cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Administration of FTY720 during Tourniquet-Induced Limb Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Attenuates Systemic Inflammation.

Acute ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of the extremities leads to local and systemic inflammatory changes which can hinder limb function and can be life threatening. This study examined whether the administration of the T-cell sequestration agent, FTY720, following hind limb tourniquet-induced skeletal muscle IRI in a rat model would attenuate systemic inflammation and multiple end organ injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 1 hr of ischemia via application of a rubber band tourniquet. Animals were randomized to receive an intravenous bolus of either vehicle control or FTY720 15 min after band placement. Rats ( /time point) were euthanized at 6, 24, and 72 hr post-IRI. Peripheral blood as well as lung, liver, kidney, and ischemic muscle tissue was analyzed and compared between groups. FTY720 treatment markedly decreased the number of peripheral blood T cells ( ) resulting in a decreased systemic inflammatory response and lower serum creatinine levels and had a modest but significant effect in decreasing the transcription of injury-associated target genes in multiple end organs. These findings suggest that early intervention with FTY720 may benefit the treatment of IRI of the limb. Further preclinical studies are necessary to characterize the short-term and long-term beneficial effects of FTY720 following tourniquet-induced IRI.
Dynamical Insights into Extreme Short-Term Precipitation Associated with Supercells and Mesovortices

AbstractIn some prominent extreme precipitation and flash flood events, radar and rain gauge observations have suggested that the heaviest short-term rainfall accumulations (up to 177 mm h−1) were ...
Principle of Proton Imaging

The energy sensitive detection of the signal is highly important for temporally resolved images. The proton beam usually has a broad and continuous energy distribution—but the energetic protons are all accelerated within 1–2 ps [5, 11, 12, 13, 14]. Starting at nearly the same time from the target, they reach the interaction target at different times. Fast (higher energetic) protons reach the object to probe earlier than slower (less energetic) protons. Hence, every exposed layer contains information of different times. The film stacks allow series of temporal snapshots, whereas the number of the exposed layers depends on the maximum energy of the proton beam. With proton energies up to 2–4 MeV, as in the present experiments at the MBI, only one or two snapshots can be recorded. For these reasons a new detecting method was applied. For the first time multi-channel plate technology was used for the specific purpose of proton imaging.
Self-Limited and Forming-Free CBRAM Device With Double Al 2 O 3 ALD Layers

Self-limited and forming-free Cu-based CBRAM devices with a double Al2O3 atomic layer deposition layer (D-ALD) structure were developed. The proposed structure offers desirable properties such as forming free ( ${V}_{\textsf {forming}}={V}_{\textsf {SET}}$ ), self-limited resistive switching with very low programming current ~10 nA), high ON/ OFF ratio (> 100), and nonlinear ${I}$ – ${V}$ (NL $_{\textsf {read}}$ and NL $_{\textsf {SET}}$ ~ 10) at low resistance state. The outstanding performance of D-ALD devices was due to the HT-ALD layer that operates as both a diffusion barrier preventing over injection of Cu ions and a tunneling barrier enabling self-limited programming.
Chronicle of Designing a Game-Based Learning Platform

Our phenomenological examination of learning game design is situated in a four-year, longitudinal design-based research project that encompasses iterative design processes to develop, refine, and study a game-based learning platform called E-Rebuild. This chapter presents an introductory overview of the four facets of the interdisciplinary educational game design—interdisciplinary collaboration, learning-play integration, integrative task and assessment design, and game-based learning support. We then provide a design chronicle of E-Rebuild as the key setting of the phenomenon examined, by explaining its iterative design, testing, and refining processes. The authors’ researcher positionality and reflective summaries of design experiences are presented as well.
BRICS: Blockchain-based Resilient Information Control System

This paper introduces a system for providing integrity, authenticity, and privacy of data transactions for resource-limited Internet of Things (IoT) smart devices using blockchain (BC) and Multi-Party Computation (MPC). In particular, we introduce two mechanisms: one provides privacy and integrity protections on the data being collected by the smart devices, such as medical records or diagnostic data, and the other provides authenticity and integrity of data going into the smart devices, such as software updates. Our experimental results indicate that our proposed mechanisms incur small overhead in terms of storage, communication, and computation, indicating their feasibility to IoT devices with limited storage, computational, and communicational capabilities.
Comparing provider and patient views of issues for low-resourced breast cancer patients.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare provider and patient views from the same clinical settings on issues raised by low-socioeconomic status (SES) breast cancer survivors. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews among two groups: low-SES breast cancer survivors (n = 37) and medical personnel (ie, physicians, nurses, and navigators; n = 8) who interact and serve with these patients from two geographically distinct low-resourced clinical settings. These semistructured qualitative interviews used grounded theory to identify several potential themes, such as finances, resources, and medical care. Transcripts were coded and summarized into themes. Results We analyzed each type of interview data separately then compared patient and provider perspectives. From these qualitative interviews, we discovered that low-SES breast cancer survivors reported many unmet needs, including transportation, housing, health literacy, and language, among others. Providers reported that many of these needs are served by the extensive network of supports surrounding these patients. Conclusions These results illustrate that low-SES breast cancer survivors have unique needs that differ from other breast cancer survivors. Many providers feel that these needs are being met, but patients have more diverse experiences. By better addressing the links between resource needs and low-SES breast cancer survivors, quality of life can be improved.
Assessment Models that Integrate Theory and Best Practice

