cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zfp423 Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation of Bovine Stromal Vascular Cells

Intramuscular fat or marbling is critical for the palatability of beef. In mice, very recent studies show that adipocytes and fibroblasts share a common pool of progenitor cells, with Zinc finger protein 423 (Zfp423) as a key initiator of adipogenic differentiation. To evaluate the role of Zfp423 in intramuscular adipogenesis and marbling in beef cattle, we sampled beef muscle for separation of stromal vascular cells. These cells were immortalized with pCI neo-hEST2 and individual clones were selected by G418. A total of 288 clones (3×96 well plates) were isolated and induced to adipogenesis. The presence of adipocytes was assessed by Oil-Red-O staining. Three clones with high and low adipogenic potential respectively were selected for further analyses. In addition, fibro/adipogenic progenitor cells were selected using a surface marker, platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) α. The expression of Zfp423 was much higher (307.4±61.9%, P<0.05) in high adipogenic cells, while transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was higher (156.1±48.7%, P<0.05) in low adipogenic cells. Following adipogenic differentiation, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) were much higher (239.4±84.1% and 310.7±138.4%, respectively, P<0.05) in high adipogenic cells. Over-expression of Zfp423 in stromal vascular cells and cloned low adipogenic cells dramatically increased their adipogenic differentiation, accompanied with the inhibition of TGF-β expression. Zfp423 knockdown by shRNA in high adipogenic cells largely prevented their adipogenic differentiation. The differential regulation of Zfp423 and TGF-β between low and high adipogenic cells is associated with the DNA methylation in their promoters. In conclusion, data show that Zfp423 is a critical regulator of adipogenesis in stromal vascular cells of bovine muscle, and Zfp423 may provide a molecular target for enhancing intramuscular adipogenesis and marbling in beef cattle.
Prevention of the Rise in Intraocular Pressure Following Neodymium-YAG Posterior Capsulotomy Using Topical 1% Apraclonidine

• We studied apraclonidine hydrochloride (aplonidine hydrochloride or ALO 2145), an α-agonist, for its effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP) rise following neodymium-YAG posterior capsulotomy (YPC). In a prospective multicentered double-masked study, 63 eyes were pretreated with one drop of either 1% apraclonidine hydrochloride or placebo one hour before performing YPC and again following the laser treatment. The greatest IOP rise in the placebo-treated eyes occurred in the third hour after YPC, when the mean (±SD) IOP rose from a baseline pressure of 16.4 ± 3.7 to 20.8 ± 6.8 mm Hg. In apraclonidine-treated eyes, the IOP fell from a mean of 15.6 ± 3.8 to 12.8 ± 6.0 mm Hg three hours postoperatively. There were five times as many eyes that had an IOP rise greater than 10 mm Hg in the placebo-treated group compared with those treated with apraclonidine. Apraclonidine proved to be highly effective in preventing the rise in IOP following YPC.
Accurate Reaction Enthalpies and Sources of Error in DFT Thermochemistry for Aldol, Mannich, and α-Aminoxylation Reactions

Enthalpies for bond-forming reactions that are subject to organocatalysis have been predicted using the high-accuracy CBS-QB3 model chemistry and six DFT functionals. Reaction enthalpies were decomposed into contributions from changes in bonding and other intramolecular effects via the hierarchy of homodesmotic reactions. The order of the reaction exothermicities (aldol < Mannich ≈ α-aminoxylation) arises primarily from changes in formal bond types mediated by contributions from secondary intramolecular interactions. In each of these reaction types, methyl substitution at the β- and γ-positions stabilizes the products relative to the unsubstituted case. The performance of six DFT functionals (B3LYP, B3PW91, B1B95, MPW1PW91, PBE1PBE, and M06-2X), MP2, and SCS-MP2 has been assessed for the prediction of these reaction enthalpies. Even though the PBE1PBE and M06-2X functionals perform well for the aldol and Mannich reactions, errors roughly double when these functionals are applied to the α-aminoxylation rea...
Venom of marine snail Conus californicus: biochemical studies of a cholinomimetic component.

Abstract An extract from the venom of the marine snail Conus californicus , which has cholinomimetic effects in Mercenaria heart and Aplysia central neurons, was partially purified by gel filtration and preparative silica gel and cellulose thin layer chromatography. Cholinomimetic activity was retained after heating to 100°C for one hour, exposure to pH 2 or pH 10, and incubation with proteases, nucleases, and cholinesterases, and was destroyed by boiling in 1-0 M NaOH or 1-0 M HCl for one hour. Gel filtration, thin layer electrophoresis and analytical cellulose thin layer chromatography using indicator spray reagents indicated that the cholinomimetic is a low molecular weight, positively charged alkaloid compound.
Perfect Allies? The Case of Iraq and Al Qaeda

