cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote CB1 receptor antagonist administration reveals multiple sites of tonic and phasic endocannabinoid neuroendocrine regulation

Endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids, eCB) are expressed throughout the body and contribute to regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and general stress reactivity. This study assessed the contributions of CB1 receptors (CB1R) in the modulation of basal and stress-induced neural and HPA axis activities. Catheterized adult male rats were placed in chambers to acclimate overnight, with their catheters connected and exteriorized from the chambers for relatively stress-free remote injections. The next morning, the CB1R antagonist AM251 (1 or 2 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered, and 30 min later, rats were exposed to loud noise stress (30 min) or no noise (basal condition). Blood, brains, pituitary and adrenal glands were collected immediately after the procedures for analysis of c-fos and CB1R mRNAs, corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) plasma levels. Basally, CB1R antagonism induced c-fos mRNA in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and auditory cortex (AUD) and elevated plasma CORT, indicating disruption of eCB-mediated constitutive inhibition of activity. CB1R blockade also potentiated stress-induced hormone levels and c-fos mRNA in several regions such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), lateral septum (LS), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). CB1R mRNA was detected in all central tissues investigated, and the adrenal cortex, but at very low levels in the anterior pituitary gland. Interestingly, CB1R mRNA was rapidly and bidirectionally regulated in response to stress and/or antagonist treatment in some regions. eCBs therefore modulate the HPA axis by regulating both constitutive and activity-dependent inhibition at multiple levels.
Animal welfare assessment of on-farm euthanasia methods for individual, heavy turkeys.

Abstract On-farm euthanasia of poultry, including turkeys, may not be possible for most people as birds gain weight; thus alternative mechanical methods have been developed. Our objective was to compare mechanical cervical dislocation with the Koechner Euthanizing Device (KED), captive bolt euthanasia with the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), head-only CO2 euthanasia (CO2), and electric euthanasia as potential humane methods for euthanizing individual, heavy turkeys. We assessed their impact on loss of brain stem reflexes, acute distress (corticosterone, CORT), kill success, torn skin, and blood loss. Turkeys (n = 174) were euthanized on 3 sampling days, while birds were restrained using a mobile bird euthanasia apparatus. Brain stem reflexes recorded were the cessation and return of induced nictitating membrane reflex (loss of consciousness and brain stem dysfunction), mouth gaping reflex (brain stem dysfunction), and musculoskeletal movements (spinal cord dysfunction). Overall, KED resulted in more frequent (at 4 min: KED 7 of 14; electric 0 of 13; TED 0 of 11; CO2 2 of 14 birds on day 1) and longer durations of the induced nictitating reflex compared to the other methods (means of day 2 and 3: KED 233; electric 15; TED 15; CO2 15 s). The mouth gaping reflex endured the longest after KED euthanasia (means of day 2 and 3: KED 197; electric 15; TED 51; CO2 15 s). Musculoskeletal movements endured longest after KED euthanasia (means of day 2 and 3: KED 235; electric 15; TED 219; CO2 15 s). Returning reflexes were more frequent after KED and TED compared to CO2 and electric euthanasia, where it was absent. CO2, electric, and TED euthanasia showed comparable kill success (success: CO2 42 out of 43; electric 44 of 45; TED 42 of 44), with KED resulting in most unsuccessful kills (unsuccessful: 8 out of 42). CORT responses were inconsistent. Torn skin and blood loss occurred more frequently after KED and TED compared to CO2 and electric applications. Therefore, we conclude that, based on a comparison of these 4 methods, the most discernibly humane was electric euthanasia, which consistently resulted in quick loss of consciousness within 15 s, no returning reflexes, and no torn skin or blood loss.
What is the Price of Prevention? New Evidence from a Field Experiment

How does increasing access to treatment affect the demand for preventive testing? In this paper we present results from a randomized field experiment in Nigeria in which we offered cervical cancer screening to women at randomly chosen prices. To test our hypothesis, we also offered women a lottery where the payoff was a subsidy towards the cost of cervical cancer treatment (conditional upon a diagnosis of cervical cancer). We find that women randomly selected to receive the conditional cancer treatment subsidy were about 4 percentage points more likely to take up screening than those in the control group (an approximately 30% increase). We also show that the price of screening had a significant effect on the demand for screening: reducing the price of screening by 10 cents increased take-up of screening by about 1 percentage point (an approximately 7% increase).
Missed Incidental Pulmonary Embolism: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Assess Prevalence and Improve Quality Improvement Opportunities.

