cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Strategies in Thermal Processing of Amorphous Solid Dispersions: A Review

Thermal processing of amorphous solid dispersions continues to gain interest in the pharmaceutical industry, as evident by several recently approved commercial products. Still, a number of pharmaceutical polymer carriers exhibit thermal or viscoelastic limitations in thermal processing, especially at smaller scales. Additionally, active pharmaceutical ingredients with high melting points and/or that are thermally labile present their own specific challenges. This review will outline a number of formulation and process-driven strategies to enable thermal processing of challenging compositions. These include the use of traditional plasticizers and surfactants, temporary plasticizers utilizing sub- or supercritical carbon dioxide, designer polymers tailored for hot-melt extrusion processing, and KinetiSol® Dispersing technology. Recent case studies of each strategy will be described along with potential benefits and limitations.
Application of the Hough transform to Doppler-time image processing

Doppler-time images (DTIs) of a rotating object were formed from the returns of high resolution radars by expressing the Doppler values as a function of time over a span of ranges. Returns from scatterers on the object yielded a characteristic signature of the object's rotation: a section of a sinusoid centered about the negatively sloped zero-crossing. As several scatterers are usually present, these signatures may overlap. The return from each scatterer is noisy and, more importantly, may be missing (falling below the detection threshold) or may be multi-valued (yielding several values exceeding the detection threshold). The Hough transform-the extraction of parametrically expressible features-was used to extract straight line approximations to the return signatures. This algorithm is shown to be insensitive to missing or extraneous values. Quantization in Hough transform computation is shown to determine the sensitivity of the calculation to noisy values. Parameters of the signatures were extracted using a data-dependent clustering algorithm designed to be insensitive to quantization and feature parameterization. >
Hepatic Tumors in Childhood

Primary malignant tumors of the liver account for approximately 1% of all childhood cancer. The most common type is hepatoblastoma which has an annual incidence of 0.9 per million children. Not only are they rare but their diversity significantly limits the experience of any one center and pathologist. At the relatively large Texas Children’s Hospital (425 beds; 11,000 surgical specimens annually), only 13 patients with primary tumors were treated in the most recent 30 months, involving five different kinds of neoplasms. During the same period, there were nine secondary neoplasms or involvement of the liver by systemic proliferative disease. Thus, the opportunity to study enough examples to provide confident consultation has depended largely on referral centers, such as the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), where Ishak and his proteges, Dehner, Stocker, and Goodman, have provided many excellent descriptions and reviews. For clinical correlation, prognostic judgments and therapeutic advances, large cooperative groups such as the Children’s Cancer Study Group (CCG) and Pediatric Oncology Group (POG), which merged recently into the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) in the United States, the German Cooperative Pediatric Liver Tumor Study and the Societe Internationale D’Oncologie Pediatrique Liver Tumor Study Group (SIOPEL) have been essential. As pathologist for the USCCG from 1973 to 1984, Haas examined 168 hepatoblastomas (HB) and 28 hepatocarcinomas (HCC) and was able to make important clinicopathological observations. Since 1986, this author has examined 375 liver tumors registered on POG or COG protocols or 25 per year. During the same period, 187 additional childhood liver tumors have been reviewed in consultation. This experience forms the basis for this chapter.
Outsourcing And Off-Shoring: Options For The US Construction Industry

The construction industry relies on the skills of structural engineers for all projects. There exists a large volume of design and detailing work for structural engineering in the United States (US) and there are insufficient numbers of qualified designers in the US to do the work. Recent changes in the telecommunications sector make off-shoring structural design work to developing countries like India and China a realistic possibility. Economics of outsourcing is a key reason for this possibility to be realized. It is logical to consider the effects of outsourcing in the design sector and its effects on the construction industry. The manuscript will present the authors finding based on detailed case-study model research with two companies that are outsourcing work to India from the US. The author conducted detailed interviews with principals in US structural design firms and then traveled to Bangalore, India to interview their Indian counterparts. Results from these interviews are presented. The author will present an empirical model for outsourcing construction activities. Processes in the construction industry that are most suited for outsourcing and off-shoring are presented. Issues surrounding outsourcing such as training, economics and logistics are discussed.
Revisiting Mathematical Problem Solving and Posing in the Digital Era: Toward Pedagogically Sound Uses of Modern Technology.

