cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility High Resolution Camera

The HRC (High Resolution Camera) is a photon counting instrument to be flown on the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). It is a large field of view, high angular resolution, detector for the X-ray telescope. The HRC consists of a CsI coated microchannel plate (MCP) acting as a soft X-ray photocathode, followed by a second MCP for high electronic gain. The MCPs are readout by a crossed grid of resistively coupled wires to provide high spatial resolution along with timing and pulse height data. The instrument will be used in two modes, as a direct imaging detector with a limiting sensitivity of 10 to the -15th ergs/sq cm sec in a 10 to the 5th second exposure, and as a readout for an objective transmission grating providing spectral resolution of several hundreds to thousands.
Student Attitude toward Entrepreneurship as Affected by Participation in an SBI Program.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine college students' entrepreneurial characteristics and attitude change toward entrepreneurship after participation in a Small Business Institute (SBI) program. The sample consisted of 220 college students enrolled in an SBI program during the fall semester 1992, in Region 8. Student participants completed the Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO) instrument at the beginning and end of the SBI program. The EAO assessed student participants' attitudes toward becoming entrepreneurs on four sub-scales: need to achieve, innovation, locus of control, and self-esteem. Results show that participants with a high locus of control, as well as younger students, were most likely to develop more positive attitudes to entrepreneurship.
An Electrostatic Computer Model of a Biological Membrane

Abstract A model of a biological cell membrane (Danielli-Davson, Robertson) is described. The membrane is simulated by planar arrays of dipoles. Dipoles represent lipid polar end groups and protein CO, NH and R— group components of the membrane. An electrostatic self-consistent field approach is used to solve a set of four simultaneous equations. The four equations describe the forces acting upon each molecule. The solution of the set of equations is a set of angles which specify the orientation of the molecules. Then the electrostatic field from the entire molecular array can be calculated for any point in the neighborhood of the “membrane”. An empirical “resisting torque” function is introduced to allow simulation of the gross effects of the many interacting forces which act at the molecular level. The effect of a macromolecule near the membrane is simulated by using an appropriate electron density in a multipole field expansion. A computer program generates the electrostatic field contours. Program inputs are physical parameters such as dielectric constants, dipole moments, packing density, number of lipid and protein molecules. Field contours for a particular “resisting torque” and for two protein configurations are presented and interpreted.
Collecting high quality overlapping labels at low cost

This paper studies quality of human labels used to train search engines' rankers. Our specific focus is performance improvements obtained by using overlapping relevance labels, which is by collecting multiple human judgments for each training sample. The paper explores whether, when, and for which samples one should obtain overlapping training labels, as well as how many labels per sample are needed. The proposed selective labeling scheme collects additional labels only for a subset of training samples, specifically for those that are labeled relevant by a judge. Our experiments show that this labeling scheme improves the NDCG of two Web search rankers on several real-world test sets, with a low labeling overhead of around 1.4 labels per sample. This labeling scheme also outperforms several methods of using overlapping labels, such as simple k-overlap, majority vote, the highest labels, etc. Finally, the paper presents a study of how many overlapping labels are needed to get the best improvement in retrieval accuracy.
Adaptive significance of developmental rate in rainbow trout: an experimental test

We examined the survival, size, and agonistic behaviour of faster and slower developing rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in an artificial stream channel with a simulated redd. The analysis was performed at two levels: between three full-sib families genetically marked at a hexosaminidase locus, and within families segregating for a regulatory allele Pgml-t(b) that is associated with faster developmental rate. The families differed significantly in their hatching times but showed little variation in emergence times. Fishes with the Pgml-t(b) allele hatched and emerged significantly earlier than their full-sibs without the allele. Despite the mortality of at least 50% of emerged fishes in the selection experiment, there was no significant difference in survival between either the three families or fishes with different genotypes at the Pgml-t locus. However, fishes from the faster developing family and those with the Pgml-t(b) allele had significantly higher levels of agonistic behaviour and had a tendency to be larger than slower developing individuals.
Simulation of airflow and aerosol deposition in the nasal cavity of a 5-year-old child

Abstract As a human grows from birth to adulthood, both airway anatomy and breathing conditions vary that alter the deposition rate and pattern of inhaled aerosols. However, deposition studies have typically focused on adult subjects, results of which may not be readily extrapolated to children. Furthermore, because of greater ventilation rate per body weight, children receive a greater dose than adults and therefore are more susceptible to respiratory risks. This study is to evaluate the transport and deposition of respiratory aerosols in a nasal-laryngeal airway model based on MRI head images of a 5-year-old boy. Differences between this child and adults in nasal physiology and aerosol filtering efficiency will be emphasized. A validated low Reynolds number (LRN) k−ω turbulence model was employed to simulate laminar, transitional, and fully turbulent flow regimes within the nasal airways. Particle trajectories and deposition in the spectrum of 0.5–32 μm were evaluated using a well-tested Lagrangian tracking approach for inhalation flow rates ranging from sedentary (3 L/min) to heavily active (30 L/min) conditions. Simulation results of the inhalation pressure drop and particle deposition rate provided a reasonable match with existing experimental results in nasal airway casts of children. Much higher breathing resistance was observed in the 5-year-old child compared to adults. Furthermore, deposition patterns were sensitive to inhalation flow rate under low activity conditions. An empirical correlation of child nasal filtering efficiency was proposed for micrometer particles based on a wide range of test conditions. Results of this study demonstrate that significant child–adult difference exists in inhaled aerosol depositions, which should be taken into account for risk assessment of airborne toxicants on infants and children.
Tanning and cutaneous malignancy.

