cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Development of an ex vivo Flow System to Assess Acute Arterial Drug Retention of Cardiovascular Intravascular Devices

Purpose: The goal of this study was to develop an ex vivo system capable of rapidly evaluating arterial drug levels in living, isolated porcine carotid arteries. Methods: A vascular bioreactor system was developed that housed a native porcine carotid artery under physiological flow conditions. The ex vivo bioreactor system was designed to quantify the acute drug transfer of catheter-based drug delivery devices into explanted carotid arteries. To evaluate our ex vivo system, a paclitaxel-coated balloon and a perfusion catheter device delivering liquid paclitaxel were utilized. At 1-hour post-drug delivery, arteries were removed, and paclitaxel drug levels measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Parallel experiments were performed in a pig model to validate ex vivo measurements. Results: LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated arterial paclitaxel levels of the drug-coated balloon-treated arteries to be 48.49±24.09 ng/mg and the perfusion catheter-treated arteries to be 25.42±9.74 ng/mg at 1 hour in the ex vivo system. Similar results were measured in vivo, as arterial paclitaxel concentrations were measured at 59.23±41.27 23.43±20.23 ng/mg for the drug-coated balloon-treated arteries and 23.43±20.23 ng/mg for the perfusion catheter-treated arteries. Overall, no significant differences were observed between paclitaxel measurements of arteries treated ex vivo versus in vivo. Conclusion: In conclusion, this system represents the first validated ex vivo pulsatile system to determine pharmacokinetics in a native blood vessel. This work provides proof-of-concept of a quick, inexpensive, pre-clinical tool to study acute drug tissue concentration kinetics of drug-releasing interventional devices.
Trusting Medicine : The Moral Costs of Managed Care

Introduction 1. Conflicting Values in a Troubled Health Care System 2. Bluffing, Puffing and Spinning 3. Trust: The Scarcest of Medical Resources 4. The Doctor-Patient Relationship in a Social Context 5. Conserving Medical Trust for the Sake of Social Capital 6. Law, Its Meaning, and Its Effect on Social Capital 7. Employer Leadership in the Era of Workplace Rationing Conclusion: Protecting Medical Trust, Conserving Social Capital
An exploration of hispanic mothers' culturally sustaining experiences at an informal science center

Science education reform focuses on learner-centered instruction within contexts that support learners' sociocultural experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic mothers' experiences as accompanying adults at an informal science center within the context of culturally sustaining experiences, which include the fluidity and plurality of cultural and linguistic diversity, and support multilingualism and multiculturalism in practice and perspective for learners. Through a phenomenological approach, eight Hispanic mothers were observed with their children at a science center and then interviewed to elicit an understanding of their experiences. Results indicate that mothers were largely unfamiliar with museums in general, yet the science center supported their socio-cultural ways of learning and engaging with their children. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the mothers, opportunities exist for the science center to provide more cultural/linguistic access to the exhibits. While prior research has shown that informal science education can encompass culturally meaningful experiences by affirming cultural identities, results from this study suggest that this inclusive and affirming approach be extended to all informal science venues using a multi-modal approach to learning, and should include cultural sustainability to support negotiations between prior and current cultural contexts. This could include, but is not limited to, targeted outreach and programming that values parents as intellectual resources and involving diverse community members not only in the design process but also in the operations of the center. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 84–106, 2015
Entwicklung und Benutzung interaktiver Anwendungssyteme mit Hilfe von Methoden- und Datenbanksystemen

Diese Forschungsarbeit soll zeigen, das mit allgemeinen interaktiven Daten- und Methodenbanksystemen (IDMS) Anwendungssysteme fur den Problemloser effizient entwickelt, vom Anwendungsexperten flexibel genutzt und veranderten Gegebenheiten leicht angepast werden konnen.
Just consequentialism and computing

Computer and information ethics, as well as other fields of applied ethics, need ethical theories which coherently unify deontological and consequentialist aspects of ethical analysis. The proposed theory of just consequentialism emphasizes consequences of policies within the constraints of justice. This makes just consequentialism a practical and theoretically sound approach to ethical problems of computer and information ethics.
FINGER: A novel erasure coding scheme using fine granularity blocks to improve Hadoop write and update performance