The availability of sophisticated computer programs such as Wolfram Alpha has made many problems found in the secondary mathematics curriculum somewhat obsolete for they can be easily solved by the software. Against this background, an interplay between the power of a modern tool of technology and educational constraints it presents is discussed. Using topics from algebra (equations) and elementary number theory (summation of powers of integers), the paper suggests ways of developing problems that are both technology-immune and technology-enabled in the sense that whereas software can facilitate problem solving, its direct application is not sufficient for finding an answer. Stemming from the author's work with secondary mathematics teacher candidates, this paper highlights the appropriate use of technology as support system for multiple ways of knowing and knowledge construction in the modern classroom.
On approximation by bounded analytic functions

Introduction. Although this topic has been treated in a number of papers [2; 5; 6; 9; 13], important further progress is now possible thanks to a highly useful theorem on the conformal mapping of multiply connected regions [12]; this new theorem is used in combination with suitable refinements of older methods. Previous results have dealt primarily with rather rough (geometric) degrees of convergence and their relations to regions of convergence and regions of analyticity of functions approximated. The new theorem on conformal mapping combined with new results [13] on series of interpolation of rational functions enables us to treat here more refined degrees of convergence and their relations to regions of analyticity and to smoothness (e.g., Lipschitz conditions) on the boundary, of functions approximated. We consider (??1-6) degree of approximation on the common boundary of a region in which the approximating functions are analytic and of a smaller region in which the approximated function is analytic, a problem which is relatively new [13], and consider also (?7) measure of approximation on a suitable curve or set of curves interior to a given region in which the functions are analytic, an older problem [2]. A function f(z) analytic in a one-sided neighborhood of a Jordan curve C and continuous on C is said to be of class L(p, a) on C, where p ( ? 0) is integral and 0 <a < 1, if f(z) has a one-dimensional pth derivative on C which satisfies there a Lipschitz condition of order a. If C is analytic or even fulfills merely mild geometric conditions, then f(P) (z) exists [7, Theorem 2.2] also as a twodimensional derivative. Of course f(O) (z) =f(z). The definition just given has no meaning if p <0; for such integral values of p, 0 <a < 1, if C is an analytic Jordan curve, we say that f(z) is of class L(p, a) on C provided f(z) is analytic in a one-sided neighborhood of C and C can be expressed as the level locus u(z) = 1 of a nonconstant function u(z) harmonic in an annulus containing C and having no critical point in the annulus, and where in the neighborhood of C we have If(z) I < M(1 -p)p+a on the locus u(z) = p, po p < 1, po < 1; here M is to be independent of z and p. To be sure, this requirement is a restriction on the behavior of f(z) not on C but in a one-sided neighborhood of C. Nevertheless, as Hardy and Littlewood have shown, if C is the unit circle, and as also is true for C an arbitrary
Outcomes after radical prostatectomy for patients with clinical stages T1-T2 prostate cancer with pathologically positive lymph nodes in the prostate-specific antigen era.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) for clinically organ confined prostate cancer (CaP) with regional lymph node metastases (pN1) treated in the era of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. Materials and methods A single institution cohort of 2,487 men with cT1-T2 CaP treated with open radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection between 1988 and 2008 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional regression models were used to analyze overall survival (OS), clinical recurrence-free survival (cRFS), and biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS). Results Overall, 150 out of 2,487 patients (6%) had pN1 disease, with a median follow-up of 10.4 years. The predicted 10-year OS, cRFS, and bRFS rates for patients with pN0 and pN1 were 86% and 74% (Log rank P P P n = 49), the predicted 10-year OS, cRFS, and bRFS rates were 81%, 80%, and 59%, respectively. Exploratory univariate regression analysis showed that age ( P = 0.003), total number of lymph nodes identified ( P = 0.040), and total number of positive lymph nodes identified ( P = 0.004) were associated with OS. Total number of positive lymph nodes (LNs) identified was also significantly associated with cRFS ( P = 0.05). Conclusions The incidence of pN1 in patients with cT1-T2 CaP treated with surgery in the era of PSA screening was low. RP and PLND demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in a subset of pN1 patients treated with surgery alone.
Role and therapeutic value of dendritic cells in central nervous system autoimmunity

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells that control the generation of adaptive immunity. Consequently, DCs have a central role in the induction of protective immunity to pathogens and also in the pathogenic immune response responsible for the development and progression of autoimmune disorders. Thus the study of the molecular pathways that control DC development and function is likely to result in new strategies for the therapeutic manipulation of the immune response. In this review, we discuss the role and therapeutic value of DCs in autoimmune diseases, with a special focus on multiple sclerosis.
An Acetic Acid Dissociation, Air-Drying Technique for Insect Chromosomes, With Aceto-Lactic Orcein Staining

The method differs from mammalian techniques for somatic chromosomes in that it uses very small amounts of material. Drosophila melanogaster and an ant, Dorymyrmex sp., are used as examples. Pretre...
Equitable, productive employment targets for the international development strategy

