cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of cyclic AMP in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells by rolipram-sensitive cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase (PDE4)

Abstract We report here studies on the regulation of the metabolism of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) in established and primary cultures of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (RPMVEC). Inhibition by rolipram, a selective inhibitor of cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) of the PDE4 gene family, was required to achieve maximal cAMP accumulation induced by direct or receptor-mediated adenylate cyclase activation when measured by [ 3 H ]-adenine prelabeling. Rolipram increased cAMP accumulation more effectively than did forskolin, isoproterenol, or adenosine derivatives alone, although extensive synergy was seen with combined agents. High-affinity PDE4 inhibitors, but not low-affinity or non-selective inhibitors, were effective inducers of cAMP accumulation in intact cells. The maximum effects (i.e. intrinsic activities) of these agents in the intact cell did not correlate with their in vitro PDE4 inhibitory affinities. RPMVEC were shown to express almost exclusively the PDE4 gene family isoforms A6 and B3. Guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate hydrolysis, observed in other types of endothelial cells was not found in early or late passage RPMVEC. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction identification of mRNAse supported these conclusions with the exception that PDE2 and PDE4D mRNA isoform transcripts were present. These studies also support the conclusion that the mechanism of rolipram reversal of rat lung ischemia-reperfusion-induced permeability involves PDE4 inhibition in the microvascular endothelial cells of the lung.
Investigating and Understanding Self-Mutilation: The Student Voice.

The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings that self-mutilating behaviors have to adolescents. Phenomenological interviews of six students resulted in the development of seven core themes. The data provided valuable insight into the world of self-mutilation at its beginning stages. Implications for school counselors are discussed.
Chronic corticosterone exposure alters postsynaptic protein levels of PSD-95, NR1, and synaptopodin in the mouse brain.

Animal models provide compelling evidence that chronic stress is associated with biochemical and morphological changes in the brain, many of which are mediated by corticosterone, a principal glucocorticoid synthesized in the rodent adrenal cortex and secreted in response to stress. To better characterize the effects of chronic corticosterone at the synaptic and sub-synaptic level, we implanted 3-month-old male C57B/6 mice with 2 × 5 mg corticosterone pellets (CORT group, n=14), 21 day release formulation (20 mg/kg/day dose) or placebo pellets (Placebo group, n=14), 21 day release formulation. After 20 days, brains were removed. One hemisphere was frozen for biochemical analysis by synaptosomal fractionation with Western blotting, and the other hemisphere was fixed for immunohistochemistry. Localization and expression levels for PSD-95, NR1, and synaptopodin proteins were assessed. Biochemical analysis revealed lower protein levels of PSD-95 (32% decrease, p<0.001), NR1 (47%, p=0.01), and synaptopodin (65%, p<0.001) in the postsynaptic density subsynaptic fraction of the CORT group. Optical densitometry in immunohistochemically labeled sections also found lower levels of PSD-95 in synaptic fields of the dentate gyrus (PSD-95, 33% decrease, p<0.001; NR1, 31%, p<0.001; synaptopodin, 40%, p<0.001) and the CA3 stratum lucidum (36%, p<0.001, 40%, p<0.001, and 35%, p<0.001) of the CORT group. While mechanistic relationships for these changes are not yet known, we speculate that synaptopodin, which is involved in regulation of spine calcium kinetics and post-translational modification and transport of locally synthesized proteins, may play an important role in the changes of PSD-95 and NR1 protein levels and other synaptic alterations.
A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR POTENTIOMETRIC TITRATION OF CHLORIDE IONS

A convenient reference cell and method of potentiometric determination of chloride ions with silver nitrate is described. The method is accurate to about ± 0.02 ml. 10–4 M silver nitrate.
Cytokine-induced programmed death of cultured sympathetic neurons

Abstract Programmed cell death (PCD) of sympathetic neurons is inhibited by nerve growth factor. However, factors that induce PCD of these cells are unknown. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor, neuropoietic cytokines known to regulate sympathetic neuron gene expression, were examined for effects on survival of cultured sympathetic neurons. Treatment with LIF or ciliary neurotrophic factor caused neuronal death in a dose-dependent fashion. Inhibition of RNA or protein synthesis, or treatment with potassium, all of which prevent PCD after nerve growth factor deprivation, prevented LIF-induced death. The morphologic and ultrastructural characteristics of the neuronal death induced by LIF and by nerve growth factor deprivation were similar. Furthermore, LIF treatment resulted in DNA fragmentation with a characteristic "ladder" on Southern blot analysis. These observations suggest that neuron numbers may be regulated by factors which initiate PCD, as well as by factors which prevent it.
Functional antagonism of μ-, δ- and κ-opioid antinociception by orphanin FQ