Four years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, many scholars and policy makers concluded that an alliance between Iraq and al Qaeda did not exist. Yet the absence of this alliance raises a puzzle: Given their mutual interest in opposing U.S. hegemony in the Middle East, why wasn't there an alliance between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden? In this essay, we develop an explanation for why Iraq and al Qaeda did not ally using previous scholarly work on bargaining and alliances. Our explanation concludes that Iraq and al Qaeda failed to form an alliance due to mutual fears of opportunism and the problem of credible commitment. We conclude by presenting evidence for our explanation and offering a policy prescription for governments facing threats of state sponsored terrorism.
Nonkeratinizing undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Microscopic examination of a biopsy of the nasopharyngeal mass demonstrated multiple nests of round cells with a syncytial growth pattern, prominent nucleoli, scant cytoplasm with nuclear overlap, and an absence of keratinization (Figs. 2, 3). Immunohistochemical stains for AE1/AE3, CAM 5.2, and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were positive, while p16 was negative. Furthermore, the tissue was strongly reactive for Epstein–Barr virus encoded RNA (EBER) by in situ hybridization (Fig. 4).
Inverse currying transformation on attribute grammars

Inverse currying transformation of an attribute grammar moves a context condition to places in the grammar where the violation of the condition can be detected as soon as the semantic information used in the condition is computed. It thereby takes into account the evaluation order chosen for the attribute grammar. Inverse currying transformations can be used to enhance context sensitive parsing using predicates on attributes, to eliminate sources of backtrack when parsing according to ambiguous grammars, and to facilitate semantics-supported error correction.
A preliminary investigation of alcohol use during trauma and peritraumatic reactions in female sexual assault victims

The purpose of these analyses was to investigate the association between reported alcohol use during a sexual assault and perceptions of assault severity and physical and emotional peritraumatic reactions. Self-report data were collected on 57 sexually assaulted college women. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that perception of assault severity mediated the relationship between alcohol use and peritraumatic physical reactions.
Hughes's Induction Balance

HAVING just made a Hughes's induction balance, I have, in the course of some experiments with it, observed what was new to me, for I have not seen it mentioned in any account of the balance. I take the liberty, therefore, of asking through your columns whether the explanation resolves itself into the difference between paramagnetic and diamagnetic substances. The apertures of my bobbins are 1½ inch in diameter; my primary current is from three Daniell's, and the break is a bent steel spring whose free point just grazes the surface of a mercury cup, so that the merest touch with a finger causes a series of regular breaks. Now, if I place an iron or steel disk, or ring, such as a key-ring, inside the aperture, the telephone sounds loudly if the plane of the disk or ring is at right angles to the plane of the coils; but very very faintly if it is parallel to the plane of the coils. On the other hand, if a disk, or ring, or coil of wire, of any of the diamagnetic metals—copper, brass, zinc, silver, gold, aluminium, lead—be used, the telephone sounds loudly if the plane of the disk or ring he parallel to the plane of the coils; but very faintly, if at all, when it is perpendicular to the plane of the coils. Further, if a short bar of soft iron, or of nickel, be inserted so that the length of the bar is parallel to the plane of the coils, almost no sound is heard; but if it be turned through a right angle so as to be perpendicular to the plane of the coils, the sound is a maximum. Have we in this simple instrument the ready means of distinguishing paramagnetic from diamagnetic substances?
Identification of an RNA binding site for human thymidylate synthase.

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that human TS mRNA translation is regulated by its protein product in a negative autoregulatory manner. In this paper, we identify an RNA binding site for TS protein located within the first 188 nt of TS RNA. A 36-nt RNA sequence contained within this 188-nt fragment, corresponding to nt 75-110 and including the translational initiation site, binds TS protein with an affinity similar to that of both the full-length and the 188-nt TS RNA sequences. Variant RNAs with either a deletion or a mutation at the translational initiation region are unable to compete for TS protein binding. UV crosslinking studies reveal that an RNA fragment of approximately 36 nt is protected from RNase T1 digestion by TS protein binding. A second TS protein-binding site is localized within the protein-coding region corresponding to nt 434-634. These findings demonstrate a specific interaction between human TS protein and its TS RNA and identify an RNA binding site that includes the translational initiation site.
Moving Forward: Advances in the Treatment of Movement Disorders with Deep Brain Stimulation

The modern era of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery has ushered in state of the art technologies for the treatment of movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease (PD), tremor, and dystonia. After years of experience with various surgical therapies, the eventual shortcomings of both medical and surgical treatments, and several serendipitous discoveries, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has risen to the forefront as a highly effective, safe, and reversible treatment for these conditions. Idiopathic advanced Parkinson’s disease can be treated with thalamic, globus pallidus internus (GPi), or subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS. Thalamic DBS primarily relieves tremor while GPi and STN DBS alleviate a wide range of Parkinsonian symptoms. Thalamic DBS is also used in the treatment of other types of tremor, particularly essential tremor, with excellent results. Both primary and various types of secondary dystonia can be treated very effectively with GPi DBS. The variety of anatomical targets for these movement disorders is indicative of the network-level dysfunction mediating these movement disturbances. Despite an increasing understanding of the clinical benefits of DBS, little is known about how DBS can create such wide sweeping neuromodulatory effects. The key to improving this therapeutic modality and discovering new ways to treat these and other neurologic conditions lies in better understanding the intricacies of DBS. Here we review the history and pertinent clinical data for DBS treatment of PD, tremor, and dystonia. Our search criteria for PubMed included combinations of the following terms: DBS, neuromodulation, movement disorders, PD, tremor, dystonia, and history. Dates were not restricted.
Random components in mutagenesis.