Abstract Although economic growth in many developing countries has matched and even surpassed the growth targets of the UN's International Development Strategy (IDS), it often has failed to alleviate the problems of employment and income distribution. Nonetheless, preparations for an IDS for the Third Development Decade continue to focus on aggregate and sectoral growth targets. Recognizing the essential linkage between growth, employment and poverty, this paper formulates targets for employment and growth with equity and integrates them with the proposed overall IDS growth objective using a consistent macro framework. This paper examines the dynamic implications of this equitable, productive employment strategy for the sectoral distribution of labour and capital and for the income distribution and compares it with alternative scenarios. The basic results show that an equitable productive employment strategy will not only raise absolute incomes of the poor but improve the income distribution, whether measured by the relative income of the poorest 40% or, perhaps more important, of those who continue to obtain only low-productivity employment. Evidence from some countries in the 1970s indicates that the strategy is feasible, provided appropriate policies are pursued. An important element in the strategy appears to be the maintenance of a demand for goods produced by the poor; in this context the high growth of industry recommended in the IDS for low-income countries is likely to lead to increasing inequality. This paper concludes with some broad policy recommendations for achieving the equitable productive employment target.
Cint: a RISC interpreter for the C programming language

Cint is an interpretation system for the C programming language. Like most interpretation systems, it provides "load and go" type execution as well as enhanced debugging and performance analysis tools. Cint consists of two phases--a translator and an interpreter. The translator compiles the source program into code for a virtual machine. The interpreter then loads and executes this code. While providing services similar to traditional interpreters, Cint differs from them in two important ways. First, the virtual machine languages used by many interpreters are quite large; machines with 100 to 200 operations are common. In contrast, Cint's virtual machine has only 63 operations. Second, to achieve acceptable execution speeds, interpreters are often implemented in the assembly language of the host machine. Cint, however, is written entirely in C and is therefore portable. In fact, it has been transported to four machines without modification. Despite the compact size of the virtual machine language and the high-level language implementation, Cint's execution speed is comparable to that of other interpreters. This paper describes the design of the virtual machine, the implementation of the interpreter, and the performance of the system.
Combinatorial synthesis and sputter parameter optimization of chromium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet photoluminescent thin films

Abstract Chromium-doped Y 3 Al 5 O 12 or YAG thin films emitting at 688 nm due to the 4 A 2 – 4 E 2 transition were synthesized in a combinatorial fashion using reactive sputtering approach. Multilayer YAG and Cr thin films were sputter deposited with a gradient in the Cr thickness and subsequently annealed to diffuse the Cr dopant into the YAG matrix. The combinatorial thin film sputtering technique was used to rapidly determine that ∼ 0.69 at.% is the optimum chromium concentration for maximum photoluminescence (PL) intensity in YAG. This result was consistent with previous work in YAG:Cr powders. Design of experiments was conducted to determine the effects of various sputter parameters, namely, substrate bias, substrate temperature and oxygen flow rate on PL intensity and crystallinity of co-sputter deposited Cr-doped YAG thin films. The optimum sputtering condition consisted of high substrate bias and low oxygen flow rate and was independent of substrate temperature. The PL temperature dependent behavior of YAG:Cr film was also investigated. Thermal quenching was observed at ∼ 110 K where the total integrated PL emission intensity was found to rapidly decrease. A non-radiative activation energy of 25.2 meV was determined and is attributed to electron–phonon coupling.
Panic attacks in minority Americans: The effects of alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, and discrimination

Abstract Background Lifetime prevalence of panic attacks is estimated at 22.7%, and research on the correlates and causes of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses have yielded mixed results in minority groups. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between panic attacks, minority status, and nativity by focusing on the effects of health lifestyle behaviors and discrimination. Methods Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression, which was used to estimate the probability of meeting the criteria for panic attacks (n=17,249). Results Demographic and socioeconomic variables had significant associations; females had over 2.4 times higher odds than males of meeting the criteria for panic attacks. The more frequently respondents were treated as dishonest, less smart, with disrespect, threatened, or called names, the more likely they met the criteria for panic attacks. Additionally, smoking and alcohol abuse were significant predictors of panic attacks. Those who abused alcohol have over 2 times the odds of having panic attacks. Similarly, smokers had 52% higher odds of panic attacks than non-smokers. Limitations The primary limitation of this project was the lack of a true acculturation measure with a secondary limitation being the inability to determine respondents׳ legal status. Conclusions Key findings were that health lifestyle choices and exposure to discrimination significantly affected the chance of having panic attacks. Nativity was protective; however, its effect was ameliorated by exposure to discrimination or engagement in smoking behavior or alcohol abuse. Thus, this study offers insight into contextual factors for clinicians caring for racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with panic attacks.
Thermodynamic assessment of the U-Y-O system

Abstract The CALPHAD methodology was used to develop a thermodynamic assessment of the U–La–O system. The solid solution and liquid phases are described with the compound energy formalism (CEF) and the partially ionic two-sublattice liquid model, respectively. Experimental thermodynamic and phase equilibria data published in the open literature were then used in optimizations to develop representations of the phases in the system that can be extended to include other actinide and fission products for multi-component models. The models that comprise this assessment very well reproduce experimentally determined oxygen potentials and the observed phase relations for the U–La–O system.
The role of helium in the development of damage structure and swelling in neutron-irradiated aluminium

