 67-fold. Residual bioassays were conducted simultaneously against the Orlando Insecticide-susceptible strain, the HRDC strain (carbamate resistant), the Village Green Strain (Pyrethroid resistant), and the Marietta strain (pyrethroid, carbamate, and organophosphorus resistant) to determine a diagnostic concentration for use in resistance detection bioassays. The LC99 (4.5 micrograms per jar) were chosen for use in Lambda-cyhalothrin resistance detection bioassays. A highly significant relationship was observed between mortality and 5 times the LC99 of Orlando (4.5 micrograms per jar) and resistance ration (LD50 in topical bioassays). The relevance of this relationship to Lambda-cyhalothrin resistance detection is discussed.
Effect of daptomycin on primary rat muscle cell cultures in vitro

Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic that has strong bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria and that was previously reported to exhibit minor side effects on skeletal muscle. This study was designed to further characterize the effect of daptomycin on skeletal muscle through the use of primary cultures of muscles from rats. Our investigations demonstrated that daptomycin has a concentration-dependent and time-dependent effect on the plasma membrane of primary cultures of differentiated, spontaneously contracting rat myotubes. No effects were evident in non-differentiated myoblasts or other mononucleated cells present in cultures even at the highest daptomycin concentrations tested (6,000 µg/mL). In cultures treated with daptomycin at a concentration of 2,000 µg/mL, plasma membrane damage was observed in ∼20–30% of differentiated myotubes; no myotube damage was detected at concentrations of 1,000 µg/mL and below. A transient loss of spontaneous myotube contractions was evident at 750 µg/mL, while at 2,000 µg/mL and above, a permanent loss of spontaneous contractility was observed. These results suggest that the putative targets for daptomycin effects on skeletal muscle are structures on the plasma membrane of highly differentiated myotubes.
UV-enhanced fish predation and the differential migration of zooplankton to UV radiation and fish

The intensity and spectral composition of visible light are known to influence fish predation on zooplankton. However, in clear-water systems, ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR) may also influence fish predation, directly through UV-enhanced foraging, indirectly through alterations in predator-prey overlap, or in a combination of the two. Here we test the hypothesis that UVR facilitates fish predation on zooplankton in an oligotrophic lake. Experiments were conducted in 2.2-m-long UV-transparent or UV-blocking columns suspended in the epilimnion. Zooplankton consumption by young-of-the-year (YOY) largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was compared in the presence and absence of UVR, and the vertical distributions of prey were quantified across light and fish treatments. In addition, a separate experiment was conducted to examine zooplankton vertical responses to UV exposure vs. fish kairomones. Overall, YOY predation on zooplankton was higher in the presence than in the absence of UVR, particularly on diaptomid copepods. This result was only partially explained by zooplankton migratory behaviors, suggesting UV-enhanced searching capabilities in YOY bass. Furthermore, diaptomids displayed a stronger vertical behavioral response to fish kairomones than to UVR whereas Daphnia exhibited a stronger response to UVR.
Guanine-specific oxidation of double-stranded DNA by Cr(VI) and ascorbic acid forms spiroiminodihydantoin and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine

7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is thought to be a major lesion formed in DNA by oxidative attack at the nucleobase guanine. Recent studies have shown that 8-oxoG has a lower reduction potential than the parent guanine and is a hot spot for further oxidation. Spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) has been identified as one of these further oxidation products. Chromium(VI) is a human carcinogen that, when reduced by a cellular reductant such as ascorbate, can oxidize DNA. In this study, duplex DNA was reacted with Cr(VI) and ascorbate to identify and quantify the base lesions formed. Guanine bases were observed to be preferentially oxidized with 5' guanines within purine repeats showing enhanced oxidation. Trapping of the guanine lesions by the base excision repair enzymes hOGG1 and mNEIL2 showed nearly exclusive trapping by mNEIL2, suggesting that 8-oxoG was not the major lesion but rather a lesion recognized by mNEIL2 such as Sp. Formation of the Sp lesion in the Cr(VI)/Asc oxidation reaction with DNA was confirmed by LC-ESI-MS detection. HPLC-ECD was used to identify and quantify any 8-oxoG arising from Cr(VI)/Asc oxidation of DNA. Concentrations of Cr(VI) (3.1-50 microM) with a corresponding 1:10 ratio of Asc oxidized between 0.3% and 1.5% of all guanines within the duplex DNA strand to Sp. 8-oxoG was also identified but with the highest Cr(VI) concentration converting approximately 0.1% of all guanines to 8-oxoG. These results show that Sp was present in concentrations approximately 20 times greater than that of 8-oxoG in this system. The results indicate that 8-oxoG, while present, was not the major product of Cr(VI)/Asc oxidation of DNA and that Sp predominates under these conditions. These results further imply that Sp may be the lesion that accounts for the carcinogenicity of this metal in cellular systems.
Interaction between conduct disorder and its comorbid conditions: Effects of age and gender

