cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harnessing cellular differentiation to improve ALA-based photodynamic therapy in an artificial skin model

During ALA-based photodynamic therapy (PDT), a pro-drug (aminolevulinic acid; ALA) is taken up by tumor cells and metabolically converted to a photosensitizing intermediate (protoporphyrin IX; PpIX). ALA-based PDT, while an emerging treatment modality, remains suboptimal for most cancers (e.g. squamous cell carcinoma of the skin). Many treatment failures may be largely due to insufficient conversion of ALA to PpIX within cells. We discovered a novel way to increase the conversion of ALA to PpIX, by administering agents that can drive terminal differentiation (i.e., accelerate cellular maturation). Terminally-differentiated epithelial cells show higher levels of intracellular PpIX, apparently via increased levels of a rate-limiting enzyme, coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPO). To study these mechanisms in a three-dimensional tissue, we developed an organotypic model that mimics true epidermal physiology in a majority of respects. A line of rat epidermal keratinocytes (REKs), when grown in raft cultures, displays all the features of a fully-differentiated epidermis. Addition of ALA to the culture medium results in ALA uptake and PpIX synthesis, with subsequent death of keratinocytes upon exposure to blue light. Using this model, we can manipulate cellular differentiation via three different approaches. (1) Vitamin D, a hormone that enhances keratinocyte differentiation; (2) Hoxb13, a nuclear transcription factor that affects the genetically-controlled differentiation program of stratifying cells (3) Hyaluronan, an abundant extracellular matrix molecule that regulates epidermal differentiation. Because the raft cultures contain only a single cell type (no blood, fibroblasts, etc.) the effects of terminal differentiation upon CPO, PpIX, and keratinocyte cell death can be specifically defined.
On the Local Inhibition of the Shwartzman Phenomenon

SummaryA number of experiments are described which demonstrate that local inhibition of the Shwartzman phenomenon can be achieved by treating the prepared skin area with a variety of substances immediately prior to the intravenous injection of reacting factors or by clamping off a portion of the prepared skin area for one hour after the intravenous injection. It is believed that these agents produce their effects by creating a local ischemia which shields the prepared skin tissue from the injurious agents circulating in the blood stream.
Prenatal ionizing irradiaton and early postnatal growth of Colombian and Bolivian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).

Fetal squirrel monkeys of Bolivian and Colombian origin were exposed to 100 rad cobalt-60 radiation in utero and carried to term by the dams. Body weight, head circumference, crown-rump length, and food intake were measured during the first 28 postnatal days. Significant subspecies differences were noted in both mothers and offspring, the Colombian squirrel monkeys being generally larger than the Bolivians. The irradiated offspring weighed significantly less, had significantly smaller crania, and consumed significantly less food than control animals. A statistically nonsignificant decrement was also evident in the crown-rump length of radiation-treated infants.
Vertebral artery dissection due to minor neck trauma

Abstract Vertebrall artery dissection bas been previoudy reported following minor bead and neck trauma. Such activities as rapid bead turning, tennis, yoga, and vigorous exercise have been implicated. We report a case of vertebral artery dissection following minor neck trauma suffered in a vogeybell game. The anatomy of the vertebral artery, pathophysiology of dissection, and emergency department recognition and treatment of this disorder are discussed.
Value chains in health care

The supply chain concept aided marketing by highlighting relationships that form a network of firms creating products for consumers. It helped change the focus from individual transactions to a more comprehensive view of the entire system. The value chain concept in marketing extends the supply chain view in an important way: it explicates the value that is created at each stage of the chain. For marketers, it is a vital tool in satisfying consumers – the final part of the value chain. This value chain can be viewed as having two components: the value delivery system and the consumer. This paper explores several approaches to value that are important in the functioning of the value chain. It then delineates three main elements of the value chain and traces them as they apply to services. It then focuses on one of the more complex services, the health care delivery system. It goes on to describe the health care value network and examine the critical factors that affect the success of the health care process. Finally, it delineates several important implications for health care marketers.
Research advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 2009 to 2010.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of upper and lower motor neurons that causes progressive weakness and death. The breadth of research in ALS continues to grow with exciting new discoveries in disease pathogenesis and potential future therapeutics. There is a growing list of identified mutations in familial ALS, including those in genes encoding TDP-43 and FUS/TLS, which are expanding our understanding of the role of RNA modulation in ALS pathogenesis. There is a greater appreciation for the role of glial cells in motor neuron disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also being shown to be critical for motor neuron degeneration. In addition to pharmacotherapy, there are promising early developments with therapeutic implications in the areas of RNA interference, stem cell therapies, viral vector—mediated gene therapy, and immunotherapy. With greater understanding of ALS pathogenesis and exciting new therapeutic technologies, there is hope for future progress in treating this disease.
Extended survival of Pyk2 or FAK deficient orthotopic glioma xenografts

