cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patients with Mutations in Gsα Have Reduced Activation of a Downstream Target in Epithelial Tissues due to Haploinsufficiency

Context: Patients with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) have defects in stimulatory G protein signaling due to loss of function mutations in GNAS. The mechanism by which these mutations lead to the AHO phenotype has been difficult to establish due to the inaccessibility of the affected tissues. Objective: The objective of the study was to gain insight into the downstream consequences of abnormal stimulatory G protein signaling in human epithelial tissues. Patients and Design: We assessed transcription of GNAS and Gsstimulated activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in AHO patients, compared with normal controls and patients with cystic fibrosis. epithelial cells were compared among normal controls and AHO patients. In vivo measurements of CFTR function, pulmonary function, and pancreatic function were assessed in AHO patients. Results: GNAS was expressed equally from each allele in normals and two of five AHO patients. cAMP generation was significantly reduced in nasal respiratory epithelial cells from AHO patients, compared with normal controls (0.4 vs. 0.6, P 0.0008). Activation of CFTR in vivo in nasal (P 0.0065) and sweat gland epithelia (P 0.01)ofAHOpatientswassignificantlyreducedfromnormal.Inthree patients, the reduction in activity was comparable with patients with cystic fibrosis due to mutations in CFTR. Yet no AHO patients had pulmonary or pancreatic disease consistent with cystic fibrosis. Conclusions: In humans, haploinsufficiency of GNAS causes a significant reduction in the activation of the downstream target, CFTR, in vivo. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 92: 3941–3948, 2007)
Dynamic Switch Between Two Adhesion Phenotypes in Colorectal Cancer Cells

The hematogenous metastatic cascade is mediated by the interaction of cancer cells and the endothelial cell lining of blood vessels. In this work, we examine the colon cancer cell line COLO 205, which grows simultaneously in both adherent and suspended states in culture and can serve as a good model for studying tumor heterogeneity. The two subpopulations of cells have different molecular characteristics despite being from the same parent cell line. We found that the ratio of adherent to suspended cells in culture is maintained at 7:3 (equilibrium ratio). The ratio was maintained even when we separate the two populations and culture them separately. After 8 h in culture the equilibrium was achieved only from either adherent or suspended population. The adherent cells were found to express less E-selectin binding glycans and demonstrated significantly weaker interaction with E-selectin under flow than the suspended cells. Manipulation of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers β-catenin and E-cadherin expression, either by siRNA knockdown of β-catenin or incubation with E-cadherin antibody-coated microbeads, shifted the ratio of adherent to suspended cells to 9:1. Interestingly, human plasma supplemented media shifted the ratio of adherent to suspended cells in the opposite direction to 1:9, favoring the suspended state. The dynamic COLO 205 population switch presents unique differential phenotypes of their subpopulations and could serve as a good model for studying cell heterogeneity and the EMT process in vitro.
Generation of large-volume, atmospheric-pressure, nonequilibrium plasmas

A review is presented of the issues associated with the generation of large-volume, high-pressure, nonequilibrium plasmas, as well as the approaches that have been developed for generating these plasmas using electrical discharges in gases. The various instabilities that have been overcome to obtained these plasmas as well as the techniques for quenching them are also reviewed. Last, recent efforts to obtain atmospheric pressure plasmas are discussed with particular emphasis on the capillary plasma electrode discharge, which we have used to obtain high (electron) density nonequilibrium plasmas.
Possible Atypical Cross‐Sensitivity between Phenytoin and Carbamazepine in the Anticonvulsant Hypersensitivity Syndrome

Anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening reaction that occurs in response to common anticonvulsants in predisposed individuals. It is often characterized by fever, rash, lymphadenopathy, hepatitis, and laboratory abnormalities. Consequently, it often is overlooked or even misdiagnosed by practitioners unfamiliar with AHS. Cross-sensitivity manifests frequently between phenytoin, phenobarbital, and carbamazepine as an exacerbation of presenting signs and symptoms. We report a case of AHS in a patient whose clinical features changed significantly when switching from phenytoin to carbamazepine. Physicians and pharmacists must become aware of the extreme variability in AHS manifestation so that the offending anticonvulsant regimen can be discontinued in a timely manner.
Effects of social conditions and time of testing on activity and striking of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Pairs of goldfish were separated by a clear Plexiglas sheet, an opaque sheet, or mirrors with the reflective surfaces toward the fish. Horizontal activity, vertical activity, and striking for food pellets were recorded at 7:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 4:00 p.m. for 14 days. Horizontal and vertical activity was greater at 12:00 and 4:00 than at 7:00, increased for approximately the first 8 days, and then declined slightly. By the 10th day, horizontal activity was greater for fish with mirror-image stimulation and those separated by a clear Plexiglas sheet than fish separated by an opaque sheet. Striking for food pellets was not altered by social conditions or time of testing. The results suggest that social facilitation of feeding is not related to increased activity, but probably requires competition for food.
Technical Issues Governing the Selection and Development of Dielectric Coolants for Fuel Cell Systems

