Banking Law: Intent to Injure or Defraud: The Courts Play a Legal Shell Game

United States v. Adamson, 700 F.2d 953 (5th Cir. 1983)

Who do they think they are? Wnt-responsive cells reveal their family trees

The nature of stem and progenitor cells in the mammary epithelium, and the relevance of cleared fat pad transplantation as a functional assay for them, has been thrown into doubt by recent lineage-tracking studies. Now two new studies based on tracking the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells are starting to help make sense of this fascinating problem. Background: The mammary gland undergoes dramatic morphological changes during puberty, pregnancy and involution. Transplantation studies of tissue fragments into a cleared mammary fat pad pioneered by DeOme and colleagues showed reconstitution of the mammary gland [1], demon strating the presence of mammary stem cells. Work on serial transplantation of small numbers of purified basal mammary epithelial cells showed that they could regenerate the entire mammary epithelial tree with high efficiency and, indeed, that a single basal cell could do so [2-5]. These studies suggested the presence of multipotent mammary stem cells, located in the basal compartment. In contrast, purified luminal cells have limited fat pad reconstitution ability, although c-Kit-positive luminal cells were capable of forming small epithelial outgrowths in the transplant assay [5]. This model was recently challenged by Van Keymeulen and colleagues, who suggested that the basal and luminal lineages were uncoupled in the adult mammary epithelium and that each lineage contained a unipotent stem cell population [6]. The lineage contribution of stem/progenitor cells during pregnancy was unclear, however, as Van Keymeulen and colleagues were able to label very few luminal cells for lineage tracking - many fewer than the number of pregnancy-responsive progenitors, thought to be luminal, in the gland [5,6]. These progenitors generate alveoli, containing milk-secreting alveolar luminal cells and contractile myoepithelial cells, during pregnancy. Previous studies on lineage tracking of pregnancy-responsive mammary epithelial cells suggested that luminal pregnancy-responsive progenitors could contribute to both luminal and myoepithelial layers in the alveoli [7]. Our understanding of the relationship of stem and progenitor populations in the mammary epithelium with the different epithelial lineages is therefore currently very much in flux; two new publications examining the lineage contributions of Wnt-responsive cells are starting to clear these muddy waters

Absolute dimensions of detached eclipsing binaries. I. The metallic-lined system WW Aurigae

WW Aurigae is a detached eclipsing binary composed of two metallic-lined A-type stars orbiting each other every 2.5 days. We have determined the masses and radii of both components to accuracies of 0.4 and 0.6 percent, respectively. From a cross-correlation analysis of high-resolution spectra we find masses of 1.964 +/- 0.007 Msun for the primary star and 1.814 +/- 0.007 Msun for the secondary star. From an analysis of photoelectric uvby and UBV light curves we find the radii of the stars to be 1.927 +/- 0.011 Rsun and 1.841 +/- 0.011 Rsun, where the uncertainties have been calculated using a Monte Carlo algorithm. Fundamental effective temperatures of the two stars have been derived, using the Hipparcos parallax of WW Aur and published ultraviolet, optical and infrared fluxes, and are 7960 +/- 420 and 7670 +/- 410 K. The masses, radii and effective temperatures of WW Aur are only matched by theoretical evolutionary models for a fractional initial metal abundance, Z, of approximately 0.06 and an age of roughly 90 Myr. This seems to be the highest metal abundance inferred for a well-studied detached eclipsing binary, but we find no evidence that it is related to the metallic-lined nature of the stars. The circular orbit of WW Aur is in conflict with the circularization timescales of both the Tassoul and the Zahn tidal theories and we suggest that this is due to pre-main-sequence evolution or the presence of a circular orbit when the stars were formed.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (14 pages, 8 figures). Photometric data will be made available at the CDS once the final version appear

Raychaudhuri equation in the self-consistent Einstein-Cartan theory with spin-density

The physical implications of the Raychaudhuri equation for a spinning fluid in a Riemann-Cartan spacetime is developed and discussed using the self-consistent Lagrangian based formulation for the Einstein-Cartan theory. It was found that the spin-squared terms contribute to expansion (inflation) at early times and may lead to a bounce in the final collapse. The relationship between the fluid's vorticity and spin angular velocity is clarified and the effect of the interaction terms between the spin angular velocity and the spin in the Raychaudhuri equation investigated. These results should prove useful for studies of systems with an intrinsic spin angular momentum in extreme astrophysical or cosmological problems

MatGAT: An application that generates similarity/identity matrices using protein or DNA sequences

BACKGROUND: The rapid increase in the amount of protein and DNA sequence information available has become almost overwhelming to researchers. So much information is now accessible that high-quality, functional gene analysis and categorization has become a major goal for many laboratories. To aid in this categorization, there is a need for non-commercial software that is able to both align sequences and also calculate pairwise levels of similarity/identity. RESULTS: We have developed MatGAT (Matrix Global Alignment Tool), a simple, easy to use computer application that generates similarity/identity matrices for DNA or protein sequences without needing pre-alignment of the data. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of this program over other software are that it is open-source freeware, can analyze a large number of sequences simultaneously, can visualize both sequence alignment and similarity/identity values concurrently, employs global alignment in calculations, and has been formatted to run under both the Unix and the Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. We are presently completing the Macintosh-based version of the program

