cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The utility of an antifos ribozyme in reversing cisplatin resistance in human carcinomas

Abstract The results presented here demonstrate that expression of a fos ribozyme limits Fos protein synthesis and enhances sensitivity of A2780DDP cells to antineoplastic agents, including cisplatin. Moreover, the reversal of this resistance is associated with down-regulation of dTMP synthase, DNA polymerase β, topoisomerase I and hMTII-A, genes previously linked to DNA synthesis and repair. Thus these studies further implicate the role of the c-fos gene in DNA synthesis through modulation of expression of dTMP synthase, DNA polymerase β and topoisomerase I. Finally, the use of ribozymes to circumvent drug resistance suggests their potential utility as agents to inhibit tumor cell growth.
Course-Of-Action decision support for effects-based Operations

Effects-Based Operations (EBO) is an approach to planning, executing, and assessing military operations where lower-level specific actions are derived from higher-level desired effects. Implementing EBO will require decision support capabilities that can model complex interactions and relationships, and then present the results to decision makers. Sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/IF), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is developing a prototype collaborative Course-Of-Action (COA) decision-support system for real-time analysis of multiple possible COAs against multiple possible enemy COAs. This tool builds upon the SAIC-developed Geospatial Force Planning Tool (GFPT). GFPT is a distributed visual planning and collaboration tool within the Adaptive COA tool suite. GFPT allows geographically dispersed planners representing different planning echelons to collectively create, modify, and view a visual representation of an operational plan on top of a digital map. GFPT is being extended to support entry and visualization of both blue and red COAs. Using a COA-versus-COA simulation, expected results of various combinations of blue and red COAs will be analytically compared and visually presented. This paper will discuss the development process, the architecture, and the current results of this effort.
Prolonged Treatment With Almitrine for Refractory Hypoxemia in Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

A 49-year-old man presented with an atypical pneumonia entailing an adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The refractory hypoxemia caused a myocardial infarction, leading us to try pharmacologic treatments. Almitrine bismesilate (AB) infusion allowed improvement of arterial oxygenation during 115 h without adverse effect. This case is, to our knowledge, the first reported prolonged treatment using AB for hypoxemia due to ARDS.
Analysis of adaptive mesh refinement for IMEX discontinuous Galerkin solutions of the compressible Euler equations with application to atmospheric simulations

The resolutions of interests in atmospheric simulations require prohibitively large computational resources. Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) tries to mitigate this problem by putting high resolution in crucial areas of the domain. We investigate the performance of a tree-based AMR algorithm for the high order discontinuous Galerkin method on quadrilateral grids with non-conforming elements. We perform a detailed analysis of the cost of AMR by comparing this to uniform reference simulations of two standard atmospheric test cases: density current and rising thermal bubble. The analysis shows up to 15 times speed-up of the AMR simulations with the cost of mesh adaptation below 1% of the total runtime. We pay particular attention to the implicit-explicit (IMEX) time integration methods and show that the ARK2 method is more robust with respect to dynamically adapting meshes than BDF2. Preliminary analysis of preconditioning reveals that it can be an important factor in the AMR overhead. The compiler optimizations provide significant runtime reduction and positively affect the effectiveness of AMR allowing for speed-ups greater than it would follow from the simple performance model.
Bounds on the probability of success of postselected nonlinear sign shifts implemented with linear optics

The fundamental gates of linear optics quantum computation are realized by using single photons sources, linear optics, and photon counters. Success of these gates is conditioned on the pattern of photons detected without using feedback. Here it is shown that the maximum probability of success of these gates is typically strictly less than 1. For the one-mode nonlinear sign shift, the probability of success is bounded by 1/2. For the conditional sign shift of two modes, this probability is bounded by 3/4. These bounds are still substantially larger than the highest probabilities shown to be achievable so far, which are 1/4 and 2/27, respectively.
Vertical image registration in stereopsis.

Abstract Most computational theories of stereopsis require a registration stage prior to stereo matching to reduce the matching to a one-dimensional search. Even after registration, it is critical that the stereo matching process tolerate some degree of residual misalignment. We have studied the tolerance to vertical disparity in situations in which false targets abound and corrective eye movements are eliminated. Our main results are: (a) vertical disparity of only the central “figure” part of a random dot stereogram can be tolerated up to about 3.5′, and (b) vertical disparity of the “figure + ground” is tolerated up to about 6.5′ in the presence of monocular cues to vertical disparity. Our data suggest that this tolerance is attained by two non-motor mechanisms: (1) the spatial average performed by the receptive fields that filter the two images prior to stereo matching, and (2) a non-motor shift mechanism that may be driven at least in part by monocular cues.
Multicore software technologies