Abstract The temporal ordering, onset, and cooccurrence of Conduct Disorder and the following comorbid conditions is elucidated: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorder, Substance Use, and Somatization Disorder. The impact of each of the comorbid conditions on the course and outcome of Conduct Disorder is examined. Age and gender are considered as primary influences on patterns of comorbidity. Although the risk of Conduct Disorder in girls is lower than that of boys, the risk for comorbidity for some disorders in girls appears higher than that for boys.
The General Circulation of Two-Dimensional Turbulent Flow on a Beta Plane.

Abstract It is likely that several features of the mid-latitude circulation in the earth's atmosphere wig also be observed in two-dimensional, nondivergent flow with buoyant forcing and surface friction. Properly scalled, buoyancy effects are surprisingly similar to baroclinic effects. A linear stability analysis shows that the growth rate of unstable disturbances depends on zonal wavenumber in much the same way as that of baroclinic waves, except for the absence of a high-wavenumber cutoff related to the Rossby radius of deformation. The energy conversion mechanisms in buoyancy-driven two-dimensional flow closely resemble those in the atmosphere: eddy kinetic energy is maintained primarily by conversion of eddy potential energy, the kinetic energy of the mean zonal flow is maintained primarily by a reverse energy cascade, and the flow owes its existence and dynamics to the mean temperature contrast between latitude circles. The equations studied in this paper include these for enstrophy and temperature v...
Visible-light beam size monitors using synchrotron radiation at CESR

Abstract A beam profile monitor utilizing visible synchrotron radiation (SR) from a bending magnet has been designed and installed in Cornell Electron-Positron Storage Ring (CESR). The monitor employs a double-slit interferometer to measure both the horizontal and vertical beam sizes over a wide range of beam currents. By varying the separation of the slits, beam sizes ranging from 50 to 500 μm can be measured with a resolution of approximately 5 μm. To measure larger beam size (>500 μm), direct imaging can be employed by rotating the double slits away from SR beam path. By imaging the π-polarized component of SR, a small vertical beam size (∼70 μm) was measured during an undulator test run in CESR, which was consistent with the interferometer measurement. To measure the bunch length, a beam splitter is inserted to direct a fraction of light into a streak camera setup. This beam size monitor measures the transverse and longitudinal beam sizes simultaneously, which is successfully used for intrabeam scattering studies. Detailed error analysis is discussed.
9. Biology of rAAV8 in Mouse Liver Following Vector Administration at Birth

