cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 295: Proteomic Profiling of Changes at Active Polysomes That Occur as a Response to Ischemic Injury and Reperfusion of the Heart

Introduction: Heart ischemic injury and subsequent reperfusion activate dynamic changes in protein expression that, we hypothesize, are regulated by alternative mechanism at active polysomes. Since...
P-31 The art of stimulating conversation

Rationale In our society people are fearful of illness, death and bereavement and find it difficult to talk about these issues. Research indicates that having positive and honest conversations about these topics improves people’s experience of these events when they occur in their life. Aim To stimulate people in our community to have open, positive conversations about illness, death and bereavement Method Successful bid for a project manager to run a pilot in 2017. Research into how to encourage conversations about difficult topics. Invited participation from; community groups, schools, colleges, universities, care homes, and youth groups. Held a workshop explaining the aim of the project. Provided art materials donated free of charge by a local supplier. Provided interim support visit. Held exhibitions of work produced in the community and at the hospice during Dying Matters Week. Evaluation of impact. Reach and impact of the project expanded to care homes, universities and high schools in 2018. Investment one day a week for one member of staff. Results Workshops provided to 187 participants 944 people attended the exhibitions Significant increase in the percentage of people thinking about and having conversations about illness, death and bereavement Partnership working with local community increasing awareness of the hospice and services Production of amazing art and performance that has demonstrated impact Income generation through donations at exhibitions Access to free art materials for project and hospice services Donation of art work for the hospice environment DVD of performances to inform education Representatives accessing bereavement education provided by the hospice. Conclusion The Arts provide a valuable opportunity to work with communities to stimulate conversations about illness, death and bereavement and establish mutually beneficial links between the hospice and our community. This project is fun, rewarding and easily replicated in other communities.
The visceral remains: revealing the human desire for performance through personal narratives of Alzheimer’s Disease*

ABSTRACTThrough analyzing the narratives of two elders experiencing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as personal performances of identity, this essay explores repetition in interpersonal interactions beyon...
Deception Induced Confession: Strategies of Police Interrogators and Their Lay Collaborators

Police interrogation is a highly scripted process in which every statement and action is designed to contribute to the illusion that confessing is in the suspect’s best interest. Police also interrogate by proxy: using lay collaborators to elicit confessions from friends, family, fellow criminals or prisoners, and even strangers. In turn, deceptive strategies target judges and juries to convey the impression that the confession is both true (to ensure conviction) and voluntary (to ensure the confession is admitted as evidence). This chapter reviews these deceptive processes.
Znf703 is a novel RA target in the neural plate border

Znf703 is an RAR- and Wnt-inducible transcription factor that exhibits a complex expression pattern in the developing embryo: Znf703 mRNA is found in the early circumblastoporal ring, then later throughout the neural plate and its border, and subsequently in the mid/hindbrain and somites. We show that Znf703 has a different and separable function in early mesoderm versus neural crest and placode development. Independent of its early knockdown phenotype on Gdf3 and Wnt8, Znf703 disrupts patterning of distinct neural crest migratory streams normally delineated by Sox10, Twist, and Foxd3 and inhibits otocyst formation and otic expression of Sox10 and Eya1. Furthermore, Znf703 promotes massive overgrowth of SOX2+ cells, disrupting the SoxB1 balance at the neural plate border. Despite prominent expression in other neural plate border-derived cranial and sensory domains, Znf703 is selectively absent from the otocyst, suggesting that Znf703 must be specifically cleared or down-regulated for proper otic development. We show that mutation of the putative Groucho-repression domain does not ameliorate Znf703 effects on mesoderm, neural crest, and placodes. We instead provide evidence that Znf703 requires the Buttonhead domain for transcriptional repression.
Preclassic ceramic economy in Belize: neutron activation analysis at Cahal Pech

This study uses neutron activation analysis of ceramics to examine economic change and increasing social complexity at the Preclassic Maya site of Cahal Pech in Belize (1200 cal BC–cal AD 300). Seven compositional groups were identified from the site's civic-ceremonial centre and two peripheral residential groups. Analyses indicate that both utilitarian and non-utilitarian ceramics were locally produced as early as 1200 cal BC, and that by c. 700 cal BC, fineware vessels were being exported into neighbouring parts of Guatemala. These results provide direct evidence for economic interaction between Maya lowland communities and for their increasing socio-political complexity.
A Survey of Sound-based Biometrics used in Species Recognition

Preserving animals and, in particular, endangered animals is of paramount importance which is pointed out by environmentalists, biologists and other life scientists frequently. In tracking and monitoring such animals, people often use visual clues such as shape, color and physical attributes to search for species of interest. Such clues while useful, may prove ineffective at times due to weather condition, pollution and other natural phenomena that may impair the acquisition of a clear image/video. This paper focuses on developing audio signatures based on sounds made by animals of interest and utilizing these signatures to locate and track such animals. The problem addressed here may be viewed as a behavioral biometrics problem as the goal here is to automate classification/identification of species based on their audio signatures. Here, the theoretical basis for developing a species recognition system using the sound produced by such species is addressed. Acquisition of sound data, preprocessing, filtering and finally classification of such data are described in detail.
Patterns of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Old Age and Survival and Health Status at 90