Orphanin FQ (OFQ) is the recently isolated endogenous ligand for the orphan opioid-like receptor, LC132. Initial reports suggested that OFQ increased pain sensitivity when injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in mice. However, we have recently demonstrated that OFQ is instead an anti-opioid peptide that reverses morphine- and opioid-mediated stress-induced antinociception. Morphine binds to multiple opioid receptor types (mu, delta, and kappa). The present study was designed to examine specific interactions of OFQ with antinociception mediated by each receptor type. To this end, mice were administered i.c.v. cocktails containing either vehicle or OFQ (10 nmol) and a mu-specific ([D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4-Gly-ol]enkephalin; DAMGO; 0-0.1 nmol), delta-specific ([D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin; DPDPE; 0-50 nmol), or kappa-specific (U-50,488H; 0-1000 nmol) agonist. As we have shown previously, OFQ alone had no effect on nociceptive sensitivity. OFQ was, however, able to completely block supraspinal antinociception produced by all three receptor type-selective agonists. We conclude, therefore, that OFQ functionally antagonizes mu (and (opioid receptors, and may play a general role in opioid modulation.
Simulations of JWST MIRI 4QPM Coronagraphs Operations and Performances

ABSTRACT We present the results of ongoing coronagraphic simulation s aimed at designing strategies for optimizing oper-ations of the coronagraphs in the mid-infrared instrument ( MIRI) on-board the James Webb Space Telescope(JWST). In particular, the adverse e ects on the point sprea d function caused by the phase mask coronagraphsand the observatory slew accuracy are known to limit our abil ity to position stars at the center of the coron-agraph. Here, we investigate these two e ects on our ability to perform target acquisition (TA) and considerdi erent scenarios involving single and multiple acquisit ions to mitigate them. We assess the performance of thecoronagraphs under various slew accuracy models as well as n oise sources. In general, we nd that scenarios thatrequire fewer acquisitions yield nal positions with small er dispersions but larger o sets. Our Single TA scenarioyields the best repeatability for all three slew accuracy mo dels that we considered although a dual Twin TAstrategy generally yields more accurate centering. We also investigate the use of the contamination control cover(CCC) inside MIRI during TA of bright objects, and ways to mit igate the resulting latent images when the CCCis not used. Our results are expressed in terms of achieved co ntrast with simple, single reference star subtraction.Given our preliminary prescription for latency, our simula tions suggest that the CCC need not be used exceptfor very bright sources; detailed guidelines will require a dditional information on the latent image decay timescale. Furthermore, we nd that contrast is dependent on the observatory slew accuracy at any wavelength. Thehighest contrast is achieved with the highest slew accuracy model, although the background photon noise limitsthe contrast at longer wavelengths.Keywords: High-Contrast Imaging, Instrumentation, JWST Operations , MIRI
Pharmacokinetics of Lofexidine Hydrochloride in Healthy Volunteers

The objective of this study was to characterize the clinical pharmacokinetic profile of lofexidine after oral delivery. A single dose, cross-over study and a multidose study using healthy volunteers were conducted for that purpose. In the single dose study the average time to maximum concentration was observed at approximately 3 h for the single doses tested (1.2 mg dose and 2.0 mg). Area under the curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0−∞) demonstrated a degree of dose proportionality with a 1.72-fold increase as the dose increased by a factor of 1.67. Elimination rates and terminal half-lives were comparable between dose levels. The average elimination rates for the 1.2 mg and the 2.0 mg doses were 0.063 and 0.065 h−1, respectively. In the multidose study, the average maximum concentration observed after the first dose of 0.4 mg was 433 ng/L and ranged from 338 to 586 ng/L. This was slightly lower in proportion to the maximum concentration observed in the single dose study where Cmax was 1755 ng/L at the 1.2 mg dose (normalized to 585 ng/L for 0.4 mg dose) and for the 2.0 mg dose (normalized to 559 ng/L for 0.4 mg dose). The average time to maximum concentration (Tmax) was 3.33 h which is comparable to values observed in the single dose study. The pharmacokinetic data indicate that lofexidine has a consistent profile. Steady state seems to be reached after 2 days on lofexidine, which is consistent with the lofexidine elimination half-life of approximately 11 h. Evaluation of the Tmax, elimination rate, and terminal half-life are consistent across all dose levels studied, suggesting that changing the dose does not affect the absorption or elimination rates of lofexidine HCl. Thus, although preliminary due to the limited number of subjects, these findings are the first to document lofexidine clinical pharmacokinetic parameters in healthy volunteers using a highly sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric analysis. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:319–326, 2009
Analysis of Stability Control Systems for Single-Unit Commercial Vehicles

The stability control problem of single-unit commercial vehicles, from large pickup trucks to motorcoaches, is analyzed. Detailed dynamic models of four baseline vehicles are used to estimate the feasibility and the performance limits of rollover stability and directional stability control systems for such vehicles on dry and wet roads.
Critical behavior of the zero-temperature conductivity in compensated silicon, Si:(P,B)