With the explosive increase of the data by volume in various fields of science, engineering, information services, etc., data-intensive computing has gained significant interest in recent years. Various challenges ranging from efficient peta-scale data management to the adoption of highly scalable cloud computing have become a norm for data center administrators. Highly scalable architectures such as Hadoop, BlobSeer and MapR are used in large data centers for efficient data management, and employ 3-way replication for fault tolerance or data availability. One means of reducing storage overhead of replication in data-centers is erasure coding. However, HDFS-RAID (erasure-coded Hadoop) uses large block sizes and does not support update operations. Therefore, changing any file-block content requires recreating the whole file, which effectively reduces the overall write and update performance of the system. We propose FINe Grained ERasure coding scheme (FINGER) for the erasure-coded Hadoop FileSystem, which improves both write and update performance without sacrificing the read performance. The main idea is to chunk the large block size (64 or 128 MB) into smaller chunks; the chunk layout is designed to mitigate extra reads when performing erasure coding on a large block update and maintains the same metdata size as HDFS-RAID. We implement the update operation in Hadoop and conduct testbed experiments to demonstrate that FINGER improves the write and update performance by 38.20% and 8.6% w.r.t. 3-way replication and by 8.08% and up to 5.68×w.r.t HDFS-RAID respectively.
Highly Parallel Sparse Matrix-Matrix Multiplication ✩,✩✩

Generalized sparse matrix-matrix multiplication is a key primitive for many high performance graph algorithms as well as some linear solvers such as multigrid. We present the first parallel algorithms that achieve increasing speed ups for an unbounded number of processors. Our algorithms are based on two-dimensional block distribution of sparse matrices where serial sections use a novel hypersparse kernel for scalability. We give a state-of-the-art MPI implementation of one of our algorithms. Our experiments show scaling up to thousands of processors on a variety of test scenarios.
Chemistry and petrology of fly ash derived from the co-combustion of western United States coal and tire-derived fuel

Inorganic ash chemistry and petrology was investigated in coal-combustion by-products from the burning of tire-derived fuel (TDF) with a 1:1 blend of Colorado and Utah high volatile C bituminous coal and Powder River Basin subbituminous coal. Both coal components had high vitrinite contents. With the exception of Sr and Ba, the trace-element contents of the coals were not high. The fly ash was enriched in Zn, known to be a constituent of both the rubber and the wire in tires. Cu, also a constituent of the brass coatings of bead wire, was enriched in the same fractions with high Zn concentrations. Zn and Cu, along with several other elements, increased in concentration in the back, cooler row of the electrostatic precipitator. The enrichment of other elements, such as Se, As, and Pb, was more problematical. It is possible that the latter elements have more of a coal source than a tire source.
Pinealocyte synaptic ribbons and neuroendocrine function

A comparative study of pinealocyte synaptic ribbons (SR) revealed two predominant populations exhibiting either a rod/ribbon shape (SRr) or a spherical/punctate shape (SRsp). Species-specific differences were found in the abundance of SR, the ratio of SRr/SRsp, and the occurrence of SR in ribbon fields. The close topographical relationship of SR to the plasma membrane and the numerical changes that occurred with changes in metabolism of the pinealocytes suggest that SR have important vesicle-mediated interactions with the cell membrane. Experiments designed to clarify the relationship between SR and pineal neuroendocrine function revealed a positive correlation between SR numbers and indole intermediates during pineal development in the rat, and increased SR frequency after denervation of the rat pineal gland or administration of the β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that SR function is linked to receptor mechanisms regulating indoleamine production in the pineal gland. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Determination of Composition of Cellulose and Lignin Mixtures Using Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)

The proportional composition of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and minerals in a biomass plays a significant role in the proportion of pyrolysis products (bio-oil, char, and gases). Traditionally, the composition of biomass is chemically determined, which is a time consuming process. This paper presents the results of a preliminary investigation of a method using thermo-gravimetric analysis for predicting the fraction of cellulose and lignin in lignin-cellulose mixtures. The concept is based on a newly developed theory of Pyrolytic Unit Thermographs (PUT). The Pyrolytic Unit Thermograph (PUT) is a thermograph showing rate of change of biomass weight with respect to temperature for a unit weight loss. These PUTs were used as input for two predictive mathematical procedures that minimize noise to predict the fractional composition in unknown lignin-cellulose mixtures. The first model used linear correlations between cellulose/lignin content and peak decomposition rate while the second method used a system of linear equations. Results showed that both models predicted the composition of lignin-cellulose mixture within 7 to 18% of measured value. The promising results of this preliminary study will certainly motivate further refinement of this method through advanced research.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Canopy-forming kelps as California's coastal dosimeter: 131I from damaged Japanese reactor measured in Macrocystis pyrifera.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, damaged by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 released large amounts of 131I into the atmosphere, which was assimilated into canopy blades of Macrocystis pyrifera sampled from coastal California. The specific activity calculated to the estimated date of deposition/assimilation ranged from 0.6 to 2.5 Bq gdwt–1, levels greater than those measured from kelps from Japan and Canada prior to the release. These 131I levels represent a significant input into the kelp forest ecosystem. Canopy-forming kelps are a natural coastal dosimeter that can measure the exposure of the coastal environment to 131I and perhaps other radioisotopes released from nuclear accidents. An organizational mechanism should be in place to ensure that they are sampled immediately and continuously after such releases.
Military chemical warfare agent human subjects testing: part 1--history of six-decades of military experiments with chemical warfare agents