rAAV8 vectors transduce various tissues with extremely high efficiency in neonates and infants. Many applications of rAAV8 vector injection into prenatal or neonatal mice have been proposed to treat various disorders. Intraperitoneal or intravascular injection of rAAV8 vector into neonatal mice results in widespread efficient transduction in heart and skeletal muscles, which can stably persist even at adult ages. In contrast, the liver is transduced efficiently with rAAV8 only in the neonatal period, and liver transduction substantially declines thereafter. Despite the limited efficacy in neonatal liver transduction, it is important to understand the biology of rAAV8 vectors in the liver following neonatal administration because 1) the neonatal liver is an ideal target organ for gene transfer in many instances; and 2) substantial vector genome dissemination to the liver is likely to occur in non-hepatic gene transfer. In order to substantially understand the biology of rAAV8 injected into neonates, we non-injected or injected intraperitoneally C57BL/6 and 44Bri mice with AAV8-EF1|[alpha]|-nlslacZ vector at birth, and followed up total 69 animals. 44Bri is an HBV transgenic strain that develops chronic liver injury at |[thksim]|3 months of age, causing continuous liver regeneration. At the age of 110|[ndash]|179 days, the mice received AAV9-LSP (liver-specific promoter)-hFIX vector via the tail vein. 17 days post rAAV9 injection, half of the mice underwent 2/3 partial hepatectomy (PHx), and all the mice were sacrificed 6 weeks after PHx. The rAAV9 vector served as an internal control for PHx in rAAV8-injected animals. Xgal staining of the liver sections revealed sparsely scattered single blue hepatocytes and occasional clusters comprising 2|[ndash]|20 blue hepatocytes. Non-parenchymal blue cell foci were also found in many liver sections analyzed. Several relatively large blue hepatocyte clusters comprising of supposedly 10e2|[sim]|10e4 hepatocytes were found in one wild type and two 44Bri mice after PHx, suggesting that rAAV8-transduced cells in these foci might have had growth advantage over surrounding non-transduced hepatocytes. hFIX expression from the rAAV9 and rAAV9 genome copy numbers in the liver substantially dropped (over 90%) by PHx, while rAAV8 vector copy number drops were significantly smaller than those of rAAV9 vector (27-92% vector copy number drops for wild type and 73% drop-869% increase for 44Bri mice). This indicates that, although a significant portion of rAAV8 vector genomes were extrachromosomal, vector genomes were apparently integrated into chromosomes, with frequency of at most 2.7 vector genome copy/cell in our study. Thus, rAAV8 injected at birth integrates into chromosomes in the liver, stably transducing both parenchymal and non-parenchymal hepatic cells sparsely. In parallel to this experiment, we are following up 69 non-injected and 117 rAAV8-injected (at birth) wild type and 44Bri male mice over 400 days to investigate procarcinogenic potential of rAAV8 in mice. A preliminary result in this study will be also presented.
Estrogen-induced Smooth Muscle Cell Growth Is Regulated by Tuberin and Associated with Altered Activation of Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor-β and ERK-1/2

The mechanisms that regulate the diverse responses to estrogen (E2) are unknown. Loss of function of the tuberous sclerosis 2 gene (TSC2), a tumor suppressor gene, has been associated with a growth-promoting effect of E2. We hypothesized that tuberin, the protein product of TSC2, binds to estrogen receptors (ER) and regulates the growth effect of E2. An in vivo association between full-length tuberin and ERα was observed in HEK 293 cells and ELT-3 smooth muscle cells. In contrast, poor association was observed between tuberin and ERβ. Complex formation with ERα and the C-terminal end of tuberin was also observed in vivo and in vitro, indicating that binding between ERα and tuberin occurs at the C-terminal end of the tuberin molecule. We examined the effect of tuberin expression in ELT-3 smooth muscle cells on the growth response to E2. The growth-promoting effect of E2 in tuberin-null ELT-3 smooth muscle cells was ERα-specific, associated with up-regulation and activation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) and activation of the signaling intermediate, extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/-2 (ERK-1/2). In contrast, the expression of tuberin in ELT-3 smooth muscle cells resulted in significant abrogation of E2-stimulated growth. In parallel with this observation, the expression of tuberin in ELT-3 cells also resulted in significant inhibition of PDGFRβ and ERK-1/2 activation in response to E2. These results demonstrate that tuberin binds specifically to ERα and inhibits E2-induced proliferation of ELT-3 cells. Furthermore, the opposing effects of tuberin on estrogen-induced activation of PDGFRβ and ERK-1/-2 suggest a pivotal role for tuberin in directing the signaling events that dictate the growth response to E2.
Linearized transfer between coplanar circular orbits using blow down propulsion system

A closed form solution is presented for the coplanar transfer between nearby circular orbits for spacecraft using their own blow down propulsion system. The decaying thrust is applied along the local horizontal and the linearized equation of motion in the orbital elements formulation are used to describe the transfer which consists of a thrust-coast-relight program. Sensitivity partials are also presented analytically in order to study the effect of maneuver execution errors and various other parameters affecting the blow down propulsion system characteristics on the transfer. This strategy is applied to study the transfer of the TOPEX spacecraft from the Shuttle parking orbit to its final operational orbit.
An Early Event in the Transport Mechanism of LacY Protein INTERACTION BETWEEN HELICES V AND I

