cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of integrin dynamics on cell membranes with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Integrins are an important and highly conserved class of extracellular matrix binding membrane bound receptors that provide a functional linkage between cells and their environment. The excellent spatial resolution and short observation time of a modern fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) instrument is uniquely suited to the study of quantitative differences in integrin behavior on different parts of a single cell. We hypothesize that the application of FCS to the study of these integrin dynamics on the membranes of nerve cell growth cones will give previously unavailable quantitative insight into nerve cell guidance. Accordingly, we have characterized the application of two integrin-binding small peptide-based FCS analytes to primary rat dorsal root ganglion cells. It results that neither the RGD-based nor the SIKVAV-based analyte exhibited specific association with primary rat dorsal root ganglion growth cone membranes in a range that is accessible to FCS observation. However, the techniques and instrumentation developed for these experiments will be useful for evaluating additional integrin ligands.
Orientation dependence of the EPR signal from the reduced iron-quinone complex in a single crystal of the reaction center protein from Rhodopseudomonas viridis

In the light-induced charge separation that takes place in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center protein a quinone molecule (Q) is reduced. The EPR spectrum of this reduced quinone is strongly broadened which is assumed to arise from interaction with the high spin (S=2) Fe2+, which is located near Q. Computer simulations of this EPR spectrum have been somewhat limited by the lack of structure in the EPR spectrum. The availability of single crystals of the reaction center protein offers the possibility to analyze the spectrum of the reduced iron-quinone complex (FeQ−) in much greater detail than ever before. We have therefore measured the EPR spectrum of FeQ− using single crystals from the reaction center protein from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis. Transitions were obtained in the g value range of 1.7–1.9 for both crystal orientations, i.e. for rotation along and rotation perpendicular to the crystal's long axis. Strong line broadening was observed at many orientations, which could indicate a heterogeneity in the zerofield parameters of Fe2+.
Diffusion and solid dissolution/precipitation in permeable media

The authors have developed an analytical solution which describes mineral zonation caused by diffusion in permeable media. For a semiinfinite domain, the species conservation equations transform into ordinary differential equations that yield a closed-form solution. The solution exhibits shock dissolution/precipitation fronts and gradual (nonshock) precipitation fronts. The solution can exhibit regions (gaps) containing no reactive solids which separate moving dissolution and precipitation fronts. The analysis is, in principle, extendable to include intraaqueous reactions, although the mathematics quickly becomes intractable. Numerical simulation exhibits all of the features of the more restricted analytical solution.
Detecting Unrecognized Myocardial Infarction: The Importance of Imaging

Prior studies have suggested that approximately half of all myocardial infarctions (MIs) are unrecognized and only diagnosed by Q waves on electrocardiogram (ECG) [1]. However, ECG is relatively insensitive for small MI or non-Q-wave MI. Late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) quantifies scar or MI size as validated against histopathology in animal models of MI [2]. It correlates highly with levels of biomarkers in humans post-MI [3]. This technique is presently the most sensitive cardiac imaging technique available for sizing MI. It has been shown to be more sensitive than nuclear approaches, especially for smaller, non-Q-wave infarctions [4]. A recent study demonstrated the prognostic significance of identifying late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) as a marker of infarct scar in patients suspected of having underlying coronary artery disease (CAD) [5]. In this study, more than 20% of patients studied with suspected CAD but no known MI had LGE on CMR. LGE showed the strongest unadjusted association with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and cardiac mortality, above ejection fraction, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic and end-systolic index, segmental wall motion abnormality, noninvasive assessment of ischemia, and angiographic stenosis. A threshold effect was observed in which even very small scars (< 2% of LV mass) were associated with a more than sevenfold increase in MACE. This study suggested that any scar as demonstrated by LGE by CMR carries prognostic significance.
The Influence of a Horseshoe Vortex on Local Convective Heat Transfer

The objective of this research program has been to determine experimentally the extent to which horseshoe vortices modify turbulent convective heat transfer along a flat plate downstream of an appendage. The importance of appendage shape on the heat transfer behavior was evaluated by taking Stanton-number measurements downstream of both a cylindrical body and a streamlined body. The results indicate that a region of augmented heat transfer occurs near the centerline downstream of both obstacles, with Stanton numbers 10 to 50% over the undisturbed values. The streamlined cylinder produces the strongest modifications in heat transfer.
Effects of several electron donors on tetrachloroethylene dechlorination in anaerobic soil microcosms