Abstract Purpose Incidental pulmonary embolism (IPE) can be found on body CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using artificial intelligence to identify missed IPE on a large number of CT examinations. Methods This retrospective analysis included all single-phase chest, abdominal, and pelvic (CAP) and abdominal and pelvic (AP) CT examinations performed at a single center over 1 year, for indications other than identification of PE. Proprietary visual classification and natural language processing software was used to analyze images and reports from all CT examinations, followed by a two-step human adjudication process to classify cases as true positive, false positive, true negative, or false negative. Descriptive statistics were assessed for prevalence of IPE and features (subsegmental versus central, unifocal versus multifocal, right heart strain or not) of missed IPE. Interrater agreement for radiologist readers was also calculated. Results A total of 11,913 CT examinations (6,398 CAP, 5,515 AP) were included. Thirty false-negative examinations were identified on CAP (0.47%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32%-0.67%) and nineteen false-negative studies on AP (0.34%; 95% CI, 0.21%-0.54%) studies. During manual review, readers showed substantial agreement for identification of IPE on CAP (κ = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.86) and nearly perfect agreement for identification of IPE on AP (κ = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.97). Forty-nine missed IPEs (0.41%; 95% CI, 0.30%-0.54%) were ultimately identified, compared with seventy-nine IPEs (0.66%; 95% CI, 0.53%-0.83%) identified at initial clinical interpretation. Conclusions Artificial intelligence can efficiently analyze CT examinations to identify potential missed IPE. These results can inform peer-review efforts and quality control and could potentially be implemented in a prospective fashion.
Arthroscopic Reduction and Internal Fixation of Tibial Eminence Fractures With Transosseous Suture Bridge Fixation

Arthroscopic reduction-internal fixation (ARIF) is an increasingly popular option for surgical management of displaced tibial eminence fractures. Although a variety of ARIF techniques have been described, anatomic reduction and stable fixation remain challenging. As a result, complications such as malunion, nonunion, anterior instability, arthrofibrosis, and hardware issues persist. In an effort to reduce complications and improve outcomes, modern suture-based ARIF techniques have been developed. However, the optimal technique and construct remain elusive. This article presents a technique for ARIF of tibial eminence fractures using a transosseous suture bridge construct with extracortical fixation. This technique uses a commercially available suture-passage device and meniscal root repair system for accurate tunnel placement, efficient suture management, and reliable fixation.
Head and Neck

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is the most common malignancy of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT). The UADT is a complex area where functions of breathing and eating take place in a highly vascularized area. Patients can present to the emergency department (ED) with acute airway and bleeding issues. Patients with malignant tumors in the airway are unique and need a plan for alternative methods to control the airway from traditional endotracheal intubation. The surgically altered airway after tracheostomy and laryngectomy also presents unique airways, where the physician must be knowledgeable of the anatomy in order for proper acute airway control. Airway control is especially imperative in cases of emergent hemorrhage from tumors. These bleeds can be temporized with packing until definitive management by a head and neck surgeon or intervention neuroradiologist. Head and neck cancer patients can also develop emergent complications from treatment including fluid collections, dysphagia, and mucositis. In the ED setting, there are common pitfalls that should be avoided. Misdiagnosing and treating a cystic metastatic cervical lymph node for an abscess can delay treatment, induce complications, and ultimately have a significant negative effect on prognosis. Clinical signs of possible head and neck malignancy include unilateral otalgia or unilateral nasal obstruction both of which should be investigated.
Meat food preferences during the Late Archaic Period at Puerto Marqués, Guerrero, Mexico

We investigate animal food preferences of the Ostiones people, the occupants of the coastal site of Puerto Marques, one of the few Late Archaic Period sites located along the Pacific coast of Mexic...
Leveraging remittances for development

Migrant remittances have become a major source of external development finance. They can play an effective role in reducing poverty. And they provide a convenient angle for approaching the complex migration agenda. ; Remittances are personal flows from migrants to their friends and families and should not be taxed or directed to specific development uses. Instead, the development community should make remittance services cheaper and more convenient and indirectly leverage these flows to improve financial access of migrants, their beneficiaries, and the financial intermediaries in the origin countries.
Herpes Simplex Virus Products in Productive and Abortive Infection I. Stabilization with Formaldehyde and Preliminary Analyses by Isopycnic Centrifugation in CsCl

Lysates of HEp-2 cells productively infected with herpes simplex virus yielded two bands on isopycnic centrifugation in CsCl gradients, ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 g/cm(3). One band, designated alpha, had a mean buoyant density of 1.27 g/cm(3) and contained herpes virions. Band beta had a mean density of 1.305 g/cm(3) and contained primarily complement-fixing viral antigens and little or no viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The products banding in the alpha and beta bands were unstable; fivefold or higher amounts were recovered by treating the cell extract with formaldehyde prior to centrifugation. Formaldehyde treatment increased the buoyant density of viral products in both the alpha and beta bands by about 0.015 g/cm(3). In addition, it stabilized hitherto inapparent products, forming a broad band gamma with a density range of 1.37 to 1.45 g/cm(3). The material in the gamma band was heterogeneous; it contained viral DNA, cellular DNA, and viral antigen. Formalinized lysates of DK cells abortively infected with herpes simplex virus yielded a beta band undifferentiated from that formed by extracts of productively infected cells. The gamma band was less dense and narrower. The alpha band was entirely missing.
Citation Author Topic Model in Expert Search