Helix V in LacY, which abuts and crosses helix I in the N-terminal helix bundle of LacY, contains Arg144 and Trp151, two residues that play direct roles in sugar recognition and binding, as well as Cys154, which is important for conformational flexibility. In this study, paired Cys replacement mutants in helices V and I were strategically constructed with tandem factor Xa protease cleavage sites in the loop between the two helices to test cross-linking. None of the mutants form disulfides spontaneously; however, three mutants (Pro28 → Cys/Cys154, Pro28 → Cys/Val158 → Cys, and Phe29 → Cys/Val158 → Cys) exhibit cross-linking after treatment with copper/1,10-phenanthroline (Cu/Ph) or 1,1-methanediyl bismethanethiosulfonate ((MTS)2-1), 3–4 Å), and cross-linking is quantitative in the presence of ligand. Remarkably, with one mutant, complete cross-linking with (MTS)2-1 has no effect on lactose transport, whereas quantitative disulfide cross-linking catalyzed by Cu/Ph markedly inhibits transport activity. The findings are consistant with a number of previous conclusions suggesting that sugar binding to LacY causes a localized scissors-like movement between helices V and I near the point where the two helices cross in the middle of the membrane. This ligand-induced movement may act to initiate the global conformational change resulting from sugar binding.
Lattice Dynamics of α Mercury

The frequency distribution spectrum and constant‐volume heat capacity are computed for a model of a monatomic rhombohedral crystal. Interactions between an atom and its nearest and second‐nearest neighbors are considered. The interatomic force constant are evaluated from the elastic constants of mercury.
Domination, forcing, array nonrecursiveness and relative recursive enumerability

We present some abstract theorems showing how domination properties equivalent to being $\overline{GL}_2$ or array nonrecursive can be used to construct sets generic for different notions of forcing. These theorems are then applied to give simple proofs of some known results. We also give a direct uniform proof of a recent result of Ambos-Spies, Ding, Wang and Yu [2009] that every degree above any in $\overline{GL}_2$ is recursively enumerable in a 1-generic degree strictly below it. Our major new result is that every array nonrecursive degree is r.e. in some degree strictly below it. Our analysis of array nonrecursiveness and construction of generic sequences below $\mathbf{ANR}$ degrees also reveal a new level of uniformity in these types of results.
A continuous movement version of the Banach—Tarski paradox: A solution to de Groot's Problem

In 1924 Banach and Tarski demonstrated the existence of a paradoxical decomposition of the 3-ball B, i.e., a piecewise isometry from B onto two copies of B. This article answers a question of de Groot from 1958 by showing that there is a paradoxical decomposition of B in which the pieces move continuously while remaining disjoint to yield two copies of B. More generally, we show that if n ≥ 2, any two bounded sets in
Self-splitting modular neural network - domain partitioning at boundaries of trained regions

A modular neural network works by dividing the input domain into segments, assigning a separate neural network to each sub-domain. This paper introduces the self-splitting modular neural network, in which the partitioning of the input domain occurs during training. It works by first attempting to solve a problem with a single network. If that fails, it finds the largest chunk of the input domain that was successfully solved, and sets that aside. The remaining unsolved portion(s) of the input domain are then recursively solved according to the same strategy. Using standard backpropagation, several large problems are shown to be solved quickly and with excellent generalization, with very little tuning, using this divide-and-conquer approach.
Constraints and time lags for recovery of a keystone species ( Dipodomys spectabilis ) after landscape restoration

Habitat restoration is typically focused on reestablishing suitable conditions at a local scale, but landscape constraints may be important for keystone species with limited dispersal. We tested for time lags and examined the relative importance of local and landscape constraints on the response of the banner-tailed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) to restoration of Chihuahuan Desert grasslands in New Mexico, USA. Dipodomys spectabilis is a keystone species that creates habitat heterogeneity and modifies the structure of plant and animal communities. We selected 21 sites and compared density of D. spectabilis between areas treated with herbicide to control shrubs (treated areas) and paired untreated areas. We evaluated whether density of D. spectabilis depended on treatment age, local habitat quality (vegetation and soil structure), and landscape factors (treatment area and spatial connectivity). Density was greater at treated areas than at untreated areas due to a direct effect of reduced shrub cover. However, the response of D. spectabilis to restoration was lagged by a decade or more. Structural equation modeling indicated the time lag reflected a dispersal constraint as opposed to a temporal change in habitat quality. This inference was corroborated by a positive relationship between density at treated areas and connectivity to source populations. Our results indicate that density of D. spectabilis depended strongly on the spatial configuration of treated areas, which supports a landscape mosaic approach to restoration. If keystone species commonly exhibit limited dispersal ability, landscape constraints may be broadly important for shaping ecosystem structure and function after habitat restoration.
Multi-path routing and rate allocation for multi-source video on-demand streaming in wireless mesh networks

