cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomewide search for epistasis in a complex trait: pentobarbital withdrawal convulsions in mice.

The well-documented difference in pentobarbital withdrawal severity between DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice offers the opportunity to study how differences between allelic variants influence pentobarbital withdrawal via their additive and/or dominance effects and to identify modifier loci that also influence the trait via gene-gene interactions (a form of epistasis). Previous work in our laboratory identified seven provisional quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pentobarbital withdrawal using BXD recombinant inbred strains. To date, only one of these QTLs has been confirmed, Pbwl. We hypothesized that other loci that act epistatically may also influence genetic variance in pentobarbital withdrawal severity. Using Epistat, a program developed to carry out full-genome searches for epistasis, we identified six provisional epistatic interactions (p < .002) between the provisional QTLs and modifier loci elsewhere in the genome. Verification testing of these interactions using 404 B6D2F2 mice provided supporting evidence that a QTL on chromosome 11 contributes to genetic variance in pentobarbital withdrawal, but only in the presence of a modifier allele on distal chromosome 1 (p = .0004). This modifier is in the same genomic vicinity as loci detected for a variety of withdrawal and seizure phenotypes.
Caring electronically for young outpatients who have epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to review electronic tools that might improve the delivery of epilepsy care, reduce medical care costs, and empower families to improve self-management capability. Method We reviewed the epilepsy-specific literature about self-management, electronic patient-reported or provider-reported outcomes, on-going remote surveillance, and alerting/warning systems. Conclusions The improved care delivery system that we envision includes self-management, electronic patient (or provider)-reported outcomes, on-going remote surveillance, and alerting/warning systems. This system and variants have the potential to reduce seizure burden through improved management, keep children out of the emergency department and hospital, and even reduce the number of outpatient visits.
Utilizing an In Situ Reduction in the Synthesis of BaMoOF 5

A new molybdenum containing oxyfluoride, BaMoOF5, space group Cmcm with lattice parameters of a = 7.1445(3), b = 6.7894(3), c = 10.1969(4), was synthesized via a mild hydrothermal crystal growth method. The synthesis resulted in high-quality single crystals of the title material, which were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure is discussed in detail. A new Mo(V) oxyfluoride, BaMoOF5, was synthesized via a mild hydrothermal route that included an in-situ reduction step to reduce molybdenum from a starting oxidation state of 6+ to 5+.
Chapter 26 International trade theory: The evidence

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the international trade theory. It discusses the Ricardian and the Ricardo–Viner models. These models point to technological differences as the source of international comparative advantage. A simple Ricardian model has one input, labor, which is assumed to be mobile across the two sectors of the economy, but internationally immobile. The Ricardo–Viner model introduces into the model two additional factors that are sector-specific. This gives curvature to the production possibilities curve and also allows international commerce to affect the distribution of income. Although there is little or no direct empirical support for these simple models, there is nonetheless growing awareness that technological differences are a natural consequence of economic isolation and play a role in the integration process, following an economic liberalization. The chapter provides an overview of the Heckscher–Ohlin model and discusses the Rybcyzinski theorem and the Stolper–Samuelson theorem. It also reviews the studies of the Heckscher–Ohlin model based on cross country comparisons.
Neonatal Brain Injury and Genetic Causes of Adult-Onset Neurodegenerative Disease in Mice Interact With Effects on Acute and Late Outcomes

Neonatal brain damage and age-related neurodegenerative disease share many common mechanisms of injury involving mitochondriopathy, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, inflammation, and neuronal cell death. We hypothesized that genes causing adult-onset neurodegeneration can influence acute outcome after CNS injury at immaturity and on the subsequent development of chronic disability after early-life brain injury. In two different transgenic (Tg) mouse models of adult-onset neurodegenerative disease, a human A53T-α-synuclein (hαSyn) model of Parkinson's disease (PD) and a human G93A-superoxide dismutase-1(hSOD1) model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), mortality and survivor morbidity were significantly greater than non-Tg mice and a Tg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease after neonatal traumatic brain injury (TBI). Acutely after brain injury, hαSyn neonatal mice showed a marked enhancement of protein oxidative damage in forebrain, brain regional mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, and mitochondriopathy. Extreme protein oxidative damage was also observed in neonatal mutant SOD1 mice after TBI. At 1 month of age, neuropathology in forebrain, midbrain, and brainstem of hαSyn mice with neonatal TBI was greater compared to sham hαSyn mice. Surviving hαSyn mice with TBI showed increased hαSyn aggregation and nitration and developed adult-onset disease months sooner and died earlier than non-injured hαSyn mice. Surviving hSOD1 mice with TBI also developed adult-onset disease and died sooner than non-injured hSOD1 mice. We conclude that mutant genes causing PD and ALS in humans have significant impact on mortality and morbidity after early-life brain injury and on age-related disease onset and proteinopathy in mice. This study provides novel insight into genetic determinants of poor outcomes after acute injury to the neonatal brain and how early-life brain injury can influence adult-onset neurodegenerative disease during aging.
Health behavior during periods of stressful uncertainty: associations with emotions, cognitions, and expectation management.