The selection of a heat transfer fluid that meets all of the requirements for fuel cell operation is daunting. There are multiple competing fluid properties needed for optimal performance: high dielectric strength, low ionic and electronic conductivity, high heat capacity, high thermal conductivity, low viscosity at low temperatures, high flash points, low toxicity and no reactivity with contacting materials. In this paper we report the results of our evaluation of numerous basic and commercial heat transfer fluids with respect to their prospective fuel cell performance. We have also examined some of the fundamental physical and chemical properties of fluids to provide guidance on engineering a fluid based temperature regulation system for a fuel cell stack.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
High sensitivity electron diffraction analysis. A study of divalent cation binding to purple membrane

A sensitive high-resolution electron diffraction assay for change in structure is described and harnessed to analyze the binding of divalent cations to the purple membrane (PM) of Halobacterium halobium. Low-dose electron diffraction patterns are subject to a matched filter algorithm (Spencer, S. A., and A. A. Kossiakoff. 1980. J. Appl. Crystallogr. 13:563–571). to extract accurate values of reflection intensities. This, coupled with a scheme to account for twinning and specimen tilt in the microscope, yields results that are sensitive enough to rapidly quantitate any structure change in PM brought about by site-directed mutagenesis to the level of less than two carbon atoms. Removal of tightly bound divalent cations (mainly Ca2+ and Mg2+) from PM causes a color change to blue and is accompanied by a severely altered photocycle of the protein bacteriohodopsin (bR), a light-driven proton pump. We characterize the structural changes that occur upon association of 3:1 divalent cation to PM, versus membranes rendered purple by addition of excess Na+. High resolution, low dose electron diffraction data obtained from glucose-embedded samples of Pb2+ and Na+ reconstituted PM preparations at room temperature identify several sites with total occupancy of 2.01 +/- 0.05 Pb2+ equivalents. The color transition as a function of ion concentration for Ca2+ or Mg2+ and Pb2+ are strictly comparable. A (Pb2(+)-Na+) PM Fourier difference map in projection was synthesized at 5 A using the averaged data from several nominally untilted patches corrected for twinning and specimen tilt. We find six major sites located on helices 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 (nomenclature of Engelman et al. 1980. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 77:2023–2027) in close association with bR. These partially occupied sites (0.55–0.24 Pb2+ equivalents) represent preferential sites of binding for divalent cations and complements our earlier result by x-ray diffraction (Katre et al. 1986. Biophys. J. 50:277–284).
Fission-track dating of bentonites and bentonitic mudstones from the Morrison Formation in central Utah

Fission-track ages show that most of the Morrison Formation is Late Jurassic or perhaps earliest Cretaceous, ranging in age from 130 to 157 Ma. However, the upper part of the Morrison Formation in the Brushy Basin Member gives ages ranging from 99 to 123 Ma, covering a wide span of Early Cretaceous time. The bentonites dated are stratigraphically below what has been called the basal Buckhorn Conglomerate Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation. This may indicate that (1) the Buckhorn Conglomerate is not the base of the Cedar Mountain age sediments; (2) the Buckhorn Conglomerate has been misidentified in their section and is absent, in which case there would be no clear boundary between the Morrison and Cedar Mountain Formation; or (3) a significant part of the Brushy Basin member is Cretaceous in age and not Jurassic. These are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and it may be that a combination of these factors is true for their section. The long-term sediment accumulation rate calculated from the fission-track dates for the lower Brushy Basin, Salt Wash, and Tidwell Members of the Morrison Formation is about 6.2 m/m.y., whereas the long-term rate for the upper Brushy Basin Member is only about 0.6more » m/m.y. However the change from relatively rapid to relatively slow sedimentation and subsidence occurs at about 140 Ma. This was about the time of a slowing of plate collision to the west and near the start of a gap in plutonic activity associated with the change in collision rates. Therefore, some of the change in sediment-accumulation rates in their section may be reflecting a reduction in the supply of ash and other sediment into the Morrison basin as a result of the changing tectonic regime to the west.« less
Sediment discharge variability in Arctic rivers: implications for a warmer future

A new model for predicting the sediment flux in ungauged river basins is applied to 46 Arctic to sub-Arctic rivers. The model predicts the preanthropogenic flux of sediment to within a factor of 2, across four orders of magnitude in basin area and run-off. The model explains for the first time why Arctic rivers carry so little sediment when compared at the global scale. Sensitive to drainage basin temperature, the model is used to examine the impact of a climate warming scenario on the loads of high latitude rivers. As the Arctic warms, rivers will carry increased sediment loads, similar to more temperate rivers. For every 2°C warming, the model predicts a 22% increase in the flux of sediment carried by rivers. For every 20% increase in water discharge there will be a 10% increase in sediment load. The model also aids the interpretation of palaeoclimate records obtained from Arctic continental margins.
Making Claims about Standardization and Orthopraxy in Late Imperial China Rituals and Cults in the Fuzhou Region in Light of Watson’s Theories

