cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal antibody testing of lymphocytes after overnight storage.

Abstract Often monoclonal antibody testing of lymphocytes is not performed until the day after blood collection for reasons of convenience or due to the need to transport the blood to other facilities. In order to determine whether accurate results can be obtained on the day after collection, we compared results obtained after storage overnight at 4° C or 22°C with results obtained with fresh lymphocytes. Lymphocytes from 24 normal individuals were evaluated with 10 monoclonal antibodies using an immunofluorescence technique with analysis by flow cytofluorometry. There were markedly altered results obtained with lymphocytes separated on the day after collection from the whole blood stored at 4° C. Lymphocytes separated from whole blood stored at 22° C showed moderate changes in reactivity with some monoclonal antibodies. Lymphocytes that were separated from flesh blood and then stored at 4°C or 22°C showed results similar to fresh lymphocytes. These results underscore importance of proper processing of blood samples to avoid misinterpretation of results.
Real-time gaseous, PM and ultrafine particle emissions from a modern marine engine operating on biodiesel

Emissions from harbor-craft significantly affect air quality in populated regions near ports and inland waterways. This research measured regulated and unregulated emissions from an in-use EPA Tier 2 marine propulsion engine on a ferry operating in a bay following standard methods. A special effort was made to monitor continuously both the total Particulate Mass (PM) mass emissions and the real-time Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The engine was operated following the loads in ISO 8178-4 E3 cycle for comparison with the certification standards and across biodiesel blends. Real-time measurements were also made during a typical cruise in the bay. Results showed the in-use nitrogen oxide (NOx) and PM(2.5) emission factors were within the not to exceed standard for Tier 2 marine engines. Comparing across fuels we observed the following: a) no statistically significant change in NO(x) emissions with biodiesel blends (B20, B50); b) ∼ 16% and ∼ 25% reduction of PM(2.5) mass emissions with B20 and B50 respectively; c) a larger organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) ratio and organic mass (OM) to OC ratio with B50 compared to B20 and B0; d) a significant number of ultrafine nuclei and a smaller mass mean diameter with increasing blend-levels of biodiesel. The real-time monitoring of gaseous and particulate emissions during a typical cruise in the San Francisco Bay (in-use cycle) revealed important effects of ocean/bay currents on emissions: NO(x) and CO(2) increased 3-fold; PM(2.5) mass increased 6-fold; and ultrafine particles disappeared due to the effect of bay currents. This finding has implications on the use of certification values instead of actual in-use emission values when developing inventories. Emission factors for some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are reported as supplemental data.
The subcellular localization of lipid in myelin-free axonal preparations

Bovine myelin-free axonal preparations were subjected to a series of washes designed to partition membranes from other cellular components initially present in these preparations. These washes were composed entirely of membranous structures, essentially free of neurofilament protein subunits, and contained high specific activity of acetylcholinesterase, an axolemma-specific enzyme. The distribution of acetylcholinesterase in the washes paralleled the distribution of lipid and the lipid composition of these washes closely resembled that of bovine axolemma-enriched fractions. In addition, acetylcholinesterase, lipid and galactocerebroside were histo- and immunohistochemically localized on similar structures in the starting material. Our results demonstrate that some of the lipid in myelin-free axonal preparations may be accounted for by axolemma.
Lack of an effect of interference with amine mechanisms on the lethality of chlordimeform in the rat.

Abstract Neither blockade of serotonergic nor α-adrenergic receptors (or both) nor depletion of tissue stores of these amines reduced the lethality in male rats of chlordimeform, an MAO-inhibiting insecticide which causes signs of sympathetic or serotonergic stimulation.
Involvement of ionizable groups in catalysis of human liver glycolate oxidase.

Glycolate oxidase is a flavin-dependent, peroxisomal enzyme that oxidizes α-hydroxy acids to the corresponding α-keto acids, with reduction of oxygen to H2O2. In plants, the enzyme participates in photorespiration. In humans, it is a potential drug target for treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, a genetic disorder where overproduction of oxalate results in the formation of kidney stones. In this study, steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic approaches have been used to determine how pH affects the kinetic steps of the catalytic mechanism of human glycolate oxidase. The enzyme showed a Ping-Pong Bi-Bi kinetic mechanism between pH 6.0 and 10.0. Both the overall turnover of the enzyme (kcat) and the rate constant for anaerobic substrate reduction of the flavin were pH-independent at pH values above 7.0 and decreased slightly at lower pH, suggesting the involvement of an unprotonated group acting as a base in the chemical step of glycolate oxidation. The second-order rate constant for capture of glycolate (kcat/Kglycolate) and the Kd(app) for the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex suggested the presence of a protonated group with apparent pKa of 8.5 participating in substrate binding. The kcat/Koxygen values were an order of magnitude faster when a group with pKa of 6.8 was unprotonated. These results are discussed in the context of the available three-dimensional structure of GOX.
Negative salience in impression of character: Effects of new information on established relationships

College students were given hypothetical information that was inconsistent with their prior opinions of a liked or disliked acquaintance and asked to imagine its effect on their evaluation of his character. Sixty-four percent of those given incompatible negative information and 39% of those given incompatible positive information rejected this information until specifically instructed to assume its authenticity. Original character ratings subsequently changed more in response to negative information than to positive. Effects of communications tended to diminish within 1 week but remained significant. Less reversion toward original opinions occurred in delayed ratings if the acquaintance’s alleged behavior had personal implications for S.
Hypothalamic QRFP: regulation of food intake and fat selection.