Abstract Helium and its state of agglomeration in pure aluminium prior to neutron irradiation are investigated with respect to its influence on the microstructural features developed during irradiation to doses of 0·005 to 2·6d.p.a. at about 328 K (0·35 Tm). A level of 4 a.p.p.m. helium, in either submicroscopic form or as small bubbles at the resolvable limit of 2 nm diameter, induces large increases in both the cavity and dislocation components of the damage structure. It also causes swelling to begin much earlier in the neutron dose and to exhibit two different stages of evolution, one early in the dose where the dose exponent of swelling is high, the other at later stages with lower exponent. When the helium is coarsened into 7-nm bubbles by annealing at 0·96 Tm before irradiation it has relatively small effects on damage structure and swelling. The increases in concentrations of cavities and dislocation loops in the presence of helium are attributed to trapping of radiation-produced vacancits by the ...
Assessment of volume of hemorrhage and outcome from pelvic fracture.

Hypothesis: Measurement of pelvic hemorrhage on computed tomographic (CT) scans can estimate the pelvic fracture component of total patient blood loss and predict the need for angiography. Designs Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Large level 1 trauma center. Patients: We examined data from 759 consecutive, non-referral blunt trauma patients who sustained pelvic fracture. Main Outcome Measures: Pelvic-fracture-specific outcomes included estimation of extraperitoneal pelvic hemorrhage volume from emergency department CT scans and determination of arterial injury from angiograms. General patient outcomes determined from medical record review included transfusion requirement, estimated blood loss, and mortality. Subanalysis was performed on subjects with only pelvic fracture as a source of major hemorrhage (derived from discharge International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes). Results: Overall mortality was 96 (13%) of 759 patients. Blood transfusion was given to 418 (55%) patients, and 258 (34%) received 6 or more units in the first 72 hours. Pelvic-fracture-related hemorrhage averaged 149 mL (range, 0-1423 mL). Angiography was performed on 163 patients, of whom 113 had arterial injury. Higher pelvic hemorrhage volumes on CT scans were seen in subjects with pelvic arterial injury demonstrated on angiograms (P 500 mL) were more likely to have pelvic arterial injury (risk ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.0-7.8; P<.001) and require large-volume (≥6 U) transfusions (risk ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-12.3; P<.001) than patients with smaller pelvic hemorrhage volumes. Conclusion: Pelvic hemorrhage volumes derived from pelvic CT scans were predictors of the need for pelvic arteriography and transfusions.
Who First Reported a Genetic Disease

I enjoyed reading the article by Heron et al. (2010) in ABT last September. On page 424, the authors state that "Sickle cell disease was the first disease to be recognized as having a genetic basis, and thus linked phenotype to genotype (Weatherall & Clegg, 2001)." But according to Darnell et al. (1990: p. 9), the first relation between a …
A wireless chemical sensor featuring iron oxide nanoparticle-embedded hydrogels ☆

Abstract In this paper, we introduce a wireless chemical sensor based on a magnetically functionalized hydrogels (ferrogels). By embedding superparamagnetic nanoparticles into the hydrogel network and laminating the hydrogel on a planar coil, the swelling state of the hydrogel, which depends on the chemical environment, can be interrogated by measuring its magnetic permeability. To validate the chemical sensing principle, a pH sensor is fabricated using a poly(methacrylic acid- co -acrylamide) pH sensitive hydrogel, and repeatable, reversible responses are obtained to pH changes, which are easily discriminated down to 0.1 pH unit. It is anticipated that the same scheme can be applied to hydrogels sensitive to different stimuli (e.g., glucose, specific ions, antigens, temperature, etc.), and that this sensor can be configured for implantation and wireless monitoring.
Layer-by-layer self-assembly strategy for template synthesis of nanoscale devices

Abstract A combined membrane replication/layer-by-layer synthetic approach to preparing nanoscale rod-shaped rectifiers is described. Alumina and polycarbonate (PC) membranes (pore diameters 200, 100 and 70 nm) were used as templates for the electrochemical preparation of free-standing Au nanowires several microns in length. Wet layer-by-layer self-assembly of nanoparticle (TiO2 or ZnO)/polymer multilayer films was performed inside the membrane pores in two ways. (1) Growing the film between metal electrodeposition steps to give in-wire junctions; (2) first coating the membrane walls with multilayer films, and then growing nanowires inside the resulting tubules to give concentric structures. TiO2/PSS, ZnO/PSS (PSS=polystyrenesulfonate) and ZnO/PAN (PAN=polyaniline) assembly was driven by electrostatic and covalent-coordination interactions, respectively. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of nanowires containing semiconductor nanoparticles show current rectifying behavior. Current rectification appears to arise at the oxide semiconductor–metal interface. Switching behavior and hysteresis, which was found in all devices, was particularly evident in junctions containing anionic PSS and cationic TiO2 particles, and less evident in ZnO-containing devices.
ANALYSIS AND RENOVATION OF RETORT COOLING WATER

