cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Universality of Chain Dynamics

On the basis of a comparison of the dielectric normal mode relaxation times τ n of unentangled cis-1,4-polyisoprene, poly(propylene glycol), and polyoxybutylene with literature data for the shear viscosity n of polystyrene, atactic polypropylene, and polycarbonate from various sources, Ding and Sokolov [Macromolecules 2006, 39, 3322] concluded that the Tg-normalized temperature dependence of τ n and η is the same for all polymers. Liu et al. [Macromolecules 2006, 39, 8867] reached the same conclusion from an examination of their own dynamic mechanical modulus data for 1,4-polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and eight aliphatic copolymers. We verify that the data in these studies ostensibly support a universal Tg-normalized temperature dependence; however, a detailed analysis of viscoelastic data on many different polymers, from creep compliance measurements carried out in the same laboratory, shows unambiguously that the Tg-normalized temperature dependences of τ n and η can vary substantially among polymers. Thus, the behavior of τ n and η is not universal.
A retrospective analysis of allergic reaction severities and minimal eliciting doses for peanut, milk, egg, and soy oral food challenges

Food allergy is a public health concern, affecting up to 6% of children and 2% of adults. The severity of allergic reactions can range from mild to potentially life-threatening. In addition, the minimum amount of protein needed to provoke an allergic reaction in an individual patient (the minimal eliciting dose (MED)) ranges from a few micrograms to several grams. To determine whether a retrospective analysis of published data from oral food challenges could be used to assess the potential relationship between MEDs and reaction severities at the MEDs, a three class (mild, moderate, severe) reaction grading system was developed by integrating previously published reaction grading systems. MEDs and symptoms were collected from food challenge studies and each reaction was graded using the integrated grading system. Peanut allergic patients who experienced severe reactions had significantly higher MEDs and threshold distribution doses than those who experienced mild and moderate reactions. No significant differences in threshold distributions according to the severity grading were found for milk, egg and soy. The relationship between threshold dose distribution and reaction severity based on these grading criteria differed between peanut and other allergens, and severe reactions were found to occur in some patients at low MEDs for all of these food allergens.
Transcriptional upregulation of p57 (Kip2) by the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor BMS-387032 is E2F dependent and serves as a negative feedback loop limiting cytotoxicity

In spite of the fact that cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibiting drugs are potent transcriptional repressors, we discover that p57 (Kip2, CDKN1C) transcription is significantly upregulated by three small molecule cdk inhibitors, including BMS-387032. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with BMS-387032 led to a stabilization of the E2F1 protein that was accompanied by significant increases in the p57 mRNA and protein. This increase did not occur in an E2F1-deficient cell line. An E2F1-estrogen receptor fusion protein activated the endogenous p57 promoter in response to hydroxytamoxifen treatment in the presence of cycloheximide. Luciferase constructs driven by the p57 promoter verified that upregulation of p57 mRNA by BMS-387032 is transcriptional and dependent on E2F-binding sites in the promoter. Expression of exogenous p57 significantly decreased the fraction of cells in S phase. Furthermore, p57-deficient MDA-MB-231 cell lines were significantly more sensitive to BMS-387032-induced apoptosis than controls. The results presented in this manuscript demonstrate that small molecule cdk inhibitors transcriptionally activate p57 dependent upon E2F1 and that this activation in turn serves to limit E2F1's death-inducing activity.
Chemical expansion affected oxygen vacancy stability in different oxide structures from first principles calculations

We study the chemical expansion for neutral and charged oxygen vacancies in fluorite, rocksalt, perovskite and pyrochlores materials using first principles calculations. We show that the neutral oxygen vacancy leads to lattice expansion whereas the charged vacancy leads to lattice contraction. In addition, we show that there is a window of strain within which an oxygen vacancy is stable; beyond that range, the vacancy can become unstable. Using CeO2|ZrO2 interface structure as an example, we show that the concentration of oxygen vacancies can be manipulated via strain, and the vacancies can be preferentially stabilized. These results could serve as guiding principles in predicting oxygen vacancy stability in strained systems and in the design of vacancy stabilized materials.
Chordoma and chondroid neoplasms of the spheno‐occiput: An immunohistochemical study of 41 cases with prognostic and nosologic implications