This paper proposes a novel topic model, Citation-Author-Topic (CAT) model that addresses a semantic search task we define as expert search - given a research area as a query, it returns names of experts in this area. For example, Michael Collins would be one of the top names retrieved given the query Syntactic Parsing. Our contribution in this paper is two-fold. First, we model the cited author information together with words and paper authors. Such extra contextual information directly models linkage among authors and enhances the author-topic association, thus produces more coherent author-topic distribution. Second, we provide a preliminary solution to the task of expert search when the learning repository contains exclusively research related documents authored by the experts. When compared with a previous proposed model (Johri et al., 2010), the proposed model produces high quality author topic linkage and achieves over 33% error reduction evaluated by the standard MAP measurement.
Up-regulated cten by FGF2 contributes to FGF2-mediated cell migration

Cten is a focal adhesion molecule that is expressed at very low levels in most normal tissues. Nonetheless, its expression has been found to increase dramatically in many types of cancer including colorectal, breast, gastric, and pancreatic cancer, suggesting that cten may play a critical role during tumorigenesis. To study the mechanisms that induce cten expression and the function of up-regulated cten, we examined the effects of several cancer-associated growth factors and cytokines on cten expression. We found that EGF, FGF2, NGF, PDGF, TGF-β, IGF-1, IL-6, and IL-13 were able to induce cten expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The Mek-Erk and PI3K-Akt pathways were two main signaling cascades responsible for cten up-regulation, whereas the Jak-Stat pathway could contribute to the increase in some conditions. Since many of these factors are known to promote cell migration, we hypothesized that up-regulated cten might contribute to this process. This hypothesis was investigated in FGF2-mediated cell migration. Silencing of cten not only reduced regular cell motility but also FGF2-mediated cell migration. Overexpression of cten promoted cell migration and FGF2 treatment failed to further enhance cell migration. Our findings that (1) cten is a common downstream molecule of these cancer-associated growth factors and cytokines; and that (2) up-regulated cten modulates cell migration induced by FGF2 and likely other growth factors as well, strongly suggest that cten could be a potential downstream therapeutic target for treating cancers associated with aberrant signaling of these growth factors and cytokines.
Access control to information in pervasive computing environments

Many types of information available in a pervasive computing environment, such as people location information, should be accessible only by a limited set of people. Some properties of the information raise unique challenges for the design of an access control mechanism: Information can emanate from more than one source, it might change its nature or granularity before reaching its final receiver, and it can flow through nodes administrated by different entities. We propose three design principles for the architecture of an access control mechanism: (1) extract pieces of information in raw data streams early, (2) define policies controlling access at the information level, and (3) exploit information relationships for access control. We describe an example architecture in which we apply these principles. We also report how our earlier work about adding access control to a people location service contributed to the more general access control architecture proposed here.
Immune Responses to Low Back Pain Risk Factors

Objective: Investigate effects of interactions between biomechanical, psychosocial and individual risk factors on the body's immune inflammatory responses. Background: Current theories for low back pain causation do not fully account for the body's response to tissue loading and tissue trauma. Methods: Two groups possessing a preference for the sensor or intuitor personality trait performed repetitive lifting combined with high or low mental workload on separate occasions. Spinal loading was assessed using an EMG-assisted subject-specific biomechanical model and immune markers were collected before and after exposure. Results: Mental workload was associated with a small decrease in AP shear. Both conditions were character- ized by a regulated time-dependent immune response making use of markers of inflammation, tissue trauma and muscle dam- age. Intuitors' creatine kinase levels were increased following low mental workload compared to that observed in Sensors with the opposite trend occurring for high mental workload. Conclusions: A temporally regulated immune response to lifting com- bined with mental workload exists. This response is influenced by personality and mental workload.
Problemas de la convivencia democrática. Aportaciones a la Teoría crítica de México

espanolEl presente texto aborda el concepto de «reconocimiento », desarrollado, a partir de una especifica interpretacion del uso hegeliano del mismo, por el seguidor de Habermas, Axel Honneth (Universidad Goethe de Frankfurt), como elemento central para la comprension del funcionamiento de una moderna sociedad democratica. Al mismo tiempo, este concepto y su uso, a veces no libre de cierta ingenuidad hacia las contradicciones estructurales de la mejor forma social posible en condiciones capitalistas, esta revisado y confrontado a partir de un analisis del concepto del «cuadruple ethos de la modernidad capitalista» del filosofo mexicano-ecuatoriano Bolivar Echeverria (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico). EnglishProblems of the democratic living together. Contributions to the Critical Theory from Mexico» is about de concept of «recognition», unfolded by the follower of Habermas, Axel Honneth (Goethe University at Frankfurt), starting from certain interpretation of the use Hegel's makes form this idea for to understand a modern democratic society. At the same time, this concept and its use, sometimes no free form certain naivety in relation to the structural contradictions of the best possible social form under capitalist conditions, is revised and confronted starting form an analysis of the concept of the «quadruple ethos of capitalist modernity» from the Mexican-Ecuadorian philosopher Bolivar Echeverria (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico).
Energy-efficient skewed static logic design with dual Vt

