cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decitabine-induced apoptosis is p53-independent and mediated through reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and caspase activation

693 Despite their clinical activity in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, the precise mechanism behind the clinical efficacy of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors is not clear. Mechanisms beyond DNMT inhibition and gene re-expression may be required for clinical response. In this study, we evaluated the possible genotoxic effects of the DNMT inhibitor decitabine in leukemia cell lines. Decitabine induced DNA damage in ML-1, BV-173, KG-1a (p53 mutated) and HL-60 (p53 null) leukemia cells as indicated by the double strand break (DSB) marker γ-H2AX. Decitabine induced G2/M cell cycle arrest for 24 or 48 h followed by apoptosis in the four cell lines, regardless of their p53 status. To further investigate the role of p53 in decitabine-induced apoptosis, pretreatment of p53-wild type cells (ML-1 and BV-173) with pifithrin-α (p53 transactivation inhibitor) did not significantly decrease decitabine-induced apoptosis but did inhibit apoptosis in response to cytarabine. Moreover, nutlin-3a (MDM2 inhibitor) did not enhance decitabine-induced apoptosis but did enhance cytarabine-induced apoptosis, further confirming the dispensable role of p53 in decitabine-induced apoptosis. ROS are known inducers of DNA damage. Decitabine treatment generated ROS in the 4 cell lines; however, γ-H2AX induction was insensitive to the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), indicating that DNA damage by decitabine is ROS-independent. ROS generation can induce apoptosis in caspase-dependent or -independent manner. NAC treatment partially inhibited decitabine-induced apoptosis, indicating that ROS generation is not the only apoptosis initiator. Inhibition of caspases activity by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK also partially inhibited decitabine-induced apoptosis, suggesting the involvement of other factors in addition to caspases in decitabine-induced apoptosis. The role of ROS generation in caspase activation requires further investigation. Our data demonstrate that decitabine can induce DNA damage in a ROS-independent manner and apoptosis in a p53-independent manner through both ROS production and caspase activation.
The Euclidean Algorithm and Primitive Polypomials over Finite Fields

In this paper, we study the quotients that arise when the Euclidean algorithm is applied to a primitive polynomial and xs - 1. We analyze the asymptotic behavior of the the number of terms of the quotients as n → ∞. This problem comes from the study of Low-Density Parity-Check codes. We obtain two characterizations of primitive polynomials over the field with two elements that are based on the number of nonzero terms in two polynomials obtained via division and the Euclidean algorithm with polynomials of the form xs - 1. The analogous results do not hold for general finite fields but do restrict the order of the polynomials to a small set of positive integers with specific forms.
Adopting pain management competencies.

Conﬂict of Interest/Disclosure Summary: Dr. Herrreceived an honorarium in the amount of $1,000 forher work as an executive committee participant in the“Summit for Interprofessional Consensus on PainManagement Competencies” and for her contributionto the development of the core pain managementcompetencies. This honorarium was made possiblethrough a grant by the Mayday Fund. Mr. Koebnerreceived no support outside of his normal salary as afaculty member in the Department of Anesthesiologyand Pain Medicine at University of California, Davis,School of Medicine.Gaining interprofessional consensus on the core painmanagement competencies for all prelicensure healthprofessional education is a signiﬁcant achievement, yetthe value of this effort will be diminished if the com-petencies are not translated into practice. Production ofknowledge may be a prerequisite for change inpain management, but it is not sufﬁcient in and of itself[1]. Adoption of the core pain management competen-cies by academic programs and professional groups isan important next step in modifying pain managementpractices to better meet the needs of people in pain. Toassure that the model pain management competenciesadvanced in this issue of
Hepatic CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP-α and C/EBP-β) expression changes with riboflavin deficiency, diet restriction and starvation in rats

To study the role of nuclear regulatory proteins in mediating dietary effects, hepatic CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), mRNA and transcription rate were measured for C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta in nutritional states that profoundly alter energy metabolism and growth. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed riboflavin-sufficient (R+) or deficient (R-) diets for 4 wk. A diet-restricted, pair-fed (RP) group was maintained concurrently, because riboflavin-deficient rats voluntarily decrease food consumption by approximately 50% compared with controls. Half of each group was deprived of food for 48 h. The 4-wk treatment altered hepatic levels of both proteins (P < 0.05). C/EBP-alpha protein levels were increased -twofold by diet restriction. C/ EBP-beta protein levels were increased nearly threefold by riboflavin deficiency. Starvation had no significant effect on the expression of either protein. We investigated the mechanism responsible for increased protein by measuring steady-state mRNA levels and transcription rates for C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta. In both isoforms, increases in mRNA were parallel to increases in transcription rates. The nutrient-induced changes in protein, mRNA and transcription rates could not be attributed only to alterations in serum glucagon or insulin concentrations. We conclude that 1) C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta expression responds to diet but may involve different dietary signals for diet restriction vs. riboflavin deficiency; 2) the dietary regulation of C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta expression seems to be controlled in part at the level of gene transcription; and 3) C/EBP-alpha and C/EBP-beta nuclear proteins, by virtue of their increased quantities, may participate in regulating altered energy metabolism and growth by influencing hepatic transcription of key metabolic enzymes.
Zygosity Detection by Next Generation Sequencing in a Clinical Laboratory (P1.329)