The mutability of DNA varies enormously from one base pair to another. Part of this variation is due to the specificity of the reaction between mutagen and base, but much of the variation is due to unknown causes. A genetic system developed by Miller and colleagues1 allows the mutation frequencies of a large number of different base pairs in the lacI gene of Escherichia coli to be compared. For example, Coulondre and Miller2 found that the sites most readily mutated by UV light are almost 100 times more often mutated than the least susceptible sites. A recently completed study3 of mutagenesis with neocarzinostatin (NCS) in the lacI gene has prompted us to re-examine some previous studies2,4,5 of mutagenesis in this gene. Our analysis, reported here, suggests that the mutations induced by certain mutagens fall into two classes: mutations in one class are clearly distributed non-randomly, that is, they are very common at some sites and significantly less common at others; mutations in the second class, however, occur at low frequency and appear to be randomly distributed. Both classes of mutations seem to occur only at damaged bases.
Relation between the coupling constant and the singularity in the second sheet — II

The universal functionB(a) whose roots determine the coupling constants is studied in detail, in particular its dependence on the contour of integration and its analytic continuation. Then complete dominancy of a single crossed pole term at a particular value ofs is investigated. The results are then applied to the pion-nucleon coupling constantg2by using helicity amplitudes of various processes in whichg2appears, such as the πN andNN scatterings. The consistency of the method is checked by obtaining the same value ofg2 (whithin 1%) in all cases. The computed value isg2/4π= 13.96. The present method of analytic continuation in a sense implies charge independence in that it gives beside the π0 coupling constantg, also the charged pion coupling constant √2g.
Industrial Restructuring and the United States Coal-Energy System, 1972–1990: Regulatory Change, Technological Fixes, and Corporate Control

Abstract In the past three decades the coal-energy system in the United States has undergone significant restructuring in location, technology, and organization. During the 1970s and 1980s the quadrupling of oil prices coupled with changing relations of production, legislative action for environmental protection, and deregulation in coal transportation initiated major reorganizations of the movement of coal from mines to electricity-generating plants. In this paper a three-part analysis examines the corporate and regulatory processes influencing coal flows during restructuring. Part one describes intrastate flows using coal-recepts from power plants. Part two identifies the changing spatial relationships in the coal-energy system between 1972 and 1990 using a dyadic factor analysis of interstate coal flows. Some origin-destination pairs responded rapidly to changes in coal demand. Others lagged behind until coal production or consumption facilities were developed under new financial and regulatory conditi...
Taste quality and extinction of a conditioned taste aversion in rats

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) that received a taste cue (saccharin, saline, quinine, or sucrose) paired with a lithium chloride (LiCl) injection displayed a robust decrease in consumption of that taste, relative to controls that had the taste unpaired with LiCl. Consumption of the paired taste increased with each nonreinforced presentation (i.e., extinction). After asymptotic extinction, rats that had had a 0.1% saccharin cue paired with LiCl consumed less of the saccharin solution than did controls. A similar data pattern was observed with a 10% sucrose solution. These results are consistent with the view that some aspect of the excitatory CS-US association remains after extinction. On the other hand, rats that had a bitter (0.005% or 0.001% quinine) or salty (1% or 0.5% saline) solution paired with LiCl drank similar amounts of the fluid as controls after asymptotic extinction treatment. Together, these experiments suggest that a taste that is either sweet or preferred is required in order to demonstrate the chronic decrease in fluid consumption after extinction treatment. The data suggest that the conditioning experience prevents the later development of a preference for the sweet taste, rather than there being a retained aversion that suppresses fluid consumption.
Strain History Effects on Fracture Mechanics Parameters: Application to Reeling

