cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of penetration enhancers on in vitro percutaneous absorption of low molecular weight heparin through human skin

Abstract The influence of the penetration enhancers, laurocapram (Azone®), 1,8-cineole, and nerolidol on the in vitro percutaneous absorption of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) through human skin was investigated. The enhancing effectiveness of the enhancers decreased in the order: laurocapram > nerolidol > 1,8-cineole. Compared to the control formulation (without enhancers), a 4.4-fold enhancement was observed with 2% laurocapram and a 2-fold enhancement resulted with 2% nerolidol. There were no significant promoting effects at low concentrations of 1,8-cineole; however, a 3.5-fold increase in LMWH flux resulted with 10% 1,8-cineole. The highest enhancement factor was 5.6 with 5% laurocapram. Cellophane tape-stripping of the stratum corneum did not affect drug flux compared to the control (full-thickness skin). Thus the epidermis and dermis, as well as the stratum corneum, may constitute major rate determining barriers for LMWH permeation across human skin.
Trophic linkages between headwater forests and downstream fish habitats: implications for forest and fish management

Abstract This study examined the fluvial transport of invertebrates (aquatic and terrestrial) and coarse organic detritus from forested headwaters in alternatives-to-clearcutting (ATC) harvest units to aquatic habitats downstream in the coastal mountains of southeastern Alaska. Fifty small streams (mean discharge 2.7 L s−1, range 0.1–128.1 L s−1) representing three geographic areas (ATC installations) throughout southeastern Alaska were sampled with 250 μm nets three times per year (April, July, September). Samples were used to assess the subsidy of energy from fishless headwaters to downstream systems containing or potentially containing fish, and to obtain preharvest data on streams for the ATC study. Invertebrates of both aquatic and terrestrial origin were captured, with aquatic taxa averaging roughly 3/4 of the total individuals sampled. Invertebrates and detritus were transported from headwaters during all sampling periods, averaging 163 mg invertebrate dry mass stream−1 day−1 (1.7 mg m−3 water) and 10 g detritus stream−1 day−1 (0.05 g m−3 water), respectively. Based on the frequency of headwater streams in the watersheds studied, and the average amount of food delivered to downstream habitats by these streams, every kilometer of salmonid-bearing stream could receive enough energy from fishless headwaters to support 100–2000 young-of-the-year salmonids. These results illustrate that headwaters are source areas of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates and detritus, linking upland ecosystems with habitats lower in the catchment. ATC activities are predicted to have variable effects on headwater stream productivity, and subsequent food resources for downstream salmonids. Partial canopy removal is expected to increase solar penetration to the stream and primary and secondary production within these partially harvested sites, and full canopy removal will likely reduce allochthonous inputs of leaf litter into the streams, and reduce stream invertebrate abundance.
Hydrologic response to channel reconfiguration on Silver Bow Creek, Montana☆

Hydrologic residence time in streams is rarely considered as a response variable for assessing restoration design strategies. However, residence time is an important control on ecosystem processes such as the biotic uptake and processing of excess nutrients and other pollutants in streams. Interactions between the physical structure of streambeds and the patterns of flow through the channel determine hydrologic residence time and largely control solute transport and exchange among various channel habitats and the hyporheic zone. The influence of reach-scale channel reconfiguration on residence time is not well characterized despite documented linkages between streambed topography, channel pattern, hydrologic retention, water quality, and in-stream habitat. This study documents changes in hydrologic transport and variation in channel water velocity prior to and immediately following large-scale channel realignment along Silver Bow Creek in southwestern Montana. Channel restoration increased water residence time in the channel by increasing sinuosity, decreasing channel slope, and increasing pool frequency. However, channel realignment yielded a reduction in the fine-scale variation in streambed topography. Water velocity profiles in post-realignment channels, thus, exhibited greater uniformity at short spatial scales. As a result, and possibly due to loss of hyporheic exchange, transient storage within the system declined after channel realignment, offsetting some of the increase in residence time associated with slower advective velocities. We conclude that restoration actions may be more effective at recovering normative hydrologic function if goal setting, planning and design efforts consider the hydrologic effects and ecological benefits of fine-scale (cm–m) topographic stream-bed variation and the bio-geomorphic processes that create and maintain such fine-scale variation over time.
The Framing Project: A Bridging Model for Media Research Revisited