Disease progression of glioblastoma involves a complex interplay between tumor cells and the peri-tumor microenvironment. The propensity of malignant glioma cells to disperse throughout the brain typifies the disease and portends a poor response to surgical resection, radiotherapy, and current chemotherapeutics. The focal adhesion kinases FAK and Pyk2 function as important signaling effectors in glioma through stimulation of pro-migratory and proliferative signaling pathways. In the current study, we examined the importance of Pyk2 and FAK in the pathobiology of malignant glioma in an intracranial xenograft model. We show that mice with xenografts established with glioma cells with specific knockdown of Pyk2 or FAK expression by RNA interference had significantly increased survival compared to control mice. Furthermore, the effect of inhibition of Pyk2 activity in xenografts was compared to the effect of knockdown of Pyk2 expression. Inhibition of Pyk2 activity by stable expression an autonomous FERM domain in glioma cells slowed disease progression in the intracranial xenograft model. In contrast, expression of a variant FERM domain that does not inhibit Pyk2 activity did not alter survival. These results substantiate the disease relevance of both Pyk2 and FAK in glioma and suggest a novel approach to target Pyk2 for therapeutic benefit.
The Division of Neuronal Progenitor Cells during Migration in the Neonatal Mammalian Forebrain

In the mammalian forebrain most neurons originate from proliferating cells in the ventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles. These neurons become postmitotic before they undergo migration to their final destinations. In this study we examined the proliferative and migratory properties of cells destined for the olfactory bulb that arise postnatally from progenitor cells situated at the anterior extent of the subventricular zone (SVZa). The SVZa-derived cells migrate along a stereotypical pathway to the olfactory bulb where they become interneurons. Using lineage tracers and the cell proliferation marker BrdU, we have demonstrated that SVZa-derived cells in the rat retain the capacity for division after migrating away from their initial site of generation. These cells also express a neuron-specific tubulin, recognized by the antibody TuJ1. These results suggest that, unlike other immature neurons, these SVZa-derived cells have made a commitment to become neurons before becoming postmitotic.
Early experiences with e-health services (1999-2002): promise, reality, and implications.

Background:E-health services may improve the quality and efficiency of care; however, there is little quantitative data on e-health use.Objective:The objective of this study was to examine trends in e-health use and user characteristics.Research Design:This was a longitudinal study of e-health use (
Electromagnetic modeling and resonant detectors and arrays

Abstract We recently developed a finite element three-dimensional electromagnetic model for quantum efficiency (QE) computation. It is applicable to any arbitrary detector geometry and materials. Using this model, we can accurately account for the open literature experimental results that we have investigated, which include those from GaAs solar cells, GaSb type-II superlattices, and GaAs quantum wells. We applied the model to design a photon trap to increase detector QE. By accumulating and storing incident light in the resonator-QWIP structure, we observed experimental QE as high as 71%. This improvement shows that we are now able to fully determine the optical properties of QWIPs. For example, we can design QWIPs to detect at certain wavelengths with certain bandwidths. To illustrate this capability, we designed QWIPs with its QE spectrum matching well with the transmission spectrum of a medium. We subsequently produced several focal plane arrays according to these designs with 640 × 512 and 1 K × 1 K formats. In this paper, we will compare the modeled QE and the experimental results obtained from single detectors as well as FPAs.
Temperature compensated high-dielectric-constant thermoplastic microwave materials

Temperature-stable high-dielectric-constant thermoplastic polymer composites with low loss tangent are expected to find use in outdoor and indoor wireless applications. The authors introduce a method of generating such a composite, by balancing the temperature coefficient of the dielectric constant of the polymer matrix with those of the high-dielectric-constant ceramic fillers.
Contextual aspects of pronoun assignment

The effect of contextual constraints on pronoun assignment was explored for sentences with ambiguous and unambiguous pronouns. A preliminary experiment evaluated the contextual constraints affecting coreference in the experimental sentences of Experiment 1 and 2 by obtaining plausibility ratings. Experiment 1, using these ratings, showed that context affects assignment time in cases of ambiguous coreference. Experiment 2 extended the result to syntactically constrained coreference. It was concluded that integration must occur during rather than following assignment and suggested that pronouns act as indicators to integrate text.
Effects of a Nonspecific Nitrogen Deficiency on Growth Rate and Leg Problems in Chicks

Abstract Five experiments were conducted using crystalline amino acid and semipurified diets containing adequate levels of all indispensable amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to study the effects of dispensable amino acids on growth and the incidence of leg abnormalities of male chicks. Purified diets containing 5% L-glutamic acid as the sole source of nonspecific nitrogen resulted in poor growth and feed efficiency, high mortality, and a high incidence of leg abnormalities with many severe cases of this condition. Increasing the dietary level of L-glutamic acid to 10% of the purified diet or supplementing the 5% L-glutamic acid diet with 2.40% glycine or 1.68% L-serine improved weight gain but did not eliminate the leg conditions . Higher L-serine (3.36%) resulted in a growth depression, indicating that this level was toxic to the birds. It was necessary to increase the dietary L-glutamic acid to 12.5% to reduce the incidence of leg problems to a minimum. Plasma dispensable amino acid levels (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine) paralleled the levels of L-glutamic acid in the diets fed to the chicks. Plasma serine and glycine levels were increased by adding either serine or glycine, but the magnitude of the increase of either amino acid was greatest with the addition of that amino acid to the diet. Plasma proline concentrations increased when chick diets were supplemented with high levels of glycine (2.4%), serine (3.36%), or glutamic acid (9.7%) in relation to those supplemented with only 5% L-glutamic acid. Feeding an intact protein (isolated soybean protein) diet did not alleviate leg disorders, although it did improve weight gain.
On the faceting of ceramic surfaces