The zero-temperature electrical conductivity, \ensuremath{\sigma}(0), of samples of Si:(P,B) has been obtained by extrapolation from measurements at temperatures of 100 mK and above. The compensation ratio K, defined as the ratio of acceptor to donor concentrations, ranges from 0.2 to 0.5. Naturally occurring gradients in the electron concentration n and values of K in melt-grown crystals provide sets of samples whose properties vary smoothly through the metal-insulator transition. Following a single-parameter scaling theory of localization, we analyze our data in terms of a relation \ensuremath{\sigma}(0)=${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{0}$(n/${n}_{c}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1)}^{\ensuremath{\mu}}$. Alternatively, we use the experimental variable \ensuremath{\sigma}(296), the room-temperature conductivity, in place of the electron concentration n. Values of the conductivity exponent \ensuremath{\mu} for three crystals range from 0.79 to 0.91, with estimated errors of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08. No clear evidence for a dependence of \ensuremath{\mu} on the compensation ratio K is found in the range of K covered by our samples.
Liver Renewal: Detecting Misrepair and Optimizing Regeneration

Abstract Cirrhosis and liver cancer, the main causes of liver-related morbidity and mortality, result from defective repair of liver injury. This article summarizes rapidly evolving knowledge about liver myofibroblasts and progenitors, the 2 key cell types that interact to orchestrate effective repair, because deregulation of these cells is likely to be central to the pathogenesis of both cirrhosis and liver cancer. We focus on cirrhosis pathogenesis because cirrhosis is the main risk factor for primary liver cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that the defective repair process has certain characteristics that might be exploited for biomarker development. Recent findings in preclinical models also indicate that the newly identified cellular and molecular targets are amenable to therapeutic manipulation. Thus, recent advances in our understanding about key cell types and fundamental mechanisms that regulate liver regeneration have opened new avenues to improve the outcomes of liver injury. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01899859
A study of the conformation of 5S RNA by 31P NMR

Only a small number of resolved, single phosphorous, phosphodiester resonances are observed in the 31P spectrum of the 5S rRNA from E. coli. Its spectrum is much simpler than that of a tRNA (Gueron, M. and Shulman, R.G. (1975) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 72, 3482-3484), which suggests that 5S RNA does not have a tightly folded, tRNA-like, tertiary structure. The resolved resonances in the 5S spectrum originate in loops D and E, near bases 88 and 76, respectively.
Using behavioural skills training to treat aggression in adults with mild intellectual disability in a forensic setting

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of anger management in people with intellectual disability failed to control for the effects of the number of provocative stimuli presented and lacked direct measures of behaviour and treatment integrity data. METHODS: This experiment systematically assessed and presented discriminative stimuli for aggressive behaviour, taught alternative behaviour in response to discriminative stimuli for aggressive behaviour and used behavioural skills training with three adults with mild intellectual disability. RESULTS: Following behavioural skills training, the adult's percentage of aggressive responses declined and replacement responses increased in response to provocative stimuli. Treatment gains generalized to novel antecedent events, novel staff and novel settings and were socially valid. After intervention, community trips increased for all three participants. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioural skills training to teach alternate behaviour to aggression with carefully planned procedures to promote generalization caused a socially valid increase in alternate behaviour and a socially valid decrease in aggression. Language: en
Outcomes Assessment and Minority Students in Community Colleges.

The assessment of outcomes by community colleges was reviewed with special attention paid to the concerns of minority student populations. The definition of outcomes, the “what” of assessment, is discussed along with the process, or “how” of assessment. We provide theoretical perspectives along with examples of practice drawn from the review. The concerns of minority students with regard to assessment are highlighted, and recommendations for programming and further research are made.
Palate development after fetal tongue removal in cortisone‐treated mice

Morphological studies of cortisone-induced cleft palate have shown retardation in the rotation of palatine shelves from a sagittal to a transverse plane. Cortisone also reduces fetal muscular movements, which may explain why displacement of the tongue from between the palatine shelves is delayed. Previous work with extrauterine development of control fetuses demonstrated that fetal membranes and tongue were major obstacles to shelf rotation. Thus, removal of these obstacles might permit rotation and fusion of palatine shelves in cortisone-treated fetuses. In the present experiment, fetuses from cortisone-treated strain CD-1 mice were released from uterus and membranes and allowed to develop for eight hours in a fluid medium with the umbilical cord left intact. Compared to 4% fusion in utero, there was palatal fusion in 20% of fetuses released from membranes. When the fetal tongue was removed during extrauterine development, the frequency of fusions increased to 61%. Fusion appeared normal by the criteria applicable through light microscopy. Thus, cortisone induces cleft palate primarily through interference with shelf rotation. The palatine shelves of treated fetuses retain their ability to fuse when they can come in contact during the normal time for palate closure.
Nonlinear viscoelasticity of nanofilled polymers: interfaces, chain statistics and properties recovery kinetics