BACKGROUND Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) results in a darkening of the skin known as tanning. Recently, it has been shown that tanning is a response to UVR-induced DNA damage and represents the skin's efforts to protect itself against further injury. Despite the link between UVR and cutaneous malignancy, people continue to pursue tanning from natural and artificial sources. This trend is reflected in the exponential rise in skin cancer incidence. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review our current understanding of the factors controlling the tanning response and the relationship to cutaneous carcinogenesis, as well as the impact that the multibillion dollar tanning industry has had on the practice of dermatology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Extensive literature review was conducted in subjects related to tanning and the relationship to cutaneous malignancy. RESULTS Our knowledge of tanning and its effects on the skin has increased tremendously. It is clear that tanning contributes to the development of skin cancer. Despite this information, the incidence of skin cancer continues to increase exponentially. CONCLUSIONS Skin cancer poses a major public health concern and tanning remains the most modifiable risk factor in its etiology. Social, economic, and legislative issues have become tightly intertwined with the complex nature of human behavior in the continued pursuit of an activity that clearly has detrimental effects on one's health.
Behavior of unreduced polymeric and monomeric immunoglobulins in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Investigation of the electrophoretic behavior, in SDS-polyacrylamide and SDS-polyacrylamide-agarose gels, of IgMs and low mol. wt Igs from four classes of vertebrates, as well as fragments derived from them, was carried out. A clear but unexpected straight-line relationship was observed for all Igs (and fragments) tested when relative mobility was plotted against log mol. wt for the unreduced molecules. Aberrant behavior of the low mol. wt Ig of Bufo marinus was shown to be due to the complete dissociation of the molecule into free light chains and heavy-chain dimers, in the presence of SDS.
Attention Versus Consciousness in the Visual Brain: Differences in Conception, Phenomenology, Behavior, Neuroanatomy, and Physiology

A common confound between consciousness and attention makes it difficult to think clearly about recent advances in the understanding of the visual brain. Visual consciousness involves phenomenal experience of the visual world, but visual attention is more plausibly treated as a function that selects and maintains the selection of potential conscious contents, often unconsciously. In the same sense, eye movements select conscious visual events, which are not the same as conscious visual experience. According to common sense, visual experience is consciousness, and selective processes are labeled as attention. The distinction is reflected in very different behavioral measures and in very different brain anatomy and physiology. Visual consciousness tends to be associated with the "what" stream of visual feature neurons in the ventral temporal lobe. In contrast, attentional selection and maintenance are mediated by other brain regions, ranging from superior colliculi to thalamus, prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate. The author applied the common-sense distinction between attention and consciousness to the theoretical positions of M. I. Posner (1992, 1994) and D. LaBerge (1997, 1998) to show how it helps to clarify the evidence. He concluded that clarity of thought is served by calling a thing by its proper name.
Disparities in Service Quality Among Insured Adult Patients Seen in Physicians’ Offices

To examine racial disparities in health care service quality. Secondary data analyses of visits by primary care service users in the Community Tracking Study household sample. Sixty communities across the United States. A total of 41,537 insured adult patients making sick visits to primary care physicians in 1996–1997, 1998–1999, 2000–2001, and 2003. Lag between appointment and physician visit, waiting time in physician office, and satisfaction with care were analyzed. Blacks but not other minorities were more likely to have an appointment lag of more than 1 week (13% white vs. 21% black, p < 0.001). Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities were more likely to wait more than 30 min before being seen by the physician (16% white vs. 26% black, p < 0.001; vs. 27% Hispanic and 22% other minority, p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively) and were less likely to report that they were very satisfied with their care (65% white vs. 60% black, p = 0.02; vs. 57% Hispanic and 48% other minority, p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively). The differences in appointment lag and wait time remain large and statistically significant after the inclusion of multiple covariates, including geographic controls for CTS site. For all groups, satisfaction with care was affected by objective measures of service quality. Differences in objective measures of service quality explained much of the black-white difference in satisfaction, though not differences for other minority groups. There are substantial racial/ethnic disparities in satisfaction with care, and these are related to objective quality measures that can be improved.
Study and Development of the Document Management System Oriented Collaborative Design

