cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The therapeutic potential of targeting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer.

Introduction: The process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has long been advocated as a process during tumor progression and the acquisition of metastatic potential of human cancers. EMT has also been linked with resistance to cancer therapies.Areas covered: Basic research has provided evidence connecting EMT to increased invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of cancer cells. A number of signaling pathways such as notch, wnt, hedgehog and PI3K-AKT, and various other individual factors therein, have been intricately connected to the onset of EMT. Here, we provide latest updates on the evidences that further highlight an association between various signaling pathways and EMT, with a focus on therapeutic targets that may have the potential to reverse EMT.Expert opinion: Our understanding of EMT and its underlying causes is rapidly evolving and a number of putative targets have been identified. It is crucial, now than ever before, to design novel translational and clinical studies for the benefit...
Structural Ensemble and Dynamics of Toroidal-like DNA Shapes in Bacteriophage ϕ29 Exit Cavity

In the bacteriophage ϕ29, DNA is packed into a preassembled capsid from which it ejects under high pressure. A recent cryo-EM reconstruction of ϕ29 revealed a compact toroidal DNA structure (30–40 basepairs) lodged within the exit cavity formed by the connector-lower collar protein complex. Using multiscale models, we compute a detailed structural ensemble of intriguing DNA toroids of various lengths, all highly compatible with experimental observations. In particular, coarse-grained (elastic rod) and atomistic (molecular dynamics) models predict the formation of DNA toroids under significant compression, a largely unexplored state of DNA. Model predictions confirm that a biologically attainable compressive force of 25 pN sustains the toroid and yields DNA electron density maps highly consistent with the experimental reconstruction. The subsequent simulation of dynamic toroid ejection reveals large reactions on the connector that may signal genome release.
Coding and Non-Coding Polymorphisms in Alcohol Dehydrogenase Alters Protein Expression and Alcohol-Associated Erythema

Ethanol (EtOH), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and propylene glycol (PG) increase topical drug delivery, but are sometimes associated with erythema. A potential genetic basis for alcohol-associated erythema was investigated as the function of polymorphisms in coding and non-coding regions of class IB alcohol dehydrogenase (ADHIB) and evaluated for altered gene expression in vitro and metabolic activity in vivo via altered skin blood flow (Doppler velocimeter) and erythema (reflectance colorimeter a*) following topical challenge to 5 M EtOH, IPA, PG, and butanol (ButOH). Promoter polymorphisms G-887A and C-739T and exon G143A form eight ADHIB haplotypes with different frequencies in Caucasians vs Asians and exhibit variable gene expression and metabolic activity. Polymorphisms C-739T and G-887A independently alter gene expression, which is further increased by IPA and PG, but not EtOH or ButOH. EtOH and ButOH increase erythema as a function of skin blood flow. IPA increases skin blood flow without erythema and PG increased erythema with decreased skin blood flow, all as a function of ADHIB haplotype. PG-induced erythema was uniquely associated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression. Thus, erythema following alcohol exposure is alcohol type specific, has a pharmacogenetic basis related to ADHIB haplotype and can be functionally evaluated via Doppler velocimetry and reflectance colorimetry in vivo.
Hemodynamic effects of increased abdominal pressure

Abstract The effect of increased abdominal pressure on cardiac output was analyzed by constructing cardiac function and venous return curves in anesthesized, ventilated dogs. Increasing abdominal pressure to 40 mm Hg by infusing fluid into the abdomen decreased cardiac output by 53% in hypervolemic dogs and by 17% in normovolemic dogs, but increased cardiac output by 50% in hypervolemic dogs. Left ventricular cardiac function curves were shifted downward with increased abdominal pressure, due, at least in part, to increased total peripheral resistance. Venous return curves were constricted by using a right heart bypass. Venous resistance rose from 8 to 17 mm Hg/liter/min with increase at high right atrial pressures. The effect of increased abdominal pressure on cardiac output results from the combined effects of changes in cardiac function and venous return, the direction and magnitude of which depend on intravascular volume and the level of abdominal pressure.
Correction to “Maternal neural responses to infant cries and faces: relationships with substance use”

The article “Maternal neural responses to infant cries and faces: relationships with substance use” by Landi et al. (2011), 2, 1–13 contains an error. Specifically Figures ​Figures11 and ​and2,2, were partially swapped, with Figure ​Figure11 displaying images in response to cries, and Figure ​Figure22 displaying responses to faces. Both figures are presented correctly here, with the appropriate captions. All of the text and the tables in the manuscript are correct, this was the only error. We regret this mistake. Figure 1 (A–C) Contrast of non-using > substance-using mothers for happy, sad, and neutral faces, respectively. Images are shown in neurological convention, with the left hemisphere on the left faces, respectively. Images are shown in neurological ... Figure 2 (A–B) Contrast of non-using > substance-using for low-distress and high-distress cries respectively. Slices are at MNI z-coordinate locations −16, +2, +20, +38, and +56 mm.
A DIETHER ANALOG OF PHOSPHATIDYL GLYCEROPHOSPHATE IN HALOBACTERIUM CUTIRUBRUM