Multicore architectures require parallel computation and explicit management of the memory hierarchy, both of which add programming complexity and are unfamiliar to most programmers. While MPI and OpenMP still have a place in the multicore world, the learning curves are simply too steep for most programmers. New technologies are needed to make multicore processors accessible to a larger community. The signal and image processing community stands to benefit immensely from such technologies. This article provides a survey of new software technologies that hide the complexity of multicore architectures, allowing programmers to focus on algorithms instead of architectures.
Case Management in Early Intervention

PL 99-457 requires early interventionists working with handicapped infants to provide case management services as a part of each Individualized Family Service Plan. Although well-intentioned, the case management requirement necessitates skills for which few early childhood special educators are adequately trained. Furthermore, it raises significant issues regarding policy implementation. This article reviews case management from the historical perspective, describes research on case management, and discusses policy issues related to implementing case management in the context of early intervention.
Identification and characterization of Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific proteins that activate tumor necrosis factor alpha production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen, which activates macrophages to induce inflammatory cytokines that may promote atherosclerosis. However, the antigens that induce macrophage activation have not been well defined. In the current study, three chlamydial proteins which are recognized during human infection, outer membrane protein 2 (OMP2) and two 53-kDa proteins (Cpn 0980 and Cpn 0809), were investigated to determine whether they activate macrophages and, if they do, what mechanism they use for this activation. It was shown that these three proteins could (i) induce expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and tissue factor and (ii) induce phosphorylation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and activation of early growth response factor 1 (Egr-1). Control proteins, the N-terminal fragment of polymorphic membrane protein 8 and the thioredoxin portion of the fusion protein, had no effect on macrophages. Treatment of cells with a MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, dramatically reduced the phosphorylation of ERK, activation of Egr-1, and expression of TNF-α in macrophages treated with recombinant proteins. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as sensors for microbial antigens and can signal via the MAPK pathway. Chlamydial protein-induced expression of TNF-α was significantly reduced in macrophages lacking TLR2 or TLR4. These findings suggest that C. pneumoniae may activate macrophages through OMP2, Cpn 0980, and Cpn 0809 in addition to cHSP60 and that activation occurs via TLR2 or TLR4, Egr-1, and MAPK pathways.
EFFECTS OF MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLIMATIC VARIATION ON BIRTH MASSES OF ALASKAN CARIBOU

Abstract Understanding factors that influence birth mass of mammals provides insights to nutritional trade-offs made by females to optimize their reproduction, growth, and survival. I evaluated variation in birth mass of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in central Alaska relative to maternal characteristics (age, body mass, cohort, and nutritional condition as influenced by winter severity) during 11 years with substantial variation in winter snowfall. Snowfall during gestation was the predominant factor explaining variation in birth masses, influencing birth mass inversely and through interactions with maternal age and lactation status. Maternal age effects were noted for females ≤ 5 years old, declining in magnitude with each successive age class. Birth mass as a proportion of autumn maternal mass was inversely related to winter snowfall, even though there was no decrease in masses of adult females in late winter associated with severe winters. I found no evidence of a hypothesized intergenerational effect o...
The size-dependent charge fraction of sub-3-nm particles as a key diagnostic of competitive nucleation mechanisms under atmospheric conditions

Abstract. A clear physical understanding of atmospheric particle nucleation mechanisms is critical in assessing the influences of aerosols on climate and climate variability. Currently, several mechanisms have been proposed and are being employed to interpret field observations of nucleation events. Roughly speaking, the two most likely candidates are neutral cluster nucleation (NCN) and ion-mediated nucleation (IMN). Detailed nucleation event data has been obtained in boreal forests. In one set of analyses of these measurements, NCN was suggested as the dominant formation mode, while in another, it was IMN. Information on the electrical charge distribution carried by the nucleating clusters is one key for identifying the relative contributions of neutral and ion-mediated processes under various conditions. Fortunately, ground-breaking measurements of the charged states or fractions of ambient nanometer-sized particles soon after undergoing nucleation are now available to help resolve the main pathways. In the present study, the size-dependent "apparent" formation rates and fractions of charged and neutral particles in a boreal forest setting are simulated with a detailed kinetic model. We show that the predicted "apparent" formation rates of charged and neutral particles at 2 nm for eight representative case study days agree well with the corresponding values based on observations. In the simulations, the "apparent" contribution of ion-based nucleation increases by up to ~one order of magnitude as the size of "sampled" particles is decreased from 2 nm to ~1.5 nm. These results suggest that most of the neutral particles sampled in the field at sizes around 2 nm are in reality initially formed on ionic cores that are neutralized before the particles grow to this size. Thus, although the apparent rate of formation of neutral 2-nm particles might seem to be dominated by a neutral clustering process, in fact those particles may be largely the result of an ion-induced nucleation mechanism. This point is clarified when the formation rates of smaller particles (e.g., ~1.5 nm) are explicitly analyzed (noting that measurements at these smaller sizes are not yet available), indicating that IMN dominates NCN processes under typical circumstances in the boreal forest cases investigated.
DNA cloning without restriction enzyme and ligase