Framing, unlike many more esoteric research concepts, has gained remarkable popularity in both the scholarly literature and the public imagination. As with its often-associated idea of media agenda setting, people intuitively grasp what it conveys, although framing suggests more intentionality on the part of the framer and relates more explicitly to political strategy. As a result, academics such as George Lakoff and Geoffrey Nunberg have found recent visibility as political groups, particularly liberal, try to figure out how they lost the ‘‘framing wars.’’ Lakoff says that conservatives bend ideas to fit a coherent narrative; Nunberg says that narrative is only rhetorical, providing only the illusion of coherence (Drum, 2006). Thus, even between linguists differences arise as to what to make of framing as a theoretical idea—differences that become wider when played out across other disciplines. The interdisciplinary quality of the communication field has meant a natural diversity of approaches, leading some to urge more effort toward cleaning up the framing paradigm, making it more theoretically respectable and coherent (e.g., Scheufele, 2004). Framing’s value, however, does not hinge on its potential as a unified research domain but, as I have suggested before, as a provocative model that bridges parts of the field that need to be in touch with each other: quantitative and qualitative, empirical and interpretive, psychological and sociological, and academic and professional. If the most interesting happens at the edges of disciplines—and in the center of policy debates—then framing certainly has the potential to bring disciplinary perspectives together in interesting ways. At least, framing alerts researchers to the possibilities available from other perspectives. In that respect, I am in agreement with D’Angelo (2002) that framing is more of a research program than a unified paradigm and that theoretical diversity has been beneficial in developing a comprehensive understanding of the process (if not a consistent terminology). I am not sure, however, how well we have taken advantage of these new possibilities.
Structural Diversity of Metal–Organic Materials Containing Bismuth(III) and Pyridine-2,5-Dicarboxylate

Three new metal–organic materials containing bismuth and pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylate (pydc) have been synthesized by hydro- and solvothermal methods and have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1, Bi(pydc)(Hpydc)(H2O), crystallizes in the space group P21/c (a = 15.4528(10) A, b = 7.8242(5) A, c = 12.7421(8) A, β = 109.463(1)°) and consists of one-dimensional (1D) chains that assemble into a three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular structure via hydrogen bonding in the x-and y-directions. An interesting complex anionic layer structure containing K+ ions and water molecules in the interlayer regions is observed for compound 2, K4Bi(pydc)3(Hpydc)(H2O)3.3, which crystallizes in the space group P1 (a = 9.2359(5) A, b = 9.5854(5) A, c = 20.1439(10) A, α = 86.062(1)°, β = 87.645(1)°, γ = 87.729(1)°). This appears to be the first example of a layered anionic bismuth metal–organic structure where the anionic slabs are separated by positively charged counterions in the interlayer region. C...
Microstructural and magnetic properties of CoPt nanowires

Abstract In this work, the magnetic and microstructural properties of CoPt nanowires are presented as a function of the electrolyte pH and current density during electrodeposition into anodized alumina templates. CoPt nanowires of high aspect ratio have been prepared using electrolyte pH values in the range from 2 to 6. The as-made samples exhibit a face centered cubic (fcc) structure with soft magnetic properties which transform into the face centered tetragonal (fct) L10 phase after thermal treatment. Different pH values of the electrolyte during electrodeposition lead to significantly different microstructures and, therefore, different magnetic properties. The CoPt nanowires prepared at high pH value are composed of fcc nanorods of about 25 nm in length. Thermal annealing of these samples leads to a preferred (0 0 1) orientation (along the direction perpendicular to the direction of nanowires) which increases with annealing time. On the other hand, the CoPt nanowires prepared at lower pH value are composed of uniform fcc nanograins with the size ∼2−3 nm. Magnetization curves for the later sample are virtually identical in both directions indicating an isotropic behavior.
Global analysis of sequence diversity within HIV-1 subtypes across geographic regions.

Aims: HIV-1 sequence diversity can affect host immune responses and phenotypic characteristics such as antiretroviral drug resistance. Current HIV-1 sequence diversity classification uses phylogeny-based methods to identify subtypes and recombinants, which may overlook distinct subpopulations within subtypes. While local epidemic studies have characterized sequence-level clustering within subtypes using phylogeny, identification of new genotype–phenotype associations are based on mutational correlations at individual sequence positions. We perform a systematic, global analysis of position-specific pol gene sequence variation across geographic regions within HIV-1 subtypes to characterize subpopulation differences that may be missed by standard subtyping methods and sequence-level phylogenetic clustering analyses. Materials & methods: Analysis was performed on a large, globally diverse, cross-sectional pol sequence dataset. Sequences were partitioned into subtypes and geographic subpopulations within subty...
Compact ultraviolet imaging microchannel plate detectors using CODed anode converter (CODACON) readout systems

We describe imaging detectors (approximately equals 350 g, 0.7 W), using microchannel plates (MCPs), for the ultraviolet imaging spectrometers on Planetary missions to Saturn and other planets. These detectors image by locating and counting individual photons one at a time, accumulating and storing the image in an external digital memory. The 1024 columns (spaced 25 (mu) ) are coded by 10 bits and the 64 rows (spaced 100 (mu) ) are coded by 6 bits. The detector head consists of a header-MCP housing, a chevron microchannel plate with a gain near 3 X 106, and a proximity focused anode called a code plate. The electronics consists of a low power high voltage power supply, a set of 16 hybrid low noise differential charge amps, 16 comparators, and 16 latches. A miniature digital buffer memory utilizes a field programmable gate array. We describe the theory and performance of the 2D CODACON.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The channel assignment problem for mutually adjacent sites

