cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sigma-2 Receptor Agonists Activate a Novel Apoptotic Pathway and Potentiate Antineoplastic Drugs in Breast Tumor Cell Lines

We have reported previously that sigma-2 receptors are expressed in high densities in a variety of tumor cell types (B. J. Vilner et al., Cancer Res., 55: 408-413, 1995) and that various sigma ligands have cytotoxic effects (B. J. Vilner et al., J. Neurosci., 15: 117-134, 1995). Other investigators have demonstrated increased expression of sigma-2 receptors in rapidly proliferating tumors (R. H. Mach et al., Cancer Res., 57: 156-161, 1997) and the ability of some sigma ligands to inhibit proliferation (P. J. Brent and G. T. Pang, Eur. J. Pharmacol., 278: 151-160, 1995). We demonstrate here the ability of sigma-2 receptor agonists to induce cell death by a mechanism consistent with apoptosis. In breast tumor cell lines that are sensitive (MCF-7) and resistant (MCF-7/Adr-, T47D, and SKBr3) to antineoplastic agents, incubation with the sigma-2 subtype-selective agonists CB-64D and CB-184 produced dose-dependent cytotoxicity (measured by lactate dehydrogenase release into medium). The EC(50) for this response was similar across cell lines, irrespective of p53 genotype and drug-resistance phenotype. CB-64D and the subtype nonselective sigma-2 agonists haloperidol and reduced haloperidol induced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining in MCF-7 and T47D cells, indicating that cell death occurs via apoptosis. Apoptosis was also indicated by increases in Annexin V binding caused by CB-64D. In MCF-7 cells, cytotoxicity and Annexin V binding induced by the antineoplastics doxorubicin and actinomycin D was partially or completely abrogated by certain specific and general inhibitors of caspases. In contrast, caspase inhibitors had no effect on sigma-2 receptor-mediated (CB-64D and CB-184) cytotoxicity or Annexin V binding. Marked potentiation of cytotoxicity was observed when a subtoxic dose of CB-184 was combined with doxorubicin or actinomycin D, both in drug-sensitive (MCF-7) and drug-resistant (MCF-7/Adr-) cell lines. Haloperidol potentiated doxorubicin only in drug-resistant cells. These findings suggest the involvement of a novel p53- and caspase-independent apoptotic pathway used by sigma-2 receptors, which is distinct from mechanisms used by some DNA-damaging, antineoplastic agents and other apoptotic stimuli. These observations further suggest that sigma-2 receptors may be targets that can be therapeutically exploited in the treatment of both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant metastatic tumors.
Psychobiological allostasis: resistance, resilience and vulnerability

The brain and body need to adapt constantly to changing social and physical environments. A key mechanism for this adaptation is the ‘stress response’, which is necessary and not negative in and of itself. The term ‘stress’, however, is ambiguous and has acquired negative connotations. We argue that the concept of allostasis can be used instead to describe the mechanisms employed to achieve stability of homeostatic systems through active intervention (adaptive plasticity). In the context of allostasis, resilience denotes the ability of an organism to respond to stressors in the environment by means of the appropriate engagement and efficient termination of allostatic responses. In this review, we discuss the neurobiological and organismal factors that modulate resilience, such as growth factors, chaperone molecules and circadian rhythms, and highlight its consequences for cognition and behavior. Brain adaptation, resilience and vulnerability The brain and body constantly adapt. Indeed, the brain may be considered the primary organ allowing for adaptation to changing environments. The brain constantly sorts relevant from irrelevant environmental inputs and engages body systems to respond to these changes. However, it is only in the past few decades that the brain has been recognized as an adaptable and resilient organ not
Overall Detection Probability for Fluctuating and Nonfluctuating Target Models

The power selection of a search radar is best obtained in the framework of the overall detection probability concept. This concept is here applied to fluctuating target models for single- and multiple-scan detection. The approach combines the pulse train statistics over the detection interval to the mean target statistics over the search region and directly relates the overall detection probability POD to a single system parameter ?0, proportional to the transmitted power.
Memory for scripts with organized vs. randomized presentations

Memory for a word list is shown to depend upon wholist properties that emerge when it is organized in a manner congruent with semantic knowledge. Subjects recalled 84 words exemplifying eight routine activities (scripts) such as attending a lecture. In Expt I recall was far superior and more organized when the words were presented organized into scripted activities within the day than when presented in random order. In Expt 2, recognition memory for the organized list exceeded that for the randomized list. False positive recognitions were highest to script-related lures for the organized list but were highest to word-associate lures for the randomized list. Thus, the organization of words to be learned determines emergent memory structures which affect recall and recognition performances.
Genetic analysis of killer whale (Orcinus orca) historical bone and tooth samples to identify western U.S. ecotypes