Abstract A model is proposed by which ceramic surfaces change from flat vicinal surfaces into those of a faceted hill-and-valley structure. This model is based on scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic-force microscopy observations of facet formation on annealed ( 10 1 0 ) α-alumina surfaces. The progression of surface faceting starts with the nucleation and growth of an individual facet. The growth of this facet creates local surface disturbances that promote the nucleation of adjacent facets; thus, domains of faceted surface form on the otherwise smooth surface. Through time, these domains coalesce and the facets coarsen into the final hill-and-valley morphology.
Jonson's Gossips and the Stuart Family Drama

During the year 1608-9, Ben Jonson composed two major works, The Masque of Queens and Epicoene . Both works share a striking character type: the 'gossip' or tattling woman whose appearance is intimately connected to folkloric birth and marriage rituals. By offering the gossip as a parodic female type, while offering only androgynous statues as its opposite, Jonson's court masque participates in James's paternal metaphors of statecraft and personal rule, asserting that the benevolent gaze of the father-king lawfully penetrates even the traditionally privileged female space of the birthing-chamber. In the satiric Epicoene , the figure of the gossip comments more pointedly on the disruptive nature of social discourse unmediated by the moralizing context of the nuclear family. The translation of the gossip from a figure associated in Queens with threatening female sexuality into the androgynous figure of Epicoene implies Jonson's alliance with, and perhaps his effort to augment, James's 'nourish-father' metaphor of kingship at the moment it was beginning to lose currency.
Studies on tobacco leaf ribonuclease. III. Its role in the synthesis of tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid.

Abstract Ribonuclease activity in tobacco leaves was found to vary with the age of leaf. The old bottom leaves were found to contain more RNase than the top young leaves. The number of lesions apprearing on the leaves and also the amount of tobacco mosaic virus synthetised following infection with TMV corresponded with the RNase content of the leaf. There was a significant increase in the RNase content of Turkish tobacco leaves following infection with TMV. The significance of these findings and the possible role of RNase in the synthetic processes were discussed.
Cold ischemic injury and donor-recipient MHC disparity significantly increase post-transplant cardiac graft coronary arteriosclerosis

Abstract Introduction: The effects of cold ischemic preservation and degree of donor-recipient histoincompatibility on graft coronary arteriosclerosis(GCA)were examined using a rat heterotopic cardiac transplant model. Methods: Three donor-recipient rat strain combinations were utilized. Lewis-F344 rats which vary slightly in class I Major Histocompatibility (MHC) Loci genes, ACI-Lewis which vary significantly in MHC class I and II genes, and Lewis-Lewis (control), donor-recipient strain combinations were subjected to varying lengths of cold ischemic preservation prior to transplantation(0, 4, and 24h in University-of-Wisconsin solution at 4’C).There were 9 rats per group.Grafts were harvested at 90 days post-op. and sections of the epicardial arteries were examined (H&E and van Gieson elastin stains).Intimal area ratio (IAR = intimal area/area within internal elastic lamina), intimal thickness score (ITS-based on % luminal compromise, perimeter of involvement), and rejection score (RS) were determined for each specimen using computerized image morphometry. Results: IAR, ITS and RS were significantly higher at 24hrs vs. 0hrs (p ∗ . IAR (hr) LEW-LEW (%) LEW-F344 ∗ (%) LEW-ACI ∗ (%) 0 0.38 ± 0.15 0.33 ± 0.16 0.57 ± 0.16 4 0.34 ± 0.11 0.42 ± 0.21 0.72 ± 0.29 24 0.41 ± 0.18 0.63 ± 0.14 ITS (hr) 0 0.36 ± 1.00 0.67 ± 0.84 2.00 ± 1.40 4 0.14 ± 0.29 0.82 ± 0.94 2.80 ± 2.10 24 0.91 ± 0.91 1.90 ± 0.87 RS (hr) 0 0.11 ± .33 3.30 ± 0.89 3.10 ± 1.4 4 0.56 ± .88 3.80 ± 0.71 5.00 ± 0.0 24 1.10 ± 1.4 4.50 ± 0.53 4.40 ± .71 ∗ p Conclusions: GCA is significantly increased by greater MHC disparity and longer cold ischemic times. GCA may be caused by an Immune-mediated antigen dependent vasculopathy secondary to histoincompatability. In the control group, longer cold ischemic times did not have a significant effect on GCA, suggesting that better histocompatibility may mitigate the adverse effects of longer ischemic times.
A Complete French Grammar for Reference and Practice by BOOTH, TRUDIE MARIA

The article reviews the book "A Complete French Grammar for Reference and Practice," by Trudie Maria Booth.
The Importance and Validity of Technical Assumptions Required for Quantifying Sperm Production Rates: A Review

All approaches for quantifying treatment effects on sperm production require one or more technical assumptions. Their validity can impact the integrity of the resulting data, but most had not been subjected to thorough, critical examination. This review was undertaken to 1) identify the assumptions required with each of several popular histometric methods for quantifying treatment effects on sperm production, 2) cite examples in which each assumption had failed, 3) assess potential consequences of the failure of each technical assumption, and 4) consider safeguards by which one might avoid misleading outcomes in the event that a specific assumption did not hold.
In vitro response of the brown bullhead catfish cell line, BB, to aquatic pollutants.

