cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A light-regulated DNA-binding activity interacts with a conserved region of a Lemna gibba rbcS promoter.

We have characterized a DNA-binding activity, designated light-regulated nuclear factor (LRF-1), which interacted with a specific sequence located 150 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start site of a phytochrome-regulated Lemna gibba rbcS gene (SSU5B). There was a higher level of LRF-1 activity recovered from nuclei of light-grown plants than from dark-treated plants. In light-grown plants given a 1-day dark treatment, either white light or a single 2-min red illumination caused a rapid twofold to threefold increase in this activity, suggesting that the phytochrome system is probably involved in its regulation. The nuclear extracts also contained an activity that bound specifically to Box II sequences from a pea rbcS gene [Green, P.J., Yong, M.H., Cuozzo, M., Kano-Murakami, Y., Silverstein, P., and Chua, N.-H. (1988). EMBO J. 7, 4035-4044], but this activity was not higher in the light-grown compared with the dark-treated plants. Comparison of about 700 base pairs upstream from the SSU5B transcription start site with the upstream sequences of two other Lemna rbcS genes revealed several conserved regions. One of these regions is found upstream of rbcS genes in other species and is contained in the sequence which was shown to interact with LRF-1.
Large-scale configurable static analysis

Program analyses developed over the last three decades have demonstrated the ability to prove non-trivial properties of real-world programs. This ability in turn has applications to emerging software challenges in security, software-defined networking, cyber-physical systems, and beyond. The diversity of such applications necessitates adapting the underlying program analyses to client needs, in aspects of scalability, applicability, and accuracy. Today's program analyses, however, do not provide useful tuning knobs. This talk presents a general computer-assisted approach to effectively adapt program analyses to diverse clients.The approach has three key ingredients. First, it poses optimization problems that expose a large set of choices to adapt various aspects of an analysis, such as its cost, the accuracy of its result, and the assumptions it makes about missing information. Second, it solves those optimization problems by new search algorithms that efficiently navigate large search spaces, reason in the presence of noise, interact with users, and learn across programs. Third, it comprises a program analysis platform that facilitates users to specify and compose analyses, enables search algorithms to reason about analyses, and allows using large-scale computing resources to parallelize analyses.
Changing health culture in rural Appalachia: Implications for serving the elderly

Abstract This article explores the dual themes of place and time as influences on health care service delivery to the rural elderly, through a case study of rural Appalachia. Traditional patterns of indigenous health care practice and values are contrasted with more “professional” formal models of health care service delivery that have entered the region. The result has been a clash of health care cultures. The continuing validity of this perspective is appraised in relation to apparent generational differences between the old-old and the young-old in the degree to which contemporary health care practices and values are adopted. It is concluded that traditional and contemporary health care cultures can be reconciled through an expanded vision of health care service delivery premised on: understanding health care within a total community context; redefining the role of the health practitioner; improving education of both the rural elderly and service providers; and enhancing communication in the rural health care environment.
Cryoprotection of Aplysia gut basolateral membranes by trehalose

Abstract Cl−-ATPase activity resides in the basolateral membrane of gut cells. The sugar alcohols sorbitol, mannitol and glycerol could not maintain any cryoprotection of the basolateral membrane fraction for at least 12hr. The sugar, mannose, could not maintain any cryoprotection of basolateral membrane for at least 12 hr, while sucrose could only maintain 20% of basolateral membrane Cl−-ATPase activity after 12 hr. Trehalose cryoprotected basolateral membrane Cl−-ATPase activity by 98% of control up to 48 hr.
Distribution, excretion and metabolism of trifluoperazine methiodide-C14 in rats.

Abstract The majority of the intraperitoneally administered trifluoperazine methiodide-C14 was excreted in feces by rats. No radioactivity was detected in the expired air of the animals. Blood level was generally low but detectable with a peak level at 1 hr; however the brain level was insignificant against the background at all times. Antimicrobial activities have been demonstrated. Metabolic studies indicated that the majority of this compound was excreted unchanged.
An ultra-high performance chromatographic method for the determination of artemisinin