One common problem in using the traditional DNA cloning procedure is that suitable natural restriction sites are often unavailable for a given task. Creating new restriction sites is often time consuming. Here, I describe a simple technique of producing "customized cohesive ends" by a combination of PCR primer design and lambda exonuclease digestion. These complementary cohesive ends can form hybrids to link two sequences. Because the overhangs created by lambda exonuclease are slightly longer than the complementary sequence, after hybrid formation, a stretch of single-strand gap remains, which then is repaired by Klenow (3'-->5' exo-) enzyme. The repair process also stabilizes the linkage. Because of the independence from natural or artificial restriction sites, this method allows rapid and precise insertion of one DNA fragment into another at virtually any position. It also simplifies the planning of a cloning strategy, increases recombinant frequency and is suitable for automation.
A New Simplified Bioheat Equation for the Effect of Blood Flow on Local Average Tissue Temperature

A new simplified three-dimensional bioheat equation is derived to describe the effect of blood flow on blood-tissue heat transfer. In two recent theoretical and experimental studies [1, 2] the authors have demonstrated that the so-called isotropic blood perfusion term in the existing bioheat equation is negligible because of the microvascular organization, and that the primary mechanism for blood-tissue energy exchange is incomplete countercurrent exchange in the thermally significant microvessels. The new theory to describe this basic mechanism shows that the vascularization of tissue causes it to behave as an anisotropic heat transfer medium. A remarkably simple expression is derived for the tensor conductivity of the tissue as a function of the local vascular geometry and flow velocity in the thermally significant countercurrent vessels. It is also shown that directed as opposed to isotropic blood perfusion between the countercurrent vessels can have a significant influence on heat transfer in regions where the countercurrent vessels are under 70-micron diameter. The new bioheat equation also describes this mechanism.
Mode-locked laser pulse trains with subfemtosecond timing jitter synchronized to an optical reference oscillator

We independently phase lock the repetition rates of two femtosecond lasers at their ≈456,000th harmonic to a common optical oscillator. The timing jitter of each individual laser relative to the optical reference is only 0.45 fs in a 100-Hz bandwidth. Our method takes advantage of the tremendous leverage that is possible when stability is transferred from the optical to the microwave domain. The low timing jitter is commensurate with the independently measured fractional frequency instability in the repetition rates of ≤2.3×10-15 in 1-s averaging time, limited by the measurement system. The microwave signals at 1 GHz that are extracted by photodetection of the pulse trains have a 10-times-greater instability, confirming the presence of excess noise in the photodetection.
Urinary Eosinophils in AIN: Farewell to an Old Biomarker?

Urinary biomarkers of kidney injury are an area of ongoing research in nephrology. For years, urinary eosinophils have been used as biomarkers for acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). The characteristics that would make eosinophiluria a useful biomarker for AIN include that ( 1 ) eosinophils are
Diagnosis of Trochanteric Bursitis Versus Femoral Neck Stress Fracture

This case report describes a 46-year-old male runner who reported the sudden onset of right hip pain. A diagnosis of trochanteric bursitis was established by a physiatrist, and the patient underwent two courses of physical therapy for moist heat, ultrasound, and exercise. Because minimal improvement was seen in the patient's pain level and gait limitations following physical therapy, a consultation was requested of a fellow staff member in the same physical therapy department, who is both a chiropractor and a physical therapist. The consultant felt that the absence of tenderness to deep palpation of the greater trochanter, the presence of a noncapsular pattern of restriction of the right hip, and the patient's nonresponsiveness to physical therapy warranted further investigation. A differential diagnosis of avascular necrosis, fracture, or a loose body was made by the consultant. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing ordered by the consultant indicated a nondisplaced, complete stress fracture of the femoral neck. The results of the consultation and the MRI testing were communicated to the referring physiatrist. The patient was referred to an orthopedic surgeon, who performed an open reduction and internal fixation of the right hip. The patient was ambulatory without an assistive device or weight-bearing restrictions 5 weeks after surgery.
American Family Decline, 1960-1990: A Review and Appraisal.