Background. Chordomas are rare neoplasms that show a proclivity for the spheno-occiput and sacral regions. A “chondroid” variant involving the spheno-occiput has been associated with improved survival. “Classic” or nonchondroid chordomas are uniformly immunoreactive for keratins. Chondroid chordomas are said to be immunonegative for epithelial markers, a feature used to support the concept that they represent chondrosarcomas. Methods. The authors performed immunohistochemical studies on 25 patients with chondroid chordoma (mean age, 40.0 years) and on 16 patients with classic chordomas (mean age, 44.2 years) to establish tumor subsets based upon immunophenotype, specifically reactivity for epithelial markers. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were then constructed for each group with age as an added variable. Results. All classic chordomas reacted for keratins as did 8 (32%) of the 25 chondroid chordomas. Forty-four percent of classic and 85% of chondroid chordomas were positive for S-100 protein. At 5 years, all patients younger than 40 years of age were alive in both the classic and chondroid groups. In contrast, of patients older than 40 years of age, only 22% with classic chordomas and 38% with chondroid chordomas were alive. Conclusions. Regardless of tumor subtype, age is the single most important variable in determining survival; patients younger than 40 years of age do better than older patients. There are no significant survival differences between patients with cartilage-containing tumors that are keratin immunopositive (“true” chondroid chordoma) or negative (chondrosarcoma). Immunostaining for keratins is of no prognostic value in assessing chondroid lesions of the spheno-occiput.
Unimolecular Chemistry of Li+- and Na+-Coordinated Polyglycol Radicals, a New Class of Distonic Radical Cations

The lithium and sodium ion complexes of the polyglycol-derived radicals (R•) HOCH2CH2O• (1•), H(OCH2CH2)2O• (2•), HOCH2CH2OCH2• (3•), H(OCH2CH2)2OCH2• (4•), HOCH2CH2OCH2CH2• (5•), and H(OCH2CH2)2OCH2CH2• (6•) are produced in the gas phase by fast atom bombardment ionization and their structures and unimolecular chemistry are investigated by tandem mass spectrometry. Parallel ab initio MO calculations show that the [R• + X]+ (X = Li, Na) complexes carry their positive charge and unpaired electron at distinct centers, thus representing a novel type of distonic radical cations. Radical reactions prevail for all [R• + X]+ species studied. The predominant dissociation of metalated 1•−4• (−O• or −OCH2• terminus) involves cleavage of CH2O via ion−molecule complexes in which the newly detached formaldehyde molecule remains bound to the metal ion. With Li+ cationization, H• transfer within these intermediate complexes also takes place, leading to the elimination of OCH•; this reaction is particularly competitive a...
Effects of edge dislocations on thermal transport in UO2

Abstract Molecular-dynamics simulations are used to characterize the effects of dislocations on the thermal transport properties of UO 2 . Microstructures with various dislocation densities of the order of 10 16 m −2 are simulated at temperatures between 800 and 1600 K. The effects of dislocations on the thermal-transport properties are found to be independent on temperature, consistent with the classic Klemens–Callaway analysis. The effect of dislocation density is also quantified. The simulation results are also fit to the pertinent part of the empirical formula for the thermal conductivity used in the FRAPCON fuel-performance code, which gives the overall effects of temperature and dislocation effects on thermal conductivity. The fitted results can be well-described within this formalism, indicating that the results of molecular-dynamics simulations can be used as a reliable source of parameters for models at longer length scales.
Landscape, Movement, and Civic Mimesis in the West of England

The cycle plays are usually taken to be the exemplar form for civic and guild-sponsored drama in cities and towns, but those that survive were essentially a northern and eastern phenomenon. Civic and guild-sponsored entertainments in the south-west of England took a different form that involved troupes, mock battles, patterned movement over the landscape, and plays or shows that integrated history and pseudo-history, combining elements taken from religion, mythology, and historical traditions, both national and local. This form, the article argues, deserves to be recognized as being more widespread and representative than were the cycle plays, and therefore also deserves to be included in surveys that discuss medieval and early modern drama. Further, since the form was replicated, in Somerset, in cities, towns, and villages alike, it offers valuable evidence demonstrating the cohesion of pre-Reformation culture.
Considering Suffocatory Abuse and Munchausen by Proxy in the Evaluation of Children Experiencing Apparent Life-Threatening Events and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

This study describes 138 young children admitted to the hospital over a 23 year period for recurrent apparent life threatening events (ALTEs), unexplained deaths, or with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)-related diagnoses. In examining the potential for suffocatory abuse in living children, we utilized characteristics in the literature that distinguish SIDS or ALTEs due to natural disease states from abuse. Findings demonstrate a co-occurrence of risk factors that raise suspicions of suffocatory abuse or Munchausen by Proxy. Of the 35 children who died, SIDS was the presumed clinical diagnosis at the time of death in 71 % of the cases. Comprehensive chart review and autopsy findings revealed a non-SIDS diagnosis in 54% and confirmed or suspicious child abuse in 37% of these deaths. Reports to Child Protective Services were made in 6% of cases. Recommendations for assessment of children including attention to risk indicators, involvement of child protection teams, mandatory autopsies, and eath scene investigations are offered.
Dephosphorylation of PDH by phosphoprotein phosphatases and its allosteric regulation by inositol glycans