Established cell lines from brown bullhead catfish (BB) and rainbow trout (RTG-2) and primary cultures of cells derived from gill, fin, and gonad tissues from brown bullhead catfish were evaluated for use as bioindicators in the neutral red cytotoxicity assay. The BB and RTG-2 cells were compared after a 1 day exposure to chlorinated pesticides and after a 6-day exposure to various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The BB cells were more sensitive to both classes of chemicals. The sequence of toxicity for the BB cells was 4,4′-DDD, 4,4′-DDT > aldrin, 4,4′-DDE and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) > 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene (3-OH-B(a)P) > benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P). For the RTG-2 cells, the sequence was aldrin > 4,4′-DDD > 4,4′-DDT > 4,4′-DDE and 3-OH-B(a)P > DMBA > B(a)P. The BB cells were also sensitive to benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)anthracene, and trans-7,8-di-hydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene. The responses of BB and RTG-2 cells were compared with those of primary cultures after a 1 day exposure to B(a)P. After 1 day of exposure, the RTG-2 cells and primary cultures were more sensitive than the BB cells to B(a)P. Apparently, after 1 day of incubation the RTG-2 and primary cells metabolized greater amounts of B(a)P to cytotoxic metabolites, than did the BB cells. However, by 6 days of incubation, the BB cells were more sensitive to B(a)P than were the RTG-2 cells. A 6-day exposure to B(a)P was not performed with the primary cell cultures.
Exploring the brain in pain: activations, deactivations and their relation

The majority of neuroimaging studies on pain focuses on the study of BOLD activations, and more rarely on deactivations. In this study, in a relatively large cohort of subjects (N = 61), we assess (a) the extent of brain activation and deactivation during the application of two different heat pain levels (HIGH and LOW) and (b) the relations between these two directions of fMRI signal change. Furthermore, in a subset of our subjects (N = 12), we assess (c) the functional connectivity of pain-activated or -deactivated regions during resting states. As previously observed, we find that pain stimuli induce intensity dependent (HIGH pain > LOW pain) fMRI signal increases across the pain matrix. Simultaneously, the noxious stimuli induce activity decreases in several brain regions, including some of the ‘core structures’ of the default network (DMN). In contrast to what we observe with the signal increases, the extent of deactivations is greater for LOW than HIGH pain stimuli. The functional dissociation between activated and deactivated networks is further supported by correlational and functional connectivity analyses. Our results illustrate the absence of a linear relationship between pain activations and deactivations, and therefore suggest that these brain signal changes underlie different aspects of the pain experience.
Nutrient uptake by vegetation in relation to other ecosystem processes in conventional tillage, no-tillage and old-field systems

Abstract This study evaluated changes in patterns of nutrient accumulation as fallowed land is brought under conventional and no-tillage agriculture. Nutrient uptake (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) by grain sorghum, rye, and weeds was compared among conventional tillage, no-tillage, and old-field ecosystems. Elemental uptake was related to litter decomposition, soil chemistry and nutrient leaching. Data were collected from June 1978 through April 1980. From the 1978–1979 to the 1979–1980 period, nutrient accumulation, overall, decreased in both cropping systems. In 1979, sorghum grain yields were significantly greater ( P ⩽ 0.01) in no-tillage systems. Nutrient accumulation by sorghum in the old-field system was, for most elements (except Ca), approximately twice that of conventional and no-tillage systems. It was concluded that nutrient cycling processes in no-tillage systems were similar to those in the old-field system, indicating that no-tillage systems retained some of the nutrient conservation mechanisms thought to exist in natural or less disturbed ecosystems.
A genetic shift in the virus strains that cause mosaic in louisiana sugarcane

Leaf samples from 693 sugarcane plants showing mosaic symptoms were collected in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at 12 locations within the Louisiana sugarcane industry. Virus isolates associated with the diseased plants were identified using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to distinguish between Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV). No SCMV strain was associated with any diseased plant collected during the survey. RT-PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis showed that SrMV strains I, H, and M were associated with 67, 10, and 2% of the plants with mosaic symptoms, respectively. In previous surveys conducted between 1978 and 1995, over 90% of the plants sampled were infected with SrMV strain H. The remaining plants mostly were infected with SrMV strain I, except for an occasional sample with SrMV strain M. RT-PCR showed that approximately 13% of the samples collected between 2001 and 2003 were infected with SrMV, but the RFLP banding pattern did not match any described strain. Twelve plants were co-infected by two SrMV strains and two plants by three SrMV strains. No RT-PCR product was produced by either the SCMV- or the SrMV-specific RT-PCR primer set for 8% of the plants showing mosaic symptoms, suggesting that another virus may cause sugarcane mosaic in Louisiana.
Infectious Disease Images on the World Wide Web