Abstract Anaerobic microcosms of subsurface soils from three location were used to investigate the separate effects of several electron donors on tetrachloroethylene (PCE) dechlorination activity. The substrates tested were methanol, lactate, acetate and sucrose. Various levels of sulfate-reducing, acetogenic, fermentative, and methanogenic activity were observed in all sediments. PCE dechlorination was detected in all microcosms, but the amount of dehalogenation varied by several orders of magnitude. Trichloroethylene as the primary dehalogenation product; however, small amounts of cis -1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride were also detected in several microcosms. Lactate-amended microcosms showed large amounts of dehalogenation in two of the three sediments. One of the two sediments which showed positive activity with lactate also had large amounts of dehalogenation with methanol. Amendment with formate, acetate, or sucrose resulted in only slight dehalogenation in the three sediments. Elevated levels of dehalogenation were not consistently associated with any observable anaerobic metabolisms (sulfate reduction, acetogenesis, fermentation, or methanogensis).
Lupus erythematosus and avascular bone necrosis: A clinical study of three cases and review of the literature

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head was observed in two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and one patient with facial discoid lupus erythematosus and equivocal evidence of dissemination. Histologic studies in one case suggested widespread vasculitis. One of the patients had never received corticosteroid treatment. Therefore, it seems somewhat more likely that the avascular necrosis is due to lupus erythematosus than to steroid-induced vasculitis. Ha essite observate duo patientes con lupus erythematose generalisate e uncon lupus erythematose discoide facial e evidentia equivoc de dissemination, omne le tres presentante necrosis avascular del capite femoral. Studios histologic de un caso suggereva vasculitis disseminate. Un del patientes habeva nunquam essite tractate con corticosteroides. Per consequente, il pare plus probabile que le necrosis avascular escausate per le lupus erythematose e non per vasculitis inducite per steroides.
Advanced Control Room Evaluation: General Approach and Rationale

Advanced control rooms (ACRs) for future nuclear power plants (NPPs) are being designed utilizing computer-based technologies. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviews the human engineering aspects of such control rooms to ensure that they are designed to good human factors engineering principles and that operator performance and reliability are appropriately supported in order to protect public health and safety. This paper describes the rationale and general approach to the development of a human factors review guideline for ACRs. The factors influencing the guideline development are discussed, including the review environment, the types of advanced technologies being addressed, the human factors issues associated with advanced technology, and the current state-of-the-art of human factors guidelines for advanced human-system interfaces (HSIs). The proposed approach to ACR review would track the design and implementation process through the application of review guidelines reflecting four review modules: planning, design process analysis, human factors engineering review, and dynamic performance evaluation. 21 refs.
The ssDNA Mutator APOBEC3A Is Regulated by Cooperative Dimerization

Deaminase activity mediated by the human APOBEC3 family of proteins contributes to genomic instability and cancer. APOBEC3A is by far the most active in this family and can cause rapid cell death when overexpressed, but in general how the activity of APOBEC3s is regulated on a molecular level is unclear. In this study, the biochemical and structural basis of APOBEC3A substrate binding and specificity is elucidated. We find that specific binding of single-stranded DNA is regulated by the cooperative dimerization of APOBEC3A. The crystal structure elucidates this homodimer as a symmetric domain swap of the N-terminal residues. This dimer interface provides insights into how cooperative protein-protein interactions may affect function in the APOBEC3 enzymes and provides a potential scaffold for strategies aimed at reducing their mutation load.
Maximizing the effectiveness of a pediatric vaccine formulary while prohibiting extraimmunization

The growing complexity of the United States Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule has resulted in as many as five required injections during a single well-baby office visit. To reduce this number, vaccine manufacturers have developed combination vaccines that immunize against several diseases in a single injection. At the same time, a growing number of parents are challenging the safety and effectiveness of vaccinating children. They are also particularly concerned about the use of combination vaccines, since they believe that injecting a child with multiple antigens simultaneously may overwhelm a child’s immune system. Moreover, combination vaccines make it more likely that extraimmunization (i.e., administering more than the required amount of vaccine antigens) occurs, resulting in greater concerns by parents and vaccine wastage costs borne by an already strained healthcare system. This paper formulates an integer programming model that solves for the maximum number of vaccines that can be administered without any extraimmunization. An exact dynamic programming algorithm and a randomized heuristic for the integer programming model is formulated and the heuristic is shown to be a randomized ξ-approximation algorithm. Computational results are reported on three sets of test problems, based on existing and future childhood immunization schedules, to demonstrate their computational effectiveness and limitations. Given that future childhood immunization schedules may need to be solved for each child, on a case-by-case basis, the results reported here may provide a practical and valuable tool for the public health community.
SVGrid: a secure virtual environment for untrusted grid applications