Military chemical warfare agent testing from World War I to 1975 produced thousands of veterans with concerns of possible long-term health consequences. Clinical and research evaluation of potential long-term health effects has been difficult because the exposures occurred decades ago, the identity of troops exposed and exposure magnitudes are uncertain, and acute effects during experiments poorly documented. In contrast, a companion article describes the large amount of information available about the specific agents tested and their long-term health effects. This short history describes U.S. military chemical-agent experiments with human subjects and identifies tested agents. Finally, the demonstrated need to anticipate future health concerns from military personnel involved in such military testing suggests current and future military researchers should be required, by law and regulation, to fully record the identity of those exposed, relevant exposure magnitude, and complete medical information for all subjects. New study protocols and institutional review board approvals for research involving military personnel should reflect this need.
Randomized controlled trial of brief interventions to reduce college students' drinking and risky sex.

The present study tested the proposition that an intervention to reduce alcohol use among college students will also reduce their risky sexual behavior. In a randomized, controlled trial, 154 heavy-drinking, predominantly White, heterosexual college students at behavioral risk for infection with HIV and other STDs were assigned to receive no intervention or a two-session, in-person, motivational interviewing-based intervention focused on either: (a) reducing alcohol risk behavior, (b) reducing HIV risk behavior, or (c) reducing both alcohol and HIV risk behavior. Three-month retrospective assessments of alcohol use and sexual behavior were conducted at intake and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-month follow-up appointments. During follow-up, participants who received the single-focus Alcohol risk-reduction intervention drank less frequently and consumed fewer drinks per drinking day compared to no-intervention control participants, but did not differ from control participants in their frequency of intercourse without a condom or number of sexual partners. Participants who received the single-focus HIV risk-reduction intervention evidenced fewer unprotected sex events during follow-up, compared to control participants. The number of sexual partners reported during follow-up did not differ by condition. Effects of the interventions did not vary significantly over time and were not moderated by participant gender. Results suggest that intervening to reduce alcohol use may not reduce risky sexual behavior among non-minority college students, but that a brief motivational intervention targeting HIV risk behavior may have utility for reducing the frequency of unprotected sex in this population.
Effective hard particle model for the osmotic pressure of highly concentrated binary protein solutions.

The experimentally measured concentration dependence of the osmotic pressure of an equimolar mixture of hen egg ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin at pH 7.0 and 25°C in the presence of 0.15 M NaCl is shown to be quantitatively accounted for by a model in which each protein species is represented by an effective hard sphere. The size of this sphere is determined by analysis of the concentration dependence of the osmotic pressure of the isolated protein.
Numerical Modeling of Coal Gasification in an Entrained-Flow Gasifier

The gasification technology has been applied in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants for the production of power, and polygeneration plants for the production of industrial chemicals, fuels, hydrogen, and power. The major advantages of the gasification technology are its potential for feed-stock flexibility, product flexibility, and relative simple removal of harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and CO2. Entrained-flow gasifiers are the preferred gasifier design for future deployment due to their high carbon conversion, high efficiency and high syngas purity. Current entrained-flow gasifier designs still have serious problems such as injector failure, refractory failure, slag blockages, downstream fouling and poisoning, poor space efficiency, and lack of dynamic feedstock flexibility. To better understand the entrained-flow gasification process, we performed steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling of the laboratory-scale gasifier developed at Brigham Young University (BYU) using ANSYS Fluent. An Eulerian approach is used to describe the gas phase, and a Lagrangian approach is used to describe the particle phase. The interactions between the gas phase and particle phase is modeled using the particle-source-in-cell approach. Turbulence is modeled using the shear-stress transport (SST) k–ω model. Turbulent particle dispersion is taken into account by using the discrete random walk model. Devolatilization is modeled using a version of the chemical percolation devolatilization (CPD) model, and char consumption is described with a shrinking core model. Turbulent combustion in the gas phase is modeled using a finite-rate/eddy-dissipation model. Radiation is considered by solving the radiative transport equation with the discrete ordinates model. Second-order upwind scheme is used to solve all gas phase equations. First, to validate the flow solver, we performed numerical modeling of a non-reacting particle-laden bluff-body flow. For the non-reacting flow, the predicted mean velocities of the gas phase and the particle phase are in good agreement with the experimental data. Next, we performed numerical modeling of the gasification process in the BYU gasifier. The predicted profiles of the mole fractions of the major species (i.e. CO, CO2, H2, and H2O) along the centerline are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The predicted carbon conversion at the gasifier exit agrees with the experimental data. The predicted temperature at the gasifier exit agrees with the estimated value based on water-gas shift equilibrium considerations. The numerical model was further applied to study the effects of the equivalence ratio, particle size, and swirl on the gasification process.© 2012 ASME
Thermal Stability of a Vertical Fluid Layer With Volumetric Energy Source