It is now well accepted that welded structures may contain flaws, and that these do not necessarily affect structural integrity or service performance. This is implicitly recognized by most welding fabrication codes that specify weld flaw tolerance, or acceptance, levels based on experience and workmanship practice. However, these levels are somewhat arbitrary and do not provide a quantitative measure of structural integrity, i.e. how “close” a particular structure containing a flaw is to the failure condition. This concept is of special interest in cases in which the pipe is subjected to loads that produce important deformations. In particular the reeling process, used to install offshore lines, produce large cyclic plastic deformation on the pipes. In this work the method to perform a structural reliability analysis (SRA) for a tube subject to reeling is considered in detail. A fracture mechanics based methodology is reviewed and the points that need to be resolved before extending the methods to include reeling are clearly identified. The effect of the strain history on the applied and material fracture mechanics parameters were studied. A theoretical model was developed to describe the crack driving force evolution through strain cycles. A criterion was proposed and corroborated to represent material fracture resistance behavior. An experimental program was carried out. The material analyzed was a X65 - tube 355.4 × 22.2 mm. Monotonic and cyclic fracture mechanic tests were performed on single edge notch in tension (SENT) specimens. The material fracture resistance curve was determined based on the monotonic tests. The cyclic tests were used to determine experimentally the applied fracture mechanic parameters evolution. A very good agreement between predicted and measured CTOD values was obtained for the cases analyzed. A methodology to perform a SRA for tube subjected to reeling is proposed.© 2005 ASME
Montagnard ethnicity and genetic relations in Northern Cameroon: comment on “the peopling of sub‐Saharan Africa: The case study of Cameroon,” by G. Spedini et al.

Le present article traite des ethnies montagnardes du nord du Cameroun et du role de la genetique de ces populations. L'A commente l'article de G. Spedini et al., Le peuplement de l'Afrique sub-saharienne : L'etude de cas du Cameroun, dans lequel les polymorphismes genetiques de 18 groupes ethniques du nord et de l'ouest du pays permettent d'analyser les relations historiques des populations des differentes parties, leurs migrations... Parmi celles-ci, les Uldeme, Mada et Podokwo des Mandara Mountains font l'objet de cette etude. Dans leur article, G. Spedini et al. avancent l'hypothese d'une probable isolation de ces ethnies montagnardes. Or, les etudes genetiques des histoires des populations demontrent le contraire.
The aggregate behavior of branch points: the creation and evolution of branch points

It has long been known that branch points cause degradation in adaptive optic performance. Here, we begin a study on the aggregate nature of branch points, specifically beginning the process to relate branch points measured in the pupil to the upstream turbulence that created them. As such, we study not only the wave as measured in the telescope's pupil, but also the wave in the intervening region between the turbulence layer and the pupil with this paper's focus on the intervening region. We show that for optical waves propagating in atmospheric turbulence upstream of the pupil, branch points are created infinitesimally close together in pairs of opposite polarity. Branch points are shown to be enduring features of the propagating wave and their branch cuts are shown to evolve smoothly in time. It is postulated that atmospherically created branch point pairs separate as they propagate, and that they carry both the velocity of, and distance to, the turbulence layer that created them. Subsequent papers will demonstrate this to be true.
A textured object recognition pipeline for color and depth image data

We present an object recognition system which leverages the additional sensing and calibration information available in a robotics setting together with large amounts of training data to build high fidelity object models for a dataset of textured household objects. We then demonstrate how these models can be used for highly accurate detection and pose estimation in an end-to-end robotic perception system incorporating simultaneous segmentation, object classification, and pose fitting. The system can handle occlusions, illumination changes, multiple objects, and multiple instances of the same object. The system placed first in the ICRA 2011 Solutions in Perception instance recognition challenge. We believe the presented paradigm of building rich 3D models at training time and including depth information at test time is a promising direction for practical robotic perception systems.
Potential nanoelectronic integrated circuit technologies

We discuss the opportunities for Nanoelectronic devices based on resonant tunneling to impact integrated circuit (IC) technology. We believe that resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) integrated with conventional compound semiconductor transistors will be the first opportunity for products. The development of silicon heterostructure technology should permit RTDs to augment CMOS ICs by permitting novel circuit applications that will have speed and functional density advantages. In our view, the most promising avenue for downscaling to exist beyond CMOS will be Quantum Dot IC technology. Numerous challenges for nanotechnology exist along each step of these paths.
Development of 'non-specific' cholinesterase-containing neurons in the dorsal thalamus of the rat.

Abstract In adult rats, neurons displaying histochemical staining for ‘non-specific’ cholinesterase (ChE) are found 3 distinct regions of the dorsal thalamus: the thalamic reuniens nucleus (Re), the anterior dorsal nucleus (AD), and a region that includes the lateral part of the central lateral nucleus (CL) and the ventral portion of the lateral dorsal nucleus (LD). Normal development of ChE-positive neurons was studied with cholinesterase histochemical techniques in postnatal infant rats. Although ChE staining of capillary endothelium is detectable shortly after birth, ChE staining of neurons first occurs at about postnatal day 5 (PND 5) with light staining of AD and CL-LD. At PND 7, staining in AD and CL-LD has increased in intensity and staining also is present in neurons of the anterior ventral (AV) and ventral anterior (VA) nuclei. ChE staining of neurons in Re first appears at PND 10. The number of neurons staining for ChE in each of these nuclei, and also the intensity of staining in individual neurons, appear to increase during the next several days until about PND 14. After PND 14, ChE staining intensity in neurons of AD, Re, and CL-LD appears to plateau and the pattern of staining continues into adulthood. In contrast, ChE staining of neurons in VA declines markedly and only a very few neurons in the dorsal part of VA remain ChE-positive after PND 21. ChE staining of neuropil in AV increases markedly, obscuring somatal staining in this nucleus. These results are discussed in regard to transient and continued expression of ChE activity in the dorsal thalamus and possible functional roles of ChE.
Kinetic analysis of intracellular concentrations of reactive nitrogen species.