Abstract 1. 1. The major phosphatide in the extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium cutirubrum , has been isolated by a combination of solvent fractionation, precipitation through the barium salt, and final purification as the sodium salt. 2. 2. Analytical and degradative data showed the phosphatide to be a phosphatidyl glycerophosphate with two long-chain ether groups instead of fatty acid ester groups. 3. 3. Both long-chain groups were found to be identical and were shown by comparison of infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectra with those of dihydrophytyl derivatives to have the structure 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecyl. The two long-chain groups are joined by ether linkages to the α, β-positions of l -glycerol. 4. 4. The structure proposed for the major phosphatide in H. cutirubrum is therefore :2,3- di -0-[3′,7′,11′,15′-tetramethylhexadecyl]-glyceryl-1-phosphoryl-[1Prime;(3Prime;)-glyceryl-3Prime;(1Prime;)-phosphate], in the notation of Hirschmann. 5. 5. Possible biochemical and physiological functions of this unusual phosphatide in the halophile cell are discussed.
The constancy of the types of α1-acid glycoprotein variants in patients with uterectomy and irradiation☆

Abstract α 1 -Acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) was isolated in homogeneous state from blood of patients with cancer of the uterus taken before and after complete uterectomy and subsequent irradiation. The blood concentration of this glycoprotein was generally found to be increased above the normal level and was, in each case, further augmented following surgical trauma and irradiation. Yet in all cases studied, α 1 -acid glycoprotein revealed properties (chemical composition of the carbohydrate moiety, electrostatic net charge and immunochemical determinants) that are identical with those of normal α 1 -acid glycoprotein. The type of the α 1 -acid glycoprotein variants was determined by starch gel electrophoresis at pH 5.0 on the desialized glycoprotein. Constancy of the type of these variants was observed in each patient in spite of the considerable increase and variation in blood level of this glycoprotein. These observations were interpreted to be consistent with the concept of genetically controlled transmission of the α 1 -acid glycoprotein variants.
Primer on genes encoding enzymes in sialic acid metabolism in mammals

Sialic acid, a nine-carbon sugar acid usually is present in the non-reducing terminal position of free oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Sialylated conjugates in mammals perform important roles in cellular recognition, signaling, host–pathogen interaction and neuronal development. Metabolism of sialylated conjugates involves a complex pathway consisting of enzymes distributed among the different compartments in the cell. These enzymes are encoded by 32 genes diversely distributed throughout the mammalian genome. Genetic variants in some of these genes are associated with embryonic lethality and abnormal phenotypes in mice and neuromuscular diseases, carcinomas and immune-mediated diseases in humans. In humans, the CMP-NeuAc-hydroxylase (CMAH) enzyme is inactivated due to a deletion mutation in the encoded enzyme. This lack of Neu5Gc phenotype makes humans unique among mammals. This review focuses on genes encoding enzymes in sialic acid metabolism pathways in mammalian cells with special emphasis on the human, mouse and cow.
Determination of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) extractable from the surface of commercial cookware under simulated cooking conditions by LC/MS/MS.

Salts of pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are polymerization aids used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers; one of the applications of fluoropolymers is the coating of metal cookware products. A method was developed to determine if PFOA might be present in and extracted from the surface of commercial frying pans coated with a DuPont fluoropolymer under simulated cooking conditions. Commercial grade cookware was obtained, then extracted with water and ethanol/water mixtures at 100 and 125 °C, and the resulting extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Detection and quantification limits as low as 100 pg cm−2 were demonstrated. None of the fluoropolymer treated cookware samples analyzed showed detectable levels of PFOA when extracted under simulated cooking conditions.
Low-dose colestipol plus probucol for hypercholesterolemia

Abstract The hypocholesterolemic and adverse effects of colestipol, 20 g/day, and colestipol, 10 g/day combined with probucol, 1 g/day, were compared. A double-placebo, diet-controlled, crossover trial that lasted 19 months was undertaken on 22 hypercholesterolemic patients who had low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels >180 mg/dl after 3 months of diet and placebo treatment. Uniformity of diet and physical activity were monitored throughout the study. Compared with baseline values after 3 months on diet-placebo treatment, “combined” therapy reduced LDL cholesterol by more than 20% in 15 patients, more than 25 % in 9 patients and more than 45 % in 2 patients. Treatment with “half-dose” colestipol and probucol resulted in the greatest mean LDL cholesterol reduction, from 239 mg/dl during diet-placebo period to 170 mg/dl; the difference was not statistically significantly different from the reduction to 180 mg/dl with 20 g of colestipol alone. Fifteen patients showed the greatest reduction in LDL cholesterol after combined therapy. Probucol produced statistically significant reductions in very low density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The major gastrointestinal side effects of single therapy with colestipol (constipation) and probucol (diarrhea) were ameliorated or abolished by concomitant administration. Probucol-colestipol co-administration allowed a 50% reduction in the colestipol dosage, with similar efficacy and improved tolerability and reduced mean serum LDL cholesterol with a frequency and magnitude rarely seen with other hypocholesterolemic treatments. Hypercholesterolemic persons who cannot tolerate full doses of resins may receive equal benefit by half the dose if probucol is added to the regimen.
Effects of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor (HDACi); Trichostatin-A (TSA) on the expression of housekeeping genes