OBJECTIVE: To compare the analytical accuracy of variant and zygosity detection between next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and Sanger sequencing. BACKGROUND: NGS technology is being increasingly adopted for clinical diagnostics. Zygosity calling remains an issue for clinical diagnostics despite steady improvements in analysis pipelines and correct genotyping using NGS. DESIGN/METHODS: A total of 10,641 pathogenic and neutral variants from 14 genes associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) were detected utilizing NGS technology. Novel variants, low-coverage variants, and variants with an atypical allele balance were confirmed with Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The combined dataset (n=10,640) showed that the percentage of variant reads ranged from 12% to 83% for heterozygotes (n=7,403) with 99.91% (7,396/7,403) within 20% to 80% and ranged from 93% to 100% for all homozygotes (n=3,237). Atypical allele balance ( CONCLUSIONS: We report that the fraction of variant reads in our combined dataset is typically between 20% and 80% for heterozygous variants and 蠅93% for homozygous variants by NGS. These quality control parameters serve to identify uncertain NGS zygosity calls that may need Sanger sequencing confirmation. Our data supports that NGS has a 99% analytical accuracy for zygosity detection using our assay to detect mutations in 14 CMT genes. Study Supported by: Quest Diagnostics Disclosure: Dr. Wang has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. DiVincenzo has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Elzinga has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Bazinet has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Batish has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Batish holds stock and/or stock options in Quest Diagnostics, which sponsored research in which Dr. Batish was involved as an investigator. Dr. Batish has received research support from Quest DIagnostics. Dr. Jaremko has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Higgins has received personal compensation for activities with Quest Diagnostics. Dr. Higgins has received license fee payments from Jackson Laboratories. Dr. Higgins has received research support from Quest Diagnostics.
Subplanes of Order $3$ in Hughes Planes

In this study we show the existence of subplanes of order $3$ in Hughes planes of order $q^2$, where $q$ is a prime power and $q \equiv 5 \ (mod \ 6)$. We further show that there exist finite partial linear spaces which cannot embed in any Hughes plane.
Seizure-Induced Oxidative Stress in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

An insult to the brain (such as the first seizure) causes excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, and production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). ROS and RNS produced during status epilepticus (SE) overwhelm the mitochondrial natural antioxidant defense mechanism. This leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and damage to the mitochondrial DNA. This in turn affects synthesis of various enzyme complexes that are involved in electron transport chain. Resultant effects that occur during epileptogenesis include lipid peroxidation, reactive gliosis, hippocampal neurodegeneration, reorganization of neural networks, and hypersynchronicity. These factors predispose the brain to spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), which ultimately establish into temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This review discusses some of these issues. Though antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are beneficial to control/suppress seizures, their long term usage has been shown to increase ROS/RNS in animal models and human patients. In established TLE, ROS/RNS are shown to be harmful as they can increase the susceptibility to SRS. Further, in this paper, we review briefly the data from animal models and human TLE patients on the adverse effects of antiepileptic medications and the plausible ameliorating effects of antioxidants as an adjunct therapy.
Surgical sepsis: Constancy of antibiotic susceptibility of causative organisms

Background. It is well documented that antibiotic therapy exerts selective pressure on bacteria. Conversion of bacteria from susceptible to resistant to antibiotics has been observed often during antimicrobial therapy. It has been postulated that human intestinal reservoirs facilitate communication of transposons that can transfer resistance determinants among various bacterial species. Methods. This study examined the susceptibilities of organisms isolated from infected abdomens to a number of antibiotic agents during a 12-year time interval. Analysis included 1102 isolates recovered from 255 specimens, representing the following genera: Bacteroides, Clostridium, Gemella, Fusobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacteriaceae. Strains were tested against β-lactam agents, β-lactams in combination with β-lactamase inhibitors, first, second, and third generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, clindamycin, metronidazole, chloramphenicol, and imipenem. Results. The results indicated that during a time period of more than a decade essentially no change occurred in the antibiotic susceptible fraction of all species tested. Conclusions. Abdominal sepsis is caused by leakage of endogenous intestinal flora. This study suggests that the intestinal flora is not permanently affected by short-term antibiotic therapy and that older antibiotics are appropriate first-line therapeutic agents for community-acquired infections caused by normal intestinal flora.
Influence of Non-Linear Image Processing on Spatial Frequency Response of Digital Still Cameras

The spatial frequency response (SFR) for a digital still camera is affected by non-linear image processing. We analyze the influence of image enhancement processing and gamma correction on SFR characteristics by varying the edge chart contrast. SFR expressions depending on the chart image contrast are proposed, as is a measurement method of resolving power based on the slanted edge.
Supporting visual security cues for WebView-based Android apps