Objective: The present study examined how cognitions and emotions characteristic of awaiting uncertain news influenced healthy (diet/exercise) and unhealthy (alcohol use) behaviors in three samples...
Dynamics of Lyman-α blobs

Lyman-α blobs are spatially extended nebulae of hydrogen line emission that may hold clues for understanding the formation and evolution of massive galaxies at high redshifts. Recent observations and simulations suggest that multiple mechanisms can explain the origin of these objects, notably including gravitational cooling radiation.
Repair of Fingertip Amputations

Upper extremity injuries are common in the emergency setting. Up to 20 % of all injuries presenting to an emergency room involve the hand. In our active urban, suburban, and rural worlds, finger injuries occur at home, work, during travel, and while engaged in sports. Fractures, dislocations, soft tissue injuries, and amputations can be found in various combinations. Each component of the injury may require primary care that ranges from observation to surgical reconstruction. The primary goal of treatment is a painless finger tip with normal function and sensation. Secondary goals include maintenance of length, preservation of the nail, and cosmetic appearance. To meet these goals, careful consideration of padded soft tissue covering over bone is of paramount concern.
Plane strain deformation by slip in FCC crystals

Abstract Deformation studies of a metal or alloy single crystal under plane strain boundary conditions have proved valuable for providing information on the deformation behavior of such materials under multiaxial states of stress and strain. Examples include the initiation and propagation of cracks during brittle fracture and the development of deformation textures in metal forming operations. Restrictions imposed by plane strain boundary conditions on the values of global strain components and on active slip systems by the principle of maximum plastic work confine slip to subsets of physically possible crystallographic slip system (CSS). Such ensembles produce components of global strain that independently satisfy plane strain constraints. This leads to the definition of Pseudo Slip Systems (PSS) having basis vectors formed from the resultants of corresponding basis vectors in participating CSS. Nye’s State of Dislocation tensor applied at both macro- and micro-structural scales describes global and local lattice rotations resulting from the geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) content. Local Nye Tensors (LNT) for each active CSS are dyadic products of their Burgers vector and a Dislocation Density Vector (DDV) describing the GND population. This vector, lying in the slip plane, has a magnitude equal to that of the local GND, and a direction given by the character of the resultant population. The Global Nye Tensor (GNT), A, is the sum of LNTs for each active CSS and expresses in global specimen coordinates the resultant Burgers vector flux from all active CSS. We demonstrate these relationships by analyzing plane strain deformation in a Ni single crystal caused by wedge indentation along a 〈 110 〉 direction.
On Different Formulations of a Continuous CTA Model.

In this paper, we consider a Controlled Tabular Adjustment (CTA) model for statistical disclosure limitation of tabular data. The goal of the CTA model is to find the closest safe (masked) table to the original table that contains sensitive information. The measure of closeness is usually measured using \(\ell _1\) or \(\ell _2\) norm. However, in the norm-based CTA model, there is no control of how well the statistical properties of the data in the original table are preserved in the masked table. Hence, we propose a different criterion of “closeness” between the masked and original table which attempts to minimally change certain statistics used in the analysis of the table. The Chi-square statistic is among the most utilized measures for the analysis of data in two-dimensional tables. Hence, we propose a Chi-square CTA model which minimizes the objective function that depends on the difference of the Chi-square statistics of the original and masked table. The model is non-linear and non-convex and therefore harder to solve which prompted us to also consider a modification of this model which can be transformed into a linear programming model that can be solved more efficiently. We present numerical results for the two-dimensional table illustrating our novel approach and providing a comparison with norm-based CTA models.
Beyond human error: An empirical study of the safety Model 1 and Model 2 approaches for predicting workers’ behaviors and outcomes with procedures