Retort effluent was found by gravimetry to contain generally 20–40 ppm lubricant in the form of a stable micro-emulsion. Adsorption-filtration columns of aluminum filings, aluminum powder or charcoal removed lubricant from this effluent at a rate of 18–20 lb per 103 lb of adsorbent, with possibly greater efficiency being realized by proper attention to a small number of performance characteristics. Aluminum had an advantage over charcoal, because of its ease of regeneration in situ by elutriation with an organic solvent. Absorbance data, obtained from a series of standard emulsions, showed that accurate measurements of lubricant concentrations could be made photometrically, in the absence of interfering matter, at the levels found in retort effluent. Retort effluent was renovated experimentally by a two-stage adsorption-filtration process, involving aluminum (1st stage) and charcoal (2nd stage). The combined eluate had an absorbance (A) of zero until the break-through volume when turbidity increased rapidly at A = 0.005–0.010.
Comparison of one-layer (continuous Lembert) versus two-layer (simple continuous/Cushing) hand-sewn end-to-end anastomosis in equine jejunum.

Objective— To evaluate single and double layer end-to-end anastomosis in equine jejunum. Study Design— Experimental in vitro study. Animals— Mid-jejunal sections from 12 adult horses without gastrointestinal disease. Methods— Jejunal end-to-end anastomoses were performed by a continuous Lembert pattern or a simple continuous pattern oversewn with a Cushing pattern. Jejunal segments were distended with fluid at 1 L/min, and intraluminal pressure at failure, and mode of failure were recorded. Bursting pressure and bursting wall tension were calculated. Anastomosis construction time and degree of luminal reduction were recorded. Results— Single layer anastomoses were constructed in less time than 2-layer anastomoses. Both anastomotic techniques resulted in luminal reduction compared with control tissue; however, the reduction was smaller with a 1-layer continuous Lembert anastomosis. No differences were noted in bursting pressure or bursting wall tension between groups. Conclusions— Anastomosis using a 1-layer continuous Lembert pattern resulted in a larger stoma, was faster to perform, and as strong as a 2-layer anastomosis. Clinical Relevance— Use of a 1-layer continuous Lembert pattern for jejunojejunosotomy may be beneficial by decreasing anastomosis time and produce a larger stoma than a 2-layer anastomosis.
Glauber cross sections for elastic scattering of electrons by metastable (2 /sup 1/S, 2 /sup 3/S) helium atoms

The recently proposed analytic methods by Thomas and Chan, which reduce the Glauber amplitude for charged-particle--neutral-atom collisions to a one-dimensional integral representation involving the modified Lommel function, are used to evaluate the cross sections for the elastic scattering of electrons by metastable (2 /sup 1/S, 2 /sup 3/S) helium atoms. The results are compared with some other theoretical calculations. (AIP)
The sudden death of a coral reef.

In their recent Report “Coral reef death during the 1997 Indian Ocean Dipole linked to Indonesian wildfires” (15 Aug., p. [952][1]), N. J. Abram et al. link habitat destruction in rainforest and coral reef ecosystems and claim that El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-induced rainforest
Alcohol Causes Both Tolerance and Sensitization of Rat Kupffer Cells via Mechanisms Dependent on Endotoxin

Abstract Background & Aims: Ethanol causes both tolerance and sensitization of Kupffer cells. This study was designed to evaluate temporal effects of ethanol in an attempt to understand this paradox. Methods: Rats were given ethanol (4 g/kg body wt) intragastrically, and Kupffer cells were isolated 0–48 hours later. After addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) was measured using a microspectrofluorometer with the fluorescent indicator fura-2, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD14 was evaluated by Western and Northern analysis. Results: Two hours after ethanol administration, the LPS-induced increase in [Ca 2+ ] i and TNF-α release by Kupffer cells was diminished by 50%, and these parameters were reciprocally enhanced twofold at 24 hours. Sterilization of the gut with antibiotics blocked all effects of ethanol on [Ca 2+ ] i and TNF-α release completely. Twenty-four hours after ethanol, CD14 in Kupffer cells was elevated about fivefold. Conclusions: Kupffer cells isolated from rats early after ethanol exhibited tolerance to LPS, whereas sensitization was observed later. It is likely that both of these phenomena are caused by gut-derived endotoxin and that sensitization in Kupffer cells is caused by increases in CD14. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:443-451
Tracking student behavior, persistence, and achievement in online courses

The purpose of this research was to examine student engagement in totally asynchronous online courses through an empirical analysis of student behavior online and its relationship to persistence and achievement. A total of 13 sections of three undergraduate, general education courses provided the setting for the study. Three hundred fifty-four students were used in the data analysis. Using student access computer logs, student behaviors defined as frequency of participation and duration of participation were documented for eight variables. The descriptive data revealed significant differences in online participation between withdrawers and completers and between successful completers and non-successful completers. A multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate how well student participation measures predicted achievement. Approximately 31% of the variability in achievement was accounted for by student participation measures, and three of the eight variables were statistically significant.
Cardiotrophin-1 protects cortical neuronal cells against free radical-induced injuries in vitro