AbstractObjective: The goal of this study is to develop an ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of artemisinin at very low concentrations using selective ion mass spectroscopic detection.Materials and methods: Separation was conducted using a C4 100 mm× 2.1 mm column, and the mobile phase consisted of an isocratic two-component system consisting of 60% of a 0.1% aqueous solution of formic acid and 40% acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. The drug was detected by means of an electrospray mass spectrometer with selective ion monitoring of the [M-H2O+H]+ with m/z of 265.3 in positive ion mode.Results: The calibration curves of artemisinin obtained from the UPLC/MS system were linear in the three ranges analyzed, with a correlation coefficient of no less than 0.9996 for all sets of standards. The peak tailing factor for all measurements were ≤1.7. The method proved to have good repeatability and linearity.Discussion: The described analytical method reac...
Antiviral Antibody Responses and Intrauterine Transmission after Primary Maternal Cytomegalovirus Infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific antibody responses after primary maternal infection were examined to determine if specific deficits in antibody response were associated with intrauterine transmission. Anti-glycoprotein B IgG antibodies were significantly higher at delivery in transmitters than in nontransmitters, suggesting that the amount of antiviral antibody was not reflective of protection from transmission. Characterization of the qualitative antibody response revealed lower neutralizing antibody titers in transmitters, suggesting an association between neutralizing activity and intrauterine transmission. Examination of anti-HCMV antibody avidity revealed that the majority of nontransmitters but 2.0 (P < .002). A significant correlation between neutralizing titers and antibody avidity was demonstrated. Thus, antibody affinity maturation is critical for production of high levels of neutralizing antibodies during primary HCMV infection, and a defect in affinity maturation may play a role in intrauterine transmission of HCMV.
Mineralization of carbon and nitrogen from cowpea leaves decomposing in soils with different levels of microbial biomass.

Soils with greater levels of microbial biomass may be able to release nutrients more rapidly from applied plant material. We tested the hypothesis that the indigenous soil microbial biomass affects the rate of decomposition of added green manure. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Walp.] leaves were added to four soils with widely differing microbial biomass C levels. C and N mineralization of the added plant material was followed during incubation at 30°C for 60 days. Low levels of soil microbial biomass resulted in an initially slower rate of decomposition of soil-incorporated green manure. The microbial biomass appeared to adjust rapidly to the new substrate, so that at 60 days of incubation the cumulative C loss and net N mineralization from decomposing cowpea leaves were not significantly affected by the level of the indigenous soil microbial biomass.
UTE angiography with ferumoxytol

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is arguably the most clinically pertinent, non-destructive imaging modality for probing deep tissue in the human body. Clinical contrast-enhanced MRI with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) is typically performed with T2-weighted imaging. Here we show that ultra-short TE (UTE) imaging with SPIONs produces unambiguous, positive-contrast signals in vivo in mice. Experiments were performed using a SPION containing pharmaceutical, ferumoxytol, in phantoms and in systemic circulation of mice at 7T. 3D UTE angiography was not hampered by susceptibility artifacts or influenced by flow. By negating these effects we were able to produce high SNR and CNR images of the entire vascular system, including the lungs and the heart.
A Review of Different Behavior Modification Strategies Designed to Reduce Sedentary Screen Behaviors in Children

Previous research suggests that reducing sedentary screen behaviors may be a strategy for preventing and treating obesity in children. This systematic review describes strategies used in interventions designed to either solely target sedentary screen behaviors or multiple health behaviors, including sedentary screen behaviors. Eighteen studies were included in this paper; eight targeting sedentary screen behaviors only, and ten targeting multiple health behaviors. All studies used behavior modification strategies for reducing sedentary screen behaviors in children (aged 1–12 years). Nine studies only used behavior modification strategies, and nine studies supplemented behavior modification strategies with an electronic device to enhance sedentary screen behaviors reductions. Many interventions (50%) significantly reduced sedentary screen behaviors; however the magnitude of the significant reductions varied greatly (−0.44 to −3.1 h/day) and may have been influenced by the primary focus of the intervention, number of behavior modification strategies used, and other tools used to limit sedentary screen behaviors.
DD/AP-PCR: combination of differential display and arbitrarily primed PCR of oligo(dT) cDNA.

Abstract In this report we describe the first direct comparison of differential display (DD) and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) amplification of oligo(dT)-primed cDNA. Our results indicate that both of these widely used RNA fingerprinting techniques have their respective advantages and limitations. DD produces profiles specific to the anchored oligo(dT) primer used for cDNA synthesis. AP-PCR displays significant redundancy of profiles generated from different oligo(dT) cDNA pools, but is not as biased to the isolation of A/T-rich or 3′ sequences. It was found that both techniques can utilize cDNA synthesized using a generic anchored oligo(dT) primer (dT12VN; equimolar amounts of dT12VA, dT12VC, dT12VG, and dT12VT, where V is dA, dC, or dG); this efficiently selects for poly(A)+sequences from total RNA, and significantly reduces the number of cDNA preparations required per experiment. Using dT12VN cDNA pools generated from rat liver, spleen, and brain, the two approaches (AP-PCR and DD) were used in combination. Several known mRNAs were identified; some were unique to either technique and some were common to both. Since it is the RNA which is usually the limiting resource, maximum utilization may be achieved by generating a single pool of dT12VN-primed cDNA and performing both AP-PCR and DD (DD/AP-PCR).
Ectoenzyme switches the surface of magnetic nanoparticles for selective binding of cancer cells.