Abstract In quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), analysis of gene expression is dependent on normalization using housekeeping genes such as 18S rRNA, GAPDH and β actin. However, variability in their expression has been reported to be caused by factors like drug treatment, pathological states and cell-cycle phase. An emerging area of cancer research focuses on identifying the role of epigenetic alterations such as histone modifications and DNA methylation in the initiation and progression of cancer. Histone acetylation is the best studied modification so far and has been probed through the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). Further, modulation of histone acetylation is currently being explored as a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of cancer and HDACis have shown promise in inhibiting tumorigenesis and metastasis. Trichostatin-A (TSA) is the most widely used HDACi. Therefore, we were driven to identify a suitable internal control for RT-PCR following TSA treatment. We performed quantitative RT-PCR analysis using mouse prostate tissue explants, human prostate cancer (LNCaP) cells and human breast cancer (T-47D and ZR-75-1) cells following TSA treatment. Expression of housekeeping genes including 18S rRNA, β actin, GAPDH and ribosomal highly-basic 23-kDa protein (rb 23-kDa, RPL13A) were compared in vehicle versus TSA treated samples. Our results showed marked variations in 18S rRNA, β actin mRNA and GAPDH mRNA levels in mouse prostate explants and a human prostate cancer (LNCaP) cell line following TSA treatment. Furthermore, in two human breast cancer cell lines (T-47D and ZR-75-1) 18S rRNA, β actin mRNA and GAPDH mRNA levels varied significantly. However, RPL13A mRNA levels remained constant in all the conditions tested. Therefore, we recommend use of RPL13A as a standard for normalization during TSA treatment.
Suppressive effect of carotid sinus stimulation on premature ventricular beats in certain instances.

Abstract Suppression of premature ventricular beats by carotid sinus stimulation was repeatedly induced in eight individuals. Slowing of the heart rate accompanied or followed this suppression in all instances. The majority of these cases showed no evidence of heart disease. The mechanism of suppression by the carotid sinus reflex is not made apparent by the present data, but several possibilities are proposed. These are divided into indirect effects, the chief of which is a change in supernormality of the ventricular muscle resulting from slowing of the heart rate, and direct effects, by way of the vagus and sympathetic nerves.
Effect of carotid or aortic baroreceptor denervation on arterial pressure during hemorrhage in conscious dogs.

We studied the effect of chronically denervating aortic baroreceptors (ABR;n = 6) or carotid baroreceptors (CBR; n= 7) on mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) responses to hemorrhage in...
When conveying a message may hurt the relationship : Cultural differences in the difficulty of using an answering machine

Abstract Cultures differ in their emphasis on the two core functions of communication, conveying information and maintaining the relationship. Because answering machines primarily serve the former function, their use may show cultural differences. Leaving a message is cognitively more taxing for Japanese than Americans, as indicated by poorer performance on a secondary task (Study 1). This performance decrement reflects that Japanese allocated more cognitive resources to tailoring the message to the recipient, consistent with their culture’s higher emphasis on relationship goals. Such cross-cultural differences were not restricted to the laboratory situation. Although equally likely to own an answering machine, Japanese reported a higher rate of hanging up when reaching an answering machine than Americans (Study 2). The difficulties that Japanese experience when leaving a message on an answering machine are partly due to the lack of feedback channel. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Enhancement of rIn:rCn-Induced Interferon Production by Amphotericin B

When mouse L929 cells are treated with amphotericin B before exposure to polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid or polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid-dextran, they make significantly more interferon than do cells not receiving amphotericin. This effect may be due to enhanced cell membrane penetration by the polynucleotide.
Approximation Algorithms for Many-to-Many Traffic Grooming in WDM Mesh Networks