This article presents research on popular cults and ancestral sacrifice from the Fuzhou region in order to reflect on James Watson’s theories of ortho-praxy and standardization. It argues that subs...
QUARK FLAVOR SENSITIVITY OF THE MAMMALIAN CORTEX

Most applications of Neural Networks in High Energy Physics have involved the use of simple backpropagation or learning vector quantization networks on offline data sets with relatively low dimensionality. In the present work we raise the question of whether ideas drawn from the current understanding of animal nervous systems can be used to build trigger systems for use on raw high energy physics data of high dimensionality. The problem of a secondary vertex trigger is chosen as an illustrative example.
Inbreeding of Artificially Bred Dairy Cattle in the Northeastern United States

Abstract Inbreeding coefficients of artificially bred Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss cows were calculated from relationships between sires and maternal male ancestors. Percentages of inbred cows and average inbreeding coefficients of inbred cows were: Ayrshire, 26 and 11%; Guernsey, 11 and 4%; Holstein, 31 and 1%; Jersey 23 and 2%; and Brown Swiss, 23 and 2%. Percentages of inbred cows and average inbreeding coefficients of all cows increased over time whereas average coefficients of inbred cows decreased over time. These temporal trends may be due in part to having more pedigree information available for cows born in later years. Effects of inbreeding on milk and fat yields of first lactation (2 times milked, 305-day mature equivalent), 48-mo stayability, and first calving interval were estimated with a model including effects for fixed herd-year-seasons, fixed sire and maternal grandsire groups, random sires and maternal grandsires within groups, and random residual. Regression coefficients of milk (kg), fat (kg), 48-mo stayability (proportion of cows surviving to 48 mo of age), and calving interval (days) on inbreeding coefficient (%) were: Ayrshire −27.1, −1.2, −.005, .23; Guernsey −19.3, −.97, −.007, .27; Holstein −21.1, −.78, −.003, .09; Jersey −14.8, −.80, −.002, .63; and Brown Swiss −39.5, −1.36; −.011, .03. There is no cause for concern over current inbreeding, but active inbreeding is not recommended.
The computability of architectural design

Two approaches, expressed in terms of mappings between design and computation, are explored with the intention of clarifying the relationship between the theories of design and computation. First, the relationship between models of the design process and computational search strategies is explored. Second, relationships between design knowledge and computational representation schemes are discussed. Finally, some thoughts on integrating these design models and knowledge representation schemes into computer systems that assist designers are discussed. >
Performance of a Structured IRA Code on a Perpendicular Recording Channel with Media Noise

We examine the performance of a rate-0.9 structured irregular repeat-accumulate (S-IRA) code on a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) channel with media noise. To account for the presence of data-dependent media noise, a pattern-dependent-noise-predictive (PDNP) channel detector is employed, in which the prediction filters are trained using the LMS algorithm. We compare the error rate performance of the S-IRA code with that of a Reed-Solomon (RS) code of the same length and rate, with the PDNP detector present in both cases. Our results show that the S-IRA code achieves a gain of over 1 dB relative to the RS code for sector error rates down past 10-4, but only if the columns of its H-matrix are properly permuted. We have also estimated that the linear density gain attainable by the S-IRA code relative to the RS code is about 8% for the operating point we have chosen.
Formalizing Decidability Theorems About Automata

Is it possible to create formal proofs of interesting mathematical theorems which are mechanically checked in every detail and yet are readable and even faithful to the best expositions of those results in the literature? This paper answers that question positively for theorems about decidable properties of finite automata. The exposition is from Hoperoft and Ullman’s classic 1969 textbookFormal Languages and Their Relation to Automata.This paper describes a successful formalization which is faithful to that book.
Linking larval supply to recruitment: Flow-mediated control of initial adhesion of barnacle larvae

Dispersal of propagules may have far-reaching consequences for the local dynamics of open populations. In aquatic environments the dispersal and supply of larvae is strongly influenced by coastal-scale hydrodynamics. The role of local flow on settlement and recruitment is, however, poorly understood. In a test of the effect of local hydrodynamics on recruitment dynamics we studied the relationships between local flow speed and larval supply, contact rate, settlement, and recruitment rates for the barnacle Balanus improvisus. Planktonic cyprid larvae were sampled with pumps while suspended panels were used to measure initial contact (grease-coated panels), settlement (5-d immersion), and recruitment (30-d immersion). Larval supply varied with coastal-scale upwelling but was uncorrelated to local flow speed. Settlement rate was highly correlated to contact rate, and the proportion of settling larvae increased with established recruit density. In contrast to model predictions, contact rate was negatively correlated with local flow speed, which explained 33% of total variation. This correlation was maintained through settlement and recruitment suggesting that flow-mediated initial contact is an important link between larval supply and recruitment. No evidence from field studies indicated behavioral responses by larvae to flow although observations in a laboratory flume suggested active rejection of potential settlement sites at increasing flow speeds. It is suggested that initial adhesion is limited by flow speed through drag and lift forces acting on larvae. A conceptual model of mechanisms controlling the transfer of planktonic larvae to recruited benthic individuals is proposed.
Crustal growth by magmatic underplating: Isotopic evidence from the northern Sherman batholith