Abstract Fix a finite interference set T of nonnegative integers, 0 ϵ T. A T-coloring of a simple graph G = (V, E) is a function f: V → {0, 1, 2, …} such that for {u, ν} ϵ E(G), |f(u) − f(ν)| ϵ T. Let σn denote the optimal span of the T-colorings f of the complete graph Kn, that is, σn = minf{maxu, ν ϵ V|f(u) − f(ν)|}. It was shown by Rabinowitz and Proulx that the asymptotic coloring efficiency rt(T) ≔ lim n → ∝ ( n σ n ) exists for every set T. We prove the stronger result that the difference sequence {σn + 1 − σn}n = 1∞ is eventually periodic for any T. The entire sequence σ ≔ (σn)n − 1∞ is determined by a finite number of coloring strategies. The greedy (first-fit) T-coloring of Kn also leads to an eventually periodic sequence. We prove these results by studying a special directed graph D(T). Earlier work of Cantor and Gordon on sequences with missing differences in T is discussed in connection with T-coloring.
The CTC-Chip: An Exciting New Tool to Detect Circulating Tumor Cells in Lung Cancer Patients

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells that originate from a malignancy and circulate freely in the peripheral blood. The ability to capture and study CTCs is an emerging field with implications for early detection, diagnosis, determining prognosis and monitoring of cancer, as well as for understanding the fundamental biology of the process of metastasis. Here, we review the development and initial clinical studies with a novel microfluidic platform for isolating these cells, the CTC-chip, and discuss its potential uses in the study of lung cancer.
Beyond the Framework

Philip Rosoff in “Unpredictable Drug Shortages: An Ethical Framework for Short-Term Rationing in Hospitals” presents an objective ethical allocation policy for scarce pharmaceuticals that goes beyo...
Electrolyte film evaporation under the effect of externally applied electric field

Abstract The effect of an externally applied electric field and bulk ion-concentration on the evaporation rate of an electrolyte film in contact with a wall is studied numerically. A mathematical model for steady state condition is developed to couple momentum, energy, and mass conservation equations together with the Poisson–Boltzmann equation that describes charge distribution in the liquid film. The model also describes the interaction with humid air flowing above the electrolyte film. The results show a non-uniform volumetric heat generation due to Joule heating that induces a temperature variation along the film length and in the direction away from the wall.
Surgical Repair of Congenital Lateral Luxation of the Patella in the Foal and Calf

Repair of lateral luxation of the patella in horses and cows has consistently produced poor results; reluxation, muscle atrophy, septic arthritis, and degenerative joint disease are frequent postoperative complications of the techniques previously described. A new technique for repair of congenital lateral luxation of the patella in foals and calves is described; it includes lateral release of the patella followed by imbrication of the medial aspect of the joint capsule. Postoperative evaluation, up to 1½ years, confirmed the efficacy of the technique with retention of normal patellar position and range of motion. Muscle atrophy and lameness disappeared completely in 2 animals, which showed no radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease at the time of surgical repair. Since the preparation of this article, 3 more calves have been successfully repaired with excellent clinical results up to 12 weeks postoperatively.
A More General Treatment of Abrasion‐Chipping Processes applicable to FAG/SAG Milling

Equations are derived for the rate of loss of mass from a screen interval when the size reduction process is an abrasion-chipping process which follows a wear law of the Bond form or the Davis form, giving cores and fragments. The treatment is extended to steady-state continuous grinding in a fully-mixed reactor, and to the case where first-order disintegrative fracture processes also occur.
A highly accurate algorithm for the solution of the point kinetics equations

Abstract Attempts to resolve the point kinetics equations (PKEs) describing nuclear reactor transients have been the subject of numerous articles and texts over the past 50 years. Some very innovative methods, such as the RTS (Reactor Transient Simulation) and CAC (Continuous Analytical Continuation) methods of G.R. Keepin and J. Vigil respectively, have been shown to be exceptionally useful. Recently however, several authors have developed methods they consider accurate without a clear basis for their assertion. In response, this presentation will establish a definitive set of benchmarks to enable those developing PKE methods to truthfully assess the degree of accuracy of their methods. Then, with these benchmarks, two recently published methods, found in this journal will be shown to be less accurate than claimed and a legacy method from 1984 will be confirmed.
Translocation of the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm in human blastomeres: possible effects on the distribution and inheritance of regulatory domains.