Most grid security researches focus on user authentication and secure communication, the protection of grid computers is left to the underlying operating system. Unfortunately, most OS level protection mechanisms can be turned off after an attacker manages to exploit a vulnerability to gain privileged access.This paper proposes SVGrid, a Secure Virtual Grid computing environment, to protect grid computers' filesystem and network from malicious grid applications. SVGrid works by isolating grid applications in one or more grid virtual machines whose filesystem and network service are moved into a dedicated monitor virtual machine. All file and network access requests are then forced to go through the monitor virtual machine, where security policies can be enforced. The resource compartment guarantees that appropriate security policy enforcement cannot be bypassed or disabled, even if a grid virtual machine is compromised. We tested SVGrid against attacks on grid virtual machine using rootkit and internet worm, SVGrid was able to prevent both of them from maliciously accessing filesystem and network. We also evaluated the performance of SVGrid system and only found that performance cost was reasonable considering the security benefits of SVGrid.
Programmable, secondary frequency standard based infrared synthesizer using tunable lead-salt diode lasers

Quantum phase noise limited Lorentzian power spectral densities were achieved with tunable lead-salt diode lasers. Linewidths as narrow as 22 kHz were observed. A truly programmable infrared synthesizer was produced by frequency-offset-locking the tunable diode lasers to the combination of a stable CO2 (or CO) reference laser and a programmable microwave frequency synthesizer. Absolute frequency accuracy and reproducibility of about + or - 30 kHz (0.000001 kaysers) relative to the primary Cs frequency standard may now be obtained with this technique.
Automatic control of helium gas purity in a recovery system

Abstract A system is described in which a fraction of the helium gas being recovered from a group of cryostats is pumped through a test cell and returned to the recovery system. The monitor device responds within a few seconds and its output is used to operate solenoid valves that prevent dirty gas from contaminating the recompressed helium store. The recovered helium purity can easily be maintained at >99.9%.
Hyperthermic tissue sealing devices: a proposed histopathologic protocol for standardizing the evaluation of thermally sealed vessels

Hyperthermic tissue sealing devices are advancing modern laparoscopy and other minimally invasive surgical approaches. Histopathologic evaluation of thermally sealed vessels can provide important information on their associated tissue effects and reactions. However, a standardized systematic approach has not been historically used in the literature. This paper proposes a histologic approach for the analysis of thermally sealed vessels and their basis of hemostasis, including thermal tissue changes, healing, and thrombosis. Histologic evaluation during the first week (Days 3-7) can assess the seal's primary tissue properties. These parameters include the thermal seal's length, architecture, tissue layers involved, adventitial collagen denaturation length, entrapped vapor or blood pockets, tissue homogenization and thermal tissue injury zones. While the architectural features can be assessed in Day 0-3 specimens, the latter thermal injury zones are essentially not assessable in Day 0-3 specimens. Day 14 specimens can provide information on the early healing response to the sealed vessel. Day 30 and longer specimens can be used to evaluate the seal's healing reactions. Assessment of the healing response should include seal site inflammation, granulation tissue, necrosis resorption, fibroproliferative scar healing, and thrombus organization. In order to accurately evaluate these parameters, careful specimen orientation, embedding and multiple histologic sections across the entire seal width are required. When appropriate in vivo post-treatment times are used, thermal vessel seals can be evaluated with routine light microscopy and common histologic staining methods.
Electrical Properties of the Ice/Solid Interface

The electrical properties of ice−metal and ice−dielectric (SiO2) interfaces were investigated using a field effect transistor technique applied to ice. This technique allows us to measure the initi...
Influence of valve geometry ornamentation and microstructure on fractures in late ordovician brachiopods

Among Late Ordovician brachiopods from southeastern Indiana. strophomenids display a ratio of 4:1 parabolic to linear repaired fractures in contrast to the 1:2 ratio found for orthids and rhynchonellids. Additionally, only strophomenids display repaired elliptical fractures. The weakest parts of strophomenid and orthid-rhynchonellid shells are the regions of the adductor muscle scars and the sulcus, respectively. Fractured biplanate shells of strophomenids are commonly cleaved anteriorly to posteriorly, whereas fractures are localized on the anterior of strongly curved to geniculate conspecific specimens. Rugae on leptaenids, thickened anterior margins of the brachial valve of rafinesquinids, and the dense distribution of pseudopunctate in all strophomenids, functioned to localize anteriorly the (un)repaired linear and parabolic fractures. No sublethal fracture occurs on any biconvex shell where the height is greater than 14 mm, despite the fact that numerous specimens of certain species attained shell heights of 20 mm or more, an observation suggesting the upper limit in the gape of the crushing elements of the predator. Crushing experiments on valve ‘models’ reveal that the inflated equibiconvex, plicate shape of the shells of Plarysfrophia is the strongest. However, the architecture of the concave strophomenid valves is relatively stronger than the corresponding valves of many orthids and rhynchonellids when normalized for valve thickness.
The Solid Acidity of 12-Tungstophosphoric Acid