One of the most popular and powerful tools to develop Android apps is WebView, through which app developers can implement a functionally limited but versatile browser inside an app. However, unlike the traditional web browsers that support various visual security cues and alerts such as a padlock to inform users of the security status of current communications, Android apps using WebView do not support any of these. Hence, it is very unlikely that users are able to perceive imminent threats or to find out if they are accessing a legitimate website or submitting their login credentials on a secure channel such as SSL. In this paper we discuss an empirical study that analyzed 212 most popular Android apps to investigate their SSL support for authentication, visual security cue usage, and vulnerability to the man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, especially the SSLstripping attack. Visual security cues for enabling better user perception and understanding of current security situations are proposed and a user study to test their effectiveness is discussed.
Metastatic metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MCB) : An uncharacteristic pattern of presentation with clinicopathologic correlation

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is a well recognized but uncommon aberrant manifestation of poorly differentiated invasive carcinoma containing both epithelial (ductal) and mesenchymal elements as well as a transitional form between them. This heterogeneous tumor characteristically contains ductal carcinoma cells mixed with areas of diverse morphologic phenotype displaying spindle, squamous, chondroid, or osseous differentiation. Some studies have suggested that certain types of metaplastic carcinoma have a more favorable prognosis as compared with others. We describe a case involving a 67-yr-old woman who presented with metastatic nodules in the lungs and a vague but recent history of breast cancer. The case highlights a subtype of MCB with a predominant spindle cell component metastatic to the lung. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) smears of the nodules revealed a bland, spindle cell, mesenchymal proliferation with minimal evidence of an epithelial component. A second primary was clinically excluded and a request for review of the original slides identified a metaplastic component to the original tumor with a histologic and immunohistochemical profile identical to the metastatic tumor, confirming origin from the breast. Metaplastic carcinomas of the breast commonly bypass axillary lymph nodes and present as distant metastases. FNAB diagnosis of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is quite difficult at the primary site and poses a formidable diagnostic challenge at a metastatic site, especially when the dominant pattern is not of the usual type. The literature is reviewed, confirming the rarity of such a presentation and the novelty of this case. Confirmation by FNAB is also quite difficult but may become more commonplace as a trend toward minimal intervention continues to gain popularity. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing and reporting metaplastic elements in primary breast tumors, as well as the value of direct morphologic comparison of cytologic material from FNABs with archival histologic material. In such situations, the importance of complete and accurate clinicopathologic information is underscored.
Optical injection locking of X-band FET oscillator using coherent mixing of GaAlAs lasers

A 9.6 GHz GaAs FET oscillator was optically injection locked at the fundamental frequency. The locking bandwidth was 1.6 MHz. The optical injecting signal was generated using coherent mixing of two semiconductor lasers injection locked by different FM sidebands of another laser.
Impact of Electronic Asymmetry on Photoexcited Triplet-State Spin Distributions in Conjugated Porphyrin Oligomers Probed via EPR Spectroscopy

The photophysics of triplet excitons in a series of electronically asymmetric “push−pull” π-conjugated meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged (porphinato)metal oligomers, along with electronically symmetric analogues, were studied by X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy under continuous-wave (CW) optical pumping conditions in the 4−100 K temperature range. In all of the systems studied, the spatial extent of the triplet wave function, as inferred from the |D| zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameter, never exceeds the dimensions of a single porphyryl moiety and its meso-pendant ethynyl groups. The |D| values determined for an oligomeric series of these electronically asymmetric species that span one through four porphyryl units are respectively 0.0301, 0.0303, 0.0300, and 0.0301 cm-1, indicating a common triplet wave function spatial delocalization of approximately 0.4−0.45 nm. Electron spin−spin and spin−lattice relaxation times were determined over the 4−30 K temperature range using progressive mi...
Low-frequency ultrasound increases outer membrane permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Low-frequency ultrasound has been investigated asan adjuvant to antimicrobial therapy, targeted at bothplanktonic and bioﬁlm (sessile) organisms. Our previ-ous work showed that ultrasound (US) effectively en-hances the bactericidal activity of certain antibioticsagainst planktonic cultures (Pitt et al., 1994; Rediskeet al., 1999) and in vitro bioﬁlms (Johnson et al., 1998;Qian et al., 1999) and in vivo bioﬁlms (Carmen et al.,2004b, 2005; Rediske et al., 2000) of gram-positiveand gram-negative bacteria. Ultrasound was shown toincrease the transport of antibiotics through bioﬁlms(Carmen et al., 2004a) which could account for some(or all) of the enhanced antibiotic activity against in-sonated bioﬁlms; but such a mechanism could not ac-count for US-enhanced antibiotic activity in planktoniccultures which have no extensive exopolymer matrix toretard antibiotic transport.Because this ultrasonic enhancement of antibioticactivity operates on both planktonic and sessile bacte-ria, we posit that US does more than simply increasethe transport of antibiotic to the cells; ultrasound ispostulated to increase uptake of antibiotic into the cellsby rendering the cell membrane more permeable tothe antibiotic. To examine this postulate, we must ﬁrstreview how ultrasound interacts with cells.Bacterial cells are fairly transparent to ultrasound;that is, ultrasonic waves go right through cells with littleabsorption, scattering or other interaction. However,the pressure oscillations of ultrasound produce sizeoscillations in any gas bubbles in the liquid (Brennen,1995). These bubbles range in size from approxi-mately 1mm to 100mm in diameter (Brennen, 1995).The oscillations of bubbles, called cavitation, are gen-erally divided into “stable” and “collapse” types of cavi-tation. Stable cavitation is the low intensity oscillationof the bubbles without complete collapse of the bub-ble, while collapse cavitation occurs at higher intensitylevels and lower frequencies wherein these bubblescollapse and violently accelerate the ﬂuid aroundthem. During bubble collapse, adiabatic heating of thegas produces very high temperature, produces freeradicals, generates very high liquid shear force, andgenerates a shock wave as the collapsing sphericalwall slams into itself (Brennen, 1995). With a sufﬁcientnumber of collapse cavitation events, cell membranes
So Close, Yet So Far Away: The Impact of Varying Marital Horizons on Emerging Adulthood