Abstract The subplasmalemmal cytoplasm of the mouse and human oocyte contains proteins, high-polarized mitochondria and for the mouse, mRNA that appears to have regulatory roles in early development. For the human, the irreversible loss of certain proteins and high-polarized mitochondria into small fragments that arise spontaneously and incorporate the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm has been suggested to have developmental consequences for the affected cell(s). Time-lapse studies have shown that fragments of this type can be resorbed during cleavage and in certain instances, their disappearance largely restores phenotypic normality to the human embryo. Time-lapse microscopy was used to examine this type of fragmentation and describe behaviours associated with their fusion or resorption, or both, in early human embryos. The transfer of fragments containing high-polarized mitochondria (ΔΨm HIGH ) labelled with a potentiometric fluorescent stain between embryos, and to oocytes and parthenogenetically activated eggs, demonstrates fragment resorption by incorporation of high-polarized mitochondria in the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm. The results indicate the potential for spontaneous transposition of subplasmalemmal regulatory elements within and between cells exists in early human embryos and that loss or gain of function may have different developmental impacts on affected cells. The location of incorporated mitochondria confirms their stability in subplasmalemmal domains, and suggests the possibility that a high polarity may be a factor in spatial specification.
The influence of gender on the placement of children with gay or lesbian adoptive parents

Abstract This study examines the opinions of men and women from a random phone sample of super voters (those persons voting in the last three out of four possible elections) in Florida (N = 413) toward gay men and/or lesbians as adoptive parents. The survey gathered information on whether the respondents would place boys or girls available for adoption with gay men or lesbians. Controlling for various demographic variables, bivariate logistic regressions were performed for each possible parent/child combination. Several variables were consistently significant across the models tested, explaining from 22 to 29% of the variance. These included race/ethnicity, religious identification, respondent's gender, and political ideology. Implications of this study for policy-makers and child welfare practitioners are posited.
Leucine and phenylalanine incorporation by rat liver microsomes containing endogenous template RNA: a kinetic study of the effect of polyuridylic acid.

Abstract Amino acid incorporation by rat liver microsomes in vitro is accompanied by a proportional loss of messenger RNA. The present study shows that in the presence of saturating levels of polyuridylic acid the rate of polyuridylic acid-directed phenylalanine incorporation at any given time is linearly related to the cumulative amino acid incorporation due to natural messenger RNA. A kinetic analysis of the data strongly supports the hypothesis that phenylalanine incorporation by microsomes becomes susceptible to stimulation by polyuridylic acid only after the loss of endogenous template RNA, and hence that, under carefully controlled conditions, polyuridylic acid susceptibility may be used as a valid measure of the number of messenger-free ribosomes present.
The Political Context of Higher Education

This is a comparative study of the impact of state politics and culture on higher education policy in three states: California, North Carolina, and Texas. By comparing higher education systems in these states, the study describes the degree of influence state government actors and culture have on higher education. This article explores the key policy areas of access and economic development to determine the effect of higher education regimes and state political culture on policy outcomes. The article evaluates access by evaluating who is not attaining higher education degrees and analyzing the current battles over affirmative action. With regard to economic development, the article determines the extent of actual economic development and the influence of state actors on that activity. The study's primary conclusion is that politics matter. Higher education systems and policy directions varied widely in each state, but state politics always proved to have a significant impact on major policy decisions.
Plasma polymerization for self-curing PMMA bone cement

Two experimental methods are used to improve the tensile strength of self-curing PMMA bone cement: plasma-induced and plasma-state polymerization. The tensile test results indicate that additions of PMMA powder reduce the strength of self-curing PMMA bone cement. Plasma-induced PMMA can increase the molecular weight of an MMA and PMMA matrix; however, the matrix tensile strength does not increase as mch as would be expected from its greater molecular weight. Plasma-treated zirconium oxide powder can improve the tensile strength of self-curing PMMA bone cement
Quantitative Assessment of Controllability during the Design of a Ternary System with Two Recycle Streams

In a previous paper (Elliott and Luyben, 1995), we outlined a generic methodology called the capacity-based economic approach that can be used to compare or screen preliminary plant designs by quantifying both steady-state economics and dynamic controllability. The method provides an analysis tool that explicitly considers variability in product quality. A simple reactor/stripper recycle system was used to demonstrate the method. In this paper, we consider a more complex recycle system consisting of a reactor and two distillation columns. The process was first studied in Tyreus and Luyben (1993). The method is used to compare alternative flow sheets, alternative choices of design parameters, and alternative plantwide control structures.
Fumarate reductase and succinate dehydrogenase activities in bivalve mollusks and brachiopods