Abstract The solid acidity of 12-tungstophosphoric acid (H 3 PW) has been measured using slurry calorimetry in cyclohexane with pyridine as the probe. Analysis by the Cal-ad method, pyridine adsorption slurry calorimetry coupled with a pyridine adsorption isotherm, shows the protons of solid H 3 PW have different strengths. The two different types of acidic protons (sites) in H 3 PW have populations, n , and enthalpies of interaction, Δ H , with pyridine in a cyclohexane slurry of n 1 =0.08 mmol g −1 , Δ H 1 =−32.7 kcal mol −1 , and n 2 =0.16 mmol g −1 , Δ H 2 =−19.6 kcal mol −1 . The total number of protons titrated (0.24 mmol g −1 ) confirms that not all of the available protons of H 3 PW (1.04 mmol g −1 ) react with pyridine. These results suggest that the total number of protons titrated could be assigned to the number of protons in every even plane of the lattice ( E 00). The different protons were assigned to the face ( n 1 ) and edge ( n 2 ) positions in the unit cell of H 3 PW. The greater number of protons titrated with pyridine (0.24 mmol g −1 ) than the number of surface protons (0.008 mmol g −1 ) for H 3 PW illustrates penetration of pyridine into the lattice. X-ray diffraction results demonstrate expansion of the H 3 PW lattice in which sites 1 and 2 are titrated with pyridine. The observation of single-peak resonances in 31 P magic-angle spinning NMR of H 3 PW–pyridine adducts demonstrates that proton mobility distributes the anionic charge throughout the sample. The acid sites of H 3 PW are confirmed as Bronsted type by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The enthalpies of the most acidic proton measured for solid H 3 PW (−32.7 kcal mol −1 ) and for H 3 PW dissolved in acetonitrile (−30.4 kcal mol −1 ) are in good agreement.
Temporally enhanced erasure codes for reliable communication protocols

In forward error correction (FEC), redundant encoded packets are transmitted to and decoded by receiver(s) so that up to a certain number of lost packets can be recovered by using those redundant packets. The data stream is divided into blocks, and encoded packets are generated within each block. Hence, the encoding and decoding are performed on block-by-block basis.In this paper, a new mechanism named as temporally enhanced FEC (TEFEC) is proposed as an enhancement to the existing block-based FEC codes such as erasure codes. In TEFEC, the scopes of encoding and decoding are expanded beyond block boundaries, and they may overlap with scopes of neighboring blocks. To show its feasibility, TEFEC is applied to erasure codes to enhance their error correction capability, and new codes named as temporally enhanced erasure codes (TEEC) are developed and presented in this paper. In addition, to show its advantages, a reliable protocol was designed and simulated by combining both automatic repeat request and TEEC techniques. In terms of average packet retransmission rates and end-to-end delays for packet delivery, it is shown that the protocol employing TEEC outperforms block-by-block based protocols in most of the cases.
Creating Effective Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns The Role of Cause-Brand Fit, Campaign News Source, and Perceived Motivations

Based on the schema and attribution theories, this study examined hypotheses addressing the effects of cause-brand fit and campaign new source on consumers' attitudes toward a cause-brand alliance ...
The Caenorhabditis elegans polarity gene ooc-5 encodes a Torsin-related protein of the AAA ATPase superfamily

The PAR proteins are required for polarity and asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants in C. elegans embryos. In addition, several of the PAR proteins are conserved and localized asymmetrically in polarized cells in Drosophila , Xenopus and mammals. We have previously shown that ooc-5 and ooc-3 mutations result in defects in spindle orientation and polarity in early C. elegans embryos. In particular, mutations in these genes affect the re-establishment of PAR protein asymmetry in the P 1 cell of two-cell embryos. We now report that ooc-5 encodes a putative ATPase of the Clp/Hsp100 and AAA superfamilies of proteins, with highest sequence similarity to Torsin proteins; the gene for human Torsin A is mutated in individuals with early-onset torsion dystonia, a neuromuscular disease. Although Clp/Hsp100 and AAA family proteins have roles in diverse cellular activities, many are involved in the assembly or disassembly of proteins or protein complexes; thus, OOC-5 may function as a chaperone. OOC-5 protein co-localizes with a marker of the endoplasmic reticulum in all blastomeres of the early C. elegans embryo, in a pattern indistinguishable from that of OOC-3 protein. Furthermore, OOC-5 localization depends on the normal function of the ooc-3 gene. These results suggest that OOC-3 and OOC-5 function in the secretion of proteins required for the localization of PAR proteins in the P 1 cell, and may have implications for the study of torsion dystonia.
Be Quiet! You Are Getting On My Neurons! Noise Reduction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

achieved with a multidisciplinary team approach. Staff education was given by nurses, including one team leader and four super-trainers on each shift. Education was given in the form of bedside in-services, updates in the unit newsletter, a nursing policy and guideline, and a continuing education offering. The education ranged in topics, such as benefits of cue-based feeding, how to read infant cues, how to use a cue-based feeding scale form, educating parents, and trouble shooting. After implementation, bedside charts were audited to assess staff adherence with cue-based feeding and address issues. Concerns and common issues were addressed in the form of bedside in-services, questions and answers, updates in emails and newsletters, as well as focus groups on each shift. A multidisciplinary meeting took place 6 months after implementation to address concerns and update the program.
Effects of spirituality and psychosocial well-being on health risk behaviors in Appalachian pregnant women.

