cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competitive interactions between an exotic and a native ladybeetle: a field cage study

We conducted field-cage studies on the direct interactions between a coccinellid species native to North America, Coleomegilla maculata De Geer, and a species introduced from Asia, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). We compared the mortality and weight gain of larvae of both species in field cages that enclosed one or both species with corn plants containing high or low aphid numbers. We did not find a significant effect of the presence of H. axyridis on the survival or weight gain of C. maculata, but H. axyridis larvae weighed more when kept with C. maculata for 5 days than when kept with equal numbers of conspecifics. This suggests that intraspecific competition was stronger for H. axyridis than the interspecific competition with C. maculata. The spatial distribution of C. maculata over the plants differed between single-species and two-species treatments in a manner that suggested that this species avoided interactions with H. axyridis.
Volunteerism and social capital in policy implementation: evidence from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.

Summary We assess the link between a program's volunteer support and state social capital in the case of the joint implementation of the federal Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program by state and federal authorities. This program, which is designed to prevent elder abuse and ensure quality care in long-term facilities, is implemented at the state and local levels and relies heavily on volunteer staff. First, we find that volunteerism is vital to the efficacy of the program's monitoring and investigative functions. Second, we find that volunteerism in this program is tied to broader level conditions of a state's social capital. Last, we discuss the implications of our findings for volunteer-based programs devolved to the states.
An implementation of a fast backprojection image formation algorithm for spotlight-mode SAR

In this paper we describe an algorithm for fast spotlight-mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation that employs backprojection as the core, but is implemented such that its compute time is comparable to the often-used Polar Format Algorithm (PFA). (Standard backprojection is so much slower than PFA that it is impractical to use in many operational scenarios.) We demonstrate the feasibility of the algorithm on real SAR phase history data sets and show some advantages in the SAR image formed by this technique.
Rapid global structure determination of large RNA and RNA complexes using NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering

Among the greatest advances in biology today are the discoveries of various roles played by RNA in biological processes. However, despite significant advances in RNA structure determination using X-ray crystallography [1] and solution NMR [2-4], the number of bona fide RNA structures is very limited, in comparison with the growing number of known functional RNAs. This is because of great difficulty in growing crystals or/and obtaining phase information, and severe size constraints on structure determination by solution NMR spectroscopy. Clearly, there is an acute need for new methodologies for RNA structure determination. The prevailing approach for structure determination of RNA in solution is a "bottom-up" approach that was basically transplanted from the approach used for determining protein structures, despite vast differences in both structural features and chemical compositions between these two types of biomacromolecules. In this chapter, we describe a new method, which has been reported recently, for rapid global structure determination of RNAs using solution-based NMR spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. The method treats duplexes as major building blocks of RNA structures. By determining the global orientations of the duplexes and the overall shape, the global structure of an RNA can be constructed and further regularized using Xplor-NIH. The utility of the method was demonstrated in global structure determination of two RNAs, a 71-nt and 102-nt RNAs with an estimated backbone RMSD ∼3.0A. The global structure opens door to high-resolution structure determination in solution.
Developmental appearance of nuclear GM1 in neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Previous studies demonstrated expression of GM1 ganglioside in the nuclear envelope of differentiating neuroblastoma cells and cultured cerebellar granule cells from neonatal rat brain. In the present study, relatively few of the latter cells were shown to possess a nucleus with appreciable GM1 during the first few days in culture, but increasing numbers of such cells possessed GM1-expressing nuclei as morphological differentiation progressed. This phenomenon reached a plateau by the 8th day in culture, approximately 90% of observed nuclei showing cytochemical evidence of GM1 at that time. Cerebral cortical neurons from embryonic rat brain in culture also gave clear evidence of GM1 in the nuclear membrane. Similar results were obtained with cultured neurons from the superior cervical ganglion from embryonic rats, demonstrating developmental appearance of GM1 in the nuclear envelope of PNS neurons. Cytochemical evidence for GM1 in purified nuclei from freshly isolated cortical neurons of neonatal rat brain indicated that expression of nuclear GM1 is not an artifact of cell culture. Study of NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells showed upregulation of nuclear GM1 to lag somewhat behind neurite outgrowth, suggesting nuclear GM1 to have a functional role subsequent to onset of morphological differentiation.
Experimental and Numerical Studies of the Velocity Field of a Triple Annular Swirler

Modern industrial gas-turbine spray combustors feature multiple swirlers and distributed fuel injection for rapid mixing and stabilization. The present paper is the first of a sequence of papers that aim to study the flow field of such combustors, the related combustion characteristics and their control. The present paper focuses on an experimental investigation of the velocity flow field downstream of a Triple Annular Swirler (TAS) and CFD description of the flow field inside the TAS. Multiple combinations of swirlers of various swirl level and rotational direction were tested in cold flow under atmospheric conditions without a confining combustion chamber. The experiments showed that a Central Toroidal Recirculation Zone (CTRZ) and an annular jet with internal and external shear layers characterize the flow field downstream of TAS. The CTRZ is axisymmetric but the jet contains imprints of the internal flow and has some nonaxisymmetric features. Numerical RANS results confirmed these observations and showed that the asymmetry relates to the effect of the internal swirling vanes on the jet flow.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Keeping An Eye on the Mirror: Image and Identity In Organizational Adaptation