Abstract 1. 1. Fumarate reductase (FR) and succinate dehydrogenase (SD) activities of six species of marine bivalve mollusks and two species of lingulid brachiopods were determined by standard methods at pH 7·4 and 25°. 2. 2. Tissue homogenates of four species of mollusks and both species of brachiopods, all burrowing forms, catalyzaed succinate oxidation from two to seven times as rapidly as fumarate reduction, while in two sessile bivalves the ratio of activities SD/FR was less than 1. 3. 3. The oyster, Crassostrea virginica, had the least SD and most FR activity of the species examined, which was in accordance with its ability to form malate by carbon dioxide fixation and reduce it rapidly to succinate.
Assessment of pain relief provided by interscalene regional block and infusion pump after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of interscalene regional blocks and infusion pumps for postoperative pain control after arthroscopic subacromial decompression with or without arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Methods: Seventy-six patients were included in the prospective study. Participants were randomized into 4 treatment groups: (1) interscalene regional block, (2) infusion pump with 0.5% bupivacaine, (3) interscalene block combined with an infusion pump containing 0.5% bupivacaine, and (4) interscalene block combined with an infusion pump containing 0.9% saline solution. The interscalene regional block was performed with a nerve stimulator. Infusion pump catheters were positioned in the subacromial space. Visual analog scale (VAS) data were collected preoperatively, at 1 and 2 hours postoperatively, and daily for an additional 6 days postoperatively. An analysis of variance with a Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc test was used to identify statistically significant ( P 2 analysis. Results: Significant differences were noted in VAS scores postoperatively. Group 2 (pump only) had significantly higher scores than all other groups for the first 2 hours. Furthermore, group 4 (block and pump filled with saline solution) had significantly lower VAS scores than group 1 (block only) at 1 hour. This difference was no longer significant by the second hour. The percentage of patients who required oral narcotics or intravenous pain medication was significantly larger for group 2 than for the other groups. Conclusions: The interscalene regional block provided more pain relief than infusion pumps immediately after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Infusion pumps did not significantly reduce pain levels after the blocks wore off. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative therapeutic study.
SITUATIONAL CONTEXT OF EDUCATION: A WINDOW INTO THE WORLD OF BILINGUAL LEARNERS

SITUATIONAL CONTEXT OF EDUCATION: A WINDOW INTO THE WORLD OF BILINGUAL LEARNERS. Maria Estela Brisk, Angela Burgos, and Sara Ruth Hamerla. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2004. Pp. vii + 246. $24.50 paper.In this volume, Brisk, Burgos, and Hamerla offer educators of language-minority students assistance in addressing two perennial challenges: linking sociolinguistic theory and research to classroom practice and strengthening connections between home and school. Their offering comes as a collection of thoughtfully crafted, tested, and honed lesson plans through which teachers and students together study the linguistic, cultural, economic, political, and social factors that affect students and their learning in a bilingual and bicultural environment. They propose that close examination of the situational context of education in one's own community will benefit students, their families, and their teachers and, ultimately, promote learning.
The Serpin Shield

Even after successful treatment of primary cancers, 35% of lung and 25% of breast cancers will metastasize to the brain. It takes only a few cancer cells to travel through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system and lodge in the brain, forming remote tumors. How do metastatic lung and breast cancer
Small amplitude limit of the time dependent density matrix theory

The small amplitude limit of the time-dependent density-matrix theory, which is an extension of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory, is presented. Its relation to other theories i.e. the random phase approximation (RPA), the second RPA and the shell model is discussed. It is found that the small amplitude limit is a generalization of these theories.
Persistence of trace metals in shallow arctic marine sediments contaminated by drilling effluents

Abstract Offshore oil exploration activity usually requires the discharge of drilling muds and formation cuttings into adjacent waters or on ice above these waters. Although dispersal of these muds is well documented in marine environments of moderate to high energy, the fate of drilling muds in shallow, low-energy Arctic environments has received little attention. This study focused on three drilling effluent disposal sites around Stefansson Sound in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. All sites were in shallow (less than 5 m), low-energy marine environments. Sediment concentrations of six metals often present in drilling effluents (aluminum, arsenic, barium, chromium, lead and zinc) were examined. Metal concentrations obtained from replicate grab samples along 100 m transects were compared with those taken at four shallow-water offshore island control sites, and with data from other studies. The results indicate persistence of barium, chromium, lead and zinc at certain stations at all three discharge sites, and elevated concentrations of aluminum at one of the three sites when sampled 2–4 years after the discharges. Metal concentrations, when elevated, were typically highest near the discharge points, continued in the direction of wind-induced longshore transport, and generally diminished with distance from the discharge site. However, distributions displayed some patchiness indicative of in place melting of ice-rafted muds or reworking of sediments by currents or icegouging. Further work will be needed to evaluate the biological impacts of drilling effluents. However, the slow dispersal of these materials suggests there is a need for closer evaluation of drilling effluent persistence problems at shallow, lowenergy locations in the Beaufort Sea.
Calcineurin sets the bandwidth for discrimination of signals during thymocyte development