QRFP, a member of the RFamide-related peptide family, is a strongly conserved hypothalamic neuropeptide that has been characterized in various species. Prepro-QRFP mRNA expression is localized to select regions of the hypothalamus, which are involved in the regulation of feeding behavior. The localization of the peptide precursor has led to the assessment of QRFP on feeding behaviors and the orexigenic effects of QRFP have been detected in mice, rats, and birds. QRFP acts in a macronutrient specific manner in satiated rats to increase the intake of a high fat diet, but not the intake of a low fat diet, and increases the intake of chow in food-restricted rats. Studies suggest that QRFP’s effects on food intake are mediated by the adiposity signal, leptin, and hypothalamic neuropeptides. Additionally, QRFP regulates the expression and release of hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y and proopiomelanocortin/α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone. QRFP binds to receptors throughout the brain, including regions associated with food intake and reward. Taken together, these data suggest that QRFP is a mediator of motivated behaviors, particularly the drive to ingest high fat food. The present review discusses the role of QRFP in the regulation of feeding behavior, with emphasis on the intake of dietary fat.
The impact of loss offset limitations on project selection and development timing

This article examines how the anti-tax shelter Limitation on Loss Offset (LOL) rules affect the urban development process. It derives the LOL impacts on the pace and pattern of income-producing urban development and relates the results to the general characteristics of anticipated income time paths. It also shows that the LOL provision reduces the value of vacant land and how relative value declines systematically vary across locations in the urban area.
Immunohistochemical localization of EGF, TGF-alpha, TGF-beta, and their receptors in rat corneas during healing of excimer laser ablation

Purpose: Members of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) families of growth factors and receptors are known to regulate key aspects of corneal wound healing, including epithelial migration and scar formation. To further understand their roles, mRNA levels were measured and proteins were immunolocalized in rat corneas at multiple time points during healing of excimer laser ablation injury. Methods: Excimer laser photoablation was performed to a depth of 50 μm on rat corneas. Levels of mRNAs for EGF, TGF-α, TGF-β isoforms 1, 2, and 3, and their receptors (EGF-R and TGFβ-IIR) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR on days 0, 1.5, 7, 21, 42, and 91 after ablation. Immunohistochemical localization of the growth factors and their receptors was performed on days 0, 7, and 21 in corneal sections. Results: Levels of EGF mRNA remained stable in rat corneas after ablation (68 ± 12 copies/cell, mean ± SD), whereas levels of TGF-α mRNA progressively increased sixfold to a maximum...
THE EFFECTS OF BUSINESS ETHICS EDUCATION ON MORAL EFFICACY, MORAL MEANINGFULNESS, AND MORAL COURAGE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY.

The research question explored in this study is whether a course on ethical decision-making in business could positively influence students' confidence in their abilities to handle ethical problems...
Rational cognitive therapy with public offenders

In addressing the issue of how offenders may help themselves face the world in prison and outside, this article outlines how the principles of rational emotive therapy as outlined by Ellis and Maultsby can be simplified for use with this population in order to provide them a method for understanding and alleviating unhelpful emotional reactions. An example is provided to illustrate how a rational self-analysis model can be taught as written homework in individual or group sessions. Using the RSA model, offenders are taught to review and better understand the meanings of irrational words and how they upset themselves. Overall, our experience has been that offenders of many persuasions can be taught to be more rational and logical—an essential foundation for successful rehabilitation.
A vorticity effect in anisotropic fluids

We analyze equations describing the motion of a preferred direction in an anisotropic fluid undergoing plane, steady homogeneous flow. These equations are essentially the same as those deduced by Jeffery for the motion of a rigid ellipsoid of revolution suspended in a Newtonian fluid. When the ratio of vorticity to rate of strain is sufficiently small, we find that the flow produces a high degree of orientation. This can be destroyed or at least diminished by making the ratio sufficiently large. We suggest conditions under which this hydrodynamic orientation effect might give rise to elasticity phenomena in polymer solutions.
Comparison of super stuff and paraffin wax bolus in radiation therapy of irregular surfaces

Irregular facial contours can make radiation therapy of head and neck tumors difficult. Isodose lines become skewed, making treatment planning complex. A traditional solution to this problem is the paraffin wax box bolus. Such a bolus is made to fit the irregular surface compensating for the topology and creating an even surface. The fabrication of a wax bolus can be a difficult and time-consuming process. A method that is simple and efficient has been devised. Super Stuff bolus can be easily molded and has approximately the same effect as a similar paraffin wax bolus. This was verified by irradiating a Rando head phantom with both a paraffin wax bolus and a Super Stuff bolus. Doses to various points of interest were measured with thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) chips (LiF). The particular case addressed is malignant melanoma of the nasal septum, but the technique described can be useful in the treatment of other sites as well.
The Time Reaper 5-Channel Automatic Liquid Dispenser: a new tool for studying zebrafish development.