BACKGROUND The population age 90 years and older is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Only recently is it possible to study the factors that portend survival to this age. METHODS Among participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study, we studied the association of repeated measures of cardiovascular risk factors measured over 15-23 years of follow-up and not only survival to 90 years of age, but also healthy aging outcomes among the population who reached age 90. We included participants aged 67-75 years at baseline (n = 3,613/5,888) to control for birth cohort effects, and followed participants until death or age 90 (median follow-up = 14.7 years). RESULTS Higher systolic blood pressure was associated with a lower likelihood of survival to age 90, although this association was attenuated at older ages (p-value for interaction <.001) and crossed the null for measurements taken in participants' 80's. Higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with greater longevity. Among the survivors to age 90, those with worse cardiovascular profile (high blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, glucose, and BMI; low HDL cholesterol) had lower likelihood of remaining free of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and disability. CONCLUSION In summary, we observed paradoxical associations between some cardiovascular risk factors and survival to old age; whereas, among those who survive to very old age, these risk factors were associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes.
Ultra-high silicon doped N-polar GaN contact layers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

We report thin high quality n+ type doped N-polar GaN contact layers grown using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition with carrier concentration as high as 3.5×1020 cm-3 and an electron mobility of 80 cm2V-1s-1 at room temperature resulting in a low sheet resistance of 57.3 Ω/ and specific contact resistance of 1.7×10-7 Ωcm2. These results were obtained via silicon doping of (000-1) N-polar GaN grown on 4o miscut sapphire substrates using a flow modulation growth scheme at a deposition temperature of 850 oC.
Histologic hypercellularity in a biopsied normal parathyroid gland does not correlate with hyperfunction in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract Background About 15% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have multiglandular disease, thus during resection of an apparent single adenoma, a visibly normal parathyroid may be identified and biopsied. Using long-term biochemical follow-up, we examined whether normal parathyroid hypercellularity correlates with multiglandular disease or primary hyperparathyroidism recurrence. Methods We reviewed all patients who from 2001 to 2015 had an initial operation for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism with removal of 1 gland, routine normal parathyroid biopsy, intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring, and follow-up of ≥3 years. Recurrence was defined by hypercalcemia after documented cure at 6 months, and hypercellularity by standard histologic criteria. Results Of 134 patients with mean follow-up of 9.4 years (range, 3.1−15.9), 132 (98.5%) exhibited cure at 6 months. Two had initial failure, and 8 of 132 (6.1%) developed recurrent hyperparathyroidism (mean 5.8 y, range 4−10.6). The normal parathyroid was hypercellular in 14 of 132 (10.6%) of the cured patients, and this rate did not differ for those with long-term cure (12/124, 9.7%) versus recurrence (2/8, 25%, P = .2). The positive predictive value of normal parathyroid hypercellularity for recurrence was low (14.3%), and the negative predictive value of normal parathyroid normocellularity was high (94.9%). Conclusion During the initial operation for primary hyperparathyroidism, 10% of normal parathyroids are hypercellular, but this does not signify missed multiglandular disease. In contrast, normal parathyroid normocellularity has high predictive value for durable cure (95%), slightly better than visual identification of a second normal parathyroid (94%).
U-Net and Its Variants for Medical Image Segmentation: A Review of Theory and Applications

U-net is an image segmentation technique developed primarily for image segmentation tasks. These traits provide U-net with a high utility within the medical imaging community and have resulted in extensive adoption of U-net as the primary tool for segmentation tasks in medical imaging. The success of U-net is evident in its widespread use in nearly all major image modalities, from CT scans and MRI to X-rays and microscopy. Furthermore, while U-net is largely a segmentation tool, there have been instances of the use of U-net in other applications. Given that U-net’s potential is still increasing, this narrative literature review examines the numerous developments and breakthroughs in the U-net architecture and provides observations on recent trends. We also discuss the many innovations that have advanced in deep learning and discuss how these tools facilitate U-net. In addition, we review the different image modalities and application areas that have been enhanced by U-net.
The impact of interprofessional simulation on readiness for interprofessional learning in health professions students