Abstract Procedures serve an important role as safety barriers in industries and can assist workers in executing tasks. However, several notable incidents have occurred, such as the Texas City Refinery and Piper Alpha disasters, where the lack of compliance with procedures was a contributing cause. Historically, much of the research and practice has focused on better controlling the workers' behaviors and increasing compliance through strict adherence to written procedures. Dekker (2003) refers to this as a Model 1 approach and compares it to a Model 2 approach where procedures are designed to be resources or tools to support workers' actions while performing a task. While the Model 1 posits that individual-level variables are more predictive of important outcomes, Model 2 suggests that individual and system-level variables are both important. The current empirical study (N = 174) sought to examine both system- and individual-level variables associated with behaviors and outcomes in procedural systems to support the need to include Model 2 in procedural systems research and practice. Results indicated that attitudinal individual-level variables regarding procedure utility and compliance uniquely predicted relevant criteria (deviations, use, and incident-near-miss rates) in multiple regression models. Additionally, we found that system-level variables did improve two out of three models, and procedure quality perceptions were a significant system-level predictor in all of the full regression models. These results illustrate the importance of moving away from an exclusive Model 1 approach to safety and procedures in high-risk, industrial organizations.
Oscillatory Ventilation Redux: Alternative Perspectives on Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

For patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ventilation strategies that limit end-expiratory derecruitment and end-inspiratory overdistension are the only interventions to have significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality. For this reason, the use of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) was considered to be an ideal protective strategy, given its reliance on very low tidal volumes cycled at very high rates. However, results from clinical trials in adults with ARDS have demonstrated that HFOV does not improve clinical outcomes. Recent experimental and computational studies have shown that oscillation of a mechanically heterogeneous lung with multiple simultaneous frequencies can reduce parenchymal strain, improve gas exchange, and maintain lung recruitment at lower distending pressures compared to traditional "single-frequency" HFOV. This review will discuss the theoretical rationale for the use of multiple oscillatory frequencies in ARDS, as well as the mechanisms by which it may reduce the risk for ventilator-induced lung injury.
A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between the TQM and EFQM Models in Spanish SMEs

While there is some agreement that a systematic framework is needed to put total quality management (TQM) into practice, there is no universally accepted TQM framework. To address the TQM framework dilemma, research is needed (mainly in the case of the EFQM business excellence model) to empirically assess whether quality award models truly represent TQM. Given gaps in the existing literature, this research contributes to the extant literature on numerous levels. Firstly, this research focuses on SMEs within a similar environment. Secondly, this research evaluates the empirical link between TQM and criteria of the EFQM business excellence model. Finally, this research provides a quantitative synthesis of specific findings from different studies. Based on a meta-analytical approach, the evidence suggests that the leadership variable and the people results variable in the EFQM business excellence model need further refinement.
Ok Boomer- The Approaching DiZruption of Legal Education by Generation Z

Educating today’s law students is a difficult and challenging task. Add to this, the arrival of a new generation of students, the first true digital natives, born into the Internet-connected world, taking in information instantaneously and losing interest just as fast—learners accustomed to watching online lessons to learn but still valuing the professor. A generation of students always on social media and consuming mass amounts of content. Enter Generation Z. Since the late seventies, law schools have struggled with educating the Millennial generation. Each generation, particularly Generation Z, comes to law school with varying characteristics and new challenges that distinguish them from their predecessors, challenges requiring changes to our teaching and institutions. In order to recruit, educate, and graduate this new generation of law students, educators must understand the predominant characteristics, perspectives, and learning preferences of Generation Z. With these objectives in mind, this Article examines the characteristics and learning preferences of this new cohort of students. It offers suggestions on ways traditional legal education needs to change and improve to better meet the needs of this new breed of students. This Article begins by briefly describing the generational profiles of those that preceded Generation Z, particularly their bloodline of siblings, parents, and grandparents. The Article then delves into the characteristics and personality traits of this new generation of law students. This Article then examines the learning preferences of this new always-on, tech-savvy, realistic generation. The Article concludes with suggestions on ways to blend Generation Z’s characteristics and learning preferences into a legal education experience, embracing blended learning, multimedia, technology, and curriculum modifications, all allowing both law schools and this new generation to be successful. And maybe, just maybe, with the approach of Generation Z, it may be time to tone down Socrates and tune in YouTube.
Smith in Theory and Practice

Employment Division v. Smith controversially held that general laws that were neutral toward religion would no longer be presumptively invalid, regardless of how much they incidentally burdened religious practices. That decision sparked a debate that continues today, twenty years later. This symposium Essay explores the argument that subsequent courts have in fact been less constrained by the principal rule of Smith than advocates on both sides of the controversy usually assume. Lower courts administering real world disputes often find they have all the room they need to grant relief from general laws, given exceptions written into the decision itself and other mechanisms for circumventing its main rule. While this brief piece does not attempt to prove the empirical claim that Smith has had a limited real-world impact, it gives reasons to think that it might be accurate. Moreover, it tests a similar argument with respect to scholarship, suggesting that even theorists who are sympathetic to Smith nevertheless are more willing to agree to exemptions in particular scenarios than is commonly realized, although important differences of degree and kind still separate them from opponents of the decision and from each other. The Conclusion offers one reason to celebrate this Essay’s depiction of how Smith actually operates, assuming it is correct: Raising awareness of its flexibility in the real world could lower the stakes of the ongoing national conflict over the proper place of religion in American public life.
Role of coal maceral composition in reducing sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions from pulverized coal flames