The effects of nonuniform volumetric energy sources on the thermal stability of natural convection in a vertical fluid layer are investigated using the linear theory of stability. The neutral states of stability are obtained for four values of Prandtl number, ranging from 0.71 to 100, and for different values of β in the range 0.1 ≤ β ≤ 10 . The critical parameters and the energetics of the critical disturbances are determined for each case. For all values of Prandtl number and β studied here, the critical instabilities set in as traveling waves, moving in the direction of gravity. In the low range of Prandtl number, 0.71 to 5, the critical curves approach the same asymptotic value for β ≥ 10. The critical disturbances are found to be buoyancy driven for all Prandtl numbers and β considered here, except for the low range of Prandtl number, for which they become shear driven disturbances as β increases.
Methamphetamine dependence: a closer look at treatment response and clinical characteristics associated with route of administration in outpatient treatment.

Relatively little is known about the clinical treatment response characteristics associated with route of methamphetamine (MA) administration. We examined sociodemographic, drug use, treatment response, as well as psychiatric and medical characteristics associated with route of administration among 974 methamphetamine abusers in outpatient treatment during 1999–2001. Injectors had the poorest treatment prognosis: poorer treatment engagement, greater drug use during treatment, lower treatment completion rates, and more MA use at 12 months post-admission than did smokers and intranasal users. On many treatment response measures, MA smokers were almost as severely impaired as injectors, and in general, intranasal users were least impaired. Psychological and medical impairment, before and after treatment, was also highest among injectors. This study contributes new insights about clinical treatment response and outcomes associated with route of administration among MA-dependent users.
A graphics processor-based intranuclear cascade and evaporation simulation

Monte Carlo simulations of the transport of protons in human tissue have been deployed on graphics processing units (GPUs) with impressive results. To provide a more complete treatment of non-elastic nuclear interactions in these simulations, we developed a fast intranuclear cascade-evaporation simulation for the GPU. This can be used to model non-elastic proton collisions on any therapeutically relevant nuclei at incident energies between 20 and 250 MeV. Predictions are in good agreement with Geant4.9.6p2. It takes approximately 2 s to calculate 1 10 6 200 MeV proton- 16 O interactions on a NVIDIA GTX680 GPU. A speed-up factor of 20 relative to one Intel i7-3820 core processor thread was achieved.
The Paradox of the Rational Comprehensive Model of Planning Tales from Waste Management Planning in Ontario, Canada

This study explores the reasons why the failure to site and implement waste disposal facilities in the United States and Canada has become commonplace, using the example of waste environmental impact assessment (EIA) programs in Ontario, Canada. The inability of governments to site new waste disposal facilities can be traced to a slavish adherence to planning’s most common paradigm, the rational comprehensive model. The article also addresses whether the extensive public consultation programs associated with waste EIAs are effective. The study concludes with a discussion of how the communicative action of planning should be researched in waste management to develop more efficient and less socially divisive planning programs.
Olanzapine increases allopregnanolone in the rat cerebral cortex

Abstract Background: The neurosteroid allopregnanolone (3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one) has anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties, potentiating GABA A receptor chloride channel function with 20-fold higher potency than benzodiazepines. Behavioral studies demonstrate that olanzapine has anxiolyticlike properties in animals, but the mechanism responsible for these effects is not clear. We examined the effect of acute olanzapine administration on cerebral cortical allopregnanolone and its relationship to serum progesterone and corticosterone levels in rats. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were habituated to intraperitoneal (IP) saline injection for 5 days. On the day of the experiment, rats were injected with olanzapine (0, 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg IP, 10–11 rats per condition). Rats were sacrificed 1 hour later, and cerebral cortical allopregnanolone levels and serum progesterone and corticosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results: Olanzapine increases cerebral cortical allopregnanolone up to fourfold, depending on dose. Positive correlations were observed between cerebral cortical allopregnanolone and serum progesterone levels and between cerebral cortical allopregnanolone and serum corticosterone levels. Conclusions: Olanzapine-induced increases in the potent GABA A receptor modulator allopregnanolone may alter GABAergic neurotransmission, possibly contributing to antipsychotic efficacy. If allopregnanolone alterations are linked to psychotic symptom relief, neurosteroids may represent molecules for pharmacologic intervention.
Soil phosphorus movement and budget after 13 years of fertilized cultivation in the Amazon basin