Contrary to the view of some academics that the family in America is not declining but just changing the thesis of this article is that family decline since 1960 has been extraordinarily steep and its social consequences serious especially for children. Drawing mainly on U.S. Census data family trends of the past three decades are reviewed. The evidence for family decline is appraised in three areas: demographic institutional and cultural. It is argued that families have lost functions power and authority that familism as a cultural value has diminished and that people have become less willing to invest time money and energy in family life turning instead to investments in themselves. Comments by Norval D. Glenn Judith Stacey and Philip A. Cowan and a reply by Popenoe are included (pp. 542-55). (EXCERPT)
Magnetic Eiaxaticn and Structural Transfor4Aticn in Metallic Glasses

Current understanding of the local atomic structure of amorphous materials is reviewed. Some results of probing short-range order by selected techniques are cited to illustrate the degree of uniformity that exists on a local scale. Observations of phase separation and phase changes are described with particular emphasis on a temperature driven, reversible transformation of the local structure observed magnetically in several cobalt-base glasses. The manifestations and implications of such transformations within the glassy state are examined. Several examples pointing to quasi-crystalline and to non-crystalline (non-space filling) local structures are given.
Traitement des douleurs des métastases osseuses

Resume La presence de metastases osseuses est associee le plus souvent a des douleurs. Ces douleurs sont specifiques de par leur physiopathologie, leurs caracteristiques et leur traitement. Le traitement antalgique conventionnel peut etre insuffisant et la prise en charge doit etre multimodale, globale et interdisciplinaire. Les techniques de radiologie interventionnelle antalgique elargissent l’eventail du traitement antalgique. Leur place dans la strategie antalgique doit etre definie en concertation pluridisciplinaire pour chaque patient, selon sa douleur et selon le risque osseux. Ces techniques demandent cependant plus de validation scientifique quant a leur effet antalgique. Des recommandations sur la place de la radiologie interventionnelle lors de metastases osseuses douloureuses sont necessaires afin d’harmoniser les pratiques, et d’elargir l’activite douleur de la radiologie interventionnelle au niveau national. La mise en place du plan cancer 2009–2012 pourrait ainsi profiter a ces traitements indispensables au patient douloureux.
Huntington's disease and neurogenesis: FGF-2 to the rescue?

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary choreiform movements, cognitive impairment, metabolic abnormalities, and a relentlessly progressive course culminating in death 10–25 years after onset. Neuropathology studies of HD have established a stereotypical pattern of neurodegeneration and neuron loss, revealing that medium spiny neurons of the striatum are primarily affected followed by regions of the cerebral cortex (1). The genetic basis of HD is expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat within the huntingtin (htt) gene, resulting in the production of htt protein containing an expanded glutamine tract (2). Such “polyglutamine” tract expansions are now known to be the cause of nine inherited neurological diseases. As polyglutamine expansions misfold to produce altered peptide conformers that are resistant to the normal cellular processes of protein turnover, “aggregates” or “inclusions” of the aberrant protein accumulate within neurons in HD brain regions (3). The occurrence of mis-folded proteins that cannot be properly turned over is an emerging theme in neurodegenerative disease, as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, prion diseases, and polyglutamine repeat diseases such as HD all share this feature (4). Although much progress has been made in understanding the molecular genetic basis of HD, efforts to develop a cure or definitive treatment for HD have been complicated by an inadequate understanding of why certain populations of neurons degenerate within the striatum and cortex in HD despite widespread expression of the htt mutant protein throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, polyglutamine-expanded htt can produce a myriad of nuclear and cellular abnormalities, accounting for the promulgation of a panorama of potential therapies directed at different aspects of the molecular pathology (5). One intriguing therapeutic option yet to be explored in HD is growth factor stimulation of endogenous neurogenesis. In this issue of PNAS, Jin et al. …
Analysis of an optimal control problem for the three-dimensional coupled modified Navier-Stokes and Maxwell equations

The mathematical formulation and analysis of an optimal control problem associated with a viscous, incompressible, electrically conducting fluid in a bounded three-dimensional domain with fixed perfectly conducting boundaries is considered. The objective of control is the matching of the velocity and magnetic fields to given target fields; control is effected through distributed mechanical force and current controls. The existence of optimal solutions is shown, the Gâteaux differentiability for the magnetohydrodynamic system with respect to controls is proved, and the optimality system is obtained.
MRI in assessing children with learning disability, focal findings, and reduced automaticity