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of coal maceral composition in reducing sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions from pulverized coal flames. Coal-fired plants emissions are influenced by fuel nitrogen and fuel sulfur content as well as combustion temperatures and combustion histories. Recent investigations show that the volatiles evolution and char combustion patterns are dependent on its coal chemical composition and the maceral composition. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that through a combination of effects, controlled by the petrographic distribution of fuel sulfur and nitrogen as well as the individual reactivities of the coal macerals themselves, the production histories of the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen and their final emission levels is influenced by the coal petrographic composition.
Restructuring the Bankruptcy System: A Strategic Response to Stern V. Marshall

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Stern v. Marshall has signaled a need to alter the bankruptcy courts' jurisdictional structure. In Stern, the Supreme Court ruled that bankruptcy judges, who lack the life tenure and salary protection of Article III, cannot issue final rulings in bankruptcy proceedings previously believed to be within their core jurisdiction. In response to the constitutional challenge raised by Stern, and in recognition that bankruptcy court’s jurisdictional limits represent a long-standing problem, many argue for a long-term solution: the restructuring of the system to create specialized Article III bankruptcy courts. This paper evaluates this proposal in light of classic principles of system restructuring, namely, that any proposed restructure should stem from the underlying goals or strategy for that system. The creation of a specialized Article III bankruptcy court is consistent with the view of bankruptcy as a method of distribution, but not with bankruptcy as a procedural mechanism to deal with collective default. In recognition of this tension, the paper promotes an alternative solution to the Stern problem, one that harmonizes other strategic approaches and promotes uniformity in bankruptcy. This solution would replace bankruptcy courts with an administrative agency subject to the review of non-specialized district courts.
Rapid detection and identification of respiratory viruses by direct immunofluorescence.

The use of fluorescein-conjugated antiserum against respiratory syncytial (RS) and parainfluenza 1 and 3 viruses was compared with conventional techniques in the rapid detection of virus in tissue cultures inoculated with pharyngeal specimens known to contain these viruses. Twenty-three specimens were tested: 9 RS, 8 parainfluenza 1, and 6 parainfluenza 3. The fluorescent-antibody technique (FA) detected virus in 52% of the tissue cultures in 24 hr, and, by 72 hr, 22 of the 23 cultures were FA-positive whereas only 5 were positive by conventional techniques. Additionally, conjugated antisera were prepared against herpes simplex, influenza A2, and adenovirus type 5. All conjugates stained only the homologous virus and were 100- to 10,000-fold more sensitive than conventional techniques in detecting descending dilutions of virus inocula by 24 hr. With the procedures described, several antisera could be conjugated and ready for use within 24 hr. Serum fractionation was by ammonium sulfate precipitation, and with the procedure outlined virtually complete recovery of the globulin fraction and elimination of all of the albumin were accomplished.
Proceedings of the 42nd annual Southeast regional conference

Welcome to the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the 42nd Annual ACM Southeast Conference.ACMSE 2004 received 134 short and full paper submissions. After a thorough review process, 26 short papers and 73 full papers were accepted. This year's conference includes a Special Session on Mobile Computing, and a Special Session on Software Systems. There is also an Animation Festival on the first day of the conference.
Baseline Blood Pb Concentrations in Black-Necked Stilts on the Upper Texas Coast

There are no known biological requirements for lead (Pb), and elevated Pb levels in birds can cause a variety of sub-lethal effects and mortality. Historic and current levels of Pb in mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) suggest that environmental sources of Pb remain available on the upper Texas coast. Because of potential risks of Pb exposure among coexisting marsh birds, black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) blood Pb concentrations were measured during the breeding season. Almost 80 % (n = 120) of 152 sampled stilts exceeded the background threshold (>20 μg/dL) for Pb exposure. However, blood Pb concentrations did not vary by age or gender, and toxic or potentially lethal concentrations were rare (<5 %). Consistent, low-level blood Pb concentrations of black-necked stilts in this study suggest the presence of readily bioavailable sources of Pb, although potential impacts on local stilt populations remain unclear.
Inverse scattering, seismic traveltime tomography, and neural networks

Inverse scattering methods for reconstructing sound-wave-speed structure in the dimensions have been shown to be equivalent to inverting line integrals when the scattered field is of sufficiently high frequency and the scattering is sufficiently weak. Seismic traveltime tomography uses first arrival traveltime data to invert for wave-speed structure. Of course, the traveltime is itself a line integral along a refracting ray path through the medium being probed. The similarity between these two inversion problems is discussed. One type of neural network-the Hopfield net-may be used to improve the traveltime inversion. We find that, by taking advantage of the general relationship between least-squares solution and generalized inverses, the neural networks approach eliminates the need for inverting singular or poorly conditioned matrices and therefore also eliminates the need for the damping term often used to regularize such inversions. This procedure produces reconstructions with fewer artifacts and faster convergence than those attained previously using damped least-squares methods.
Soil moisture deficit analysis