It is accepted that continental growth takes place both in intraplate and convergent margin settings, but the relative importance of crustal growth in these two tectonic environments is the subject of ongoing debate. In this study we suggest that magmatic underplating in continental interiors results in significant increases in continental volume. We maintain that A-type, or anorogenic, granites are derived from young, underplated mafic crust. Magma sources for A-type granites typically are difficult to identify due to the lack of isotopic contrast between mantle and crustal sources. However, the northern portion of the Mesoproterozoic Sherman batholith, southeastern Wyoming, intrudes Archean gneiss. Isotopic data from these granites preclude derivation from felsic crust, and instead require the involvement of a mantle or mantle-like isotopic reservoir. The data are analogous to those for eruptive equivalents of A-type granites, the fayalite rhyolites of Yellowstone, which also ascended through Archean felsic crust but carry little Archean isotopic signature. Anorogenic granites thus may represent a middle to upper crustal record of magmatic underplating at depth.
Diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, or Chlamydia pneumoniae lower respiratory infection using the polymerase chain reaction on a single throat swab specimen

Diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae lower respiratory infections using DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on throat swab specimens has been reported. In this study we determined the sensitivity of the detection of Legionella pneumophila in simulated throat swab specimens by PCR. Next, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of a single throat swab PCR with the current tests for diagnosis of Legionella spp., M. pneumoniae, and C. pneumoniae in patients with lower respiratory tract infections. Patients' work-up included: (a) throat swab specimen for Legionella spp., M. pneumoniae, and C. pneumoniae PCR; (b) throat swab specimen for C. pneumoniae culture; (c) sputum specimen for L. pneumophila direct fluorescent antibody and culture; (d) urine specimen for L. pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen detection; and (e) serum specimen for L. pneumophila, M. pneumoniae, and C. pneumoniae acute and convalescent antibody titers. A total of 155 patients with lower respiratory infection were enrolled in this prospective study. Throat swab PCR was positive for Legionella spp. in five of the six patients with legionellosis, indicating the presence of this organism in the oropharynx of patients with Legionnaires disease. Mycoplasma pneumoniae PCR was positive in eight of the nine patients with mycoplasma infection. Chlamydia pneumoniae PCR was positive in the two patients with C. pneumoniae infection. None of the other 138 patients with negative PCR had other positive confirmatory tests for respiratory infection by these three organisms (100% specificity). PCR was able to detect 15 of the 17 infected (88.2%). Results of this investigation indicate that PCR on a single throat swab specimen is a rapid, sensitive, and specific test that may greatly simplify the diagnosis of lower respiratory infection caused by Legionella spp., Mycoplasma pneumoniae, or C. pneumoniae.
Environmental Support and the Development of Grasp in Infants

This study examines the acquisition of internal stability as it relates to the development of prehension in normal infants. Thirty-two subjects, 7 to 14 months of age, were observed grasping Cheerios from styrene surfaces that provided different amounts of support to the infants' hands. The subjects were scored on the grasp patterns they used and on their success in securing a Cherrio without dislodging the styrene surface from a platform. Success increased with age, thus demonstrating a developmental progression in the acquisition of upper extremity internal stability. Consistency of grasp also increased with age. Whereas the youngest infants (7 to 8 months old) reverted to immature grasp patterns on the less stable surfaces, the oldest infants (13 to 14 months old) used mature pincer grasp patterns consistently. Infants 10 to 11 months old seemed to be in a transitional stage between the variability of grasp seen in the youngest infants and the consistency achieved by the oldest group.
Coat color and its effect on preference for the scent marks of opposite-sex conspecifics in the meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus

Many mammal species can distinguish between opposite-sex conspecifics that differ in a certain trait. In that coat coloration is associated with differences in physiological and behavioral traits, coat color may affect the attractiveness of odor cues produced by conspecifics. Individuals may be able to respond preferentially to conspecifics with a particular coat color. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that scent marks of brown and blond voles differ in their attractiveness to male and fe- male conspecifics. Male voles and brown females did not discriminate between blond- and brown-coated opposite-sex con- specifics suggesting that they are neither selecting potential mates dissociatively nor associatively. However, blond females be- haved as if the scent marks of blond males were more attractive than were the scent marks of brown males. Our data suggest that blond females who are already conspicuous to predators, may select blond males as mates because they do not appreciably in- crease the risk of detection to predators, particularly avian predators. Moreover, because these conspicuous males have survived to mate they may have good genes that reflect their relatively higher quality (Current Zoology 58 (2): 221-227 , 2012).
The Sampling Problem in Measuring Policy Mood: An Alternative Solution