Abstract Enzymatic switch, such as phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins, is the most important mechanism for cellular signal transductions. Inspired by Nature and encouraged by our recent unexpected observation of the dephosphorylation of d -tyrosine phosphate-contain small peptides, we modify the surface of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) with d -tyrosine phosphate that is a substrate of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Our studies find that ALP is able to remove the phosphate groups from the magnetic nanoparticles. Most importantly, placental alkaline phosphatase (ALPP), an ectoenzyme that locates on cell surface with catalytic domains outside the plasma membrane and is overexpressed on many cancer cells, dephosphorylate the d -tyrosine phosphates on the surface of the magnetic nanoparticle and enable the magnetic nanoparticles to adhere selectively to the cancer cells, such as HeLa cells. Unlikely commonly used antibodies, the selectivity of the magnetic nanoparticles to cancer cells originates from the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by ALPP. The use of enzymatic reaction to modulate the surface of various nanostructures may lead to a general method to broadly target cancer cells without relying on specific ligand–receptor interactions (e.g., antibodies). This work, thus, illustrates a fundamentally new concept to allow cells to actively engineer the surface of colloids materials, such as magnetic nanoparticles, for various applications.
Reactions to daily events as a function of familiarity with an environment

Undergraduate participants provided measures of their psychological well-being and described the positive and negative events that occurred each day, once during the first and second semesters of an academic year. For four of the five measures of daily well-being, reactivity to negative events decreased from the first to second semester, whereas for four of the five measures of well-being, reactivity to positive events did not change over the year. These results suggest that familiarity with an environment moderates reactivity to negative daily events. As people become more familiar with an environment, negative events may elicit smaller decreases in well-being. In contrast, increases in well-being elicited by positive events appear to be unrelated to familiarity with the environment. More broadly, these differences suggest that the reactivity to positive and negative events reflect the operation of different processes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of substance P on medial forebrain bundle self-stimulation in rats following intracerebral administration

Abstract The effect of Substance P infused intracerebrally via chronically implanted electrode-cannulae on self-stimulation induced from the same site was studied in rats. Substance P caused a significant depression of self-stimulation at 60 and 120 μg/rat. Morphine infused into this site also caused significant depression of self-stimulation, but the doses were considerably lower than those of Substance P (5 and 10 μg/rat). Pretreatment with naloxone, a narcotic antagonist, significantly antagonized the effects of Substance P on self-stimulation. It is proposed that Substance P modulates self-stimulation by the release of an endogenous morphine-like substance, but the possibility of a direct effect of Substance P was not ruled out.
Are avian intrapulmonary CO2 receptors chemically modulated mechanoreceptors or chemoreceptors

Abstract Openings of paleopulmonic parabronchi in paralyzed, unidirectionally ventilated geese were photographed through small holes in the bird's mediodorsal secondary bronchi during single-unit recording from intrapulmonary CO 2 receptors. Changes in the discharge frequency of the receptors as fractional CO 2 concentration of ventilating gas was alternated between 0 and 0.05 were compared with the changes in cross-sectional areas of randomly selected parabronchial lumina. Intrapulmonary CO 2 receptors, similar to those found in other avian species, are also present in geese. Changes in intrapulmonary CO 2 concentration greatly influenced the discharge of these receptors but did not induce movement of parabronchial smooth muscle in this region of the lung. If most of the receptors are located in the paleopulmonic parabronchi, as currently appears to be the case, we must conclude that changes in receptor discharge in response to changes in intrapulmonary CO 2 concentration do not result from mechanical distortion of the receptors induced by smooth muscle contraction; intrapulmonary CO 2 receptors appear to be true chemoreceptors.
Topological qubits: A bit of both

'Standard' qubits have been implemented in diverse physical systems. Now, so-called topological qubits are coming into the limelight, and could potentially be used for decoherence-free quantum computing. Coupling these two types of qubit might enable devices that exploit the virtues of both.
Estrogen and the cardiovascular system

Estrogen is a potent steroid with pleiotropic effects, which have yet to be fully elucidated. Estrogen has both nuclear and non-nuclear effects. The rapid response to estrogen, which involves a membrane associated estrogen receptor(ER) and is protective, involves signaling through PI3K, Akt, and ERK 1/2. The nuclear response is much slower, as the ER-estrogen complex moves to the nucleus, where it functions as a transcription factor, both activating and repressing gene expression. Several different ERs regulate the specificity of response to estrogen, and appear to have specific effects in cardiac remodeling and the response to injury. However, much remains to be understood about the selectivity of these receptors and their specific effects on gene expression. Basic studies have demonstrated that estrogen treatment prevents apoptosis and necrosis of cardiac and endothelial cells. Estrogen also attenuates pathologic cardiac hypertrophy. Estrogen may have great benefit in aging as an anti-inflammatory agent. However, clinical investigations of estrogen have had mixed results, and not shown the clear-cut benefit of more basic investigations. This can be explained in part by differences in study design: in basic studies estrogen treatment was used immediately or shortly after ovariectomy, while in some key clinical trials, estrogen was given years after menopause. Further basic research into the underlying molecular mechanisms of estrogen's actions is essential to provide a better comprehension of the many properties of this powerful hormone.
The Impact Of Optical Design Constraints Imposed By Space-Borne Tv Cameras