Abstract Objective: To determine the relationships of spirituality and psychosocial well-being to health risk behaviors in pregnant Appalachian women. Method: Descriptive study of 120 women between 16 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The instruments used were the Spiritual Perspective Scale and religiosity items from the Jarel Well-Being Scale. Psychosocial well-being was measured by the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile. Four items measured health risk behaviors. Results: Higher levels of spirituality (spiritual perspective and religiosity) were significantly correlated with greater satisfaction with social support, higher levels of self-esteem, and decreased levels of smoking. Sociodemographic, psychosocial, and spiritual variables explained 25% of the variance in frequency of smoking, and in the logistic regression analysis, psychosocial stress was the only variable that significantly predicted substance use. Conclusion: Higher levels of spirituality and lower levels of stress are associated with decreased health risk behaviors among pregnant women from Appalachia. Increasing spiritual resources and decreasing stress during pregnancy offer the potential to improve health promotion efforts in pregnancy with women from Appalachia.
Endowed Positions in Gerontology and Geriatrics in Higher Education: Results from a Preliminary Survey.

This article reports findings from a preliminary survey of the growing phenomenon of endowed faculty positions in social gerontology and geriatric units in institutions of higher learning in the United States. Survey informants were largely members of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education who were polled in January and February 1986. It is apparent there has been a distinct upsurge since 1980 in the sheer number of endowed chairs and professorships in gerontological units covered by the survey. Of some 29 endowed positions reported in this survey, 23, or about 80%, were established in the years beginning with 1980. Selected characteristics of this development are identified and described. A follow‐up study on the impact of this emerging trend on the quality and direction of academic programs of gerontological education and research is proposed.
Resisting the Lure of Technology-Driven Design: Pedagogical Approaches to Visual Communication:

Technical communicators are expected to work extensively with visual texts in workplaces. Fortunately, most academic curricula include courses in which the skills necessary for such tasks are introduced and sometimes developed in depth. We identify a tension between a focus on technological skill vs. a focus on principles and theory, arguing that we subvert the potential benefits of an education if we succumb to the allure of software. We recommend several classroom practices that help educate students toward greater visual literacy, based not only on recommendations from the research but also from our experience as teachers of visual communication.
Strain-Relief Inserts for Composite Fasteners -An Experimental Study

The stress and strain distributions in the vicinity of single-pin lap joints in a glass-epoxy laminate were studied in a combined experimental-theoretical program. One objective was to evaluate the possibility of obtaining significant stress concentration relief through the use of isotropic material inserts. This paper concentrates on some experimen tal results. High sensitivity Moire interferometry was employed to measure surface strains in three directions within the insert ring and in the adjacent composite laminate. Strain rosette equations were then used to obtain maximum shear strains. Measurements were performed for no insert, a hard insert (aluminum), and a soft insert (epoxy) in an isotropic material and in a composite. Stress reductions were observed at bearing and ligament areas for both types of inserts, with the stiffer insert giving the greatest advantage.
A system of plans for connected speech recognition

A planning system for recognizing connected letters is described and some preliminary experimental results are reported.
The Monetary Transmission Mechanism: Some Answers and Further Questions

A paper summarizing the contents of the conference volume "Financial Innovation and Monetary Transmission," sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Visualization of surface acoustic waves by means of synchronous amplitude-modulated illumination

A simple technique for visualizing two-dimensional traveling surface acoustic wave (SAW) phenomena in real time was developed. The technique requires illumination of a SAW carrying substrate with a collimated, sinusoidally amplitude-modulated laser beam. Though at first the technique may appear to be stroboscopic in nature, it in fact has its foundations in spatiotemporal correlation theory. It is shown that if the modulation frequency of the illumination beam is equal to, or an integer fraction of, the SAW frequency (i.e., if they are temporally correlated) then, after simple spatial filtering, high-visibility stationary fringes can be produced. In fact, it is shown that a maximum fringe visibility of nearly 60% can be achieved. It is believed that this is the highest visibility yet reported for similar SAW visualization techniques.
An Integrating Sphere System for Measuring Average Reflectance and Transmittance