Reactive nitrogen species derived from NO have been implicated in cancer and other diseases, but their intracellular concentrations are largely unknown. To estimate them under steady-state conditions representative of inflamed tissues, a kinetic model was developed that included the effects of cellular antioxidants, amino acids, proteins, and lipids. For an NO concentration of 1 μM, total peroxynitrite (Per, the sum of ONOO− and ONOOH), NO2•, and N2O3 were calculated to have concentrations in the nanomolar, picomolar, and femtomolar ranges, respectively. The concentrations of NO2• and N2O3 were predicted to decrease markedly with increases in glutathione (GSH) levels, due to the scavenging of each by GSH. Although lipids accelerate the oxidation of NO by O2 (because of the high solubility of each in hydrophobic media), lipid-phase reactions were calculated to have little effect on NO2• or N2O3 concentrations. The major sources of intracellular NO2• were found to be the reaction of Per with metals and with...
Characterization of a T-cell subset prevalent in immunoregulatory disorders in humans.

Abstract T cells from individuals with certain autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, graft-versus-host disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) express high levels of a cell surface sialoglycoprotein with a molecular weight of 140 kDa (gp140). Although a low frequency of gp140 + T cells was detected in the blood of normal individuals, upon stimulation with autologous EBV-transformed B cells (AMLR), the frequency of expression of gp140 was increased threefold. To further characterize gp140 + T cells, rosetting techniques with ox erythrocytes coated with monoclonal anti-gp140 antibody were used to isolate T-cell subsets for phenotypic, cell cycle, and functional analysis. The majority of gp140 + T cells expressed cytotoxic/suppressor (CD8 + ) phenotype in both normal and AMLR-activated states. Unstimulated gp140 + T cells had significantly greater nucleic acid content, as measured by acridine orange and flow cytometry, than gp140 − T cells. Surprisingly, the gp140 + T-cell subset had a less proliferative response in vitro to pokeweed or phytohemaglutinin mitogens. These results suggest that gp140 + T cells in normal individuals and in patients with autoimmune diseases may have been activated previously in vivo and that they are relatively resistant to reactivation in vitro .
Modeling the Dynamic Response and Establishing Post-buckling/ Post Snap-thru Equilibrium of Discrete Structures via a Transient Analysis

Results of transient analysis developed to model the dynamic response and establish post-buckling/post snap-thru equilibrium of discrete structures are presented. Three systems that exhibit unstable buckling characteristics are analyzed. The analysis consisted of first statically loading the structures up to there respective static limit loads. The structure is then perturbed from their critical state and a transient analysis is used to model the ensuing dynamic response. The transient formulation is first applied to two simple one-degree-of-freedom systems consisting of rigid links, springs, dampers, and lumped masses. The first of these systems was an arch with a point load applied at its vertex. This structure admits dynamic snap-thru response when loaded beyond its limit load. The second system was a model of curved panel under an applied axial end-shortening. This system exhibited dynamic buckling behavior consisting of large decrease in the resultant axial load when loaded beyond its limit load. The transient analysis was then applied to a finite element model of a cylindrical shell with a cutout under an applied axial compression load to model the dynamics of the global buckling response upon reaching its limit load. The results from this study illustrate the usefulness of the transient analysis in modeling the dynamics of an unstable structural response and establishing equilibrium beyond any points of instability.
Anatomical nomenclature 1972.

Anatomists have led the way for 75 years in developing internationally acceptable terminology for macroscopic structures of the human body. During the past 12 years terms have been gathered for histology and embryology. Nomenclature in all three areas have been adopted for international use by the Fifth to Ninth International Congresses of Anatomists. Cooperation with biomedical and other scientists will promote better communication and understanding now and provide a useful tool for future science information systems. Embryologists, histologists and gross anatomists can be proud of their current accomplishments, but should continue to work diligently to incorporate new terms as they become generally acceptable.
Planning and Designing Safe Facilities

(2006). Planning and Designing Safe Facilities. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 77, No. 5, pp. 32-44.
Support Services for Victims of Political Violence and Their Families: A Comparison Between Israelis and Palestinians

This report summarizes interviews with five social workers who helped families that experienced political violence, and with 16 families that lost a family member due to terrorist activity in Israel and Palestine from 2000 to 2005. Results revealed a great disparity between the Israelis and the Palestinians on the types of and extent of benefits and support services given to the victims and their families of a terrorist incident. Israeli has a well-established system of victim compensation and has immediate and long-term benefits. Palestinian victims and their families have few services, little money for reparation, and no well-organized system for the support and compensation for acts of political violence.
Type A Behavior, Competitive Achievement-Striving, and Cheating among College Students