In the explanation of shrinkage phenomena in soils, use of the soil moisture deficit concept has proved to be a valuable method. The ratio between soil moisture deficit and vertical shrinkage is known as the water shrinkage factor. If both of these values are known for a soil, the associated shrinkage can be determined. Data from a recent case history were used in a parametric evaluation of the soil moisture deficit calculation. Moisture content profiles and their relationship to the moisture deficit were examined. This study includes a brief review of the field capacity concept from the soil science discipline and how it relates to soil moisture deficit and shows instead the relationship between the ending equilibrium moisture content normally used in unsaturated soil mechanics and the soil moisture deficit. The equilibrium moisture content is related to low matric suctions. Because of the occurrence of persistent soil moisture deficits, it is difficult to arrive at seasonal changes in moisture content p...
Photophysics of a flexible ligand bridged rhodium(I) dimer: An excited state conformational change in a crystalline solid

Abstract The dimeric Rh(I) complex, Rh2(PNP)42+ (where PNP=CH3N[P(OCH3)2]2), adopts a flexible “basket” type structure. The solid state phosphorescence from the (C6H5)4B− salts of the dimeric complex (two crystallographic forms) indicates a thermally activated conformational change in the triplet excited state. The change appears to be driven by RhRh bond formation in the excited state and permitted by relatively weak crystal packing forces.
Ancestral networks in evolutionary algorithms

The behaviors of populations in evolutionary algorithms can be understood in terms of the dynamics of network models whose nodes represent individuals in the population. This paper explores "ancestral networks" in which connections indicate the proximity of the nearest common ancestor of two nodes. Preliminary experimental results show that the formation of large components in such an ancestral network model can be used to identify potential convergence, and to determine when randomly reseeding part of a population can prove beneficial.
An adaptive framework for image and video sensing

Current digital imaging devices often enable the user to capture still frames at a high spatial resolution, or a short video clip at a lower spatial resolution. With bandwidth limitations inherent to any sensor, there is clearly a tradeoff between spatial and temporal sampling rates, which can be studied, and which present-day sensors do not exploit. The fixed sampling rate that is normally used does not capture the scene according to its temporal and spatial content and artifacts such as aliasing and motion blur appear. Moreover, the available bandwidth on the camera transmission or memory is not optimally utilized. In this paper we outline a framework for an adaptive sensor where the spatial and temporal sampling rates are adapted to the scene. The sensor is adjusted to capture the scene with respect to its content. In the adaptation process, the spatial and temporal content of the video sequence are measured to evaluate the required sampling rate. We propose a robust, computationally inexpensive, content measure that works in the spatio-temporal domain as opposed to the traditional frequency domain methods. We show that the measure is accurate and robust in the presence of noise and aliasing. The varying sampling rate stream captures the scene more efficiently and with fewer artifacts such that in a post-processing step an enhanced resolution sequence can be effectively composed or an overall lower bandwidth for the capture of the scene can be realized, with small distortion.
Immune Response Following Photodynamic Therapy For Bladder Cancer

This study was undertaken to determine if photodynamic therapy (PDT) produces an immunologic response in patients treated for bladder cancer. Gamma interferon, interleukin 1-beta, interleukin 2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were assayed in the urine of four patients treated with photodynamic therapy for bladder cancer, in seven patients undergoing transurethral procedures, and in five healthy control subjects. Quantifiable concentrations of all cytokines, except gamma interferon, were measured in urine samples from the PDT patients treated with the highest light energies, while no urinary cytokines were found in the PDT patient who received the lowest light energy or in the control subjects. These findings suggest that a local immunologic response may occur following PDT for bladder cancer. Such an immunologic response activated by PDT may be an additional mechanism involved in bladder tumor destruction.
Direct mass determination of hydrogen uptake using a quartz crystal microbalance

The authors demonstrate the application of a quartz crystal microbalance for direct mass determination of hydrogen uptake in storage materials in the pressure range of 0–40bars. The frequency shift of a quartz crystal coated with hydrogen absorbing materials is affected by the hydrogen mass uptake on the crystal, the pressure and the viscosity of the gases, and the crystal surface roughness, of which the roughness contribution has no analytical expression. Through a control experiment on the same crystal in helium, the roughness contribution in hydrogen can be derived and the frequency shift due to the hydrogen mass uptake can be obtained.
Analyzing the techniques that improve fault tolerance of aggregation trees in sensor networks

