cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
End-stage kidney disease and COVID-19 in an urban safety-net hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

Introduction End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are at a high risk for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we compared characteristics and outcomes of ESKD and non-ESKD patients admitted with COVID-19 to a large safety-net hospital. Methods We evaluated 759 adults (45 with ESKD) hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spring of 2020. We examined clinical characteristics, laboratory measures and clinical outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between ESKD status and outcomes. Results 73% of ESKD and 47% of non-ESKD patients identified as Black (p = 0.002). ESKD patients were older and had higher rates of comorbidities. Admission ferritin was approximately 6-fold higher in ESKD patients. During hospitalization, the rise in white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin and C-reactive protein, and the decrease in platelet count and serum albumin were all significantly greater in ESKD patients. The in-hospital mortality was higher for ESKD [18% vs. 10%; multivariable adjusted odds ratio 1.5 (95% CI, 0.48-4.70)], but this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, ESKD patients had more co-morbidities and more robust inflammatory response than non-ESKD patients. The odds ratio point estimate for death was higher in ESKD patients, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
Effect of the Mediterranean diet on histological indicators and imaging tests in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Aim To analyze the scientific evidence regarding to the effect of the Mediterranean diet on the imaging tests and biopsy characteristics in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods A bibliographic search was carried out in this narrative review in Pubmed and Web of Science databases, considering studies published between 2011 and 2020, in English or Spanish, randomized clinical trials and observational studies in patients with a diagnosis of NAFLD, in subjects over 18years of age of both sexes. Results In the observational studies found, an inverse association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and liver damage stands out, while in the intervention studies with measurement of liver biopsy a 4.4% reduction in intrahepatic lipids and with magnetic resonance a reduction between 4.2 and 10.2% was found. In experimental studies with ultrasound measurement, the proportion of people with moderate (6-16%) and severe (25%) degree decreased and the studies with transient elastography showed a decrease in liver stiffness between 0.5 and 2.1kPa. Conclusions The Mediterranean diet contributes to the treatment of NAFLD, which is manifested in the liver and histological imaging tests characteristics.
Rat liver imidase

Imidase, an enzyme variously identified as dihydropyrimidinase (EC 3.5.2.2), hydantoinase, dihydropyrimidine hydrase, and dihydropyrimidine amidohydrolase, has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from rat liver. Although a component in the chain of pyrimidine catabolism, imidase is capable of serving in a broader role that includes detoxication of xenobiotics. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of imides that range from the linear to the heterocyclic and that include hydantoins, dihydropyrimidines, and phthalimide. For some substrates, the reaction is experimentally reversible. The pH activity curves are a function of the pKa of the individual substrate's imino group, with cleavage favored at a pH near the respective pKa value. There is evidence for stereoselectivity and for stereospecificity. A mechanism is proposed for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction.
Search algorithms for satisfiability problems in combinational switching circuits

A number of tasks in computer-aided analysis of combinational circuits, including test pattern generation, timing analysis, delay fault testing and logic verification, can be viewed as particular formulations of the satisfiability problem (SAT). The first purpose of this dissertation is to describe a configurable search-based algorithm for SAT that can be used for implementing different circuit analysis tools. Several methods for reducing the amount of search are detailed and integrated into a general algorithmic framework for solving SAT. Special emphasis is given to the description of methods for diagnosing the causes of conflicts that may be identified while searching for a solution to each instance of SAT. These methods allow the implementation of non-chronological backtracking, conflict identification based on equivalence relations and logic value assertions derived from conflicts. Path sensitization in combinational circuits is often used to solve test pattern generation, timing analysis and delay fault testing problems. While path sensitization can be cast as an instance of SAT, such an approach can conceal desirable structural properties of the problem and may lead to exponential size representations. Another purpose of this dissertation is to introduce a new model for path sensitization that permits modeling test pattern generation and timing analysis with linear size representations. In addition, this formulation for path sensitization permits the adaptation of all the pruning methods developed for the general SAT problem. The proposed SAT algorithms and path sensitization model form an initial kernel for the development of tools for the analysis of combinational circuits. Their practical applicability is supported by experimental results obtained with test pattern generation and timing analysis tools.
Jo Radner's “Burnt Into Memory”