The man who creates TV cameras for space is bad news to the lens de-signer. He asks for a high quality lens or telescope with painful design constraints, and can only offer a need for very low volume production. On top of that, he wants a lens tommorrow, not next week, because he is faced with an unslippable spacecraft schedule. The requirements vary with the type of mission and kind of space-craft, but invariably impose physical or optical difficulties beyond those normally experienced in lens design. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these constraints as related to typical types of space missions, the kind of optical design problems they have created, and what can be done to arrive at an acceptable interface between optical designer and camera design engineer.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Practical Synthesis of 3-Methylnonane-2,4-dione, an Intense Strawlike and Fruity Flavored Compound

A practical synthesis of 3-methylnonane-2,4-dione, which is an intense strawlike and fruity flavored compound, has been performed by the aldol condensation of n-hexanal and methyl ethyl ketone, followed by oxidation using sodium hypochlorite in the presence of 4-benzoyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxide in an overall yield of 59%. The purification of 3-methylnonane-2,4-dione with high purity was performed via copper complexes.
Theory for New Carbon-Based Materials

We review results of our local-density-functional-based cluster calculations and molecular dynamics simulations of fullerenes and related structures. These include predictions of cohesive energies, electronic structures, and photoelectron spectra for a number of pure and chemically substituted fullerenes, studies of the resilience of C60 under severe compression and during surface collisions, simulations of the trapping of Hein the interior of C60, predictions of the strain energy, electronic and elastic properties of graphitic tubules, and simulations of the folding and curling of graphitic ribbons.
Day-to-Day Variability of Median Nerve Location within the Carpal Tunnel

Abstract Background Carpal tunnel syndrome is a commonly encountered entrapment disorder resulting from mechanical insult to the median nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based investigations have documented typical locations of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel; however, it is unclear whether those locations are consistent within an individual on different days. Methods To determine the day-to-day variability of nerve location, 3.0 T MRI scans were acquired from six normal volunteers over multiple sessions on three different days. Half of the scans were acquired with the wrist in neutral flexion and the fingers extended, and the other half were acquired with the wrist in 35° of flexion and the fingers flexed. Prior to half of the scans (in both poses), subjects performed a preconditioning routine consisting of specified hand activities and several repetitions of wrist flexion/extension. The shape, orientation, location, and location radius of variability of the median nerve and three selected flexor tendons were determined for each subject and compared between days. Findings Two of the six subjects had substantial variability in nerve location when the wrist was in neutral, and four of the subjects had high variability in nerve position when the wrist was flexed. Nerve variability was typically larger than tendon variability. The preconditioning routine did not decrease nerve or tendon location variability in either the neutral or the flexed wrist positions. Interpretation The high mobility and potential for large variability in median nerve location within the carpal tunnel needs to be borne in mind when interpreting MR images of nerve location.
Evolutionary implications of matK indels in Poaceae

Insertion/deletion events (indels) and nucleotide substitutions at the extreme 3' end of the chloroplast gene matK have been identified that distinguish certain major lineages of grasses. A 1-bp (base pair) deletion creating a shift in the open reading frame (ORF) and a point mutation support the positions of Streptochaeta and Anomochloa as the two most basal lineages in Poaceae. Another 1-bp deletion resulting in early termination of the ORF is unique to Ehrharta, a member of the taxonomically disputable tribe Ehrharteae. A 6-bp insertion supports monophyly of subfamilies Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Centothecoideae, and Chloridoideae (PACC). This marker appears useful in defining PACC clade members and may have potential in providing insight into the sister-group relationship between PACC and other lineages. Alignment of deduced amino acid sequences from bryophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms shows that this region is relatively conserved, but variation is notably higher in Poaceae. The evolutionary implications of these changes in grasses and other plant families are addressed.
An example of failure tolerant operation of a kinematically redundant manipulator