The mechanisms by which nano-scale fillers promote both reinforcement and nonlinear viscoelastic behavior in polymer melts are explored. Three fumed silica fillers having the same specific surface area but different surface treatments were used to prepare composites with a poly(vinyl acetate) matrix of various molecular weights. Filler concentrations were limited to a maximum of 12.5 vol.% to minimize filler agglomeration and networking. Dynamic storage and loss moduli at about 45 °C above the glass transition temperature were obtained over a range of shear strain amplitudes. The shape of the loss factor vs. strain function is found to have a strong characteristic dependence on the filler surface treatment. The recovery of properties following their degradation by a large strain perturbation was investigated using a timed sequence of dynamic moduli measurements at low strain amplitudes. Trapped entanglements and their effects on matrix moduli due to Langevin chain statistics is shown to be a viable mechanism for the initial high reinforcement, and its subsequent reduction with strain. Consistent with this, recovery kinetics suggests that the basic mechanism is controlled by chain diffusion. For simple filler (non-polymeric) surfaces, the self-diffusion of matrix chains is the dominant mechanism for recovery. In the case of a filler with surface-tethered polymer chains, the self-diffusion process is supplemented by the inter-diffusion of the tethered and matrix chains. Relative reinforcement is found to be the highest for the lowest molecular weight matrix, regardless of filler type. The proposed mechanism is based entirely on the behavior of the filler-matrix interface and the physics of polymeric melts, and no theories of filler agglomeration or network formation are invoked.
The presidency of Andrew Jackson

In 1829 Andrew Jackson arrived in Washington in a carriage. Eight years and two turbulent presidential terms later, he left on a train. Those years, among the most prosperous in American history, saw America transformed not only by growth in transportation but by the expansion of the market economy and the formation of the mass political party. Jackson's ambivalence - and that of his followers - toward the new politics and the new economy is the story of this book. Historians have often depicted the Old Hero (or Old Hickory) as bigger than life - so prominent that his name was wed to an era. Donald Cole presents a different Jackson, one not always sure of himself and more controlled by, than in control of, the political and economic forces of his age. He portrays Jackson as a leader who yearned for the agrarian past but was also entranced by the future of a growing market economy. The dominant theme of Jackson's presidency, Cole argues, was his inconsistent and unsuccessful battle to resist the market revolution. Elected by a broad coalition of interest groups, Jackson battled constantly not only with his opponents but also his supporters. He spent most of his time rearranging his administration and contending with Congress. His accomplishments were mostly negative - relocating Indians, vetoing road bills and the Bank bill, and opposing nullification. The greatest achievement of his administration, the rise of the mass political party, was more the work of advisers than of Jackson himself. He did, however, make a lasting imprint, Cole contends. Through his strength, passions, and especially his anxiety, Jackson symbolised the ambivalence of his fellow Americans at a decisive moment - a time when the country was struggling with the conflict between the ideals of the Revolution and the realities of 19th century capitalism.
Product‐Accounting Approach To Valuing Food Production

This paper briefly reviews and compares the income-accounting and product- accounting approaches to valuing household production. Despite the advantages of the product-accounting estimates, published works demonstrating this ap proach could not be found. Using the example of food prepared and served at home, this research investigated a method of computing the market value of household production output and tested the estimates for responsiveness to demographic characteristics using two-way analysis of variance. Daily market cost of food prepared at home was found to be related to area of residence and homemaker's education. The value of food prepared at home, adjusted for number of people served, was found to be related to education of the husband and of the homemaker and age of younger child. The study indicates the feasi bility of using the product-accounting approach for traditional purposes such as valuing household production and deriving the value of a person's nonmarket labor, as well as assessing productivity in the home.
A survey of high-velocity interstellar ions

Results are reported for a survey of the velocity structure in the absorption lines of a number of interstellar species for 30 lines of sight. Of six species chosen for presentation, N I and excited C II emphasize the distribution of neutral interstellar gas and circumstellar H II regions; N II, C II, C III, and Si III show, in addition, the velocity distribution of a previously unidentified type of interstellar gas, with an ionization temperature in the range 20,000 to 100,000 K. High-velocity components of this latter type are seen in a number of stars. Strong Si III and C III absorption at LSR velocities as large as -80 to -120 km/s is observed in five Orion stars. Collisional ionization is probably a dominant factor in producing the inferred ionization temperatures, although photoionization may be important in some cases.
Toward meaningful learning in a global age: How Gestalt principles can facilitate Organization Of student learning of product lifecycle management concepts