Little is known about the historical range of killer whale ecotypes in the eastern North Pacific (ENP). It is possible that ranges have shifted in the last few decades because of changes in availability of food. In particular, the southern resident ecotype, currently found primarily in the inland waters of Washington State, is known to prey extensively on salmon, which have declined in recent decades along the outer coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. To investigate historical distributions of this and the other ENP ecotypes, samples of teeth and bones were obtained from NMFS and museum collections. We amplified a short section of the mitochondrial DNA control region that contains four diagnostic sites that differentiate between haplotypes found in ecotypes of ENP killer whales. Results did not show any southern resident haplotypes in samples from south of the Washington State inland waterways. One whale genetically identified as a northern resident extends the known southernmost distribution of the population from Oregon to California. Items of diet identified from stomach contents of six of the whales genetically identified to ecotype conformed with what is known of the feeding habits of the various ecotypes.
Predictability of process resource usage: a measurement-based study on UNIX

A statistical approach is developed for predicting the CPU time, the file I/O, and the memory requirements of a program at the beginning of its life, given the identity of the program. Initially, statistical clustering is used to identify high-density regions of process resource usage. The identified regions form the states for building a state-transition model to characterize the resource usage of each program in its past executions. The prediction scheme uses the knowledge of the program's resource usage in its last execution together with its state-transition model to predict the resource usage in its next execution. The prediction scheme is shown to work using process resource-usage data collected from a VAX 11/780 running 4.3 BSD Unix. The results show that the predicted values correlate strongly with the actual; the coefficient of correlation between the predicted and actual values for CPU time is 0.84. The errors in prediction are mostly small and are heavily skewed toward small values. >
Impact of fatigue on gender-based high-risk landing strategies.

MCLEAN, S. G., R. FELIN, N. SUEDEKUM, G. CALABRESE, A. PASSERALLO, and S. JOY. Impact of Fatigue on Gender-Based High-Risk Landing Strategies. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 502–514, 2007. Purpose: Noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries carry significant short- and long-term morbidity, particularly in females. To combat this epidemic, neuromuscular training has evolved aimed at modifying high-risk lower-limb biomechanics. However, injury rates and the gender disparity in these rates remain, suggesting that key components of the injury mechanism continue to be ignored. This study examined the potential contributions of neuromuscular fatigue to noncontact ACL injuries. Methods: Ten male and 10 female NCAA athletes had 3D lower-limb-joint kinematics and kinetics recorded during 10 drop jumps, both before and after fatigue. Mean subject-based initial-contact (N = 9) and peak stance-phase kinematic (N = 9) and normalized (mass height) kinetic (N = 9) parameters were quantified before and after fatigue and submitted to a three-way ANOVA to determine for the main effects of leg, gender, and fatigue. A Bonferroni corrected alpha level of 0.002 was adopted for all statistical comparisons. Results: Females landed with more initial ankle plantar flexion and peak-stance ankle supination, knee abduction, and knee internal rotation compared with men. They also had larger knee adduction, abduction, and internal rotation, and smaller ankle dorsiflexion moments. Fatigue increased initial and peak knee abduction and internal rotation motions and peak knee internal rotation, adduction, and abduction moments, with the latter being more pronounced in females. Conclusions: Fatigue-induced modifications in lower-limb control may increase the risk of noncontact ACL injury during landings. Gender dimorphic abduction loading in the presence of fatigue also may explain the increased injury risk in women. Understanding fatigue effects at both the central and peripheral levels will further afford elucidation of the ACL injury
Synergistic physical synthesis for manufacturability and variability in 45nm designs and beyond

Nanometer IC designs are increasingly challenged by manufacturing closure, i.e., being fabricated with high product yield, mainly due to aggressive technology scaling and increasing process/environmental variations. Realizing the criticality of addressing manufacturability for higher yield and tolerance to variations during design, there has been a surge of research activities recently from both academia and industry. In this paper, we will survey the key activities in synergistic physical synthesis and shed lights on some of the future research directions.
Spontaneous bursts of muscle sympathetic nerve activity decrease leg vascular conductance in resting humans

Previous studies in humans attempting to assess sympathetic vascular transduction have related large reflex-mediated increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) to associated changes in limb vascular resistance. However, such procedures do not provide insight into the ability of MSNA to dynamically control vascular tone on a beat-by-beat basis. Thus we examined the influence of spontaneous MSNA bursts on leg vascular conductance (LVC) and how variations in MSNA burst pattern (single vs. multiple bursts) and burst size may affect the magnitude of the LVC response. In 11 young men, arterial blood pressure, common femoral artery blood flow, and MSNA were continuously recorded during 20 min of supine rest. Signal averaging was used to characterize percent changes in LVC for 15 cardiac cycles following heartbeats associated with and without MSNA bursts. LVC significantly decreased following MSNA bursts, reaching a nadir during the 6th cardiac cycle (single bursts, -2.9 ± 1.1%; and multiple bursts, -11.0 ± 1.4%; both, P < 0.001). Individual MSNA burst amplitudes and the total amplitude of consecutive bursts were related to the magnitude of peak decreases in LVC. In contrast, cardiac cycles without MSNA bursts were associated with a significant increase in LVC (+3.1 ± 0.5%; P < 0.001). Total vascular conductance decreased in parallel with LVC also reaching a nadir around the peak rise in arterial blood pressure following an MSNA burst. Collectively, these data are the first to assess beat-by-beat sympathetic vascular transduction in resting humans, demonstrating robust and dynamic decreases in LVC following MSNA bursts, an effect that was absent for cardiac cycles without MSNA bursts.
Egg Size, Incubation Temperature, and Posthatching Growth in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)