Measuring policy mood poses difficulties for researchers because a random sample of salient policy issues necessary to derive this concept cannot be generated. Consequently, efforts must be taken to weight the contribution of existing survey items by the salience of their topics. Unfortunately, issue salience varies by political context, and no consensus exists on which setting should be used to assess salience. Stimson (1991) assumes in his seminal work that the frequency with which survey organizations tap opinions on various issues mirrors the salience of these issues in national politics. However, he provides no evidence that this is the case. Rather than assuming pollsters capture political salience, I explicitly measure salience by the prominence given to issues by the public. These alternative specifications of salience identify different structures underlying aggregate domestic policy preferences. These different forms of mood are not trivial, but can affect how mood shapes other political phenomena.
Interwar "German" psychobiology: between nationalism and the irrational.

This paper is concerned with “holism” as a German cultural “style” of doing psychobiology in Central Europe between the two world wars. The paper takes its starting point from a critical analysis of Forman's writings on nationalism versus internationalism in interwar German science, and the alleged “accommodation” of interwar German physics to an antiscientific, irrationalist culture. The paper argues that psychobiological holism was not just a reaction against nineteenth-century atomistic or mechanistic approaches to modeling life and mind; it also represented a domestically directed answer from within the German biomedical scientific community to broad religious and cultural “disenchantment.” As such, holistic psychobiology emerges as a phenomenon that challenges us with at least four levels of discourse: (1) experimental/clinical, (2) epistemological/philosophical, (3) existential/religious, and (4) ideological/political. The paper defends the methodological appropriateness of a collective case-study approach to the problem of holism as a multilevel discourse. It concludes by offering a preliminary contextualized analysis of the thought of three representative holistic leaders of the time: behavioral biologist and ethologist Jakob von Uexkull; clinical neurologist Constantin von Monakow; and neuropsychiatrist Kurt Goldstein.
Obese and diabetic db/db mice develop marked liver fibrosis in a model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: role of short-form leptin receptors and osteopontin

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but an obese/diabetic animal model that mimics human NASH remains undefined. We examined the induction of steato...
Eukaryotic Translesion Polymerases and Their Roles and Regulation in DNA Damage Tolerance

Summary: DNA repair and DNA damage tolerance machineries are crucial to overcome the vast array of DNA damage that a cell encounters during its lifetime. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the eukaryotic DNA damage tolerance pathway translesion synthesis (TLS), a process in which specialized DNA polymerases replicate across from DNA lesions. TLS aids in resistance to DNA damage, presumably by restarting stalled replication forks or filling in gaps that remain in the genome due to the presence of DNA lesions. One consequence of this process is the potential risk of introducing mutations. Given the role of these translesion polymerases in mutagenesis, we discuss the significant regulatory mechanisms that control the five known eukaryotic translesion polymerases: Rev1, Pol ζ, Pol κ, Pol η, and Pol ι.
Adapting indexing trees to data distribution in feature spaces

Fast similarity retrieval is critical for content-based image retrieval systems. Tree indexing is a classical technique for fast retrieval, but the practical performance increase offered by the indexing tree depends on the intrinsic dimension of the data. Data with a low intrinsic dimension can be indexed more efficiently than data with high intrinsic dimension. This suggests that an indexing tree that is adapted to the data distribution may be more efficient. This paper proposes two adaptation procedures that are guaranteed to improve indexing efficiency. The procedures are based on a formula for average number of node tests incurred during the retrieval. The formula clearly shows how indexing performance varies with the distribution of feature points and the query. Greedy and optimal tree adaptation procedures are derived based on the formula. Both procedures explicitly enhance the retrieval performance of indexing trees. The optimally adapted tree carries the mathematical guarantee that it is the best performing tree in a set of possible trees obtained by node elimination. The adaptation procedures are applied to kdb-trees and hierarchical clustering trees for indexing synthetic as well as real data sets in medical image databases. Experimental results validate the claim that adaptation procedures increase retrieval efficiency.
County-Level Surveillance of White-Tailed Deer Infestation by Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor albipictus (Acari: Ixodidae) Along the Illinois River

From 1998 to 2003, 4,935 hunter-killed deer in northern and central Illinois were examined for ticks; 4,066 blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, and 6,530 winter ticks, Dermacentor albipictus (Packard) (Acari: Ixodidae), were collected. I. scapularis was the predominant tick species in the northern portion of the study area, with a decreasing north-to-south prevalence gradient. In contrast, D. albipictus was more common in the south with a decreasing south-to-north prevalence gradient. Compared with previous studies, the geographic range for both species expanded into the central portion of the Illinois River. Prevalence and intensity of both tick species were greater on bucks, and infested bucks were geographically more widespread than infested does and fawns. These Þndings indicate that blacklegged tick and winter tick distributions remain dynamic in the north central United States
Life at body temperatures below 0 degrees C: the physiology and biochemistry of Antarctic fishes.