In this paper, we describe skewed static logic (S/sup 2/L) with topology-dependent dual Vt which exhibits energy-efficient operation. S/sup 2/L consumes less dynamic and static power compared to Monotonic Static (MS) CMOS. Speed degradation of S/sup 2/L can be offset by the accelerator. We have designed NAND-NOR gate chains using 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology and verified that S/sup 2/L reduces energy/spl times/delay over MS CMOS by 27-50%. Synthesis algorithm for S/sup 2/L developed and the experimental results show S/sup 2/L consumes 23% less power than MS CMOS with minor increase in delay.
Is Shared Decision Making an Appropriate Analytic Frame for Research on Medical Practices

Large-scale efforts are now being directed toward research on medical practices, which includes the conduct of pragmatic clinical trials, comparative effectiveness research, and analyses of data co...
A long-term study of winter and early spring tree pollen in the Tulsa, Oklahoma atmosphere

Since 1986 the atmosphere in Tulsa, Oklahoma has been monitored for airborne pollen and spores with a Burkard 7-day spore trap situated on the roof of a building at The University of Tulsa. The present study specifically examined the early spring tree pollen season for several local taxa and the occurrence of pre-season pollen during December and January. Knowledge of the local pollen season will help identify the presence of out-of-season pollen and possible long distance transport (LDT) events. Average daily concentrations of airborne pollen for species ofBetula, Quercus, Ulmus, and Cupressaceae were determined for each year from 1987 to 1996. The data showed that during the early spring the precise pollination periods for these allergenic tree species are highly variable. There were considerable variations in start date, season length, peak concentration, date of peak, and cumulative season total. The start dates forUlmus, Betula, andQuercus varied by 30 days or more, while the early spring Cupressaceae pollen showed the least variation in start date (only 23 days). More research is needed to understand the mechanisms which govern the onset and magnitude of pollen release. Although several reports have documented episodes of long distance transport (LDT) of pollen, the actual contribution of out-of-season or out-of-region pollen to local air spora is poorly known. The current study also re-examined the LDT ofJuniperus ashei pollen in Oklahoma.Juniperus pollen appeared in the Tulsa atmosphere on 40% of the days in December and January with concentrations as high as 2400 pollen grains/m3 of air; however, no local populations ofJuniperus pollinate at this time of the year. High concentrations occurred on days with southerly winds suggesting thatJuniperus ashei populations in southern Oklahoma and Texas were the pollen source. Since no local pollen is present in the Tulsa atmosphere in December and January, this example of LDT has been easy to document.
The spectrophotometric estimation of dihydroxyanthranol and dihydrox yanthraquinone

Abstract A simple spectrophotometric method is presented for the analysis of 1,8‐dihydroxy‐9anthranol (Anthralin) and 1,8‐dihydroxy‐9,10‐anthraquinone (Danthron), either individually or in admixture. It is particularly advantageous for the assay of commercial dihydroxyanthranol inasmuch as it permits the simultaneous determination of 1, 8‐dihydroxyanthraquinone, a frequent and natural contaminant. When single analyses are made, the average error of the method amounts to about ±2 per cent. Exceptionally, the error involved for the minor component may amount to 10 per cent or more. If special interest is attached to the content of the minor component, the analysis should be run in triplicate and calculations made from the average observed extinction value.
The outlook for Operations Research: will business education supply enough management science new entrants to meet forecast demand

Can Management Science in Business Education become sufficiently popular to fill forecast demands for new entrants to its Operations Research (OR) subset? Based upon papers by numerous authors, this paper identifies an interesting phenomenon – an increasingly applicable field of Management Science plagued by students avoiding entry. This paper discusses the results of an examination of this phenomenon’s background, provides data collected concerning current supply of and projected demand for new entrants in a subset of Management Science; examines the continuing call for new approaches to teaching Management Science as a means of attracting new entrants; and presents continued research suggestions.
A multi-index ROC-based methodology for high throughput experiments in gene discovery

We address the problem of ranking differentially expressed genes in high throughput experiments using Receiver Operating Characteristic ROC curves. As it is generally unknown whether large expression values constitute 'positive' or 'negative' results or which group is 'healthy' or 'diseased', we generate four ROC curves per gene. We then consider classification indices based on all or part of the four ROC curves and identify genes ranked low by the area under the curve AUC but high by at least one alternative index, invariably resulting to the discovery of genes that would otherwise be missed by the AUC index.
Symptom prevalence, distress, and change over time in adults receiving treatment for lung cancer.