Agronomic studies on soil phosphorus dynamics have primarily focused on the plant-available inorganic P pool. However organic P and less labile inorganic pools can contribute significantly to plant P uptake. The objectives of this study were to determine the changes in inorganic and organic P pools of varying lability in and below the plowlayer after 13 years of continuous cultivation and fertilization on a Typic Paleudult in Yurimaguas, Peru. The field experiment was established after slash and burn of a secondary forest and included non-fertilized and fertilized treatments. The yearly cropping pattern consisted of an upland rice (Oryza sativa),-corn (Zea mays),-soybean (Glycine max) rotation. A modified version of the Hedley et al. procedure was used to sequentially fractionate soil P into increasingly recalcitrant organic and inorganic pools. Plowlayer accumulation of the fertilizer P occurred in all P pools. The greatest increase was in the NaOH extractable inorganic P pool. In the non-fertilized plots, the organic P decreased by 42%. Phosphorus fertilization resulted in significant movement of P below plowlayer. The accumulation occurred mostly in inorganic and organic P pools that are not quantified by traditional soil-P test methods. In fertilized plots sub-plowlayer total P increased by 90 μg g−1 (87%) while resin extractable P increased only 4 μg g−1. Phosphorus content of the organic P pools below the plowlayer increased by 24 μg g−1 (50%) in fertilized plots. The inclusion of less labile P pools in studies of P movement and the evaluation of P fertilizer residual values could lead to a better understanding of P dynamics and hence better management of P fertilization.
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of tricyclic nucleosides (dimensional probes) as analogues of certain antiviral polyhalogenated benzimidazole ribonucleosides.

The polyhalogenated benzimidazole nucleosides 2,5,6-trichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (TCRB) and the 2-bromo analogue (BDCRB) were synthesized in our laboratory and established as potent and selective inhibitors of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) with a novel mode of action. In an effort to study the behavior of the key substructure in a dimensionally extended manner and probe the spatial limitation of the target enzyme(s), a series of 2-substituted 6,7-dichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)naphtho[2,3-d]imidazoles and the N1- and N3-ribonucleosides of 2-substituted 6,7-dichloroimidazo[4,5-b]quinolines were prepared. The nucleosides 6,7-dichloro-1-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)imidazo[4,5-b]quinolin-2-one and 6,7-dichloro-3-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)imidazo[4,5-b]quinolin-2-one were selected and used as the key synthetic intermediates in the imidazo[4,5-b]quinoline series. Evaluation of the compounds for activity against HCMV and herpes simplex virus type 1 revealed that the trichloro analogues of TCRB (2a, 3a) were nearly...
Finding what you are not looking for: Strategies for developing novel treatments in psychiatry

Psychopharmacological treatments in psychiatry are often surprises. Original targets frequently fail, and when successful, may only be the opening volley in a series of ever more important therapeutic applications. Drug development may begin by hypothesis-driven targeting of therapeutic indications with an agent of known and novel mechanism of action. Although this may generate a highly feasible therapeutic indication and can proceed by a well-worn regulatory pathway with known approvable endpoints, it may not only be the least innovative but also the least commercially successful strategy. Because surrogate markers of efficacy are only theoretically attractive but still largely elusive for psychiatric disorders, drug development strategies may need to proceed instead by opportunistic capturing of signals from clinical use of new agents once they enter clinical practice. Outcomes and dosing for clinical trial populations may not match those in clinical practice, so observations from clinical practice must feedback into new clinical trials. In many ways, once efficacy is proven for the originally targeted indication, drug development begins afresh. To get to secondary stages of novel indications for psychiatric drugs and thus to maximize each drug’s therapeutic potential, evidence-based prescribing is followed by prescribing-based evidence, namely feedback from clinical practice into clinical proof-of-concept studies followed by large-scale studies and new indications. In many cases, the new indications are the more important therapeutic contributions and the most successful commercial application of a drug. Here we describe this strategy of psychiatric drug development and provide numerous examples.
Nixon and the Media: A Study of Non-Immediacy in Newspaper Editorials as Reflective of Geographical Attitude Differences:

Seven Northern and seven Southern newspaper editorials discussing President Nixon's 3rd of November 1969 speech on the “Vietnamization” of the Vietnam War were analyzed for their attitude toward President Nixon and his proposals. Measures of attitude were manifest ratings and non-immediacy ratings. Although the manifest ratings did not indicate a difference between North and South editorials, the non-immediacy scores did show that Northern editorials were more non-immediate or less favorable toward President Nixon. As predicted, non-immediacy scores were higher for editorials rated as being less favorable. Implications for theory, further research, and applications were discussed.
Two Distinct Phases of Virus-induced Nuclear Factor κB Regulation Enhance Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand-mediated Apoptosis in Virus-infected Cells