Fishes of the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica are dominated by species of the suborder Notothenoidei. For ~14MY, these highly successful fishes have evolved under stable thermal conditions that result in a body temperature of ca. 0°C throughout their life histories. Evolution in this chronically cold environment has led to unusual physiological and biochemical characteristics. In some cases, these characteristics are essential to survival and normal biological function at cold body temperature (e.g., development of antifreeze glycoproteins, structural modification of enzymes, cold-stable microtubules, and cardiovascular adaptations). In other instances, mutations that probably would have been lethal in warmer, less oxygen-rich environments than the Southern Ocean have been retained in Antarctic fishes (e.g., loss of hemoglobin production and variable expression of myoglobin in one notothenioid family, the Channichthyidae). These unique animals offer opportunities for insight into evolutionary processes leading to physiological and biochemical characteristics that either arise from strong selective pressure or persist through relaxation of selective pressure. After briefly describing the Antarctic marine environment, I discuss several unique aspects of the physiology and biochemistry of Antarctic fishes, specifically emphasizing our laboratory’s recent studies of an unusual pattern of myoglobin expression in the Channichthyid icefishes.
Yield strength of Ni–Al–Cr superalloy under pressure

Abstract Ni based superalloy Ni–Al–Cr with γ and γ′ phase was studied under high pressure up to 30 GPa using diamond anvil cell technique. In-situ X-ray diffraction data was collected on these alloys under hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic conditions. Cubic phase remains stable up to the highest pressure of about 30 GPa. Bulk modulus and its pressure derivative obtained from the volume compression of pressure data are K = 166.6 ± 5.8 GPa with K′ set to 4 under hydrostatic conditions and K = 211.3 ± 4.7 GPa with K′ set to 4 for non-hydrostatic conditions. Using lattice strain theory, maximum shear stress ‘t’ was determined from the difference between the axial and radial stress components in the sample. The magnitude of shear stress suggests that the lower limit of compressive strength increases with pressure and shows maximum yield strength of 1.8 ± 0.3 GPa at 20 GPa. Further, we have also determined yield strength using pressure gradient method. In both the methods, yield strength increases linearly with applied pressure. The results are found to be in good agreement with each other and the literature values at ambient conditions.
JOPI: a Java object-passing interface: Research Articles

Recently there has been an increasing interest in developing parallel programming capabilities in Java to harness the vast resources available in clusters, grids and heterogeneous networked systems. In this paper, we introduce a Java object-passing interface (JOPI) library. JOPI provides Java programmers with the necessary functionality to write object-passing parallel programs in distributed heterogeneous systems. JOPI provides a Message Passing Interface (MPI)-like interface that can be used to exchange objects among processes. In addition to the well-known benefits of the object-oriented development model, using objects to exchange information in JOPI is advantageous because it facilitates passing complex structures and enables the programmer to isolate the problem space from the parallelization problem. The run-time environment for JOPI is portable, efficient and provides the necessary functionality to deploy and execute parallel Java programs. Experiments were conducted on a cluster system and a collection of heterogeneous platforms to measure JOPI's performance and compare it with MPI. The results show good performance gains using JOPI. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of the cooperative emission profile from a spherical distribution of two-level atoms resulting from the choice of the interaction kernel

The choice of the wrong kernel for describing the cooperative effects in an ensemble of identical atoms, in most instances, leads to wrong predictions for the system's dynamics whether the system initially was excited weakly or nearly was inverted. In this Brief Report, using previously derived theoretical expressions, I compare the numerical values for the emission amplitude as a function of time for the complex exponential and the sine kernels for different-size spheres. The deviations found in the respective results show that, in general, the two kernels are not, as often claimed, up to a frequency shift in their spectra, interchangeable.
Notes on Responses of Blacklegged Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to Host Urine

In laboratory bioassays under conditions of high humidity, host-seeking female blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, avoided urine of reproductively active male and nonestrous female white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), the principal host species of the adult stage. At 50% RH, female I. scapularis did not avoid urine from male and female deer. Larval and nymphal I. scapularis did not exhibit an arrestment response to urine from male and female white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), a major host for immature blacklegged ticks. These results suggest that under some conditions, urine from 2 principal host species in certain physiological states does not provide kairomonal cues that aid I. scapularis in contacting these host species.
Should Liberal Feminists Support “Paternafare” and Welfare Reform? A Capabilities-Oriented Analysis