Sensor networks are finding significant applications in large scale distributed systems. One of the basic operations in sensor networks is in-network aggregation. Among the various approaches to in-network aggregation, such as gossip and tree, including the hash-based techniques, the tree-based approaches have better performance and energy-saving characteristics. However, sensor networks are highly prone to failures. Numerous techniques suggested in the literature to counteract the effect of failures have not been carefully analyzed. In this paper, we focus on the performance of these tree-based aggregation techniques in the presence of failures. First, we identify a fault model that captures the important failure traits of the system. Then, we analyze the correctness of simple tree aggregation with our fault model. We then use the same fault model to analyze the techniques that utilize redundant trees to improve the variance. The impact of techniques for maintaining the correctness under faults, such as rebuilding or locally fixing the tree, is then studied under the same fault model. We also do the cost-benefit analysis of using the hash-based schemes which are based on FM sketches. We conclude that these fault tolerance techniques for tree aggregation do not necessarily result in substantial improvement in fault tolerance.
Photoalkylation of quinones with ethers

The photoalkylation reactions of benzoquinone with a number of ethers was studied. Some unusual regioselectivities were observed.
Nonlinear magnetic field gradients can reduce SAR in flow-driven arterial spin labeling measurements

This work describes how custom-built gradient coils, designed to generate magnetic fields with amplitudes that vary nonlinearly with position, can be used to reduce the potential for unsafe tissue heating during flow-driven arterial spin labeling processes. A model was developed to allow detailed analysis of the adiabatic excitation process used for flow-driven arterial water stimulation with elimination of tissue signal (FAWSETS) an arterial spin labeling method developed specifically for use in skeletal muscle. The model predicted that, by adjusting the amplitude of the gradient field, the specific absorption rate could be reduced by more than a factor of 6 while still achieving effective labeling. Flow phantom measurements and in vivo measurements from exercising rat hind limb confirmed the accuracy of the model's predictions. The modeling tools were also applied to the more widely used continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) method and predicted that specially shaped gradients could allow similar reductions in SAR.
Boundary conditions on exciton polarization and mode coupling in a spatially dispersive medium

A mode coupling condition recently derived in an investigation of the structure of the electromagnetic field in a spatially dispersive model medium is shown to imply that each mode of the exciton polarization obeys a certain inhomogeneous boundary condition. The total exciton polarization is shown to obey a boundary condition that has the form of an extinction theorem. The results are exact consequences of the Maxwell equations and of the constitutive relation alone. A brief comparison of our new boundary condition with the additional boundary conditions previously proposed by Pekar, by Hopfield and Thomas and by Sein is also made.
Distinct effects of allogeneic blood transfusion on splenocyte cytokine production after hemorrhagic shock

Allogeneic blood transfusion is known to be immunosuppressive in the settings of cancer and transplantation, but the contribution of blood transfusion to immunomodulation after hemorrhage is unknown. Our purpose was to determine the influence of allogeneic blood transfusion upon cytokine profiles following hemorrhagic shock, using a model which approximates the clinical setting. Methods.Male C3H/HeN mice were hemorrhaged via femoral arterial catheters to a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 35 ± 5 mm Hg, which was maintained for 1 h. Mice were resuscitated with autologous blood (auto BT) or allogeneic blood (allo BT) from Balb/c mice (both equivalent to volume of shed blood), and crystalloid (2X the volume of shed blood)-infused at 0.05 ml/min. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, and 5 days postshock, and splenocytes were cultured for 24 h with anti-CD3 antibody. Supernatants were assayed for IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and γ-IFN by ELISA. Results.Regardless of transfusion status, hemorrhagic shock resulted in increased IL-6 and γ-IFN by Day 2 postshock. Distinct cytokine alterations after allogeneic transfusion were as follows. IL-2: transient elevation of splenocyte IL-2 production in the shock + allo BT group (P< 0.005 vs. shock + auto BT) at Postshock Day 2. IL-6: suppression in IL-6 production in the shock + allo BT group by Postshock Day 5 (P< 0.05 vs. shock + auto BT). IL-10: persistently elevated IL-10 production following shock + allo BT (Day 1,P< 0.001 vs. shock + auto BT; Day 5;P< 0.05 vs. shock + auto BT). γ-IFN: elevation in γ-IFN production by Day 5 in the shock + allo BT group (P< 0.0005 vs. shock + auto BT). Conclusions.Allogeneic blood transfusion results in distinct alterations in splenocyte production of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and γ-IFN after hemorrhagic shock. This model reflects the clinical usage of blood products and demonstrates some of the immune alterations after transfusion.
The screw dislocation problem in incompressible finite elastostatics: a discussion of nonlinear effects