Objectives: In children with clinically diagnosed learning disabilities with focal findings on neurologic or neuropsychological evaluations, there is a hypothesized association between disorders in automaticity and focal structural abnormalities observed in brain MRIs. Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of cases referred to a tertiary-hospital-based learning disabilities program. Individuals were coded as having a focal deficit if either neurologic or neuropsychological evaluation demonstrated focal dysfunction. Those with abnormal MRI findings were categorized based on findings. Children with abnormalities from each of these categories were compared in terms of deficits in automaticity, as measured by the tasks of Rapid Automatized Naming, Rapid Alternating Stimulus Naming, or the timed motor performance battery from the Physical and Neurological Examination for Soft Signs. Data were compared in children with and without disorders of automaticity regarding type of brain structure abnormality. Results: Of the 1,587 children evaluated, 127 had a focal deficit. Eighty-seven had a brain MRI (52 on 1.5-tesla machines and 35 on 3.0-tesla machines). Forty of these images were found to be abnormal. These children were compared with a clinic sample of 150 patients with learning disabilities and no focal findings on examination, who also had undergone MRI. Only 5 of the latter group had abnormalities on MRI. Reduced verbal automaticity was associated with cerebellar abnormalities, whereas reduced automaticity on motor or motor and verbal tasks was associated with white matter abnormalities. Conclusion: Reduced automaticity of retrieval and slow timed motor performance appear to be highly associated with MRI findings.
Four Linear Continuum Theories

Four linear theories are considered in this chapter. Each has a distinctive and interesting history. Each one of the theories was originally formulated between 1820 and 1860. Representative of the theme of this chapter are the opening lines of the Historical Introduction in A. E. H. Love’s Theory of Elasticity (original edition, 1892): “The Mathematical Theory of Elasticity is occupied with an attempt to reduce to calculation the state of strain, or relative displacement, within a solid..object.. which is subject to the action of an equilibrating system of forces, or is in a state of slight internal relative motion, and with endeavours to obtain results which shall be practically important in applications to architecture, engineering, and all other useful arts in which the material of construction is solid.”
Storage assignment policy tradeoffs

SUMMARY A model is presented for developing the state probability distribution of aggregate space requirements in a randomized storage system as a function of the level of variation in item retrieval activity. This model provides a tool to analyse tradeoffs in space requirements and retrieval efficiency associated with dedicated and randomized storage policies. The technique extends previous work by accounting for space reductions associated with randomized storage in estimating average item retrieval costs. A sample problem is presented along with an analysis of randomized and dedicated storage policy performance.
Extreme Return Reversal in the Stock Market

According to the efficient markets hypothesis, market returns are unpredictable and random around long-term market norms. In a perfectly efficient market, historical returns offer no useful insight into the formation of future return expectations. Behavioral finance theory suggests otherwise. Even if nobody can predict when the market will take a severe drop (such as down 20%), the overreaction hypothesis suggests that forward-looking returns will be above average after severe market drops. Market evidence presented here shows that severe downturns in the overall market are consistently followed by superior returns during the 12 months following. When investors overreact by giving extreme weight to recent negative returns, they run the risk of missing subsequent above-average rates of return. Going forward, the overreaction hypothesis predicts a reversal of the sharp losses following the collapse of the Internet stock bubble and the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington.
Transforming Growth Factor β-Mediated Transcriptional Repression of c-myc Is Dependent on Direct Binding of Smad3 to a Novel Repressive Smad Binding Element

Smad proteins are the most well-characterized intracellular effectors of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signal. The ability of the Smads to act as transcriptional activators via TGF-beta-induced recruitment to Smad binding elements (SBE) within the promoters of TGF-beta target genes has been firmly established. However, the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in TGF-beta-mediated transcriptional repression are only recently being uncovered. The proto-oncogene c-myc is repressed by TGF-beta, and this repression is required for the manifestation of the TGF-beta cytostatic program in specific cell types. We have shown that Smad3 is required for both TGF-beta-induced repression of c-myc and subsequent growth arrest in keratinocytes. The transcriptional repression of c-myc is dependent on direct Smad3 binding to a novel Smad binding site, termed a repressive Smad binding element (RSBE), within the TGF-beta inhibitory element (TIE) of the c-myc promoter. The c-myc TIE is a composite element, comprised of an overlapping RSBE and a consensus E2F site, that is capable of binding at least Smad3, Smad4, E2F-4, and p107. The RSBE is distinct from the previously defined SBE and may partially dictate, in conjunction with the promoter context of the overlapping E2F site, whether the Smad3-containing complex actively represses, as opposed to transactivates, the c-myc promoter.
Diurnal osmotic cycling in cotton leaves as an indicator of source–sink balance

Diurnal cycling of osmotic potential was studied in leaves of cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in the field. Osmotic potential was determined by a pressure-volume procedure as the value coinciding with zero turgor. In plants grown under favourable conditions (no water stress or N stress), osmotic potential at zero-turgor measured at midday was initially about 0.3 MPa lower than before dawn, but this cycling disappeared during the season as the number of fruits per plant increased. In water-stressed or N-deficient plants, osmotic cycling was decreased or even eliminated. Across treatments, cycling of osmotic potential occurred only when plants carried at least 560 cm2 of leaf area per fruit. The results are interpreted to mean that diurnal cycling of osmotic potential reveals a ‘sink-limited’ condition within the plant.
A Painless Testicular Mass in a 50-Year-Old Man