The high cost involved in the retrieval and repair of robotic manipulators used for remediating nuclear waste, processing hazardous chemicals, or for exploring space or the deep sea, places a premium on the reliability of the system as a whole. For such applications, kinematically redundant manipulators are inherently more reliable since the additional degrees of freedom (DOF) may compensate for a failed joint. In this work, a redundant manipulator is considered to be fault tolerant with respect to a given task if it is guaranteed to be capable of performing the task after any one of its joints has failed and is locked in place. A method is developed for insuring the failure tolerance of kinematically redundant manipulators with respect to a given critical task. Techniques are developed for analyzing the manipulator's workspace to find regions which are inherently suitable for critical tasks due to their relatively high level of failure tolerance. Then, constraints are imposed on the range of motion of the manipulator to guarantee that a given task is completable regardless of which joint fails. These concepts are illustrated for a PUMA 560 that is used for a three-dimensional positioning task. >
Mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction in the metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability in patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome (MS). The available data suggest that many patients with diabetes or MS already have vascular abnormalities by the time they are diagnosed with their metabolic disorder. Endothelial dysfunction (ED), which is one of the initial steps in the process of vascular disease, is often present in patients with diabetes or MS. Although the precise mechanism(s by which diabetes or MS causes ED remains to be elucidated, several possibilities exist. Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, increased oxidative stress, and diabetic dyslipidemia can all contribute to ED individually or in concert with one another. ED in the setting of diabetes or MS can subsequently result in the activation of a variety of pathways that alter vascular function and participate in the process of vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis. Because insulin resistance is the predominant mechanism responsible for various perturbations seen in MS or diabetes, it is essential to develop a therapeutic strategy that can improve insulin sensitivity with the hope that such interventions would reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events.
A synopsis of microwave remote sensing investigations planned for BOREAS

The Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is a multidisciplinary field and remote sensing study that will be implemented jointly by the United States and Canada. The goal of BOREAS is to obtain an improved understanding of the interactions between the boreal forest biome and the atmosphere in order to clarify their roles in global change. Specific objectives are to improve the understanding of the processes that govern the exchanges of water, energy, heat, carbon and trace gases between boreal ecosystems and the atmosphere and to develop and validate remote sensing algorithms for transferring the understanding of these processes from local to regional scales. >
Mini-reoperative mitral valve surgery.

BACKGROUND: Reoperative surgery involving the atrioventricular valves places the patient at risk for cardiac or bypass graft injury upon reoperative sternotomy. Standard right thoracotomy can avoid these problems but is associated with a large incision and possibly more pulmonary complications. METHODS AND RESULTS: An alternative, minimally invasive approach for reoperative atrioventricular valve surgery was studied in 22 patients. Patient age was 66 +/- 10 years. Postoperative mitral regurgitation was 3.4 +/- 0.3 and New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class was III/IV, despite a mean ejection fraction of 44 +/- 14%. These patients had 1-4 prior procedures a mean of 5 years previously. An anterior 5th interspace incision of 5- to 10-cm was performed. A 1-cm segment of 5th rib was removed to facilitate exposure. Cardiopulmonary bypass was performed via ascending aorta or femoral artery cannula and bicaval venous cannulae. Systemic cooling (25 degrees) and fibrillatory arrest was used. Operations performed included mitral valve repair (12), mitral valve replacement (5), prosthetic mitral valve rereplacement (4), repair of perivalvular leak (3), tricuspid valve repair (5), and atrial septal defect closures (7). Mean bypass time was 109 +/- 21 minutes with a mean fibrillatory time of 62 +/- 12 minutes. There was no intraoperative or 30-day mortality. Patients were weaned from ventilation at a mean of 5 hours postoperatively and received 1.3 +/- 1 unit of blood. There were no wound complications or re-explorations for bleeding. At a mean follow-up of 15 +/- 8 months, survivors are NYHA Class I-II. When interviewed, all patients felt their recovery was more rapid and less painful than their original sternotomy. CONCLUSION: This minimally invasive approach to reoperative atrioventricular valve surgery is safe and technically feasible. It has become our preferred approach to the atrioventricular valves in patients with a previous sternotomy.
A Web-Based Resource Management System for Damaged Transportation Networks

Post-disaster response and recovery efforts for damaged transportation networks are typically complex and challenging tasks. This is mainly due to the limited availability of resources and the dynamic changes to the status of the transportation networks undergoing recovery efforts. The complexity of these tasks is however exacerbated due to the lack of adequate communication between the different stakeholders involved in the response and recovery efforts. Therefore, improving the communication between the Departments of Transportation (DOTs), contractors, suppliers and the public can facilitate swift, hassle-free and cost-effective post-disaster response and recovery efforts of damaged transportation networks. This paper presents the development of a web-based resource management system that is designed to provide near real-time and cost-effective medium to exchange important data between the main response and recovery stakeholders and provides useful and up-to-date information to the public about the progress in the response and recovery efforts. To this end, the system is designed to have four main portals for: DOTs, contractors, suppliers and the public. The use of this system should prove useful to all users and should help control and minimize the impact of disasters on society.
Development of a task-oriented pilot-vehicle interface