A great deal of criticism has been leveled at the notion of “teaching to the test”. A new paradigm for assessment challenges this criticism. If the test is an authentic representation of valued goals and objectives, if it accurately reflects and assesses outcomes such as thinking, problem-solving, and communication, then “teaching to the test” would mirror the teaching of important goals and objectives. In essence, assessment and instruction would be integrated. This is an immense challenge for science education students who may not have experienced alternative forms of assessment as an integral part of their instruction. The model presented is one in which assessment measures are more authentic, relevant, and integrated with instruction than traditional methods. The model presents a way for implementing alternative assessments within a teacher education program. When science education students are assessed with performance tasks, they are demonstrating scientific knowledge and skills that they will be responsible for teaching to their own students. The infusion of portfolios as requirements for individual courses or as part of the teacher certification program gives students an opportunity to show what they know and can do within the context of their individual experiences. Through modeling best assessment practice, we teach prospective teachers to use a variety of assessment strategies that accurately reflect student learning. Changing assessment will not happen overnight. However, gradual infusion of avariety of assessment strategies into teacher preparation programs will better reflect the variety ofinstructional techniques that are currently used. Through these efforts, our students will be better prepared to help tomorrow’s students.
A biomimetic 2D transistor for audiomorphic computing.

In this article, we introduce a biomimetic audiomorphic device that captures the neurobiological architecture and computational map inside the auditory cortex of barn owl known for its exceptional hunting ability in complete darkness using auditory cues. The device consists of multiple split-gates with nanogaps on a semiconducting MoS2 channel connected to the source/drain contacts for imitating the spatial map of coincidence detector neurons and tunable RC circuits for imitating the interaural time delay neurons following the Jeffress model of sound localization. Furthermore, we use global back-gating capability to demonstrate neuroplasticity to capture behavioral and/or adaptation related changes in the barn owl. Finally, the virtual source model for current transport is combined with finite element COMSOL multiphysics simulations to explain and project the performance of the biomimetic audiomorphic device. We find that the precision of the biomimetic device can supersede the barn owl by orders of magnitude. Biomimetic audiomorphic functionalities can be implemented in solid-state devices including 2D materials. Here, the authors fabricate a device based on multiple split gates with nano-gaps on a single semiconducting MoS2 channel that captures the neurobiological architecture and computational map inside the auditory cortex of barn owl.
Joint Optimization of Plant, Controller, and Sensor/Actuator Design

This paper presents a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) framework for selecting sensor and actuator precision jointly with the determination of control law and free structure parameters. The sub-optimal solution of this non-convex system design problem is found by iterating over an approximated convex problem through the use of a convexifying potential function which enables convergence to a local minimum. The authors believe this is the first time an integrated approach combining structure design, control law, and information architecture is developed to further advance the theory of system-level design optimization.
Acute Limb Ischemia as Sole Initial Manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Abstract We present the case of a patient with acute upper limb ischemia as the sole initial manifestation of severe acute respiratory syndrome associated with coronavirus disease 2 infection, without concomitant respiratory symptoms or pneumonia. Viral infection presumably precipitated the patient's thromboembolic event, causing multifocal vascular occlusions. This case illustrates that coronavirus disease-19 must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with signs or symptoms of coagulopathy, even in the absence of respiratory symptoms. We believe that an awareness of the variety of clinical presentations in patients with coronavirus disease-19, particularly extrapulmonary manifestations, is critical for optimal patient management as well as implementation of appropriate infection prevention measures.
Latinx Students Charting Their Own STEM Pathways: How Community Cultural Wealth Informs Their STEM Identities.

Addressing Latinx student underrepresentation in STEM requires an assets-based reimagining of STEM experiences and pathways that facilitate student success. Drawing on data from two qualitative stu...
Evaluation of two thioesterases from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: Relationship to wax ester production

The biosynthesis of lipid-based biofuels is an important aspect of developing sustainable alternatives to conventional oils derived from fossil fuel reserves. Many biosynthetic approaches to biodiesel fuels and oils involve fatty acid derivatives as a precursor, and thioesterases have been employed in various strategies to increase fatty acid pools. Thioesterases liberate fatty acids from fatty acyl-coenzyme A or fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein substrates. The role played by thioesterases has not been extensively studied in model bacteria that accumulate elevated levels of biological oils based on fatty acid precursors. In this report, two primary thioesterases from the wax ester accumulating bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 were heterologously expressed, isolated and characterized. These genes were further analyzed at the transcriptional level in the native bacterium during wax ester accumulation, and their genes were disrupted to determine the effect these changes had on wax ester levels. Combined, these results indicate that these two thioesterases do not play an integral role in wax ester accumulation in this natural lipid-accumulating model bacterium.
Association between social determinants of health and olfactory function: a scoping review