Abstract Healthcare does not occur in a silo and yet healthcare education remains fractured into individual disciplines. This isolated curricular methodology does not represent the intricate interprofessional environment that healthcare providers are required to thrive in post-graduation. Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been identified as a crucial stratagem for creating effective collaborative healthcare teams. The purpose of this research project was to create an interprofessional education (IPE) simulation that represents the current collaborative healthcare practice environment. Medical students, Physicians Assistant's students and Nursing students from different educational institutes participated in a patient simulation using the Situation Background Assessment and Recommendation communication framework (SBAR). The design of this study was a one-group comparative, quasi-experimental, quantitative pilot study. The study employed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) in a pre-and-post questionnaire to measure readiness for IPE simulation and student attitudes. Attitude toward collaboration has been found to positively influence care team collaboration, which can positively affect patient outcomes. The sample population (n=45) included the second-year associate degree nursing students, first-year medical students, and first-year physician assistant students. The results of this study indicated that the implementation and participation in an interprofessional communication simulation had a positive effect on readiness and attitudes.
Optimizing Internal Overlaps by Self-Adjusting Resource Allocation in Multi-Stage Computing Systems

With the rise of big data, more and more users will launch computing systems to process a large volume of data in various applications. A Scheduling algorithm is crucial to the performance of the processing platforms, especially when they are concurrently executing a batch of jobs. Such jobs usually represent multiple stages. Each stage produces the intermediate data which will be piped to the next stage for further processing. However, the scheduling problem in a big data computing system is different from the traditional multi-stage job scheduling problem as for any two consecutive stages, the later stage usually starts before the former stage is finished to “shuffle” the intermediate data. In this paper, we consider MapReduce/Hadoop as a representative computing system and develop a new strategy named OMO, Optimize MapReduce Overlap with a Good Start (Reduce) and a Good Finish (Map). A MapReduce job contains two consecutive phases: map and reduce. Our general target is to optimize the internal overlap between these two phases. There are two new techniques included in our solution, Lazy start of reduce tasks and Batch finish of map tasks, which aim to approach an effective alignment of the two phases based on the characteristics of the MapReduce process. OMO has been implemented on the Hadoop system with extensive experiments for performance evaluation. The results show that OMO’s performance is superior in terms of total completion time (i.e., makespan) of a batch of jobs.
Getting out the Black Vote in Washington DC: A Field Experiment

Scholars and practitioners have long understood the importance of mobilization for increasing voter turnout, particularly the power of personal contact to increase voter participation in low-propen...
WAVE RESISTANCE AND WAVE PATTERNS OF THIN SHIPS

The wave resistance R and wave height h(x,z) are evaluated asymptotically for small Froude number F = U(gl)-1/2 for a slender hull of any shape. Michell's theory for a thin ship of length L moving with constant speed U along a straight line is the starting point. It is found that asymptotically R and h depend only upon four properties of the ship -- the slope of the hull and the slope of the profile curve of the hull at the waterline at bow and stern. Simple formulas are obtained for R and h in terms of these slopes. The wave pattern consists of four waves -- a longitudinal and a transverse wave from the bow and a similar pair from the stern. Their phases are the same as those of Kelvin waves due to pressure points at the bow and stern, and they also decay with distance like cylindrical waves. However, their amplitudes have different angular variations from those of Kelvin waves.
All-count reconstruction: Effects of energy band width

1503 Objectives To quantify the effects of energy band width on estimation task performance using all-count reconstruction (ACR) in SPECT. Methods ACR uses all events detected in a defined energy band, by modeling all orders of Compton scatter interactions in the projector and backprojector. The energy band is divided into several energy windows, and projection and backprojection are performed separately for each energy window using an iterative approach. Attenuation, detector response, and detector energy resolution are modeled. The computing requirements depend critically on the width of the energy band, as inclusion of lower-energy data requires modeling of higher orders of scatter. Wider energy bands can, potentially, yield lower image noise, as even multiply scattered photons carry some information. We evaluated the effects of energy band width on estimation task performance by simulating, using SIMSET, very high-count projections of a 10-cm-diameter sphere containing a 1-cm-diameter higher-activity sphere, and calculating the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) on estimation of activity within the smaller sphere. Results Inclusion of photons detected with energies down to 120 keV significantly improves the precision. Further improvement, but at a moderate level, can be gained by including photons in the energy band 120-70 keV. Photons below 70keV improve precision only marginally and probably should not be used in ACR. Conclusions Our data suggest that inclusion of higher-order scattered photons in ACR improves the precision with which activity can be estimated. However, the wider the band, the more complex and time-consuming the reconstruction. This trade-off, as well as the feasibility of achieving the CRB using ACR, will be studied in future work. Research Support This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health under Grant R01 EB000802 and R21 CA123057 and American Heart Association, Scientist Development Grant, Grant 0735328N.
Chapter IX Biotyping and Serotyping of Pasteurella haemolytica