Incubation temperature has profound and pervasive effects on phenotypes of developing embryos and offspring of oviparous reptiles (reviewed in Deeming and Ferguson, 1991). Perhaps the most compelling impact involves sex determination in many of these species. Indeed, this temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles has received considerable attention (reviewed in Bull, 1983; Ewert and Nelson, 1991; Janzen and Paukstis, 1991; Shine, 1999). Most adaptive explanations for the existence and persistence of TSD hypothesize that incubation temperatures benefit the sexes differentially (sensu Charnov and Bull, 1977). Incubation temperature does, in fact, influence many traits that may affect fitness and examining such traits may disclose sex-specific effects in accord with the Charnov-Bull model. A number of studies have adopted this exploratory approach, yet no general explanation for the adaptive significance of TSD in reptiles has been validated empirically (reviewed by Shine, 1999). One promising hypothesis suggests that the evolutionary persistence of TSD in reptiles could be explained by a covariance between egg size, nest thermal environment, and sexual size dimorphism (Roosenburg, 1996; Roosenburg and Niewiarowski, 1998). That is, a key trait (i.e., egg size) might have sex-specific (i.e., incubation temperature-specific) effects on fitness by influencing posthatching growth rates and ages of maturity. Specifically, (1) egg size must be correlated with eventual size of an individual; (2) incubation temperature must influence posthatching growth rates; (3) any covariance between egg size and temperature affecting growth must be sex-specific; (4) nesting females should be able to discriminate among among environmental cues related to nest temperature; and (5) these females should use such environmental cues to manipulate offspring sex ratio according to their egg sizes. The only attempt to evaluate this hypothesis produced considerable support. In diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin), a turtle with TSD and largefemale sexual size dimorphism in adulthood, egg size influenced posthatching growth rates and ages of maturity for females but not for males (Roosenburg and Kelley, 1996). Fieldwork showed subsequently that nesting terrapins generally laid larger eggs in warmer, female-producing microhabitats and smaller eggs in cooler, male-producing microhabitats (Roosenburg, 1996). Our study is a first attempt at testing the generality
An event-driven ultra-low-current battery management system with reconfigurable linear regulator for multi-cell battery applications

This paper presents a battery management system for multi-cell Lithium-Ion battery applications. The sub-microampere sleep current and an event-driven wakeup mechanism of the proposed system are developed to improve the battery lifetime. Also presented is a reconfigurable linear regulator, in which an adaptive frequency compensation scheme ensures the stability and maintains low no-load quiescent current of the regulator with and without an external power transistor. Implemented in a 40-V, 0.25-µm BiCMOS process, the battery management system consumes 0.8 µA in the sleep mode, achieving considerable improvement over the state-of-the-art counterparts. The proposed linear regulator can take an input from 4.2 V to 36 V and deliver a maximum 50-mA load under the external power transistor mode with only 3.9-µA no-load quiescent current.
Regulation of Nitrogenase Gene Expression by Transcript Stability in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis

The nitrogenase gene cluster in cyanobacteria has been thought to comprise multiple operons; however, in Anabaena variabilis, the promoter for the first gene in the cluster, nifB1, appeared to be the primary promoter for the entire nif cluster. The structural genes nifHDK1 were the most abundant transcripts; however, their abundance was not controlled by an independent nifH1 promoter, but rather, by RNA processing, which produced a very stable nifH1 transcript and a moderately stable nifD1 transcript. There was also no separate promoter for nifEN1. In addition to the nifB1 promoter, there were weak promoters inside the nifU1 gene and inside the nifE1 gene, and both promoters were heterocyst specific. In an xisA mutant, which effectively separated promoters upstream of an 11-kb excision element in nifD1 from the downstream genes, the internal nifE1 promoter was functional. Transcription of the nif1 genes downstream of the 11-kb element, including the most distant genes, hesAB1 and fdxH1, was reduced in the xisA mutant, indicating that the nifB1 promoter contributed to their expression. However, with the exception of nifK1 and nifE1, which had no expression, the downstream genes showed low to moderate levels of transcription in the xisA mutant. The hesA1 gene also had a promoter, but the fdxH gene had a processing site just upstream of the gene. The processing of transcripts at sites upstream of nifH1 and fdxH1 correlated with increased stability of these transcripts, resulting in greater amounts than transcripts that were not close to processing sites.
Neuromodulation and the role of electrodiagnostic techniques