How can one tell a 55-minute tale of horror and loss, and tell it so that people can bear to hear it, horror and all? On Sunday evening, October 25, 2009, in Boise, at The Cabin of the Idaho Writers Guild, Dr. Jo Radner performed "Burnt Into Memory," her story of the October 23, 1947, fire that ravaged Brownfield, Maine, and of that tragedy's reverberations into the present. Her performance was sponsored by the Guild and the Treasure Valley Storytellers. As Radner answered questions after the performance, she admitted that as she learned more and more about the fire during her research, she wondered if she would ever be able to tell the tale. Then she interviewed Bob Tibbetts and heard him laugh as he told her about saving more than 200 of a friend's chickens. "Do you know what it's like in a henhouse of distressed chickens?" he asked her. "Busting out windows and bailing out chickens, busting out windows and bailing out chickens!" As she smiled at Tibbetts' talk, Radner knew she had a story she could tell. And to listen to "Burnt Into Memory" is to know that she was right. It has been my pleasure to hear Jo Radner tell "Burnt Into Memory" twice now. Colleagues for more than 30 years in Folklore Studies, in storytelling, and in Maine folklore research, she and I share many connections. I have already heard that she will be telling her story in Maine this summer; I, for one, cannot wait to hear it again. Radner used several strategies to help us, her audience, move through the complex, tragic world of the tale. She kept her performance style simple. Standing
The PARP inhibitor AZD2281 (Olaparib) induces autophagy/mitophagy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutant breast cancer cells

PARP inhibitors are considered promising anticancer agents and currently being tested in clinical trials in hereditary breast cancer patients harboring mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative effects and mechanism of PARP inhibitors ABT-888 (Veliparib), BSI-201 (Iniparib) and AZD228 (Olaparib) in breast cancer cell lines with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and 9 different BRCA wild-type cell lines with BRCA1 allelic loss. We found that AZD2281 was the most potent in the PARP inhibitors and induces significant growth inhibition (~95%) in BRCA1 mutant (HCC‑1937, MDA-MB-436, and SUM-149PT) and BRCA2 mutant (HCC‑1428) cell lines. AZD2281 treatment also resulted in growth inhibition ranging from 20 to 50% in cells with BRCA1 allelic loss, including ER(+), HER2/Neu(+) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, but showed no effect in cells without with type BRCA without allelic loss. Knocking down of BRCA1 or BRCA2 in TNBC cells with BRCA1 allelic loss by RNA interference significantly enhanced AZD2281-induced growth inhibition and induced significant autophagy that was associated with mitophagy in cells with BRCA mutations. Inhibition of autophagy by gene knockdown significantly diminished AZD2281-induced mitophagy and apoptosis, indicating that autophagic process mediates some of the downstream effects of PARP inhibitors. In conclusion, our data provide the first evidence of PARP inhibitor AZD2281 autophagy and mitophagy in breast cancer cell lines with BRCA mutations or BRCA-allelic loss. In addition, our results indicate that the patients with BRCA1 allelic loss may also benefit from PARP inhibitor therapy if BRCA is further inhibited.
A Tale of Two City Schools

This study focused on two urban, Massachusetts high schools and the question of how the practices of school leaders related to the level of performance. Specifically, it attempted to provide specifics as to perceptions educational leaders held with regards to high-stakes environments and how they responded to state mandates. The study examined how leaders in both schools define successful reform, perceive high-stakes testing, perceive a need to raise student achievement, and implement reforms in response to high-stakes testing. For the purpose of this study, a leader was defined as anyone within the school system who has the power/ability to facilitate, implement, or lead change. The study combined qualitative interview data and survey methodology to examine differing perceptions and to identify the factors most strongly associated with different levels of reform success The findings from the scales, surveys, and interview data suggest that in a state with high-stakes testing, successful reform was defined by strategies that get “results,”— i.e. achievement on the high-stakes exam. Results help schools measure their progress and also appear to influence teacher support. The findings also show that success in a high-stakes environment is predicated on setting high standards for all students and being consistently aware of student achievement, which includes monitoring and guiding those students who struggle.
Gas Turbine Engines: Turbine Cooling

The advancement of gas turbine cooling has allowed engine design to greatly exceed normal material temperature limits. Cooled component design and development has consistently trended in the direction of higher heat loads, and higher through-wall and in-plane thermal gradients. The ultimate goals in gas turbine cooling are consistent with the thermodynamics of isentropic energy transfer in that (1) the component or some portion of it is desired to be isothermal to eliminate all internal thermal stresses, (2) the component is desired to be as hot as allowable to minimize coolant usage and inefficient energy transfers, and (3) thermal gradients from the component to the support and containment structure are desired to be minimized. In terms of the turbine system, the goal of turbine cooling is to achieve the longest component life with the least impact on engine efficiency and cost. This summary describes the means and methods, as well as the constraints, concerning the cooling of gas turbine components. Keywords: turbine cooling; hot gas path; vane; blade; film cooling; turbulated channels; impingement; pin fins
Acute treatment with MgSO4 attenuates long-term hippocampal tissue loss after brain trauma in the rat.