This article addresses how individuals make sense of their organization's response to a nontraditional and emotional strategic issue. The reported research also concerned microprocesses involved in...
Other-Relatedness in Language Processing: Discussion and Comments

In contrast to the individualistic approach that characterises much current work in psycholinguistics, the work of the LISCO group takes a broad and inherently social approach to the study of language use. We discuss three of the central issues and themes that run through this collection of papers: (1) the types of other-relatedness in language; (2) the need to specify the loci of addressee effects in the language production process; and (3) methodological strategies for the study of other-relatedness. Connections between the work of the LISCO researchers and other investigators are noted. We conclude by discussing some considerations for future research on other-relatedness.
Bewertete p-Gruppen und ein Satz von Szele

Wahrend es unzerlegbare, torsionsfreie abelsche Gruppen beliebiger Machtigkeit gibt, verhalten sich abelsche p-Gruppen anders. Die einzigen unzerlegbaren, reduzierten abelschen p-Gruppen sind die zyklischen Gruppen Z/p”Z. Infolgedessen ist das Zerlegungsverhalten abelscher Torsionsgruppen sehr verschieden von dem torsionsfreier Gruppen. Das in diesem Zusammenhang wohl am haufigsten benutzte Resultat ist der folgende Satz von Szele [3, Proposition 27.11.
Globose basal cells are neuronal progenitors in the olfactory epithelium : a lineage analysis using a replication-incompetent retrovirus

We have used a replication-incompetent retrovirus to analyze the lineage of olfactory receptor neurons in young rats. At 5-40 days after infection, clusters of infected cells comprised two major types: one consisted of 1-2 horizontal basal cells, and a second consisted of variable numbers of globose basal cells and immature and mature sensory neurons. Olfactory nerve lesion (which enhances neuronal turnover) increased the frequency of the globose-sensory neuron clusters as well as the number of cells in such clusters. No clusters contained both horizontal and globose basal cells, and none contained sustentacular cells. These data suggest, at least in young rats, that horizontal basal cells are not precursors of olfactory neurons, that there is a lineage path from globose cells to mature neurons, and that sustentacular cells may arise from a separate lineage.
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species: A double edged sword in ischemia/reperfusion vs preconditioning

Reductions in the blood supply produce considerable injury if the duration of ischemia is prolonged. Paradoxically, restoration of perfusion to ischemic organs can exacerbate tissue damage and extend the size of an evolving infarct. Being highly metabolic organs, the heart and brain are particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). While the pathogenetic mechanisms contributing to I/R-induced tissue injury and infarction are multifactorial, the relative importance of each contributing factor remains unclear. However, an emerging body of evidence indicates that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria plays a critical role in damaging cellular components and initiating cell death. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the mechanisms whereby mitochondrial ROS generation occurs in I/R and contributes to myocardial infarction and stroke. In addition, mitochondrial ROS have been shown to participate in preconditioning by several pharmacologic agents that target potassium channels (e.g., ATP-sensitive potassium (mKATP) channels or large conductance, calcium-activated potassium (mBKCa) channels) to activate cell survival programs that render tissues and organs more resistant to the deleterious effects of I/R. Finally, we review novel therapeutic approaches that selectively target mROS production to reduce postischemic tissue injury, which may prove efficacious in limiting myocardial dysfunction and infarction and abrogating neurocognitive deficits and neuronal cell death in stroke.
STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ADIPOSE CELL III. Effects of Bovine Serum Albumin on the Metabolism of Glucose and the Release of Nonesterified Fatty Acids and Glycerol by the Isolated Adipose Cell

Serum albumin stimulates the uptake of U-glucose-(14)C and the incorporation of (14)C-counts into triglyceride glycerol and inhibits the incorporation of (14)C-counts into triglyceride fatty acids by isolated adipose cells; insulin and epinephrine enhance these effects. In the absence of hormones, these responses to albumin increase with increasing albumin concentration. In the presence of insulin, a qualitatively similar pattern of increasing responses to albumin is observed; the enhancement of each response by insulin is, however, only slightly potentiated by higher albumin concentrations. In contrast, in the presence of epinephrine, these responses to albumin are maximal at the lowest albumin concentration tested, 0.1%; the enhancement of each response by epinephrine is similarly maximal at 0.1% albumin, but decreases rapidly as the albumin concentration is raised. Increasing serum albumin concentrations do, however, stimulate the release of fatty acids and glycerol by epinephrine-treated cells increasingly until a plateau, determined by the epinephrine dose, is reached. These data support the suggestion that intracellular fatty acid levels function in the regulation of adipose cell activity, and further suggest that serum albumin plays a role in determining the metabolic fate of these fatty acids.
A medium energy intense neutron facility at the Brookhaven 200 MeV Linac