A large number of network applications today allow several users to interact together using the many-to-many service mode. In many-to-many communication, also referred to as group communication, a session consists of a group of users (we refer to them as members), where each member transmits its traffic to all other members in the same group. In this paper, we address the problem of grooming sub-wavelength many-to-many traffic (e.g., OC-3) into high-bandwidth wavelength channels (e.g., OC-192) in WDM mesh networks. The cost of a WDM network is dominated by the cost of higher layer electronic ports (i.e., transceivers). A transceiver is needed for each initiation and termination of a lightpath. Therefore, our objective is to minimize the total number of lightpaths established. Unfortunately, the grooming problem even with unicast traffic has been shown to be NP-hard. For a number of special cases where the many-to-many traffic grooming problem is tractable, we efficiently derive the optimal solution, while in the general case, we introduce two novel approximation algorithms. We also consider the routing and wavelength assignment problem with the objective of minimizing the number of wavelengths used. Through extensive experiments, we show that the two algorithms use a number of lightpaths that is very close to that of a derived lower bound. Also, we compare the two algorithms on the several costs mentioned in the paper including the number of lightpaths and the number of wavelengths used.
High-contrast algorithm behavior: observation, hypothesis, and experimental design

After extensive experiments with two algorithms, CPLEX and our implementation of all-integer dual simplex, we observed extreme differences between the two on a set of design automation benchmarks. In many cases one of the two would find an optimal solution within seconds while the other timed out at one hour.We conjecture that this contrast is accounted for by the extent to which the constraint matrix can be made block diagonal via row/column permutations. The actual structure of the matrix without the permutations is not important.We used crossing minimization to discover the right permutations that make the underlying structure, whether block diagonal or random, visible. Our conjecture leads to a testable hypothesis for a limited domain.The hypothesis is based on earlier observations reported in an earlier version of this paper and subsequent exploratory experiments. We present a sample of the results validating the hypothesis and make additional observations outside its scope.As far as we are aware the approach taken here is unique and, we hope, will inspire other research of its kind.
Characterization of the primary photointermediates of Drosophila rhodopsin.

Invertebrate opsins are unique among the visual pigments because the light-activated conformation, metarhodopsin, is stable following exposure to light in vivo. Recovery of the light-activated pigment to the dark conformation (or resting state) occurs either thermally or photochemically. There is no evidence to suggest that the chromophore becomes detached from the protein during any stage in the formation or recovery processes. Biochemical and structural studies of invertebrate opsins have been limited by the inability to express and purify rhodopsins for structure−function studies. In this study, we used Drosophila to produce an epitope-tagged opsin, Rh1-1D4, in quantities suitable for spectroscopic and photochemical characterization. When expressed in Drosophila, Rh1-1D4 is localized to the rhabdomere membranes, has the same spectral properties in vivo as wild-type Rh1, and activates the phototransduction cascade in a normal manner. Purified Rh1-1D4 visual pigment has an absorption maximum of the dark-...
Expedient and High-Yield Synthesis of Alkylphos-Phonyl Bichlorides Under Mild, Neutral Conditions: Reaction of Bis(Trimethylsilyl)Alkyl Phosphonates with Oxalyl Chloride/Dimethylformamide

Abstract Structurally variant bis(trimethylsilyl)alkyl phosphonates were converted in high yields (80–88%, distilled) to the corresponding phosphonyl dichlor-ides upon reaction with (COCl)2/DMF.
Periodicity in TCP session arrivals in broadband fixed wireless access networks

In this work we study the behavior of uplink traffic in a broadband fixed wireless (BFW) access network based on empirical data measurements. We observe strong periodicity in the TCP session arrival process at time scales of the order of several seconds; consistent in four different markets serviced by a large ISP that provides BFW service. We also investigate the impact of the periodic behavior on the performance of the network. We find that increasing the buffer size at the access would help dampen the periodic behavior and therefore marginalize these effects. The study of the proprietary MAC forms the first step toward investigating the mechanisms in the IEEE 802.16 standard MAC protocol that might lead to similar TCP session behavior.
Lesch-Nyhan disease as a model for central nervous system directed gene therapy

As a model disease for the development of suitable gene transfer techniques and their physiological and neurological testing, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) provides important advantages, including the availability of a well-characterized genetic defect and candidate metabolic targets, as well as a relevant animal model and appropriate gene transfer vectors. On the other hand, the serious gap between the level of characterization of the underlying genetic defects and the resulting neuropathological effects is one of several major impediments to the development of gene therapy. However, the dopamine defect that occurs in LNS may be much more amenable to genetic manipulation than is the deficiency of hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase. A genetic approach to the correction of this intermediate biochemical aberration, which probably is responsible for at least some neurological signs and symptoms of LNS, may be within reach of even the currently imperfect tools of gene therapy. Exploration of this possibility, along with other studies, is likely to lead, slowly but surely, to definition of the conditions under which the genetic and neurophysiological aberrations of LNS will be susceptible to a degree of correction that is not possible by drug therapy alone. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Large displacement analysis of naturally curved and twisted composite beams