Electrodiagnostic techniques have been utilized in surgery since the early 1960s. These techniques have been primarily used in neurosurgery; however, with the introduction of neuromodulation for voiding dysfunction, these techniques have now found their way into the field of female pelvic medicine. This article will review techniques applicable to evaluate pelvic floor function as it relates to neuromodulation. It will also review the literature describing how these techniques are used to help determine appropriate candidates as well as improve surgical outcomes. A PubMed search was conducted using the terms neuromodulation, Interstim, electrodiagnosis, electrodiagnostic techniques, electromyography with limits to the pelvic floor, and voiding dysfunction. Eight articles and three abstracts were found that directly related to the use of electrodiagnostic techniques as they apply to neuromodulation. Electrodiagnostic techniques may play a role in helping predict appropriate candidates for neuromodulation as well as improve surgical outcomes.
An overview of the SeaWiFS Project

It is apparent to the oceanographic community that due to the dynamic nature of the world's oceans and climate and the importance of the ocean's role in global change, a follow-on sensor to the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) should be flown [Ocean Color Science Working Group, 1982; Joint EOSAT/NASA SeaWiFS Working Group, 1987]. Acquisition of ocean-color data from space in the early 1990s is a high-priority goal that has been recognized in National Academy of Sciences reports. NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) have designated the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) Project to develop and operate an ocean-color research data system.
Sparse Approximation and the Pursuit of Meaningful Signal Models With Interference Adaptation

In the pursuit of a sparse signal model, mismatches between the signal and the dictionary, as well as atoms poorly selected by the decomposition process, can diminish the efficiency and meaningfulness of the resulting representation. These problems increase the number of atoms needed to model a signal for a given error, and they obscure the relationships between signal content and the elements of the model. To increase the efficiency and meaningfulness of a signal model built by an iterative descent pursuit, such as matching pursuit (MP), we propose integrating into its atom selection criterion a measure of interference between an atom and the model. We define interference and illustrate how it describes the contribution of an atom to modeling a signal. We show that for any nontrivial signal, the convergent model created by MP must have as much destructive as constructive interference, i.e., MP cannot avoid correction in the signal model. This is not necessarily a shortcoming of orthogonal variants of MP, such as orthogonal MP (OMP). We derive interference-adaptive iterative descent pursuits and show how these can build signal models that better fit the signal locally, and reduce the corrections made in a signal model. Compared with MP and its orthogonal variants, our experimental results not only show an increase in model efficiency, but also a clearer correspondence between the signal and the atoms of a representation.
Mapping bedrock beneath glacial till using CDP seismic reflection methods

This paper is a case history demonstrating the applicability of the common depth point (CDP) seismic reflection method to image bedrock beneath glacial till in northwestern Iowa. Reflections from the base of the 40-m thick glacial till are clearly observable on field files at around 45 to 50 ms two-way traveltime and possess a dominant frequency of around 100 Hz. The bedrock reflection is confirmed by drill data. The seismic data are of sufficient quality to detect local bedrock topographic changes and to interpret discontinuities along the till-bedrock interface. Finite-difference synthetic seismograms substantiate the interpreted reflections and the diffraction signatures from faults observed on the field files. At some locations along the seismic line, intra-till reflections are apparent on the field files. These Intra-till features are on the order of tens of meters in length along the line traverse and reflections from them are not enhanced by common depth point processing. Intra-till reflections could be indicative of gravels or other alluvial materials that may serve as local aquifers.
The Consolation of Poetry

Who was/is the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning? The intention of this performance art piece is well put by its creator: “The becoming her is as much her as the being her. And all that is her is not only her but me, and you. She may not be the her alive from 1806 till 1861. That her is dead—and the form we have given her in our culture is a worse death. It is hoped this becoming will replace that death we have given her.” The Castillo Theatre, aka the Castillo Cultural Center, is a controversial presence in New York. Dubbed by some as a cult, the Center and its wide-ranging activities are for others community-building, socially constructive, and avantgarde. Castillo is very much the creature of its founder and leader, psychotherapist/playwright/social philosopher Fred Newman. The articles and interview in this section include an overall assessment of Castillo, a detailed discussion of Newman's production of Heiner Mu¨ller's Germania 3 Ghosts at Deadman, and a “directors dialogue” between Newman and Robert ...
Dynamic Organ Culture is Superior to Multiwell Plate Culture for Maintaining Precision-Cut Tissue Slices: Optimization of Tissue Slice Culture, Part 1