Collaborative design is a new method that grows up with the development of the computer technology, network technology, database technology and artificial intelligence technology in recent years. According to the practical requirements of the collaborative design, key points of architecture, version management and electronic countersignature of collaborative design is studied. Besides, based on the theoretical study, a prototype system of electronic document management oriented collaborative design is developed. The operated results of the system verify the correctness of theoretical research and technical feasibility.
Common cardiovascular issues encountered in geriatric critical care

A high prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) disease exists in the elderly, but in clinical practice the definition of elderly is more complex than chronologic age alone. Chronologic age and physiologic age may not be congruent, and must be factored into critical care decision processes. This discussion provides general guidelines to CV problems that may be experienced by the elderly in the critical care setting (Table 1). Although this discussion applies generally to patients older than 75 years of age, all decisions pertaining to an individual patient should not only take into account the chronologic age, but also the physiologic age, comorbid conditions, functional status, and the patient’s wishes. CV disease and related issues are commonly encountered in the elderly receiving critical care. It is important to have a basic understanding of how age affects the CV system. In the absence of CV disease, the aging CV system demonstrates greater left ventricular wall thickness, left atrial dilatation, reduced early diastolic filling, augmented late filling, and preserved systolic function. Additionally, pacemaker cells die, there is an increase in collagen tissue, and the cardiac skeleton calcifies, all of which can affect the conduction system and make the elderly heart more susceptible to arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF). Aerobic capacity is markedly reduced in the elderly. The normal hemodynamic profile of an elderly person is similar to b-adrenergic blockade in a young adult, that is, there is decreased b-adrenergic responsiveness in the elderly. In general, CV reserve diminishes as age advances. The safety and effectiveness of CV drug therapy is also affected by aging. The elderly can demonstrate altered pharmacodynamics that can make them more sensitive to common drug therapies. They have a decreased volume of distribution and decreased drug clearance, leading to increased drug concentrations and prolonged half-lives. All these basic facts must be taken into consideration when providing critical care to the elderly.
Mobile Phone Diffusion and Corruption in Africa

The explosion of mobile phones into a region that, until recently, was nearly devoid of telecommunications infrastructure provides a valuable opportunity to explore the potential effects of information and communication technology on various economic and social outcomes. This article focuses specifically on the potential influence that mobile phones will exert on corruption in Africa. Two distinct empirical analyses test the hypothesis that mobile phones will reduce corruption in Africa, as a result of decentralizing information and communication and thereby diminishing the opportunities available to engage in corruption as well as increasing the potential of detection and punishment. The results of a fixed effects regression of panel data at the country level reveal a significant negative correlation between a country's degree of mobile phone penetration and that country's level of perceived corruption. In addition to this, a multivariate regression of survey data reveals that the degree of mobile phone ...
Expediting the Early Hospital Care of the Adult Patient With Nontraumatic Chest Pain: Impact of a Modified ED Triage Protocol

Abstract A prospective study that compared a traditional emergency department (ED) triage protocol with an expedited protocol was conducted to determine if minimizing the subjectivity of nursing triage would result in more efficient management of adult patients presenting with nontraumatic chest pain. The traditional protocol triaged 382 patients into 1 of 5 categories of acuity. The expedited study group (418 patients) were triaged as usual but subsequently were treated as if they were triage category 1 or 2 (medical evaluation within 15 minutes of arrival). Traditional triage led to 40% of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients being triaged into inappropriately low-acuity categories. The expedited protocol resulted in significant improvement in the following intervals: ED arrival to triage, triage to cubicle, ED arrival to cubicle, ED arrival to electrocar-diogram (ECG) ordered, ED arrival to ECG available, ED arrival to physician evaluation, and ED arrival to decision to thrombolyse. Study patients with non-AMI cardiac chest pain and AMI cardiac chest pain were evaluated by a physician an average of 12 minutes and 8 minutes after ED arrival, respectively. Delays in interdepartmental processes, such as ECG-technician responsiveness, thrombolysis protocol fulfillment and thrombolytic agent delivery, negated benefits derived from improvements in internal processes. Effective coordination of the numerous processes involved in the initial ED management of adult patients with nontraumatic chest pain is required to make thrombolytic therapy for AMI within 30 minutes of patient arrival a routinely achievable goal.
Issues in Research Integrity: Deciding What Is Mine, Yours, and Ours

370 Volume 26 Number 5 methods in proposing, performing, and evaluating research; reporting research results with particular attention to adherence to rules, regulations, and guidelines; and following commonly accepted professional codes or norms.’’ So important is this content to the National Institutes of Health that in 2009 it began specifying the scope of instruction in research integrity that institutions receiving federal funds are required to provide. Such instruction is required to be given in both formal (classroom) and informal (practical and experiential) ways throughout any research training program that is funded by the DHHS. Although the content for the training is not prescriptive, several topics are noted to be included in most plans deemed acceptable to the DHHS and its funding agencies (Box). Clearly, research integrity encompasses a vast array of topics, and the full scope ofwhat constitutes research integrity is too broad a topic for this column. This article will focus on several areas of closely related topics that are addressed less frequently in contemporary writing on research integrity: ownership of ideas, misuse of privileged information, and collaborative research efforts, including those of trainee/faculty and research networks. Because of space limitations, we have included links to a number of resources to aid the reader in the further consideration of these topics.
Trading Signs: Semiotic Practices in Law and Medicine