This paper presents an efficient procedure for analyzing naturally curved and twisted beams undergoing large displacements and rotations but small strains. Special care is taken to accurately model the structural behavior of the beam: shearing deformations as well as torsion-related warping are taken into account. The various elastic couplings (e.g., bending-twisting or extention-twisting) that can arise in composite beams are also modeled in a rational fashion. The equations are derived in curvilinear material coordinates, and Euler angles are used to represent the arbitrarily large rotations. The strain energy in the beam is reduced to a quadratic expression by means of a quasilinearization procedure. This expression of the strain energy is the basis for a finite-element analysis of the structure, and standard iteration techniques are used to obtain nonlinear solutions to the problem. The predictions of this model are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results, and the computational efficiency is greatly improved as compared with other available analyses.
THE WORK CAPACITY OF THE RAT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING PARTIAL ADRENALECTOMY

THE CAPACITY of the rat for continued work of the gastrocnemius muscle can be used as an index of the functional adequacy of adrenal tissue and of the adequacy of replacement therapy in adrenalectomized animals. Ingle, Hales and Haslerud (1) have shown that the capacity to work may remain below normal when large amounts of adrenal cortical tissue are removed even after time is allowed for the regeneration and hyperplasia of the remaining tissue. Ingle (2, 3) has observed that much larger amounts of cortin are required for the maintenance of a normal capacity to work in adrenalectomised rats than are required for the maintenance of life and a state of apparent good health under optimal conditions. Horvath, Hitchcock and Hartman (4) have demonstrated that the unilaterally adrenalectomised rat is incapable of maintaining a normal resistance to cold. Hales, Haslerud and Ingle (5) reported that the work capacity of the unilaterally adrenalectomized rat was normal.
Automatic activation of categorical and abstract analogical relations in analogical reasoning

We examined activation of concepts during analogical reasoning. Subjects made either analogical judgments or categorical judgments about four-word sets. After each four-word set, they named the ink color of a single word in a modified Stroop task. Words that referred to category relations were primed (as indicated by longer response times on Stroop color naming) subsequent to analogical judgments and categorical judgments. This finding suggests that activation of category concepts plays a fundamental role in analogical thinking. When colored words referred to analogical relations, priming occurred subsequent to analogical judgments, but not to categorical judgments, even though identical four-word stimuli were used for both types of judgments. This finding lends empirical support to the hypothesis that, when people comprehend the analogy between two items, they activate an abstract analogical relation that is distinct from the specific content items that compose the analogy.
Receptivity of Supersonic Boundary Layers Due To Acoustic Disturbances Over Blunt Cones

Receptivity and stability of supersonic boundary layers over a 5-degree straight cone with a blunt tip are numerically investigated at a free stream Mach number of 3.5 and at a high Reynolds number of 106/inch. Both the steady and unsteady solutions are obtained by solving the full Navier-Stokes equations using the 5th-order accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for space discretization and using third-order total-variation-diminishing (TVD) Runge-Kutta scheme for time integration. The linear stability results showed that bluntness has less stabilizing effects on the stability of boundary layers over cones than on flat plates and wedges. The unsteady simulations of the interaction of plane threedimensional acoustic waves with the cone showed that the modulation of wavelength and the generation of instability waves first occurred near the leading edge in the plane where the constant acoustic phase lines are perpendicular to the cone axis. Further downstream, this instability region spreads in the azimuthal direction from this plane.
Diethylstilbestrol-Treated Adult Rats with Altered Epididymal Sperm Numbers and Sperm Motility Parameters, but Without Alterations in Sperm Production and Sperm Morphology

Abstract In this study, we characterized estrogenic effects of diethylstilbestrol (DES) on reproductive parameters in male rats to identify a minimal dose level that alters epididymal and sperm functions but has little or no effect on sperm production and/or spermatogenesis. Adult rats (five animals/group) received s.c. injections of 0.2 ml of corn oil containing DES at a rate of 1.0 mg, 200 μg, 40 μg, 8 μg, 1.6 μg, or 320 ng rat−1 day−1 for 12 days. The control group received corn oil only. DES effects were similar in the 8-μg group and higher dose groups and included significant (P ≤ 0.05) reductions in 1) absolute and relative weights of the head and body of the epididymis (EP), tail of the EP, and seminal vesicle, 2) numbers of sperm in both regions of the EP, and 3) motility characteristics in sperm collected from the tail of the EP. Conversely, no significant changes were observed in relative testis weight, daily sperm production, spermatogenesis, seminiferous epithelial height in stage VII, and spe...
A cross sectional exploration of emotional intelligence in US baccalaureate nursing students