50-year-old man presented with a painless left testicular mass that he noted on self-examination. The mass had not noticeably changed in size after 1 month, and he sought medical attention. He denied any other symptoms, including fever, weight loss, back pain, gynecomastia, loss of libido, or erectile dysfunction. Scrotal ultrasonography demonstrated a hypoechoic (1.3-cm) mass in the lower pole of the testis. Results of computed tomography of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis were normal, with no evidence of metastases or enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Results of a preoperative serum analysis for -fetoprotein (AFP), testosterone, and -human chorionic gonadotropin were within normal limits. The left testicle and spermatic cord were surgically removed.
A redox-centered view of radiation resistance in head and neck squamous cancer (768.1)

The central issue of resistance to radiation remains a significant challenge in the treatment of cancer despite improvements in treatment modality and emergence of new therapies. To facilitate the identification of molecular factors that elicit protection against radiation, we developed a matched model of radiation resistance for head and neck cancer (HNC) and characterized its properties using selective chemical probes for protein oxidation, omics technologies and complementary assays. Functional network analysis of proteomics data identified DNA replication and base excision repair, ECM-receptor interaction, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton as significantly up- or down-regulated networks in resistant (rSCC-61) HNC cells. Up-regulated proteins in rSCC-61 included enzymes involved in lipid metabolism and antioxidant system. Redox proteomics analysis using biotin-tagged chemical probes and mass spectrometry identified decreased oxidative damage of the antioxidant system in rSCC-61 consistent with the c...
Soft Regulation with Crowd Recommendation: Coordinating Self-Interested Agents in Sociotechnical Systems under Imperfect Information.

Regulating emerging industries is challenging, even controversial at times. Under-regulation can result in safety threats to plant personnel, surrounding communities, and the environment. Over-regulation may hinder innovation, progress, and economic growth. Since one typically has limited understanding of, and experience with, the novel technology in practice, it is difficult to accomplish a properly balanced regulation. In this work, we propose a control and coordination policy called soft regulation that attempts to strike the right balance and create a collective learning environment. In soft regulation mechanism, individual agents can accept, reject, or partially accept the regulator’s recommendation. This non-intrusive coordination does not interrupt normal operations. The extent to which an agent accepts the recommendation is mediated by a confidence level (from 0 to 100%). Among all possible recommendation methods, we investigate two in particular: the best recommendation wherein the regulator is completely informed and the crowd recommendation wherein the regulator collects the crowd’s average and recommends that value. We show by analysis and simulations that soft regulation with crowd recommendation performs well. It converges to optimum, and is as good as the best recommendation for a wide range of confidence levels. This work sheds a new theoretical perspective on the concept of the wisdom of crowds.
Philosophy of sport: critical concepts in sports studies

R. Scott Kretchmar and Peter M. Hopsicker’s four-volume edited collection, Philosophy of Sport: Critical Concepts in Sports Studies, creates a resource consisting of some of the most popular and si...
Extractive Efficiency of Kerosene on Pyrethrum Powders of Varying Fineness

The extractive efficiency of kerosene on pyrethrum powders of varying degrees of fineness was tested by comparing the insecticidal efficiency of such extracts with standard extracts of pyrethrum containing 50, 75, and 100 per cent of the active constituents. House flies were used in the insecticidal tests and the time, in seconds, until 50 per cent of the flies were paralyzed was used as the main criterion for determining insecticidal power. Mortality data were taken but as reported in a previous paper, the percentage kill was not a sufficiently sensitive index to indicate small differences in the pyrethrin content of kerosene extracts. The efficiency of extraction on 12, to 15, 20, 30, and 45 mesh pyrethrum powders was about the same in each case: . it is estimated that 80 per cent extraction of the active constituents was obtained. Extraction of 200-mesh pyrethrum powder was more efficient, however, giving approximately 90 per cent of the active constituents. Apparently the achenes, or seeds, which contain a very large percentage of the active constituents, are not thoroughly crushed in powders varying from 12 to 45 mesh, whereas with 200-mesh powder the achenes are entirely broken up. This difference might account for the observed differences in the extractive efficiency of kerosene on these various grades of powder.
Rotary Bed Reactor for Chemical-Looping Combustion with Carbon Capture. Part 2: Base Case and Sensitivity Analysis