At critical times in development, cells are able to convert graded signals into discrete developmental outcomes; however, the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. During thymocyte development, cell fate is determined by signals originating from the alphabeta T-cell receptor. Low-affinity/avidity interactions between the T-cell receptor and peptide-MHC complexes direct differentiation to the single-positive stage (positive selection), whereas high-affinity/avidity interactions induce death by apoptosis (negative selection). Here we show that mice deficient in both calcineurin and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)c2/c3 lack a population of preselection thymocytes with enhanced ability to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (Raf-MEK-ERK) pathway, and fail to undergo positive selection. This defect can be partially rescued with constitutively active Raf, indicating that calcineurin controls MAPK signalling. Analysis of mice deficient in both Bim (which is required for negative selection) and calcineurin revealed that calcineurin-induced ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) sensitization is required for differentiation in response to 'weak' positive selecting signals but not in response to 'strong' negative selecting signals (which normally induce apoptosis). These results indicate that early calcineurin/NFAT signalling produces a developmental period of ERK hypersensitivity, allowing very weak signals to induce positive selection. This mechanism might be generally useful in the discrimination of graded signals that induce different cell fates.
SU-FF-T-33: A Periodic Machine QA Program for Proton Therapy

Purpose: To systematically investigate the contents and frequencies of periodic proton therapy system (PTS) quality assurance tests Method and Materials: With the recent and planned opening of multiple new proton therapy centers in the US, experiences on a complete periodic QA program for PTS are urgently needed to ensure the safe and accurate delivery of this advanced radiation therapy technique. There has been no literature in this aspect for proton therapy. A PTS is a complex radiotherapy machine, with design and controls significantly different from conventional LINACs. We have established such a program, including daily, weekly, and monthly QA tests, based on our experiences of the past 6 months of proton therapy system QA and treatment delivery. This program incorporates fundamental concepts recommended by the AAPM TG40 report, and adapts them to our particular PTS. Results: Our periodic QA tests have demonstrated high consistency and reproducibility of PTS performance, in the areas of dosimetry, localization system, safety systems, and mechanical systems. These tests have identified two system component failures/degradations that may significantly impact treatment delivery accuracy. Conclusion: A program of periodic QA tests for PTS allows confidence in its highly accurate and reproducible performance, and serves to identify either system failures or performance degradation.
Minimally Invasive Parylene Dual-Valved Flow Drainage Shunt for Glaucoma Implant

A parylene-enabled microvalved shunt implant for glaucoma drainage is presented in this paper. Enabled by the dual-checkvalve operation, this device can physically drain the extra intraocular fluid and regulate the intraocular pressure (IOP) within the normal range (15-20 mmHg). Improved surgical features, in addition to the functional/microfluidic components, such as parylene-tube carrier and anchors, are also incorporated in such device to realize minimally invasive suture-less implantation, suitable for practical in vivo use. With the optimized micromachining and post-fabrication process procedures, the developed implant is the first checkvalved glaucoma drainage device (GDD), which is passive, consumes no additional power, and functions without any circuit involved to pursue its medical application.
The politics of obesity: a current assessment and look ahead.

Context: The continuing rise in obesity rates across the United States has proved impervious to clinical treatment or public health exhortation, necessitating policy responses. Nearly a decade's worth of political debates may be hardening into an obesity issue regime, comprising established sets of cognitive frames, stakeholders, and policy options. Methods: This article is a survey of reports on recently published studies. Findings: Much of the political discussion regarding obesity is centered on two “frames,” personal-responsibility and environmental, yielding very different sets of policy responses. While policy efforts at the federal level have resulted in little action to date, state and/or local solutions such as calorie menu labeling and the expansion of regulations to reduce unhealthy foods at school may have more impact. Conclusions: Obesity politics is evolving toward a relatively stable state of equilibrium, which could make comprehensive reforms to limit rising obesity rates less feasible. Therefore, to achieve meaningful change, rapid-response research identifying a set of promising reforms, combined with concerted lobbying action, will be necessary.
Dynamic spectrum access in WLAN channels: empirical model and its stochastic analysis

In this work we are concerned with dynamically sharing the spectrum in the time-domain by exploiting whitespace between the bursty transmissions of a primary user, represented by an 802.11b-based wireless LAN (WLAN). For deriving such schemes we need to establish a model of the WLAN's medium access as to predict its behavior accurately. Moreover, a balance between accuracy and complexity needs to be struck as to render the model useful in practice. We emphasize that our model is based on actual measurements at 2.4GHz using a vector signal analyzer.We have shown previously that a semi-Markov model is a viable approach for modeling the busy/idle durations. In the present paper we extend our results by (i) expanding the measurement setup and looking at more realistic traffic scenarios, (ii) providing a better approximation to the distribution of the idle durations, and (iii) fitting a phasetype approximation to arrive at a computationally simpler description. The goodness-of-fit of the proposed models is evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.
The disruption of polyribosomes by sonication

Abstract Polyribosomes are disrupted by sonication with three distinct products formed. These are: 1. 1. 60-S and 40-S subunits. 2. 2. 76-S monomeric ribosomes which are dissociated at high ionic strength. 3. 3. 76-S monomeric ribosomes which are stable at high ionic strength. Increasing the time of sonication increases the amount of such products formed but the ratio of amounts of the different products remains relatively constant.
Do-It-Yourself Deathscape The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in South Florida