A description is given of the intelligent air attack system (IAAS), an experimental avionics system designed to enhance a combat pilot's situational awareness and assist him in managing and executing his tasks in a specific Navy mission, war-at-sea ship attack. Particular attention is given to the IAAS task support subsystem (TSS), a task-oriented pilot/vehicle interface that helps the pilot complete his tasks through a collection of system agents and a hierarchy of task agents. Each system agent is an active software object that serves as a representative of some important system outside the TSS and provides an information control interface between that system and TSS components. Each task agent is an active software object whose function is to configure cockpit displays and select subsystem modes for a specific task and to monitor and assist the pilot in the execution of the task. The first complete IAAS prototype has been tested at the Naval Weapons Center by an independent evaluation team. >
Polymer–Drug Nanoconjugates

It is expected that the field of polymeric nanomedicine will dramatically change the landscape of oncology in several important ways. Two strategies for loading drugs into nanoparticles have been used: to encapsulate drugs within nanoparticles via noncovalent bonds and to formulate nanoparticles using polymer-drug conjugates. This chapter will examine the pros and cons of each strategy and will introduce new polymer–drug conjugates—called nanoconjugates—to address the challenges faced by both strategies. Also discussed in this chapter are topics related to regioselective polymer–drug conjugation chemistry, in vitro formulation and characterization, and preliminary in vivo studies that highlight the potential clinical translation of nanoconjugates. Keywords: polymer-drug conjugate; nanoparticle (NP); encapsulated system; conjugated system; nanoencapsulate; nanoconjugate
Considering Culturally Relevant Parenting Practices in Intervention Development and Adaptation A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies (BPSS) Program

A randomized prevention pilot trial compared caregivers who participated in the Black Parenting Strengths and Strategies (BPSS) Program with control caregivers. BPSS is a strengths- and culturally based parenting program designed to improve aspects of parenting associated with the early development of conduct problems and the promotion of social and cultural competence. Parenting variables included monitoring, positive parenting, harsh discipline, and the use of proactive racial socialization. Child variables included conduct problems and social competence. Relative to control caregivers, intervention caregivers used significantly more racial socialization strategies, positive parenting practices, and less harsh discipline. Also, despite caregivers' multiple risk factors, high rates of attendance and satisfaction were achieved. Results of this pilot support the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of a culturally relevant intervention program.
Biofilm Formation by Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli on Epithelial Cells following Mixed Inoculations

Biofilms were formed by inoculations of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli on HEp-2 cells. Inoculations of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium and E. coli resulted in the formation of an extensive biofilm of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. In experiments where an E. coli biofilm was first formed followed by challenge with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, there was significant biofilm formation by S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. The results of this study indicate that S. enterica serovar Typhimurium can outgrow E. coli in heterologous infections and displace E. coli when it forms a biofilm on HEp-2 cells.
Toward Sensitive and Accurate Analysis of Antibody Biotherapeutics by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

Remarkable methodological advances in the past decade have expanded the application of liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis of biotherapeutics. Currently, LC/MS represents a promising alternative or supplement to the traditional ligand binding assay (LBA) in the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicokinetic studies of protein drugs, owing to the rapid and cost-effective method development, high specificity and reproducibility, low sample consumption, the capacity of analyzing multiple targets in one analysis, and the fact that a validated method can be readily adapted across various matrices and species. While promising, technical challenges associated with sensitivity, sample preparation, method development, and quantitative accuracy need to be addressed to enable full utilization of LC/MS. This article introduces the rationale and technical challenges of LC/MS techniques in biotherapeutics analysis and summarizes recently developed strategies to alleviate these challenges. Applications of LC/MS techniques on quantification and characterization of antibody biotherapeutics are also discussed. We speculate that despite the highly attractive features of LC/MS, it will not fully replace traditional assays such as LBA in the foreseeable future; instead, the forthcoming trend is likely the conjunction of biochemical techniques with versatile LC/MS approaches to achieve accurate, sensitive, and unbiased characterization of biotherapeutics in highly complex pharmaceutical/biologic matrices. Such combinations will constitute powerful tools to tackle the challenges posed by the rapidly growing needs for biotherapeutics development.
Quantitative assessment of graded burn wounds in a porcine model using spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI)

Accurate and timely assessment of burn wound severity is a critical component of wound management and has implications related to course of treatment. While most superficial burns and full thickness burns are easily diagnosed through visual inspection, burns that fall between these extremes are challenging to classify based on clinical appearance. Because of this, appropriate burn management may be delayed, increasing the risk of scarring and infection. Here we present an investigation that employs spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and laser speckle imaging (LSI) as non-invasive technologies to characterize in-vivo burn severity. We used SFDI and LSI to investigate controlled burn wounds of graded severity in a Yorkshire pig model. Burn wounds were imaged starting at one hour after the initial injury and daily at approximately 24, 48 and 72 hours post burn. Biopsies were taken on each day in order to correlate the imaging data to the extent of burn damage as indicated via histological analysis. Changes in reduced scattering coefficient and blood flow could be used to categorize burn severity as soon as one hour after the burn injury. The results of this study suggest that SFDI and LSI information have the potential to provide useful metrics for quantifying the extent and severity of burn injuries.
Parametric fractional imputation for missing data analysis