MicroRNA dysregulation and esophageal cancer development depend on the extent of zinc dietary deficiency

open9siopenFong, Louise Y.; Taccioli, Cristian; Jing, Ruiyan; Smalley, Karl J.; Alder, Hansjuerg; Jiang, Yubao; Fadda, Paolo; Farber, John L.; Croce, Carlo M.Fong, Louise Y.; Taccioli, Cristian; Jing, Ruiyan; Smalley, Karl J.; Alder, Hansjuerg; Jiang, Yubao; Fadda, Paolo; Farber, John L.; Croce, Carlo M

Desert loess: a selection of relevant topics

In discussions on loess, two types are often demarcated: glacial loess and desert loess. The origin of the idea of desert loess appears to lie with V.A. Obruchev who observed wind-carried silt on the Potanin expedition to Central Asia in 1895. It might be considered that desert loess would be defined as loess associated with deserts but it came to be thought of as loess produced in deserts. This led to some controversy as no mechanism for producing silt particles in deserts was readily available. Bruce Butler in Australia in particular cast doubt on the existence of desert-made loess. Butler indicated loess-like deposits in Australia which he called Parna; these are very like loess but the silt sized parti- cles are actually clay mineral agglomerates of silt size- formed in dry lake regions. At the heart of the desert loess discussion is the problem of producing loess material in deserts. It has been suggested that there are no realistic mechanisms for forming large amounts of loess dust but there is a possibility that sand grain impact may produce particle shattering and lead to the formation of quartz silt. This would appear to be a reasonable mechanism for the African deposits of desert loess, but possibly inadequate for the huge deposits in China and Central Asia. The desert loess in China and Central Asia is loess associated with a desert. The material is formed in cold, high country and carried by rivers to the vicinity of deserts. It progresses then from deserts to loess deposit. Adobe ground may be defined as desert loess. Adobe occurs on the fringe of deserts, notably in the Sahelian region of Africa, and in SW USA. The use of adobe in construction represents the major utilization of desert loess in a social con- text. More understanding of adobe is required, in particular with respect to the adobe reaction, the low order chemical reaction which provides modest cementitious properties, and can be likened to the pozzolanic reactions in hydrating cement systems. The location of loess and loess-like ground on the peripheries of deserts is aided by the observation of the nesting sites of bee-eater birds. These birds have a determined preference for loess ground to dig their nesting tunnels; the presence of nest tunnels suggests the occurrence of desert loess, in desert fringe regions. We seek amalgamation and contrast: ten main topics are considered: words and terms, particles, parna, geotechnical, adobe, people, birds, Africa, Central Asia, Mars. The aim is some large generalizations which will benefit all aspects of desert loess investigation

Three new pulsating sdB stars discovered with SuperWASP

We present an analysis of three new pulsating subdwarf B stars discovered in the Super Wide Angle Search for Planets archive. Two of the stars, J1938+5609 and J0902−0720, are p- mode pulsators; J1938+5609 shows a pulsation at 231.62 d−1 (P = 373 s; 2681 µHz) with an amplitude of 4 mmag, whereas J0902−0720 pulsates at frequencies 636.74 (P = 136 s; 7370 µHz) and 615.34 d−1 (P = 140 s; 7122 µHz), with amplitudes 7.27 and 1.53 mmag, respectively. The third star, J2344−3427, is a hybrid pulsator with a p-mode frequency at 223.16 d−1 (P = 387 s; 2583 µHz) and a corresponding amplitude of 1.5 mmag, and g modes in the frequency range 8.68–28.56 d−1 (P = 3025–9954 s; 100–331 µHz) and amplitudes between 0.76 and 1.17 mmag. Spectroscopic results place J1938+5609 and J2344−3427 among the long-period or hybrid pulsators, suggesting there may be further modes in these stars below our detection limits, with J0902−0720 placed firmly amongst the p-mode pulsators

Flow Separation Side Loads Excitation of Rocket Nozzle FEM

Modern rocket nozzles are designed to operate over a wide range of altitudes, and are also built with large aspect ratios to enable high efficiencies. Nozzles designed to operate over specific regions of a trajectory are being replaced in modern launch vehicles by those that are designed to operate from earth to orbit. This is happening in parallel with modern manufacturing and wall cooling techniques allowing for larger aspect ratio nozzles to be produced. Such nozzles, though operating over a large range of altitudes and ambient pressures, are typically designed for one specific altitude. Above that altitude the nozzle flow is 'underexpanded' and below that altitude, the nozzle flow is 'overexpanded'. In both conditions the nozzle produces less than the maximum possible thrust at that altitude. Usually the nozzle design altitude is well above sea level, leaving the nozzle flow in an overexpanded state for its start up as well as for its ground testing where, if it is a reusable nozzle such as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), the nozzle will operate for the majority of its life. Overexpansion in a rocket nozzle presents the critical, and sometimes design driving, problem of flow separation induced side loads. To increase their understanding of nozzle side loads, engineers at MSFC began an investigation in 2000 into the phenomenon through a task entitled "Characterization and Accurate Modeling of Rocket Engine Nozzle Side Loads", led by A. Brown. The stated objective of this study was to develop a methodology to accurately predict the character and magnitude of nozzle side loads. The study included further hot-fire testing of the MC-l engine, cold flow testing of subscale nozzles, CFD analyses of both hot-fire and cold flow nozzle testing, and finite element (fe.) analysis of the MC-1 engine and cold flow tested nozzles. A follow on task included an effort to formulate a simplified methodology for modeling a side load during a two nodal diameter fluid/structure interaction for a single moment in time