cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact on modeled cloud characteristics due to simplified treatment of uniform cloud condensation nuclei during NEAQS 2004

[1] Subgrid-scale cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) heterogeneity is not represented in global climate models (GCM) and potentially contributes systematic errors to simulated cloud effects. High-resolution WRF-Chem model simulations were performed to investigate the impact of assuming a uniform CCN distribution on cloud properties and surface radiation over a region the size of a GCM grid column. Results indicate that a prescribed CCN distribution allowing for vertical and temporal fluctuations does substantially better in simulating cloud properties and radiative effects than does a prescribed uniform and constant CCN distribution. Spatially and temporally averaged net effects on downwelling shortwave radiation are between −3 and −11 W m−2 for the fluctuating and uniform distributions, respectively, versus a control simulation with fully interactive aerosols. Both prescribed CCN distributions produce optically thicker clouds more often than the control, with the mean cloud optical depth increasing by over 25% when using the uniform and constant CCN distribution.
Analytical problems in the measurement of the quality of life

The absence of an explicit theoretical framework seems to have led to a number of objectionable features — empirical as well as conceptual — in previous attempts to construct and apply QOL measures. This paper presents a theoretical framework for QOL measurement based on individual utility maximization. Without severe restrictions on the form of the utility function, however, this framework does not lead to meaningful average or aggregate QOL measures. Furthermore, our empirical analysis indicates that attempts to use currently available QOL measures — despite their conceptual inadequacy — in the analysis of migration have been ill conceived.
Microfluidic trap array for massively parallel imaging of Drosophila embryos

Here we describe a protocol for the fabrication and use of a microfluidic device to rapidly orient >700 Drosophila embryos in parallel for end-on imaging. The protocol describes master microfabrication (∼1 d), polydimethylsiloxane molding (few hours), system setup and device operation (few minutes) and imaging (depending on application). Our microfluidics-based approach described here is one of the first to facilitate rapid orientation for end-on imaging, and it is a major breakthrough for quantitative studies on Drosophila embryogenesis. The operating principle of the embryo trap is based on passive hydrodynamics, and it does not require direct manipulation of embryos by the user; biologists following the protocol should be able to repeat these procedures. The compact design and fabrication materials used allow the device to be used with traditional microscopy setups and do not require specialized fixtures. Furthermore, with slight modification, this array can be applied to the handling of other model organisms and oblong objects.
Food irradiation—US regulatory considerations

Abstract The use of ionizing radiation in food processing has received increased interest as a means of reducing the level of foodborne pathogens. This overview discusses the regulatory issues connected with the use of this technology in the United States. Several recent changes in the FDA's review process are discussed. These include the current policy that utilizes an expedited review process for petitions seeking approval of additives and technologies intended to reduce pathogen levels in food, and the recent USDA rule that eliminates the need for a separate rulemaking process by USDA for irradiation of meat and poultry. Recently promulgated rules and pending petitions before the FDA associated with the use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of foods are also discussed along with the current FDA labeling requirements for irradiated foods and the 1999 advanced notice of proposed rule on labeling. Another issue that is presented is the current status of the approval of packaging materials intended for food contact during irradiation treatment of foods.
On the dust zoning of rapidly rotating cometary nuclei

The effects of nuclear rotation on the surface of a cometary nucleus (a comet at 1 AU that is H2O dominated and has a radius of 1 km) are considered. It is shown that this dust does not accumulate uniformly on the surface, which here is considered spherical. While dust particles in the two polar cap regions and an equatorial belt remain at rest on the surface, those in two midlatitude bands migrate toward the equator, stopping at the two low latitudes to form dust ridges. As the nucleus spins up, both the polar caps and the equatorial belt shrink in size, and the dust ridges move toward the equator, eventually spinning off the dust from the nucleus when the nuclear rotation period is less than about 3.3 hr. For larger particles for which the gas buoyancy is negligible, migration takes place only if the rotation period is not significantly larger than the critical value of 3.3 hr or if the surface friction is abnormally small.
The art of criticism in technical communication

Several parties in technical communication environments can act as valuable sources of criticism. Members of development teams can comment on technical accuracy and completeness, editors can advise on clarity and style, other writers can provide peer reviews, and managers can add business perspectives. The authors examine the interaction between writer and critic in each of these situations, considering factors that may prevent or affect the process. They encourage better use of constructive criticism by exploring why writers may be reluctant to seek it out and by articulating the perspectives, advantages, and limitations that different critics may bring. >
Analysis of aerobic bacterial strains found in chronic rhinosinusitis using the polymerase chain reaction.