Infectious diseases (ID) physicians are often in need of medical images to enhance their teaching, research, and clinical practice. We explored the Internet for Web sites with images that would be useful to ID physicians. A total of 24 sites were included for review. Of these, 10 sites were broad in their scope and included images of bacteria, parasites, viruses, and/or fungi. In addition, 4 sites reviewed were specific for fungi, 4 sites were specific for viruses, and 6 sites focused on parasites. The number and size of images, copyright restrictions, and fees were noted for all sites. The authors gave each site a subjective navigation and layout score. Features of the sites, including microscopy images, laboratory images, clinical images, clinical vignettes, medical illustrations and/or clip art, medical illustrations of life cycles, slides of educational material, radiographs, and animation or video, were also described. A variety of image resources are available to the ID physician.
Island–mainland difference in Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae) corolla length: a product of pollinator-mediated selection?

A match between floral and pollinator traits, such as that between unique island plants and pollinators, is often thought to be the product of pollinator-mediated selection. I examined whether the floral morphology of an introduced hummingbird-pollinated plant, Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco, Solanaceae), is under selection by pollinators on the California Channel Islands where it is a recent colonist. I first determined differences in floral morphology and pollinator composition between island and mainland populations of N. glauca. I found that island plants have detectably longer corollas (on average 1 mm) and are visited by hummingbird species with on average 1–2 mm longer bills than common mainland visitors. Corolla length differences were not found to be associated with site abiotic differences. Flower size does not vary consistently with season and corolla width is very consistent across sites. I tested whether island–mainland corolla length differences are the product of pollinator-mediated selection by measuring phenotypic selection and per visit effectiveness. Contrary to expectations, a longer corolla was not consistently associated with higher pollen transfer or seed count on the islands. Per visit effectiveness of longer and shorter-billed hummingbirds did differ; however, effectiveness did not depend on corolla length. Although I failed to detect expected patterns of selection for longer corollas on islands, I cannot rule out weak or past pollinator-mediated selection. It is also possible that despite the apparent match between pollinator and floral traits, island–mainland differences in corolla length are instead due to other environmental effects, selection unrelated to pollinators, or stochastic processes such as drift.
An unanchored matching algorithm for lexical access

Describes the lexical access component of the Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU) continuous speech recognition system. The word recognition algorithm operates in a left to right fashion, building words as it traverses an input network. Search is initiated at each node in the input network. The score assigned to a word is a function of both arc phone probabilities assigned by the acoustic phonetic module and knowledge of expected phone duration and frequency of occurrence of different word pronunciations. The algorithm also incorporates knowledge-based strategies to control the number of hypotheses generated by the matcher. These strategies use criteria external to the search. Performance characteristics are reported using a 1029 word lexicon built automatically from standard pronunciation base forms by context-dependent phonetic rules. Lexical rules are independent of specific lexicons and are derived by examination of transcribed speech data. The lexical representation now includes juncture rules that model specific inter-word phenomena. A junction validation module is also described, whose task is to evaluate the connectivity of words in the word hypotheses lattice. >
Self‐assembled networks of conducting polyaniline in bulk polymers: A new class of conducting polymer blends

This review of the current status of conducting polymers will focus on recent progress which demonstrates that the initial promise of the late 1970's has become reality. Conducting polymers are now available as materials with truly unique properties: They combine the important electronic and optical properties of semiconductors and metals with the attractive mechanical properties and processing advantages of polymers. Conducting polymer blends based upon polyaniline (PANI) are a new class of materials in which the threshold for the onset of electrical conductivity (σ) can be reduced to volume fractions below 1%, well below that required for classical percolation (16% by volume for globular conducting objects dispersed in an insulating matrix in three dimensions). The origin of this remarkably low threshold for the onset of electrical conductivity is the self-assembled network morphology of the PANI polyblends which forms during the course of liquid-liquid separation. Since the average density of the conducting network near threshold is small, the conductivity increases smoothly and continuously over many orders of magnitude as the concentration of conducting polymer increases above threshold. The low percolation threshold and the continuous increase of σ(f) above threshold are particularly important; as a result of this combination, conducting polyblends can be reproducibly fabricated with controlled levels of electrical conductivity while retaining the desired mechanical properties of the matrix polymer.1-3)
Arsenic Trioxide Modulates DNA Synthesis and Apoptosis in Lung Carcinoma Cells.