In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, with the wheels of federal relief turning ever so slowly, President George Bush arrived in Florida and told people that it was a bad idea to "play the blame game." In one respect, Newsweek reported, everyone could agree with the president. "Andrew was what the insurance companies call 'an act of God,' a happening for which no mere human can be held to account." And yet the blame game continued, with angry politicians demanding more and faster federal relief aid, second-guessing the level of community preparedness, and intimating that someone should have forecast the hurricane earlier. Unable to stomach any more finger-pointing, the author Glenn Garvin of Coral Gables wrote in an op-ed piece for the New York Times that "the hysterical hunt for the guilty in the wake of a natural disaster seems to be a peculiarly American phenomenon.", This statement implied that it would be better to adopt a calmer approach to the disaster, to take it in stride, perhaps to see it as an act of God or nature. In such a view, there is no need to play the blame game because no one could be held responsible for the disaster. Yet the question persists: Who or what was really responsible for the 1992 hurricane disaster in south Florida? Was it all or mostly the fault of nature or God? Obviously, the hurricane itself, which triggered the destruction, was a natural event. Or was it? Newsweek, as indicated above, declared the hurricane "an act of God." But in a brief sidebar, the magazine noted that human-induced global warming may have helped to increase the intensity of the storm. Evidently, Andrew was a postmodern disaster, without any single, definitive cause. Still, given the relative positioning of the two articles and the way the magazine underscored the storm as an act of God, the editors were clearly more impressed with the naturalness of the event.2 The opinions of Newsweek's editors aside, there is no questioning the role that human social and economic forces-poorly enforced building codes, low federal standards for mobile homes, eviscerated zoning laws-played in the calamity. Most students of natural disaster would agree that events like Hurricane Andrew
Los torturadores medicos: medical collusion with human rights abuses in Argentina, 1976-1983.

Medical collaboration with authoritarian regimes historically has served to facilitate the use of torture as a tool of repression and to justify atrocities with the language of public health. Because scholarship on medicalized killing and biomedicalist rhetoric and ideology is heavily focused on Nazi Germany, this article seeks to expand the discourse to include other periods in which medicalized torture occurred, specifically in Argentina from 1976 to 1983, when the country was ruled by the Proceso de Reorganizacion Nacional military regime. The extent to which medical personnel embedded themselves within the Proceso regime’s killing apparatus has escaped full recognition by both scholars and human rights activists. This article reconstructs the narrative of the Proceso’s human rights abuses to argue that health professionals knowingly and often enthusiastically facilitated, oversaw, and participated in every phase of the “disappearance,” torture, and mass murder process.
Modifiable lifestyle factors associated with metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis.

Summary Background. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which is associated with obesity and with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Aim. To evaluate modifiable lifestyle factors including stress level, physical activity and nutrition, which may be associated with metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis. Methods. In total, 65 patients with psoriasis and 52 control subjects from our university dermatology clinic were enrolled in this case–control pilot study. The study questionnaire included the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) and the Rapid Eating Assessment for patients (REAP). For subjects with psoriasis, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was measured. Results. Subjects with psoriasis (mean BMI 27.72) displayed a trend towards a higher BMI compared with controls (mean BMI 25.67). Subjects with psoriasis were not found to have an increased prevalence of self-reported metabolic syndrome-associated diseases including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension or stroke compared with controls (P = 0.25, P = 0.46, P = 0.96, P = 0.26, and P = 0.16, respectively). There was no significant difference in exercise or stress between patients with psoriasis and controls (P = 0.06 and P = 0.26, respectively). However, compared with controls, subjects with psoriasis (mean REAP score = 2.23) did report poorer overall nutrition as assessed by the REAP score (mean = 2.38, P < 0.01). Among subjects with psoriasis, the factors of stress, smoking and systemic therapy were associated with increased PASI (r = 0.13, r = 3.47 and r = 3.19, respectively). Conclusions. Our study suggests that poor dietary and exercise habits may be factors contributing to obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with psoriasis. Further studies with larger numbers are needed to confirm these results.
Current Issues in the Diagnosis and Management of Malingering

Malingering is a diagnosis that is frequently avoided by physicians. When there is a claim of symptoms or diseases that either are exaggerated or do not exist, the diagnosis of malingering should be entertained. Malingering is associated with a conscious intent to deceive in order to obtain a known gain. Psychoanalytical, criteria-based (DSM-IV) and 'adaptational' models have been advanced to explain malingering. The differential diagnosis of malingering includes factitious disorder, the somatoform disorders, the dissociative disorders, and specific medical conditions without somatoform disorder. Upon consideration of the differential diagnosis, confirmation of the suspicion of malingering is still required in order to make the diagnosis. Confirmation can be achieved by observation or by inferential methods. Observation can be employed with controlled environment observation or with covert, 'real-world' surveillance; inference may involve primary and/or secondary source information. It may be concluded that a greater attempt should be made to identify this diagnosis, as the cost of malingering to society is considerable.
A Mutator Transposon Insertion Is Associated With Ectopic Expression of a Tandemly Repeated Multicopy Myb Gene pericarp color1 of Maize