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) was initially defined as a mediator of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Additional studies have showed that CT-1 enhanced survival of differentiated cardiac muscle cells and inhibited cardiac myocyte apoptosis after serum deprivation or cytokine stimulation. Moreover, CT-1 has recently been shown to act as a neuroregulatory cytokine in the peripheral nervous system. However, its effects in the central nervous system have not been determined. In the present study, we evaluated whether CT-1 protects cultured cortical neurons against oxidative injuries caused by the hydroxyl radical-producing agent FeSO4 and by the peroxynitrite-producing agent 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1). CT-1 reduced neuronal cell death caused by FeSO4 and also attenuated the neurotoxic effect of SIN-1 in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that CT-1 is neuroprotective in an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia. This study indicates that further evaluation of CT-1 in acute brain injury should be investigated in vivo.
X-Ray fibre diffraction studies of members of the gellan family of polysaccharides

Abstract X-Ray fibre diffraction studies are reported for gellan gum and the family of related polysaccharides S-130, S-198, S-88 and S-194. Whereas the linear gellan molecules yield highly crystalline patterns, the branched polysaccharides yield well-aligned but poorly crystalline patterns. These patterns are consistent with the proposed 3-fold double helical structure of gellan with small changes in pitch dependent upon type and position of branches.
Stark broadening of Balmer lines in the density range (2-8) × 10 14 cm − 3

Experimental profiles of the hydrogen Balmer lines (H/sub gamma/-H/sub 10/) have been measured over the density range (2--8) x 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/ and compared with theoretical profiles. Electron densities were measured using a multipass interferometer, while plasma homogeneity was demonstrated using a Langmuir probe. Electron temperatures were in the range 1--2.0 eV. The electron density as deduced from line profiles tended to be as much as 10% lower than that from the interferometer at higher densities. At lower densities, the two methods agreed to within experimental error. Evidence for asymmetries on the line wings was noted. (AIP)
Protein Electrostatic Surface Distribution Can Determine Whether Calcium Oxalate Crystal Growth is Promoted or Inhibited

Acidic proteins found in mineralized tissues act as nature's crystal engineers, where they play a key role in promoting or inhibiting the growth of minerals such as hydroxyapatite and calcium oxalate. Despite their importance in such fundamental physiological processes as bone and tooth formation, however, there is remarkably little known of the protein structure-function relationships that govern crystal recognition. We have taken a model system approach to elucidate some of the relationships between protein surface chemistry and secondary crystal growth of biological minerals. We show here that the distribution of electrostatic surface charge on our model protein, Protein G, determined whether the secondary growth of calcium oxalate, the principal mineral phase of kidney stones, was promoted or inhibited when the proteins were preadsorbed at low and equivalent surface coverages of <10%. The native Protein G, which contains 10 surface carboxylates, increased the rate of calcium oxalate growth from aqueous solution under constant composition conditions up to 97%, whereas a site-directed mutant with six of the surface charges removed inhibited the growth rate by 60%. The adsorption isotherms of both proteins were determined and suggested that the differences in electrostatic surface properties also lead to differences in protein orientation on the crystal surface. These results demonstrate that differences in electrostatic surface potential of proteins can directly determine whether secondary calcium oxalate growth is promoted or inhibited, and a model is proposed that suggests the distribution of carboxylate residues determines the interrelated binding orientation and exposed surface chemistry of the adsorbed Protein G.
Exclusive semileptonic decays of D mesons produced at threshold

Initial running of the CLEO-c detector has provided the world's largest sample of ψ(3770) decays. Using this data sample, we have reconstructed D mesons decaying to hadronic final states and have used them to tag events with a charm-anti-charm pair. In this contribution, we present preliminary results from this data sample, which constitute a first step towards measurements of semileptonic decay form factors and the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements Vcs and Vcd with the full CLEO-c data set to be collected in the near future.
Understanding the Limits of Large Datasets

Many health professionals use large datasets to answer behavioral, translational, or clinical questions. Understanding the impact of missing data in large databases, such as disease registries, can avoid erroneous interpretations of these data. Using the California Cancer Registry, the authors selected seven common cancers, seven sociodemographic and clinical variables, and the top three reporting sources, as examples of the type of data that would be deemed critical to most studies. The gender variable had no missing data, followed by age (<0.1 % missing), ethnicity (1.7 %), stage (9.8 %), differentiation (39.1 %), and birthplace (41.1 %). Reports from hospitals and clinics had the lowest percentages of missing data. Users of large datasets should anticipate the limitations of missing data to prevent methodological flaws and misinterpretations of research findings. Knowledge of what and how much data may be missing in large datasets can help prevent errors in research conclusions, while better guiding treatment modalities and public health policies and programs.
ONE-GC membrane guanylate cyclase, a trimodal odorant signal transducer.