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is a key rate-limiting enzyme responsible for insulin-stimulated oxidative glucose metabolism. Insulin action leads to an increase in the dephosphorylated (active) form of the enzyme (Jungas, 1971; Linn, Pettit and Reed, 1969). MaCauley and Jarett (1985) demonstrated that the specific interconverting enzyme under insulin control was its phosphatase. They clearly demonstrated that a substance was produced when insulin interacted with plasma membranes which stimulated PDH phosphatase in mitochondria. Independently, Larner et al. (1979) presented evidence of an insulin-generated heat-stable factor(s) which inhibited cAMP-dependent protein kinase and which also stimulated crude glycogen synthase phosphatase. In 1979; Jarett and Seals (1979) reported that the factor(s) isolated in Larner’s laboratory could also stimulate PDH phosphatase. We then further separated from the original fraction by anion exchange, two separate fractions; one contained the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, while the other contained the PDH phosphatase stimulator (Larner et al., 1988a, b). The former contained myo-inositol and glucosamine after acid hydrolysis; the latter contained D-chiro-inositol and galactosamine after acid hydrolysis.
Rapid, Femtomolar Bioassays in Complex Matrices ComBining Microfluidics and Magnetoelectronics

A significant challenge for all biosensor systems is to achieve high assay sensitivity and specificity while minimizing sample preparation requirements, operational complexity, and sample-to-answer time. We have achieved multiplexed, unamplified, femtomolar detection of both DNA and proteins in complex matrices (including whole blood, serum, plasma, and milk) in minutes using as few as two reagents by labeling conventional assay schemes with micrometer-scale magnetic beads, and applying fluidic force discrimination (FFD). In FFD assays, analytes captured onto a microarray surface are labeled with microbeads, and a controlled laminar flow is then used to apply microfluidic forces sufficient to preferentially remove only nonspecifically bound bead labels. The density of beads that remain bound is proportional to the analyte concentration and can be determined with either optical counting or magnetoelectronic detection of the magnetic labels. Combining FFD assays with chip-based magnetoelectronic detection enables a simple, potentially handheld, platform capable of both nucleic acid hybridization assays and immunoassays, including orthogonal detection and identification of bacterial and viral pathogens, and therefore suitable for a wide range of biosensing applications.
Acoustic Tomographic Reconstruction of Anomalies in Three-Dimensional Bodies

We present a theory of acoustic tomography based on data processing shear wave scattered field over an observational plane, including frequency and polarization diversities. The theory is based on the Gubernatis formulation of scattering and does not require solution of the Fredholm equation for material displacement u. An essential feature of the theory is an expansion of vjkuk in even powers of frequency to obtain an “equivalent frequency insensitive” source in the anomaly.
Conversion of rainrate statistics with various integration times to equivalent one-minute distributions

Recent ITU-R recommendations indicate that rainrate distributions with integration time of one minute should be used for obtaining statistics to be applied in rain attenuation prediction methods. However, long-term rainrate statistics available for Brazil have integration times ranging from five minutes to one hour, making necessary to reliably convert these to equivalent one-minute distributions. Various procedures have previously been tested with rainfall data from Brazilian tropical and equatorial regions, with reasonable accuracy. A recently developed method is applied here to convert statistics with higher integration times, obtained from data measured at six locations of three different climatic regions in Brazil, to equivalent one-minute rainrate distributions. Comparison of these distributions with those obtained from measurements show excellent agreement.
Home and child safety on reality television

Injuries, many of which occur at home, are the leading cause of death for children. With such an extensive problem, it is natural to look for outlets such as mass media to reach large numbers of families with educational messages about safety and injury prevention. Mass media has been widely used to educate people about health issues. While studies have examined the portrayal of topics such as substance use and sexual behavior, no study has looked at media content about home and child safety practices. A pilot study with a sample of 10 television shows about home renovation, children or families was examined using content analysis for the presence or absence of home and child safety practices and products and discussion of injury topics. Most practices, like checking the water temperature when bathing a child or having smoke alarms, were never discussed or shown. Results suggest these shows provide information about home or family life, but few role models are shown offering information or examples of safe practices. Promoting safety information in these television programs may be a potentially important way to educate a large number of people, and feasibility of adding safety information to such shows should be explored.
p63 and p73 are required for p53-dependent apoptosis in response to DNA damage