Part 1 (10.1021/ef3014103) of this series describes a new rotary reactor for gas-fueled chemical-looping combustion (CLC), in which, a solid wheel with microchannels rotates between the reducing and oxidizing streams. The oxygen carrier (OC) coated on the surfaces of the channels periodically adsorbs oxygen from air and releases it to oxidize the fuel. A one-dimensional model is also developed in part 1 (10.1021/ef3014103). This paper presents the simulation results based on the base-case design parameters. The results indicate that both the fuel conversion efficiency and the carbon separation efficiency are close to unity. Because of the relatively low reduction rate of copper oxide, fuel conversion occurs gradually from the inlet to the exit. A total of 99.9% of the fuel is converted within 75% of the channel, leading to 25% redundant length near the exit, to ensure robustness. In the air sector, the OC is rapidly regenerated while consuming a large amount of oxygen from air. Velocity fluctuations are o...
The Teaching of Entomology

An account is presented of a course in introductory entomology given with the viewpoints of providing thorough training in the true fundamentals of entomology, creating an intelligent public interest in the work and needs of present day entomology and attracting desirable students to enter the profession of entomology.
Comparison of Resolution and Crosstalk Among Detectors Used in Positron Emission Tomography

This chapter concerns a work in progress in which we are evaluating the detailed physical properties of various detector systems employed in PET. These detectors, which are Barium Fluoride (BaF2), Gadolinium Orthosilicate (GSO) and Bismuth Germanate (BGO), were configured on the UCLA Tomographic Simulator (1) as a small section of a PET system with appropiate distances and shielding. The basic test detector size is a 29 mm high by 5.6 mm wide by 45 mm deep (30 mm for BGO) detector, similar in size to ones used in some commercial PET systems (2). The system diameter is 100 cm.
Frequency Domain Accelerated Durability Test of SCR box Based on PSD Spectrum

The depicting part life cycle damage and shock response with the shock response spectrum(SRS) and fatigue damage spectrum(FDS) was introduced by synthesizing the acceleration PSD with the road acquired time domain signal.Compared with current methods,the relation between laboratory test and motordrome road test was built and the test period was greatly saved under the conditions of the same failure modes and equivalent damage,which solved the difficult problem of SCR box durability test.
Platelet-activating factor mediates endotoxin-induced acute renal insufficiency in rats.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) may contribute to the renal functional impairment of endotoxemia. We therefore examined 1) the effects of two specific PAF-receptor antagonists, L-653,150 and L-652,731, on endotoxin-induced acute renal insufficiency and 2) the renal hemodynamic actions of PAF in anesthetized postpartum Wistar rats. An intravenous injection of endotoxin at 150 micrograms/kg reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), and filtration fraction (FF) without a change in mean arterial pressure. L-653,150, 50 mg/kg orally, attenuated the endotoxin-induced fall in GFR, RPF, and FF. An intravenous injection of L-652,731, 0.3 mg/kg, followed by an infusion at 16 micrograms.kg-1. min-1 prevented the endotoxin-elicited reduction in GFR, RPF, and FF. L-652,731 also reversed the endotoxin-induced renal functional impairment. PAF, infused at 16 ng.kg-1.min-1 into the suprarenal aorta, reduced GFR, RPF, and FF without a significant change in renal arterial pressure. L-652,731 prevented the PAF-induced changes. In contrast, meclofenamate worsened the renal hemodynamic effects of PAF. We conclude that PAF may play an important role in mediating the endotoxin-induced acute hemodynamic renal insufficiency in rats with normotensive endotoxemia.
An assessment of factors affecting consumption of entrée items by hospital patients

Seventy-one hospitalized patients completed surveys pertaining to their attitudes toward factors affecting food consumption and food preferences. Patients were divided into two groups, those who finished the entree and those who did not. Appetite and aroma were found to be the principal factors affecting food consumption. Mood, length of hospitalization, education level, appearance of the food, cleanliness of the service, foodservice ratings, health care ratings, and temperature of the food did not affect consumption.
Adaptive Behavior and Skills Important to Community Use

Publisher Summary Community skills typically have been conceptualized as falling into several distinct goal areas. This chapter encompasses all of the varied definitions of community and provides strategies for helping individuals develop adaptive skills that increase their involvement, participation, and independence in the community. The Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II is a comprehensive measure that includes 10 adaptive skill areas, including a community use adaptive skill area, which measures a range of skills that cut across the broad goal areas identified in the literature. These skills generally cluster into four areas: travel, using services, community safety, and appropriate behavior in the community. Examples of the types of community use adaptive skills measured in the ABAS-II for each goal area are listed. Skills listed in the ABAS-II are samples of the broad array of adaptive skills needed to function successfully in various community settings.
Evaluating the Use of Alternatives Assessment To Compare Bulk Organic Chemical and Nanomaterial Alternatives to Brominated Flame Retardants