BACKGROUND Social determinants of health (SDoH) include the socioeconomic, demographic, and social conditions that influence differences in health status among individuals and groups. The impact of these conditions on olfactory function remains poorly understood. In this scoping review, we systematically review the available literature to synthesize the association between SDoH and olfactory function. METHODS In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, we performed systematic search queries in PubMed, Embase, and Ovid databases and categorized articles according to themes that emerged regarding SDoH. The primary outcomes included self-reported and objective measurements of smell. RESULTS We identified 722 unique references that underwent title and abstract review by two independent reviewers, with 70 articles undergoing full-text review and 57 relevant for data extraction. Six themes emerged in our review, under which we categorized the studies and synthesized respective associations with olfactory function. These include studies exploring socioeconomic status (n = 19, 33%), education status (n = 27, 47%), occupational exposures (n = 26, 46%), racial/ethnic disparities (n = 12, 21%), and lifestyle/behavioral factors (n = 33, 58%). CONCLUSIONS Within the context of this scoping review, olfactory dysfunction is significantly more prevalent in patients with lower socioeconomic status, exposure to environmental and occupational toxins, and of minority race/ethnicity, whereas the associations between olfactory dysfunction and education level and lifestyle factors such as smoking and drinking seem to be much more elusive. This review highlights the importance of accounting for SDoH in observational studies examining olfactory outcomes. Given the increased awareness of olfactory loss, special consideration should be given to understanding olfactory dysfunction in the context of these factors.
For Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Who Are Taking a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, an SGLT2 Inhibitor May Be Preferred to a Sulfonylurea as Add-on Therapy.

This propensity score–matched analysis (not funded by industry) concluded that an SGLT2 inhibitor is preferred over a sulfonylurea for patients with type 2 diabetes who are already taking a GLP-1 receptor agonist, with favorable effects on the likelihood of hospitalization for myocardial infarction and heart failure, and all-cause mortality.
Afferent and Efferent Relationships of the Basal Ganglia

A survey of the known circuitry of the basal ganglia leads to the following conclusions. (1) No complete account can yet be given of the neural pathways by which the basal ganglia affect the bulbospinal motor apparatus. Channels of exit from the basal ganglia originate from the internal pallidal segment, the pars reticulata of the substantia nigra, and the subthalamic nucleus, and each of these is directed in part rostrally to the cerebral cortex by way of the thalamus, in part caudally to the midbrain. The postsynaptic extension of the mesencephalic channels to bulbar and spinal motor neurons is largely unknown. Since the ascending channels are collectively of greatest volume, the notion remains plausible that the basal ganglia act in considerable part by modulating motor mechanisms of the cortex. (2) Recent findings in the rat suggest that the striatum is subdivided into a ventromedial, limbic system-afferented region and a dorsolateral, 'non-limbic' region largely corresponding to the main distribution of corticostriatal fibres from the motor cortex. These two subdivisions appear to give rise to different striatofugal lines, the outflow from the limbic-afferented sector partly re-entering the circuitry of the limbic system. (3) The limbic-afferented striatal sector suggests itself as an interface between the motivational and the more strictly motor aspects of movement. This suggestion is strengthened by evidence that the 'limbic striatum' seems enabled by its striatonigral efferents to modulate not only the source of its own dopamine innervation but also that of a large additional striatal region.
Characterization of Regional Pulmonary Mechanics from Serial MRI Data

We describe a method for quantification of lung motion from the registration of successive images in serial MR acquisitions during normal respiration. MR quantification of pulmonary motion enables in vivo assessment of parenchymal mechanics within the lung in order to assist disease diagnosis or treatment monitoring. Specifically, we obtain estimates of pulmonary motion by summing the normalized cross-correlation over the lung images to identify corresponding locations between the images. The normalized correlation is robust to linear intensity distortions in the image acquisition, which may occur as a consequence of changes in average proton density resulting from changes in lung volume during the respiratory cycle. The estimated motions correspond to deformations of an elastic body and reflect to a first order approximation the true physical behavior of lung parenchyma. The method is validated on a serial MRI study of the lung, for which breath-hold images were acquired of a healthy volunteer at different phases of the respiratory cycle.
A Review of Sexual Wisdom

The book Sexual Wisdom is designed to be a workbook that will help readers to understand how they view a variety of sexuality related issues, and how these issues may affect their lives. This review includes strengths and weaknesses that educators may want to be aware of when deciding whether or not to use the book in a variety of educational settings.
GIR with language modeling and DFR using Terrier