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the procedure for the biotyping and serotyping of Pasteurella haemolytica . The genus Pasteurella consists of pleomorphic, gram-negative, nonmotile rods, characterized by a fermentative carbohydrate metabolism. Being oxidase positive, they are readily differentiated from members of Enterobacteriaceae , to which the same description applies. They grow poorly or not at all on the usual selective plating media for enteric organisms. In triple-sugar-iron agar (TSI), they produce acidity throughout, without gas or hydrogen sulfide formation, a reaction not typical of Enterobacteriaceae , except certain yersinias, which are further distinguishable from Pasteurella species by being motile and growing freely on MacConkey agar. P. haemolytica is most readily distinguished from P. multocida by its failure to produce indole and its production of a usually narrow haemolytic zone, sometimes no bigger than the colony itself, on bovine or ovine blood agar. Typing, both in the cultural and serological sense has served as a useful tool in the search for an understanding of diseases related to P. haemolytica .
Diferuloylmethane suppresses the inflammatory response that mediates type 1 diabetes development (BA3P.133)

Because of their various immune defects including the excess production of proinflammatory cytokines by dendritic cells (DC), non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice provide a powerful model to understand type 1 diabetes. Diferuloylmethane (cucurmin), a natural phenol chemical isolated from the plant Curcuma longa (turmeric), is believed to be anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to ameliorate autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease in human and/or animal models. We have, therefore, examined the effects of diferuloylmethane on the inflammatory response leading to type I diabetes. We have found that DC from NOD mice produce decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-12, following treatment with diferuloylmethane in vitro. More importantly, diferuloylmethane-treated NOD DC induce fewer IFNγ-producing T cells, shown to be responsible for beta islet destruction. Cell viability was not affected by treatment with diferuloylmethane as shown by 7AAD labeling. Finally, T cells from the spleens of NOD mice treated in vivo with diferuloylmethane for several weeks produced significantly less IFNγ. Overall, our data show that diferuloylmethane suppresses in vitro and in vivo the differentiation of inflammatory cells involved in type 1 diabetes development. Diferuloylmethane may, therefore, have therapeutic potentials for preventing the development of type 1 diabetes.
How Abe Lincoln Lost the Black Vote: Lincoln and Emancipation in the African American Mind

No other American president has wielded the power of words with greater skill than Abraham Lincoln. "No one can read Mr. Lincoln's state papers without perceiving in them a most remarkable facility of 'putting things' so as to command the attention and assent of the people," wrote Henry J. Raymond, editor of the New York Times in 1864, and Raymond had an editor's unerring eye for this sort of thing. Massachusetts congressman George Boutwell, reminiscing for Allen Thorndike Rice twenty years after Lincoln's death, thought that "Lincoln's fame" would "be carried along the ages" by his writings, and especially the "three great papers ... the proclamation of emancipation, his oration at Gettysburg, and his second inaugural address."
The natural history and treatment of epilepsy in a murine model of tuberous sclerosis.

Summary: Purpose: Patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) often have severe epilepsy that is intractable to available therapies. The development of novel treatments for epilepsy in TSC would benefit greatly from a suitable animal model, but most animal models of TSC to date have few reported neurological abnormalities, such as epilepsy. We previously described a novel model of TSC, due to conditional inactivation of the Tsc1 gene in glia (Tsc1GFAPCKO mice), in which mice develop epilepsy and premature death. Here, we characterize the natural history of the epilepsy in Tsc1GFAPCKO mice in more detail and report acute effects of treatment with standard antiepileptic drugs on seizures in these mice. Methods: Video-EEG recordings were obtained from Tsc1GFAPCKO mice on a weekly basis, starting at 4 weeks of age until death, to monitor progression of interictal EEG abnormalities and seizures. In separate experiments, Tsc1GFAPCKO mice were monitored for interictal EEG abnormalities and seizures before and during treatment with phenobarbital, phenytoin, or saline. Results: Tsc1GFAPCKO mice developed seizures around 4–6 weeks of age and subsequently had progressive worsening of the interictal EEG background and seizure frequency over a month, culminating in death. Treatment with phenobarbital or phenytoin caused a reduction in seizure frequency, but did not improve EEG background or prevent death. Conclusions: Tsc1GFAPCKO mice develop progressive epilepsy. Acute treatment with standard antiepileptic drugs suppresses seizures in these mice, but does not affect long-term prognosis. Tsc1GFAPCKO mice represent a good model to test other drugs that may have true antiepileptogenic actions in TSC.
An algorithm for diagnostic fault simulation

In diagnostic testing faults detectable by test vectors are partitioned into groups. This partitioning is such that a fault is distinguishable from faults in all other groups, but is indistinguishable from those in its own group. Diagnostic fault coverage (DC) is defined as the number of fault groups divided by the total number of faults. We present a new diagnostic fault simulation algorithm that determines the DC of given test vectors and produces a fault dictionary. For each vector, we begin with detected fault list at each primary output obtained from a convetional fault simulator. For the vector being simulated each fault is assigned a detection index that uniquely specifies its detection status at all primary outputs. Fault list is then partitioned. Faults with different detection index are distinguished by the simulated vector and are kept in separate groups. Any fault in a group by itself is dropped from further simulation with subsequent vectors for which its detection index remains unknown (X). After simulation of each vector, the cumulative DC is obtained by counting the fault groups. Fault dictionary syndrome for a fault is the array of its detection indexes.
Using the cloze procedure with computer programs: a deeper look