The present study examined the cheating behavior in competitive and noncompetitive situations of 40 college students classified as Type A (16 women, 24 men) and 40 as Type B (19 women, 21 men). Type A-scoring students were more likely to cheat than Type B-scoring students irrespective of competition. The results suggest that in some situations, especially where expectations for success cannot be met, Type A-scoring students may cheat to achieve success.
On the Capacity of Multimode Optical Fibers

Multimode optical fiber links for local area networks have been challenged by the ever-increasing demand for higher bit rates. As a result, numerous research efforts have been devoted to such communication channels. The understanding of the fundamental limits of the multimode fiber channels thus becomes crucial. To this end, the capacity of an idealized multimode fiber channel is given here, and the relationships among the signal-to-noise ratio, the ‘specific channel capacity’, and the dimension of the channel are discussed. The space orthogonal signaling using a natural signal constellation can be used to utilize the channel capacity promised by information theory.
Saccharomyces boulardii produces a soluble anti-inflammatory factor that inhibits NF-κB-mediated IL-8 gene expression

Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) is a non-pathogenic yeast that ameliorates intestinal injury and inflammation caused by a wide variety of enteric pathogens. We hypothesized that Sb may exert its probiotic effects by modulation of host cell signaling and pro-inflammatory gene expression. Human HT-29 colonocytes and THP-1 monocytes were stimulated with IL-1beta, TNFalpha or LPS in the presence or absence of Sb culture supernatant (SbS). IL-8 protein and mRNA levels were measured by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. The effect of SbS on IkappaB alpha degradation was studied by Western blotting and on NF-kappaB-DNA binding by EMSA. NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression was evaluated by transient transfection of THP-1 cells with a NF-kappaB-responsive luciferase reporter gene. SbS inhibited IL-8 protein production in IL-1beta or TNFalpha stimulated HT-29 cells (by 75% and 85%, respectively; P<0.001) and prevented IL-1beta-induced up-regulation of IL-8 mRNA. SbS also inhibited IL-8 production, prevented IkappaB alpha degradation, and reduced both NF-kappaB-DNA binding and NF-kappaB reporter gene up-regulation in IL-1beta or LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Purification and characterization studies indicate that the S. boulardii anti-inflammatory factor (SAIF) is small (<1 kDa), heat stable, and water soluble. The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by producing a low molecular weight soluble factor that blocks NF-kappaB activation and NF-kappaB-mediated IL-8 gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells and monocytes. SAIF may mediate, at least in part, the beneficial effects of Saccharomyces boulardii in infectious and non-infectious human intestinal disease.
Economic Globalization and Civil War

In recent decades, the number of countries with ongoing civil wars and the share of these countries in the international system have increased dramatically. At the same time, the scope of economic globalization has also increased. Are these trends related? The theoretical literature on the determinants of civil wars presents conflicting views about the effects of globalization on such wars. One view expects economic globalization to reduce the likelihood of civil wars, ceteris paribus. A second view expects the opposite. A third view implies that globalization does not necessarily affect the likelihood of civil war. Progress in assessing the validity of these arguments requires confronting them with data. However, so far economic globalization has been included as a control variable in a very small number of studies, and only trade was inspected. This paper statistically investigates the effect of several aspects of globalization on civil war from a large-N, time-series, cross-sectional sample. The occurr...
On-Site or Out-of-Sight?: Family-Friendly Child Care Provisions and the Status of Working Mothers

“Family-friendly” initiatives are gaining in popularity as employers attempt to ease the fit between work and family. A number of organizations offer on- or near-site child care facilities to emplo...
Cohesin and Human Disease

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a dominant multisystem disorder caused by a disruption of cohesin function. The cohesin ring complex is composed of four protein subunits and more than 25 additional proteins involved in its regulation. The discovery that this complex also has a fundamental role in long-range regulation of transcription in Drosophila has shed light on the mechanism likely responsible for its role in development. In addition to the three cohesin proteins involved in CdLS, a second multisystem, recessively inherited, developmental disorder, Roberts-SC phocomelia, is caused by mutations in another regulator of the cohesin complex, ESCO2. Here we review the phenotypes of these disorders, collectively termed cohesinopathies, as well as the mechanism by which cohesin disruption likely causes these diseases.
Regulation of the mazEF Toxin-Antitoxin Module in Staphylococcus aureus and Its Impact on sigB Expression

In Staphylococcus aureus, the sigB operon codes for the alternative sigma factor sigma(B) and its regulators that enable the bacteria to rapidly respond to environmental stresses via redirection of transcriptional priorities. However, a full model of sigma(B) regulation in S. aureus has not yet emerged. Earlier data has suggested that mazEF, a toxin-antitoxin (TA) module immediately upstream of the sigB operon, was transcribed with the sigB operon. Here we demonstrate that the promoter P(mazE) upstream of mazEF is essential for full sigma(B) activity and that instead of utilizing autorepression typical of TA systems, sigB downregulates this promoter, providing a negative-feedback loop for sigB to repress its own transcription. We have also found that the transcriptional regulator SarA binds and activates P(mazE). In addition, P(mazE) was shown to respond to environmental and antibiotic stresses in a way that provides an additional layer of control over sigB expression. The antibiotic response also appears to occur in two other TA systems in S. aureus, indicating a shared mechanism of regulation.
Factors Affecting Personal Space toward a Group