Abstract The 100 μA beam of 200 MeV protons from the Brookhaven linear accelerator is stopped in a water-cooled copper disc to produce a Medium Energy Intense Neutron source (MEIN). A detailed calculation is described of the temperature distribution within the stop. The flux of neutrons in the energy range 25–200 MeV, at a place where targets can be irradiated in pneumatically operated rabbits, was determined to be ≈1.3 × 10 11 n/cm 2 s. Numerous effective cross sections were determined by irradiation of a series of targets with various beams and measuring the intensities of known γ-rays emitted by the radionuclides produced. It is shown that medium energy neutron irradiation is considerably more favorable than proton irradiation for production of neutron-rich nuclides.
Stress-induced inhibition of nonsense-mediated RNA decay regulates intracellular cystine transport and intracellular glutathione through regulation of the cystine/glutamate exchanger SLC7A11

SLC7A11 encodes a subunit of the xCT cystine/glutamate amino-acid transport system and has a critical role in the generation of glutathione and the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Expression of SLC7A11 promotes tumorigenesis and chemotherapy resistance, but while SLC7A11 has been previously noted to be upregulated in hypoxic cells, its regulation has not been fully delineated. We have recently shown that nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) is inhibited by cellular stresses generated by the tumor microenvironment, including hypoxia, and augments tumorigenesis. Here we demonstrate that the inhibition of NMD by various cellular stresses leads to the stabilization and upregulation of SLC7A11 mRNA and protein. The inhibition of NMD and upregulation of SLC7A11 augments intracellular cystine transport and increases intracellular levels of cysteine and glutathione. Accordingly, the inhibition of NMD protects cells against oxidative stress via SLC7A11 upregulation. Together our studies identify a mechanism for the dynamic regulation of SLC7A11, through the stress-inhibited regulation of NMD, and add to the growing evidence that the inhibition of NMD is an adaptive response.
Computational analysis of bacterial sulfatases and their modifying enzymes

The sequence analysis of enzymes that might modify bacterial sulfatases should be useful in the task of identifying the human sulfatase-modifying homologs--enzymes that are defective in the rare inherited disease multi-sulfatase deficiency.
Further comments concerning preference for signaled shock conditions

Several reports by Furedy and Biederman are reviewed and inaccuracies in these reports are dentified. Their conclusions regarding the findings of others are challenged. In addition, possible easons for Furedy and Biederman’s difficulties in replicating the findings of others are described.
Resistance of Membrane Retrofit Concrete Masonry Walls to Lateral Pressure

This paper first describes the current state of analysis for the response of unreinforced concrete masonry walls subjected to lateral uniform pressure. The formulation is based on the initial elastic response, the subsequent initiation of cracks and the nonlinear rocking response, and the eventual large displacement and potential collapse. The necessary equations are developed for these phases in the form of a resistance function. The paper then incorporates membrane retrofit materials to strengthen the wall's resistance to lateral pressure, and develops the necessary resistance function equations. In blast tests, membrane retrofit unreinforced masonry walls have experienced severe cracking and large displacements without collapse. This is of high interest to the Department of Defense, the protection of diplomatic facilities, and the construction industry impacted by hurricanes and other high wind events. The paper concludes with examples that demonstrate application of membrane retrofits indeed increase the resistance of the wall to lateral pressure.
Correlation-Induction Techniques For Fitting Second-Order Metamodels In Simulation Experiments

This paper identifies two correlation-based strategies for designing a simulation experiment to estimate a second-order metamodel of the relationship between the levels of the input factors and the response of interest. Both strategies are shown to be superior to the method of independent random number streams. In the past, correlation-based strategies for metamodel estimation in simulation experiments has focused on first-order metamodels. However, in many simulation experiments it is reasonable to expect that the relationship between the levels of the input factors and the response of interest is better approximated by a second-order metarnodel. Thus second- order metamodels are, typically, of more interest to the simulation analyst. Both proposed strategies use the variance reduction technique of common random numbers to induce positive correlations between responses across design points and antithetic variates across replicates. For a large class of experimental designs and with respect to a variety of optimality criteria, both strategies are shown to give better estimates of the vector of unknown coefficients in the metarnodel than the method of independent random number streams across all design points. A numerical example is given to illustrate this point and to show that in practice, the second strategy yields better metamodel estimates than the first strategy.
Optimal Investment with Stock Repurchase and Financing as Signals