When policymakers invoke liberal democratic tropes while endorsing welfare reform, and, in particular, “paternafare”—the mandatory child support and paternity identification requirement—are they contradicting themselves? Can paternafare be defended in liberal democratic terms? In this article, I propose to set aside, for the sake of argument, my own radical egalitarian commitments and to speak directly to the liberal feminist in her own terms. Because the capabilities approach of Martha Nussbaum is one of the less demanding liberal democratic theories of justice, insofar as it permits a relatively large degree of inequality, it provides a particularly helpful framework for this feminist dialogue. I construct a hypothetical world in which the needy single mother has an entitlement to a basic income under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and I draw up my own version of an undue burden test on the basis of Nussbaum's theory. I explore whether the paternafare rule within this hypothetical world would pass the capabilities-oriented undue burden test. Finally, I argue that Nussbaum's nonfungibility principle can yield surprisingly robust redistributive results within specific historical conditions.
On Liu Qi's Military Thinking and Practice

Liu Qi was one of the most famous generals of the Southern Song dynasty(1127-1279) in the war of resistance against the northern tribe of Jin.This paper probes into his major military activities,such as the Fuping War fought in 1130,the Song-Jin War in 1162,and particularly the Shunchang War in 1140.Giving an overview of Liu's idea of aggressive defense,it analyzes the essence,evolution and value of Liu's military thinking.
Mutation Profiling Indicates High Grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia as Distant Precursors of Adjacent Invasive Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

Introduction High Grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (HGPIN) is the putative precursor lesion to prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCa), but the precise relationship between HGPIN and PCa remains unclear. Methods We performed a molecular case study in which we studied mutation profiles of six tumor-associated HGPIN lesions in a single case of TMPRSS2:ERG fusion positive Gleason score 7 PCa that we had previously mapped for somatic mutations in adjacent Gleason patterns 3 and 4 foci, using microdissection and targeted deep-sequencing. Results A total of 32 tumor-specific mutated sites were successfully amplified and sequenced, including 25 truncal mutations and 7 mutations that were specific to either the Gleason pattern 3 or pattern 4 foci. All six HGPIN foci shared the same tumor-specific TMPRSS2:ERG fusion breakpoint, establishing that they were all clonally related to the adjacent invasive tumor. Among the 32 gene targets mutated in the invasive tumor, only mutation of the OR2AP1 gene, a truncal mutation, was found in a single focus of HGPIN. The remaining gene targets that were successfully sequenced were wild-type in all other HGPIN foci. Discussion This study demonstrates the feasibility of targeted mutation profiling of HGPIN lesions, which will be important to understand PCa tumorigenesis. The results in this case, showing a remarkable absence of truncal mutations in HGPIN lesions bearing the tumor-specific ERG fusion, indicate HGPIN lesions may be relatively stable genetically and argue against a stepwise clonal evolution model of HGPIN to PCa. Prostate 76:1227-1236, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Remoteness and reciprocal risk

The history of modern weaponry involves the construction of the technological capacity to produce lethal results while exposing the operator to the least amount of risk of death or injury. The most recent examples of this phenomenon are three new weapon categories: remotely piloted vehicles (drones), cyber-weapons, and Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS). Each of these categories of weapons allows the attacking force to inflict military damage while the operators of the weapon remain safely shielded from the theater of operations. The overall strategy is to create a system that grants the operator total immunity from risk but still inflicts maximum damage to the enemy. This chapter will propose, explain, and critically examine the concept of reciprocal risk. It will seek to determine whether there is, in fact, a historical norm in favor of reciprocal risk in warfare, and how the advent of drones, cyber-weapons, and AWS have impacted this putative norm. After evaluating the alleged and often assumed rupture to reciprocal risk caused by technological innovation in weapons design, this chapter will then examine two familiar objections to these technologies. The first is whether the weapons will, by creating a severe asymmetry in risk, allow states to exercise force cavalierly, and remove an important check on warfare that helps limit the number of jus ad bellum violations across the globe. Having examined that anxiety, the final part of this chapter will ask whether reciprocal risk is an essential ethical component of basic norms of chivalry. This latter analysis will require an examination of legal principles under the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and ethical principles embodied in just war theory.
Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy, X-ray Crystal Structure, and Quantum Chemical Studies of Diketene: Resolving Ambiguities Concerning the Structure of the Ketene Dimer