We study the multi-source video on-demand application in multi-channel multi-radio wireless mesh networks. When a user initiates a new video request, the application can stream the video not only from the media servers, but also from the peers that have buffered the video. The multi-path multi-source video on-demand streaming has been applied in wired networks with great success. However, it remains a challenging task in wireless networks due to wireless interference. In this paper, we first focus on the problem of finding the maximum number of high-quality and independent paths from the user to the servers or peers for each VoD request by considering the effect of wireless interference. We formulate it as a constrained maximum independent paths problem, and propose two efficient heuristic path discovery algorithms. Based on the multiple paths discovered, we further propose a joint routing and rate allocation algorithm, which minimizes the network congestion caused by the new VoD session. The algorithm is aware of the optimization for both existing and potential VoD sessions in the wireless mesh network. We evaluate our algorithms with real video traces. Simulation results demonstrate that our algorithm not only improves the average video streaming performance over all the coexisting VoD sessions in the network, but also increases the network's capacity of satisfying more subsequent VoD requests.
Augmentation of Military Satellites with High Altitude Balloons: A UHF Case Study

This paper presents analysis ascertaining obtainable coverage that provides services to ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM) users in the Northern Polar regions through the employment of high-altitude balloons equipped with a UHF capability. This coverage performance is compared to that achieved by the current UHF polar satellite capability. The required capability onboard the balloon is determined, along with the number of balloons required to provide coverage performance equivalent to the current UHF polar satellite capability
Distinct roles for IL-13 and IL-4 via IL-13 receptor α1 and the type II IL-4 receptor in asthma pathogenesis

IL-13 and IL-4 are central T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines in the immune system and potent activators of inflammatory responses and fibrosis during Th2 inflammation. Recent studies using Il13ra1−/− mice have demonstrated a critical role for IL-13 receptor (IL-13R) α1 in allergen-induced airway responses. However, these observations require further attention especially because IL-4 can induce similar lung pathology to IL-13, independent of IL-13, and is still present in the allergic lung. Thus, we hypothesized that IL-13Rα1 regulates IL-4-induced responses in the lung. To dissect the role of IL-13Rα1 and the type I and II IL-4Rs in experimental asthma, we examined lung pathology induced by allergen, IL-4, and IL-13 challenge in Il13ra1−/− mice. We report that IL-13Rα1 is essential for baseline IgE production, but Th2 and IgE responses to T cell-dependent antigens are IL-13Rα1-independent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that increased airway resistance, mucus, TGF-β, and eotaxin(s) production, but not cellular infiltration, are critically dependent on IL-13Rα1. Surprisingly, our results identify a CCR3- and IL-13Rα1-independent pathway for lung eosinophilia. Global expression profiling of lungs from mice stimulated with allergen or IL-4 demonstrated that marker genes of alternatively activated macrophages are differentially regulated by the type I and type II IL-4R. Taken together, our data provide a comprehensive mechanistic analysis of the critical role by which IL-13Rα1 mediates allergic lung pathology and highlight unforeseen roles for the type II IL-4R.
Blood, sweat, and tears: a review of the hematophagous, sudophagous, and lachryphagous Lepidoptera.

Although adult Lepidoptera are not often considered medically relevant, some butterflies and moths are notorious for their consumption of mammalian body fluids. These Lepidoptera can be blood-feeding (hematophagous), tear-feeding (lachryphagous), or sweat-feeding (we use the term “sudophagous”). Blood-feeding Lepidoptera have been observed piercing the skin of their hosts during feeding, while tear-feeding Lepidoptera have been observed frequenting the eyes of hosts in order to directly obtain lachrymal fluid. These behaviors have negative human health implications and some potential for disease transmission. In this study, articles concerning feeding behavior of blood, sweat, and tear-feeding Lepidoptera were reviewed, with emphasis on correlations between morphological characters and feeding behaviors. Harmful effects and vector potential of these Lepidoptera are presented and discussed.
Distributed Evidence Propagation in Junction Trees on Clusters