The paper discusses ways in which Gestalt theory can inform learning organization practice regarding concepts of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in a global economy. PLM is the process of managing the lifecycle of a company's product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal. The use of Gestalt principles in technology and engineering education aims to facilitate meaningful learning in a global environment through the application of holism, relating learning to the environment, development of mental models, and team learning. The paper presents a brief overview of Gestalt theory and shows how Gestalt principles (proximity, closure, symmetry, figure-ground segregation, good continuation, and similarity) can be applied to improve a learner's comprehension of PLM concepts. Adding Gestalt principles complemented the information-organization feature of more commonly used knowledge maps and thereby enhancing factual recall, concept development, and application. Learning was enhanced by active processing strategies such as visualization, summarization, and by designing maps according to Gestalt principles of organization.
Epidemiologic Differences Between Women With Extraovarian Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma and Women With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective: To describe the epidemiologic features of women with extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma and compare them with those of women with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: The epidemiologic features of 50 women with extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma were compared with those of 503 women with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. We included all women with the respective diagnoses admitted to the Roswell Park Cancer Institute between October 1982 and October 1996 who returned an epidemiologic questionnaire. Epidemiologic features of the study and control groups were extracted from a database compiled from a self-administered questionnaire that has been given to patients as part of the admission process since 1982. Individual variables between the study and control groups were compared using Student t test, χ2 analysis, and Wilcoxon nonparametric test. Two-tailed P < .05 was considered significant. Results: We found few significantly different epidemiologic features between women with extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma and those with primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Women with extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma were significantly older (mean age 63.8 versus 55.0 years, P < .001), had later menarche (13.3 versus 12.8 years, P = .024), and were less likely to have used perineal talc powder (26.0% versus 48.1%, P = .003). There were no significant differences with respect to reproductive history, contraceptive use, or use of hormone replacement therapy. A larger proportion of ovarian cancer patients reported a family history of breast cancer, but the numbers were too small to reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The epidemiologic features of women with extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma compared with women with primary epithelial ovarian cancer show few differences. The observed areas of difference warrant further research to determine whether they suggest the occurrence of distinct disease entities.
Ultrastructure of the radula protractor of Busycon canaliculatum. Sarcolemmic tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The distribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and sarcolemmic tubules in the radula protractor muscle of the whelk, Busycon canaliculatum, has been investigated. The sarcoplasmic reticulum consists of an interconnected system of cisternae and tubular channels. The cisternae are closely associated with the sarcolemma. The tubular channels project from the cisternae into the interior of the cell and run parallel to the long axis of the myofilaments. Parallel tubular channels are interconnected with one another by short branches. This finding of an elaborate sarcoplasmic reticulum supports previous physiological work on this smooth muscle which indicated the presence of an intracellular compartmentalization of calcium ions. There is also an extensive system of tubular invaginations of the sarcolemma which we have termed sarcolemmic tubules. These tubules are 600 A in diameter and about 0.5 microns in length. There is a substructure associated with the leaflet of the tubular membrane bordering the extracellular space. The sarcolemmic tubules penetrate only half a micron from the surface of the cell and interdigitate with the sarcoplasmic reticulum associated with the sarcolemma. Calculations have shown that the surface area of this smooth muscle cell is more than doubled by the presence of sarcolemmic tubules.
PROTON-PROTON SCATTERING AT 40 Mev

Differential cross sections have been measured for the scattering of 39.4-Mev protons by hydrogen gas at angles from 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in the laboratory system, with \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\textonehalf{}\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} angular resolution at small angles. Data are given for every half degree near the interference minimum. The relative and absolute probable errors given are respectively \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5% and \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8% from 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The corresponding probable errors at 4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} are \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.0% and \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.1%. The cross-section curve is essentially flat at 11.15 millibarns from 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in the center-of-mass system. It falls to a minimum of 9.80 millibarns at 21\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and rises rapidly to 104 millibarns at 8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. A typical but not unique set of phase shifts which fit the data is: $^{1}S_{0}$, 40\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; $^{3}P_{0}$, 16.90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; $^{3}P_{1}$, -6.93\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; $^{3}P_{2}$, 3.04\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; $^{1}D_{2}$, 2.16\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}; coupling parameter between $^{3}P_{2}$ and $^{3}F_{2}$ as defined by Stapp, -2.21\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}.
SU-FF-T-285: Dose Property of Grid Therapy

The possibility of a therapeutic advantage in the use of a megavoltage grid to deliver large single dose fractions has been previously demonstrated. Assessment of dose response characteristics is essential to the understanding and use of grid therapy in the clinic. A Wellhofer scanning system, an EDR2 film dose measurement device, and Monte Carlo calculations were used in evaluating the dosimetric properties of a megavoltage grid. A range of grid hole diameters was simulated by the Monte Carlo technique, and a 0.8 cm diameter grid was singled out to carry out a comprehensive comparison between the measurements and Monte Carlo calculations. The maximum and minimum doses, and dose profiles at the depth of maximum dose dmax as well as the percentage depth dose were obtained. With the dose normalized at 100 cGy at dmax in a 10×10 cm2 open field, the maximum dose for the grid was found to range from 11.9 to 94.5 cGy when the diameter of grid was varied from 0.2 to 1.0 cm, while the minimum dose between holes increased only from 6.8 to 16.1 cGy. A fairly good agreement between the Monte Carlo simulated and measured data was demonstrated for the 0.8 cm diameter grid. With our calculated results, the cell survival rates for grid therapy were further derived using a linear‐quadratic survival model, and a therapeutic advantage for the grid was confirmed for large single fractions.
Differences in semantic encoding as a function of reading comprehension skill.