Under a parametric model for missing data, the EM algorithm is a popular tool for flnding the maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of the parameters of the model. Imputation, when carefully done, can be used to facilitate the parameter estimation by applying the complete-sample estimators to the imputed dataset. The basic idea is to generate the imputed values from the conditional distribution of the missing data given the observed data. Multiple imputation is a Bayesian approach to generate the imputed values from the conditional distribution. In this article, parametric fractional imputation is proposed as a parametric approach for generating imputed values. Using fractional weights, the E-step of the EM algorithm can be approximated by the weighted mean of the imputed data likelihood where the fractional weights are computed from the current value of the parameter estimates. Some computational e‐ciency can be achieved using the idea of importance sampling in the Monte Carlo approximation of the conditional expectation. The resulting estimator of the specifled parameters will be identical to the MLE under missing data if the fractional weights are adjusted using a calibration step. The proposed imputation method provides e‐cient parameter estimates for the model parameters specifled and also provides reasonable estimates for parameters that are not part of the imputation model, for example domain means. Thus, the proposed imputation method is a useful tool for general-purpose data analysis. Variance estimation is covered and results from a limited simulation study are presented.
Approach phase ΔV considerations for lunar landing

The Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project is studying the lunar landing descent phase from lunar orbit to the surface. In this paper, we give an overview of the timing and ΔV implications for key activities during the lunar landing approach phase. Timing and ΔV performance are evaluated while varying the approach phase design and key hazard detection parameters. Results show that there are significant system tradeoffs when considering ΔV, hazard detection schemes, and the time available for crew to select a safe point to land.
German Politics of Genetic Engineering and its Deconstruction

Policy-making, as exemplified by biotechnology policy, can be understood as an attempt to manage a field of discursivity, to construct regularity in a dispersed multitude of combinable elements. Following this perspective of politics as a textual process, the paper interprets the politicization of genetic engineering in Germany as a defence of the political as a regime of heterogeneity, as a field of 'dissensus' rather than 'consensus', and a rejection of the idea that the framing of technological transformation is an autonomous process. From its beginning in the early 1970s, genetic engineering was symbolically entrenched as a key technology of the future, and as an integral element of the German politics of modernization. Attempts by new social movements and the Green Party to displace the egalitarian imaginary of democratic discourse into the politics of genetic engineering were construed by the political elites as an attack on the political order of post-World War II Germany. The 1990 Genetic Engineering Law attempted a closure of this controversy. But it is precisely the homogenizing idiom of this 'settlement' which continues to nourish the social movements and their radical challenge to the definitions and codings of the politics of genetic engineering.
Corneal stimulation of MMP-1, -9 and uPA by platelet-activating factor is mediated by cyclooxygenase-2 metabolites

Purpose. This study was undertaken to evaluate the significance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity on urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1 and -9 induction in cornea following platelet-activating factor (PAF) treatment. Methods. Corneal organ cultures were pre-treated with increasing concentrations of COX-2-specific inhibitors NS398 or nimesulide prior to PAF stimulation. To determine the effect of exogenous prostaglandins (PGs) on uPA, MMP-1 and MMP-9 levels, corneas were pre-treated with COX-2 inhibitors followed by the addition of 2.5 µM PGD 2, PGE 2 or PGF 2a. The levels of uPA and MMP-9 were assayed by casein and gelatin zymography, respectively. MMP-1 levels were determined by Western Blot analysis. Results. The increase in uPA, MMP-9 and MMP-1 levels detected in corneal organ cultures treated with 100 nM cPAF was blocked by 5 µM NS398 and 10 µM nimesulide, concentrations at which these inhibitors selectively inhibit COX-2 activity. Furthermore, pre-incubati...
Ice nucleation from aqueous NaCl droplets with and without marine diatoms