This article presents a marital horizon theory of emerging adulthood that posits that young people's perceptions of marriage are central factors in determining subgroup differences in the length of...
Residential Solar Combined Heat and Power Generation using Solar Thermoelectric Generation

Recent reports on improved efficiencies of solar thermoelectric generation (STEG) systems have generated interest in STEGs as a competitive power generation system. In this paper, the design of a combined cooling and power utilizing concentrated solar power is discussed. Solar radiation is concentrated into a receiver connected to thermoelectric modules, which are used as a topping cycle to generate power and high grade heat necessary to run an absorption chiller. Modeling of the overall system is discussed with experimental data to validate modeling results. A numerical modeling approach is presented which considers temperature variation of the source and sink temperatures and is used to maximize combined efficiency. A system is built with a demonstrated combined efficiency of 32% in actual working conditions with power generation of 3.1 W. Modeling results fell within 3% of the experimental results verifying the approach. An optimization study is performed on the mirror concentration ration and number of modules for thermal load matching and is shown to improve power generation to 26.8 W.
The Four Fs of Fish: Communicating the Public Value of Fish and Fisheries

“Fish? Why fish?!” This is a common question we are often asked by those outside our field upon learning our profession. They are curious as to why we devote our lives to the study, conservation, r...
Revised Pediatric Emergency Assessment Tool (RePEAT): a severity index for pediatric emergency care.

Objectives: To develop and validate a multivariable model, using information available at the time of patient triage, to predict the level of care provided to pediatric emergency patients for use as a severity of illness measure. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 5,521 children 18 years of age or younger treated at four emergency departments (EDs) over a 12-month period. Data were obtained from abstraction of patient records. Logistic regression was used to develop (75% of sample) and validate (25% of sample) models to predict any nonroutine diagnostic or therapeutic intervention in the ED and admission to the hospital. Data on ED length of stay and hospital costs were also obtained. Results: Eight predictor variables were included in the final models: presenting complaint, age, triage acuity category, arrival by emergency medical services, current use of prescription medications, and three triage vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature). The resulting models had adequate goodness of fit in both derivation and validation samples. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.73 for the ED intervention model and 0.85 for the admission model. The Revised Pediatric Emergency Assessment Tool (RePEAT) score was then calculated as the sum of the predicted probability of receiving intervention and twice the predicted probability of admission. The RePEAT score had a significant univariate association with ED costs (r= 0.44) and with ED length of stay (r= 0.27) and contributed significantly to the fit of multivariable models comparing these outcomes across sites. Conclusions: The RePEAT score accurately predicts level of care provided for pediatric emergency patients and may provide a useful means of risk adjustment when benchmarking outcomes.
Acquiring a 2D rolled equivalent fingerprint image from a non-contact 3D finger scan

The use of fingerprints as a biometric is both the oldest mode of computer aided personal identification and the most relied-upon technology in use today. But current fingerprint scanning systems have some challenging and peculiar difficulties. Often skin conditions and imperfect acquisition circumstances cause the captured fingerprint image to be far from ideal. Also some of the acquisition techniques can be slow and cumbersome to use and may not provide the complete information required for reliable feature extraction and fingerprint matching. Most of the difficulties arise due to the contact of the fingerprint surface with the sensor platen. To attain a fast-capture, non-contact, fingerprint scanning technology, we are developing a scanning system that employs structured light illumination as a means for acquiring a 3-D scan of the finger with sufficiently high resolution to record ridge-level details. In this paper, we describe the postprocessing steps used for converting the acquired 3-D scan of the subject's finger into a 2-D rolled equivalent image.
Thermodynamics of mixing in beta alumina - relation to the mixed alkali effect