Alternatives assessment (AA) provides a framework for selection of safer substitutes for problematic chemicals. This study assesses alternatives for flame retardants (FR) in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), including two common brominated FR, decabromodiphenyl ether (deca-BDE) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). Although deca-BDE is restricted in the EU and undergoing phase-out in the US, TBBPA is still widely used. However, concerns about potential hazards are driving a search for halogen-free alternatives. Nonhalogenated organic chemical alternatives (e.g., phosphorus-based FRs) as well as minerals (e.g., montmorillonite) and nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes) have been proposed, yet it is unclear whether current frameworks can be used to systematically compare such heterogeneous alternatives. This study aims to (i) identify technologically and economically viable alternative FRs and (ii) evaluate each under the current AA frameworks, to (iii) elucidate challenges and shortcomings to adopti...
Common Sense, Ontology and Time: A Critique of Lynne Rudder Baker's View of Temporal Reality

The aim of this paper is twofold: First, to critically discuss Lynne Rudder’s Baker BA-theory of time, and second to contrast it with the R-theory (after Russell). In the course of my discussion I will contrast three different methodological approaches regarding the relation between common sense and ontology; clarify Russell’s authentic view in contrast to the B-theory which is McTaggart’s misrepresentation of Russell, and consider how the R-theory can respond to objections Baker makes to eternalism (as she understands it).
What’s Ethics Got to Do With It? Pedagogical Support for Ethical Student Learning in a Principal Preparation Program:

The article’s purposes are to review research on leadership education in ethics and examine a pedagogic intervention designed to raise consciousness about ethical leadership and learning within graduate school. A yearlong study—carried out in a principal preparation program that is a full member of the University Council for Educational Administration—is the basis of the development and impact of an ethics unit. Understandings of ethics regarding leadership preparation standards and social justice orientations for preservice cohorts are analyzed. Qualitative methods used are a targeted literature review and a document analysis of assignments. Directions for research, pedagogy, and practice end this discussion.
The ELITE Study

Angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists inhibit the renin-angiotensin system more completely than ACE inhibitors, and do not increase bradykinin levels as ACE inhibitors do. ACE inhibitors have been proven to increase survival and improve quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). At the 48-week follow-up of the Evaluation of Losartan in the Elderly (ELITE) Study, the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan (at a dosage of 50 mg/day) was found to be superior to captopril 50mg 3 times daily in terms of its effects on total mortality, total mortality and/or hospitalisation for CHF, and hospitalisation for any reason. Hospitalisation for CHF was the same for both drugs. Adverse effects occurred in 12 and 21% of those receiving losartan and captopril, respectively. Cough, rash, angioedema or taste disturbances/reduced appetite prompted the cessation of drug treatment in 0 and 7% of those receiving losartan and captopril, respectively. Until additional data are available, this author recommends that elderly patients with CHF and an abnormal or normal left ventricular ejection fraction, and who are unable to tolerate ACE inhibitors, should receive losartan 50 mg/day.
Mass Spectrometric Identification of Proteins Isolated By Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis

For twenty years two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) has been used to simultaneously separate and visualize by suitable staining, hundreds of proteins present in cell lysates [1, 2]. This powerful methodology allows the creation of protein maps for individual cell lines based on molecular weight and pI coordinates. Qualitatively, the degree of staining of spots at particular coordinates among different lysates is a measure of the relative amount of a particular protein in that spot, and hence variations in the amount observed may be correlated with changes in gene expression or levels of protein synthesis. This method provides a convenient strategy for studying protein synthesis regulation in normal or tumor cells, as well as the detection of differential induction/suppression of certain proteins in response to various external cell stimuli, such as treatment of tumor cells with cytokines [3, 4]. Locked in the patterns of spots in these gels is a vast amount of information about biologically relevant processes and protein function required for cell homeostasis. This can only be “read out” by ascertaining the identity of each spot. The identification of the myriad proteins in a cell lysate, and determination of their covalent modifications and inter-relationships is a daunting task. Thus far, the preponderence of effort aimed at identification of individual spots has rested on primary sequence determination of either intact proteins, or peptides from proteolytic digestion (“internal sequence”) using the Edman degradation [5]. These strategies have met with limited success, due in some cases to the presence of naturally occuring N-terminal blocking groups [6] or chemical blocking (such as carbamoylation [7]) when urea has been used as a chaotropic agent. In addition, the Edman degradation is an inherently slow, stepwise process for obtaining polypeptide sequence, ill suited either for the rapid identification of hundreds of proteins or the detection and characterization of posttranslational and xenobiotic modifications. However, recent developments in mass spectrometric methodologies provide the opportunity to circumvent these limitations and obtain a comprehensive knowledge of cell proteins for the first time. This topic forms the basis for the discussion in this chapter.