The jump conditions arising in the formulation of dislocation problems in finite elastostatics are discussed and a full field solution of the anti-plane shear type is given for the screw dislocation problem. The solution is valid for the most general homogeneous isotropic incompressible nonlinear elastic solid. The level of nonlinearity is defined for this solution and compared to "dislocation core" estimates in materials science.
On the Origins of the Regime of Pragmatic Liberalism: John Dewey, Adolf A. Berle, and FDR's Commonwealth Club Address of 1932 *

This essay stems from a prolonged study of Adolf A. Berle's drafts for the address “On Progressive Government” which Franklin Roosevelt gave in San Francisco during the 1932 presidential campaign. The essay compares Dewey's Individualism Old and New (Part I below) with the Commonwealth Club Address (Part II). The need for such a sustained comparison and commentary became clear only when I began to wonder whether Roosevelt's pragmatism—or rather the pragmatist teaching Berle formulated in responding to Roosevelt—was really idiosyncratic and philosophically derivative, as students of my generation had been taught to suppose. Like most journeymen, I had heard Justice Holmes's characterization of Roosevelt: “a first class temperament but a second class mind.” Coming from the oracle of pragmatist jurisprudence, that remark deflected my attention from Roosevelt's executive character and delayed my study of its effect on younger, more impressionable pragmatists like Berle. I also shared the common opinion of New Deal pragmatism as an encore for reform or a revanche for interventionism. I did not foresee that it might present an occasion for theoretical advance.
Aligning parts for micro assemblies

Orienting parts that measure only a few micrometers in diameter introduces several challenges that need not be considered at the macro‐scale. First, there are several kinds of sticking effects due to Van der Waals forces and static electricity, which complicate hand‐off motions and release of a part. Second, the degrees of freedom of micro‐manipulators are limited. This paper proposes a pair of manipulation primitives and a complete algorithm that addresses these challenges. We will show that a sequence of these two manipulation primitives can uniquely orient any asymmetric part while maintaining contact without sensing. This allows us to apply the same plan to many (identical) parts simultaneously. For asymmetric parts we can find a plan of length O(n) in O(n) time that orients the part, where n is the number of vertices.
Where once there were mountains: the grassroots struggle against mountaintop removal coal mining in central Appalachia

Bringing down the mountains: the impact of mountaintop removal on southern West Virginia, by Shirley Stewart Burns, Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University Press, 2007, xi + 214 pp., £17.16 (paper...
Proteolysis of soybean Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor during germination

Abstract The Bowman—Birk type trypsin inhibitor, BBSTI-D, which appears in the cotyledons of germinated soybeans ( Glycine max ), was isolated in homogeneous form. BBSTI-D has an amino acid composition identical to the native Bowman—Birk soybean trypsin inhibitor (BBSTI-E) except for the loss of one glutamyl/glutaminyl residue and one aspartyl/asparaginyl residue. The amino-terminal sequence of BBSTI-D was identical to that of BBSTI-E. These data, as well as the compositions of the tryptic peptides from reduced carboxymethylated BBSTI-D, indicate that BBSTI-D is derived from BBSTI-E by the loss of the carboxyl-terminal residues Glu 70 —Asn 71 .
Computer aided graphics: determining system size, estimating costs and savings

Abstract This paper describes a method used to custom configure -assess and size- a Computer Aided Graphics System for a specific application. Costs and associated savings are based on this configuration using standard financial evaluation techniques. A hypothetical case is presented to demonstrate these methods. Variables are defined to enable the user to intelligently select values appropriate to his application. Additional iterations are suggested to permit fine tuning the analysis. These iterations are limited only by the user' needs and/or imagination.
Workload and Vigilance

A series of studies is described using the NASA-TLX to measure the perceived mental workload of vigilance tasks. Contrary to prior belief, these studies indicate that such tasks are not understimulating. Instead, the cost of mental operations in vigilance is substantial, with mental demand and frustration tending to be the primary contributors to workload. These findings support a resource model of vigilance suggested by Davies and Parasuraman (1982) and lead to the suggestion that the mental demand imposed by vigilance tasks should not be underestimated in the design of human-machine systems.
Adaptation and cross-resistance : an explanation for the existence of different radiosensitivities among malignant melanoma cells

A hypothesis is presented to explain the apparent difference in the radioresponsiveness of melanoma lesions whether they are located on the skin or in other parts of the body. The hypothesis states that the radiosensitivity of a cell may change when the cell adapts to live and grow in a different environment. The most important environmental factor that affects the radiosensitivity of cutaneous melanoma cells appears to be the partial pressure of oxygen in their immediate environment. By virtue of adapting to grow in an environment having a high partial pressure of oxygen, the melanoma cells located on the skin may have developed a better antioxidant defense mechanism than cells that metastasize to, and grow in, other parts of the body having lower partial pressures of oxygen such as lymph nodes, brain and viscera. Because some of the cell-damaging effects of both oxygen and ionizing radiation are mediated through a similar mechanism, the melanoma cells on the skin become cross-resistant to ionizing radiation because of their higher tolerance to oxygen toxicity.
Effects of a hip belt on transverse plane trunk coordination and stability during load carriage