Arsenic trioxide, the trade name Trisenox, is a drug used to treat acute promyleocytic leukemia (APL). Studies have demonstrated that arsenic trioxide slows cancer cells growth. Although arsenic influences numerous signal-transduction pathways, cell-cycle progression, and/or apoptosis, its apoptotic mechanisms are complex and not entirely delineated. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of arsenic trioxide on DNA synthesis and to determine whether arsenic-induced apoptosis is mediated via caspase activation, p38 mitogen–activated protein kinase (MAPK), and cell cycle arrest. To achieve this goal, lung cancer cells (A549) were exposed to various concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 μg/mL) of arsenic trioxide for 48 h. The effect of arsenic trioxide on DNA synthesis was determined by the [3H]thymidine incorporation assay. Apoptosis was determined by the caspase-3 fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) assay, p38 MAP kinase activity was determined by an immunoblot assay, and cell-cycle analysis was evaluated by the propidium iodide assay. The [3H]thymidine-incorporation assay revealed a dose-related cytotoxic response at high levels of exposure. Furthermore, arsenic trioxide modulated caspase 3 activity and induced p38 MAP kinase activation in A549 cells. However, cell-cycle studies showed no statistically significant differences in DNA content at subG1 check point between control and arsenic trioxide treated cells.
Fertility selection, genetic selection and evolution

The relationship between fertility selection as measured by the correlation in progeny number between parents and offspring, and selection at individual loci is investigated in humans. Estimates for the magnitude of fertility selection (0.1) and the rate of gene substitution (0.5 gene substitutions per generation per genome) are used in various mathematical models for selection. It is found that the observed magnitude of fertility selection cannot be explained by non-epistatic directional selection at individual loci. A symmetric quantitative directional selection model is consistent with the observed data. But it is possible that fertility selection does not have a genetic basis.
CONSERVATION OF IMPERILED CRAYFISH-ORCONECTES (PROCERICAMBARUS) PERUNCUS (CREASER, 1931) (DECAPODA: CAMBARIDAE)

Identification.—The Big Creek crayfish (Fig. 1), Orconectes peruncus, was first described by Creaser (1931) as Cambarus peruncus from Little Creek, a tributary to Big Creek in the St. Francis River drainage, near the town of Chloride, Iron County, Missouri (Fig. 2). This species is a member of the subgenus Procericambarus as defined by Fitzpatrick (1987). The form I male gonopods are long with slender, tapering central projections slightly curved posteriorly and reaching to the bases of the first pereiopods when the pleon is flexed (Creaser, 1931; Pflieger, 1996). The mesial projection of the gonopod is distinctly shorter and thicker than the central projection, and is grooved along its anterior margin, and the apex is widened and recurved (Creaser, 1931; Pflieger, 1996). Form I males possess hooks on the ischia of the third and fourth pereiopods that are reduced in size in form II males. The female’s annulus ventralis possesses an elevated extension on its posterior margin, an irregularly curved sinus, and a wide, shallow fossa (Creaser, 1931; Pflieger, 1996). The crayfish’s base color is described as olive green to tan or brown with many dark spots on the chelae, cephalothorax and pleon, and a prominent blackish saddle stretching laterally across the dorsal surface of the posterior edge of the cephalothorax and anterior edge of the pleon (Creaser, 1931; Pflieger, 1996).
Comparing Risks Among Adaptive Investment Planning Strategies

The author presents a scheme that will help investors and financial advisers compare adaptive strategies for maintaining a robust financial plan over a time horizon. The article describes some methods for setting reasonable and attainable financial goals and suggests a schedule of investment allocation decisions designed to meet those goals. Monte-Carlo simulation provides data regarding the potential long-term outcomes associated with an adaptive plan. With this model, a number of different metrics for investment risk can be calculated to help the investor achieve an appropriate trade-off between minimizing investment risk and maximizing the probability of meeting or exceeding a portfolio target.
V.—The Lherzolite of Ariége

The rock Lherzolite has been described by Prof. Zirkel in his valuable Beitrage zur Geologischen Kentniss der Pyrenaen ( Zeitschrift der Deutsch . Geol . Gesel ., vol. xix. p. 68), but is generally passed over with the briefest mention or entirely omitted in English works on Geology. Even in Cotta's “Rocks Classified and Described” it is barely noticed, and the word is left out in the index. On this account, and seeing that, so far as I am aware, no description of its microscopic structure has yet been published, a notice, embodying the results of Prof. Zirkel's paper, and of a brief visit of my own to this not very accessible locality, may be useful to students.
Fiabilité et validité du questionnaire d'évaluation subjective du genou de l'IKDC (Comité international de documentation du genou)