When management has private information it has an incentive tofinance investment by issuing a security that is overpriced in the market. The market's valuation of the issued security may lead management either to forego profitable investments or to invest suboptimally. With investmentfixed, there exist fully revealing signaling equilibria in which the covenants of the issued claim serve as signals. A straight bond issue cannot provide the signals but a convertible bond issue can. With investment endogenous, fully revealing equilibria exist in which the par value of a straight bond issue and the announced
How Law Rules : Torture, Terror, and the Normative Judgments of Iraqi Judges

We present a factorial survey experiment conducted with Iraqi judges during the early military occupation of Iraq. Because U.S. soldiers are immune from prosecution in Iraqi courts, there is no opportunity for these judges to express their views regarding highly publicized torture cases. As legally informed representatives of an occupied nation, however, Iraqi judges arguably have a strong claim to a normative voice on this sensitive subject. We are able to give voice to these judges in this study by using a quasi-experimental method. This method diminishes social desirability bias in judges' responses and allows us to consider a broad range and combination of factors influencing their normative judgments. We examine why and how the U.S. effort to introduce democracy with an indeterminate rule of law produced unintended and inconsistent results in the normative judgments of Iraqi judges. A critical legal perspective anticipates the influences of indeterminacy, power, and fear in our research. More specifically, we anticipated lenient treatment for guards convicted of torture, especially in trouble cases of Coalition soldiers torturing al Qaeda prisoners. However, the results-which include cross-level, judge-case interaction effects -were more varied than theoretically expected. The Iraqi judges responded in disparate and polarized ways. Some judges imposed more severe sentences on Coalition guards convicted of torturing al Qaeda suspects, while others imposed more lenient sentences on the same combination of guards and suspects. The cross-level interactions indicate that the judges who severely sentenced Coalition guards likely feared the contribution of torture tactics to increasing violence in Iraq. The judges who were less fearful of violence were more lenient and accommodating of torture by Coalition forces. The implication is that the less fearful judges were freed by an indeterminate law to advance Coalition goals through lenient punishment of torture. Our analysis suggests that the introduction of democracy and the rule of law in Iraq is a negative case in the international diffusion of American institutions. The results indicate the need for further development of a nuanced critical legal perspective.
Alutiiq Vikings: Kinship And Fishing In Old Harbor, Alaska

The community of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island is populated mainly by Alutiiq Natives and by descendants of male Scandinavian immigrants who married Alutiiq women. Scandinavian and Alutiiq intermarriage during the last one hundred years has produced a new creolized social class, but this new class is maintained by an aboriginal Alutiiq social structure built upon hierarchy and rank. Looking at Alutiiq kinship terminology allows us to map the complex network of relationships between fishing captains and between fishing captains and crews. It is within the framework of Alutiiq kinship and the Scandinavian work ethic that Old Harbor residents of Scandinavian descent have attained a high level of material prosperity that is invisible in neighboring Alutiiq communities where such intermarriage has not occurred.
TRANSITION RADIATION AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF EVAPORATED CARBON FOIL.

The light emitted from an electron-irradiated self-supported foil (334±30 A) of evaporated carbon has been investigated experimentally. Normally incident, 1-μA electron beams having monochromatic energies of 297, 423, 632 keV and 1.10 MeV were used. These correspond to β2 values of 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9, respectively, where β = ν/c, and ν is the velocity of the incident electrons. The absolute photon intensity emitted in the 2200–5800-A spectral region was measured with a calibrated optical system. The results were analyzed with respect to wavelength of emitted radiation, forward angle of emission, θ (15° and 30°), and degree of polarization (parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the incident electrons and observed light). The transition-radiation contribution determined from the parallel-polarized component has been compared with the generalized theory of Ritchie and Eldridge, using the optical constants of graphite and glassy carbon. From this comparison and a best-fit calculation, the optical constants for the carbon film throughout the 2200–5800-A spectral region have been derived. The derived constants indicate that the carbon film has optical properties between those of graphite and glassy (amorphous) carbon. The results obtained stress the importance of measuring the optical constants of a given carbon film for any experiment in which they are needed.
Two-stage discrete choice models for scanner panel data : An assessment of process and assumptions

Discrete choice models such as the multinomial logit assume that consumers choose from the full set of alternatives available to them. However, because (i) consumers may not be able to recall or recognize available brands, (ii) consumers may not have the cognitive capacity or mental energy to process information pertaining to all available brands, or (iii) careful consideration of all available brands might be suboptimal from an economic standpoint given the cost of information search, consumers tend to make choices from a relatively small subset of the available brands. This study assesses the process assumptions of existing two-stage models for scanner panel data and their consistency with the actual processes believed to be used by consumers in forming choice sets. After reviewing what is known from two-stage models in scanner data applications, we highlight issues in need of research.
Kondratieff, Schumpeter, and Kuznets: Trend Periods Revisited