INTRODUCTION: Rhinosinusitis is a common disease affecting an estimated 14% of the population. Although there is general agreement in the literature regarding acute rhinosinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis is not as well studied, and no consensus has been reached regarding the bacterial etiology. The goal of this study was to test chronic rhinosinusitis mucosal specimens using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for aerobic bacterial content and to compare the results with standard culture data.RESULTS: Routine culture samples grew 50% aerobic bacteria, whereas PCR detected 62% aerobic bacteria contamination.CONCLUSION: PCR detected more bacteria in mucosal samples than in standard culture, but standard culture of this mucosa reflects the general aerobic bacteria found in chronic rhinosinusitis, with no predominant species of aerobic bacteria.SIGNIFICANCE: The analysis of chronic rhinosinusitis mucosa with the PCR method should give a more accurate picture of the bacteria found in chronic rhinosinusitis so ...
Synthesis and activation of Pt nanoparticles with controlled size for fuel cell electrocatalysts

Well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles with controlled size and narrow size distribution were prepared by polyalcohol reduction of platinum acetylacetonate, using oleylamine as a capping agent. The particle size was varied from 3.5 nm to 11.5 nm by decreasing the amount of oleylamine added in the synthesis. Size selection of the as-prepared particles by solvent fractionation yielded nearly monodispersed Pt particles. The as-prepared particles were loaded on a carbon support by physical deposition, but showed no electrocatalytic activity due to the oleylamine bound to the particle surface. The particles were activated for electrocatalysis after heating the particles in air at 185 °C for 5 h, conditions that gave no particle-sintering and no oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the particles after the heat treatment in air were electrocatalytically active for methanol oxidation. The smaller 3.5 nm and 4.0 nm Pt particles had a higher intrinsic activity for methanol oxidation, but a lower tolerance to CO poisoning, compared with 6.0 nm, 9.5 nm and 11.5 nm particles. CO-stripping results suggest that CO is more easily oxidized on larger Pt particles.
Veblen and the Political Economy of Technocracy: The Herald of Technological Revolution Developed an Ideology of ‘Scientific’ Collectivism

Abstract. In the early 1900s, engineers the United States began developing their own analysis of the economy. Thorstein Veblen, in The Engineers and the Price System, gave a systematic treatment of that analysis. But Veblen's approach to political economy was broader than that of the engineers. His understanding of social change was based on a two-part research program: First, recognize the institutional elements of social stability; then identify an operative force with technological values that could foster change. When applied to the U.S. of his day, this research program resulted in Veblen's seeing a conflict between pecuniary and industrial values. Veblen believed that the triumph of industrial values was crucial for making society compatible with mass-production technology. These values were held to by both engineers and industrial workers. Veblen's earlier works emphasized workers as being agents for social change; later he shifted his focus to engineers. In both cases he reacted to the social activism of each group.
Trust and normative democratic peace theory: nexus between citizens and foreign policies?

Purpose – Despite the burgeoning literature dealing with the democratic peace theory, there seems to be surprisingly little research done in actually analyzing how and why democracies cause peace. There is even less research done in empirically analyzing the “how” part of the normative aspects of the democratic peace theory. The purpose of this paper is to explain the theoretical assumptions and how interpersonal trust is linked to a country's preferences to go to war. In addition, a direct comparison is made between democratic and non‐democratic states to ascertain more clearly the effect of trust on decisions to go to war.Design/methodology/approach – This study quantitatively examines the period from 1980 to 2001 and considers 62 democratic countries and 30 non‐democratic countries in their choices to engage in conflict.Findings – The research project finds that interpersonal trust is strongly correlated with states' decisions to go to war.Originality/value – This is the first time that a study has exa...
Molecular analyses of Salmonella hisG428 ochre revertants for rapid characterization of mutational specificity

The Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA104 and TA102 were developed primarily to aid in the detection of oxidative mutagens and other agents that react preferentially with AT base pairs. Reversion of prototrophy of strains harboring the hisG428 ochre allele can occur by (i) any of seven single base substitutions or (ii) several tandem double base substitutions at the ochre codon, (iii) in-frame deletions removing all or part of the ochre codon or (iv) mutations at several distinct tRNA extragenic suppressor loci. We have used allele-specific oligonucleotide probes and DNA sequence analysis to characterize 625 revertants of strain TA104 (hisG428, rfa, DeltauvrB/pKM101) arising spontaneously or after treatment with methyl methane-sulfonate, glyoxal, streptonigrin or angelicin with UVA radiation. The reversion profiles obtained from these analyses distinguished readily each of the mutagen-treated populations from one another and from spontaneously derived revertants. Both GC and AT base pair-specific revertants were observed. Molecular analyses of S. typhimurium hisG428 revertants permitted rapid assessment of base pair substitution specificity of mutagens, especially the detection of AT base pair substitutions not recovered in strains carrying the complementary hisG46 allele.
Space-time ambiguity of two- and three-fragment reduced velocity correlation functions

Reduced-velocity correlation functions between two and three intermediate mass fragments are compared for central {sup 36}Ar+{sup 197}Ar collisions at {ital E}/{ital A}=50 MeV. Previously published {ital N}-body Coulomb-trajectory calculations, capable of reproducing the measured two-fragment reduced velocity-correlation function, describe the measured three-fragment correlation function equally well. Moreover, ambiguities between source size and lifetime observed in the analysis of two-fragment correlations remain unresolved in the three-fragment correlation function.
Cytokine control of memory T-cell development and survival