This paper reports on additional experiments in the Monolingual English, German and Portuguese collections tasks to those described in CLEF2008 Working Notes. Experiments were performed using the language modeling approach and the Divergence From Randomness (DFR) InL2 model as implemented in Terrier (TERabyte RetrIEveR) version 2.1. The main purpose was twofold: 1) to compare these approaches to determine their impact on performance retrieval and 2) to compare results from these experiments with the results generated in the first set of experiments to determine whether query expansion and the presence or absence of diacritic marks have an impact on performance retrieval. The stopword list provided by Terrier was used to index all the collections. We removed diacritic marks from the topics and collections for German and Portuguese before indexing and retrieval. Topics were processed automatically and the query tags specified were the title and the description. Query expansion was included using the 20 top ranked documents and 40 terms. These parameters were selected arbitrarily. Results show that the DFR InL2 model outperformed language modeling for all the languages. Results of the new experiments with query expansion show an improvement in performance retrieval for all the languages. They also suggest that removing diacritic marks may also have an impact in the case of German and Portuguese.
Isotopic labeling and EPR spectroscopy show that a tyrosine residue is the terminal electron donor, Z, in manganese-depleted photosystem II preparations.

Photosystem II contains two redox active species, D and Z, which in the oxidized and paramagnetic form give rise to similar EPR signals. Both signals are broadened by anisotropic interactions and show no well-resolved hyperfine splittings, even at room temperature. D+ is a dark stable radical of unknown function. Z, on the other hand, acts as the intermediate electron carrier between the primary chlorophyll donor and the manganese catalytic site. In manganese-depleted photosystem II preparations, where Z+ is the terminal electron donor, the Z+ EPR signal can be easily detected. Isotopic labeling of intact cells of Synechocystis 6803 and EPR spectroscopy were used to demonstrate that D+ is a tyrosine radical (Barry, B.A., and Babcock, G. T. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 7099-7103). However, since the Z+ signal is not observable in intact cyanobacterial cells, a definitive assignment of the Z redox active species has not yet been performed. Here, we describe the use of a purified photosystem II preparation to assign the Z+ EPR signal to a neutral tyrosine radical. Further, a comparison of the Z+ and D+ EPR lineshapes in deuterated samples shows that there are slight differences between the two signals. These alterations may be caused by differences in the protein environments of the D+ and Z+ radicals.
Tissue transglutaminase differentially modulates apoptosis in a stimuli-dependent manner

Tissue transglutaminase is a unique member of the transglutaminase family as it not only catalyzes a transamidating reaction, but also binds and hydrolyzes GTP and ATP. Tissue transglutaminase has been reported to be pro-apoptotic, however, conclusive evidence is still lacking. To elucidate the role of tissue transglutaminase in the apoptotic process human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were stably transfected with vector only (SH/pcDNA), wild-type tissue transglutaminase (SH/tTG) and tissue transglutaminase that has no transamidating activity but retains its other functions (SH/C277S). In these studies three different apoptotic stimuli were used osmotic stress, staurosporine treatment and heat shock to delineate the role of tissue transglutaminase as a transamidating enzyme in the apoptotic process. In SH/tTG cells, osmotic stress and staurosporine treatments resulted in significantly greater caspase-3 activation and apoptotic nuclear changes then in SH/pcDNA or SH/C277S cells. This potentiation of apoptosis in SH/tTG cells was concomitant with a significant increase in the in situ transamidating activity of tissue transglutaminase. However, in the heat shock paradigm, which did not result in any increase in the transamidating activity in SH/tTG cells, there was a significant attenuation of caspase-3 activity, LDH release and apoptotic chromatin condensation in SH/tTG and SH/C277S cells compared with SH/pcDNA cells. These findings indicate for the first time that the effect of tissue transglutaminase on the apoptotic process is highly dependent on the type of the stimuli and how the transamidating activity of the enzyme is affected. Tissue transglutaminase facilitates apoptosis in response to stressors that result in an increase in the transamidating activity of the enzyme. However, when the stressors do not result in an increase in the transamidating activity of tissue transglutaminase, than tissue transglutaminase can ameliorate the apoptotic response through a mechanism that is independent of its transamidating function. Further, neither the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway nor the extracellular-regulated kinase pathway is downstream of the modulatory effects of wild-type tissue transglutaminase or C277S-tissue transglutaminase in the apoptotic cascade.
Simulating a Multi-Stage Screening Network: A Queueing Theory and Game Theory Application

Simulation is widely used to study model for balancing congestion and security of a screening system. Security network is realistic and used in practice, but it is complex to analyze, especially when facing strategic applicants. To our best knowledge, no previous work has been done on a multi-stage security screening network using game theory and queueing theory. This research fills this gap by using simulation. For multi-stage screening, the method to determine the optimal screening probabilities in each stage is critical. Potential applicants may have access to information such as screening policy and other applicants’ behaviors to adjust their application strategies. We use queueing theory and game theory to study the waiting time and the strategic interactions between the approver and the applicants. Arena simulation software is used to build the screening system with three major components: arrival process, screening process, and departure process. We use Matlab Graphic User Interface (GUI) to collect user inputs, then export data through Excel for Arena simulation, and finally export simulation from the results of the Arena to Matlab for analysis and visualization. This research provides some new insights to security screening problems.
Polarized crystal-field spectra of micro particles of the moon