Resume Contexte Les questionnaires centres sur le patient jouent un role important dans la mesure des resultats en pratique medicale, mais leur fiabilite et leur validite doivent etre verifiees de facon systematique. Parmi eux, le questionnaire d'evaluation subjective du genou, mis au point par l'IKDC (Comite international de documentation du genou), permet d'apprehender les symptomes et la fonction lors des activites quotidiennes. La presente etude avait pour objectif de valider cet instrument dans une vaste population de patients porteurs de diverses pathologies du genou. Methodes Mille cinq cent trente-quatre patients suivis pour des pathologies du genou a la consultation de medecine sportive d'un grand centre medical ont rempli le questionnaire IKDC. La structure factorielle a ete determinee grâce a une analyse factorielle exploratoire avec rotation promax. La coherence interne des dimensions ainsi identifiees a ete evaluee par le coefficient alpha de Cronbach. La validite concomitante a ete appreciee en correlant les dimensions du questionnaire IKDC aux sous-echelles du SF-12. Enfin, les caracteristiques des items ont ete analysees grâce au modele de reponse graduee de la theorie des reponses aux items (analyse G-IRT). Resultats L'analyse factorielle exploratoire a permis d'identifier deux dimensions appelees ici « Symptomes et Genou » et « Niveau d'Activite ». L'analyse factorielle confirmatoire a demontre la participation de 15 des 18 items a ces dimensions. La coherence interne etait bonne pour les deux dimensions (alpha de Cronbach : 0,87 pour Symptomes et Genou et 0,88 pour Niveau d'Activite). Les deux dimensions etaient significativement correlees au score SF-12 total ; toutefois, les correlations etaient plus etroites avec la sous-echelle somatique qu'avec la sous-echelle psychocognitive du SF-12. Discussion L'analyse G-IRT a mis en evidence un profil de reponse bien defini pour la plupart des items, des niveaux plus eleves du trait latent (fonction du genou) correspondant a un caractere plus adaptatif des parametres cliniques refletant la douleur, les symptomes, la fonction et l'activite sportive. Conclusion Le questionnaire IKDC est un instrument fiable et valide dont l'utilisation dans une population plus large de patients merite d'etre envisagee.
Perioperative thirst:A patient perspective

Many institutions continue to require surgery patients to take nothing bymouth after midnight despite current research that supports allowing most patients to drink fluids up to 3 hours before surgery. This study of 50 elective surgery patients describes their perceptions of discomfort caused by thirst. Results show that thirst caused significantly more discomfort to the patient than not being able to eat or sleep or worrying about the surgery itself. Given these results, nurses are urged to work within their institutions to change the current practice regarding preoperative fluid restriction.
Preparation of Synaptosomes from Postmortem Human Prefrontal Cortex

Synaptosomes are a popular type of isolated synaptic fraction intensively used in neuroscience and cell biology. They are prepared by layering on density gradients and thought to consist largely of axonal endings with attached postsynaptic structures (Morgan, 1976), in contrast to synaptoneurosomes (Hollingsworth et al, 1985) which are prepared by filtration and are thought to consist largely of pinched-off dendritic spines with attached presynaptic structures. Although most studies of synaptosomes have utilized rodent or primate tissue, a score of studies have employed human samples derived from surgical specimens or postmortem brain. We recently described the isolation of synaptosomes from human postmortem prefrontal cortex to study the expression of synaptic microRNAs and other small RNAs in depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Smalheiser et al, 2014). This protocol alluded to methods and modifications that are scattered among several publications, and did not explain the reasons for the procedures chosen. Because our protocol differs from other published human synaptosome protocols in a variety of respects, we present here a detailed description of synaptosome preparation that should facilitate the use of this standardized synaptic fraction by other workers.
Experimental studies of restricted protein diffusion in an agarose matrix

The diffusion of proteins in polymer matrices is an important step in the adsorptive and chromatographic processes used for protein purification, as it is often rate-limiting. Methods for the estimation of the intraparticle diffusivity in polymer gels have been developed and were applied to the diffusion of seven model proteins in agarose particles. The intraparticle diffusivity was not affected by particle diameter. A correlation based on the restricted diffusion model of Ogston et al. (1973) and Cukier (1984) has been proposed. This correlation allows the estimation of protein diffusivity in these matrices based on the molecular weight of the protein and the polymer concentration.
Exchange reactions between covalent and carbocationic species in polymerization of vinyl ethers in the presence of lewis acids: dynamic NMR studies

The ionization of 1-chloro-1-isobutoxyethane (IBVCI) in the presence of BCl 3 in CD 2 Cl 2 and CD 2 Cl 2 /CDCl 3 mixtures at variable temperatures was studied by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The presence of only one NMR signal for the methine proton in the intermediate stage of ionization indicated a fast exchange between covalent and cationic species. The dependence of its chemical shift on the [BC1 3 ] 0 /[IBVCl] 0 ratio was used to calculate the equilibrium constant of ionization at various temperatures, assuming only the ionization-recombination process. The dependence of the calculated equilibrium constant (K app ) on the [BCl 3 ] 0 /[IBVCl] 0 ratio indicated the involvement of additional side equilibria, including the formation of oxonium ions by the reaction between the carbocation and the ether functionality, and the complexation of Lewis acid by the ether group. The width at half-height of the methine proton signal was used to calculate the apparent rate constant of the recombination of the counterions in the ion pairs (k r app ). It was found that k r kapp is larger in CDCl 3 /CD 2 Cl 2 mixtures than in CD 2 Cl 2 . When BCl 3 is present in excess, the calculated rate constants for ionization and recombination are higher than the reported rate constant of propagation for the cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE). Attempts to use this finding in order to prepare well-defined polymers were unsuccessful because of the consumption of BCl 3 through the addition reaction to the double bond of the monomer.
Naturalist Structuralism’s Aporia? Essentialism, Indeterminacy, and Nostalgia - a response to Paul Livingston.