Evidence has accumulated that cytokines have a fundamental role in the differentiation of memory T cells. Here, we follow the CD8+ T cell from initial activation to memory-cell generation, indicating the checkpoints at which cytokines determine the fate of the T cell. Members of the common cytokine-receptor gamma-chain (gammac)-cytokine family--in particular, interleukin-7 (IL-7) and IL-15--act at each stage of the immune response to promote proliferation and survival. In this manner, a stable and protective, long-lived memory CD8+ T-cell pool can be propagated and maintained.
Comparisons between thoery and experiment in two electron systems

Abstract We shall report on several recent measurements of the wavelengths of the 1s2s 3S1 - 1s2p 3P0,2 transitions in helium-like ions of nuclear charge Z = 8−26 at several laboratories, including Argonne, Notre Dame, Oxford, Lyon, Berkeley and Lund. The precision of some of these measurements is sufficient to test the QED contributions to these transition energies to a few parts per thousand. Our theoretical understanding of such transitions will also be summarized. We show that a first-order screening correction to the one-electron Lamb shift gives close agreement between theory and all experiments for the two-electron system. It also provides agreement at a similar level of precision with a recent experimental Lamb-shift measurement in one-electron chlorine. We present a calculation of the 1 s 2 p 3 P (J = 1−2) fine-structure splitting in helium-like flourine which is in much closer agreement with recent measurements than previous calculations.
Challenges in advanced semiconductor technology for high-performance and supercomputer applications

This article provides a review of the capabilities, future directions, and technology challenges for semiconductor chips and packages as they apply to high-performance and supercomputer applications. Semiconductor chip technology has resulted in dramatic device density improvements over the last 20 years. Scaling theory predicts that continued improvements will be possible if the technological problems associated with patterning, doping, interconnection, density, yield, and cost can be solved. The issues associated with these challenges are discussed. Finally, the packaging needs to support advanced chip technologies are reviewed.
Experience with low-dose intracoronary recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator for nonacute total occlusions before percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

The primary success rate for angioplasty of total occlusions is significantly worse than for subtotal lesions. Pharmacologic recanalization of total occlusions before angioplasty has the potential to improve the primary success rate. To determine the ability of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) to recanalize occlusive thrombi before elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, 12 patients with total occlusions, 100% obstruction and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 0 flow, and 5 with functional total occlusions, severe stenoses and TIMI grade 1 flow received an intracoronary infusion of rt-PA. The first 10 patients received 0.2 mg/min for 90 minutes, and the next 7 patients received 0.4 mg/min for 60 minutes. Flow improved by greater than or equal to 1 TIMI grade in 11 patients. Mean TIMI flow improved from 0.3 +/- 0.5 to 1.5 +/- 1.2 (p less than 0.0001). There was a significant improvement in severity of stenosis after rt-PA infusion by both digital caliper (99 +/- 2 vs 84 +/- 16%; p less than 0.0001) and quantitative videodensitometric area assessment (99 +/- 3 vs 94 +/- 6%; p less than 0.004). Angioplasty was successful in 16 of 17 patients (94%). There were 2 out-of-laboratory abrupt closures at 4 days; both were medically treated and 1 had a small myocardial infarction. Only 1 patient had a bleeding complication significant enough to need a transfusion. It is concluded that low-dose intracoronary rt-PA is effective at lysing thrombi less than 3 weeks old. This approach warrants further investigation since it may significantly improve the primary success rate of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients with occlusive thrombus.
Intermolecular additions of cyclobutylchlorocarbene

Abstract Cyclobutylchlorocarbene can be intercepted by simple alkenes in successful competition with intramolecular ring expansion and hydride migration reactions.
Behavior and effect of different coal microlithotypes during gas transport for carbon dioxide sequestration into coal seams

Abstract The behavior and effect of different coal lithotypes during sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) into coal seams are important knowledge gaps when modeling sequestration processes and planning for field application. This paper presents the results of a laboratory study for sequestration of CO2 in a 2.5-cm diameter Pittsburgh coal sample. During the test, the sample was kept under a constant effective stress during gas uptake and CO2 storage was observed by qualitative and quantitative X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scanning. Petrographic analysis was also performed on the sample after the sequestration test to identify the microlithotypes showing different adsorption behavior. Qualitative X-ray computerized tomography (CT) and petrographic analysis showed that different microlithotypes behave differently during gas adsorption. Vitrite was observed to swell and to decrease the initial density about 5%, when CO2 diffused into the micropores. A density increase was observed in other microlithotypes present in the sample due to gas adsorption. The CT images were quantified to map the temporal and spatial variation of mass change of coal due to CO2 adsorption. These data were used to study the equilibrium isotherm parameters and to investigate the kinetics of the adsorption process for calculating the diffusivity of CO2 in different microlithotypes. Quantitative analysis of X-ray CT images indicated that the regions that were rich in inertite and clay stored higher quantities of gas in the adsorbed phase compared to other organic microlithotypes in the sample. Calculations for adsorption kinetics in different microlithotypes indicated that pore diffusion is the prime mechanism. However, only an order of magnitude difference between pore and surface diffusion coefficients suggested that both phenomena might be important for CO2 sequestration process. The calculated pore diffusion coefficients were higher in clay and inertinite regions. But, surface diffusion started to increase in vitrinite- and liptinite-rich regions, where pore diffusion was limited.
Elevation of cyclic GMP levels in central nervous system by excitatory and inhibitory amino acids.