Adequate management of symptoms in adults with lung cancer is an important focus for clinical interventions. Knowledge of symptom prevalence and distress can be used to develop empirically based interventions that can potentially reduce distressing symptoms and improve quality of life. The purposes of this study were to describe which symptoms are most distressing, describe the prevalence of symptoms in adults receiving treatment for lung cancer, identify how symptoms change over time, and identify patient-related and clinical characteristics related to symptom distress. Data were available from 117 patients. Fatigue and pain were the most distressing symptoms for each group and at each time. Significant differences in distressing symptoms among the treatment groups were noted for nausea, fatigue, bowel pattern, and concentration at entry into the study and difficulty with appetite at 6 months. Many of the individual symptoms demonstrated a decrease in distress from 0 to 3 months and then an increase in distress levels from 3 to 6 months. Many of the individual symptoms were associated with demographic covariates and treatment group values but no consistent pattern emerged over time except for baseline symptom distress. Symptom distress at entry to the study was a strong predictor of nine distressing symptoms at 3 months and seven distressing symptoms at 6 months. Questionnaires such as the SDS may be useful as screening instruments to target those who need more intensive interventions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rheology of Miscible Polymer Blends with Hydrogen Bonding

Linear dynamic viscoelasticity of miscible polymer blends with hydrogen bonding has been investigated. The polymer blend systems investigated are (1) blends of poly(vinylphenol) (PVPh) and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), (2) blends of PVPh and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME), (3) blends of PVPh and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP), and (4) blends of PVPh and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to find that both the intraassociation (self-association) of the phenolic −OH groups in PVPh and interassociation (intermolecular interactions) between the constituent components in each blend system have profound influence on the frequency dependence of dynamic moduli in the terminal region of the PVPh-based miscible blend systems. It has been found further that time−temperature superposition (TTS) is applicable to all four PVPh-based miscible blend systems forming hydrogen bonds, including the PVPh/PVME blends having the difference in component glass transition tempera...
Increasing the bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment using ultrasound

Abstract In this study, the effect of sonication on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the bioaccessible and less bioaccessible fractions of three contaminated sediments (Little Scioto River, OH—LS; Gary, IN—GI; Eagle Harbor, WA—EH) was examined. After 60 min sonication, the fractions of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene remaining in the LS sediment were 0.76 ± 0.18, 0.83 ± 0.04 and 0.76 ± 0.05, respectively, indicating ultrasonic degradation of PAHs in the sediment. In addition, there was a significant decrease in PAH concentration (i.e., up to 91.4%) in the less bioaccessible fractions for all three sediments with sonication. The bioaccessible fraction of phenanthrene and pyrene in LS and pyrene in EH increased by 12.9%, 48.3% and 27.8%, respectively, followed by a slight decrease due to degradation. The initial increase suggests that ultrasonic irradiation of sediment either transfers the PAHs from the less bioaccessible sites to the bioaccessible sites for treatment or transforms less bioaccessible sites into bioaccessible sites. A comparatively smaller reduction (i.e., 20.2%) in the less bioaccessible fraction in GI sediment is attributed to the larger fraction of black carbon in the organic carbon content of the sediment hindering the ability of ultrasound to switch the PAHs from the less to the more bioaccessible sites. Overall ultrasonic irradiation of contaminated sediments is a technique to enhance contaminant remediation by reducing the fraction of contaminants in less bioaccessible sites.
The Million Dollar Question: When Should an Athlete Retire after Concussion?

Management of acute concussions is guided by consensus statement, and the return-to-play process begins when an athlete's symptoms and examination return to baseline. This process may be relatively clear if symptoms resolve within the normal time frame following a first or second concussion. This decision-making process is more complicated in an athlete with prolonged unresolved symptoms, multiple concussions both with and without prolonged recovery, or a structural brain injury. In these situations, determining when to retire an athlete after concussion is a complex decision, without available evidence-based guidelines. This article will discuss absolute and relative contraindications to returning an athlete to contact sport following a concussion in three separate scenarios: following potentially life-threatening brain injury, persistent clinical symptoms or signs of prolonged postconcussion syndrome, and multiple concussions but without residual symptoms or signs. Language: en
Thermally Impregnated Ni−Olivine Catalysts for Tar Removal by Steam Reforming in Biomass Gasifiers

A novel and potentially economic preparation technique, thermally impregnation (TI), was developed to incorporate catalytic active materials (i.e., Ni) onto olivine. The approach allows for the synthesis of attrition-resistant Ni−olivine catalysts. Comparative studies were performed over Ni−olivine catalysts prepared by TI and traditional incipient wetness impregnation (IWI), as well as olivine without Ni. Various characterization techniques such as BET surface area analysis, temperature-programmed reaction/oxidation/reduction, XRD, and XPS were performed to examine the catalysts. The Ni−olivine catalyst prepared by TI demonstrated improved activity and “coke selectivity” compared to the olivine support, indicating that Ni is necessary for enhanced activity. Additionally, the Ni−olivine catalyst prepared by TI showed similar high-temperature activity and decreased coke deposition rates compared to similar formulations prepared by IWI. Stronger interactions between Ni and the olivine support for the TI cat...
Observations of chlorophyll concentrations off Long Island from a moored in situ fluorometer