The instrumentation used in the investigation is considered, giving attention also to a block diagram of the apparatus used for measuring crystal-field spectra. The basic object of the studies was to identify the states of transition elements in lunar crystals in order to obtain information on the chemistry of their crystallization history. After spectral measurements were obtained, the crystals were analyzed for major and minor elements using the electron microprobe. Mineral spectra are considered, giving attention to pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, and lunar glasses.
Immunologic priming with recombinant hepatitis A virus capsid proteins produced in Escherichia coli.

Hepatitis A virus capsid proteins (VP0, VP3, and VP1) have been synthesized in Escherichia coli for use in antigenic and immunogenic analyses. Rabbits immunized with each of these individual recombinant capsid proteins developed a rapid neutralizing antibody response when subsequently challenged with a subimmunogenic dose of whole virus. Images
On the depletion of Antarctic ozone

Recent observations by Farman et al.1 reveal remarkable depletions in the total atmospheric ozone content in Antarctica. The observed total ozone decreased smoothly during the period from about 1975 to the present, but only in the spring season. The observed ozone content at Halley Bay was ∼30% lower in the Antarctic spring seasons (October) of 1980–84 than in the springs of 1957–73. No such obvious perturbation is observable in other seasons, or at other than the very highest latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, and the magnitude of the observed change there far exceeds climatological variability2. We present here balloonsonde ozone data3,4 which show that these ozone changes are largely confined to the region from about 10 to 20 km, during the period August to October. We show that homogeneous (gas phase) chemistry as presently understood cannot explain these observed depletions. On the other hand, a unique feature of the Antarctic lower stratosphere is its high frequency of polar stratospheric clouds5, providing a reaction site for heterogeneous reactions. A heterogeneous reaction between HCl and ClONO2 is explored as a possible mechanism to explain the ozone observations. This process produces changes in ozone that are consistent with the observations, and its implications for the behaviour of HNO3 and NO2 in the Antarctic stratosphere are consistent with observations of those species there, providing an important check on the proposed mechanism. Similar ozone changes are obtained with another possible heterogeneous reaction, H2O + ClONO2.
Cell-specific Cre-mediated activation of the diphtheria toxin gene in pituitary tumor cells: potential for cytotoxic gene therapy.

Diphtheria toxin has been suggested for the treatment of malignant cancer. In this paper, we describe a strategy for targeting the expression of the diphtheria toxin gene to growth hormone (GH)-pro...
Abstract ED1-1: The role of informatics in translational research: The interplay of epidemiology, clinical studies, and discovery research

Whilst drug discovery costs are increasing, the number of successful new drugs is decreasing. Lack of efficacy, toxicology and commercial reasons are the main reasons why drugs are discontinued. Further, there is an ever growing demand to demonstrate safety and comparative effectiveness to payers, regulatory agencies and patients. A range of computational, data driven translational approaches provide new opportunities for improving drug discovery, development and utilization. Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(7 Suppl):ED1-1
A static SIMS study of the chemisorption of CO on Ni(111)

Abstract SIMS spectra were obtained for CO adsorbed on Ni(100) at 300 K and on Ni(111) at 300 and 185 K. Changes in ion yield ratios with CO coverage are shown to correlate with various surface structures observed by LEED and vibrational spectroscopy. For example, there is a dramatic decrease in the NiCO+/Ni+ ratio for CO on Ni(111) at 185 K at exposures corresponding to the coverage where CO molecules shift from threefold to twofold bridged sites and where the onset of the ( 3 × 3 )R30° LEED structure is observed. It is suggested that cluster formation is a very complex process. Thus it is not possible to make simple correlations between Ni2CO+ and bridge-bonded CO and NiCO+ and linear bonded CO, even though the yields of these species are influenced by the surface structure.
Toward Clarification of Program Evaluation: A Proposal with Implications for the Possible Certification of Evaluators

Recent attention to the topic of the possible certification of evaluators highlights several of the central problems facing the field. Controversies exist regarding the purposes and methods of evaluation. Indeed, there is no generally accepted definition of the term evaluation. Such problems would make it very difficult to formulate criteria for certification, if that step is taken eventually. Some plausible procedures are described for classifying different approaches to evaluation, and for subsequent elaboration in terms of philosophical foundations, theory, definitions, purposes, methodology, and ethical guidelines for each major category or cluster of categories. Such work could act as the foundation for subsequent efforts on certification and, in any case, would be enlightening about the current state and potential future directions of evaluation.
The moderating effects of external monitors on the relationship between R&D spending and firm performance