The pure rotational spectrum of diketene has been studied in the millimeter-wave region from ∼240 to 360 GHz. For the ground vibrational state and five vibrationally excited satellites (ν24, 2ν24, 3ν24, 4ν24, and ν16), the observed spectrum allowed for the measurement, assignment, and least-squares fitting a total of more than 10 000 distinct rotational transitions. In each case, the transitions were fit to single-state, complete or near-complete sextic centrifugally distorted rotor models to near experimental error limits using Kisiel’s ASFIT. Additionally, we obtained less satisfactory least-squares fits to single-state centrifugally distorted rotor models for three additional vibrational states: ν24 + ν16, ν23, and 5ν24. The structure of diketene was optimized at the CCSD(T)/ANO1 level, and the vibration–rotation interaction (αi) values for each normal mode were determined with a CCSD(T)/ANO1 VPT2 anharmonic frequency calculation. These αi values were helpful in identifying the previously unreported ν1...
Performance analysis of 1XEV-DO systems under realistic traffic models and limited-size IP backhaul

Detailed simulation model and analysis of the 1XEV-DO system were described with special emphasis on the impact on the realistic traffic models from the limited IP backhaul link speed between a base station controller (BSC) and a base transceiver station (BTS). The realistic traffic models are defined by the 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2) and realistic UDP, TCP and IP models. Our simulation results show that at the infinite backhaul link speed (no constraint on the backhaul), the air-interface throughput is lower than the unrealistic "greedy user model" presented in A. Jalali et al. (May 2000) due to a realistic traffic model. With this realistic traffic profile, the performance projection should focus on the end-to-end application throughputs and packet delays in the backhaul, especially with the limited backhaul speed. We show simulation results for varying number of mobiles in 3-sector 1-carrier sites.
Procedural level design using an interactive cellular automata genetic algorithm

In this paper we propose an interactive genetic algorithm to evolve maze levels for computer games. We represent a maze with a cellular automaton and the genetic algorithm evolves the cellular automata rules applied to a starting maze level state. Users then rate the fitness of a subset of the generated population using an image of the top-down view of the maze. After ten generations, users then play through the best evolved maze within a maze runner type game using a first person perspective. User ratings show that our IGA was able to evolve highly rated mazes.
Fractional laser exposure induces neutrophil infiltration (N1 phenotype) into the tumor and stimulates systemic anti-tumor immune response.

Background Ablative fractional photothermolysis (aFP) using a CO2 laser generates multiple small diameter tissue lesions within the irradiation field. aFP is commonly used for a wide variety of dermatological indications, including treatment of photodamaged skin and dyschromia, drug delivery and modification of scars due to acne, surgical procedures and burns. In this study we explore the utility of aFP for treating oncological indications, including induction of local tumor regression and inducing anti-tumor immunity, which is in marked contrast to current indications of aFP. Methodology/Principal findings We used a fractional CO2 laser to treat a tumor established by BALB/c colon carcinoma cell line (CT26.CL25), which expressed a tumor antigen, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal). aFP treated tumors grew significantly slower as compared to untreated controls. Complete remission after a single aFP treatment was observed in 47% of the mice. All survival mice from the tumor inoculation rejected re-inoculation of the CT26.CL25 colon carcinoma cells and moreover 80% of the survival mice rejected CT26 wild type colon carcinoma cells, which are parental cells of CT26.CL25 cells. Histologic section of the FP-treated tumors showed infiltrating neutrophil in the tumor early after aFP treatment. Flow cytometric analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes showed aFP treatment abrogated the increase in regulatory T lymphocyte (Treg), which suppresses anti-tumor immunity and elicited the expansion of epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes, which were required to mediate the tumor-suppressing effect of aFP. Conclusion We have demonstrated that aFP is able to induce a systemic anti-tumor adaptive immunity preventing tumor recurrence in a murine colon carcinoma in a mouse model. This study demonstrates a potential role of aFP treatments in oncology and further studies should be performed.
Stable isotope-labeled tryptophan as a precursor for studying the disposition of quinolinic acid in rabbits.

A major pathway for metabolism of the essential amino acid tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway leads to the production of quinolinic acid as a precursor for nicotinamide containing nucleotides (Nishizuka and Hayaishi, 1963). Quinolinic acid, an agonist at the NMDA receptor, is also a neuro-toxin and convulsant (Stone and Connick, 1985). It has been postulated to be involved in several neurodegenerative diseases (Schwarcz et al., 1984). Recently, elevated concentrations of quinolinic acid have been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Heyes et al., 1989). Little is known of the kinetics of the in vivo disposition of quinolinic acid (i.e. rates of formation, distribution and elimination). The use of stable isotope-labeled precursors offers many advantages in the study of the disposition of endogenous compounds (Wolfe, 1984). We have begun investigations into the use of stable isotope-labeled tryptophan as a precursor for the in vivo production of labeled quinolinic acid in rabbits with a view of developing methods applicable for studying the disposition of quinolinic acid in man.
Abstract 13254: Patient Education After CABG: Are We Teaching the Wrong Information?

This article has been retracted. Please see: Notice of Retraction - http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/134/Suppl_1/suppl/DC1 Introduction: Secondary prevention after CABG improves morbidity and mo...