Abstract A fluorometer fitted with high-pressure cuvettes was placed at 10.5-m depth as part of a moored telemetry system off Long Island in August and September 1977. A nearby array with electromagnetic current meters, conductivity and temperature sensors (∼4, 8, 16, and 25 m) collected simultaneous data while shipboard measurements of in situ fluorescence and extracted chlorophyll were used for calibration. The chlorophyll concentrations from the mooring varied between 1 and 5 μg l −1 during the 10- and 11-day mooring periods, the dominant cause being tidal oscillations. Diel changes, probably of biological origin, were also observed.
Order Reduction for Large-Scale Finite Element Models: A Systems Perspective

Large scale finite element models are routinely used in design and optimization for complex engineering systems. However, the high model order prevents efficient exploration of the design space. Many model reduction methods have been proposed in the literature on approximating the high dimensional model with a lower order model. These methods typically replace a fine scale model with a coarser scale model in schemes such as coarse graining, macro-modeling, domain decomposition and homogenization. This paper takes a systems perspective by stating the model reduction objective in terms of the approximation of the mapping between specified input and output variables. Methods from linear systems theory, including balance truncation and optimal Hankel norm approximation, are reviewed and compared with the standard modal truncation. For high order systems, computational load, numerical stability, and memory storage become key considerations. We discuss several computationally more attractive iterative schemes that generate the approximate gramian matrices needed in the model reduction procedure. A numerical example is also included to illustrate the model reduction algorithms discussed in the paper. We envision that these systems oriented model reduction methods complementing the existing methods to produce low order models suitable for design, optimization, and control.
Characterization of Glucocorticoid Receptor-hsp90 Chaperone Machinery Heterocomplex Assembly using Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has demonstrated ability to provide direct visualization of individual molecules of proteins as well as multimeric protein-protein and DNA-protein complexes in near real-time and in buffered solutions. Here, we use tapping-mode AFM to visually analyze the interaction of the essential eukaryotic molecular chaperone protein hsp90 with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a well-established hsp90 client protein. An issue of debate within the hsp90 community has been to what extent hsp90 works independently of other molecular chaperones, such as hsp70, or as part of a multiprotein machinery. Endogenous hsp90 was isolated from rabbit reticulocyte lysate using size exclusion column chromatography, both as an individual protein and in a complex with hsp70 and the hsp90/hsp70 co-chaperone Hop. AFM imaging showed that the hsp90 complexed with hsp70 and Hop (referred to as the hsp90/hsp70-based chaperone machinery) preferentially interacts with the GR. We demonstrate the extent to which hsp90 can be positively identified in AFM images of heterogenous protein mixtures using an anti-hsp90 monoclonal IgM antibody. Additionally, novel software was developed to calculate the molecular mass of AFM-imaged protein particles in a semiautomated process using the spherical-cap model for mica-adsorbed proteins and protein complexes. Molecular mass calculations and AFM-imaged antibody detection were used in tandem to predict protein particle composition. Eight highly purified and well-characterized proteins of known molecular weights, ranging from 44 −623 kDa, were used to construct a standard curve relating calculated particle volume (nm3) to approximate protein complex molecular mass (kDa).
Off-label use of antimicrobial agents in pediatrics

The majority of drugs, biological products, and devices used for children are done so off-label (ie, for age groups or indications that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration). Off-label use of drugs in neonates is particularly common, which makes caring for these children particularly difficult for physicians. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other groups have been working actively for decades with the FDA and Congress to correct this problem. Last year, we published an overview of the problems that off-label use of drugs pose for children of all ages and discussed what was being done to correct this situation (Pediatr Infect Dis J 17:739-744, 1998).1 The purpose of this report is 0 to focus on how inadequate pediatric drug information negatively impacts the ability of physicians to safely treat diseases in children, especially neonates, and to update the reader on the status of recent legislation and regulations that have been put in place to solve this problem. Although inadequate pediatric information affects all classes of drugs, biological products, and devices, specific examples in this report focus on the use of antimicrobial agents.
Development and Characterization of Conditionally Immortalized Osteoblast Precursor Cell Lines from Human Bone Marrow Stroma