—Guanosine 3′,5’cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) levels in incubated slices of mouse cerebellum are increased 10-fold by glutamate and two-to three-fold by glycine or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Glutamate also produces a 10-fold increase in adenosine 3′,5’cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in the same tissue. However, GABA decreases cyclic AMP levels 30-40 per cent, and glycine produces only a transient 50 per cent accumulation of this cyclic nucleotide. Theophylline slightly augments the accumulation of cyclic GMP produced by all three amino acids but markedly attenuates the accumulation of cyclic AMP produced by glutamate. In the absence of Ca2+, none of the three amino acids has any effect on cyclic GMP levels, and glutamate produces only a 50 per cent rise in cyclic AMP levels. The decrease of cyclic AMP levels produced by GABA is not affected by theophylline or by the absence of Ca2+. These data suggest an involvement of both cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP in the neurochemical actions of glutamate, GABA and glycine.
Finite-dimensional open-loop control generators for non-linear systems

This paper concerns itself with the existence of open-loop control generators for non-linear (continuous-time) systems. The main result is that, under relatively mild assumptions on the original system, and for each fixed compact subset of the state space, there always exists one such generator. This is a new system with the property that the controls it produces are sufficiently rich to preserve complete controllability along non-singular trajectories. General results are also given on the continuity and differentiability of the input-to-state mapping for various p-norms on controls, as well as a comparison of various non-linear controllability notions.
Enantioselective protein-sterol interactions mediate regulation of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic inward rectifier K+ channels by cholesterol.

Cholesterol is the major sterol component of all mammalian cell plasma membranes and plays a critical role in cell function and growth. Previous studies have shown that cholesterol inhibits inward rectifier K+ (Kir) channels, but have not distinguished whether this is due directly to protein-sterol interactions or indirectly to changes in the physical properties of the lipid bilayer. Using purified bacterial and eukaryotic Kir channels reconstituted into liposomes of controlled lipid composition, we demonstrate by 86Rb+ influx assays that bacterial Kir channels (KirBac1.1 and KirBac3.1) and human Kir2.1 are all inhibited by cholesterol, most likely by locking the channels into prolonged closed states, whereas the enantiomer, ent-cholesterol, does not inhibit these channels. These data indicate that cholesterol regulates Kir channels through direct protein-sterol interactions likely taking advantage of an evolutionarily conserved binding pocket.
Optimization of multiple-isocenter treatment planning for linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery.

Objective: Computer-assisted treatment planning for linac-based radiosurgery is still an open research problem, especially for multiple-isocenter procedures, primarily due to its high complexity and computational requirements. This paper focuses on the optimization of multiple-isocenter treatment planning for linac systems, and addresses several important issues associated with multiple isocenters, such as dose conformality, homogeneity, and optimization of isocenter position and dose.Methods: The key idea behind our approach is that the desired dose distribution can be decomposed into a number of fundamental components. In the current paper, an analytical form, the so-called Ellipsoidal Dose Distribution Estimation (EDDE) model, represents each component. We establish ways (arc configurations) to achieve such ellipsoidal doses of arbitrary position, orientation, and size. Since the EDDE model is described by relatively few parameters, it allows very quick estimation of the dose distribution corresponding...
Relationship building as a retention strategy: linking relationship attitudes and satisfaction evaluations to behavioral outcomes

Abstract The practice of public relations historically has focused on managing communications. Within the past 5 years, however, an increasing number of scholars have started to conceptualize the practice of public relations as relationship management, and have centred their research efforts on examining the factors that affect organization–public relationships. Recent research has shown that effectively managed organization–public relationships affect key public member attitudes, evaluations, and behaviors. In the current investigation, 122 participants were surveyed to determine whether student–university relationship attitudes and satisfaction evaluations distinguished those who returned to a university from those who did not. The results show that respondent relationship attitudes differentiate those who returned to the university from those who did not, which provides a quantitative illustration of the benefits of incorporating a relationally-based grounding for the practice of public relations. Implications of the findings, suggestions for managing organization–public relationships, and limitations to the investigation also are presented.
Local likelihood analysis of the latency distribution with interval censored intermediate events.