The increase in the use of precision-cut tissue slices for metabolism and toxicity studies has resulted in the development of various incubation systems and techniques for culturing the slices. This has led to inconsistencies in data obtained from different laboratories. For data to be comparable from one laboratory to another, reliable and consistent incubation systems must be used that will give the researcher the most optimal tissue slice viabilities. This study compares and contrasts the dynamic organ culture system (surface culture) and the multiwell plate culture system (submersion culture). Rat liver slices were produced using the Brendel/Vitron tissue slicer under oxygenated and ice-cold V-7 preservation solution. The slices (200 μm thick) were incubated in Waymouth's medium + 10% fetal calf serum (1.7 mL) containing either sodium bicarbonate or Hepes and gassed with either 95%/5% O2/CO2 or 95%/5% air/CO2. Slice viability was assessed at 6, 24, 48, and 72 h using ATP content, K+ retention, protein...
Dynamic Data-driven Application System (DDDAS) for Video Surveillance User Support

Human-machine interaction mixed initiatives require a pragmatic coordination between different systems. Context understanding is established from the content, analysis, and guidance from query-based coordination between users and machines. Inspired by Level 5 Information Fusion user refinement, a live-video computing (LVC) structure is presented for user-based query access of a data-base management of information. Information access includes multimedia fusion of query-based text, images, and exploited tracks which can be utilized for context assessment, content-based information retrieval (CBIR), and situation awareness. In this paper, we explore new developments in dynamic data-driven application systems (DDDAS) of context analysis for user support. Using a common image processing data set, a system-level time savings is demonstrated using a query-based approach in a context, control, and semantic-aware information fusion design.
The Electrophoretic Elution of Proteins from Polyacrylamide Gels

The analytical power of acrylamide gel electrophoresis is one of the keys of modern protein chemistry. It is not surprising, therefore, that many methods have been described for converting that analytical power into a preparative tool. None of the available methods is entirely satisfactory for general use since loss of resolution or low recovery is often involved. The method described here has given both high resolution and good recovery but suffers from the disadvantage of being relatively laborious (1,2). In addition, although the recovered proteins are good for peptide analysis or amino acid composition determination, we have found very low yields on Edman degradation of proteins eluted from gels (3).
A Precipitation Test for Syphilis

Since the publication of the original Wassermann reaction an enormous amount of work has been done to develop a more reliable serological test for syphilis. Attention has been paid to the perfection of the various reagents, particularly the antigens. Kolmer's method represents the latest effort of this kind. Shortly after the publication of the Wassermann reaction, attempts were made to supplant it by a precipitation test (for a review of the earlier precipitation methods, see Kolmer1). All precipitation procedures are based on the fact that the globulins in a syphilitic serum precipitate more easily than those in a normal serum. The lipoids which are obtained from animal tissues are mild precipitants and appear especially suited for this purpose. Alcoholic extracts are commonly used. Many precipitation methods are disadvantageous, because the incubation period is too long and the lipoids are too much diluted. Kahn 2 uses a concentrated emulsion of lipoids, resulting in an almost immediate flocculation. The author has attempted to develop a precipitation test by applying Kahn's principle of concentration to a more simple and accurate procedure.
Limits on the neutrino oscillations ν ¯ μ → ν ¯ e and ν ¯ μ → ν ¯ τ using a narrow-band beam

In an exposure of the Fermilab 15-ft bubble chamber to the dichromatic antineutrino beam, 427 ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ charged-current interactions were obtained. Taking advantage of the small and well understood background flux of ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}'\mathrm{s}$ in the dichromatic ${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ beam, upper limits on the rates of antineutrino oscillations are obtained, with the precision limited by statistical rather than systematic errors, in contrast to previous experiments. The 90%-C.L. upper limits obtained for the average oscillation probabilities indicated are $P({\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e})l6.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ and $P({\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}})l4.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. The mean value of the distance from the neutrino-production point to the bubble chamber divided by the neutrino energy, $〈\frac{l}{E}〉$, is 0.03 m/MeV.
Growth and Structure of Fractally Rough Silica Colloids

Small-angle x-ray scattering measurements on partially hydrolyzed silicon tetraethoxide solutions indicate the formation of colloidal particles which have fractal structures or fractally rough surfaces. The structures and growth kinetics are consistent with chemically limited nucleation and growth of the particles from slowly generated reactive silanol species. Two dimensional computer simulations of nucleation and random growth of clusters from partially hydrolyzed monomers generate the same range of non-fractal, fractally rough and fractal clusters observed in the experiment.
Functional vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) proton pumps traffic to the enterocyte brush border membrane and require CFTR.

Vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are highly conserved proton pumps that regulate organelle pH. Epithelial luminal pH is also regulated by cAMP-dependent traffic of specific subunits of the V-ATPase com...
An Improved Four-Site Ionic Liquid Model

Computer simulations provide insight into the molecular-level details responsible for the unique properties of ionic liquids. Due to the sluggish dynamics and nanostructured nature of many ionic liquids, coarse-grained models are an important complement to fully atomistic simulations because they enable simulation of much larger system sizes and much longer times, which are often of interest. This paper reports a four-site, coarse-grained model for studying ionic liquids and their solutions. It is intended to be a generic model representative of common ionic liquids currently in use, but it is parametrized to fit the properties of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [Im41][PF6]. The present model is a variant of one introduced in J. Phys. Chem. B 114, 8410 (2010). Reduction of ion charges to ±0.78e and fine-tuning Lennard-Jones parameters from the original model leads to a remarkable improvement in the realism of the model and surprisingly good agreement between simulation and experiment for ...
Tomographic corneal profile analysis of central toxic keratopathy after LASIK

PURPOSE To describe a case of bilateral central toxic keratopathy (CTK) in a post-laser in situ keratomileusis-treated patient using tomographic methods for more than a 1-year follow-up. METHODS Case report and literature review. RESULTS Tomographic analysis of a patient with bilateral CTK revealed flattening of the anterior cornea curvature and thinning at the level of anterior stromal bed, with minimal changes of the posterior curvature. A thin central flap was also noted on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Over the course of a year, the patient's hyperopic shift resolved with steepening of the anterior curvature and concomitant thickening of the flap and stromal bed. CONCLUSIONS Using Scheimpflug imaging and Visante OCT, we demonstrated that the hyperopia that accompanies CTK is related to anterior corneal curvature changes. We also found that the majority of corneal tissue loss occurs at the anterior stromal bed mainly in the first postoperative week and is followed by a regeneration of tissue. A thin central flap was noted, and it is not clear whether this was created intraoperatively or resulted from the presence of CTK, requiring further study.
Flushing Technique and Sequential-Count Plan for Green Cloverworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Moths in Soybean

A moth flushing technique was devised to sample green c1overworm adults in soybean. The technique requires a surveyor and a recorder-observer who flush moths with two aluminum rods and record data, respectively. A fixed-count sampling plan using the technique was conducted throughout the growing seasons of 1977 to 1980 near Ames, Iowa. The sampling plan was found useful for making moth estimates and was moderately precise for population studies. Estimates from the flushing program were authenticated by: (1) confirming moth identifications, (2) searching alternate habitats, (3) reflushing areas previously sampled, and (4) comparing with emergence-trap and blacklight-trap estimates. Analysis of moth dispersion showed slight but significant aggregation, with the individual being the basic unit of aggregation. A sequential-count plan was developed for 10, 15, 20, and 25% precision levels. The utility of the sequential-count plan was evaluated during 1981.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AND THE OBESITY PARADOX: A PILOT STUDY TO EVALUATE THE ROLE OF MYOCARDIAL SCAR

Studies show that overweight and mildly obese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have a better prognosis when compared to their normal weight counterparts, a phenomenon known as the obesity paradox. We investigated the possibility that this paradox might be explained by the amount of scar
PtRu nanofilm formation by electrochemical atomic layer deposition (E-ALD).

The high CO tolerance of PtRu electrocatalysis, compared with pure Pt and other Pt-based alloys, makes it interesting as an anode material in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and direct ...
Assessing Consumer Awareness About Mercury in Fish