The tumour-suppressor gene p53 is frequently mutated in human cancers and is important in the cellular response to DNA damage. Although the p53 family members p63 and p73 are structurally related to p53, they have not been directly linked to tumour suppression, although they have been implicated in apoptosis. Given the similarity between this family of genes and the ability of p63 and p73 to transactivate p53 target genes, we explore here their role in DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient for one or a combination of p53 family members were sensitized to undergo apoptosis through the expression of the adenovirus E1A oncogene. While using the E1A system facilitated our ability to perform biochemical analyses, we also examined the functions of p63 and p73 using an in vivo system in which apoptosis has been shown to be dependent on p53. Using both systems, we show here that the combined loss of p63 and p73 results in the failure of cells containing functional p53 to undergo apoptosis in response to DNA damage.
Comparison of Methods for Removal of Corrosion Product from AA2024-T3

Abstract A variety of methods are currently used by researchers to remove corrosion products from aluminum alloys to facilitate analysis. This work compares three different cleaning methods with th...
Magnet schools, innate talent and social justice

Beginning in the 1970s, many school US school districts reallocated their already scarce resources from local schools to specially created magnet schools. Many of these magnet schools have some sort of entrance exam, portfolio, or audition requirement that students must pass in order to gain admission. These selective magnet schools are predicated on the idea that there are certain students who have natural talents and abilities that justify their inclusion in these programs. Such programs are seen as simple meritocracies that look beyond race, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic to encourage the innate talent of certain individuals. It is the assumption that such innate talents exist that I take issue with in this article. The assumption that selective magnet schools are simply rewarding talent ignores the overwhelming amount of research that shows that talent is not innate, but is a combination of opportunity, encouragement, and deliberate practice. Based on this research, I argue that selective and com...
Positivity of matrices with generalized matrix functions

Using an elementary fact on matrices we show by a unified approach the positivity of a partitioned positive semidefinite matrix with each square block replaced by a compound matrix, an elementary symmetric function or a generalized matrix function. In addition, we present a refined version of the Thompson determinant compression theorem.
Media exposure in children one hundred miles from a terrorist bombing

This study assessed indirect interpersonal exposure to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, broadcast and print media exposure in the aftermath of the explosion, emotional reactions to media coverage, and posttraumatic stress reactions in children distant from the explosion. A survey was administered to 88 sixth-grade students in the public middle school in a community 100 miles from Oklahoma City 2 years after the bombing. Many children reported indirect interpersonal exposure and most reported bomb-related media exposure. Print media exposure was more strongly associated with enduring posttraumatic stress than broadcast exposure. Indirect interpersonal exposure and the interaction of media exposure with emotional reaction to media coverage in the aftermath of the explosion each predicted ongoing posttraumatic stress. The results suggest that children may have lingering reactions to highly publicized terrorist incidents. Concern about the influence of television viewing has long been proclaimed. This study implicates print media exposure as well. Media exposure to terrorist incidents, therefore, should be monitored and those working with children should assess exposure and stress even in children not directly impacted.
A comparison of predictors of early emerging gender differences in mathematics competency

Abstract Five variables (strategy use, fluency, accuracy, spatial ability and confidence) that have been linked to gender differences in mathematics were compared as predictors of mathematics competency. Two hundred and forty-one second grade students from seven schools in Northeast Georgia participated in the study. In fall of the second grade, children were assessed on computation strategies, spatial ability, confidence in mathematics, and accuracy and fluency. In spring, the children took a mathematics competency test. Regression analyses indicated that fluency, accuracy and cognitive strategy use predicted mathematics competency scores. Gender differences were most evident in fluency and the types of strategies used suggesting that it is these variables that influence the emergence of gender differences in math competency. In examining the highest performing group, gender differences in manipulative strategy use were more pronounced in comparison to the total sample, but cognitive strategies were linked to test performance.
Radiographic structural abnormalities associated with premature, natural hip-joint failure.

Background: Significant controversy exists regarding the causes of premature, natural hip-joint failure. Identification of these causes may guide future investigations targeting prevention of this disorder. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine and characterize structural abnormalities associated with premature, natural hip-joint failure, and (2) analyze disease progression in the contralateral hips of patients with femoroacetabular impingement deformities. Methods: We analyzed 604 patients (710 hips) from three different medical centers who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty at or before fifty years of age (average age, forty years). Three hundred fourteen patients (52%) were male, and 290 patients (48%) were female. Results: The diagnoses associated with premature hip failure varied, but osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis were most common. Radiographic abnormalities associated with developmental hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement were associated with the majority of osteoarthritic hips. Hips with femoroacetabular impingement deformities demonstrated distinct structural anatomy relative to asymptomatic hips, with a high prevalence of bilateral deformities. In a subgroup of seventy patients with femoroacetabular impingement deformities, contralateral radiographic disease progression or the need for total hip arthroplasty was observed in 73% of hips. Conclusions: Osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis are the major causes of premature hip-joint failure in young patients. Femoroacetabular impingement abnormalities are usually bilateral and are commonly associated with progression of the disease to the contralateral hip. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Early birds: Special interests and the strategic logic of international cooperation