The distribution of time between an intermediate event and a terminal event is frequently of interest both in studying the behaviour of populations and in predicting outcomes for individuals. Current methods for estimating this latency distribution have either imposed assumptions on the hazard for the terminal event following the occurrence of the intermediate event or on the parametric form of the hazards. Here, local likelihood estimation is applied to the underlying hazard functions of a three-state process in which the time of the intermediate event may be interval censored and the time of the terminal event is either observed or right censored. Smooth non-parametric estimates of the latency distribution, along with bootstrap confidence intervals, are calculated, and tests for the comparison of two latency distributions are presented. The method is applied to two studies: a cohort of haemophiliacs who were infected with HIV by contaminated blood factor and followed for AIDS onset, and an AIDS clinical trial in which the intermediate event is the time to 50 per cent drop in CD4 count and the terminal event is AIDS or death. Simulations are presented to assess the performance of the estimation procedure.
The differentiation of the columella in avian embryos treated with hadacidin with some observations on other skeletal abnormalities

Single doses of N-formyl hydroxyaminoacetic acid (hadacidin) were injected into chick embryos HH stages 5-30. Embryos surviving for 8+ days total incubation time were recovered and examined for gross and microscopically observable defects. Particular attention was paid to the development of the columella. Survival was only 20%, but a high incidence of cranio-facial and hind limb defects was observed in most age groups. While three categories of columella defect were observed, reflecting some degree of age dependency, this chondrogenic tissue is less susceptible to teratogenic action than other skeletal tissues. The types of columella defect observed are interpreted in the light of a model of cellular interactions in fenestra vestibularis differentiation presented previously. It is concluded that hadacidin produces abnormalities of skeletal differentiation by disrupting morphogenetic, rather than the initiative phases of development of particular elements.
Tissue Factor in Cancer Progression and Angiogenesis

Constitutive expression of tissue factor (TF) by cancer cells triggers local and systemic activation of the coagulation cascade and is a major cause of cancer-associated thrombosis. Primary breast cancer biopsies show a marked upregulation of TF and protease activated receptor (PAR) 2, as well as increased TF cytoplasmic domain phosphorylation that is correlated with cancer relapse. TF signaling involving PAR2 and integrins has multiple effects on angiogenesis and tumor progression. The non-coagulant, alternatively spliced form of TF retains an integrin-binding site and, upon deposition into the tumor stroma, stimulates angiogenesis by ligating endothelial integrins alpha(v)beta(3) and alpha(6)beta(1). On tumor cells, full-length TF is constitutively associated with laminin-binding beta(1) integrins that support TF-VIIa-PAR2 signaling leading to upregulation of pro-angiogenic and immune modulatory cytokines and growth factors. Deficiency of PAR2, but not of the thrombin receptor PAR1, delays spontaneous breast cancer development and the angiogenic switch in mice. In addition, human xenograft breast cancer growth and angiogenesis is suppressed by selective antibody inhibition of TF-VIIa-PAR2 signaling, but not by blocking TF initiated coagulation. Thus, interruption of TF signaling represents a potential anti-angiogenic strategy that does not carry an increased risk of bleeding associated with prolonged inhibition of the TF coagulation pathway.
Tax Cut Meets Bracket Creep: the Rise and Fall of Marginal Tax Rates, 1964-1984

Through the process of "bracket creep," the marginal tax rates faced by taxpayers under a progressive income tend to increase as inflation pushes up nominal incomes. Congress has sought to offset the resulting revenue increases by cutting taxes periodically in recent years. Because of the potential economic importance of marginal tax rates, this article examines changes in marginal tax rates since 1964 to assess the effect of inflation and tax cuts on the level and structure of marginal tax rates. The article finds that marginal rates generally have risen over the period, especially for upper income taxpayers. Based on official projections of nominal income growth, marginal tax rates will not, in general, fall as a result of the 1981 tax cut. Only a fundamental restructuring, such as the adoption of a "flat-rate" income tax, has the potential of reducing marginal rates significantly.
Americans’ Attitudes About the Senate Filibuster:

We examine public attitudes about one of the most visible procedural features of Congress, the Senate’s filibuster and cloture practice. We measure the stability of those attitudes during an important legislative episode, relate them to more abstract attitudes about majority rule and minority rights, and draw inferences about the importance of those attitudes for evaluations of the parties and vote intention for the 2010 elections. We find that filibuster attitudes change in ways predicted by respondents’ partisan and policy preferences. Moreover, controlling for party identification, ideology, policy views, and attitudes about majority rule and minority rights in the abstract, filibuster attitudes have modest, asymmetric effects on party evaluations but no effect on vote intention.
Downstream Codons in the Retinoic Acid Receptor β-2 and β-4 mRNAs Initiate Translation of a Protein Isoform That Disrupts Retinoid-activated Transcription

Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are essential for the differentiation and maintenance of normal epithelium. In studies of RARs in breast cancer, there are striking differences in the expression of certain protein isoforms of the RARβ gene between cells derived from normal human mammary glands and those derived from breast tumors. While the protein isoforms RARβ2 and RARβ4 consist of the longest open reading frames of the RARβ2 and RARβ4 mRNAs, respectively, we find that a fraction of scanning ribosomes bypass these upstream RARβ2 and RARβ4 protein start codons and initiate translation downstream. This downstream translation initiation site is identical in the RARβ2 and RARβ4 transcripts and generates a third RARβ protein isoform, here termed RARβ′ (formerly human RARβ4). RARβ′ lacks protein domains found in the N terminus of RARβ2 and RARβ4, including one of two zinc fingers required for DNA binding. However, RARβ′ retains the ability to heterodimerize with RXRα and interact with transcription cofactors. In reporter gene assays, RARβ′ repressed retinoic acid-activated transcription of co-transfected RARβ2, RARβ4, and RARα. This repression required the presence of acidic amino acids within the AF2 domain. These findings demonstrate an antagonistic role for RARβ′ in signaling by retinoic acid.
Poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers as potential siRNA delivery nanocarrier: from structure to function

The goal of the present investigation is to reveal the role of the Poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimer structure on the siRNA nanoparticles formation, facilitation of cell internalisation, and sequence specific knockdown of targeted genes. It was found that the higher generations of PPI dendrimers (G4 and G5) most effectively initiated the complexation of siRNA into discrete nanoparticles when compared with lower generations of dendrimers (G2 and G3) as determined by tapping mode atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The formulated siRNA-PPI dendrimer complexes provided for a dramatic enhancement in siRNA cellular internalisation and the marked knockdown of targeted mRNA expression in A549 human lung cancer cells. While the size and positive charge density of G5 is much larger than G4 dendrimers, provoking higher toxicity, G4 dendrimer shows the maximum efficacy terms of siRNA nanoparticles formation, intracellular siRNA internalisation, and sequence specific gene silencing.
Comparison of α1‐Adrenergic Receptor‐Stimulated Inositol Phosphate Formation in Primary Neuronal and Glial Cultures

alpha 1-Adrenergic receptor binding sites and norepinephrine-stimulated 3H-inositol phosphate (3H-InsP) accumulation were measured in primary cultures of neurons and glia from 1-day-old rat brains. The density of alpha 1-adrenergic receptor binding sites was approximately three times higher in membranes from neurons compared to glia. Although norepinephrine was slightly more potent in stimulating 3H-InsP formation in neurons than in glia, the maximal response was greater in glial cells. Norepinephrine-stimulated 3H-InsP formation remained constant for [3H]inositol prelabelling periods of 1-14 days in neurons, whereas the response increased with time in glia and was maximal after 7-10 days of prelabelling. Both the incorporation of [3H]inositol into lipid and basal levels of 3H-InsPs were lower in glial cells than in neurons, which accounted for the greater percent stimulation in glia. Pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine decreased norepinephrine-stimulated 3H-InsP formation in a dose-dependent manner in both neurons and glia by decreasing the maximal response without altering potency. HPLC separation showed that similar types of 3H-InsPs were accumulated in neurons and glial cells. These results demonstrate that alpha 1-adrenergic receptors exist on both neurons and glial cells and activate 3H-InsP accumulation in both cell types. Although receptor density is higher in neurons than in glia, the 3H-InsP response is higher in glia. This difference does not appear to be due to different receptor reserves, but may be due to differential coupling mechanisms in the two cell types.
Affective personality differences in neural processing efficiency confirmed using fMRI

To test for a relation between individual differences in personality and neural-processing efficiency, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity within regions associated with cognitive control during a demanding working memory task. Fifty-three participants completed both the self-report behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS) and behavioral approach sensitivity (BAS) personality scales and a standard measure of fluid intelligence (Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices). They were then scanned as they performed a three-back working memory task. A mixed blocked/ event-related fMRI design enabled us to identify both sustained and transient neural activity. Higher BAS was negatively related to event-related activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate, the lateral prefrontal cortex, and parietal areas in regions of interest identified in previous work. These relationships were not explained by differences in either behavioral performance or fluid intelligence, consistent with greater neural efficiency. The results reveal the high specificity of the relationships among personality, cognition, and brain activity. The data confirm that affective dimensions of personality are independent of intelligence, yet also suggest that they might be interrelated in subtle ways, because they modulate activity in overlapping brain regions that appear to be critical for task performance.
WearAir: expressive t-shirts for air quality sensing

We designed and prototyped WearAir, an expressive T-shirt to sense the wearer's surrounding air quality as indicated by the measured volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and publicly express those levels through visually expressive patterns. Although poor air quality has been shown to affect human health, our daily exposure to such pollutants has been inadequately captured and publicly shared. Our work is designed to accurately measure and publicly express the immediately local air quality. Obtaining information regarding air quality indirectly from others might help people to increase their awareness to air quality.
Progression of chronic myeloid leukemia to blast crisis during treatment with imatinib mesylate.