Abstract Cellular transcription factors are often utilized by infecting viruses to promote viral growth and influence cell fate. We have previously shown that nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is activated after reovirus infection and that this activation is required for virus-induced apoptosis. In this report we identify a second phase of reovirus-induced NF-κB regulation. We show that at later times post-infection NF-κB activation is blocked in reovirus-infected cells. This results in the termination of virus-induced NF-κB activity and the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor α and etoposide-induced NF-κB activation in infected cells. Reovirus-induced inhibition of NF-κB activation occurs by a mechanism that prevents IκBα degradation and that is blocked in the presence of the viral RNA synthesis inhibitor, ribavirin. Reovirus-induced apoptosis is mediated by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) in a variety of epithelial cell lines. Herein we show that ribavirin inhibits reovirus-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant HEK293 cells and prevents the ability of reovirus infection to sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TRAIL-induced apoptosis is enhanced in HEK293 cells expressing IκBΔN2, which blocks NF-κB activation. These results indicate that the ability of reovirus to inhibit NF-κB activation sensitizes HEK293 cells to TRAIL and facilitates virus-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant cells. Our findings demonstrate that two distinct phases of virus-induced NF-κB regulation are required to efficiently activate host cell apoptotic responses to reovirus infection.
Oxcarbazepine Use in Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia: Report on Four Patients

The paroxysmal dyskinesias are a heterogeneous group of movement disorders. They are distinguished from one another by the mechanism through which abnormal movements are induced. Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is the most common subtype, consisting of involuntary dyskinesias induced by purposeful movements. It typically responds favorably to anticonvulsants. This retrospective review describes four unrelated children and adolescents with idiopathic paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia who were treated with oxcarbazepine. Each patient achieved complete resolution of signs with low-dose oxcarbazepine monotherapy.
A φ80 function inhibitory for growth of lambdoid phage in him mutants of Escherichia coli. Deficient in integration host factor II. Physiological analysis of the abortive infection

Abstract Derivatives of phage λ with the rightmost 3% of the genome (the QSR region) from the related phage φ80 fail to grow at low temperatures (e.g., 32°) in Escherichia coli . hosts deficient in either protein component of IHF (integration host factor), the products of the himA and hip/himD genes. The abortive infection of λ(QSR) 80 in mutants defective for IHF was studied in detail. This infection is characterized by a lack of cell lysis and an inhibition of phage DNA replication after an initial period of normal synthesis. An inhibition of host DNA replication also occurs after a similar period of apparently normal synthesis, and the abortive λ(QSR) 80 infection is lethal to the host. An assay of β-galactosidase activity in λ(QSR) 80 -infected cells provided indirect evidence that RNA and protein synthesis continue late into the abortive infection. The defective growth is imposed by the product of the rha gene located in the (QSR) 80 genetic material. Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of phage proteins produced in ultraviolet (uv)-irradiated phage-infected host cells has demonstrated the existence of a protein that is encoded or whose synthesis is regulated by the rha locus. Based on these findings, possible roles for a HimA-Hip/HimD-controlled rha gene product in a late stage of φ80 development are discussed.
FTIR-spectrometer-determined absorption coefficients of seven hydrazine fuel gases: implications for laser remote sensing.

The absorption spectra of three hydrazines and four of their air-oxidation products were measured in the 9-12-micron spectral region with a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with a 0.05-kayser resolution to determine absorption coefficients at CO2 and tunable diode laser wavelengths. The measurements agreed well with published CO2 laser determinations for many of the absorption coefficients, except where the published values are thought to be in error. The coefficients were then used to estimate the sensitivity for remote detection of these gases using CO2 and tunable diode lasers in long-path differential absorption measurements.
Property fluxes at 30°S and their implications for the Pacific‐Indian throughflow and the global heat budget

The extent of exchange between the Pacific and Indian Oceans through the Indonesian Archipelago and the net global oceanic heat flux are determined using six hydrographic basinwide sections, two in each of the three major ocean basins. Globally, at 30 deg S, the estimated net oceanic heat flux is -0.7 +/- 0.1 PW, dominated by a large southward flux in the Indian Ocean. Large equatorward heat flux values in the South Atlantic Basin are not consistent with the data. Although the data are consistent with some water following the 'warm water' return path for North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), the 'cold water' path must play the dominant role in the maintenance of the global thermohaline cell associated with the formation process of NADW.
A convenient general method for synthesis of Nα‐ or Nω‐dithiasuccinoyl (Dts) amino acids and dipeptides: application of polyethylene glycol as a carrier for functional purification*