Although the differentiation of mature osteoblasts has been well studied, there is still a need for a convenient way to study preosteoblast differentiation. Our laboratory has recently described a method for isolating small numbers of authentic osteoblast precursor cells from human bone marrow (Rickard et al., J Bone Miner Res 11:312-324, 1996). Here we describe the conditional immortalization of these cells by retroviral transfection with the amphotrophic vector, pZipSV40tsa58, which encodes for a temperature-sensitive mutant form of the simian virus large T-antigen. At the permissive temperature of 34 degrees C, the cell lines proliferated, but differentiation was arrested, whereas at the restrictive temperature of 39.5 degrees C, proliferation was decreased and differentiation was induced. As assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR after 4 days of culture at 39.5 degrees C, the six cell lines expressed similar mRNA levels both constitutively and in response to dexamethasone (Dex) and 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH2)D3) for osteoblast (alkaline phosphatase [ALP], type I collagen [Col I], osteocalcin [OC], and parathyroid hormone receptor [PTH-R] and adipocyte (lipoprotein lipase [LPL]) genes. In the presence of 10(-8) M Dex, gene expression for ALP, PTH-R, and LPL increased, but that for OC decreased. Stimulation with 10(-8) M 1,25(OH2)D3 increased gene expression for ALP, OC, and Col I. Changes in protein production for ALP, OC, and type I procollagen in response to Dex and 1,25(OH2)D3 were similar to changes in mRNA levels. When cultured at 39.5 degrees C with ascorbate and beta1-glycerolphosphate for 21 days, mineralization of matrix occurred, whereas culture with Dex plus 1,25(OH2)D3, or rabbit serum led to enhanced formation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets within 6 days. Thus, these cell lines are capable of bipotential differentiation and should serve as an excellent tool to study the molecular mechanisms that regulate and select for osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation in humans.
A General Tool for the Design and Analysis of Stressed Optic Polishing

SigFit, a general tool for the design and analysis of stressed optic polishing is presented. SigFit will determine the number, location, and stroke magnitude for actuators for minimum surface error.
Impact of landspread sewage sludge and earthworm introduction on established earthworms and soil structure

Sewage sludge was applied to twelve 4-m2 plots in two forest (mixed hardwood, Norway spruce plantation) site and one old field site. The earthworm Eisenia fetida was introduced to half the control and half the treated plots. Earthworm populations were sampled by formalin extraction and hand-sorting five times in the year following treatment. One year after treatment, soil samples were wet-sieved and water-stable aggregate size-class arrays were determined.
Perturbation Training Can Reduce Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Annual Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicated that a single session of repeated-slip exposure can reduce over 40% of laboratory-induced falls among older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree such perturbation training translated to the reduction of older adults' annual falls risk in their everyday living. METHODS: Two hundred and twelve community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years old) were randomly assigned to either the training group (N = 109), who then were exposed to 24 unannounced repeated slips, or the control group (N = 103), who merely experienced one slip during the same walking in the same protective laboratory environment. We recorded their falls in the preceding year (through self-reported history) and during the next 12 months (through falls diary and monitored with phone calls). RESULTS: With this single session of repeated-slip exposure, training cut older adults' annual risk of falls by 50% (from 34% to 15%, p CONCLUSION: A single session of repeated-slip exposure could improve community-dwelling older adults' resilience to postural disturbances and, hence, significantly reduce their annual risk of falls. Language: en
Quality by Design: Concepts for ANDAs

Quality by design is an essential part of the modern approach to pharmaceutical quality. There is much confusion among pharmaceutical scientists in generic drug industry about the appropriate element and terminology of quality by design. This paper discusses quality by design for generic drugs and presents a summary of the key terminology. The elements of quality by design are examined and a consistent nomenclature for quality by design, critical quality attribute, critical process parameter, critical material attribute, and control strategy is proposed. Agreement on these key concepts will allow discussion of the application of these concepts to abbreviated new drug applications to progress.
Etiological diagnosis of bilateral, sensorineural hearing impairment in a pediatric Greek population

Early diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of childhood deafness are essential for a child's normal growth. Etiological diagnosis of hearing loss makes prevention, family scheduling and more effective therapy feasible goals. Etiological assessment of sensorineural deafness still remains difficult although recently with the progress of genetics it has become more efficient. In this retrospective study, the etiology of bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss with indication for hearing aids has been studied in 153 hearing impaired children. Etiological diagnosis was based on family and patient record, physical, audiological and laboratory examinations. Among the 94 children who completed the diagnostic protocol etiological groups revealed the following distribution: non-hereditary acquired hearing impairment was present in 36 children (38%) and hereditary was present in 44 (47%) children. The etiology remained unknown in 14 (15%) children. Non-syndromic autosomal dominant type accounted for 13 (29% of hereditary hearing loss) children, non-syndromic autosomal recessive type for 21 (48%) children and syndromic deafness for 10 (23%) children. Modern diagnostic methods, such as genetic testing, help diminish the number of cases with hearing impairment of unknown etiology, for the benefit of children who receive early and appropriate medical, audiologic, genetic and educational counseling based on the etiology of their hearing loss.
Protein kinase C-ε protects MCF-7 cells from TNF-mediated cell death by inhibiting Bax translocation