The personal space of 160 males and 160 females was measured relative to target groups whose characteristics varied in size (1, 2, 3, 4), type of person (men, women, boy, and girl), and direction o...
A sub-threshold FPGA with low-swing dual-VDD interconnect in 90nm CMOS

This paper presents a sub-threshold Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) that uses a low-swing dual-V DD global interconnect fabric to reduce energy and improve delay. A 90nm chip implements the FPGA with 1134 LUTs, which is 2.7X smaller, 14X faster, and 4.7X less energy than a sub-threshold FPGA using conventional interconnect and 22X less energy than an equivalent FPGA at full VDD.
S and O (SO 4 ) isotopes, simultaneous modeling, and environmental significance of the Nijar messinian gypsum, Spain

Abstract The Messinian evaporites in Nijar Basin, southeastern Spain, consist of coarse-grained primary selenites and laminated fine-grained gypsums. These gypsums, which are similar to those deposited in other Mediterranean Messinian basins, have rather variable δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) (+21 to +24‰ for δ 34 S, +10 to +17‰ for δ 18 O) that are generally greater than the normal Tertiary marine values (21–22‰ for δ 34 S and 13‰ for δ 18 O). Moreover, the variation of δ 18 O (SO 4 ) is larger than that of δ 34 S. Continental input and reservoir effect did not play important roles for these isotope variations because these factors should have resulted in lower δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) than the normal marine values. Redox reactions of sulfur species in brine should have been responsible for the isotope variations. To interpret the variable δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ), we quantitatively modeled δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) of dissolved sulfate during redox reactions in two marine evaporative settings: in sediment pores in a shallow-water pan, and in a free-brine column in a deep-water basin. Modeled δ 34 S and δ 18 O of dissolved sulfate during reduction of sulfate yield small variations, especially for O isotopes in a shallow-water pan. However, modeled δ 34 S and δ 18 O of dissolved sulfate during reduction and reoxidation cycling processes in a deep-water basin show a progressive increase of up to 10‰ for both δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) above their normal marine values. Importantly, the modeled pathways for the deep-water basin setting are consistent with the Nijar data, whereas those for pore waters in shallow-water pans are a poor fit to the Nijar data. The modeled results consistent with trace elements, Sr isotope data, and selenite fabrics suggest that these Yesares selenites have formed in deep marine brines. The modeling results also demonstrate that δ 18 O (SO 4 ) can have larger variation than δ 34 S because the incorporation of water oxygen and probably dissolved free oxygen increases δ 18 O of the reoxidized sulfate, whereas reoxidation of sulfide to sulfate decreases the total δ 34 S (SO 4 ). The modeled results could provide important geological implications for isotope and environment interpretations for ancient evaporites. For example, redox reactions of sulfur species during sulfate precipitation could modify normal marine δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) more efficiently than freshwater contributions and reservoir effects. Therefore, to establish δ 34 S and δ 18 O (SO 4 ) age curves, redox processes for ancient evaporites should be considered.
Methodological issues related to studies of lead mobilization during menopause

While there has been a substantial decline in lead exposure in the United States during the past two decades, mobilization of existing lead stored in bone potentially represents an important endogenous source of exposure for menopausal women. It has been hypothesized that lead may be mobilized from skeletal stores during conditions of high bone turnover, such as during menopause. However, such mobilization has not been documented in prospective studies. This discussion is focussed on some of the methodological difficulties to be anticipated in longitudinal studies of lead mobilization specific to menopause and the issues that need to be taken into account when evaluating the results of such studies. To evaluate whether lead mobilization occurs during menopause, a prospective repeated measures design is needed using X-ray fluorescence analysis of lead in bone and serial measurements of blood lead. Potential confounders and effect modifiers also need to be taken into account in the statistical analysis.
Sexual Hookup Culture: A Review:

“Hookups,” or uncommitted sexual encounters, are becoming progressively more engrained in popular culture, reflecting both evolved sexual predilections and changing social and sexual scripts. Hook-up activities may include a wide range of sexual behaviors, such as kissing, oral sex, and penetrative intercourse. However, these encounters often transpire without any promise of, or desire for, a more traditional romantic relationship. A review of the literature suggests that these encounters are becoming increasingly normative among adolescents and young adults in North America, representing a marked shift in openness and acceptance of uncommitted sex. We reviewed the current literature on sexual hookups and considered the multiple forces influencing hookup culture, using examples from popular culture to place hooking up in context. We argue that contemporary hookup culture is best understood as the convergence of evolutionary and social forces during the developmental period of emerging adulthood. We suggest that researchers must consider both evolutionary mechanisms and social processes, and be considerate of the contemporary popular cultural climate in which hookups occur, in order to provide a comprehensive and synergistic biopsychosocial view of “casual sex” among emerging adults today.
The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being in Charge Isn't What It Used to Be. By Moises Naim. (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2013. Pp. xiii, 306. $27.99.)