This paper extends research on the use of the cloze test in the domain of computer software. In this study the cloze blanks were divided for the purposes of analysis into five structural subcategories. The relationships of the total cloze score and the subcategory scores to two criterion test measures were found to be positive, with the strongest and most consistent relationships being found for the variable subcategory. Use of the cloze test for both instructional and assessment purposes was discussed.
Learning Bayesian classification rules through genetic algorithms

The paper surveys the features of an inductive learning environment named DELVAUX that learns prospector. style, Bayesian classification rules from sets of examples. A genetic algorithm approach is used for learning Bayesian rule-sets, in which a population consists of sets of rule-sets that generate offsprings through the exchange of rules, permitting fitter rule-sets to produce offsprings with a higher probability. The various genetic operators of our leazning environment, such crossover, mutation, inversion and selection operators are described. Finally, empirical results we obtained when using the DELVAUX rule learning environment for the classification of Iris flowers, for the classification of edible mushrooms, and for the classification of different kinds of glass are surveyed.
Age, sex and strain differences in activity and habituation in SHR and WKY Rats

The highly inbred strain of Wistar-Kyoto spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and its normotensive, genetic control (WKY) were examined with respect to strain differences in spontaneous activity scores in a novel environment (small activity cage) and in ability to habituate to that environment. These behaviors were examined in experimentally naive rats, 197 SHR and WKY, males and females, at varying ages from 4 to 56 weeks, in order to determine whether there are sex and age differences in addition to the well-known strain differences in these behaviors. Total activity scores, determined in a 15 min test in the activity cage, were higher in SHR than WKY rats; females were significantly more active than males in either strain, and activity scores varied significantly with age both within strains and between strains. Ability to habituate to the test cage was determined by repeating the 15 min activity test at hourly intervals for three additional trials on the same day. The results indicate that the SHR, males and females and at all ages tested, habituate poorly if at all to the test cage as compared with WKY rats. Moreover, despite the variability of baseline activity scores (first trial) observed across ages, sexes and strains, the habituation patterns of either strain remained relatively fixed throughout the first year of life.
Operation Bootstra and NAFTA: Comparing the Social Consequences

This study examines the extent to which Puerto Rico's experience with Operation Boostrap, inaugurated in 1948, can be used to predict the social consequences of NAFTA for Mexico. It finds that Operation Bootstrap accelerated a decline in agricultural employment, growth of the surplus population, and massive emigration to the U.S., effects that are likely to be repeated with NAFTA. The study concludes with a comparative examination of Puerto Rican and Mexican-origin persons in the U.S., finding that while the decision to migrate results in significant improvements in their average economic conditions of life, it also results in significant deteriorations of other social conditions of life.
Brain cell membrane Na+,K+-ATPase activity after inhibition of cerebral nitric oxide synthase by intravenous NG-nitro-L-arginine in newborn piglets

This study investigated the effects of in vivo inhibition of cerebral nitric oxide synthase by intravenous administration of NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA) on the cell membrane Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the cerebral cortex of newborn piglets. NNLA was administered intravenously to 22 piglets at doses of 5 mg/kg (n = 3), 25 (n = 3), 50 (n = 4), 75 (n = 4), and 100 mg/kg (n = 2). Control animals (n = 6) received normal saline only. 90 min after infusion the cerebrum was obtained. The cerebral nitric oxide synthase activity, determined by measuring the conversion of [3H]-L-arginine into [3H]-L-citrulline in the brain homogenate, decreased from 9.1 ± 2.0 pmol/mg protein/min in controls to 1.7 ± 0.6 pmol/mg protein/min after the administration of 75 and 100 mg/kg NNLA. The Na+,K+-ATPase activity was measured in the P2 fraction of cortical tissue homogenate. The Na+, K+-ATPase activity was within the normal range (48.3 ± 4.9 μmol/mg protein/h) up to 75 mg/kg of NNLA. At a dose of NNLA of 100 mg/kg, the Na+,K+-ATPase activity decreased to 31.5 ± 0.7 μmol/mg protein/h (p +,K+-ATPase activity up to a dose of 75 mg/kg. Doses of 100 mg/kg decreased the Na+,K+-ATPase activity, probably by inducing cerebral hypoxia-ischemia.
Aberrant Innate Immune Activation following Tissue Injury Impairs Pancreatic Regeneration