The optical properties of systems for protection against thermal radiation play a primary role in determining their effectiveness. An improved integrating sphere provides for determination of the average reflectance and transmittance of materials, each in a single measurement; this average is the correctly weighed average for the source. The sphere coating of pure aluminum oxide approaches the ideal of a perfectly diffuse reflectance, essentially constant over the wavelength range of interest with improved permanence. The somewhat low average reflectance of this coating also reduces the error due to nonuniform spectral response. Results obtained with this device and by other methods agree. This instrument is especially useful where the same source is used for measurement of optical properties and for exposure of materials to intense radiation.
Minimizing CVaR and VaR for a portfolio of derivatives

Value at risk (VaR) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) are the most frequently used risk measures in current risk management practice. As an alternative to VaR, CVaR is attractive since it is a coherent risk measure. We analyze the problem of computing the optimal VaR and CVaR portfolios. In particular, we illustrate that VaR and CVaR minimization problems for derivatives portfolios are typically ill-posed. For example, the VaR and CVaR minimizations based on delta-gamma approximations of the derivative values typically have an infinite number of solutions. In this paper, we focus on the portfolio selection problem which yields a portfolio of the minimum CVaR with a specified rate of return. We propose to include cost as an additional preference criterion for the CVaR optimiza- tion problem. We demonstrate that, with the addition of a proportional cost, it is possible to compute an optimal CVaR derivative investment portfolio with significantly fewer instru- ments and comparable CVaR and VaR. A computational method based on a smoothing technique is proposed to solve a simulation based CVaR optimization problem efficiently. Comparison is made with the linear programming approach for solving the simulation based CVaR optimization problem.
Guidelines for the proper use of epidural steroid injections for the chronic pain patient

The use of epidural steroids has been a cornerstone of interventional pain medicine as it has evolved as a specialty over the past few decades. These injections, which have been documented in the literature for more than 50 years, have been used for both radicular and axial pain throughout the neuroaxis. Studies have been performed that both support and distract from the evidence for these interventions. Many of the studies that have shown little or no support for the therapies have been flawed, by poor methodologies, lack of fluoroscopic guidance, and use of proceduralists with minimal training. Some clinicians have used these injections in excessive numbers in inappropriate patients. It is the goal of this paper to give guidelines for the proper use of this important therapy. Recommendations have been made on the frequency, route of administration, use of fluoroscopy, and type and dose of steroid but there does not currently exist a specific set of guidelines to address these issues. An extensive review of the available literature was performed, and evidence-based guidelines are established for the first time in an attempt to provide the interventional pain physician with specific guidelines concerning the administration of epidural steroids in patients with axial and radicular pain of spinal origin.
Induction of reactive oxygen species without 8- hydroxydeoxyguanosine formation in DNA of initiated mouse keratinocytes treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate

Evidence for the involvement of oxidative stress in 12O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-mediated tumor promotion has focused on non-initiated immune cells, tumor cell lines and non-initiated epidermis treated in vivo. This paper reports the effects of TPA on 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG) formation and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cloned initiated mouse epidermal keratinocytes in order to determine whether TPA can directly damage DNA through ROS production within the keratinocytes. Using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC), TPA did not induce 8OHdG formation in DNA of initiated keratinocytes treated under a variety of conditions. The reliability of the HPLC-EC system is demonstrated by (i) the linearity of the 8OHdG standard curve; (ii) the consistency of 8OHdG measurements in calf thymus and cellular DNA; and (iii) the dose-dependent increase in 8OHdG in DNA of initiated keratinocytes treated with UVC in the presence and absence of H2O2. Though not DNA-damaging, TPA induced a 65% increase in ROS (P < 0.05) as detected by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence. These results support a mechanism for the role of oxidative stress in tumor promotion that does not involve direct DNA damage to the keratinocyte target cell. The relationship between ROS, signal transduction and tumor promotion is discussed in light of the above results which is consistent with the role of TPA-induced ROS as second messengers in signal transduction.
Non‐cholinergic transmission in a sympathetic ganglion of the guinea‐pig elicited by colon distension.