Abstract The energetics of mixing in several binary beta alumina systems have been investigated using thermodynamic techniques. The NaK, -Li, -Ag and -Rb beta aluminas all show energetic stabilizations indicating the presence of some type of cation order. The NaTl system shows quite different behavior with activity coefficients being greater than unity acros the entire system. We have modelled the behavior of the NaK system assuming preferential NaK “ion-pair” formation and find an excellent fit to the activity data. Compositions with X K =0.2 and 0.8 are the most stable, these lie close to the minima observed in the ionic conductivities. In all the systems studied we find a direct correlation between the presence or absence of a mixed alkali effect and the deviation of the mixing energetics from ideality.
Link quality based forwarder selection strategies for reliable Network-Wide Broadcasts

Network-Wide Broadcasts (NWBs) are a fundamental operation for Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs), which are required by routing and for distributing information to all nodes in the network. Many optimizations for NWBs exist which aim to counter the broadcast storm problem by reducing redundant transmission. However removing the redundancy can also hurt reliability in lossy networks like WMNs. We therefore look at the other side. What happens if we increase redundancy to improve the reliability by using retransmissions and acknowledgements, which are said to amplify the broadcast storm? In this paper, a model for calculating forwarder sets locally based on measured link qualities is developed together with an algorithm for reliable NWBs. We evaluate our approach empirically in different simulation and testbed scenarios and compare it with protocols from the literature. The results show that redundancy is needed for achieving a high reliability and should not be abandoned. Furthermore, the impact of different parameters on our approach is evaluated.
COD: Iterative Utility Elicitation for Diversified Composite Recommendations

This paper studies and proposes methods for providing recommendations on composite bundles of products and services that are dynamically defined using database views extended with decision optimization based on mathematical programming. A framework is proposed for finding a diverse recommendation set when no prior knowledge on user preference is given. To support this framework, a method is developed for utility function elicitation, which is based on iteratively refining a set of axes in the n-dimensional utility space. The notion of a diverse recommendation set is refined and formalized by partitioning the recommendation space into layers that correspond to their distance to the maximal utility. In each layer, the method selects recommendations that maximize each dimension of the utility space. A preliminary experimental study is conducted, which shows that the proposed framework significantly outperforms a popular commercial system in terms of precision and recall.
Abuse among African-American elderly

This paper presents an overview of recent literature and research on elder abuse among African-Americans. Data about maltreatment of elders in the majority and minority races are presented, but persistent, unanswered questions and other issues also are raised. Characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, the history and cultural traditions of Black families, differences between Black informal support networks and others, the phenomenon of violence and African-Americans, and concerns about access and utilization of formal support(s) are discussed. Interim recommendations are proposed.
Golem Krang: Dynamically stable humanoid robot for mobile manipulation

What would humans be like if nature had invented the wheel? Golem Krang is a novel humanoid torso designed at Georgia Tech. The robot dynamically transforms from a.5 m static to a 1.5 m dynamic configuration. Our robot development has led to two advances in the design of platforms for mobility and manipulation: (1) A 2-DOF robot base that autonomously stands from horizontal rest; (2) A 4-DOF humanoid torso that adds a waist roll joint to replicate human torso folding and a yaw joint for spine rotation. The mobile torso also achieves autonomous standing in a constrained space while lifting a 40 kg payload. Golem validates our assertions by consistently achieving static-dynamic transformations. This paper describes the design of our mobile torso. It considers a number of factors including its suitability for human environments, mechanical simplicity and the ability to store potential and kinetic energy for handling heavy human and even super-human tasks.
Spatial and spectral dependence of the auditory periphery in the northern leopard frog.

We investigated directionalities of eardrum vibration and auditory nerve response in anesthetized northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens pipiens). Simultaneous measures of eardrum velocities and firing rates from 282 auditory nerve fibers were obtained in response to free-field sounds from eight directions in the horizontal plane. Sound pressure at the external surface of the ipsilateral eardrum was kept constant for each presentation direction (± 0.5 dB). Significant effects of sound direction on eardrum velocity were shown in 90% of the cases. Maximum or minimum eardrum velocity was observed more often when sounds were presented from the lateral and posterior fields, or from the anterior and contralateral fields, respectively. Firing rates of 38% of the fibers were significantly affected by sound direction and maximum or minimum firing rate was observed more frequently when sounds were delivered from the lateral fields, or from the anterior and contralateral fields, respectively. Directionality patterns of eardrum velocity and nerve firing also vary with sound frequency. Statistically significant correlation between eardrum velocity and nerve fiber firing rate was demonstrated in only 45% of the fibers, suggesting that sound transmission to the inner ear through extratympanic pathways plays a non-trivial role in the genesis of directionality of auditory nerve responses.
The Development of Transfer Films in Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene/Stainless Steel Oscillatory Sliding