Lawyers write, blog and are otherwise producers of words; they structure public life through legal discourse and integrate all issues that reinforce legal reasoning. Even if one is inclined not to justify the power of their words in the context of a democratic theory, one is hardly able to challenge its public acceptance. But semiotic analyses harden the question whether these emperors wear nothing but robes. That attitude intensifies where medicine becomes increasingly relevant for legal discourse, as becomes clear where for instance US political viewpoints bring bioethical issues to the Courts. One major theme in today’s medicine pertains to identity in its psychological, philosophical and social dimensions. Identity thus becomes a groundbreaking semiotic issue in law and medicine; both discourses are particular important to the otherness of the other. A US criminal law case interests here (Harrington v. State of Iowa, 2003; cited as: 659N.W.2d 509). The case is decided with “information about what the person has stored in his brain”. A chain of signs is involved: from “brain-function” to “brain-storage” via “brain-scan” to “brain-fingerprint”, for which the case became famous. A long series of signs and meanings belong here to intertwined discourses. Central is a particular sign in each discourse: “brain” means brain scan, and “fingerprint” means law! The two display trading mechanisms, which determine the otherness of the other and the self! The chain of signs in the Harrington case shows inter-disciplinarity in law and inter-discursivity among law and medicine. The trading itself underlines the semiotic dimensions in cyberspace, in particular the semiotics of the virtual (Hayles, Kurzweil) and their effects on legal discourse.
News Media Coverage of Seasonal Forecasts: The Case of Winter 1982–83

Abstract Public interest in the 1982–83 winter forecast was heightened by antecedent press coverage of the possible effects of a solar luminosity decline and the El Chichon eruption on the climate. During the late summer and fall of 1982, several private climatologists and “folk forecasters” issued statements calling for an exceptionally cold winter, especially in the eastern United States. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast, issued on 29 November, contradicted these early, dire predictions by calling for warmer-than-normal winter temperatures in the East. The NWS forecast was carried by slightly more than half of the U.S. daily newspapers, but by only a few weekly newspapers. The reporting was generally quite accurate, although some problems emerged in headlining and in using maps along with stories. The apparent controversy between official and private forecasts was mentioned in virtually every news article. Communication problems such as those surrounding the winter forecast should be of as gr...
Stability and acidity constants for ternary ligand-zinc-hydroxo complexes of tetradentate tripodal ligands.

Four series of tetradentate tripodal ligands containing pyridyl, 2-imidazolyl, 4-imidazolyl, amino, and/or carboxylic groups were synthesized as hydrolytic zinc enzyme models in order to elucidate ...
A 0.39–0.44 THz 2x4 Amplifier-Quadrupler Array With Peak EIRP of 3–4 dBm

This paper presents a CMOS amplifier-multiplier-antenna array capable of generating an EIRP of 3-4 dBm at 420 GHz. The chip is built using a 45-nm CMOS SOI process, and efficient on-chip antennas are used to extract the power out of the chip. The design is based on a 90-110 GHz distribution network with splitters and amplifiers, and a balanced quadrupler capable of delivering up > 100 μW of power at 370-430 GHz. The amplifier-multiplier concept is proven on a 2×4 array, and it can be also scaled to any N×M array using additional W-band splitters and amplifiers.
Using net present value methods to evaluate quality improvement projects

Purpose – This paper aims to propose the use of net present value methods to derive the quality costs of quality improvement projects. The proposed methodology is then demonstrated in a case study of a quality improvement to an inspection process in an automobile assembly plant.Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of application of accounting net present value methods to the cost of quality methods.Findings – Quality improvements in the manufacture of durable goods do not usually have instantaneous results in warranty cost reductions, customer satisfaction or revenue expansion. The net present value method proposed gives a more accurate accounting of the expected results of quality improvement projects by considering the temporal effects of the change and the time value of money.Research limitations/implications – The case study presented contains fictitious data to protect the confidentiality of the source. While it is useful in demonstrating the application of the net present value ...
Interleukin-1α Is Released During Transfection of Keratinocytes

Abstract Keratinocytes are known to produce, store, and release IL-1αand therefore we suspected that the DNA-mediated cell transfection procedure may release the stored IL-1α from keratinocytes into the medium. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we determined the IL-1α concentration in culture supernatants during keratinocyte transfection. The following transfection methods were compared: lipofection with lipofectACE and lipofectAMINE (GIBGO), Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 co-precipitation, and polybrene-dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The supernatants were collected immediately prior to transfection, after 5-h incubation with lipofectin or Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , and 24 and 48 h after transfection. In the polybrene-DMSO method, the supernatant was also collected immediately before and after DMSO shock. LipofectAMINE caused the highest release of IL-1α, whereas the lipofectACE and polybrene-DMSO mediated transfection with confluent cells released the least. The other two methods released intermediate levels of IL-1α. Our data indicate that a substantial amount of IL-α is released during the keratinocyte transfection procedure, which can affect the results of transfection in studies of gene expression.
An Empowerment Approach for Elders Living With Diabetes: A Pilot Study of a Community-Based Self-Help Group--the Diabetes Club.