The analysis of fluctuations longer than the nine-year business cycle has been somewhat confused by a failure to distinguish sharply and to relate three distinct phenomena: the forces set in motion by a leading sector in growth, stemming from the introduction and progressive diffusion of a new technology, and its deceleration; the forces set in motion by changes in the profitability of producing foodstuffs and raw materials, whether from the side of prices or technology, including their effects on investment in new territories and mines, on capital movements, interest rates, terms of trade, and domestic and international income distribution; and the forces set in motion (notably, in housing and urban infrastructure) by large waves of international or domestic migration or other forces changing the rate of family formation, housing demand, and the size of the working force. As the world economy unfolded after 1783, these three phenomena operated concurrently and related to each other in complex ways not easy to disentangle. Nevertheless, the substantial literature on long waves can be usefully clarified by distinguishing these phenomena more sharply than is sometimes done and then relating them to each other at particular times and places. The exercise of doing so has, I believe, some general implications for economic theory, for they are all aspects of the process of adjustment towards a moving equilibrium, never attained—a process for which we lack an adequate dynamic theory.
Corneal Anesthetic Abuse and Candida Keratitis

Purpose: Topical corneal anesthetic abuse is a self-inflicted injury, causing profound corneal morbidity. Superimposed infection is an important complicating factor. The authors report four patients with confirmed topical anesthetic abuse of the cornea, in whom Candida keratitis developed. Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of four patients with confirmed topical corneal anesthetic abuse and fungal keratitis. Results: A 21-year-old woman, two 28-year-old women, and a 35-year-old man were included in the study. All these patients sustained a corneal injury, prompting the chronic use of topical anesthetics (0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride in 3 patients, and 0.5% tetracaine hydrochloride and 0.4% benoxinate hydrochloride in the other). Corneal findings included epithelial defects in all patients, focal infiltrate in one patient, and ringshaped stromal infiltrate in three patients. Topical anesthetic was discontinued, all patients initially were treated empirically with antibacterial agents, and three patients received topical corticosteroids. Subsequent corneal cultures grew Candida spp, Candida albicans specifically in three patients, and local and systemic antifungal therapy was started. Corneas in two patients re-epithelialized; a conjunctival flap was performed on another patient with a descemetocele; and the remaining patient was lost to follow-up, although repeat fungal cultures yielded no growth. Conclusions: Corneal superinfection with Candida may occur during topical anesthetic abuse. Therapy includes discontinuation of the anesthetic and institution of antifungal therapy.
Effect of an invasive grass on ambient rates of decomposition and microbial community structure: a search for causality

In situ decomposition of above and belowground plant biomass of the native grass species Andropogon glomeratus (Walt.) B.S.P. and exotic Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. (cogongrass) was investigated using litter bags over the course of a 12 month period. The above and belowground biomass of the invasive I. cylindrica always decomposed faster than that of the native A. glomeratus. Also, belowground biomass of both species decomposed at a consistently faster rate when placed within an invaded area consisting of a monotypic stand of I. cylindrica as opposed to within a native plant assemblage. However, there was no similar such trend observed in the aboveground plant material. The microbial communities associated with the invaded sites often differed from those found in the native vegetation and provide a possible causal mechanism by which to explain the observed differences in decomposition rates. The microbial communities differed not only compositionally, as indicated by ordination analyses, but also functionally with respect to enzymatic activity essential to the decomposition process. This study supports the growing consensus that invasive plant species alter normal ecological processes and highlights a possible mechanism (alteration of microbial assemblages) by which I. cylindrica may alter an ecosystem process (decomposition).
Production of iodine-123 for medical applications.

Abstract Iodine-123 at a radiochemical purity level suitable for medical diagnostic application has been prepared in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) 86-inch Cyclotron by proton bombardment of isotropically enriched to ∼80 percent 123Te provides hundred-millicurie amounts of 123I in a few hours, with less than 1 percent each of 124I (4·2 d) and 126I ( 13 d). The iodine product is separated by distillation from a sulfuric acid solution, and the tellurium is recovered for re-use. Target configuration, chemistry, gamma-ray spectrometry for 123I, and production yields are presented. Iodine-123 half-life measurements have shown a value of 13·02 ± 0·02 hr. Use of 123 m Te (T 1 2 = 104 d) as a convinient, long-lived substitute assay standard is described.
Impact of a Family History of Colorectal Cancer on the Prevalence of Advanced Neoplasia at Colonoscopy in 4,967 Asymptomatic Patients