Abstract We examine the nature and significance of the moderating effects of three sources of external monitoring (independent outside board members, institutional investors, and securities analysts) on the relationship between R&D spending and firm performance. We propose that these external monitors can affect either the form or the strength of the relationship between R&D spending and performance. Results showed that while institutional investors moderate the form of the R&D spending–performance relationship, independent outside board members influence the strength of that relationship. While we found evidence securities analysts have a direct impact on firm performance, they do not moderate the R&D spending–performance relationship.
Critical currents of BiSrCaCuoxide superconductors

Abstract High-T c superconducting oxides are known for their highly anisotropic structures and low critical current densities in random polycrystalline samples although single crystals and oriented thin films with current flowing in the a-b plane have demonstrated much higher critical current density. In the case of BiSrCaCuoxide system, only the 2212 polytypoid has been successfully prepared in single crystal form. Thus we are motivated to pursue critical current measurements on single-phase 2212 and 2223 BSCCO samples with strong preferred orientations along the c-axis which was achieved through uniaxial compression. Both transport and DC magnetization critical current measurements have been performed on the samples. Magnetization measurements have been made over a field range of O–5T with the field applied parallel to the c-axis. Transport current was measured at 77K. The experimental data will be discussed.
The Join Ca2SiO4‐CaMgSiO4

New data obtained on the join Ca2SiO4-CaMgSiO4 established a limit of crystalline solubility of Mg in α-Ca2SiO4 corresponding to the composition Ca1.90Mg0.10SiO4 at 1575°C. The α-α’Ca2SiO4 inversion temperature is lowered from 1447° to 1400°C by Mg substitution in the lattice. α'-Ca2SiO4 takes Mg into its lattice up to the composition Ca1.94Mg0.06SiO4 at 1400°C and to Ca1.96Mg0.04SiO4 at 900°C. A new phase (T) reported previously by Gutt, with the approximate composition Ca1.70Mg0.30SiO4, was stable between 979° and 1381°C, and should be stable at liquidus temperatures in multicomponent systems involving CaO–MgO–SiO2.
Case Report: Bifid Iliopsoas Tendon Causing Refractory Internal Snapping Hip

Background Treatment of painful internal snapping hip (coxa saltans) via arthroscopic lengthening or release of the iliopsoas tendon is becoming preferred over open techniques because of the benefits of minimal dissection, the ability to address concomitant intraarticular disorders, and a low complication rate. Persistent snapping after release is uncommon, especially when performed arthroscopically. Reported causes include incomplete release, intraarticular disorders, and incorrect diagnosis. Anatomic variants are not discussed in the orthopaedic literature.
Metabolic activation of the N-hydroxy derivative of the carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl by human tissue sulfotransferases

The role of human sulfotransferase(s) in the bioactivation of the N-hydroxy (N-OH) metabolite of the human bladder carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP) was investigated in vitro with human tissue cytosols. Using an enzymatic assay consisting of a PAPS-regenerating system, [3H]N-OH-ABP, calf thymus DNA and tissue cytosols, the sulfotransferase-mediated metabolic activation of N-OH-ABP was determined as the PAPS-dependent covalent binding of the N-OH substrate to DNA. With cytosols prepared from various tissues, we found that the sulfotransferase(s) in human liver, and to a lesser extent colon, can readily metabolize N-OH-ABP. No PAPS-dependent metabolic activation was detected with cytosols prepared from human pancreas or from the carcinogen target tissue, the urinary bladder epithelium. The N-OH-ABP sulfotransferase activities of liver and colon cytosols from different individuals were highly correlated with their thermostable phenol sulfotransferase (TS-PST) activity (liver, r = 0.99, P < 0.01; colon, r = 0.88, P < 0.01), but not with activities for the thermolabile phenol sulfotransferase (TL-PST; liver, r = 0.29; colon, r = 0.53), or for the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (DHEA-ST; liver, r = 0.32; colon, negligible activity). N-OH-ABP sulfotransferase activity was highly sensitive to inhibition by a selective TS-PST inhibitor, 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (IC50 = 0.7 microM), and by p-nitrophenol, but was unaffected by competitive inhibitors of TL-PST (dopamine) or DHEA-ST (DHEA, DHEA-sulfate). The N-OH-ABP sulfotransferase activity also exhibited thermostability properties similar to that of the TS-PST. From these data, we conclude that human liver TS-PST but not TL-PST or DHEA-ST can metabolically activate the proximate human carcinogen N-OH-ABP to a reactive sulfuric acid ester intermediate that binds covalently to DNA. In addition, in view of the putative role of N-OH-ABP as a major transport form of the carcinogen to the urinary bladder and of the absence of sulfotransferase activity in this tissue, we hypothesize that sulfotransferase activation in the liver may actually decrease the bioavailability of N-OH-ABP toward extrahepatic tissues and thus serve as an important overall detoxification mechanism for the urinary bladder.
A broad-host-range shuttle system for gene insertion into the chromosomes of gram-negative bacteria