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a disabling, deadly disease, affecting one in five of adults over 65. Unfortunately, for the few elders that receive diabetes self-care training it is often taught using traditional didactic methods that are insensitive to their unique needs and immersed in the traditional medical paradigm. Integrating diabetes self-care into daily living demands more than knowledge acquisition and skill mastery; it requires acceptance of the disease, motivation for change, instrumental and emotional support, general problem-solving skills, and control over one's life – empowerment. This project sought to develop and pilot-test a peer-led, community-based, self-help intervention for elders with diabetes—the Diabetes Club. The intervention targeted diabetes self-efficacy, seeking to empower elders then increase diabetes self-care behavior targets, resulting in improved glycemic control. Club members and social workers collectively developed, implemented, tested intervention protocols, detailed...
The Quantitative Distribution of Cytosolic Androgen Receptors in Microdissected Areas of the Male Rat Brain: Effects of Estrogen Treatment*

Estrogen and androgen synergize in the regulation of various neuroendocrine functions. To determine a potential cellular basis of this synergism, we measured androgen receptor (AR) in the cytosol of 16 hypothalamic and limbic nuclei and subregions in castrated male rats and castrated rats treated with estradiol. Androgen receptor was measured by a previously validated in vitro binding assay using the synthetic androgen methyltrienolone ([3H]R1881). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250–350 g) were castrated 2 weeks before the implantation of a 2.5-cm Silastic capsule filled with crystalline 17β-estradiol. Control rats were sham implanted. Estrogen treatment lasted for 1 week, after which time the animals were killed, their brains were frozen and sectioned, and individual nuclei and subregions were removed by a tissue punch technique. Tissue from six rats were combined for each determination. The highest levels of AR were found in the ventromedial nucleus (16.5 ±1.4 fmol/mg protein), medial preoptic area (12.1 ± 1...
Shear and compressive rheology of aggregated alumina suspensions

The shear and compressive properties of aggregated alumina particles are determined as functions of volume fraction and the strength of the interparticle attraction. Over a range of volume fractions, yield stresses, τy, elastic moduli, the strain delimiting the extent of the linear elastic response, and compressive yield stress, Py, are well described by power-law functions of volume fraction, while the role of interparticle attractions can be accounted for by expressing these mechanical properties as (ϕ/ϕg − 1)n, where ϕg captures the strength of particle attractions and n the microstructure. The links between compressive and shear properties are well described by linear elastic models where the Py and τy are a function of Poisson's ratio which, for the suspensions investigated, has a value near 0.49.
THORIUM ISOTOPES IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT.

Analyses of thorium isotopes isolated from fractions of a North Pacific Core, representing authigenic and detrital minerals, indicated that there were movements of 228 Ra within the sedimentary column, that the thorium comes to the deposit primarily from sea water, that there is no evidence for the migration of thorium isotopes within the sedimentary column, and that there is a continued growth of phillipsite at depths in the column. Finally, there appeared to be a preferential accommodation of 231 Pa and/or 227 Ac in the phillipsite, the authigenic zeolite, relative to the detrital minerals. The high values of the 228 Th/ 232 Th ratios in sea water may be influenced by the contribution of 228 Th arising from 228 Ra migration through the water-sediment interface.
Conditional density estimation with a neural network using the GEM algorithm

Recent theoretical advances have shown the applicability of neural networks in density estimation. However, training in these methods is slow, especially where gaps exist in the data (which is often the case in practical situations). A standard method for attacking this missing data problem is to use the GEM (or generalized expectation-maximization) algorithm. We apply this algorithm to conditional density estimation with missing data, and show that it requires significantly fewer training examples to attain acceptable performance.
Review: history and physical examination can accurately identify migraine and the need for neuroimaging in patients with headache.

Source Citation Detsky ME, McDonald DR, Baerlocher MO, et al. Does this patient with headache have a migraine or need neuroimaging? JAMA. 2006;296:1274-83. 16968852
Platelet-derived growth factor and regulation of Schwann cell proliferation in vivo.