Using a modified Stroop procedure, we examined the extent to which the semantic encoding of a word is governed by the context within which that word appears. Good and poor comprehenders named the color of target words following their reading of either sentences or single words representing the object nouns of the sentences. Target words represented contextually emphasized (appropriate) attributes of the object nouns, nonemphasized (inappropriate) attributes of these nouns, or object attributes not related to these nouns (neutral). For single-word contexts, all subjects exhibited equal semantic interference to appropriate and inappropriate targets, relative to neutral targets. For sentence contexts, however, good comprehenders exhibited semantic interference only to appropriate targets, whereas poor comprehenders again exhibited equal interference to appropriate and inappropriate targets. These findings suggest that differences in comprehension skill may be attributable, at least in part, to fundamental differences in the way in which sentences are semantically encoded.
Approval vendor selection—what’s best practice?

With the wide variety of vendor services available, discount or other traditional factors may no longer play a predominant role in determining an academic library’s vendor selection. A questionnaire was sent to 291 academic librarians to survey their vendor selection criteria and methods. Using preliminary results from the survey, this paper examines the mix of vendors’ traditional services vs. new services that now enter into the selection decision. Further, it considers differences in practice based upon library budget size. These initial results indicate that the traditional areas of corporate reputation, approval plan management, and acquisitions services consistently receive the highest ratings of importance. The areas covering outsourcing and electronic data transmission are rated higher by those libraries using these services. As more libraries seek these services from their approval vendors, the services will likely increase in importance in librarians’ decision-making processes.
M≡E and M=E Complexes of Iron and Cobalt that Emphasize Three-fold Symmetry (E = O, N, NR).

Mid-to-late transition metal complexes that feature terminal, multiply bonded ligands such as oxos, imides, and nitrides have been invoked as intermediates in several catalytic transformations of synthetic and biological significance. Until about ten years ago, isolable examples of such species were virtually unknown. Over the past decade or so, numerous chemically well-defined examples of such species have been discovered. In this context, the present review summarizes the development of 4- and 5-coordinate Fe(E) and Co(E) species under local three-fold symmetry.
Oral artemisinin prevents and delays the development of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer in the rat

Artemisinin, a compound isolated from the sweet wormwood Artemisia annua L., has previously been shown to have selective toxicity towards cancer cells in vitro. In the present experiment, we studied the potential of artemisinin to prevent breast cancer development in rats treated with a single oral dose (50mg/kg) of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), known to induce multiple breast tumors. Starting from the day immediately after DMBA treatment, one group of rats was provided with a powdered rat-chow containing 0.02% artemisinin, whereas a control group was provided with plain powdered food. For 40 weeks, both groups of rats were monitored for breast tumors. Oral artemisinin significantly delayed (P<.002) and in some animals prevented (57% of artemisinin-fed versus 96% of the controls developed tumors, P<.01) breast cancer development in the monitoring period. In addition, breast tumors in artemisinin-fed rats were significantly fewer (P<.002) and smaller in size (P<.05) when compared with controls. Since artemisinin is a relatively safe compound that causes no known side effects even at high oral doses, the present data indicate that artemisinin may be a potent cancer-chemoprevention agent.
Large Electro-Optic Effect in Tensile Strained Ge-on-Si Films