Normal tissue architecture is disrupted following injury, as resident tissue cells become damaged and immune cells are recruited to the site of injury. While injury and inflammation are critical to tissue remodeling, the inability to resolve this response can lead to the destructive complications of chronic inflammation. In the pancreas, acinar cells of the exocrine compartment respond to injury by transiently adopting characteristics of progenitor cells present during embryonic development. This process of de-differentiation creates a window where a mature and stable cell gains flexibility and is potentially permissive to changes in cellular fate. How de-differentiation can turn an acinar cell into another cell type (such as a pancreatic β-cell), or a cell with cancerous potential (as in cases of deregulated Kras activity) is of interest to both the regenerative medicine and cancer communities. While it is known that inflammation and acinar de-differentiation increase following pancreatic injury, it remains unclear which immune cells are involved in this process. We used a combination of genetically modified mice, immunological blockade and cellular characterization to identify the immune cells that impact pancreatic regeneration in an in vivo model of pancreatitis. We identified the innate inflammatory response of macrophages and neutrophils as regulators of pancreatic regeneration. Under normal conditions, mild innate inflammation prompts a transient de-differentiation of acinar cells that readily dissipates to allow normal regeneration. However, non-resolving inflammation developed when elevated pancreatic levels of neutrophils producing interferon-γ increased iNOS levels and the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages. Pancreatic injury improved following in vivo macrophage depletion, iNOS inhibition as well as suppression of iNOS levels in macrophages via interferon-γ blockade, supporting the impairment in regeneration and the development of chronic inflammation arises from aberrant activation of the innate inflammatory response. Collectively these studies identify targetable inflammatory factors that can be used to influence the development of non-resolving inflammation and pancreatic regeneration following injury.
Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy of single ring compounds adsorbed on alumina

Studies of inelastic tunneling spectra of nitro-substituted single aromatic ring compounds have shown a correlation between tunneling mode intensity and orientation of the ring relative to the tunnel junction interface. Details of the adsorption of substituent groups on the alumina barrier can also be deduced from the tunneling spectra. In a series of halogen-substituted benzoic acids where the ring orientation is relatively constant intensity changes for specific modes can be interpreted in terms of changes in the bond character with substitution. Tunneling spectra of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), tetrathiafulvalene-tetracyanoquinodimethane, Li/sup +/(TCNQ)/sup -/, and TCNQ-d/sub 4/ have shown that for all derivatives the ionized form of the molecule is the species adsorbed on the alumina barrier. Analysis of the mode frequencies and intensities suggests that the Raman type of interaction makes dominant contributions to the tunneling intensity in TCNQ derivatives. Comparison of the tunneling intensities to calculated linear electron--phonon coupling constants for the TCNQ molecule shows that the magnitudes of tunneling intensity and coupling constant are correlated and can be identified with modes of the same symmetry.
Quality Management and Manufacturing Performance: Does Success Depend on Firm Culture?

2009_Research Briefs_103 their executives a relatively smaller compensation package. Dey suggests that there is a trade-off between executive compensation and well-structured cor porate governance. Overall, the most efficient governance structures are found in corporations with more agency conflicts. In terms of the impact on financial performance, it has previously been suggested that good corporate governance charac teristics do not affect a firm's financial perfor mance. But previous studies have not discovered any relationship between the number of outside directors and a firm's financial results. In contrast, Dey found a significant relationship between cor porate governance mechanisms and a firm's finan cial performance, depending on the number of agency conflicts present. Put simply, corporations with more agency conflicts benefit financially from incorporating effective governance mecha nisms while corporations with few agency con flicts do not. Dey found that a strong audit com mittee was the only corporate governance feature that affects a firm's financial performance regard less of the number of agency conflicts. This study provides important evidence that corporate governance mechanisms vary across firms due to the number of corporate agency con flicts. Dey's results strongly suggest that political solutions for corporate governance may be harm ful because they will undermine the instinctive tendency of firms to efficiently address the agency conflicts they face. Although these results suggest that firms will naturally address emerging agency conflicts, they do raise some questions. The most important unanswered question is whether the presence of well-structured corporate governance mechanisms is enough to ensure their effective ness. Given the recent corporate governance fail ures, doubt clearly exists about how well these corporate governance mechanisms are working.
SELECTIVE RING C-METHYLATION OF HYDROXYBENZALDEHYDES VIA THEIR MANNICH BASES

Abstract In connection with our synthesis of analogs of serotonin neuro-toxins1 we needed access to 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzaldehyde (1) in quantities. The only previous method for the synthesis of 1 involved conversion of o-vanillin to 2-hydroxy-3-methoxytoluene followed by formylation using CHCl3/NaOH in 12% overall yield. We thought a more efficient process would result if we could introduce a methyl group selectively in the position ortho to the hydroxyl group of vanillin (2). However, no direct and selective method for introducing a methyl group into a benzene ring containing a hydroxyl as well as an aldehyde group has been described in the literature. In this paper we describe the development of a method for the synthesis of 1 from vanillin (2) without requiring the protection of either the hydroxyl or the aldehyde function and demonstrate the generality of such a method.
Comparison of the plaque removal efficacy of a new flossing aid (Quik Floss) to finger flossing.