To examine the role of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the in vivo regulation of Schwann cell proliferation, steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding PDGF A and B chains, and PDGF α and β receptors were measured in immature and adult rat sciatic nerves and in cultured rat Schwann cells. PDGF B chain and PDGF β receptor mRNAs are present in immature rat sciatic nerves and to a lesser extent in adult rat nerves. Short-term cultures of neonatal rat Schwann cells express PDGF β receptor mRNA, but not PDGF B chain mRNA, and are stimulated to synthesize DNA by addition of PDGF BB to the medium. These data indicate that PDGF BB is a developmenttally regulated paracrine growth factor for rat Schwann cells. Very long-term cultures of rat Schwann cells, which have lost normal dependence on exogenous growth factors, express PDGF B chain mRNA as well as mRNAs encoding the PDGF α and β receptors, suggesting that, under these circumstances, PDGF BB also acts as an autocrine growth factor. PDGF A chain mRNA is present in both immature and adult rat sciatic nerves and is expressed by primary and secondary cultures of rat Schwann cells as well. However, because the abundance of PDGF α receptor mRNA is very low in rat Schwann cells, PDGF AA is not likely to be a significant autocrine growth factor for rat Schwann cells.
The use of encryption to ensure the integrity of reusable software components

Several efforts are currently underway to foster a marketplace for reusable software components based upon interoperating electronic libraries containing managed collections of components. In such a marketplace, it is necessary for potential users to be able to verify the origin of candidate components and to assure that they have not been modified by third parties. This paper proposes a method for providing the assurance through the application of modern encryption techniques. >
Pathologic report of 29 necropsies on dogs with mastocytoma.

At necropsy 28 of 29 dogs with cutaneous mastocytoma had internal accumulations of mast cells in various organs. The order of decreasing incidence in these organs was: regional lymph nodes, spleen,...
Rapid evolution in crop-weed hybrids under artificial selection for divergent life histories

When species hybridize, offspring typically exhibit reduced fitness and maladapted phenotypes. This situation has biosafety implications regarding the unintended spread of novel transgenes, and risk assessments of crop-wild hybrids often assume that poorly adapted hybrid progeny will not evolve adaptive phenotypes. We explored the evolutionary potential of early generation hybrids using nontransgenic wild and cultivated radish (Raphanus raphanistrum, Raphanus sativus) as a model system. We imposed four generations of selection for two weedy traits – early flowering or large size – and measured responses in a common garden in Michigan, USA. Under selection for early flowering, hybrids evolved to flower as early as wild lineages, which changed little. These early-flowering hybrids also recovered wild-type pollen fertility, suggesting a genetic correlation that could accelerate the loss of crop traits when a short life cycle is advantageous. Under selection for large size at reproduction, hybrids evolved longer leaves faster than wild lineages, a potentially advantageous phenotype under longer growing seasons. Although early generation hybrid offspring have reduced fitness, our findings provide novel support for rapid adaptation in crop-wild hybrid populations. Biosafety risk assessment programs should consider the possibility of rapid evolution of weedy traits from early generations of seemingly unfit crop-wild hybrids.
Romantic Emotional Attachment: Additional Factors in the Development of the Sexual Orientation of Men

This retrospective study compared reports of gay and heterosexual male college students about particular behaviors and feelings during childhood and adolescence. The results were interpreted as providing general support for Bell's heterogamy principle that regardless of a person's sexual orientation, his or her romantic attachments will be to people perceived different from themselves.
A discrete hybrid nonlinear-model referenced adaptive controller for robotic manipulators

A hybrid controller for robotic manipulators was designed and tested using a distributed multiprocessor architecture and a PUMA 550 robot arm. The feedback control signal consists of two components. The first component is computed using the nonlinear dynamic equations and is thus based on a computed torque approach. Due to modeling errors in the dynamic equations, however, a second component of the control signal is necessary to compensate for these errors. This second component is derived using a model referenced adaptive approach. The manipulator system is considered to be composed of a nominal part characterized by the dynamic equations used to compute a nominal input value and a variational part describing the error between the behavior of the nominal model and the actual system behavior. A model referenced adaptive feedback control signal is derived from the observed output error and superimposed on the nominal input as a variational term of the input. >
Improved time-frequency filtering of signal-averaged ECGs

Abstract A recently proposed time-frequency filtering technique has shown promising results for the enhancement of signal-averaged electrocardiograms. This method weights the short-time Fourier transform of the ensemble-averaged signal, analogous to the spectral domain Wiener filtering of stationary signals. In effect, it is a self-designing, time-varying Wiener filter applied to the high-resolution electrocardiogram (HRECG). In this study, the authors empirically show that the performance of the proposed technique is about 2–3 dB lower over the critical late-potential portion of the HRECG than the optimal fixed-window, time-frequency filter based on ideal a priori knowledge of statistics. Although this ideal knowledge and performance is unattainable in practice, these results suggest that there remains potential for modest improvement. To narrow this gap in performance, improvements based on alternative structures for the time-frequency filter, including time-varying short-time Fourier transform windows, are proposed. Simulation results show that an improved fixed-window technique can potentially yield an improvement of about 1–1.5 dB. By using properly chosen time-varying windows, the performance could potentially be improved even further. Thus, the improved techniques could produce an HRECG using fewer averages than the existing method, or that could tolerate a lower initial signal-to-noise ratio.
The Stability Model: An Interactive Framework for Measuring Robustness and Resiliency in Military Command and Control Systems