The friction and wear behavior of a polymer/metal oscillatory sliding system is largely dictated by the film of polymer which may form on the metallic counterface. This research utilizes scanning electron microscopy as the principal tool for examination of post-test frictional surfaces in an effort to identify the processes of film formation in an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene pin/440C stainless steel counterface oscillatory pair. Strong adhesive junction formation at contacts leads to fibril drawing upon continued motion. Eventual fibril rupture deposits polyethylene residues upon the counterface and these residues are cumulatively smeared by the pin into a film. An increase in temperature from 15 to 30 degrees C aids the smearing process, forming a smoother film which reduces wear rate by limiting polymer/metal interaction. Comparative tests with polytetrafluoroethylene support earlier conclusions that film peeling due to weaker adhesion results in higher wear rates for PTFE than UHMWPE.
Numerical polynomials for arbitrary characters

Abstract Let G be a finite group. To each permutation representation (G, X) of G and each class function χ of G we associate a “generalized cycle index” P(G, X; χ) ϵ k[x1,…, xm], where k is the field of the complex numbers and m is the number of elements in the finite set X. If the representation (G, X) is faithful and χ is the trivial character 1G of G, P(G, X; 1G) is the usual cycle index of combinatorial mathematics. We prove that, if χ is a generalized character of G, the coefficients of P(G, X; χ) are rational numbers and the substitution x i → Σ j i jx j transforms the polynomial P(G, X; χ) into a numerical polynomial. This generalizes Theorem 1.1 of [8] from the trivial character 1G to all generalized characters. We apply the theory to de Bruijn's theory of counting [3] and show that the class function which dominates [3] is actually a generalized character of G. We finish by showing how the theory of the generalized cycle index P(G, X; χ) gives the powerful theorem of Frobenius, which states that every simple character of the symmetric group is an integral linear combination of transitive permutation characters.
PATH INTEGRAL QUANTIZATION OF THE CHIRAL SCHWINGER MODEL IN BOSONIZED FORM

The development of the Wess–Zumino action or one-cycle is reviewed from the path integral approach. This is related to the occurrence of anomalies in the theory, and generally signifies a breakdown of gauge invariance. The Jackiw–Rajaraman version of the chiral Schwinger model is studied by means of path integrals. It is shown how the model can be made gauge invariant by using a Wess–Zumino term to write a gauge invariant Lagrangian. The model is considered only in bosonized form without any reference to fermions. The constraints are determined. These components are then used to write a path integral quantization for the bosonized form of the model. Some physical quantities and information, in particular, propagators are derived from the path integral.
ENaC-expressing neurons in the sensory circumventricular organs become c-Fos activated following systemic sodium changes

The sensory circumventricular organs (CVOs) are specialized collections of neurons and glia that lie in the midline of the third and fourth ventricles of the brain, lack a blood-brain barrier, and function as chemosensors, sampling both the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma. These structures, which include the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), subfornical organ (SFO), and area postrema (AP), are sensitive to changes in sodium concentration but the cellular mechanisms involved remain unknown. Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-expressing neurons of the CVOs may be involved in this process. Here we demonstrate with immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization methods that ENaC-expressing neurons are densely concentrated in the sensory CVOs. These neurons become c-Fos activated, a marker for neuronal activity, after various manipulations of peripheral levels of sodium including systemic injections with hypertonic saline, dietary sodium deprivation, and sodium repletion after prolonged sodium deprivation. The increases seen c-Fos activity in the CVOs were correlated with parallel increases in plasma sodium levels. Since ENaCs play a central role in sodium reabsorption in kidney and other epithelia, we present a hypothesis here suggesting that these channels may also serve a related function in the CVOs. ENaCs could be a significant factor in modulating CVO neuronal activity by controlling the magnitude of sodium permeability in neurons. Hence, some of the same circulating hormones controlling ENaC expression in kidney, such as angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic peptide, may coordinate ENaC expression in sensory CVO neurons and could potentially orchestrate sodium appetite, osmoregulation, and vasomotor sympathetic drive.
Exhaustive exercise training enhances aerobic capacity in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).

The oxygen transport system in mammals is extensively remodelled in response to repeated bouts of activity, but many reptiles appear to be ‘metabolically inflexible’ in response to exercise training. A recent report showed that estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) increase their maximum metabolic rate in response to exhaustive treadmill training, and in the present study, we confirm this response in another crocodilian, American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). We further specify the nature of the crocodilian training response by analysing effects of training on aerobic [citrate synthase (CS)] and anaerobic [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)] enzyme activities in selected skeletal muscles, ventricular and skeletal muscle masses and haematocrit. Compared to sedentary control animals, alligators regularly trained for 15 months on a treadmill (run group) or in a flume (swim group) exhibited peak oxygen consumption rates higher by 27 and 16%, respectively. Run and swim exercise training significantly increased ventricular mass (~11%) and haematocrit (~11%), but not the mass of skeletal muscles. However, exercise training did not alter CS or LDH activities of skeletal muscles. Similar to mammals, alligators respond to exercise training by increasing convective oxygen transport mechanisms, specifically heart size (potentially greater stroke volume) and haematocrit (increased oxygen carrying-capacity of the blood). Unlike mammals, but similar to squamate reptiles, alligators do not also increase citrate synthase activity of the skeletal muscles in response to exercise.
Mars: Topographic control of clouds, 1907–1973