Previous studies have shown that magnesium salts and the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, NPS 1506, attenuated short-term cognitive deficits and histopathological changes associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We evaluated the long-term effects of both therapies after brain trauma. Young adult rats were subjected to parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury and received either MgSO(4) (125 micromol/400 g rat; n = 12) 15 min post-injury, NPS 1506 (1.15 mg/kg; n = 12) 15 min and 4 hr post-injury, or vehicle (n = 9) 15 min post-injury. Uninjured animals (sham) received vehicle (n = 10). Learning function in these animals was evaluated using a water maze paradigm 8 months after injury or sham treatment, and the brains were examined for cortical and hippocampal tissue loss. Compared to sham animals, injured vehicle-treated animals displayed a substantial learning dysfunction, indicated by an increased latency to find a hidden platform in the water maze (P 30% loss of tissue in the ipsilateral cortex in vehicle-treated animals that was not reduced in animals treated with either NPS 1506 or MgSO(4). Treatment with MgSO(4) significantly reduced progressive tissue loss in the hippocampus (P < 0.001). These findings are the first to demonstrate long-term neuroprotection of hippocampal tissue by an acute treatment in a TBI model. These data also show that the previously reported broad efficacy of MgSO(4) or NPS 1506 observed shortly after brain trauma could not be detected 8 months post-injury.
Directive use in a migrant agricultural community: A test of Ervin-Tripp's hypotheses

The choice of English directive variants has been hypothesized by ErvinTripp (1976, 1977) to be determined by several social and ecological factors: the relative social ranks of the speaker and recipient, their ages, their familiarity, the presence or absence of outsiders, territorial location, and task expectations. The major goal of this investigation is to test ErvinTripp's hypotheses concerning the relationship between these variables and the choice of the identified syntactically based directive variants (imperatives, imbedded imperatives, need statements), using a distinctly different sample: a predominantly black male migratory agricultural labor population in the United States's eastern seaboard region. The data indicate that the imperative form is used almost exclusively in those contexts where the syntactically based directive variants were expected to occur. Thus, most of the predictions derived from Ervin-Tripp's model for these directive variants were contradicted. The preference for imperatives is suggested to be largely a consequence of the antagonistic relationships within the migrant farmworker community. The results of this study also suggest that the set of decision rules used in choosing among directive variants according to social criteria is a function of the following factors: crosscultural (i.e., social class and ethnic) variation, and social and physical characteristics of the interaction setting. (Directives, migrant farmworkers, cultural differences, en
Functional and evolutionary correlates of gene constellations in the Drosophila melanogaster genome that deviate from the stereotypical gene architecture.

The biological dimensions of genes are manifold. These include genomic properties, (e.g., X/autosomal linkage, recombination) and functional properties (e.g., expression level, tissue specificity). Multiple properties, each generally of subtle influence individually, may affect the evolution of genes or merely be (auto-)correlates. Results of multidimensional analyses may reveal the relative importance of these properties on the evolution of genes, and therefore help evaluate whether these properties should be considered during analyses. While numerous properties are now considered during studies, most work still assumes the stereotypical solitary gene as commonly depicted in textbooks. Here, we investigate the Drosophila melanogaster genome to determine whether deviations from the stereotypical gene architecture correlate with other properties of genes. Deviations from the stereotypical gene architecture were classified as the following gene constellations: Overlapping genes were defined as those that overlap in the 5-prime, exonic, or intronic regions. Chromatin co-clustering genes were defined as genes that co-clustered within 20 kb of transcriptional territories. If this scheme is applied the stereotypical gene emerges as a rare occurrence (7.5%), slightly varied schemes yielded between ~1%-50%. Moreover, when following our scheme, paired-overlapping genes and chromatin co-clustering genes accounted for 50.1 and 42.4% of the genes analyzed, respectively. Gene constellation was a correlate of a number of functional and evolutionary properties of genes, but its statistical effect was ~1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the effects of recombination, chromosome linkage and protein function. Analysis of datasets on male reproductive proteins showed these were biased in their representation of gene constellations and evolutionary rate Ka/Ks estimates, but these biases did not overwhelm the biologically meaningful observation of high evolutionary rates of male reproductive genes. Given the rarity of the solitary stereotypical gene, and the abundance of gene constellations that deviate from it, the presence of gene constellations, while once thought to be exceptional in large Eukaryote genomes, might have broader relevance to the understanding and study of the genome. However, according to our definition, while gene constellations can be significant correlates of functional properties of genes, they generally are weak correlates of the evolution of genes. Thus, the need for their consideration would depend on the context of studies.
Sampling approximations for non-band-limited harmonizable random signals

Abstract As the sampling rate tends to infinity, the classical sampling series of a non-band-limited harmonizable second order random signal is shown to converge to the signal in quadratic mean and in certain cases with probability one, and rates of convergence are derived. Similar results are also shown for certain harmonizable signals with infinite variance.
Metabolic biotinylation as a probe of supramolecular structure of the triad junction in skeletal muscle.

Excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle involves conformational coupling between dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) in the plasma membrane and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. However, it remains uncertain what regions, if any, of the two proteins interact with one another. Toward this end, it would be valuable to know the spatial interrelationships of DHPRs and RyRs within plasma membrane/sarcoplasmic reticulum junctions. Here we describe a new approach based on metabolic incorporation of biotin into targeted sites of the DHPR. To accomplish this, cDNAs were constructed with a biotin acceptor domain (BAD) fused to selected sites of the DHPR, with fluorescent protein (XFP) attached at a second site. All of the BAD-tagged constructs properly targeted to junctions (as indicted by small puncta of XFP) and were functional for excitation-contraction coupling. To determine whether the introduced BAD was biotinylated and accessible to avidin (∼60 kDa), myotubes were fixed, permeablized, and exposed to fluorescently labeled avidin. Upon expression in β1-null or dysgenic (α1S-null) myotubes, punctate avidin fluorescence co-localized with the XFP puncta for BAD attached to the β1a N- or C-terminals, or the α1S N-terminal or II-III loop. However, BAD fused to the α1S C-terminal was inaccessible to avidin in dysgenic myotubes (containing RyR1). In contrast, this site was accessible to avidin when the identical construct was expressed in dyspedic myotubes lacking RyR1. These results indicate that avidin has access to a number of sites of the DHPR within fully assembled (RyR1-containing) junctions, but not to the α1S C-terminal, which appears to be occluded by the presence of RyR1.
Reversible Changes in Osmoregulation of Vasopressin Release Due to Impaired Water Excretion

Studies of renal water handling and the effects of altered hydration and posture on the osmoregulation of vasopressin release were performed on a chronically hyponatremic patient with complete cervical spinal cord transection at the C-5 level. Acute oral water loading studies showed marked reduction in free water clearance and urine diluting ability, despite appropriate suppression of plasma vasopressin concentrations. Orthostatic reductions in arterial blood pressure during head-up tilting and following the assumption of sitting posture were also demonstrable, and may have contributed to, but could not fully account for, the defect in renal water excretion, which persisted in supine posture. Hypertonic sodium chloride infusion studies performed before fluid restriction showed that low preinfusion plasma osmolality was associated with a reduced osmotic threshold for vasopressin release, which was subsequently corrected by a period of fluid restriction that restored the patient's plasma osmolality to a normal level. This shift in osmotic threshold can be inferred from both linear regression and log-linear regression analysis of the data. These studies show that marked impairment of renal water excretion coupled with unrestricted water intake can result in altered osmoregulation of vasopressin release in association with persistent plasma hypo-osmolality, which can be corrected by fluid restriction.
Sugar-Substituted Poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s: Sensitivity Enhancement toward Lectins and Bacteria

The synthesis of two novel, water-soluble, sugar-substituted poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s and their interactions with concanavalin A (Con A) and bacteria (Escherichia coli) are reported, and the issue of sensitivity enhancement is investigated. Both sugar-substituted PPEs (P5 and P7) exhibited strong interactions with Con A with KSV values exceeding 108 M−1. The binding constants between the sugar-substituted polymers and Con A were also quantitatively calculated using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) resulting in association constants as high as 106 M−1. P5 and P7 strongly interact with mannose-binding E. coli, which led to their aggregation.
Non-uniformity in English secondary stress: the role of ranked and lexically specific constraints

The principles determining secondary stress placement in English display considerable non-uniformity (Prince 1993) in their application. While in some contexts a syllable will be stressed if it is heavy, or if it is stressed in the stem of a derived form, in other environments syllable weight and stem stress do not entail secondary stress. To take a relatively straightforward case, the primary stress of the stems in (1a) is preserved as a secondary stress in the derived forms (cf. monomorphemic T`tamagouchi with initial stress), but stress preservation systematically fails in words like (1b). Here we have phonologically conditioned non-uniformity; stress preservation on light syllables is blocked in the environment of a following primary stress.
The switching location of a bipolar memristor: chemical, thermal and structural mapping

Memristors are memory resistors promising a rapid integration into future memory technologies. However, progress is still critically limited by a lack of understanding of the physical processes occurring at the nanoscale. Here we correlate device electrical characteristics with local atomic structure, chemistry and temperature. We resolved a single conducting channel that is made up of a reduced phase of the as-deposited titanium oxide. Moreover, we observed sufficient Joule heating to induce a crystallization of the oxide surrounding the channel, with a peculiar pattern that finite element simulations correlated with the existence of a hot spot close to the bottom electrode, thus identifying the switching location. This work reports direct observations in all three dimensions of the internal structure of titanium oxide memristors.
The effect of carbon black ingestion on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats and mice