Evidence propagation is a major step in exact inference, a key problem in exploring probabilistic graphical models. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for parallelizing evidence propagation in junction trees on clusters. Our proposed method explores structural parallelism in a given junction tree. We decompose a junction tree into a set of subtrees, each consisting of one or multiple leaf-root paths in the junction tree. In evidence propagation, we first perform evidence collection in these subtrees concurrently. Then, the partially updated subtrees exchange data for junction tree merging, so that all the cliques in the junction tree can be fully updated for evidence collection. Finally, evidence distribution is performed in all the subtrees to complete evidence propagation. Since merging subtrees requires communication across processors, we propose a technique called bitmap partitioning to explore the tradeoff between bandwidth utilization efficiency and the overhead due to the startup latency of message passing. We implemented the proposed method using Message Passing Interface (MPI) on a state-of-the-art Myrinet cluster consisting of 128 processors. Compared with a baseline method, our technique results in improved scalability.
A digit-recurrence square root implementation for field programmable gate arrays

Creating efficient arithmetic processors requires a pairing of high speed arithmetic algorithms with optimal mapping strategies for a given technology. The authors propose bit reduction as key to an efficient pairing process for lookup table based field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Bit reduction simplifies the functions defining the original algorithm, thus permitting a mapping to fewer blocks and reducing the overall throughput delay. A mapping of a digit-recurrence square root algorithm to the Xilinx XC4010 FPGA illustrates the bit reduction process. >
Hyperkinesis, autonomic nervous system activity and stimulant drug effects.

Summary This study focused on the degree to which resting levels of autonomic “arousal” were related to hyperkinetic behaviors and stimulant drug responses. A total of 24 boys served as subjects, 12 of whom were hyperkinetic and had a history of responding well to methylphenidate while 12 normal boys served as a matched control group. The control boys were evaluated once while the hyperkinetic boys were seen on three occasions during which they participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of methylphenidate. All children were evaluated using five psycho-physiological measures of autonomic nervous system activity and 11 objective measures of activity level and attention taken across four experimental settings. Results indicated no significant differences between hyperkinetic and normal boys in psychophysiological activity. In addition, no consistent relationships between this activity and the objective behavioral measures in either normal or hyperkinetic boys were observed. Improvements in activity level and attention during drug treatment were generally not related to the pretreatment levels of arousal in the hyperkinetic boys. Methylphenidate did not produce any significant effects on autonomic activity. Thus, results suggested that no simple level of arousal hypothesis can account for the behavior patterns of hyperkinetic children and that level of arousal is not a particularly useful predictor of drug responding in these children.
Black raspberries protectively regulate methylation of Wnt pathway genes in precancerous colon tissue.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is frequently an intermediate step to colon cancer. The interleukin-10 knock-out (KO) mouse is a genetic model of this progression. We report that KO mice fed 5% black raspberries (BRBs) had significantly less colonic ulceration as compared to KO mice that consumed the control diet. Dysfunction of the Wnt signaling pathway is a key event in UC-associated colon carcinogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the effects of BRBs on the Wnt pathway and found that the BRB-fed KO mice exhibited a significantly lower level of β-catenin nuclear translocation. We followed-up this observation by evaluating the effect of BRBs on selected Wnt pathway antagonists. The mRNA expression levels of wif1, sox17, and qki were diminished in the KO mice, while they were expressed at normal levels in KO mice fed BRBs. The lower mRNA expression of these genes in colon from the KO mice correlated with hypermethylation of their promoter regions; BRBs decreased their promoter methylation and increased mRNA expression of these genes. This hypomethylation was associated with elevated protein expression of key proteins/enzymes that augment methylation, e.g., dnmt3b, hdac1, hdac2, and mbd2 in the KO mice; and BRBs decreased protein expression of these proteins/enzymes. The KO mouse model recapitulates what occurs in human UC. Promoter methylation of CDH1 and SFRP1 was significantly higher in human UC tissues compared to their adjacent normal tissues. In conclusion, our results suggest that BRBs inhibit colonic ulceration and ultimately colon cancer partly through inhibiting aberrant epigenetic events that dysregulate Wnt signaling.