Objective : New nurses may be vulnerable to bullying as they often lack confidence or do not have the skills or maturity to communicate their needs or those of their patients. Increasing emotional intelligence particularly in at-risk nursing students may be one way to foster resiliency. This exploratory cross sectional study aimed to exam the overall level and specific components of emotional intelligence as well as associations with age, ethnicity, gender, or academic standing in baccalaureate nursing students. Methods : A cross sectional analytical study was conducted using a paper demographic survey and an online emotional intelligence (EI) instrument, the MSCEIT V2.0. A convenience sample of lower division nursing students attending a professional nursing course was recruited. Statistical analyses include demographic descriptives, EI total and sub score means and standard deviations, paired t-tests to compare within group differences, and simple and linear regression on seven different EI scores to examine predictive qualities of demographic variables. Results : Overall total and many component EI scores were high average with variations noted within groups. Multiple linear regressions demonstrated that after controlling for all variables, a higher GPA and being Asian compared to White were associated with higher scores in mostly all components of EI. Four-year students scored higher than transfer students in understanding emotions. Being male was predictive of the branch, facilitating thought, and Latinos were associated with a higher score in perceiving emotions. Conclusions : This study provides an in-depth exploration of not only total EI in a lower division nursing student sample, but a comprehensive examination of the components of emotional intelligence. EI measurements can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in abilities that can be either gleaned, or developed as needed to faciliate creative problem solving, effective patient interactions, and to develop resiliency to incivility in the workplace.
Secure Prophet Address Allocation for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

A mobile node in a MANET must be assigned with a free IP address before it may participate in unicast communications. This is a fundamental and difficult problem in the practical application of any MANET. There have been several solutions proposed, among which prophet address allocation outperforms others in terms of communication overhead, latency, and scalability. However, none of the approaches can survive attacks in an insecure environment. Based on studies of insecure scenarios, attack schemes, and our previous work, a secure autoconfiguration algorithm, namely secure prophet address allocation, is proposed in the paper. The proposed approach is able to maintain uniqueness of address assignment in the presence of IP spoofing attacks, "state pollution" attacks, and Sybil attacks. The invulnerability of the scheme is supported by both theoretical analysis and simulation results.
Psychosocial factors are more important than disease activity in determining gastrointestinal symptoms and health status in adults at a celiac disease referral center

The relative effects of clinical and psychosocial variables on outcome in celiac disease (CD) has not previously been reported. In adult patients with (CD), we studied the relationships among demographics, psychosocial factors, and disease activity with health-related quality of life (HRQOL), health care utilization, and symptoms. Among 101 adults newly referred to a tertiary care center with biopsy-proven CD we assessed: (a) demographic factors and diet status; (b) disease measures (Marsh score, tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG) level, weight change and additional blood studies); and (c) Psychosocial status (psychological distress, life stress, abuse history, and coping). Multivariate analyses were performed to predict HRQOL, daily function, self-reported health, number of physician visits, and GI symptoms (pain and diarrhea). Impaired HRQOL and daily function was associated with psychological distress and poorer coping. Self-report of poorer health was associated with poorer coping, longer symptom duration, lower education, and greater weight loss. More physician visits were associated with poorer coping, abnormal tTG levels, and milder Marsh classification. Greater pain scores were seen in those with higher psychological distress and greater weight loss. Finally, diarrhea was associated with greater psychological distress and poorer coping. In patients presenting to a CD referral center, psychosocial factors more strongly affect health status and GI symptoms than disease measures.
The effect of hemorrhage on hepatic blood flow and splanchnic oxygen consumption of the dog

Using the BSP extraction technic, the hepatic blood flow of the dog was found to be reduced markedly following a single massive hemorrhage. However, increase in the arterial hepatic venous-oxygen difference compensated for as much as 75% reduction in flow; hence, splanchnic oxygen consumption was maintained under these circumstances. Significant reduction of splanchnic oxygen consumption occurred only during sustained shock when hepatic blood flow was so seriously diminished that high oxygen extraction could not compensate for the lowered oxygen delivery to the liver.
Biomechanical comparison of median sternotomy closures

Abstract Background Poor healing of median sternotomy can significantly increase morbidity, mortality, and hospital costs. Effective union requires reliable sternal fixation. Although wire has proven the most reliable and widely used sternotomy closure material, no experimental studies have compared a large variety of wiring techniques in a human model. We developed an easily reproducible experimental model using cadaveric human sterna and compared several wiring methods to assess closure strength and stability. Methods Fifty-three fresh adult human cadaveric sternal plates with adjacent ribs were fixed with specially designed spiked stainless steel clamps and attached to a texture analyzer. Single peristernal and transsternal, alternating single peristernal and transsternal, figure-eight peristernal, figure-eight pericostal, and Robicsek closures using no. 5 stainless steel wires were tested. We evaluated bone density, stiffness, and displacement using perpendicular, repetitive variable force loads of 800 Newtons cycling at a rate of 0.5 mm/s. Results There were no significant differences in age, sex, or bone density in outcome measures of the sternal groups. No clamp failures or clamp damage to the specimens occurred. The single peristernal and alternating peristernal and transsternal closures proved superior in strength and stability ( p p Conclusions This novel model of sternotomy closure testing was reliable, inexpensive, and easily reproducible. The mechanical stability of peristernal and alternating peristernal and transsternal wires was significantly greater than that of the other tested methods. Pericostal figure-eight closures were not sufficiently stable to be considered a reliable method of primary sternotomy repair.
A novel Covert Timing Channel detection approach for online network traffic