This wide‐ranging, well‐written, and cautionary discussion of the demise of power in many present‐day domains of leadership constitutes a remarkably illuminating tour of changes in the modern world...
The Shikimate Pathway: Early Steps in the Biosynthesis of Aromatic Compounds.

The shikimate pathway was discovered as the biosynthetic route to the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan through the classic studies of Bernhard Davis and David Sprinson and their collaborators. This pathway has been found only in microorganisms and plants. Phenylalanine and tryptophan are essential components of animal diets, and animals synthesize tyrosine in a single step from phenylalanine. Thus, with respect to plant specificity, the shikimate pathway is a bit more widespread than nitrogen fixation or photosynthesis but less ubiquitous than, for example, nitrogen assi milat ion . Bacteria spend >90% of their total metabolic energy on protein biosynthesis. Consequently, the bacterial shikimate pathway serves almost exclusively to synthesize the aromatic amino acids (Herrmann, 1983; Pittard, 1987). In contrast, higher plants use these amino acids not only as protein building blocks but also, and in even greater quantities, as precursors for a large number of secondary metabolites, among them plant pigments, compounds to defend against insects and other herbivores (see Dixon and Paiva, 1995, this issue), UV light protectants, and, most importantly, lignin (Bentley, 1990; Singh et al., 1991; see Whetten and Sederoff, 1995, this issue). Under normal growth conditions, 20% of the carbon fixed by plants flows through the shikimate pathway (Haslam, 1993). Globally, this amounts to ~7 x 1015 kg each year, most of it used for the synthesis of the various secondary metabolites. And the variation in shikimate pathway-derived secondary metabolites is very extensive among plant species. The secondary metabolite makeup of a plant could be used for species classification. Different plants not only synthesize different aromatic secondary metabolites but also synthesize varying amounts of them at specific times and in specific subcellular compartments. One would expect that regulation of the differential biosynthesis of sometimes very complex molecular structures might involve regulation of the supply of the precursors influencing the rate-limiting step for carbon flow through the shikimate pathway. Recent data on transgenic potatoes give some indication that this is indeed the case (Jones et al., 1995). This review gives a short overview of the shikimate pathway and briefly introduces the seven enzymes that catalyze the sequential steps of the pathway. This is followed by a discussion of some enzymes of quinate metabolism, which use shikimate pathway intermediates as substrates, thus forming branches off the main trunk. I end by discussing some regulatory features of severa1 of the enzymes.
Inverse scattering problem for optical coherence tomography

We deal with the imaging problem of determining the internal structure of a body from backscattered laser light and low-coherence interferometry. Specifically, using the interference fringes that result when the backscattering of low-coherence light is made to interfere with the reference beam, we obtain maps detailing the values of the refractive index within the sample. Our approach accounts fully for the statistical nature of the coherence phenomenon; the numerical experiments that we present, which show image reconstructions of high quality, were obtained under noise floors exceeding those present for various experimental setups reported in the literature.
Experiment and Spectral Analysis of a Low-Power $Ka$ -Band Heartbeat Detector Measuring From Four Sides of a Human Body

The accuracy of a Ka-band physiological movement detector was tested and compared for measurements from four different body orientations and at five different distances. A rigorous spectral analysis approach is developed when previously adopted small-angle approximation model is not applicable. This theory analyzes in detail the harmonics observed in phase-modulated Ka-band Doppler radar, explaining the reason for better heart-rate accuracy when detected from the back of the body. It also explains the advantage of double-sideband transmission in avoiding the null point problem. Simulations have been performed to illustrate this theory and provide design guidelines for the system. This theory has also been verified by experiments
The attentional blink in space and time

We report the results of two experiments addressing spatiotemporal variations in the “attentional blink” (AB). In the first experiment, six streams of letters were presented simultaneously around a circle on a screen. The identity of the letters changed every 140 ms. The task was to identify two target digits (T1 and T2) that could appear in any of the streams with a variable time lag between the two. The results show that the AB is not constant across space and that following the allocation of attention to a certain location (the location of T1), discrimination can be better at locations quite far away from T1, than at locations closest to T1. Furthermore, performance at the farthest locations seemed to recover sooner from the AB than locations closer to where T1 appeared. Similar results were obtained in a second experiment where observers performed a cued discrimination task. The results accord well with the proposal that there is a region around the attended site (the center of attention) where attentional resolution is particularly poor, worse than at sites further away from the attended one. We propose that this reflects lateral inhibition of neurons responsive to the region around the attended site, with the goal of suppressing potentially distracting or interfering information.