The purpose of this clinical trial was to compare the effectiveness and safety of a new dental flossing device (Quik Floss) to finger flossing in plaque removal, reduction of gingival inflammation and patient preference. 30 healthy, non-flossing adults with 20 natural teeth, a plaque index (PI) of at least 1.8 and a gingival index (GI) of 1.3 or greater participated in this two-phase crossover design study. Patients were randomly assigned to use either the new flossing device or finger flossing first in the sequence. At baseline, data were collected and patients were given flossing method instructions. The Silness & Loe GI, Quigley-Hein PI, Eastman Bleeding Index (BI) and trauma were assessed at baseline, 15 and 30 days for each treatment period. After the initial 30-day treatment phase, patients were instructed to cease all flossing during a 14-day "washout" period. Subjects were then assigned to the opposite treatment group during the 2nd treatment phase. A 3-factor repeated measures ANOVA analyzed data for differences within and between groups over time. Results revealed statistically significant (p < 0.01) within group improvement in PI, GI, and BI for both treatment groups over time. No statistically significant between group differences were found for either group at any time period. In addition, no significant gingival trauma was recorded and no differences were found between groups. Quik Floss was as effective as finger flossing. Subjects preferred (55%) Quik Floss over finger flossing. In conclusion, Quik Floss is a safe and effective oral hygiene measure for reducing plaque, inflammation and bleeding over time.
Analysis of Complicated Band Spectra with the Aid of Magnetic Rotation Spectra

THE absorption spectra of polyatomic molecules are usually so complicated that an analysis of their rotational fine structure seems impossible. We have therefore tried if the magnetic rotation spectra which are obtained by putting the absorbing gas in a magnetic field between crossed nicols1 will not simplify those spectra sufficiently so that an analysis becomes possible. It was found that with NO2 a remarkable simplification occurred. But in this case also the simplified magnetic rotation spectrum is very complicated and we have not yet succeeded in analysing it, further experimental work under higher dispersion being required before an analysis can be attempted.
Shifts of dilute Pt impurities in amorphous Si by ion irradiation

Abstract Measurements have been made of shifts and broadenings of dilute Pt impurities in amorphous Si, caused by irradiation with heavy ions. The impurities were layers of about 5 A buried at depths of about 500 A. The samples were irradiated at 90 K with Ar, Kr and Xe ions with energies of 110, 40 and 300 keV respectively and analyzed by backscattering spectrometry. Shifts were deduced from changes in the position of the signal from the mixed impurity layer relative to the signal from a second impurity layer buried beyond the range of the incident ions. Broadenings were quantified as half widths deduced from the increases in the variances of the impurity signals. 40 keV Kr ions did not reach the top impurity layer in significant numbers and no shifts or broadenings were observed. 110 keV Ar ions and 300 keV ions mostly penetrated past the shallow impurity layer and caused shifts of the mean of the impurity distribution away from the surface of the sample. The magnitudes were (80±40) A for 5 × 10 16 Ar ions/cm 2 and (110±50) A for 1 × 10 16 Xe ions/cm 2 , and appeared to increase with irradiation fluence. The direction of these shifts is the opposite of that predicted for collisional mixing by recoiling matrix atoms. The squares of the half widths of the profile broadenings were about 50 times greater than those predicted by collisional theory, assuming mixing by matrix recoils is suppressed.
TERP: A Trusted and Energy Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)

Recently, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have emerged to provide a variety of important applications with low cost sensors. The task of the sensors is to collect data and send it to the sink node which delivers the data to a task manager. However, these sensors have limited power and thus limited lifetime. Another important consideration in WSNs is the level of security. Transmitting data from node to another can risk the security of the data. In this paper, we propose a novel trusted and energy efficient routing protocol (TERP) based on the Destination Sequenced Distance Vector Protocol (DSDV). TERP helps to increase the security level in the network and thus avoid any malicious nodes or untrusted nodes. It also reduces the power consumption by using the trust factor. The higher the degree of trust, the less encryption is used which results in less energy. Other factors such as drop ratio, delivery ratio, average delay, and delay jitter are analyzed along a comparison of DSDV protocol with the proposed TERP routing protocol.
Residual Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Viremia in Some Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy Is Dominated by a Small Number of Invariant Clones Rarely Found in Circulating CD4+ T Cells