We have previously shown that protein kinase Ce (PKCe) acts as an antiapoptotic protein and protects breast cancer MCF-7 cells from tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-mediated apoptosis. In the present study, we have investigated the mechanism by which PKCe inhibits TNF-induced cell death. Overexpression of wild-type PKCe (WT-PKCe) in MCF-7 cells decreased TNF-induced mitochondrial depolarization. Depletion of Bax by small interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated TNF-induced cell death. Overexpression of PKCe in MCF-7 cells decreased dimerization of Bax and its translocation to the mitochondria. Knockdown of PKCe using siRNA induced Bax dimerization and mitochondrial translocation. PKCe was coimmunoprecipitated with Bax in MCF-7 cells. These results suggest that PKCe mediates its antiapoptotic effect partly by preventing activation and translocation of Bax to the mitochondria.
Deuterated methane observed on saturn.

The detection of CH3D in the 5-micron spectrum of Saturn, as obtained by a Fourier transform spectrometer, is reported. A CH3D abundance of 2.6 plus or minus 0.8 centimeter-amagat has been found along with a temperature of 175 plus or minus 30 K for the mean level of spectroscopic line formation. This suggests that the observed flux is due to thermal radiation from relatively deep levels within the atmosphere. This CH3D abundance indicates a deuterium/hydrogen ratio of approximately 2 x 10 to the -5th power, which is of a magnitude similar to that of Jupiter. This value is considerably lower than the terrestrial and meteoritic value of 15 x 10 to the -5th power. If stellar processing of the deuterium that formed the solar system is minimal, this ratio may be representative of the primordial ratio at the time of the formation of the universe.
SLIC: Statistical learning in chip

Despite best efforts, integrated systems are “born” (manufactured) with a unique ‘personality’ that stems from our inability to precisely fabricate their underlying circuits, and create software a priori for controlling the resulting uncertainty. It is possible to use sophisticated test methods to identify the best-performing systems but this would result in unacceptable yields and correspondingly high costs. The system personality is further shaped by its environment (e.g., temperature, noise and supply voltage) and usage (i.e., the frequency and type of applications executed), and since both can fluctuate over time, so can the system's personality. Systems also “grow old” and degrade due to various wear-out mechanisms (e.g., negative-bias temperature instability), and unexpectedly due to various early-life failure sources. These “nature and nurture” influences make it extremely difficult to design a system that will operate optimally for all possible personalities. To address this challenge, we propose to develop statistical learning in-chip (SLIC). SLIC is a holistic approach to integrated system design based on continuously learning key personality traits on-line, for self-evolving a system to a state that optimizes performance hierarchically across the circuit, platform, and application levels. SLIC will not only optimize integrated-system performance but also reduce costs through yield enhancement since systems that would have before been deemed to have weak personalities (unreliable, faulty, etc.) can now be recovered through the use of SLIC.
Central effects of aldosterone infused into the rat subcommissural organ region.

Abstract d -Aldosterone (5 ng/μl/h) was infused for 6 days into the region of the subcommissural organ (SCO) of conscious, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Aldosterone increased urinary sodium loss and the sodium/potassium ratio. Although probably central in origin, these effects still occurred when cannulae were displaced up to 1 mm from the targeted SCO placement. Aldosterone decreased adrenal medullary cross-sectional area without affecting cell density. This effect was highly dependent on proper cannula placement and was not observed when the cannula tip was not in contact with the cerebrospinal fluid of the pineal recess over the rostral two-thirds of the SCO. We conclude that aldosterone increases sodium excretion by an action in the SCO and/or adjacent structures. We also postulate a negative trophic relationship between mineralocorticoids and the adrenal medulla mediated by the SCO.
Architecture description language (ADL)-driven software toolkit generation for architectural exploration of programmable SOCs

Advances in semiconductor technology permit increasingly complex applications to be realized using programmable systems-on-chips (SOCs). Furthermore, shrinking time-to-market demands, coupled with the need for product versioning through software modification of SOC platforms, have led to a significant increase in the software content of these SOCs. However, designer productivity is greatly hampered by the lack of automated software generation tools for the exploration and evaluation of different architectural configurations. Traditional hardware-software codesign flows do not support effective exploration and customization of the embedded processors used in programmable SOCs. The inherently application-specific nature of embedded processors and the stringent area, power, and performance constraints in embedded systems design critically require a fast and automated architecture exploration methodology. Architecture description language (ADL)-Driven design space exploration and software toolkit generation strategies present a viable solution to this problem, providing a systematic mechanism for a top-down design and validation of complex systems. The heart of this approach lies in the ability to automatically generate a software toolkit that includes an architecture-sensitive compiler, a cycle-accurate simulator, assembler, debugger, and verification/validation tools. This article illustrates a software toolkit generation methodology using the EXPRESSION ADL. Our exploration studies demonstrate the need for and usefulness of this approach, using as an example the problem of compiler-in-the-loop design space exploration of reduced instruction-set embedded processor architectures.