The Ca2+-modulated ONE-GC membrane guanylate cyclase is a central component of the cyclic GMP signaling in odorant transduction. It is a single transmembrane spanning modular protein. Its intracellular region contains Ca2+ sensor recognition domains linked to GCAP1 and to neurocalcin δ, and a catalytic module. These domains sense increments in free Ca2+ and stimulate the catalytic module. The present study makes three significant mechanistic advancements. First, to date no ligand for the extracellular (ext) domain is known, for this reason ONE-GC has been deemed as an orphan receptor. The present study identifies its ligand. Uroguanylin stimulates ONE-GC through its ext domain. Second, so far no ligand is known that directly stimulates the catalytic module of any membrane guanylate cyclase. The presented evidence shows that in the presence of the semimicromolar range of free Ca2+, neurocalcin binds to the catalytic module and stimulates ONE-GC. Thus, ONE-GC has trimodal regulation, two occurring intracellularly and one extracellularly. Third, guanylin, a urine odorant, does not directly stimulate ONE-GC. This challenges the proposed hypothesis that the guanylin odorant signal occurs via ONE-GC [T. Leinders-Zufall, R.E. Cockerham, S. Michalakis, M. Biel, D.L. Garbers, R.R. Reed, F. Zufall, S.D. Munger, Contribution of the receptor guanylyl cyclase GC-D to chemosensory function in the olfactory epithelium, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104 (2007) 14507–14512].
Diet and life extension in animal model systems

Recent studies have shown that beneficial effects can be brought about when underfeeding is initiated in adult as well as young growing animals. In addition, such dietary manipulations have been shown to delay the onset of a variety of diseases although its relationship to total incidence has not been established. It has been proposed that dietary restriction reduces protein synthesis and increases lifespan by retarding genetic informational transfer during early life and reducing the use of the genetic code and thereby minimizing genetic imperfections as they may occur during late life.
Putative pain modulating neurons in the rostral ventral medulla: Reflex-related activity predicts effects of morphine

Three physiologically-defined classes of neurons are found in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), a region which contributes to the antinociceptive action of opiates. The off-cell exhibits an abrupt pause just prior to the occurrence of the tail flick reflex (TF). The on-cell shows a burst of activity beginning just prior to the occurrence of the TF. Neutral cell firing does not change in relation to the TF. Systemic administration of morphine has been shown to produce a consistent increase in the activity of off-cells. In the present studies, the effects of systemically-administered morphine on spontaneous and TF-related activity of on-cells and neutral cells were examined in lightly-anesthetized rats. Measures of spontaneous activity were obtained before and after morphine (1.25-2.5 mg/kg, i.v.). On-cells exhibited an irregular cyclic rate of spontaneous discharge similar to that previously reported for off-cells. In contrast, neutral cells had a nearly constant level of spontaneous activity. After administration of morphine, spontaneous activity ceased for 8 of 8 on-cells, and heat-related activity was eliminated. Administration of naloxone resulted in a return of the periodic firing pattern and the burst associated with the TF. Seven of 8 neutral cells showed no change in firing rate and one showed a decrease rate after morphine administration. These results show that the effect of systemic opiates on an RVM neuron can be predicted based on whether a cell increases or decreases its firing just prior to the occurrence of a nocifensive reflex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of defoliation on yield of potatoes.

Foliage was hand removed from potato plants to simulate insect defoliation injury. The injury inflicted seldom resulted in statistically significant yield differences, but consistent trends were noted. Plants generally recovered completely from lower rates of injury (10 or 33% defoliation) inflicted early in the season while severe defoliation (67%) resulted in only slight yield reductions. Recovery from early season injury was more complete with later maturing cultivars than earlier maturing cultivars. Injury to plants at mid-season resulted in greatest yield reductions. Defoliations after mid-season had less effect. Removal of the top leaves was most detrimental to yields, and removal of middle leaves was least detrimental. Removal of lower leaves reduced yields only during mid-season. Nonuniform defoliation resulted in greater yield reduction than uniform defoliation.
Pushing the limits of mercury sensors with gold nanorods.

The method presented here provides a direct way to determine mercury in tap water samples at the parts-per-trillion level. Its outstanding selectivity and sensitivity results from the well-known amalgamation process that occurs between mercury and gold. The entire procedure takes less than 10 min. No sample separation or sample preconcentration is required. The only step prior to mercury determination consists of mixing the water sample with a gold nanorod solution in sodium borohydride. The analytical figures of merit demonstrate precise and accurate analysis at the parts-per-trillion level. The limit of detection (6.6 × 10-13 g·L-1) shows excellent potential for monitoring ultralow levels of mercury in water samples.
Update rules, reciprocity and weak selection in evolutionary spatial games

Cooperation in nature is a complex topic and its study has left scientists with many open questions. Over the past two decades research has been undertaken into how cooperation works in an evolutionary context and how we can emulate it for social analysis. Numerous computer models have been developed and analyzed, with many models formulated as spatial or network games. These games use various update rules to evolve cooperative strategies. Despite two decades of effort, arguably little progress has been made. This paper exposes some of the problems with these spatial and network games and shows why they are ill-suited to get any real answers. Recommendations on future research directions that might provide some insight are presented.
Differences in dementia services and settings across place type and regions