I propose that special interests are particularly influential in international cooperation because they are able to enact pressure on the government already during the negotiations while the issue is not yet salient for the general public. In my formal model, special interests can offer political support to the government in exchange for a discriminatory implementation commitment that benefits them. The government colludes with the special interests if the value of political support exceeds the cost. However, if the government colludes with special interests in country A, the payoff to the government and special interests in country B also decreases because the probability of successful international cooperation decreases. In equilibrium, special interests create a collective-action problem that complicates international cooperation. In addition to providing a new explanation for the power of special interests in international cooperation, the article illuminates how international negotiations and domestic treaty implementation interact. The analysis also reveals a new dimension of flexibility in international cooperation.
Outcomes of sclerotherapy and embolization for arteriovenous and venous malformations

Vascular malformations result from an arrest of development of a normal vascular structure or from abnormal growth of a vascular structure. Treatment continues to be a challenge. We sought to study the outcomes of sclerotherapy and embolization for vascular malformations. We reviewed clinical data of all patients treated with sclerotherapy or embolization for arteriovenous or venous malformations between 2006 and 2010 at Mayo Clinic. Follow-up information was obtained from clinical charts and a questionnaire sent to all patients. Overall, 60 patients (24 male and 36 female; mean age 31.7 years; range, 5.6 to 72.4 years) had 163 unique sclerotherapy or embolization procedures for lesions involving the lower extremity (55%), upper extremity (18.3%), pelvis (11.7%), abdomen (5%), chest (5%), back (3.3%), and multiple locations (1.7%). Thirty-one patients had low-flow venous malformations and 29 patients had high-flow arteriovenous malformations. Twenty-four patients required more than three sessions. The most common indication for intervention was pain (57 of 60 [95%]). Sixteen patients (27%) had documented or patient-reported complications. There was no significant difference in complication rates or lesion size between patients with low-flow or high-flow lesions. There were no procedural deaths. Mean available follow-up was 2.0 ± 1.3 years (range, 0.5 to 5.0 years). Median pain scores at most recent follow-up decreased significantly (P<.001). Eighty-three percent of the responders (24 of 29) would recommend treatment to others. With appropriate patient selection, sclerotherapy and embolization can decrease the pain of patients with arteriovenous and venous malformations. Multiple interventions might be necessary. Practitioners should be aware of the potential complications and counsel their patients about these risks.
Identification and characterization of rat intestinal trefoil factor: tissue- and cell-specific member of the trefoil protein family.

Abstract The trefoil peptide family encompasses a group of small proteins that appear to assume a distinctive secondary structure that leads to intrinsic resistance to protease digestion. Induction of these peptides has been associated with response to injury in the gastrointestinal tract and related organs. Using an oligonucleotide derived from N-terminal amino acid sequencing of a transformed growth-inhibiting protein, a cDNA was cloned from rat intestinal villus epithelial cells that encodes a protein 81 amino acids in length with the characteristic trefoil peptide cysteine residue motif. Northern blot analysis demonstrates specific expression of a single transcript of 0.43 kilobase in small and large intestinal epithelium in rat and man. Indirect immunofluorescent staining with antiserum raised using a synthetic peptide based on the predicted C-terminal sequence of this protein, designated intestinal trefoil factor, demonstrated that it is primarily expressed and secreted onto the intestinal surface by goblet cells, suggesting that it may be an important component of intrinsic mechanisms for defending mucosal integrity.
Robust switch-level test generation

Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) technology is highly popular currently due to the many advantages that it provides. It has been shown that conventional methods of testing are not applicable to MOS circuits. A switch-level model is used to generate a sequence of test vectors for a variety of MOS circuits, including those containing pass transistor logic. >
Variation in working memory capacity and episodic memory: Examining the importance of encoding specificity

In the present study, we examined the extent to which encoding specificity influences the relation between individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) and episodic recall. Participants performed a paired associates cued recall task in which a rhyme or a semantic judgment was made during encoding. During recall participants were presented with the cue word along with either a rhyme or semantic cue. Across both rhyme and semantic conditions, encoding and retrieval conditions either matched or mismatched. When encoding and retrieval conditions matched, high WMC individuals outperformed low WMC individuals. When encoding and retrieval conditions mismatched, high and low WMC individuals performed equivalently. Importantly, this occurred because high WMC individuals were hurt more than low WMC individuals when conditions mismatched. These results demonstrate the importance of encoding specificity in the relation between WMC and episodic recall as well as of unifying prior work that has demonstrated that high WMC individuals are hurt more in some recall conditions than are low WMC individuals.
Negative Interaction and Satisfaction with Social Support among Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to test a conceptual model that contrasts two competing explanations of how feelings of satisfaction with social support emerge in later life. The first suggests that satisfaction with support is determined primarily by the amount of assistance provided by significant others, while the second view proposes that negative interaction may play a larger role in this process. Two main findings were obtained from this recent nationwide survey of older adults. First, negative interaction appears to be more strongly related to satisfaction with support than measures of support received from others. Second, statistical interaction effects were detected which suggest that the impact of negative interaction and received support depends upon the amount of assistance that the elderly study participants provide to their significant others.
A molecular portrait of breast cancer metastasis to the brain