The increasing complexity and tight coupling between people and technology in military Command and Control C2 systems has led to greater vulnerability due to system failure. Although system vulnerabilities cannot be completely eliminated, the accidental or anticipated failures have to be thoroughly understood and guarded. Traditionally, the failure in C2 systems has been studied with resiliency and the concept of self-healing systems represented with reactive models or robustness and the concept of self-protecting systems represented with proactive models. The authors propose the stability model for simultaneous consideration of robustness and resiliency in C2 systems. Robustness and resiliency are measured with multiple criteria i.e. repair-recovery times and repair-recovery costs. The proposed interactive framework plots the robustness and resiliency measures in a Cartesian coordinate system and derives an overall stability index for various states of the C2 system based on the theory of displaced ideals. An ideal state is formed as a composite of the best performance values and a nadir state is formed as a composite of the worst performance values exhibited by the system. Proximity to each of these performance poles is measured with the Euclidean distance. The C2 system should be as close to the ideal state as possible and as far from the nadir state as possible. The stability index is a composite measure of distance from the ideal and nadir states in the C2 system. The authors present a case study at the Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework and exhibit the efficacy of the procedures and algorithms.
Liver Cytochrome P450 3A Ubiquitination in Vivo by gp78/Autocrine Motility Factor Receptor and C Terminus of Hsp70-interacting Protein (CHIP) E3 Ubiquitin Ligases: PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE*

CYP3A4 is a dominant human liver cytochrome P450 enzyme engaged in the metabolism and disposition of >50% of clinically relevant drugs and held responsible for many adverse drug-drug interactions. CYP3A4 and its mammalian liver CYP3A orthologs are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored monotopic proteins that undergo ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD) in an ER-associated degradation (ERAD) process. These integral ER proteins are ubiquitinated in vivo, and in vitro studies have identified the ER-integral gp78 and the cytosolic co-chaperone, CHIP (C terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein), as the relevant E3 Ub-ligases, along with their cognate E2 Ub-conjugating enzymes UBC7 and UbcH5a, respectively. Using lentiviral shRNA templates targeted against each of these Ub-ligases, we now document that both E3s are indeed physiologically involved in CYP3A ERAD/UPD in cultured rat hepatocytes. Accordingly, specific RNAi resulted in ≈80% knockdown of each hepatic Ub-ligase, with a corresponding ≈2.5-fold CYP3A stabilization. Surprisingly, however, such stabilization resulted in increased levels of functionally active CYP3A, thereby challenging the previous notion that E3 recognition and subsequent ERAD of CYP3A proteins required ab initio their structural and/or functional inactivation. Furthermore, coexpression in HepG2 cells of both CYP3A4 and gp78, but not its functionally inactive RING-finger mutant, resulted in enhanced CYP3A4 loss greater than that in corresponding cells expressing only CYP3A4. Stabilization of a functionally active CYP3A after RNAi knockdown of either of the E3s, coupled with the increased CYP3A4 loss on gp78 or CHIP coexpression, suggests that ERAD-associated E3 Ub-ligases can influence clinically relevant drug metabolism by effectively regulating the physiological CYP3A content and consequently its function.
Electrophoretic Stretching of DNA Molecules in Cross-Slot Nanoslit Channels

A nanofluidic cross-slot device is designed and fabricated to investigate the effects of slitlike confinement on the electrophoretic stretching of single DNA molecules. The device is capable of trapping and stretching single DNA molecules at the stagnation point of a homogeneous planar elongational electric field. Different from studies of unconfined DNA, the longest relaxation time in slitlike confinement is extension-dependent, and we find the higher extension relaxation time allows better prediction of the drastic increase of extension with applied strain rate in confinement. The low extension relaxation time is important in polymer rotation and small deviations from equilibrium.
Intravenous Vitamins for Alcoholics in the Emergency Department: A Rreview

It is common practice for emergency physicians to provide i.v. vitamin replacements for alcoholics who present to the emergency department (ED). This article describes vitamin deficiencies in alcoholics and reviews the utility and utilization of vitamins in the emergency department. We conclude that the current data do not support the routine administration of i.v. vitamins to alcoholics who present to the ED and we do not recommend this practice.
Enhancing the monitoring range and sensitivity in CSRZ chromatic dispersion monitors using a dispersion-biased RF clock tone