We report the observation of an enhanced electro-optic effect in the weakly absorbing regime for tensile strained Ge epitaxial films. With Deltan/F=260 pm/V and Deltaalpha/alpha-3 the material has significant potential for field-induced phase or electro-absorption modulator devices
PET Imaging of Chemokine Receptors in Vascular Injury–Accelerated Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the pathophysiologic process behind lethal cardiovascular diseases. It is a chronic inflammatory progression. Chemokines can strongly affect the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis by controlling the trafficking of inflammatory cells in vivo through interaction with their receptors. Some chemokine receptors have been reported to play an important role in plaque development and stability. However, the diagnostic potential of chemokine receptors has not yet been explored. The purpose of this study was to develop a positron emitter–radiolabeled probe to image the upregulation of chemokine receptor in a wire-injury-accelerated apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE−/−) mouse model of atherosclerosis. Methods: A viral macrophage inflammatory protein II (vMIP-II) was used to image the upregulation of multiple chemokine receptors through conjugation with DOTA for 64Cu radiolabeling and PET. Imaging studies were performed at 2 and 4 wk after injury in both wire-injured ApoE−/− and wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Competitive PET blocking studies with nonradiolabeled vMIP-II were performed to confirm the imaging specificity. Specific PET blocking with individual chemokine receptor antagonists was also performed to verify the upregulation of a particular chemokine receptor. In contrast, 18F-FDG PET imaging was performed in both models to evaluate tracer uptake. Immunohistochemistry on the injury and sham tissues was performed to assess the upregulation of chemokine receptors. Results:15O-CO PET showed decreased blood volume in the femoral artery after the injury. 64Cu-DOTA-vMIP-II exhibited fast in vivo pharmacokinetics with major renal clearance. PET images showed specific accumulation around the injury site, with consistent expression during the study period. Quantitative analysis of tracer uptake at the injury lesion in the ApoE−/− model showed a 3-fold increase over the sham-operated site and the sites in the injured wild-type mouse. 18F-FDG PET showed significantly less tracer accumulation than 64Cu-DOTA-vMIP-II, with no difference observed between injury and sham sites. PET blocking studies identified chemokine receptor–mediated 64Cu-DOTA-vMIP-II uptake and verified the presence of 8 chemokine receptors, and this finding was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion:64Cu-DOTA-vMIP-II was proven a sensitive and useful PET imaging probe for the detection of 8 up-regulated chemokine receptors in a model of injury-accelerated atherosclerosis.
Design and implementation of a robot control system with traded and shared control capability

Preliminary results are reported from efforts to design and develop a robotic system that will accept and execute commands from either a six-axis teleoperator device or an autonomous planner or combine the two. Such a system should have both traded and shared control capability. A sharing strategy is presented whereby the overall system, while retaining positive features of teleoperated and autonomous operation, loses its individual negative features. A two-tired shared control architecture is considered here, consisting of a task level and a servo level. Also presented is a computer architecture for the implementation of this system, including a description of the hardware and software. >
Characterization of the Micromechanical Flying Insect by Optical Position Sensing

In the following work, we develop a characterization method using miniature fiberoptic position sensors for the Micromechanical Flying Insect (MFI) 1, a centimeter sized micro aerial vehicle being developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Sensing the state of a structure of this scale is challenging due to limited sensor technology and difficulty in constraining the structure. We developed a unique fiberoptic reflection position sensor and associated circuitry that yields a high resolution (approximately 5 µ m of linear motion), appropriate scale, and real time method for sensing the state of the MFI. Also included is the development of a clamping technique for the 2 wing, 4 degree of freedom MFI designed to expose actuator surfaces to be sensed while properly grounding the MFI without introducing added compliance or stiffness to the airframe. We include characterization data for a 2 DOF (flapping and rotation for one wing) wing structure, a clamped 4 DOF motor core of the MFI, and one side of an entire 4 DOF MFI.
METFORMIN ATTENUATES AGONIST-STIMULATED CALCIUM TRANSIENTS IN VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Metformin, an antidiabetic agent that increases insulin sensitivity, has been shown to lower blood pressure. However, the mechanism of action of metformin in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell is not fully understood. We have tested the hypothesis that metformin produces vascular changes by direct interaction with VSM cells by investigating its effect on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)- and angiotensin II (ANG II)-stimulated intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) and VSM cell proliferation in response to PDGF in cultured cells. VSM cells were cultured from rat thoracic aorta and [Ca2+]i was estimated in single cells by image analysis. Treatment of VSM cells with 1 or 2 μg/ml metformin significantly decreased (p < 0.05) PDGF- or ANG II-stimulated [Ca2+]i. Treatment of VSM cells with 1, 2, 5, or 10 μg/ml metformin had no significant effect on PDGF-stimulated [3H]-thymidine incorporation. However, metformin at pharmacological doses of 20 and 50 μg/ml significantly reduced (p< 0.05) PDGF-stimulate...
Data compression with restricted parsings

We consider a class of algorithms related to Lempel-Ziv that incorporate restrictions on the manner in which the data can be parsed with the goal of introducing new tradeoffs between implementation complexity and data compression ratios. Our main motivation lies within the field of compressed memory computer systems. Here requirements include extremely fast decompression and compression speeds, adequate compression performance on small data block lengths, and minimal hardware area and energy requirements. We describe the approach and provide experimental data concerning its compression performance with respect to known alternatives. We show that for a variety of data sets stored in a typical main memory, this direction yields results close to those of earlier techniques, but with significantly lower energy consumption at comparable or better area requirements. The technique thus may be of eventual interest for a number of applications requiring high compression bandwidths and efficient hardware implementation.
Perturbation analysis of entrainment in a micromechanical limit cycle oscillator

Abstract We study the dynamics of a thermo-mechanical model for a forced disc shaped, micromechanical limit cycle oscillator. The forcing can be accomplished either parametrically, by modulating the laser beam incident on the oscillator, or non-parametrically, using inertial driving. The system exhibits both 2:1 and 1:1 resonances, as well as quasiperiodic motions and hysteresis. A perturbation method is used to derive slow flow equations, which are then studied using the software packages AUTO and pplane7. Results show that the model agrees well with experiments. Details of the slow flow behavior explain how and where transitions into and out of entrainment occur.
A cross-layer saturation goodput analysis for IEEE 802.11a networks