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 SY34-3 Approximately 15% of breast cancer patients develop brain metastases; mean survival is less than one year. The incidence of brain metastases is expected to rise as systemic control improves and tumor cells colonize the brain as a sanctuary site. The brain microenvironment and the blood:brain barrier are hypothesized to provide distinct selection pressures for metastatic growth. To analyze the gene expression of breast cancer brain metastases, we have examined 16 surgically resected brain metastases of breast cancer and compared them to a cohort of unrelated primary breast carcinomas, matched for histology, hormone receptor status, and TNM stage. RNA isolated from laser captured microdissected tumor cells was amplified using a T7-based amplification protocol prior to cDNA microarray analysis on a 30K microarray. A panel of genes were identified which exhibit differential expression patterns between primary tumors and brain metastases, verified by RT-PCR. Therpeutic strategies based on gene expression profiles will be discussed.
Compulsive use of Internet-based sexually explicit media: Adaptation and validation of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS)

Despite evidence that viewing sexually explicit media (SEM) may contribute to greater numbers of sexual partners, sexual risk taking, greater interest in group sex, and lower self-esteem among men who have sex with men (MSM), research has not addressed compulsive use of Internet-based SEM due to the lack of a validated measure for this population. This report investigates the psychometric properties of the 14-item Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS; Meerkerk, van den Eijnden, Vermulst, & Garretsen, 2009) adapted to assess the severity of compulsive Internet SEM use. A total of 265 Internet SEM-viewing MSM participated in an online survey about their SEM preferences, viewing habits, and recent sexual behaviors. A principal components analysis revealed a single-component, 13-item scale to adequately assess the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of this phenomenon, with a high internal consistency (α = .92). Greater compulsive use of Internet SEM was positively correlated with several relevant variables including boredom, sexual frustration, time spent viewing Internet SEM, and number of recent male sexual partners. The results offer preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of using an adapted version of the CIUS to understand compulsive Internet SEM use, and allow for more research into the potential negative consequences of compulsive SEM use.
The Hope for Today—The Promise for Tomorrow: Will Oncologists Meet the Challenge?

The dawn of this century is witness to a paradigm of new treatment strategies for patients with colorectal cancer offering renewed hope for thousands of individuals. Hope is characteristically accompanied by the challenge of potentiating newly acquired gains. Advances should indeed form the construct of the next path toward additional change. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) reports the results from study C-07, demonstrating the 3- and 4-year diseasefree-survival (DFS) advantage for stage II and III colon cancer patients who received oxaliplatin combined with weekly bolus fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (FLOX) compared with those treated with the weekly bolus FU and leucovorin schedule known
Pelvic nerve input mediates descending modulation of homovisceral processing in the thoracolumbar spinal cord of the rat

Background & Aims: Colonic afferents project to the lumbosacral and thoracolumbar spinal cord via the pelvic and hypogastric/lumbar colonic nerves, respectively. Both spinal regions process inflammatory colonic stimuli. The role of thoracolumbar segments in processing acute colorectal pain is questionable, however, because the lumbosacral spinal cord appears sufficient to process reflex responses to acute pain. Here, we show that activity in pelvic nerve colonic afferents actively modulates thoracolumbar dorsal horn neuron processing of the same colonic stimulus through a supraspinal loop: homovisceral descending modulation. Methods: Dorsal horn neurons were recorded in the rat thoracolumbar spinal cord after acute or chronic pelvic neurectomy and cervical cold block. Results: Acute pelvic neurectomy or lidocaine inhibition of lumbosacral dorsal roots facilitated the excitatory response of thoracolumbar dorsal horn neurons to colorectal distention (CRD) and decreased the percentage of neurons inhibited by CRD, suggesting colonic input over the pelvic nerve inhibits thoracolumbar processing of the same stimulus. Ectopic activity developed in the proximal pelvic nerve after chronic neurectomy reactivating the inhibitory circuit, inhibiting thoracolumbar neurons. Cervical cold block alleviated the inhibition in intact or chronic neurectomized rats. However, the facilitated response after acute pelvic neurectomy was inhibited by cervical cold block, exposing an underlying descending facilitation. Inhibiting pelvic nerve input after cervical cold block had minimal effect. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that input over the pelvic nerve modulates the response of thoracolumbar spinal neurons to CRD by a supraspinal loop and that increasing thoracolumbar processing increases visceral hyperalgesia.
Cold hardiness and postfreeze metabolism in caterpillars of Hypercompe scribonia (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera).