In this paper, we propose a novel Covert Timing Channel (CTC) detection method that leverages computationally low-cost statistical measures to precisely detect covert communication, using only minimum network traffic knowledge. The proposed detection approach utilizes three different non-parametric statistical tests to classify overt and covert inter-packet delays.
Arachidonic Acid Metabolism and Colorectal Cancer

Normal colonic epithelium is characterized by a relatively rapid and constant rate of renewal. As replicating cells at the base of the crypt migrate toward the surface, division ceases, and differentiation occurs with eventual sloughing of senescent cells into the lumen (Lipkin 1974). Under normal conditions, cell division is confined to the lower two-thirds of the colonic crypt (Lipkin 1974). However, studies of patients with ulcerative colitis, familial polyposis, or high dietary fat intake, and of rodents exposed to chemical carcinogens (Deschner et al. 1983; Lipkin 1973; Lipkin et al. 1985) have correlated an increased risk of colon cancer with both enhanced epithelial replication and expansion of the proliferative zone of colonic crypts. The factors which control the normal growth and differentiation of colonic epithelial cells and which lead to proliferative abnormalities in populations at a high risk for colonic cancer are not well understood. Among the local factors implicated in control of colonic epithelial growth are arachidonic acid and its metabolites (Bull et al. 1984; Craven and DeRubertis, 1988; DeRubertis et al. 1985; Lipkin and Newmark 1985; Tutton and Barkla 1980; Wargovich et al. 1984). Arachidonic acid per se, reactive oxygen species, formed as intermediate products during arachidonate oxygenation, and end products of the cyclo-oxygenase (prostaglandins and thromboxane) and lipoxygenase [leukotrienes and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs)] pathways of arachidonate oxygenation may alter colonic epithelial growth by (a) activating cellular second messenger systems involved in the control of cell replication (Anderson et al. 1986; Craven and DeRubertis, in press), (b) injuring colonocytes with consequent enhanced rates of cell loss and a compensatory increase in proliferation (Wargovich et al. 1984; Szelenzi et al. 1986; Romano et al. 1987; Balaa and Goldgar 1986) (c) altering the genome via a free radical mechanism (Cerutti 1985; Weitzman et al. 1985), or through a combination of these processes.
Abuse of the Material Witness: Suspects Detained as Witnesses in Violation of the Fourth Amendment

Following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Department of Justice (DOJ) used the federal material witness statute to detain individuals that the DOJ suspected were involved in terrorist activities or may have had information related to the September 11 attacks. In most instances the evidence was extremely weak against these individuals, such as a landlord’s suspicion of his tenant that was of Arab descent. The DOJ believed that they were acting within the boundaries of the law when they detained suspects as federal material witnesses in order to further investigate the individual. The Government would piece together any evidence they could uncover in order to bring criminal charges against the detained “witness”, which would secure the further detention of the person. Detainees were treated like convicted criminals rather than witnesses detained to secure their appearance and testimony at a criminal proceeding.This article argues that the Department of Justice, which vowed to protect life and enhance security for America by “acting within the law and under the Constitution,” acted unconstitutionally by using the material witness statute as a tool to investigate and preventively detain suspected terrorists in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Part I of this essay addresses the new threat facing the Department of Justice following the unprecedented attacks of September 11 and the comments that executive branch officials made following the attacks that evidence the fundamental shift that took place within the Department of Justice after 9/11. Part II of this essay will provide a discussion of the background of the material witness statute prior to September 11 and then go on to discuss the use of the statute in the aftermath of September 11. In Part III of this essay, I will discuss the abuse and unconstitutionality of material witness detentions, such as the arrest and detention of Osama Awadallah, as applied by the DOJ following September 11. In Part IV I will explore possible solutions to balance the new threat that global terrorism presents to law enforcement with the guaranteed constitutional protections of individual liberty.
Gravitational spin Hamiltonians from the S matrix

We utilize generalized unitarity and recursion relations combined with effective field theory techniques to compute spin-dependent interaction terms for an inspiralling binary system in the post-Newtonian (PN) approximation. Using these methods offers great computational advantage over traditional techniques involving Feynman diagrams, especially at higher orders in the PN expansion. As a specific example, we reproduce the spin-orbit (up to 2.5PN order) and the leading-order ${S}^{2}$ (2PN) Hamiltonian for a binary system with one of the massive objects having nonzero spin using the $S$-matrix elements of elementary particles. For the same system, we also obtain the ${S}^{3}$ (3.5PN) spin Hamiltonian for an arbitrary massive object, which was until now known only for a black hole. Furthermore, we derive the missing ${S}^{4}$ Hamiltonian at leading order (4PN), again for an arbitrary massive object and establish that the minimal coupling of an elementary particle to gravity automatically captures the physics of a spinning black hole. Finally, the Kerr metric is obtained as a series in ${G}_{N}$ by comparing the action of a test particle in the vicinity of a spinning black hole to the derived potential.
The Effectiveness of Mechanical Traction Among Subgroups of Patients With Low Back Pain and Leg Pain: A Randomized Trial