A family history of colorectal cancer is considered an independent risk factor for advanced neoplasia at colonoscopy. The expected outcome for screening colonoscopy in patients with a family history is not well established in all populations. We designed a large, prospective study of an unselected population in San Diego, California to assess the impact of a family history of colorectal cancer on the prevalence of advanced neoplasia on screening colonoscopy. We evaluated 6,905 consecutive patients referred for colonoscopy between January 2005 and December 2006. Of the 4,967 who met the inclusion criteria, the mean age was 58.8 and consisted of 58.6% women. Overall 930 (18.7%) had neoplasia and 249 (5%) had advanced neoplasia, eight (0.16%) of which were cancer. The 4,967 patients were divided into 643 with and 4,324 without a family history of colorectal cancer. Of the 643 patients with a family history, 38 (5.9%) had advanced neoplasia, one of which was cancer. Of the 4,324 patients without a family history, 211 (4.9%) had advanced neoplasia including seven cancers. The relative risk for finding advanced neoplasia in patients with a single affected first degree relative was 1.21 (95% CI, 0.87–1.69; P = 0.31). A family history of one first-degree relative with colorectal cancer did not predict a significantly higher prevalence of advanced neoplasia at screening colonoscopy in this Southwestern cohort.
Pyrimidine Nucleotides with 4-Alkyloxyimino and Terminal Tetraphosphate δ-Ester Modifications as Selective Agonists of the P2Y4 Receptor

P2Y(2) and P2Y(4) receptors are G protein-coupled receptors, activated by UTP and dinucleoside tetraphosphates, which are difficult to distinguish pharmacologically for lack of potent and selective ligands. We structurally varied phosphate and uracil moieties in analogues of pyrimidine nucleoside 5'-triphosphates and 5'-tetraphosphate esters. P2Y(4) receptor potency in phospholipase C stimulation in transfected 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells was enhanced in N(4)-alkyloxycytidine derivatives. OH groups on a terminal δ-glucose phosphoester of uridine 5'-tetraphosphate were inverted or substituted with H or F to probe H-bonding effects. N(4)-(Phenylpropoxy)-CTP 16 (MRS4062), Up(4)-[1]3'-deoxy-3'-fluoroglucose 34 (MRS2927), and N(4)-(phenylethoxy)-CTP 15 exhibit ≥10-fold selectivity for human P2Y(4) over P2Y(2) and P2Y(6) receptors (EC(50) values 23, 62, and 73 nM, respectively). δ-3-Chlorophenyl phosphoester 21 of Up(4) activated P2Y(2) but not P2Y(4) receptor. Selected nucleotides tested for chemical and enzymatic stability were much more stable than UTP. Agonist docking at CXCR4-based P2Y(2) and P2Y(4) receptor models indicated greater steric tolerance of N(4)-phenylpropoxy group at P2Y(4). Thus, distal structural changes modulate potency, selectivity, and stability of extended uridine tetraphosphate derivatives, and we report the first P2Y(4) receptor-selective agonists.
Single-Stranded Breaks in DNA but Not Oxidative DNA Base Damages Block Transcriptional Elongation by RNA Polymerase II in HeLa Cell Nuclear Extracts

Transcription and repair of many DNA helix-distorting lesions such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers have been shown to be coupled in cells across phyla from bacteria to humans. The signal for transcription-coupled repair appears to be a stalled transcription complex at the lesion site. To determine whether oxidative DNA lesions can block correctly initiated human RNA polymerase II, we examined the effect of site-specifically introduced oxidative damages on transcription in HeLa cell nuclear extracts. We found that transcription was blocked by single-stranded breaks, common oxidative DNA lesions, when present in the transcribed strand of the transcription template. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, which have been previously shown to block transcription both in vitro and in vivo, also blocked transcription in the HeLa cell nuclear transcription assay. In contrast, the oxidative DNA base lesions, 8-oxoguanine, 5-hydroxycytosine, and thymine glycol did not inhibit transcription, although pausing was observed with the thymine glycol lesion. Thus, DNA strand breaks but not oxidative DNA base damages blocked transcription by RNA polymerase II.
Inhibition of Gastric Acid Secretion and Ulcers by Calciton Gene‐Related Peptidea

A central action of CGRP to inhibit gastric acid secretion, demonstrated in rats and dogs, is mediated at least in rats through modulation of parasympathetic outflow to the stomach. The centrally mediated protective effects of CGRP against ethanol-induced lesions is unique to this peptide and not shared by other centrally acting inhibitors of gastric function. It may be related to the increase in gastric mucosal blood flow induced by central CGRP. The presence of CGRP-like immunoreactivity and receptors in medullary nuclei receiving visceral information and influencing vagal outflow suggests a possible role of the peptide in the central regulation of gastric function. Peripheral injection of CGRP is well established to inhibit acid secretion in rats, dogs, rabbits, and humans. Its antisecretory effect is unlikely to be related to a direct action on the parietal cells. It involves specific and marked release of gastric somatostatin through an interaction with CGRP receptors characterized on D cells and coupled with cAMP. In addition, CGRP induces a decrease in acetylcholine transmission in the enteric nervous system, which may contribute to the inhibition of acid. The rich innervation of the stomach with CGRP-like immunoreactivity, which forms the major component of gastric sensory fibers, along with peptide release by sensory stimulation and potent actions on gastric secretions suggests a role of the peptide in the regulation of gastric function.
A Drosophila tissue polarity locus encodes a protein containing seven potential transmembrane domains