Insects evolve levels of cold hardiness that are sufficient to meet the severity of thermal conditions in their hibernacula. This study examined freeze tolerance and related features in caterpillars of Hypercompe scribonia, which is the overwintering stage for this species, to compare with existing data for more northerly distributed species in Arctiidae that also overwinter as caterpillars. All specimens were collected from western Pennsylvania during mid-October 2004 and 2006 and eventually acclimated to 3°C for ≥4 wk. All caterpillars initially survived freezing at −3°C, which converted ≈45% of their body water into ice, and one third of them developed into moths. In contrast, freezing at −10°C was invariably lethal to caterpillars, even in the short term. Body composition (hemolymph osmolality, hemolymph glycerol, body mass, and water content) of caterpillars was stable between the 2 yr, with glycerol accounting for 3–5% of their solute. Thawed caterpillars showed an initial decline in routine aerobic...
Principles and Mechanisms of Biological Evolution

The year 2010 marked the 150th anniversary of the historic publication of Darwin’s (1809–1882) “Origin of Species” in which he proposed his theory of evolution by natural selection (Darwin 1859). Evolution (to be defined below) is a controversial topic (Miller 2008; Carroll 2006) and has been attracting the interest of both scientists and lay public, ranking among the most widely discussed subjects on the Internet (see Table 14.1). For example, evolution theory has been visited by more people than Einstein’s relativity theory as of August 2009 and is comparable to the topic of Obama’s cabinet in the number of visitors.
Ernst Mach — His Life as a Teacher and Thinker

The first recent occasion for commemorating the work of Ernst Mach presented itself in 1938, the year of Mach’s hundredth birthday. At that time the difficult political situation in Central Europe made any such event unfeasible. The members of the so-called Vienna School of neo-positivism, who at their beginning had assumed the name of ‘Ernst Mach Society’, had dispersed, and in Prague, where a program of lectures on Mach had been prepared, the celebration had to be curtailed due to the unrest in the spring of 1938. The spring of 1966 offered the next opportunity for remembering Mach and his work, on the fiftieth anniversary of his death in 1916. In fact, the Ernst-Mach-Institut in Freiburg i. Br. arranged an international conference on Mach, and we here, with this symposium, will be trying to do our part in honoring Mach’s personality and his work.
Optimization of vortex pinning by nanoparticles using simulations of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model

Incorporating nanoparticles into superconducting materials has emerged as an efficient route to enhance their current-carrying capability. However, a thorough understanding of how these inclusions can be used in the most efficient way is still lacking. We address this problem of optimizing the vortex pinning landscape for randomly distributed metallic spherical inclusions using systematic large-scale numerical simulations of time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations. This approach allows us to predict the size and density of particles for which the highest critical current is realized. For a given particle size and magnetic field, the critical current reaches a maximum value at a particle density, which typically corresponds to 15%--23% of the total volume being replaced by the nonsuperconducting material. For a fixed diameter, this optimal particle density increases with the magnetic field. Moreover, we found that, as the magnetic field increased, the optimal particle diameter slowly decreases from 4.5 to 2.5 coherence lengths. This result shows that pinning landscapes have to be designed for specific applications taking into account relevant magnetic field scales.
Handwriting: Anatomy of a Collaborative Assessment/Treatment Model

Erhardt RP, Meade V. Stillwater, MN 55082, PDP Press Inc, 2005, spiralbound, 150 pp, illus, ISBN: 0-9623703-7-1, $45. The purpose of this book is to provide a well-documented case report that describes a team approach, current research, and family/client-based natural environment intervention for a client with handwriting difficulties. The authors are two highly respected clinicians, Rhoda Erhardt, an occupational therapist, and Vickie Meade, a physical therapist. The authors’ intended audience includes occupational therapists and physical therapists, health care professionals who are involved with multidisciplinary teams, and parents or other people interested in the proficiency of case management. This book reflects the thought processes that went into examination, intervention, and follow-up re-evaluation (outcomes) of a 13-year-old boy with handwriting problems. One chapter reviews the literature regarding handwriting and visual-perceptual motor function. Looking at the literature review helped me understand the authors’ approach regarding their initial question: Is the child’s handwriting the problem or the symptom? …
Understanding digital badges in higher education through assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an argument why digital badges in higher education should be used as an assessment tool and not only as a credentialing mechanism. Design/methodology/approach – This paper unpacks the use of digital badges in videogames and explains how it aligns with quality assessment practices. Several research studies are provided as examples of this alignment. Findings – Because different people have different reactions to different badges, some people will likely be best served by badges that are designed to be assessments. Originality/value – The meta-analysis in this paper helps to shift current thinking on the use of digital badges in higher education away from a framework that only considers badges as credentials. Digital badges that are designed as assessments can be educative for learners who would otherwise not benefit from its use.
SMASheD: Sniffing and Manipulating Android Sensor Data