Abstract This study examined the transverse plane kinematics of the pelvis, thorax and head while participants walked at a range of speeds on a treadmill under three load conditions: no load, with a loaded backpack with no hip belt and with a loaded backpack with a hip belt. Research has suggested that one mechanism for adapting to heavy loads carried with no hip belt is to reduce the amplitudes and relative phase of transverse plane pelvic and thoracic rotations, in order to minimize rotational torque on the loaded upper body. Transverse plane rotation amplitudes of the pelvis, thorax, backpack and head were calculated from 3D kinematic data for 12 healthy subjects, walking at speeds of 0.5, 0.9, 1.3 and 1.7 m s −1 . Relative phase relation and its variability were also computed for pelvis–thorax rotations and backpack–thorax rotations. Stability of the coordination pattern was estimated as an inverse function of the variability in relative phase. The backpack with the hip belt allowed significantly larger transverse plane rotation amplitudes, along with increased stability of the coordination pattern, than the backpack with no hip belt. Motion patterns of the backpack and thorax suggested that the backpack frame was used to assist with the deceleration and reversal of the loaded thorax, driven by the pelvis through the hip belt connection. Use of the frame in this way may have required less trunk muscle activation and allowed for improved pattern stability.
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is an independent predictor of prostate cancer recurrence.

Lack of reliable prognostic markers hinders accurate prediction of disease progression in prostate cancer. The inducible proinflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is implicated in prostate carcinogenesis, but its role in cancer progression is less clear. We examined whether COX-2 expression evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens can predict biochemical recurrence. Archival prostate cancer specimens (n = 60) were obtained from patients who underwent RP, but had not received neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. Twenty-three patients had biochemical or clinical recurrence (mean time of recurrence: 38.2 months), and 37 patients were recurrence free (mean follow-up: 95 months). COX-2 expression was determined by IHC, using an anti-COX-2 antibody. Three individuals scored the staining independently, as high- or low-expression. COX-2 was expressed in prostate cancer cells, in adjacent normal glands and in specimens from patients who later progressed. At 62-months follow-up, COX-2 staining predicted progression with 82.4% sensitivity and 81.3% specificity. Sensitivity (86.4%) and specificity (86.7%) improved at ≥ 100-months follow-up. In univariate analysis, Gleason score, preoperative PSA, extraprostatic extension, margin, seminal vesicle invasion, and high COX-2 expression were significant predictors of biochemical recurrence (p 7 ng/ml and high COX-2 expression had the highest probability of recurrence (Kaplan-Meier analysis). COX-2 expression is an independent predictor of prostate cancer progression following RP and underscores the significance of inflammatory factors in this process. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pearls and pitfalls of genomics-based microbiome analysis

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has supplanted traditional methods for microbiome analyses. Advantages include higher resolution and lower costs. Analyses have evolved from basic 16S rRNA surveys ...
Novel sst4-Selective Somatostatin (SRIF) Agonists. 1. Lead Identification Using a Betide Scan

Hypothesizing that structural constraints in somatostatin (SRIF) analogues may result in receptor selectivity, and aiming to characterize the bioactive conformation of somatostatin at each of its five receptors, we carried out an Nβ-methylated aminoglycine (Agl) scan of the octapeptide H-c[Cys3-Phe6-Phe7-dTrp8-Lys9-Thr10-Phe11-Cys14]-OH (SRIF numbering) (ODT-8) that is potent at all SRIF receptor subtypes (sst's) but sst1. We found that H-c[Cys-lAgl(NβMe,benzoyl)-Phe-dTrp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys]-OH (4), H-c[Cys-Phe-lAgl(NβMe,benzoyl)-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys]-OH (6), H-c[Cys-Phe-lAgl(NβMe,benzoyl)-dTrp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys]-OH (8), and H-c[dCys-Phe-LAgl(NβMe,benzoyl)-dTrp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys]-OH (10) had high affinity (IC50 = 14.3, 5.4, 5.2, and 3.4 nM, respectively) and selectivity for sst4 (>50-fold over the other receptors). The l-configuration at positions 7 and 8 (l7, l8) yields greater sst4 selectivity than the l7, d8 configuration (6 versus 8). Peptides with the d7, l8 (7) and d7, d8 (9) configurations are significantl...