Abstract Context.—Previous investigators have reported discrepancies between hematologic, marrow morphologic, and cytogenetic responses to imatinib mesylate among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In addition to disease refractoriness, rare instances of disease progression from chronic phase to blast crisis during imatinib therapy have recently been anecdotally reported. Objectives.—To describe the clinicopathologic features of 3 patients with CML who rapidly progressed from chronic phase to blast crisis while taking imatinib and to perform a review of the literature. Design.—Morphologic, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic analyses were performed on the 3 patients at the time of initial diagnosis, during imatinib therapy, and at blast crisis. Results.—The 3 patients were men, aged 39, 42, and 43 years. Two had been treated with hydroxyurea for 16 and 21 months before imatinib therapy, while 1 was started on a regimen of imatinib following diagnosis. Despite a hematologic response in all 3 patie...
The Impact of University Technology Transfer Offices on Faculty Consulting.

This study contributes to the research on industry-university interface by analyzing the effect of technology transfer offices (TTO) on faculty consulting. Using fixed effects and survival analyses...
Classroom Reading Instruction for All Students

How well students respond to reading instruction in the classroom is instrumental in determining their academic outcomes. This chapter explains why this first tier of instruction in the classroom is at a critical juncture with the adoption of rigorous college and career readiness standards (e.g., the common core state standards in English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects; ELA CCSS for short). First, the ELA CCSS is overviewed and the key constructs of academic language, text complexity, and perspective taking are discussed. Second, the research-based practices in primary-grade reading instruction for teaching academic language skills, providing explicit instruction in the alphabetic skills, teaching word analysis skills, and ensuring daily practice in text reading with and without feedback in order to build accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are reviewed. Third, the research-based practices for content-area tier 1 reading instruction in the secondary grades are discussed. Specifically, the chapter focuses on providing explicit vocabulary and comprehension instruction, ensuring opportunities for extended discussion of text, and increasing student motivation and engagement in literacy learning. The authors conclude with a table summarizing best practices for tier 1 reading instruction.
Environmental Approach: Sustainable Development and Moral Business Life

From the perspective of the natural environment, capitalism, whether run by private individuals, corporations, or the state itself, is an unmitigated disaster; sustainable development a contradiction in terms; and human virtue in the capitalistic enterprise a very bad joke. This chapter argues that other strategies having failed, we should attempt a return of power and authority to the local level, where local knowledge of conditions and participants in the economy is the best possible guarantee of justice among persons and stewardship of the natural environment.
Weedon's Myriangium on Sabal

Weedon's Myriangium sabaleos (10) was described on the basis of a specimen she collected on leaves of Sabal palmetto at St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 15, 1923. In 1943 the fungus was again collected on S. etonia at De Soto City, Florida, by A. S. Rhoads (7, p. 275) and in Georgia on S. palmetto at Richmond Hill and on S. minor at Savannah, by A. W. Blizzard (2). The specimen from Richmond Hill shows only the myriangiale. The other two specimens of 1943, as well as the type specimen, were probably collected for the more conspicuous and much more abundant dothideale fruiting on them. Of these two parasites, only Catacaumna sabal Chardon, as we have identified the dothideale (4), is known to cause any appreciable harm. The actual leaf spots produced by the so-called Myriangium are usually small and insignificant. On the dry, young leaf fragments of the specimen of Sabal palmetto from Georgia, they are elongate, 0.25 x 1.3-5 mm., with the longer diameter paralleling the leaf axis. They are slightly thickened, minutely wrinkled lengthwise, pale, sometimes "pinkish buff," 2 with a definite margin.
Callosal apraxia: a 34-year follow-up study

ABSTRACTLoss of ability of the left upper limb (LUL) to correctly produce spatial and temporal components of skilled purposeful movements was reported 34 years ago in a woman with a callosal infarction. To learn about recovery, we recently reexamined this woman. This woman was tested for ideomotor apraxia by asking her to pantomime to command and to seeing pictures of tools. Whereas she performed normally with her right upper limb, her LUL remained severely apraxic, making many spatial (postural and movement) errors. Initially, she did not reveal loss of finger–hand deftness (limb-kinetic apraxia), and when tested again with the coin rotation task, her left hand performance was normal. Without vision, she could name objects placed in her left hand but not name numbers written in this hand. Since this woman had a callosal lesion, failure to recover cannot be accounted for by left hemisphere inhibition of her right hemisphere. Although failure for her LUL to improve may have been related to not using her LU...
Simultaneous administration of adjuvant donor bone marrow in pancreas transplant recipients