The current Android sensor security model either allows only restrictive read access to sensitive sensors (e.g., an app can only read its own touch data) or requires special install-time permissions (e.g., to read microphone, camera or GPS). Moreover, Android does not allow write access to any of the sensors. Sensing-based security applications therefore crucially rely upon the sanity of the Android sensor security model. In this paper, we show that such a model can be effectively circumvented. Specifically, we build SMASheD, a legitimate framework under the current Android ecosystem that can be used to stealthily sniff as well as manipulate many of the Android's restricted sensors (even touch input). SMASheD exploits the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) functionality and enables a malicious app with only the INTERNET permission to read, and write to, multiple different sensor data files at will. SMASheD is the first framework, to our knowledge, that can sniff and manipulate protected sensors on unrooted Android devices, without user awareness, without constant device-PC connection and without the need to infect the PC. The primary contributions of this work are two-fold. First, we design and develop the SMASheD framework. Second, as an offensive implication of the SMASheD framework, we introduce a wide array of potentially devastating attacks. Our attacks against the touchsensor range from accurately logging the touchscreen input (TouchLogger) to injecting touch events for accessing restricted sensors and resources, installing and granting special permissions to other malicious apps, accessing user accounts, and authenticating on behalf of the user --- essentially almost doing whatever the device user can do (secretively). Our attacks against various physical sensors (motion, position and environmental) can subvert the functionality provided by numerous existing sensing-based security applications, including those used for(continuous) authentication, and authorization.
Influence of Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule on Blood Glucose and Blood Lipids in Diabetic Rats

Objective:To study the influence of Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule on blood glucose and blood lipids in the diabetic rats.Method: Sixty SPF male Wistar rats with the weight of(180 ± 20) g were given normal forage adaptively for 7 days.Ten rats were selected randomly to form normal group.With high fat forage diet of four weeks,the rest 50 rats were injected with 30 mg.kg-1 of STZ intraperitioneally to establish rat model of diabetes.The model rats were randomly divided into model control group with 10 rats,Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule group with 10 rats ig given the capsule,metformin hydrochloride group with 10 rats served metformin hydrochloride by way of ig,and Ginseng-Astragalus Hypoglycemic Granule group with 10 rats treated with Ginseng-Astragalus Hypoglycemic Granule by way of ig for 14 days.The fasting blood glucose and weight of the rats were measured before the treatments and after the treatments for two weeks.Blood sample was finally obtained from aorta of rats.Triglyceride and cholesterol were tested to evaluate the influence of Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule on blood glucose,blood lipids,and the body weight in the diabetic rats was also investigated.Result: Fourteen days later after medicine treatment,Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule could reduce blood sugar and blood lipids in the type 2 diabetic rats and control weight-reduction for rats effectively which have significant difference compared with that in the model group(P 0.05).Conclusion: Ginseng Two-ingredient Capsule can reduce blood sugar and blood lipids in type 2 diabetic rats and control weight-reduction for the rats effectively.However,its hypoglycemic effectwas inferior to that of metformin or Ginseng-Astragalus hypoglycemic Granule.
Endogenous B-ring oxysterols inhibit the hedgehog component smoothened in a manner distinct from cyclopamine or side-chain oxysterols

Cellular lipids are speculated to act as key intermediates in Hedgehog signal transduction, but their precise identity and function remain enigmatic. In an effort to identify such lipids, we pursued a Hedgehog pathway inhibitory activity that is particularly abundant in flagellar lipids of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii , resulting in the purification and identification of ergosterol endoperoxide, a B-ring oxysterol. A mammalian analog of ergosterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), accumulates in Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome, a human genetic disease that phenocopies deficient Hedgehog signaling and is caused by genetic loss of 7-DHC reductase. We found that depleting endogenous 7-DHC with methyl-β-cyclodextrin treatment enhances Hedgehog activation by a pathway agonist. Conversely, exogenous addition of 3β,5α-dihydroxycholest-7-en-6-one, a naturally occurring B-ring oxysterol derived from 7-DHC that also accumulates in Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome, blocked Hedgehog signaling by inhibiting activation of the essential transduction component Smoothened, through a mechanism distinct from Smoothened modulation by other lipids.