We demonstrate a technique for 10- and 40-Gb/s chromatic dispersion monitoring for carrier-suppressed return-to-zero (CSRZ) signals using the radio-frequency (RF) power at the bit rate frequency (the "clock" frequency) that significantly enhances the monitoring range and sensitivity. We show that conventional RF clock tone monitoring techniques result in a small monitoring range and sensitivity when applied to CSRZ signals. We use fixed positive and negative dispersion elements to "bias" the RF clock power and extend the monitoring range for 10- (40-) Gb/s signals from 480 (30) to /spl sim/752(48) ps/nm. In addition, the sensitivity is enhanced from 0.0048 (0.0476 dB/ps/nm) to 0.0106 dB/ps/nm (0.1667 dB/ps/nm). Applying this monitoring technique to a dynamic chromatic dispersion compensation system, we compensate for the dispersion of 20-40 km of single-mode fiber (SMF) [step size of 5 km] and show <0.2-dB power penalty (compared to the back-to-back receiver sensitivity at 10/sup -9/ bit-error rate) by maximizing the biased RF clock component for the worst scenario after compensation (40 km of SMF).
Endometrial Hyperplasia and Epithelial Cytoplasmic Change

Endometrial hyperplasia is a nonphysiologic, noninvasive proliferation of the endometrium that results in a morphologic pattern of glands with irregular shapes and varying size.1–6 This disorder results from sustained, unopposed estrogen stimulation and presents clinically as abnormal uterine bleeding. Sometimes hyperplasia is encountered incidentally in biopsies done for other reasons, such as an infertility workup or prior to or during hormone replacement therapy. Hyperplasia can mimic a wide variety of normal physiologic changes, artifacts resulting from tissue sampling and processing, benign organic disorders, and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Since management of these conditions and the different forms of hyperplasia can range from no treatment to hysterectomy, correct diagnosis is essential.
Proteolytic cleavage of antigen extends the durability of an anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibody

Lilly PCSK9 antibody LY3015014 (LY) is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that neutralizes proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9). LY decreases LDL cholesterol in monkeys and, unlike other PCSK9 mAbs, does not cause an accumulation of intact PCSK9 in serum. Comparing the epitope of LY with other clinically tested PCSK9 mAbs, it was noted that the LY epitope excludes the furin cleavage site in PCSK9, whereas other mAbs span this site. In vitro exposure of PCSK9 to furin resulted in degradation of PCSK9 bound to LY, whereas cleavage was blocked by other mAbs. These other mAbs caused a significant accumulation of serum PCSK9 and displayed a shorter duration of LDL-cholesterol lowering than LY when administered to mice expressing the WT human PCSK9. In mice expressing a noncleavable variant of human PCSK9, LY behaved like a cleavage-blocking mAb, in that it caused significant PCSK9 accumulation, its duration of LDL lowering was reduced, and its clearance (CL) from serum was accelerated. Thus, LY neutralizes PCSK9 and allows its proteolytic degradation to proceed, which limits PCSK9 accumulation, reduces the CL rate of LY, and extends its duration of action. PCSK9 mAbs with this property are likely to achieve longer durability and require lower doses than mAbs that cause antigen to accumulate.
Viri Galilaei (for SATB A Cappella)

Viri Galilaei, for unaccompanied SATB mixed choir, was completed in the spring of 2009 and premiered at Indiana University on October 20, 2009, conducted by Gregory Geehern. It features solos for all parts (soprano, alto/countertenor, tenor, bass) and moderate divisi throughout (max. SSAATTBB). Duration approx. 10".
Ketamine enantiomers in the rapid and sustained antidepressant effects.

Recent evidence has suggested that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine shows significant therapeutic effects in major depression and bipolar disorder. This effect is especially important in treatment-resistant depression and depression with suicidal ideation. In this review we explain the mechanism of action, drug efficacy, and the side effects of ketamine; the antidepressive effects of ketamine; the individual effects of ketamine isomers, R(–) ketamine and S(+) ketamine; the effects of the combination of ketamine with electroconvulsive therapy; and the possible use of ketamine in treating depression.
Observations on hypothermia induced by reserpine and chlorpromazine.

SummaryReserpine-induced hypothermia occurs in the presence of shivering, piloerection, and hunched posture in contrast to the absence of these defenses following CPZ. Serum FFA and glucose levels remain normal in the reserpinized animal down to a body temperature of about 25°C below which they fall markedly. The CPZ induced hypothermia is associated with increases in serum FFA and glucose concentration proportional to the degree of hypothermia. Corticosterone levels are elevated with CPZ-induced hypothermia, but this increase is blocked by reserpine pretreatment. Serum insulin is unaffected by CPZ hypothermia, but the reserpinized animals have insulin levels elevated at 22°C and depressed at 3°C ambient temperature. In essence CPZ-induced hypothermia is associated with effective mobilization, but decreased utilization, of chlorigenic substrates. On the other hand, reserpine-induced hypothermia is associated with decreased mobilization of these substrates and their eventual depletion resulting from effect...