Abstract The possible co-carcinogenic effect of ingestion of industrial carbon black was examined in female Sprague-Dawley rats and female CF 1 mice treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) to induce adenocarcinomas of the colon. Carbon black was added to the diet at 2.05 g/kg feed and fed for 52 weeks. No differences ( P > 0.05) in tumor incidences were seen in rats or mice. Simultaneous 2-year feeding experiments with carbon black alone showed no increase in the development of spontaneous tumors. These findings are consistent with the belief that carbon blacks are ineffective as carcinogens because of their adsorptive properties.
The Therapeutic Potential of microRNAs in Nervous System Damage, Degeneration, and Repair

MicroRNAS (miRNAs) have been suggested to play important roles in the central nervous system during development as well as disease. miRNAs appear to be dysregulated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, developmental disorders, and as a result of stroke. Each miRNA has the ability to regulate hundreds of messenger RNA transcripts, both by causing degradation of the mRNA and by inhibition of protein translation. Recent findings suggest that it may eventually be possible to treat some neurological disorders by restoring or inhibiting miRNAs altered by disease pathology. Both viral delivery and administration of modified oligonucleotides mimicking or inhibiting specific miRNAs have been effective in model systems. Artificial miRNAs have also been generated for the repression of specific transcripts. Alteration of miRNA expression by disease and insult also holds the potential for improved diagnostic tools. Finally, miRNAs have been shown to control cellular proliferation and specification, suggesting that manipulation of miRNAs in cultured cells could result in more convenient generation of pure cell populations for transplantation.
Antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Abbreviations: ACT 5 activated clotting time; APTT 5 activated partial thromboplastin time; CABG 5 coronary artery bypass graft; CAD 5 coronary artery disease; CI 5 confidence interval; EPIC trial 5 Evaluation of 7E3 for the Prevention of Ischemic Complications; GP 5 glycoprotein; LMWH 5 low-molecular-weight heparin; NS 5 not significant; PCI 5 percutaneous coronary intervention; PTCA 5 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; RR 5 relative risk; TIMI 5 Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction
Azygos vein lead implantation: a novel adjunctive technique for implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement.

High defibrillation thresholds (DFTs) occasionally are encountered during placement of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). There are multiple strategies to lower DFTs in such patients, including reassessment of right ventricular lead position, alteration of the shock waveform, and implantation of subcutaneous arrays. This article describes a novel technique of implanting a high-voltage lead in the azygos vein. This procedure may serve as an adjunctive approach to reduce DFTs. The anatomic location of the azygos vein posterior to the heart provides a suitable shocking vector between the right ventricular electrode, a high-voltage lead placed in the azygos vein, and the ICD can. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 15, pp. 780-783, July 2004)
Achieving Maximum Possible Download Speed on ADSL Systems

Recently, in [1] we developed a theoretical frame-work for achieving the maximum possible speed on a constrained digital channel with a finite alphabet. We obtained the capacity of the channel numerically, using a constrained Blahut-Arimoto algorithm which incorporated an average power constraint P at the transmitter. Our simulations showed that under certain conditions the capacity approached very closely, the Shannon bound. We also showed the maximizing input distributions. In this paper, the theoretical framework developed in [1] is applied to a practical example, the downstream channel of an asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL), connection where the inputs to the channel are quantized and the outputs are real. We test how closely we approach the minimum configuration bound for this Channel under a practical noise environment.
Characterization problems in comminution — an overview

Abstract The problems of sampling particulate materials, and of characterizing the distributions of particle size and composition are reviewed. Requirements for sampling from comminution systems are discussed and a simple formula is presented for estimating the minimum sample size needed. The limitations and errors associated with the techniques available for particle size analysis are evaluated and guidelines are suggested for the selection of appropriate methods. The use of microscopic and macroscopic approaches to the characterization of particle composition are discussed.
Electroacupuncture induces c-Fos expression in the rostral ventrolateral medulla and periaqueductal gray in cats: relation to opioid containing neurons