A deletion derivative of transposon Tn7 containing the Escherichia coli lacZY genes as a selectable marker for insertion of foreign DNA into the chromosomes of soil bacteria was improved to facilitate the cloning of additional genes and their insertion by this element. This report describes a series of plasmid vectors that enable this cloning to be carried out in small, high-copy, narrow host-range plasmids. The final Tn element can then be easily moved (by transposition) without further use of restriction enzymes, to plasmids suitable for delivering it to the bacterial chromosome. The very high specificity for insertion of Tn7 into single locations in bacterial chromosomes has been exploited in the construction of a shuttle system for delivering these Tn7 elements.
The rat histone H1d gene has intragenic activating sequences that are absent from the testis-specific variant H1t

Abstract In some cases core histone genes in the mouse depend on intragenic sequence elements for high level expression [Gene 176 (1996) 1]. Here we report that the highly expressed gene for rat linker histone H1d also contains an intragenic activating region (IAR). Using transient transfection assays in mouse fibroblast NIH3T3 cells, we showed that rat H1d contains a downstream region (+21 to +116) that imparts a two- to threefold up-regulation of fused reporters. This region also activated expression when moved to the promoter region, though the effect was dependent on its distance from other promoter elements. The IAR contains sequence homologies to the core α and Ω elements identified as functional protein binding sites within the mouse H3.2 coding region activating sequence (CRAS). A pair of Ω elements (+32 and +66) accounts for the activating effect of the H1d intragenic region as shown by targeted mutations as well as stepwise deletions. The H1d and H3.2 Ω sequences bound similar and perhaps identical proteins by gel shift analysis. The H1d α-like sequence at +56 overlaps the translational start codon and was therefore not mutated. Like the mouse H3.2 α element, it bound transcription factor YY1 in gel shift assays. H1t , the gene for the testis-specific linker histone, did not demonstrate an IAR. While H1t has a similar α sequence and did bind YY1, it lacks the Ω homologies of H1d . Sequence comparison shows that the YY1/α site as well as the adjacent Ω site are likely present in genes for other standard H1 variants, but that the +32 Ω site in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of H1d is unique. We conclude that the +32 and +66 Ω sequences of the rat H1d gene contribute significantly to its high-level expression.
Relationship Between Reflective Disposition Toward Teaching and Effective Teaching

The author demonstrated that a reflective disposition toward teaching was related to effective teaching especially in the domains of instructional behavior, classroom organization, and teacher expectation. Data used to test the hypothesis were composed of reflective disposition scores earned by teacher candidates (N = 55) and effective teaching scores given teacher candidates by their field instructors. Reflective disposition consisted of 6 components: the composite of reflective disposition and the composite of effective teaching, reflection on what teachers should know and be able to do, reflection on teaching, reflection on learning, reflection on the relationship between learning and teaching, and reflection on what it would be like to be a teacher in the classroom. Effective teaching consisted of 5 components: the composite of effective teaching, classroom management, instructional behavior, classroom organization, and teacher expectations.
Fathers, doctors, and time.

This year, the anniversary of my father's death hurt more than ever. I began to wonder how often I appeared to the children of my seriously ill patients like the doctors who took care of my father ...
Anchoring effects in music: The resolution of dissonance

Abstract Most pieces of music induce in the listener a sense that some pitches sound consonant, stable, or final, while others sound more dissonant, unstable, or transient. A psychological account of the intuition that the dissonance of an unstable tone is sometimes “resolved” by following it by a stable tone that is close in pitch is provided. The perceived hierarchy differentiating tones on the basis of stability may be construed as a cognitive schema, which facilitates the encoding of some tones relative to others. A cognitive principle, melodic anchoring, which specifies the ordered relationships (between tones) that govern (i) the activation of one tonal schema over another and (ii) the assimilation or anchoring of unstable tones to the tonal schema once it has been activated is presented. In a forcedchoice paradigm, the principle is invoked to predict which chord is perceived to “underlie” a sequence that is tonally ambiguous in all respects except the ordered relationships between its tones. In a same-different task, subjects were presented with a pair of tonal sequences. When a stable tone was replaced by an unstable tone, more confusions occurred when the latter was anchored than when it was not. The accuracy advantage when the unstable tone was in the comparison as opposed to the standard sequence was lower when the unstable tone was anchored than when it was not. Finally, subjects rated how well a sequence and a chord sounded together. Melodies that contained an unstable tone were given higher ratings when the unstable tone was anchored than when it was not. Each paradigm was used to demonstrate first immediate and then delayed anchoring.
Repair and regeneration properties of Ginkgo biloba after ischemic brain injury.