The study discussed in this article was conducted to determine if a retail-based educational campaign would be an effective tool to inform consumers about mercury in fish. In 2005, the Rhode Island (RI) Department of Health, in conjunction with the RI Food Dealers Association, conducted surveys in eight supermarkets to assess consumers' knowledge and awareness of mercury in fish. A presurvey was administered to 523 respondents as they prepared to exit the store June 17-19. During the week of July 11-17, a "Fish Week" educational program was conducted. An identical postsurvey to evaluate the effectiveness of "Fish Week" was administered to 556 customers exiting participating supermarkets on July 21-24. A significant (p < .05) increase occurred in the number of respondents who identified brochures as an information source about mercury in fish. Small, but significant, decreases in awareness and knowledge about mercury in fish issues, however, were unexpected findings that were likely due to factors discussed.
Protein Cross-Linking Capillary Electrophoresis for Protein-Protein Interaction Analysis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been identified as a useful platform for detecting, quantifying, and screening for modulators of protein–protein interactions (PPIs). In this method, one protein binding partner is labeled with a fluorophore, the protein binding partners are mixed, and then, the complex is separated from free protein to allow direct determination of bound to free ratios. Although it possesses many advantages for PPI studies, the method is limited by the need to have separation conditions that both prevent protein adsorption to capillary and maintain protein interactions during the separation. In this work, we use protein cross-linking capillary electrophoresis (PXCE) to overcome this limitation. In PXCE, the proteins are cross-linked under binding conditions and then separated. This approach eliminates the need to maintain noncovalent interactions during electrophoresis and facilitates method development. We report PXCE methods for an antibody–antigen interaction and heterodimer and homo...
Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of PTEN Loss in African-American and European-American Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract African-American (AA) men have a higher risk of lethal prostate cancer (PCa) compared to European-American (EA) men. However, the molecular basis of this difference, if any, remains unclear. In EA PCa, PTEN loss, but not ERG rearrangement, has been associated with poor outcomes in most studies. Although ERG rearrangement is less common in AA compared to EA PCa, the relative frequency of PTEN loss and the association of PTEN/ERG molecular subtypes with outcomes is unknown for AA PCa. We examined PTEN/ERG status by immunohistochemistry in self-identified AA patients undergoing radical prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins with tumor tissue available on tissue microarray (TMA; n =169) and matched these cases by pathologic parameters to 169 EA patients from the same TMAs. The rate of PTEN loss was significantly lower in AA compared to EA PCa (18% vs 34%; p =0.001), similar to the lower rate of ERG expression (25% vs 51%; p 4 + 3=7. Among the total population of AA men with outcome data from all TMAs ( n =222), PTEN loss was associated with higher risk of biochemical recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 2.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–3.82) and metastasis (HR 3.90, 95% CI 1.46–10.4) in multivariable models. Patient summary PTEN and ERG alterations in prostate cancer are less likely in African-American than in European-American men. However, PTEN loss remains associated with poor prostate cancer outcomes among African-American men.
Compromesso astorico: The role of the Senate after the Italian constitutional reform

The article examines the content of the constitutional amendments with respect to the Senate. While symmetric bicameralism would be abolished with respect to policymaking, it would be preserved and even exacerbated with respect to constitutional revisions. The consequences of the first would be a reduction of the number of institutional veto players, which would lead to the facilitation of policy change, and an increase in the power of the government (who is the agenda setter). The content of the new policies remains unknown, as are the economic consequences of the proposed changes. Constitutional revisions would become more difficult, because the ideological distance between the Chamber of Deputies and Senate would be likely to increase (because of the mode of selection of Senators), while article 138, which specifies the requirements for amendment to the constitution, would remain the same. As a result, the role of the Italian Constitutional Court would also likely increase.
Subpial Resection for Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

Speech and language outcome of 14 children treated for Landau-Kleffner syndrome by multiple subpial transection was evaluated at Rush-Prebyterian-St Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago.
Effect of Sample Introduction and Atmospheric Blank on Determination of Nitrogen (Crude Protein) by Combustion

To reduce analysis time, reagent use, and chemical waste, existing Kjeldahl methods for crude protein were converted to combustion methods. When validating the combustion method for various samples, a high bias for the combustion method compared with the Kjeldahl method was apparent for high-fiber samples. The bias was sample dependent, varying from 0.15 to 1.38% crude protein for hay and corn silage samples. The bias was repeatable among 3 laboratories using identical instruments. Studies showed the bias was related to uncorrected atmospheric blanks. Various means to correct for the blank were studied, including pelleting of sample under high pressures to remove atmospheric nitrogen. Pelleting samples at a pressure of >1000 Ibs provides combustion crude protein values consistent with Kjeldahl values.
Criteria for good Hilbert problems or other potentially fruitful research directions

This issue on Hilbert problems for the scientific study of religion includes a wonderful diversity of views and insights that I, for one, found to be meaty food for thought. Prior to reading the cu...
Cardiac MRI Examination: An Overview

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect occurring in 4.8/1,000 births (Ferencz et al. (1993) Epidemiology of congenital heart disease: the Baltimore Washington Infant Study 1981–1989. Futura Publishing, Mount Kisco). Previously, many patients with complex congenital heart disease did not survive to adulthood, confining the field of congenital heart disease to pediatric specialists. With improved medical, diagnostic, and interventional techniques, many patients with congenital heart disease are surviving to adulthood (Marelli et al., Circulation 115:163–172, 2007; Williams et al., J Am Coll Cardiol 47:701–707, 2006). This has created a need for adult providers who are familiar with congenital heart disease and therapies. The increase in the number of congenital heart disease patients has also highlighted a need for further investigation and research with a goal of improved mortality and quality of life.
GQFast: Fast Graph Exploration with Context-Aware Autocompletion

There is an increasing demand to explore similar entities in big graphs. For example, in domains like biomedical science, identifying similar entities may contribute to developing new drugs or discovering new diseases. In this paper, we demonstrate a graph exploration system, called GQFast, which provides a graphical interface to help users efficiently explore similar entities. Methodologically, GQFast first builds efficient indices combining column database optimizations and compression techniques, then it explores similar entities by using the indices. GQFast operates on the real-world Pubmed dataset consisting of over 23 million biomedical entities and 1.3 billion relationships. Relying on GQFast's high performance, GQFast provides (i) type-ahead-search to instantly visualize search results while a user is typing a query, and (ii) context-aware query completion to guide users typing queries.
Beyond Original Meaning: The Task of Interpretation