It is developed a theoretical cross-layer saturation goodput model for the IEEE 802.11a physical (PHY) layer and distributed coordination function (DCF) basic access scheme medium access control (MAC) protocol. The proposed analytical expressions allow assess the system performance as function of channel load, contention window (CW) resolution algorithm, distinct modulation schemes, forward error corrector (FEC) coding schemes, receiver structures and channel models.
Near-field calibration arrays for acoustic wavefield determination

The use of near-field calibration array (NFCA) to determine the far-field properties of acoustic receivers and projectors by measurements made in their near-field is described. When used as a projector to evaluate receivers, the NFCA produces a nearly uniform plane wave over a large volume in its near-field and over a large frequency range. When used as a receiver to evaluate projectors, the NFCA becomes a plane-wave filter for acoustic radiation (or target scattering) originating from within the plane-wave volume. The basis of the NFCA is a reciprocity principle. Numerical implementation of this principle provides the complex weighting factors to be used as shading coefficients for the individual elements in the NFCA. The original Trott NFCAs, given by W.J. Trott (see J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol.36, p.1557-68, Aug. 1964), were planar. Subsequent extensions of the concept to a cylindrical NFCA suitable for determining the azimuthal far-field pattern and to a spherical NFCA that allows a determination of the entire three-dimensional far-field pattern are described. >
Privacy-Preserving Enforcement of Spatially Aware RBAC

Several models for incorporating spatial constraints into role-based access control (RBAC) have been proposed, and researchers are now focusing on the challenge of ensuring such policies are enforced correctly. However, existing approaches have a major shortcoming, as they assume the server is trustworthy and require complete disclosure of sensitive location information by the user. In this work, we propose a novel framework and a set of protocols to solve this problem. Specifically, in our scheme, a user provides a service provider with role and location tokens along with a request. The service provider consults with a role authority and a location authority to verify the tokens and evaluate the policy. However, none of the servers learn the requesting user's identity, role, or location. In this paper, we define the protocols and the policy enforcement scheme, and present a formal proof of a number of security properties.
Service-Driven Query Routing in Sensor Networks

Query processing in sensor networks entails three phases: (i) query routing, (ii) query evaluation, and (iii) aggregating results and routing them back to the query source. Most existing query routing approaches are "overreaching", i.e., they use broadcasting schemes where nodes use some default transmission power to broadcast queries to all of their neighbors. Moreover, current routing schemes generally do not exploit the semantics of queries. As a result, a query may be routed through several hops to end up at nodes that do not provide the sensing capabilities that it requires or that do not have paths to nodes that provide the required capabilities. This obviously incurs excessive communication and processing overhead that is not strictly required to deliver the query to its recipients. To address these deficiencies, we introduce the notion of service-driven query routing (SQR) which is a routing scheme based on the idea of modeling nodes' capabilities as services. In SQR, nodes maintain local information about their neighbors' services. They combine this information with the queries' semantics to determine efficient routing paths and minimal radio transmission power levels when forwarding queries to their neighbors.
Bounded gaps between primes

It is proved that lim inf n?8 (p n+1 -p n )<7×10 7 , where p n is the n -th prime. Our method is a refinement of the recent work of Goldston, Pintz and Yildirim on the small gaps between consecutive primes. A major ingredient of the proof is a stronger version of the Bombieri-Vinogradov theorem that is applicable when the moduli are free from large prime divisors only, but it is adequate for our purpose
Desire for a positive moral self-regard exacerbates escalation of commitment to initiatives with prosocial aims

Across three experiments, people escalated commitment more frequently to a failing prosocial initiative (i.e., an initiative that had the primary aim of improving the outcomes of others in need) than they did to a failing egoistic initiative (i.e., an initiative that had the primary aim of improving the outcomes of the decision-maker). A test of mediation (Study 1b) and a test of moderation (Study 2) each provided evidence that a desire for a positive moral self-regard underlies people’s tendency to escalate commitment more frequently to failing prosocial initiatives than to failing egoistic initiatives. We discuss the implications of these findings for the resource-allocation decisions that people and organizations face when undertaking initiatives with prosocial aims.
Credit Card Surcharges And Relative Price Differentials Across Various Market Structures

Recent changes in federal credit card laws will lead to higher prices for consumers and heftier profits for retailers especially in monopolistic markets. This is due to the way that the surcharges are usually levied which is as a percentage of the base price of the good or service. This paper explains how prices are formed by a profit maximizing firm under the assumption of a production function that is homogeneous of degree one. This paper also demonstrates the relationship between markups and the price elasticity of demand. An analysis of how the new credit card rules would impact relative prices in markets of varying levels of competition is then performed.