Abstract. Ice formation in the atmosphere by homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation is one of the least understood processes in cloud microphysics and climate. Here we describe our investigation of the marine environment as a potential source of atmospheric IN by experimentally observing homogeneous ice nucleation from aqueous NaCl droplets and comparing against heterogeneous ice nucleation from aqueous NaCl droplets containing intact and fragmented diatoms. Homogeneous and heterogeneous ice nucleation are studied as a function of temperature and water activity, a w . Additional analyses are presented on the dependence of diatom surface area and aqueous volume on heterogeneous freezing temperatures, ice nucleation rates, ω het , ice nucleation rate coefficients, J het , and differential and cumulative ice nuclei spectra, k(T) and K(T) , respectively. Homogeneous freezing temperatures and corresponding nucleation rate coefficients are in agreement with the water activity based homogeneous ice nucleation theory within experimental and predictive uncertainties. Our results confirm, as predicted by classical nucleation theory, that a stochastic interpretation can be used to describe the homogeneous ice nucleation process. Heterogeneous ice nucleation initiated by intact and fragmented diatoms can be adequately represented by a modified water activity based ice nucleation theory. A horizontal shift in water activity, Δ a w, het = 0.2303, of the ice melting curve can describe median heterogeneous freezing temperatures. Individual freezing temperatures showed no dependence on available diatom surface area and aqueous volume. Determined at median diatom freezing temperatures for a w from 0.8 to 0.99, ω het ~ 0.11 +0.06 −0.05 s −1 , J het ~ 1.0 +1.16 −0.61 ×10 4 cm −2 s −1 , and K ~ 6.2 +3.5 −4.1 ×10 4 cm −2 . The experimentally derived ice nucleation rates and nuclei spectra allow us to estimate ice particle production which we subsequently use for a comparison with observed ice crystal concentrations typically found in cirrus and polar marine mixed-phase clouds. Differences in application of time-dependent and time-independent analyses to predict ice particle production are discussed.
Study of visual acuity during the ocular pursuit of moving test objects. II. Effects of direction of movement, relative movement, and illumination

It was demonstrated that the manner in which visual acuity deteriorates as the angular velocity of the test object increases is similar regardless of whether the motion is produced by moving the target vertically, horizontally, or by rotating the observer in a horizontal plane. It was shown also that the semiempirical equation Y=a+bx3 describes satisfactorily these three types of movement. It was pointed out that individuals having a low acuity threshold in the vertical plane of movement will be likely also to have a low threshold in the horizontal plane. It was shown that although 5 to 10 footcandles may be sufficient illumination when the test object is stationary, visual acuity is substantially benefitted by increases up to 125 footcandles when the observer is rotated. This corroborates earlier findings reported by Ludvigh.
SOPHISTICATED ENFORCEMENT AND ADAPTIVE OFFENDERS

The interaction between a sophisticated player and a fictitious player is analyzed and applied to the problem of optimal enforcement. An adaptive potential offender myopically responds to the history of past enforcement. How can a sophisticated enforcement official take advantage of this behavior? Will compliance with the law be attained? Conditions under which full compliance arises is derived and the optimal cycle of enforcing and not enforcing the law is presented. Welfare is shown to be greater than if the offender was sophisticated as well.
Comorbidity in depression

Objective: To define the extent of comorbidity in depression. Method: The level of medical comorbidity in depression was assessed on the basis of the empirical literature and results from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) conference on Depression's Toll on Other Illnesses. Results: The global incidence of depression underscores the need to develop integrative treatment strategies for these disorders. An NIMH conference entitled 'The Unwanted Cotraveler: Depression's Toll on Other Illnesses' has highlighted the impact of increased depression prevalence in the presence of medical disorders. Economic data from a large health insurance claims database concludes that the presence of a psychiatric condition, particularly depression, considerably increases the medical costs, as well as the cost of caring for the psychiatric condition. Conclusion: Federally sponsored research intervention centres need to address these issues and provide opportunities for diverse medical specialties to collaborate on testing novel treatment approaches.
A case study of student reasoning about feedback control in a computer-based learning environment

This paper presents a case study of how two high school students' conceptions of feedback control changed in the course of their work in a computer-based learning environment called the Feedback Articulate Virtual Laboratory (FAVL). The study focuses on the nature of the components in the students versus an expert's mental model and the manner in which these components were described, as abstract or as concrete, and differentiated. This paper ends with a discussion of possible difficulties students may have learning an expert's conception of feedback and the implications on the design of learning environments.
Empathy is interpretation (and who ever said it wasn't?)

Whenever the subject is explicitly addressed, all analysts agree that empathic perception is an attitude one takes toward making observations, not a privileged means of perception. Furthermore, analysts seem to agree that observations made with an empathic intention are interpretations like any other observations. Empathy is not a conduit to the patient's inner life. But despite these points of consensus, it often seems to be implied in the psychoanalytic literature, usually unintentionally, that empathy is a privileged means of knowing another person. This undercurrent is sometimes present even in the work of theorists who simultaneously state their opposition to this very point of view. In this paper, after presenting an example from the literature of this kind of contradiction, I, basing my argument in hermeneutics, offer the view that all observation, inside and outside psychoanalysis, is interpretation. Then, turning to the three papers of the symposium individually, I take the perspective that in on...