The function of the frizzled (fz) locus in Drosophilia melanogaster is required to coordinate the cytoskeletons of epidermal cells to produce a parallel array of cuticular hairs and bristles (for example on the wild-type wing all hairs point towards the distal tip). In fz mutants it is not the structure of individual hairs and bristles that is altered, but their orientation with respect to their neighbours and the organism as a whole. Mitotic clone analysis indicates that fz has two functions in the developing wing. It is required for the proximal-distal transmission of an intercellular polarity signal, a process that is expected to be at least partly extracellular. It is also required for cells to respond to the polarity signal, which is expected to be a cytoplasmic function. The fz locus could encode either one bifunctional or two single-function proteins. We report here that, in pupae, fz produces a messenger RNA that encodes a protein with seven putative transmembrane domains. Thus, the Fz protein should contain both extracellular and cytoplasmic domains, which could function in the transmission and interpretation of polarity information, respectively. This is the first reported sequence for the protein product of a tissue polarity gene.
The need for liver biopsy in a patient with acute HCV infection

This Case Study describes a 45-year-old white female who was admitted to hospital with a 1-week history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain, progressive tiredness and jaundice. Test results raised concerns that the she had a concomitant acute onset of HCV and autoimmune hepatitis, necessitating liver biopsy. The patient was diagnosed with acute symptomatic infection with HCV genotype 1a with no evidence of autoimmune hepatitis. Background A 45-year-old white female was admitted to hospital with a 1-week history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain, progressive tiredness and jaundice. Physical examination confirmed jaundice and revealed mild epigastric tenderness. Laboratory test results revealed an extremely elevated alanine aminotransferase concentration, a high bilirubin concentration, the presence of HCV RNA, and a significantly elevated antinuclear antibody titer. Investigations History and physical examination, laboratory investigations (including complete blood counts, liver function tests, electrolyte analysis, serological and genetic tests), Doppler ultrasound and CT scan of the abdomen, and liver biopsy. Diagnosis Acute infection with HCV genotype 1a. Management Supportive care, which included monitoring vital signs and laboratory test results, and management of acute symptoms.
Molecular signaling in uterine receptivity for implantation.

Successful implantation is the result of an intimate 'cross-talk' between the blastocyst and uterus in a temporal and cell-specific manner. Thus, both the uterine and embryonic events must be examined to better understand this process. Although various aspects and molecules associated with these events have been explored, a comprehensive understanding of the implantation process is still very limited. In this review, we have highlighted the importance of the blastocyst's activity state and the receptive state of the uterus in determining the 'window' of implantation. In this context, we provide a testable scheme that signifies the important roles of various key molecules in embryo-uterine interactions during implantation.
How to find your way through the thymus: a practical guide for aspiring T cells

Thymocytes must complete an elaborate developmental program in the thymus to ultimately generate T cells that express functional but neither harmful nor useless TCRs. Each developmental step coincides with dynamic relocation of the thymocytes between anatomically discrete thymic microenvironments, suggesting that thymocytes’ migration is tightly regulated by their developmental status. Chemokines produced by thymic stromal cells and chemokine receptors on the thymocytes play an indispensable role in guiding developing thymocytes into the different microenvironments. In addition to long-range migration, chemokines increase the thymocytes’ motility, enhancing their interaction with stromal cells. During the past several years, much progress has been made to determine the various signals that guide thymocytes on their journey within the thymus. In this review, we summarize the progress in identifying chemokines and other chemoattractant signals that direct intrathymic migration. Furthermore, we discuss the recent advances of two-photon microscopy in determining dynamic motility and interaction behavior of thymocytes within distinct compartments to provide a better understanding of the relationship between thymocyte motility and development.
Abstract 4176: Activated NRAS mediates self-renewal capacity in AML