Our previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) at the Neiguan-Jianshi (P5-P6) acupoints inhibits sympathetic outflow and attenuates excitatory visceral cardiovascular reflexes through enkephalin- or beta-endorphin-related opioid receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM). It is not known whether EA at these acupoints activates neurons containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin in the rVLM as well as in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that are involved in EA-mediated central neural regulation of sympathetic activity. The present study evaluated activated neurons in the rVLM and PAG by detecting c-Fos immunoreactivity, and identified the relationship between c-Fos nuclei and neuronal structures containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin in these regions. To enhance the detection of cell bodies containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin, colchicine (90-100 microg/kg) was injected into the subarachnoid space in anesthetized cats 28-30 h prior to EA or the sham-operated control for EA. Following bilateral barodenervation and cervical vagotomy, EA (1-4 mA, 2 Hz, 0.5 ms) was performed at the P5-P6 acupoints (overlying median nerve; n=7) for 30 min. Identical procedures, with the exception of electrical stimulation, were carried out in five control animals. EA decreased blood pressure (BP) in four of seven cats (5-15 mm Hg) while the sham procedure for EA produced no responses. Perikarya containing enkephalin were found in the rVLM and rarely in the PAG, while no cell bodies labeled with beta-endorphin were identified in either region. Compared to animals in the control group, more c-Fos immunoreactivity, located principally in close proximity to fibers containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin, was observed in the rVLM and ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG) in EA-treated cats. Moreover, neurons double-labeled with c-Fos and enkephalin in the rVLM were significantly increased in cats following EA stimulation (P<0.05). These data indicate that EA at the P5-P6 acupoints activates neurons in the rVLM and vlPAG. These activated neurons contain enkephalin in the rVLM, and most likely interact with nerve fibers containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin in both the rVLM and vlPAG. The results from this study provide the first anatomical evidence showing that EA at the P5-P6 acupoints has the potential to influence neuronal structures (perikarya, axons and/or dendrites) containing enkephalin or beta-endorphin in specific regions of the brain stem. These neurons likely form the substrate for EA's influence on sympathoexcitatory cardiovascular reflexes.
Optimal load curtailment as a bi-criteria program

Abstract The primary aim for the deregulation of the power industry has been to lower the energy prices for the customer. On several occasions, it has been observed that energy prices have increased dramatically, and a primary reason for this has been traced to congestion in the transmission network. Re-dispatching generation or curtailing interruptible loads are some of the options that the ISO/utility have in order to alleviate this problem. This paper presents a methodology to optimally curtail load, to maximize the stability margin, in the event of a shortage of generation. Iterative and one-step solution procedures are proposed and compared to bring out the merits of each. Additionally, a bi-criteria programming model is also proposed that seeks to optimize two objectives—maximizing the security margin and minimizing the cost incurred in the process simultaneously. Results are presented for two standard test systems.
Bioluminescent indicators for in vivo measurements of gene expression

Abstract Recent developments in in vivo imaging using optical, radionuclide and paramagnetic reporter probes now enables continuous measurements of gene expression in living animals. In vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a sensitive, versatile and accessible imaging strategy that has been applied to a variety of small-animal models of human biology and disease. We discuss current strategies in BLI and the potential of combining BLI with other in vivo and ex vivo techniques. BLI will have a significant role in in vivo cellular and molecular imaging, a field that will help reveal the molecular basis of biology and disease.
Business Ethics Index: Measuring Consumer Sentiments Toward Business Ethical Practices

The present study describes the development of an ongoing and systematic index to measure consumers’ sentiments towards business ethical practices. The Business Ethics Index (BEI) is based on the well established measurements of consumer sentiments, namely the ICS (Index of Consumer Sentiment) and CBCCI (Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index). The BEI is comprised of 4 measurements representing the dimensions of “personal-vicarious” and “past-future.” Data from 503 telephone interviews were used to calculate a BEI of 107. This indicates an overall positive consumer sentiment towards the ethical behavior of business. Future calculations of the BEI are planned which will allow for the estimation of the latent dynamics of trends in consumer sentiments toward American business ethics.
Virus-Inspired Design Principles of Nanoparticle-Based Bioagents

The highly effectiveness and robustness of receptor-mediated viral invasion of living cells shed lights on the biomimetic design of nanoparticle(NP)-based therapeutics. Through thermodynamic analysis, we elucidate that the mechanisms governing both the endocytic time of a single NP and the cellular uptake can be unified into a general energy-balance framework of NP-membrane adhesion and membrane deformation. Yet the NP-membrane adhesion strength is a globally variable quantity that effectively regulates the NP uptake rate. Our analysis shows that the uptake rate interrelatedly depends on the particle size and ligand density, in contrast to the widely reported size effect. Our model predicts that the optimal radius of NPs for maximal uptake rate falls in the range of 25–30 nm, and optimally several tens of ligands should be coated onto NPs. These findings are supported by both recent experiments and typical viral structures, and serve as fundamental principles for the rational design of NP-based nanomedicine.
Oncolytic viral therapy for pancreatic cancer: current research and future directions

The development of targeted agents and chemotherapies for pancreatic cancer has only modestly affected clinical outcome and not changed 5-year survival. Fortunately the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic cancer are being rapidly uncovered and are providing opportunities for novel targeted therapies. Oncolytic viral therapy is one of the most promising targeted agents for pancreatic cancer. This review will look at the current state of the development of these self-replicating nanoparticles in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Predictors of timing of adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with hormone receptor-negative, stages II-III breast cancer