The irretrievable fate of neurons dominated the neuroscience rhetoric for the first half of this century, a position that was fiercely contested and recently debunked by extensive studies carried out in the field of neuroregeneration research. The turning point came in the year 1928, when Ramon Y. Cajal's (Lobato, 2008) work suggested that the regenerative capacity of neurons, though limited, could exist beyond their physical being and depended on the environment surrounding them. That the manipulation of the restrictive environment surrounding the neuron could aid the regenerative process was conclusively established by Aguayo and colleagues (Richardson et al., 1980). Since then, various strategies have been employed to target the different phases of regeneration which include: cell-replacement and augmenting endogenous neurogenesis, the use of trophic factors, reversal of the inhibitory cues, and induction of signaling pathways that stimulate axon growth and guidance (Horner and Gage, 2000).
Fault-length statistics and implications of graben sets at Candor Mensa, Mars

Abstract The lengths of individual Martian grabens from three spatially and temporally distinct regional sets are analyzed by a two-dimensional window-sampling method. Length distributions are influenced by fault growth and coalescence processes, image resolution, window size and the post-faulting geologic history of the region. Cumulative length—frequency distributions can be linear for graben lengths between ∼ 30 and 100 km, with slopes (on the area plot) of −2, suggesting self-similar growth of the graben array. Post-faulting geologic processes contribute to concave cumulative-length distributions on the log—log plot, with curtailment and truncation biases producing strongly non-linear distributions for smaller and longer lengths, respectively. Recent evidence for a positive correlation between stratigraphic throw and graben length from analogous terrestrial grabens implies that the magnitudes of throw and extensional strain may also be dependent on relative position along the Martian grabens.
Portrayal of Alcohol Intoxication on YouTube

BACKGROUND: We aimed to characterize the content of leading YouTube videos related to alcohol intoxication and to examine factors associated with alcohol intoxication in videos that were assessed positively by viewers. METHODS: We systematically captured the 70 most relevant and popular videos on YouTube related to alcohol intoxication. We employed an iterative process to codebook development which resulted in 42 codes in 6 categories: video characteristics, character socio demographics, alcohol depiction, degree of alcohol use, characteristics associated with alcohol, and consequences of alcohol. RESULTS: There were a total of 333,246,875 views for all videos combined. While 89% of videos involved males, only 49% involved females. The videos had a median of 1,646 (interquartile range [IQR] 300 to 22,969) "like" designations and 33 (IQR 14 to 1,261) "dislike" designations each. Liquor was most frequently represented, followed by beer and then wine/champagne. Nearly one-half (44%) of videos contained a brand reference. Humor was juxtaposed with alcohol use in 79% of videos, and motor vehicle use was present in 24%. There were significantly more likes per dislike, indicating more positive sentiment, when there was representation of liquor (29.1 vs. 11.4, p = 0.008), brand references (32.1 vs. 19.2, p = 0.04), and/or physical attractiveness (67.5 vs. 17.8, p CONCLUSIONS: Internet videos depicting alcohol intoxication are heavily viewed. Nearly, half of these videos involve a brand-name reference. While these videos commonly juxtapose alcohol intoxication with characteristics such as humor and attractiveness, they infrequently depict negative clinical outcomes. The popularity of this site may provide an opportunity for public health intervention. Language: en
A comparison of Navier-Stokes solutions with the theoretical description of unsteady separation

Numerical solutions of the unsteady two–dimensional boundary–layer and Navier–Stokes equations are considered for the flow induced by a thick–core vortex above an infinite plane wall in an incompressible flow. Vortex–induced flows of this type generally involve unsteady separation, which results in an eruption of high–vorticity fluid within a narrow streamwise region. At high Reynolds numbers, the unsteady separation process is believed to pass through a series of asymptotic stages. The first stage is governed by the classical non–interactive boundary–layer equations, for which solutions are given, and terminate in the Van Dommelen singularity. As an eruption develops, the boundary layer thickens and provokes a viscous–inviscid interaction leading to the second stage of unsteady separation. The third stage occurs when the normal pressure gradient becomes important locally within the boundary layer. In order to identify these asymptotic stages at large, but finite, Reynolds numbers, solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations are obtained for the flow induced by a thick–core vortex. These results generally support this sequence of events; however, a large–scale viscous–inviscid interaction is found to begin at a time much earlier than allowed for by the asymptotic theory; that is it begins to occur prior to the formation of a spike within the boundary layer. Some consequences of these results on our understanding of unsteady separation are discussed.
A Tensor Product Generalized ADI Method for the Method of Planes

We consider solving separable, second order, linear elliptic prtial differential equations in three independent variables. If the partial differential opertor separates into two terms, one depending on x and y, and one depending on z, then we use the method of planes to obtain a discrete problem, which we write in tensor product from as We apply a new interative method, the tensor product generalized alternating direction implicit method, to solve the discrete problem. We study a specific implementation that uses Hermite bicubic collocation in the xy direction and symmetric finite differences in the z direction. We demostrate that this method is a fast and accurate way to solve the large linear systems arising from three-dimensional elliptic problems.