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL NRAS mutations are found in 11-14% of AML (Schubbert et al. Nat Rev Cancer 2007, Bowen et al. Blood 2006), implicating NRAS signaling pathways as potential targets for clinical intervention. However, the specific effects of targeting these pathways on AML physiology are currently unclear. We employ a manipulatable murine model of AML to elucidate these phenomena for therapeutic applications. This model harbors a tetracycline repressible, activated NRAS (NRASG12V) transgene along with an Mll/AF9 transgene. Primary leukemia cells are then transplanted into SCID mice and, upon development of clinically evident leukemia, NRASG12V transgene expression is repressed with doxycycline. NRASG12V repression leads to apoptosis and disease remission (Kim et al. Blood 2009). To dissect the critical signaling networks directing remission, immunophenotypic markers, along with the phosphorylation status of critical signaling intermediates, were analyzed by flow cytometry after NRASG12V repression. This analysis revealed that NRAS withdrawal led to an enrichment of less differentiated Mac1/Gr1 negative cells indicating that, in addition to well-described effects on proliferation, NRAS affects leukemia differentiation status. Furthermore, we only found modifications in known NRAS signaling effectors in the less differentiated, Mac1 negative leukemia cells. Therefore, in addition to affecting the differentiation status of the leukemia, oncogene withdrawal leads to cell-type specific signaling alterations. We hypothesize that these signaling alterations mediate remission-induction by altering the self-renewal capacity of the leukemia at the gene expression level. Parallel RNA sequencing and gene expression microarrays were performed to address this hypothesis and revealed that the gene expression pattern of NRASG12V-expressing cells is enriched with hematopoietic self-renewal genes (Krivtsov et al. Nature 2006, Ivanova et al. Science 2002, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis per Subramanian et al. PNAS 2005). Withdrawal of the oncogene led to loss of this self-renewal gene expression program and an enrichment of genes expressed in terminally differentiated, mature cells. Furthermore, the NRASG12V-dependent gene expression program mimics the Mll/AF9-determined, Myb-mediated self-renewal program seen in a similar AML model (Zuber et al. Genes & Dev 2011). These data suggest that the Mll/AF9-mediated self-renewal program requires the continued expression of NRASG12Vand support a novel role for NRASG12V in maintaining the self-renewal capacity AML. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4176. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4176
Distribution and elimination of naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene in rainbow trout during short- and long-term exposures.

The accumulation and elimination of14C in rainbow trout tissues following short- and long-term exposures to aqueous14C-naphthalene or14C-2-methylnaphthalene were studied.
The role of science in technology transfer

Abstract The discussion begins by listing three meanings of technology transfer (TT), involving importation of technological products (TTA), the ability to imitatively produce technological products (TTB), and the ability to create new technology (TTC). This is followed by an investigation of the relationship between science and technology, using a multidimensional conceptual framework in which one cannot ask “What is the cause of something else?”, but in which one can trace the contributory and the necessary conditions for something to take place. In this light it is shown that in modern times science is a necessary condition for technology and vice versa , the links being of a variety of sorts, partly epistemological, partly attitudinal, partly infrastructural. The discussion then turns to technological development, and four stages of that are distinguished: stage 1 rests on traditional trial-and-error-based technology, stage 2 on imitative low-level technology locally performed, stage 3 on imitative high-level technology locally produced, and stage 4 on the creation of novel technology. An anomalous stage involving small oil-rich countries is also mentioned. The role of science in each of these four stages is complex, involving both production and importation of technology, forming both direct and indirect links, having both simultaneous and delayed impacts, and acting also though attitudinal influences. Combining the previous conclusions it is then found that science has an essential role in all three meanings of technology transfer. It is, consequently, urged that organizations for international scientific and technological assistance and cooperation take a broad view and orient their activities to deal with the whole interlocking and interwoven complex of science and technology in the Third World.
Scanning electron microscopy of mineralized cartilage in rat mandibular condyle.

The pattern of mineralization was studied in the mandibular condyle of the young adult rat. Specimens were rendered anorganic in NaOCl and examined in a scanning electron microscope. A mineralized cartilage front was found to persist on the articular aspect of the condyle. The surface is characterized by closely approximating chondrocyte lacunae enclosed to different degrees within the mineralized front. The mineralized component itself is calcospheritic; larger calcospherites forming the inner concave wall and smaller calcospherites forming the outer convex wall. The calcospherites are comprised of irregular crystalline plates radiating from the center of the mass. The bony surface of the ramus immediately beneath the condyle is typified by Howship's lacunae alternating with areas of forming bone indicating intense remodeling activity. The mandibular condyle has not been examined in this way before. The information is relevant to consideration of growth and development, functional adaptation, physiological aging, and pathological change.
A LOOK AT A UNIVERSAL PARAMETER FOR 2-D AND 3-D BLUFF BODY FLOWS

The flow behind a circular cylinder in the subcritical Reynolds number regime was investigated through the use of hot wire and mean pressure measurements. Cylinder taper and shear flow were used to study the effect of three-dimensionality on the flow, and base-mounted splitter plates were used to modify the formation region of nominally two-dimensional configurations. Measurements provide an extensive set of formation region data for a variety of bluff body configurations. Comparisons between the different parameters suggest that the base-pressure, shear layer velocity, and the size of the formation region were strongly coupled. The concept of a universal Strouhal parameter that would remain invariant for a variety of bluff bodies was investigated using nondimensional combinations of the measured parameters. The previously defined universal parameter formulations, which use the Strouhal number multiplied by the ratio of the normalized wake width to the base-pressure parameter, failed to converge for most of the three-dimensional configurations. The cause of that failure is identified by the relationship between the base-pressure parameter and the wake width that causes their ratio to diverge. A modification is proposed that consists of using the product of the two parameters instead of the ratio. This proposed modification is shown to produce the most invariant parameter for the data measured in this investigation.