I discuss Scalia and education under three rubrics: first, what his opinions in cases relevant to education tell us about his views of democratic self-government, educational choice, and religion; second, what his opinions in these cases teach us about his view of constitutional interpretation; and third, what his understanding of constitutional interpretation teaches us about the task of interpretation itself. My overall point is that Scalia’s education opinions are consistent with his “originalism,” and that originalism is a sensible but ultimately limited mode of constitutional interpretation.
Abstract 168: Differences in Description of Patent Foramen Ovale Influence Choice of Treatment

Background: Clinical trials of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for stroke prevention have produced controversial results. We investigated differences in presenting the net benefits of PFO closure or description of the PFO in a randomized vignette-based internet survey. Methods: Adults aged 18 to 60 inclusive were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants read a vignette asking them to imagine that they had a minor stroke. The vignettes included three randomized factors in a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial design: a) benefit of PFO closure (no proven benefit versus ~3% absolute risk reduction, analogous to difference in individual trials versus subsequent meta-analysis); b) normalization intervention (PFO described as very common and benign for most individuals versus no such description); and c) labeling of the PFO (?PFO? versus ?hole in the heart? versus ?difference in heart structure?). Participants were then asked their choice of treatment (PFO closure or aspirin). Secondary outcomes included self-perceived stroke risk and level of anxiety about the PFO diagnosis. Regression analysis was used to assess predictors of treatment choice (logistic) and secondary outcomes (linear). Results: 2157 participants completed the survey (54.6% female, 76.2% non-Hispanic white, median age 32 with IQR 27 – 41). Participants shown data suggesting 3% absolute risk reduction for PFO closure were more likely to choose PFO closure (30.9% vs. 7.5%, p Conclusion: Differences in how information is presented can influence choice of treatment, perceived stroke risk, and level of anxiety surrounding PFO-associated stroke. Future work should address the impact of information presentation on potential variability in use of PFO closure and patient psychological outcomes.
All Kings in the Kingdom of Ends

Kant’s “kingdom of ends” formulation uses a political model to illuminate some moral ideals. Kant scholars have mostly failed to explore what we might think of as the politics of the kingdom of ends, and how far it reflects Kant’s own political ideas — his Rousseauian and republican ideas. My paper will look at the kingdom of ends through the eyes of a political philosopher. Among other things, the paper will consider Kant’s view that a king — if there is one — ought to rule in a republican spirit. And it will reject the interpretation that sovereignty in the kingdom of ends is reserved for God: the whole point of the model is that people should think of themselves as sharing in sovereignty. There is also a question about the relation between the kingdom of ends and Kant’s observations on dignity in the Groundwork. Is dignity a concept within the model — the dignity of a law-maker — or is it something with real application in moral life, which the kingdom-of-ends model helps illuminate? I shall argue that it is both of these.
Unintended consequences of cap-and-trade? Evidence from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Abstract Cap-and-trade programs are designed to minimize the overall cost of pollution control by effectively allowing firms with low abatement costs to reduce emissions on behalf of those with higher abatement costs. However, these trades redistribute where emissions are generated, which has important implications for welfare because many pollutants have differential environmental and health impacts depending on where they are emitted. This paper compiles and analyzes a national data set of power plant emissions in order to assess how the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon dioxide (CO2) cap-and-trade program involving nine states in the United States, impacts the emissions and damages from copollutants. Our results suggest that, in addition to achieving its goal of reducing CO2, the program has lowered the quantity of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions as well as associated damages in the policy region. However, two factors diminish the overall benefits from the program. First, within the RGGI region, trading shifts electricity generation to locations with higher marginal damages for SO2. Second, there is leakage of electricity generation and emissions to nearby states, although this latter effect is more modest than ex ante analyses predicted.
Permutation Test of Regression Coefficients in Social Network Data Analysis

In social and behavioral sciences, researchers are interested in the relationships between individuals’ attributes and the formation of social relations within a social network. Logistic modeling is a popular approach to address those research interests (Wasserman and Pattison (1996) Psychometrika 61:401–425. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02294547). However, the nature of network data (e.g., small size, non-normality, and dependence) violates the assumptions of logistic regression, which can lead to an unreliable inference. To remedy the consequences of these violations with a normal-based hypothesis test, we present the permutation test procedure within the social network framework. The permutation test, on the significance of a regression parameter, can improve the accuracy of the hypothesis decision. In this study, we conducted a simulation to compare the performance of the permutation test and the asymptotic likelihood ratio test under various conditions. The simulation results confirm the advantages of the permutation test as expected.