Adherence to consensus guidelines for cancer care may vary widely across health care settings and contribute to differences in cancer outcomes. For some women with breast cancer, omission of adjuvant chemotherapy or delays in its initiation may contribute to differences in cancer recurrence and mortality. We studied adjuvant chemotherapy use among women with stage II or stage III, hormone receptor–negative breast cancer to understand health system and socio-demographic correlates of underuse and delayed adjuvant chemotherapy. We used Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data to examine the patterns of care for 6,678 women aged 65 and older diagnosed with stage II or stage III hormone receptor–negative breast cancer in 1994–2002, with claims data through 2007. Age-stratified logistic regression was employed to examine the potential role of socio-demographic and structural/organizational health services characteristics in explaining differences in adjuvant chemotherapy initiation. Overall utilization of guideline-recommended adjuvant chemotherapy peaked at 43% in this population. Increasing age, higher co-morbidity burden, and low-income status were associated with lower odds of chemotherapy initiation within 4 months, whereas having positive lymph nodes, more advanced disease, and being married were associated with higher odds (P < 0.05). Health system–related structural/organizational characteristics and race/ethnicity offered little explanatory insight. Timely initiation of guideline-recommended adjuvant chemotherapy was low, with significant variation by age, income, and co-morbidity status. Based on these findings, future studies should seek to explore the more nuanced reasons why older women do not receive chemotherapy and why delays in care occur.
Dietary restriction augments protection against induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition.

Abstract Exposure to oxidants or phosphate, especially in the presence of calcium, has been long known to lead to mitochondrial structural alteration and damage. In the past 15 years, it has become increasingly appreciated that this damage is often the result of a cyclosporin A-sensitive event, the “permeability transition” (PT). Using liver mitochondria isolated from male Fischer 344 rats of 6–24 months of age, we now present evidence that long-term, life-prolonging, dietary restriction regimens greatly delay induction of a PT following challenge. Dietary restriction slowed induction by 25 μM calcium, or by calcium in conjunction with the strong oxidant t-butyl hydroperoxide, by approximately 50%. The increased resistance to PT induction was maintained through 24 months of age. Dietary restriction also protected against t-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of high calcium challenges (250 μM), although the extent of this protection was age-dependent. Induction by 2.5 mM phosphate alone was blocked in most 6-month-old dietary restricted animals, and was slowed by 50–100% in animals 12–24 months of age. Susceptibility to 25 μM calcium in conjunction with phosphate varied in an age-dependent manner, ranging from 4–12 times slower in the dietary restricted animals than in their ad lib fed counterparts. Together, these data provide evidence that the factors regulating PT induction are affected by long-term physiological and environmental conditions such as age and diet. The observed effects represent one of the largest recognized dietary restriction-mediated increases in a parameter related to antioxidant defenses. These data also suggest that the endogenous defense systems that protect mitochondria from calcium in conjunction with inorganic phosphate differ from those that protect against calcium in conjunction with an oxidant.
Modeling of Damage Evolution During Ion Implantation Into Silicon: A Monte Carlo Approach

We present for the first time a physically based ion implantation damage model which successfully predicts both the as-implanted impurity range profiles and the damage profiles for a wide range of implant conditions for arsenic, boron, phosphorus, and BF2 implants into single-crystal (100) silicon. In addition, the amorphous layer thicknesses predicted by this damage model for high dose implants are also generally in excellent agreement with experiments. This damage model explicitly simulates the defect production and its subsequent evolution into the experimentally observable profiles for the first time. The microscopic mechanisms for damage evolution are further discussed.
Cytotoxicity of cyclometallated ruthenium complexes: the role of ligand exchange on the activity

The cyclometallated Ru(II) complexes cis-[Ru(phpy)(phen)(CH3CN)2](PF6) (1; phpy(-)=deprotonated 2-phenylpyridine, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) and cis-[Ru(phpy)(bpy)(CH3CN)2](PF6) (2; bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) were investigated as potential agents for photodynamic therapy. The presence of phpy(-) in the coordination sphere results in a red-shift of the Ru→phen and Ru→bpy metal-to-ligand charge transfer of 1 and 2, respectively, thus improving the tissue penetration of light while maintaining the efficient photo-induced ligand exchange required for DNA binding. The 14-fold enhancement of OVCAR-5 cell death that occurs upon irradiation with 690 nm light can be attributed to photo-aquation. The role of glutathione (GSH) on the toxicity of the complex was also explored. Complexes 1 and 2 undergo ligand substitution in the presence of GSH in the dark, such that the metal may covalently bind to biomolecules. The combination of photo-induced ligand exchange and GSH-facilitated ligand exchange may explain the observed cytotoxicity.
Three Faces of Beauty: Casablanca, Paris, Cairo.