Objective The effect of donor bone marrow was evaluated for its potentially favorable effect in the authors' simultaneous pancreas/ kidney transplant program. Methods From July 1994 to January 1999, 177 pancreas transplants were performed, 151 of which were simultaneous pancreas/ kidney transplants. All patients received tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids for immunosuppression (azathioprine was used in the first year of the program). Fifty-three simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplant recipients received perioperative unmodified donor bone marrow, 3 to 6 x 10 8 cells/kg. Results Overall actuarial survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 98% and 95% (patient), 95% and 87% (kidney), and 86% and 80% (pancreas), respectively. In the adjuvant bone marrow group, 1- and 3-year survival rates were 96% and 91% (patient), 95% and 87% (kidney), and 83% and 83% (pancreas), respectively. For 98 recipients who did not receive bone marrow, survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 100% and 98% (patient), 96% and 86% (kidney), and 87% and 79% (pancreas), respectively. No pancreas allografts were lost after 3 months in bone marrow recipients, and seven in the non-bone marrow recipients were lost to rejection at 0.7, 6.7, 8.8, 14.6, 24.1, 24.3, and 25.5 months. Twenty-two percent of bone marrow patients were steroid-free at 1 year, 45% at 2 years, and 67% at 3 years. Nineteen percent of the non-bone marrow recipients were steroid-free at 1 year, 38% at 2 years, and 45% (p = 0.02) at 3 years. The mean acute cellular rejection rate was 0.94 ± 1. 1 in the bone marrow group and 1.57 ± 1.3 (p = 0.003) in the non-bone marrow group (includes borderline rejection and multiple rejections). The level of donor cell chimerism in the peripheral blood of bone marrow patients was at least two logs higher than in controls. Conclusion In this series, which represents the largest experience with adjuvant bone marrow infusion in pancreas recipients, there was a higher steroid withdrawal rate (p = 0.02), fewer rejection episodes, and no pancreas graft loss after 3 months in bone marrow recipients compared with contemporaneous controls. All pancreas allografts lost to chronic rejection (n = 6) were in the non-bone marrow group. Donor bone marrow administered around the time of surgery may have a protective effect in pancreas transplantation.
Nonvolatile optomechanical memory enabled by dynamic optical backaction

we demonstrate coherent switching of nanomechanical resonators by optical cooling and amplification. The dynamic manipulation by optical backaction drives nanomechanical resonators at high amplitudes. A non-volatile memory is also demonstrated.
Antiaccelerator, coronary dilator and certain other pharmacologic actions of new poly-methoxyphenyl derivatives.

Summary1. A significant cardiac anti-accelerator activity was found among members of a new synthetic series of polymerthoxyphenyl amines. 2. When tested on the isolated, epinephrine driven rabbit heart their potency was found in several instances to be comparable to that of veratramine. 3. They could produce also cardiac slowing in anesthetized and unanesthetized dogs as well as block, in unanesthetized dogs, compensatory tachycardia due to administration of a sympatholytic. 4. Some of the compounds were found to be coronary dilators, in one case 2-3 times more potent than papaverine. 5. Since the polyphenyl compounds were found not to be sympatholytic or adrenolytic, since their action is extra-vagal and independent of their local anesthetic activity, the possibility is suggested they have a specific site of action at the “primitive” pacemaker receptor.
The medical student summer research program in family medicine.

Background and objectives A variety of clinical research training programs exist throughout the United States, although little is known about their methods, content, and outcomes. This report describes a model of clinical research training designed to teach medical students research processes in family medicine, while yielding data for research studies. Authors present a description and evaluation of the program, focusing on students' research productivity. Methods Forty medical students participated in a 6-week clinical research training program from 2006--2012. This program was led by an experienced investigator and 10 family medicine faculty mentors. Classroom instruction provided an introduction to research design in Week 1 and research writing and dissemination in Week 6. In between, medical students implemented studies in multiple outpatient clinical settings in the Residency Research Network of Texas (RRNET). Results The Medical Student Summer Research Program in Family Medicine was well received by medical students who demonstrated consistent productivity year after year. All students displayed findings during Medical Student Research Day, and one third continued their work beyond that event, producing 22 presentations, two manuscripts, seven published abstracts, and seven research honors. Conclusions Opportunities for medical students to develop research skills should be central to medical school education. Familiarity with the research process improves medical students' ability to understand, critique, and use evidence-based medicine in practice, to explain the latest findings to their patients, and to consider careers as clinician-scientists.
Mechanistic Analysis of the Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) Ribozyme: Methods for RNA Preparation, Structure Mapping, Solvent Isotope Effects, and Co-transcriptional Cleavage

Small ribozymes such as the hairpin, hammerhead, VS, glm S, and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) are self-cleaving RNAs that are typically characterized by kinetics and structural methods. Working with these RNAs requires attention to numerous experimental details. In this chapter we focus on four different experimental aspects of ribozyme studies: preparing the RNA, mapping its structure with reverse transcription and end-labeled techniques, solvent isotope experiments, and co-transcriptional cleavage assays. Although the focus of these methods is the HDV ribozyme, the methods should be applicable to other ribozymes.