The molecular basis of tissue-specific pigmentation of maize carrying a tandemly repeated multicopy allele of pericarp color1 (p1) was examined using Mutator (Mu) transposon-mediated mutagenesis. The P1-wr allele conditions a white or colorless pericarp and a red cob glumes phenotype. However, a Mu-insertion allele, designated as P1-wr-mum6, displayed an altered phenotype that was first noted as occasional red stripes on pericarp tissue. This gain-of-pericarp-pigmentation phenotype was heritable, yielding families that displayed variable penetrance and expressivity. In one fully penetrant family, deep red pericarp pigmentation was observed. Several reports on Mu suppressible alleles have shown that Mu transposons can affect gene expression by mechanisms that depend on transposase activity. Conversely, the P1-wr-mum6 phenotype is not affected by transposase activity. The increased pigmentation was associated with elevated mRNA expression of P1-wr-mum6 copy (or copies) that was uninterrupted by the transposons. Genomic bisulfite sequencing analysis showed that the elevated expression was associated with hypomethylation of a floral-specific enhancer that is ∼4.7 kb upstream of the Mu1 insertion site and may be proximal to an adjacent repeated copy. We propose that the Mu1 insertion interferes with the DNA methylation and related chromatin packaging of P1-wr, thereby inducing expression from gene copy (or copies) that is otherwise suppressed.
Perturbative Lorentz and CPT violation for neutrino and antineutrino oscillations

The effects of perturbative Lorentz and CPT violation on neutrino oscillations are studied. Features include neutrino-antineutrino oscillations, direction dependence, and unconventional energy behavior. Leading-order corrections arising from renormalizable operators are derived in the general three-flavor effective field theory. The results are applied to neutrino-beam experiments with long baselines, which offer excellent sensitivity to the accompanying effects. Key signatures of Lorentz and CPT violation using neutrino beams include sidereal variations in the oscillation probabilities arising from the breakdown of rotational symmetry, and CPT asymmetries comparing neutrino and antineutrino modes. Attainable sensitivities to coefficients for Lorentz violation are estimated for several existing and future experiments.
Anatomy of a graduate ubiquitous/pervasive computing course

We present the experience in designing and teaching a graduate level ubiquitous computing (Ubicomp) course at Arizona State University. It identifies some of the challenges in teaching an Ubicomp course and presents some solutions. This course was designed for students with no prior exposure to Ubicomp or experience in human computer interaction; and to have minimal overlap with a mobile computing course. Both anonymous end-of-semester and openly solicited feedback indicate that the class was successful in conveying the vision, challenges, and techniques of Ubicomp to a majority of students.
Early, Staged Reconstruction in Young Women with Severe Breast Asymmetry

Abstract Study Objective To retrospectively examine a cohort of young women with severe hypoplasia or asymmetric breast development who underwent breast reconstruction with tissue expansion and to determine complication rates as well as patient satisfaction. Design Chart review. Setting The University of Michigan Hospital, a tertiary care center. Participants Women less than 25 years of age who underwent staged breast reconstruction with a tissue expander between 1998 and 2006. Main Outcome Measures Complication rate and patient satisfaction. Results The mean age of patients undergoing the procedure was 18.1 years (range 14-25 years). Of 10 patients with recorded tobacco use, 8 (80%) were noted to be nonsmokers. One of 14 patients (7.1%) was found to have a minor complication (cellulitis), and 2 of 14 (14.2%) were found to have major complications. Of the 13 patients who had at least 6 weeks of follow-up after completion of their reconstruction, 10 were subjectively documented as pleased with the result, 2 records made no mention of patient satisfaction, and 1 patient had concerns regarding her results. Conclusion Our study shows promising results for the use of tissue expanders in young women with significant breast asymmetry or unilateral/bilateral micromastia. The very important issues of short-term and long-term satisfaction and outcomes needs further study before advocating an early approach to teens with breast deformities.
Development of time domain vector generalized finite element method

Vector generalized finite element method (VGFEM) has been successfully applied for solving many electromagnetic (EM) problems in the frequency domain [1] – [3]. VGFEM is a powerful technique as it permits flexibility in the choice of basis functions, use of mixed polynomial orders, use of mixed basis functions in EM simulations, and inclusion of physics in solution space. In this paper, we develop a time domain VGFEM (TD-VGFEM) technique in order to use all these appealing features of the method in the solution of transient EM problems. Detailed bilinear formulation of TD-VGFEM is given for different boundary conditions. Temporal convergence and spatial convergence of the method are shown.