Antiretroviral therapy can reduce human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viremia to below the detection limit of ultrasensitive clinical assays (50 copies of HIV-1 RNA/ml). However, latent HIV-1 persists in resting CD4+ T cells, and low residual levels of free virus are found in the plasma. Limited characterization of this residual viremia has been done because of the low number of virions per sample. Using intensive sampling, we analyzed residual viremia and compared these viruses to latent proviruses in resting CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood. For each patient, we found some viruses in the plasma that were identical to viruses in resting CD4+ T cells by pol gene sequencing. However, in a majority of patients, the most common viruses in the plasma were rarely found in resting CD4+ T cells even when the resting cell compartment was analyzed with assays that detect replication-competent viruses. Despite the large diversity of pol sequences in resting CD4+ T cells, the residual viremia was dominated by a homogeneous population of viruses with identical pol sequences. In the most extensively studied case, a predominant plasma sequence was also found in analysis of the env gene, and linkage by long-distance reverse transcriptase PCR established that these predominant plasma sequences represented a single predominant plasma virus clone. The predominant plasma clones were released for months to years without evident sequence change. Thus, in some patients on antiretroviral therapy, the major mechanism for residual viremia involves prolonged production of a small number of viral clones without evident evolution, possibly by cells other than circulating CD4+ T cells.
Influence of wave dispersion on vortex pairing in a jet

The geometry of large-scale structures in the turbulent mixing layer of a moderate Reynolds number jet is deduced from measurements of the fluctuating pressure in the hydrodynamic near field. The structures are rings of concentrated vorticity that distort with downstream distance until statistical axisymmetry disappears. The rings are spaced quasi-periodically and coalesce with each other, producing larger spacings. Statistical and flow-visualization techniques are applied to free and forced jets over a range of Reynolds numbers from 5000 to 50,000 to demonstrate that rings of a given spacing do not coalesce with each other until they are far enough downstream that the local mixing layer has attained some critical thickness which scales with the wavelength of the vortex pair. Wave dispersion is evaluated as a plausible mechanism for localizing the coalescences. The central feature of the model is the observation that a shear layer is dispersive to wavelengths much longer than its thickness and nondispersive to shorter waves.
Surgical Management of Women With Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian carcinoma remains a leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Proper treatment of ovarian cancer begins with a thorough staging operation and attempt to totally debulk tumor sites. Despite even maximal surgical efforts, most patients with ovarian cancer require systemic or intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Even though aggressive therapies are effective for the treatment of ovarian cancer, recurrence of the disease is common and often necessitates salvage surgical procedures and chemotherapy.
Concurrent structural fat grafting and carbon dioxide laser resurfacing for perioral and lower face rejuvenation.

AbstractObjective: To quantitatively evaluate a dual-modality treatment that combines autologous structural fat grafting and carbon dioxide (CO2) laser resurfacing for perioral and lower face rejuvenation. Method: Retrospective review of patients undergoing rejuvenation by a single surgeon between 2005 and 2009. A blinded expert rated photographs on three scales, each with a range of 1 (no abnormality) to 5 (severe abnormality): (i) perioral fine rhytids; (ii) deep folds; and (iii) pigmentary or cutaneous abnormalities. Within-subject comparisons were generated. Results were correlated with skin type (Fitzpatrick) and baseline photodamage (Glogau). A test for effect of adjunctive procedures was performed. Results: Seventeen patients were included (all female, mean age 61 years). Significant postoperative improvement was noted for perioral fine rhytids (3.1 to 1.7, p < 0.0001); deep folds (3.4 to 2.0, p < 0.00001); and pigmentation (2.5 to 1.9, p = 0.02). Fitzpatrick skin type was inversely correlated with...
Redox Status of Pyridine Nucleotides and O2 Gas Exchange of Picea abies (L.) Karst. Seedlings under Experimentally Induced Oxidative Stress

Summary The amount and the redox status of pyridine nucleotides as well as OZ gas exchange and delayed fluorescence in spruce seedlings were examined after prolonged exposure to methyl viologen (25–200 ppm). During a period of 24 h, methyl viologen induced a significant decrease of NADPH + H + compared with the control, resulting in a marked decrease of ARC (anabolic reduction charge: [NADPH + H + ]/[NADPH + H+ + NADP + ]). Later on, the ARC of treated samples remained on a constant level at least until 72 h, though the total content of phosphorylated pyridine nucleotides decreased. The CRC (catabolic reduction charge: [NADH + H + ]/[NADH + H + + NAD + ]) of treated seedlings was lowered only transiently. This indicates that reducing equivalents contribute to the detoxification of reactive oxygen species only initially during methyl viologen application. The decrease of functions — photosynthesis, respiration — supports the view that after prolonged treatment the progressive damage of cell components rather than the availability of reducing equivalents limits the capacity of the plant tissue to detoxify methyl viologen-induced reactive oxygen species.
Pressure gradient amplification of shear instabilities in the boundary layer

Abstract Jeffreys’ instability mechanism is applied to a boundary layer that supports shear instability. The combined instability is an order of magnitude more effective than shear instability alone. The increase in effectiveness is highly sensitive to the stratification and the wind speed near the ground.