Mariner 9 high-resolution photos and topographic information were used to make a topographic analysis of 'blue' and 'red' cloud positions reported over a 66-year period. A sample of 77 'blue' cloud sites lay preferentially at the highest Martian elevations; 60% centered precisely on the seven major volcanic mountain peaks (unknown when the clouds were observed); another 16% lay on substantial slopes or contacts between cratered terrain and lower plains. The median altitude of blue cloud sites was 2.1 km above the global topographic median. These results agree with other evidence that most earth-detected blue clouds are orographic uplift clouds, composed of condensates. Over half of 131 sporadic yelowish or red clouds were associated with blue clouds or volcanoes, and thus probably did not represent dust storm phenomena. Of 88 'possible dust clouds', about two-thirds occur at borders between light and dark areas, in the light regions. These sites may have thin veneers of dust, and current depositional or denudational activity. Median altitude of 'possible dust cloud' sites was 0.5 km below the global topographic median.
In vitro activation of adenylate cyclase by parathyroid hormone and calcitonin during normal and hydrocortisoneinduced cleft palate development in the golden hamster

An adenylate cyclase highly responsive to stimulation by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) in vitro was observed at certain times during normal prenatal development of the maxillary-palatal process complex in the golden hamster. Responses of the enzyme to these hormones were barely detectible at the earliest stage examined (day 10/20). The enzyme became extremely sensitive to activation by either hormone during the time of rapid growth of the palatal processes (day 11/20) and during fusion between the palatal processes (day 12/20). Thereafter, responses were greatly diminished and little or no activation of adenylate cyclase was observed until birth. Adenylate cyclase from fetuses in which clefts of the secondary palate were induced by maternal treatment with hydrocortisone (50 mg) on day 11/3 also displayed an enhanced sensitivity to PTH and CT on day 11/20, but the sensitivity of the enzyme was greatly decreased from that in normal animals during the normal time of palatal fusion (day 12/20) and was barely detectible or absent at the remaining time periods studied (days 13/20 and 14/20). Addition of hydrocortisone to the incubation mixture, either separately or in combination with PTH or CT, did not remarkably affect the response of adenylate cyclase to these hormones. Moreover, the appearance of the adenylate cyclase sensitive to hormonal activation did not result from changes in phosphodiesterase activity during palatal maturation.
Spatial and temporal distribution of cocaine and effects of pharmacological interventions: wholebody autoradiographic microimaging studies.

Abstract Whole body timed distribution of pharmacological doses of 14 C-cocaine was studied in rats using quanitative autoradiographic microimaging. Rapid, intense uptake was seen in the brain, spinal cord, adrenals and nuchal brown fat pad. Clearance of cocaine was fastest from the cerebellum. Cortex activity reached soft tissue activity within 20 min. Uptake in the heart and adrenals was very intense following the same time course as in the brain. Kidney activity increased gradually at the same time as in the liver, probably representing specific binding as well as an excretory pathway of cocaine. Desipramine decreased uptake in the heart and adrenals and a piperazine derivative (GBR 12909) caused decreased uptake in the brain, heart and adrenals. Scopolamine, pentobartial and cold cocaine caused decreased uptake in all organs and increased uptake (excretion) in the liver. Thus, cocaine appears to bind in the brain to the dopamine transporter and to a lesser extent to transporters for norepinephrine and serotonin. In the heart cocaine binds to norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. The targeting of cocaine to specific organs and the time sequence correspond to the pharmacological effects of cocaine.
An efficient one-phase holistic twig join algorithm for XML data

In view of the inefficiency of the traditional two-phase Twig-Stack algorithm, we propose a single-phase holistic twig pattern matching method based on the TwigStack algorithm by applying a novel stack structure.
Longitudinal density distribution in the liquid-vapor interface of a dilute alloy of Tl in Ga

We report the results of self-consistent Monte Carlo simulations of the density distribution along the normal to the liquid-vapor interface of a dilute binary alloy of Tl in Ga. The results of the simulation are in agreement with those obtained from experimental studies reported by Yang et al. [Phys. Rev. E 67, 212103 (2003)]. In particular, our calculations reproduce the positions and relative amplitudes of the density strata in the liquid-vapor interface and the finding that the excess Tl forms a complete monolayer that is its outermost layer. The amplitudes of the density oscillations are overestimated by the simulations, which we attribute in part to the small size of the surface of the simulation sample and in part to residual inaccuracies in the pseudopotential employed.
Structure of 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli: comparison of the Mn(2+)*2-phosphoglycolate and the Pb(2+)*2-phosphoenolpyruvate complexes and implications for catalysis.