Nα-Dithiasuccinoyl (Dts) amino acids (1) needed for solid-phase peptide synthesis have been prepared in good yields and excellent purities by a new method that exploits the solubility properties of polyethylene glycol (PEG; bifunctional with average molecular weight 2000 was found to be optimal). Suitably side-chain protected amino acid derivatives are first reacted with a polymeric xanthate (11), following which the free α-carboxyl is blocked by silylation and the Dts heterocycle is elaborated in the same pot by reaction with chlorocarbonylsulfenyl chloride (4). Upon aqueous workup, the polymeric carrier removes any urethane blocked amino acids which arise during the process. Exaggerated conditions were explored to prove the power of this functional purification approach, and mechanisms of formation of polymer-bound urethanes are proposed and supported by solution model studies. The preparation and characterization of the companion N-(iso-propyldithio)carbonyl derivative of proline is also presented.
DISTRIBUTION OF HYPOXIA AND PROLIFERATION ASSOCIATED MARKERS IN SPONTANEOUS CANINE TUMORS

The therapeutic response of malignant tumors depends on a number of factors associated with tumor microenvironments including the possibility that these microenvironments change during treatment. Two factors, tumor hypoxia and cell proliferation, have been examined in spontaneous canine tumors undergoing multifraction radiation therapy. The approach utilizes immunohistochemical analyses of hypoxia (CCI-103F) and proliferation associated (PCNA) antigens in biopsy samples taken before and after 5 daily fractions of 3 Gy (total dose 15 Gy). The tissue samples were formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded for the immunohistochemical study. Immunostaining of the sections for PCNA and hypoxia marker reveals little or no overlap when the analysis is made prior to irradiation. An increased degree of overlap seems to occur after 15 Gy but the situation is complicated by a change towards more diffuse PCNA immunostaining in the cells of the irradiated tissues.
Yet another distributed depth-first-search algorithm

Abstract A new distributed depth-first-search algorithm is presented whose communication and time complexities are bounded by 3|E| and 2|V|, respectively.
Effects of Technology on Attributions of Performance and Employee Evaluation1

This study examines the effects of technological automation on explanations of why a person failed or succeeded at a task, and on evaluations of the user of technology. Subjects were presented with scenarios involving a photographer on an assignment. The scenarios manipulated 3 variables: (a) whether the camera was automatic or required skill, (b) experience level, and (c) whether the picture was a success or a failure. Subjects rated the picture's success or failure on attributions of ability and the technology. They also evaluated the photographer. Internal attribution was associated with technological devices requiring a greater amount of skill, while external attribution was associated with technological devices requiring less skill. When the picture was a success, ratings of internal attributions correlated positively with evaluations. When the picture was a failure, ratings of internal attributions correlated negatively with evaluations.
Minority and Majority Discrimination: When and Why ☆

Abstract This research examined reasons for the frequently obtained finding that members of numerically minority groups exhibit greater intergroup discrimination than members of majority groups and also sought to determine the conditions under which members of both majority and minority groups exhibit intergroup discrimination. Experiment 1 examined the role of group identification and found that discrimination by members of a majority group was equivalent to that of minority group members when identification was experimentally induced. Experiments 2 and 3 examined further the underlying bases for minority and majority discrimination. Consistent with predictions derived from optimal distinctiveness theory ( 12 ), identification with the in-group was found to be a necessary condition underlying intergroup discrimination, but motivations for discrimination varied as a function of satisfaction with in-group size and distinctiveness.
Comparison of motility and membrane integrity to assess rat sperm viability

Rat sperm motility and membrane integrity were compared as endpoints for viability. Sperm motility was measured by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA), whereas membrane integrity was assessed by flow cytometric analysis of sperm stained with two nucleic acid stains, SYBR-14 and propidium iodide. The two techniques were compared in experiments that examined sperm viability over time and by analysis of known mixtures of control and freeze/thaw-killed sperm. Results from the two approaches were quantitatively very similar. Sperm from rats treated with dibromoacetic acid (600 or 1200 mg/kg) or alpha-chlorhyrin (100 mg/kg) were also analyzed. Neither technique detected a treatment-related effect with dibromoacetic acid. CASA identified a significant decrease in sperm motility in alpha-chlorhyrin-treated rats, whereas flow cytometric analysis did not find a measureable change in sperm membrane integrity. Because decreases in sperm motility would be expected to directly affect fertility, CASA may be a more robust endpoint for risk assessment in reproductive toxicology studies than flow cytometric analysis of membrane integrity.
The effects of sulfometuron on the root growth of loblolly pine

The effect of sulfometuron (Oust™) on the root growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings was studied in the field and in two soil types in the greenhouse. In the greenhouse study sulfometuron was applied to the foliage only, the soil only, and to both foliage and soil at the rates of 0.10, 0.21, and 0.42 kg ai/ha. Twenty-eight days after application root growth significantly decreased for all methods of application and with increasing rates e.g., 0.10, 0.21, and 0.42 kg ai/ha sulfometuron reduced new root length by 42%, 53%, and 64%, respectively. Application in the field at the rate of 0.30 kg ai/ha resulted in a 68% reduction in root growth. However, by the end of the growing season treated seedling root and shoot biomass were 115% and 64% greater, respectively. To ensure earlier season survival the rate of sulfometuron applied should be kept at a minimum level that will allow both weed control and adequate root growth. Low rates would be particularly important during a dry planting season.
Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer in a Duct With Triangular Cross Section