Sensory transmission from the colon was studied using a preparation of inferior mesenteric ganglion (i.m.g.) attached to a segment of distal colon in guinea-pigs, in vitro. Electrical responses to colon distension were recorded intracellularly from neurones of the i.m.g. Distension of the distal colon up to an intraluminal pressure of 20 cmH2O caused an increase in resting asynchronous synaptic activity and a concomitant slow depolarization. The asynchronous synaptic activity, but not the slow depolarization, was abolished by cholinergic antagonists. Distension-induced non-cholinergic depolarizations were elicited in 44% of i.m.g. neurons sampled. For distensions of 1 min at 10-20 cmH2O, depolarizations reached a mean amplitude of 3.4 +/- 0.3 mV and lasted 108 +/- 7 s. Continuous distension resulted in a tachyphylaxis of the depolarization. Tetrodotoxin (3 X 10(-7) M) superfused over the i.m.g. reversibly abolished the distension-induced non-cholinergic depolarization. Distension-induced non-cholinergic depolarizations were accompanied by an increase in input resistance of 21%. Neuronal excitability also increased, as sub-threshold potentials produced by intracellular current injection reached threshold for firing action potentials during colon distension. The amplitude of non-cholinergic depolarizations increased with colonic intraluminal pressure between 2 and 20 cmH2O, although the slope of the mean amplitude-pressure curve decreased progressively at higher pressures. The amplitude of distension-induced non-cholinergic depolarizations increased as membrane potential was manually hyperpolarized to approximately -80 mV, whereupon further hyperpolarization resulted in a decrease in response amplitude. Non-cholinergic slow excitatory post-synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) evoked by repetitive presynaptic nerve stimulation were reversibly attenuated by 19 +/- 8% during depolarizations produced by distension. Systemic administration of capsaicin (50-350 mg/kg) reduced the number of i.m.g. neurones exhibiting the non-cholinergic mechanosensory response; direct superfusion of capsaicin over the i.m.g. attenuated the response in some neurones but had no effect in others. These results demonstrate the existence of a non-cholinergic mechanosensory pathway from the colon to the i.m.g., and suggest that non-cholinergic transmission in the ganglion participates in mediating gastrointestinal reflexes. One transmitter utilized by the non-cholinergic mechanosensory pathway may be substance P.
Summation of the Born series for the normal modes of the Earth

SUMMARY We derive an explicit formula for the response of a laterally heterogeneous, self-gravitating, rotating, dissipative, and physically dispersive earth to an earthquake. The long-period spectrum at a single station is given by u(ω) =RH0 [V(ω) +ωW−ω2T]−1·S0(ω) where R0 and S0(ω) are the unperturbed source and receiver vectors and H denotes the Hermitian transpose. The quantities V(ω), W, and T are the potential energy, Coriolis, and relative kinetic energy matrices, and V(ω) +ωW−ω2T is the Lagrangian matrix whose eigenvalues are the perturbed complex eigenfrequencies. This simple result is obtained by formal summation of the Born series.
Bioremediation of polluted soils – A review

The pressure on soil, the natural resource base for agriculture is increasing due to rapid industrialization, intensive agriculture and other anthropogenic activities which have caused land degradation, environmental pollution and a decline in the crop productivity and sustalnabillty. Bioremediation is off late emerging asa versatile tool for remedy of contaminated soils. The development of a strong scientific base for bioremediation technologies is required, if rationally designed and optimized process are to be introduced. The method uses indigenous micro flora or added specific microorganisms to help in biodegradation of pollutants and recovery of land and ground water. There are also several constraints that should be overcome to use this technique successfully as a tool for remediation of contaminated soils. The application of Bioremediation in abatement of soil pollution is briefly discussed in this review paper.
Arguments and actors in recent debates over US genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

The American public remains divided on the issue of genetic modification. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 57 % of 2002 respondents consider genetically modified organisms generally unsafe. In comparison, 88 % of 3748 scientists consider GMOs generally safe. To understand this divergence in opinion related to GMOs, I analyzed 200 headlines and articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post published between 2011 and 2013. I focused on the key arguments and who is making them. The results showed that newspapers presented 207 favorable and 250 unfavorable mentions of GMOs. The findings revealed the arguments “GMO technical performance” and “potential for environmental harm,” along with actors described as the “biotechnology industry” and “U.S. government,” received more media attention, measured by the frequency of mentions in articles. The arguments, and the actors that drive them, play a vital role in public opinion forming and affect ethical, practical, political, and scientific considerations of GMOs. This research provides insight into arguments influencing public opinion on genetic modification and actors with the potential to change the GMO debate.
Who Benefits from Tax Evasion?11This paper is based on a keynote address at the conference “The Shadow Economy, Tax Evasion and Money Laundering” held in Münster, Germany at the University of Münster in July 2011.