Abstract The crystal structure of the phenylalanine-regulated 3-deoxy- d - arabino -heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) from Escherichia coli in complex with Mn 2+ and the substrate analog, 2-phosphoglycolate (PGL), was determined by molecular replacement using X-ray diffraction data to 2.0 A resolution. DAHPS∗Mn∗PGL crystallizes in space group C 2 ( a =210.4 A, b =53.2 A, c =149.4 A, β=116.1 °) with its four (β/α) 8 barrel subunits related by non-crystallographic 222 symmetry. The refinement was carried out without non-crystallographic symmetry restraints and yielded agreement factors of R =20.9 % and R free =23.9 %. Mn 2+ , the most efficient metal activator, is coordinated by the same four side-chains (Cys61, His268, Glu302 and Asp326) as is the poorly activating Pb 2+ . A fifth ligand is a well-defined water molecule, which is within hydrogen bonding distance to an essential lysine residue (Lys97). The distorted octahedral coordination sphere of the metal is completed by PGL, which replaces the substrate, 2-phospho enol pyruvate (PEP), in the active site. However, unlike PEP in the Pb∗PEP complex, PGL binds the Mn 2+ via one of its carboxylate oxygen atoms. A model of the active site is discussed in which PEP binds in the same orientation as does PGL in the DAHPS∗Mn∗PGL structure and the phosphate of E4P is tethered at the site of a bound sulfate anion. The re face of E4P can be positioned to interact with the si face of PEP with only small movement of the protein.
Model-free quantification of time-series predictability

This paper provides insight into when, why, and how forecast strategies fail when they are applied to complicated time series. We conjecture that the inherent complexity of real-world time-series data, which results from the dimension, nonlinearity, and nonstationarity of the generating process, as well as from measurement issues such as noise, aggregation, and finite data length, is both empirically quantifiable and directly correlated with predictability. In particular, we argue that redundancy is an effective way to measure complexity and predictive structure in an experimental time series and that weighted permutation entropy is an effective way to estimate that redundancy. To validate these conjectures, we study 120 different time-series data sets. For each time series, we construct predictions using a wide variety of forecast models, then compare the accuracy of the predictions with the permutation entropy of that time series. We use the results to develop a model-free heuristic that can help practitioners recognize when a particular prediction method is not well matched to the task at hand: that is, when the time series has more predictive structure than that method can capture and exploit.
Global Studies-The Handmaiden of Neoliberalism?

AbstractThe field of global studies has gained momentum over the past 20 years and today occupies a significant presence within many universities. As a result, there is now a burgeoning array of institutional support for global studies scholarship. Perhaps not surprisingly, concurrent to such institution-building there has been a spate of essays engaged with the question ‘what is global studies?’ that have promoted lively debate and commentary. In this essay, I ask a rather different question which is ‘who gets to define global studies, and what is at stake in these kinds of delineating efforts?’ I argue that debate about global studies demands the inclusion of multiple voices and perspectives from around the world. I conclude by urging global studies scholars to be deliberately conscious of their taken-for-granted assumptions with respect to power and the related capacity to speak for others from the global south and east who are largely still absent in defining this new field of inquiry.
The homogeneous chaos from the standpoint of vector measures

Norbert Wiener's 1938 theory of the homogeneous chaos involves measures p over Rp with values in the Hilbert space L2:=L(, A, P; R), these values being non-Gaussian random variables with complicate...
Leupeptin-mediated alteration of renal phagolysosomes: similarity to hyaline droplet nephropathy of male rats exposed to unleaded gasoline.

Abstract α 2u -Globulin, a protein of hepatic origin found in the urine of male rats, is accumulated in the kidney cortex during exposure to unleaded gasoline and has been implicated in the development of fuel hydrocarbon-induced nephropathy and renal neoplasia. The principal morphological feature of gasoline-induced nephropathy is accumulation of hyaline droplets (enlarged secondary lysosomes or phagolysosomes) in epithelial cells of the proximal convoluted tubule S1 and S2 segments. Inhibition of cathepsin B (a major lysosomal peptidase) by treatment of male rats with leupeptin causes rapid accumulation of phagolysosomes and α 2u -globulin in the kidney very similar to gasoline exposure. Further, the renal cortical subcellular distribution of α 2u -globulin, determined with an electron microscopic immunochemieal method, is almost totally confined to phagolysosomes following administration of either gasoline or leupeptin. These results, taken together, indicate that the mechanism of nephrotoxicity of gasoline involves inhibition of renal phagolysosomal proteolysis.
Looking Back on Publishing with the Journal of Bisexuality, or How a Genderqueer Person Ended Up Editing the First Works on Bisexual Men

This article is a personal reflection on editing two issues of the journal that focused on bisexual men.