This essay argues that what Livingston calls the “structuralist” project, combined with a naturalistic, external approach to language, does not in fact lead to a paradoxical failure to match lived language. Quine’s indeterminacy argument is not a consequence of naturalism and structuralism, but is rather a consequence of thorough anti-essentialism, a thesis he shares with Derrida and Davidson. Contemporary naturalism is in fact not committed to Quine’s thesis. Davidson’s views are a purification of the views of Quine, removing Quine’s empiricist appeal to stimulus meaning and Quine’s scientism. Davidson abandons the conventionalist conception of language but retains the “structuralist” conception of language, as captured by a truth-definition. The indeterminacy thesis is a consequence of anti-essentialism applied to semantics, that is, the denial of transcendental signifieds. The essay concludes by arguing that Quine’s aporia (which is also Davidson’s and Derrida’s aporia) is a discovery rather than a paradox.
ON COMPUTING THE NON-ABELIAN TENSOR SQUARES OF THE FREE 2-ENGEL GROUPS

In this paper we compute the nonabelian tensor square for the free 2-Engel group of rank n > 3. The nonabelian tensor square for this group is a direct product of a free abelian group and a nilpotent group of class 2 whose derived subgroup has exponent 3. We also compute the nonabelian tensor square for one of the group's finite homomorphic images, namely, the Burnside group of rank n and exponent 3.
Implementation of an E–ϵ Parameterization of Vertical Subgrid-Scale Mixing in a Regional Model

Abstract An E–ϵ parameterization of subgrid-scale vertical turbulent mixing has been installed in NORAPS (Navy operational Regional Atmospheric Prediction System). The 1.5-order parameterization uses full prognostic equations for turbulence kinetic energy E and dissipation ϵ with no mixing length l assumption. A stable numerical method has been developed to integrate the two prognostic equations; this method has time and memory requirements that are similar to first-order K-theory turbulence parameterization and avoids numerical instabilities reported with E−l (Mellor–Yamada level 2.5) schemes. The E–ϵ parameterization produces a more active mixed layer, compared to a first-order K-theory scheme. Improvements are noted in forecasts of mixed-layer depth and near-surface wind speed, with reduction or elimination of spurious noise in the predicted fields of temperature and wind that were related to deficiencies of the first-order K-theory parameterization. In a numerical simulation of the ERICA (Experiment o...
Internationalizing “Engaged” Learning: Enhancing Travel Study in Cuba

This research note presents the results of a pilot project to enhance the international travel study program at the University of Nebraska Omaha through an innovative integration of service- and experiential-learning techniques in a course titled “Cuba at the Crossroads.” This course is designed to enhance the student’s knowledge and understanding of what I term “global engaged learning” that specifically seeks to integrate civic participation and political learning in an international context. This includes the development of a deep understanding of the political, economic, and social context of the Cuban reality where the students work with a Cuban social service organization to promote the well-being of, and sustainability in, Cuban society through service-learning projects. The outcomes are measured through the completion of the projects, as well as the dialogical journaling and reflection exercises, lectures, readings, discussions, and site visits while in Cuba.
Effect of local change in O2 saturation of hemoglobin on cerebral vasodilation from hypoxia and hypotension

We tested the effect of certain newly synthesized allosteric modifiers of hemoglobin on the dilation induced by arterial hypoxia, arterial hypotension, and arterial hypercapnia in cerebral arterioles of anesthetized cats equipped with cranial windows for the observation of the cerebral microcirculation. The allosteric modifiers of hemoglobin are isomers of 2-(aryloxy)-2-methylpropionic acid. They shift the oxygen dissociation of hemoglobin to the right, thereby facilitating the local release of oxygen. When these compounds were applied topically by superfusion at a rate of 1 ml/min in a concentration of 0.1 mM, they had no significant effect on baseline arteriolar diameter but reduced significantly the vasodilation from arterial hypoxia and arterial hypotension. They did not influence the vasodilation from arterial hypercapnia. Spectrophotometric measurements of optical densities from pial veins 50-80 microns in diameter indicated that the superfusion with the allosteric compounds reduced hemoglobin oxygen saturation both during room air breathing and during hypoxia. We conclude that the vasodilations from arterial hypoxia and arterial hypotension are mediated by local oxygen-dependent mechanisms. The allosteric modifiers of hemoglobin may be useful as tools in investigating oxygen-dependent mechanisms.
Leadership Learning That Makes a Difference in Schools: Pushing the Frontier at the University of Maine

This chapter describes the model of leadership knowledge and the approach to leadership development employed in the University of Maine’s graduate program in Educational Leadership. The model and learning framework described here emerged from the Educational Leadership Area Faculty’s developmental work over the past 15 years with a broad array of educators in Maine and beyond. The model has been through many refinements as faculty have used it to shape learning experiences and their own andragogical roles in the service of leadership development. The program follows a model of leadership development based on three complementary dimensions of leadership knowledge: cognitive, ideas, and research about the “technology” of schooling; interpersonal, the relationships, and human dynamics of leadership; and intrapersonal, the “internal” dynamics of the leader’s philosophical and personal world. Leader learning generates the capacity to self-manage (intrapersonal) and to form productive relationships (interpersonal) so that people are mobilized to action that benefits student learning (cognitive). The chapter describes the model of leadership knowledge and shares some of the learning methods faculty have developed to match the particularities of the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal knowledge bases that make up leadership performance.