Friction factors were measured for a duct whose cross section has the shape of an isosceles triangle witb a side ratio 5 to 1 in the fully developed now region ior laminar, transitional, and tarbulent conditions. In addition. local and average heat-transfer coefficients and the temperatare field in the duct wall have been determined for the condition of constant heat generation per unit volume of the duct walls. Friction factors in laminar flow agreed well with analytical predictions. In the turbulent flow range they were by 20 per cent lower than values calculated from relations for a round tube with the use of the "hydraulic diameter." Heat-transfer coefficients averaged over the circumference of the duct were only half as large as values calculated from round tube relations in the Reynolds number range from 4300 to 24,000. The measurements also revealed that thermal starting lengths were in excess of 100 diameters. In round tubes a length of 10 to 20 diame ters has been found sufficient to develop the temperature field. (auth)
Testability: Barriers to Acceptance

Design for testability sounds wonderful in theory, but if it is not used, or worse used to disadvantage, what good is it? With today's escalating technology and management's fear of commitment to a costly testing program, DFT practices are suffering. the author discusses the prominent barriers to accepting design for test: the impact of more advanced technology, the misunderstood role of testing, the lack of management's global view of sthe testing process, and the lack of integrasted tools. Testability standards are briefly discussed as a possible way to overcome these barriers.
Nonequilibrium effects in thermal plasma chemistry

Numerical calculations have been performed to assess the potential significance of nonequilibrium effects on chemical reactivity in thermal plasmas The calculations consider situations in which the electron temperature and/or the electron density are elevated above their equilibrium values corresponding to the local gas temperature. Such nonequilibrium may occur in the plasma torch itself or could be purposefully imposed by a controlled hybrid discharge in a downstream reactor region so as to augment reactivity over a longer residence time. The calculations account for finite ionization/recombination rates of atomic and molecular species, electron-impact dissociation, dissociative recombination, dissociative attachment, and predissociation effects, as well as thermal reactions between neutral chemical species. As an example of the possible nonequilibrium enhancement of molecular decomposition, initial consideration has focused on the dissociation rates of diatomic species where heavy particle reaction rates and cross sections can be reasonably estimated. The results show that for O2 or H2 in argon at moderate temperatures, electron-temperature elevation can give rise to a notable enhancement of the dissociation rate, in comparison with the equilibrium case. Depending on the situation, it is found that either relatively energetic electron-impact dissociation or dissociative attachment (for O2) can dominate the enhanced dissociation rate—which can be more than a factor of 2 greater than in the absence of a discharge. Similar effects would be expected for the decomposition of more complicated molecules.
Proximal approaches to arthroscopic surgery of the knee

Arthroscopic surgery of the knee has become more popular recently because of better optics and instrumentation. The currently available techniques and approaches for doing surgery as well as their drawbacks are summarized. The author's new technique is described. The anterior and lateral compartments and popliteal tunnel could not be adequately visualized with the existing techniques. Distortion of image, magnification, crowding, and collision were found in the distal approaches during surgery. Injuries to the anterior compartment of the knee as the instruments come blindly in and out can also cause damage to the fat pad and the menisci. By inserting the arthroscope proximally (midpatellar lateral, midpatellar medial) and using inferomedial and inferolateral portals for instruments, the surgery and the above problems have been minimized. The drawbacks of this technique are initial confusion in orientation and poorer placement of the arthroscope. The posterior cruciate ligament cannot been seen using this technique. The posterolateral portion of the lateral meniscus and to some extent the posteromedial portion of the medial meniscus are, in inexperienced hand, somewhat difficult to see. The technique of menisectomy is described.
Thermochemistry and Reaction Barriers for the Formation of Levoglucosenone from Cellobiose

Cellobiose jumps the barrier: High-level quantum mechanical studies show that the ether bond cleavage in cellobiose occurs through internal hydrogen transfer in the gas phase and that the activation energy required is similar to that required for activating cellulose. The reaction barriers are computed for various pathways for the formation of levoglucosenone from levoglucosan, and the most likely pathway requires a relatively low activation barrier compared to that for the activation of cellobiose.
Trace Water Content of Salt in Louisiana Salt Domes

The trace water content of salt in six Louisiana salt domes has been determined and has been found to be the lowest of any terrestrial rock type. The average water content of normal domal salt is on the order of 0.003 percent by weight, but anomalous zones within salt stocks can have more than ten times this amount. From the average value, the minimum amount of water in liters, W, available to collect around a radioactive waste repository is given as W = 0.28 r3, where r is the radius in meters of the sphere in which water may be thermally activated to migrate completely to the repository.