People with dementia have complex and unique social, environmental, and communication needs arising from impaired cognition. One response to dissatisfaction with the medical model of care in nursing homes has been the creation of more homelike and social options for care in the community. These options include community-based residential facilities and a variety of more independent senior dwellings. Staying in residential settings longer may be associated with benefits, including decreased financial burden and improved quality of life. However, with the boundaries between these place types often less than clearly drawn, it has become increasingly difficult to anticipate the specific services and environmental features provided by each. It is also difficult to effectively match facilities to the specific needs of older persons with dementia. Even social workers responsible for placements, especially in urban areas, may not be able to visit all local residential options. To better understand these new venues for dementia care, this study explored the range of services and settings available to people with dementia in three different place types in five Wisconsin counties: nursing homes, community-based residential facilities, and independent senior housing.
A 2.8 GHz combined mode of vibration aluminum nitride MEMS resonator with high figure of merit exceeding 45

This paper presents the first demonstration of a high frequency (2.8 GHz), lateral field excited (simple two masks fabrication process), combined lateral-thickness extensional mode of vibration aluminum nitride (AlN) micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) resonator with unprecedentedly high figure of merit (kt2·Q> 45). For the first time, a single interdigital electrode was employed to excite a high frequency mode of vibration in an AlN plate (1.5 μm thick) by making use of both the d33 and d31 AlN piezoelectric coefficients. The resulting MEMS resonator showed high quality factor, Q~2000, (thanks to the high quality AlN film directly deposit on top of the Silicon substrate) and the highest electromechanical coupling coefficient ever reported for AlN MEMS resonators employing a single electrode, kt2~2.5% (thanks to the coherent combination of d33 and d31 coefficients to transduce one single mechanical mode of vibration).
IB-08COMPUTATIONAL IMAGING FEATURES DERIVED FROM MRI IMAGES OF THE BRAIN CAN DISCRIMINATE IMMUNE SIGNATURE STATUS IN GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME (GBM).

PURPOSE: To determine which computationally derived imaging features are correlated with immune gene-signature activity in GBM. Recently, we showed that immune-related genes are enriched within molecular subtypes of GBMs. The significance of immune system response to the tumor is becoming relevant as a therapeutic strategy. In this study, we investigated an imaging-based method for determining the immune system response to GBM. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study was conducted on pre-surgical Contrast enhanced T1-post and T2-FLAIR MRI images from 83 GBM patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database. The tumors were segmented semi-automatically (MITK toolkit). Image heterogeneity features were extracted for 3D volumes using in-house MatlabTM scripts . Features include three-dimensional statistical, transform-based and model-based features, pertaining to pixel gray-level heterogeneity measures such as energy, entropy, correlationGenetic programming-based models are used to discriminate subjects according to up- or down-regulation of six immune signatures (measured using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis): immune effector, immune suppression, immune effector process, regulation of the immune effector process, positive regulation of immune system process and negative regulation of immune system process. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC), and true positive/false positive rates (TPR/FPR) were used to assess the performance of the immune signature status classifier. RESULTS: Based on six different gene-sets associated with immune response, we found that image-derived features are capable of accurately predicting immune signature status in GBMs. ROC analysis reveals that image-features are capable of determining up- or down regulation of diverse immune signatures. The true positive rates (TPR) for each of the six immune signatures are 89%, 83%, 80%, 78%, 72% and 69% respectively (with FPR less than 20%). CONCLUSION: This study presents preliminary evidence that MRI image-derived volumetric and texture features are predictive of immune activity in GBM at the molecular level.
Three Scalarities Racialization, Racism, and Race in Blum

This article examines the discussions of degrees of racialization, degrees of racism, and degrees of race (or so-called racial authenticity) in Lawrence Blum’s book:‘I’m Not a Racist, But...’. It i...
Aortic arch atheroma progression and recurrent vascular events in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack

Background— It is not known whether progression of aortic arch (AA) atheroma is associated with vascular events in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods and Results— AA atheroma was detected on baseline transesophageal echocardiogram in 167 consecutive patients who had prevalent stroke or TIA. Of these, 125 consented to a follow-up transesophageal echocardiogram at 12 months. Adequate paired AA images were obtained in 117 (78 with strokes, 39 with TIAs), which allowed detailed measurements of plaques. On admission for their index stroke or TIA, patients were assessed for stroke risk factors, stroke subtypes, baseline AA plaque characteristics, and laboratory parameters. Progression of AA atheroma was observed in 33 patients (28%) on 12-month follow-up transesophageal echocardiogram. It was determined that the progression group had significantly higher adjusted homocysteine levels (P<0.0001) and neutrophil counts (P<0.0001) than the no-progression group. These patients were follo...