Three Faces of Beauty: Casablanca, Paris, Cairo. Susan Ossman .Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2002. vii. 204 pp., photographs, notes, glossary, bibliography, index.
THE LINEAR BIAS IN THE ZELDOVICH APPROXIMATION AND A RELATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER DENSITY AND THE LINEAR BIAS OF DARK HALOS

The linear bias of the dark halos from a model under the Zeldovich approximation is derived and compared with the fitting formula of simulation results. While qualitatively similar to the Press-Schechter formula, this model gives a better description for the linear bias around the turnaround point. This advantage, however, may be compromised by the large uncertainty of the actual behavior of the linear bias near the turnaround point. For a broad class of structure formation models in the cold dark matter framework, a general relation exists between the number density and the linear bias of dark halos. This relation can be readily tested by numerical simulations. Thus, instead of laboriously checking these models one by one, numerical simulation studies can falsify a whole category of models. The general validity of this relation is important in identifying key physical processes responsible for the large-scale structure formation in the universe.
Using Nanoscopic Hosts, Magnetic Guests, and Field Alignment to Create Anisotropic Composite Gels and Aerogels

Anisotropic composite architectures of vastly different length scales are organized upon nanogluing magnetic microparticulate guests (ca. 10−15 μm iron powder) into a guest−host network by gelation of silica sol in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. The magnetic-field-induced structure of the guest (long needle-like alignment) is frozen in place by the silica nanoscale network created by gelation. No organization is observed in composites in which the silica sol undergoes gelation in the absence of an external magnetic field or when the field is applied to the iron-silica composite after gelation. Aged iron−silica composite gels that are dried supercritically yield highly porous aerogels that retain both their structural integrity and the anisotropic alignment of the magnetic guest, unlike gels dried to form xerogels in which the partial collapse of the porous network destroys the integrity of the monoliths, reducing them to powder. Aged iron−silica composite gels may also be treated wi...
Stagnation and downstream viscous shock-layer solutions with radiation and coupled ablation injection

This paper describes a rigorous viscous shock-layer analysis for investigating high energy equilibrium flow fields about blunt axisymmetric bodies. The analysis includes radiation transfer, mass injection, diffusion, and viscous effects. Radiation transfer is calculated with a nongray radiation model that accounts for line and continuum radiation. The analysis can treat all levels of blowing for both stagnation and downstream flow. Results are presented for selected earth entry conditions that demonstrate the essential features of this analysis. Particular emphasis is given to the effects of mass injection on stagnation and downstream flow. Results for both specified and coupled ablation injection are presented.
He-3 in galactic cosmic rays

Cosmic-ray ^3He/^4He observations, including a new measurement at ~65 MeV per nucleon from ISEE 3, are compared with interstellar propagation and solar modulation calculations in an effort to understand the origin of cosmic-ray He nuclei. We survey spacecraft and balloon observations of the ^3He/^4He ratio and find improved consistency among measurements in the ~50-300 MeV per nucleon energy range when a previously neglected contribution from atmospheric secondary ^3He is taken into account. These low-energy observations imply a mean escape length of 6-8 g cm ^(-2) in the standard "leaky box" model for cosmic-ray propagation in the galaxy, a value consistent with that derived from studies of heavier nuclei. Thus, we find no evidence for an excess of low-energy ^3He such as that reported at higher energies. Recent propagation models designed to explain the excess of cosmic-ray antiprotons observed at GeV energies also predict an excess of ^3He that is not observed at low energies.
Posterior scleritis. A cause of diagnostic confusion.

• The referring diagnoses in seven women with posterior scleritis included intraocular neoplasm, retrobulbar tumor, choroiditis, and idiopathic central serous choroidopathy. In all cases, a localized area of intense posterior scleritis was responsible for the misdiagnosed ocular findings. Features that helped to correctly identify posterior scleritis were as follows: female sex; a history of anterior scleritis; a fundus mass the same color as normal adjacent pigment epithelium; choroidal folds; serous retinal detachment with cloudy fluid; early pinpoint leaking spots from fluorescein angiography; and thickening of the posterior coats of the eye, retrobulbar edema, and high internal reflectivity on ultrasonography. Corticosteroids given for retrobulbar or systemic effect provided effective treatment.
EFFECTS OF FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE, CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN AND ESTRADIOL IN ANDROGENIZED FEMALE RATS.

Effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on ovarian morphology and hormone production were compared in immature normal and androgenized female rats. The action of exogenous estradiol on uterine weight and vaginal histology was also studied in single immature and parabiotic mature normal and androgenized, ovariectomized females. Estrogen production, as measured by uterine weight increase, is considerably less after HCG administration in 23-day-old androgenized females than in normal animals of the same age. Extensive ovarian interstitial stimulation, without significant uterine weight change, is seen in 35-day-old androgenized females treated with HCG. Comparable uterine weights are found in immature normal and androgenized females receiving FSH, but the former have a much greater ovarian weight increase. These findings are interpreted as being possibly indicative of subnormal circulating levels of hypophysial FSH and LH in androgenized females. Evaluated on the basis ...