Study Design Randomized clinical trial. Background The recommended initial management strategy for patients with low back pain and signs of nerve root compression is conservative treatment, but there is little evidence to guide the most appropriate management strategy. Preliminary research suggests that a treatment protocol of mechanical traction and extension-oriented exercises may be effective, particularly in a specific subgroup of patients. Objective To examine the effectiveness of mechanical traction in patients with lumbar nerve root compression and within a predefined subgroup. Methods One hundred twenty patients with low back pain with nerve root compression were recruited from physical therapy clinics. Using predefined subgrouping criteria, patients were stratified at baseline and randomized to receive an extension-oriented treatment approach with or without the addition of mechanical traction. During a 6-week period, patients received up to 12 treatment visits. Primary outcomes of pain and disab...
Discovery of Xylosma buxifolia A. Gray (Flacourtiaceae) in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

Abstract. A small population of Xylosma buxifolia A. Gray (Flacourtiaceae) was recently discovered in pine rockland habitat of Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. This is the first known report of this species in the United States. Based on the proximity to naturally occurring populations in the northern Bahamas, the similarity of habitat where plants were found to Bahamian pinelands and the relatively unaltered state of the pine rocklands where plants were found, it is believed that this species is a naturally occurring component of the flora of Florida.
Nonstationary Stochastic Models of Earthquake Motions

Eight strong-motion accelerograms recorded on firm ground and at moderate epicentral distances are studied for the purpose of developing a reasonable stochastic representation of the time history of ground accelerations during strong earthquakes. The results indicate that over durations which are of interest in structural response calculations, nonstationary random processes are needed for the description of the records. A nonstationary Gaussian filtered shot-noise process is examined for this purpose. The member functions of the mathematical model and their associated linear response spectra are compared with the corresponding information obtained from the recorded accelerograms. On this basis, a nonstationary Gaussian filtered shot-noise process with a second-order filter is proposed for stochastic simulation of strong-motion earthquakes.
“Like a Ball and Glove”: Teachers’ Conceptions of the Promise and Challenges of Conducting Classroom Inquiry

ABSTRACTTeacher inquiry holds promise in teacher education, but only if student teachers take up inquiry practices as they leave preservice and transition to teaching. As they learn to conduct inquiry during preservice, student teachers may begin to internalize dispositions that promote ongoing inquiry experiences. Through analysis of questionnaires conducted at preservice and inservice, and through a focus group discussion, the authors sought to understand how teachers who had experienced one scaffolded, student-focused, and data-based preservice teacher inquiry model conceptualized the relationship between teaching and inquiry. Analyses revealed that teachers’ conceptions cast inquiry overall as a tight fit with teaching in three ways: by fostering a focus on students, by generating metacognitive knowledge about inquiry as a useful classroom process, and by deepening teacher knowledge about ways to respond thoughtfully to diagnosed student need. Analyses suggest program model elements may have seeded th...
Applications of the Companion Matrix

(1968). Applications of the Companion Matrix. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 146-152.
Comparison of Utility Managers’ and Project Managers’ Satisfaction Rating of Alternative Project Delivery Methods Used in Water and Wastewater Infrastructures:

Since the 1990s, the use of design-build (DB) and construction manager at-risk (CMAR) as alternative project delivery (APD) methods for water and wastewater projects has significantly increased, fast outpacing the growth of traditional project delivery methods. Currently, U.S. municipalities face challenges of an aging infrastructure, which requires replacing and expanding water and wastewater facilities at more than 7,000 utilities nationwide. This study compared and analyzed the differences between utility managers (UMs) and project managers (PMs) regarding their satisfaction levels of the various benefits when using APD methods. Respondents included UMs and PMs having experience in DB and CMAR water and wastewater projects. In this study, PMs were significantly more satisfied with the quality of project, change orders, and lower rate of disputes than UMs. In addition, PMs experienced a significantly higher schedule advantage than UMs. Most respondents were satisfied with the various advantages provided...
INTERNET RESOURCES: Latin America on the Internet: A bibliography

Cette bibliographie internet compilee par un bibliothecaire specialiste de l'Amerique Latine comporte notammment des sites portails generalistes, des sites d'institutions, des sites d'actualites et de statistiques, des sites sur des sujets specifiques, des textes electroniques de donnees historiques et d'archives, ainsi que des bases de donnees payantes.