Abstract In this paper, we examine the distributional effects of tax evasion, using results from theoretical, experimental, empirical, and especially the general equilibrium literatures on tax evasion. Much – if not all – of this evidence concludes that the main beneficiaries of successful tax evasion are the tax evaders themselves, with distributional effects that largely favor higher income individuals. However, when general equilibrium adjustments in commodity and factor prices are considered, the distributional effects become considerably more complicated. The work on tax compliance is also put in the broader context of the distributional effects of other types of criminal activities, where similar forces seem to be at work. We conclude with some suggestions for future research.
Racial Vote Dilution: Impact of the Reagan DOJ and the Burger Court on the Voting Rights Act

Since passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the subsequent registration of millions of minority voters, racially based voting discrimination has shiftedfrom a strategy of vote denial to one of vote dilution. The VRA, especially Section 2 and 5, is the dramatic congressional effort to eliminate strategies that deny effective political participation to millions of citizens. However, the VRA has to be aggressively implemented by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and it has to be broadly validated, in concrete cases and controversies in federal courts, if it is to blunt the vote discrimination/dilution strategy. While the Warren Court saw Section 5 as a radical but legitimate tool to end the perpetuation of voting discrimination, the Burger Court has seen Section 5 in less sweeping terms. And while the Carter administration DOJ aggressively supported minority plaintiffs in federal voting rights litigation brought under Sections 2 and 5, the Reagan administration has redirected civil rights policy, including the methodology of implementing Sections 2 and 5 of the VRA.
Biosynthesis and hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters by rat skin subcellular fractions. Regulation by prostaglandins

The properties and subcellular distribution of the enzymes involved with the synthesis and hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters were investigated in skin of normal and essential fatty acid-deficient rats. Most of the activity of the cholesterol-esterifying enzyme(s) is associated with the 12000g and 105000g particulate fractions. The dependence of the enzyme reaction on ATP and CoA suggests that the esterification of cholesterol by rat skin is mediated by a fatty acyl-CoA–cholesterol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.–). On the other hand, most of the activity of the cholesteryl ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13) is localized in the 105000g supernatant fraction. Although the activity of the cholesterol-esterifying enzyme(s) was elevated in skin preparations from essential fatty acid-deficient rats, the activity of the hydrolase was significantly decreased. These observations may explain in part the elevated concentrations of sterol esters in the skin of these animals. Prostaglandin E2 at low concentrations exerted marked inhibitory effect on the activity of the cholesterol-esterifying enzyme(s), whereas no effect was observed on the activity of the hydrolase at similar concentrations. However, at high concentrations prostaglandin E2 exerted moderate stimulatory effect on the activity of the hydrolase. These results suggest a possible physiological role of this substance in regulating the production of sterol esters in this tissue.
372 THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PERSONS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS.

Background One of the most common secondary causes of hypertension is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is used to treat OSA. Objective To evaluate the effects of CPAP on blood pressure among those with OSA in randomized controlled trials. Data Sources Studies were retrieved by searching MEDLINE (1996-July 2006) using the Medical Subject Headings continuous positive airway pressure , positive-pressure respiration , sleep apnea syndromes , sleep apneaobstructive , polysomnography,sleep stages,randomized controlled trial , and controlled clinical trial . Bibliographies of all retrieved articles were also searched. Study Selection From 255 relevant retrieved reports, 16 randomized clinical trials compared CPAP with control among participants with OSA, a minimum treatment duration of 2 weeks, and reported blood pressure as an end point. Data Extraction Data on baseline characteristics of trials and participants including study design, participant distribution according to age, sex, baseline blood pressure, comorbidities, severity of OSA, measurement of outcome, and analysis methods were independently abstracted by two investigators using a standardized protocol. Data Synthesis Data from 16 trials representing 818 participants was examined using a random-effects model. The mean difference for overall systolic blood pressure for those treated with CPAP compared with control was −2.67 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], −4.78 to −0.57). For overall diastolic blood pressure, the mean difference was −2.07 mm Hg (95% CI −3.44 to −0.70). Conclusions These results indicate that CPAP use decreases blood pressure among those with OSA and may help prevent hypertension.
Application Study for Laser Resistant Protection of Insulation on Motor

Insulation and protection structural components consisted of insulation respectively with silicon dioxide cloth / bakelite、carbon cloth/ bakelite、carbon fiber/ epoxy and aluminum foil are subjected to laser irradiation test,to study the role of insulation on laser protection and search for optimal protection structural design.
Callisto: A Configurable Annotation Workbench.

In order to support a range of textual annotation tasks, we have developed a new annotation tool called Callisto. To promote taskspecific specialization of the interface and associated constraint checking, Callisto provides a facility for the independent development, compilation and installation of task module plug-ins (in the form of Java Archive jar files). The common Callisto backend provides a set of annotation services to which all separate GUI components can subscribe, enabling a common framework through which annotation updates are propagated to all components. A number of annotation task models have already been defined, and those that are of very general applicability have been made easily re-configurable for small changes in task definition. Callisto is implemented in Java to make use of Java s considerable support for Unicode-encoded multilingual data. Callisto is freely available for downloading
Effects of Triad Interactions on Wave Attenuation by Vegetation

AbstractWave attenuation in vegetated shallow water is mainly attributed to actual drag-induced dissipation and near-resonant triad interactions. The latter is neglected in existing theoretical mod...