Patterning of zebrafish and other vertebrate embryos proceeds according to consistent, predictable developmental time courses. Because zebrafish spawn primarily during the first few hours after dawn, many important developmental stages typically occur during the middle of the night. As an automatic, accurate way to fix embryos at these inconvenient times, we have developed the Time Reaper 5-Channel Automatic Liquid Dispenser (TimeR). The TimeR delivers up to 50 mL of liquid to embryos in a Petri dish at preset times. We have used the TimeR to deliver paraformaldehyde and fix zebrafish embryos at different stages of development. We find that the pattern of expression for a number of genes is indistinguishable between embryos fixed manually and with the TimeR. The TimeR is also suitable for fixing embryos for whole-mount immunostaining, but care needs to be taken to find conditions that preserve the antibody's epitope. The TimeR is inexpensive to make, and can be constructed using tools present in most mach...
Learning to disambiguate search queries from short sessions

Web searches tend to be short and ambiguous. It is therefore not surprising that Web query disambiguation is an actively researched topic. To provide a personalized experience for a user, most existing work relies on search engine log data in which the search activities of that particular user , as well as other users, are recorded over long periods of time. Such approaches may raise privacy concerns and may be difficult to implement for pragmatic reasons. We present an approach to Web query disambiguation that bases its predictions only on a short glimpse of user search activity, captured in a brief session of 4---6 previous searches on average. Our method exploits the relations of the current search session to previous similarly short sessions of other users in order to predict the user's intentions and is based on Markov logic, a statistical relational learning model that has been successfully applied to challenging language problems in the past. We present empirical results that demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach on data collected from a commercial general-purpose search engine.
Integration of remotely sensed radar imagery in modeling and mapping of forest biomass and net primary production

Abstract New remote sensing programs provide the opportunity to optimize the connection of remotely sensed data with key parameters in measuring and modeling net primary production (NPP). Synthetic aperture radars (SARs) are discussed in terms of their ability to measure more directly certain parameters related to NPP. The purpose of this paper is to introduce SAR-based methodologies and results for (1) deriving parameters which may be considered input datasets for NPP models and (2) the subsequent application of an aboveground annual NPP (ANNP) model for these datasets. Derivations are land cover and biophysical parameters including forest height, aboveground forest tree biomass (and carbon fraction), and belowground coarse root biomass (and carbon fraction). An allometric ANPP model is applied to demonstrate the applicability of these SAR-derived datasets to NPP modeling. Results are regional quantifications and mapped distributions of forest height, above and belowground tree biomass (and carbon fraction), aboveground ANPP, and the relationship of forest stage to production.
Centrifuge Modeling of Bridge Systems Designed for Rocking Foundations

In good soil conditions, spread footings for bridges are less expensive than deep foundations. Furthermore, rocking shallow foundations have some performance advantages over conventional fixed-base foundations; they can absorb some of the ductility demand that would typically be absorbed by the columns, and they have better recentering characteristics than conventional reinforced-concrete (RC) columns. Foundations designed for elastic behavior do not have these benefits of nonlinear soil-structure interaction. One potential disad- vantage of rocking systems is that they can produce significant settlement in poor soil conditions. Centrifuge model tests were performed to account for the interaction between soil, footing, column, deck and abutments systems. Bridge systems with rocking foundations on good soil conditions are shown to perform well and settlements are small. An improved method for quantification of settlements is presented. The model tests are described in some detail. One of the important factors limiting the use of rocking foundations is the perception that they might tip over; experiments show that tipping instability is unlikely if the foundations are properly sized. In one experiment, a column for a system with large fixed-base foundation collapsed while the systems with smaller rocking foundations did not collapse. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)GT .1943-5606.0000605. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Earthquakes; Shallow foundations; Bridges; Centrifuge models. Author keywords: Earthquake; Shallow foundation; Rocking; Bridge; Centrifuge modeling.
Predictions of in-cloud conversion rates of So2 to So4 based upon a simple chemical and kinematic storm model

Abstract A simple chemical model has been combined with a kinematic storm model in order to present a methodology for computing the percentage of total wet-deposited sulfate that is derived from an in-cloud conversion process. The overall model assumes that the sulfate deposited in precipitation originates from either nucleation of pre-existing particles or from aqueous-phase conversion of SO 2 occurring within the precipitating cloud. The model has been run for two idealized situations representing the average winter and summer storm conditions in the northeastern United States. Seasonally averaged storm conditions and pollutant concentrations for the eastern U.S. have been used to define input conditions for sulfur inflow and deposition. In-cloud conversion processes were found to account for 41–70% of the sulfate in the winter storm simulation, and 55–70% of the sulfate in the summer storm simulation. The storm model predicts time available for conversion within the condensed cloud water and enables conversion rates to be computed. In both the winter and summer storm simulations, SO 2 in-cloud conversion rates were found to be between 5 and 20% h −1 with expected values near 10% h −1 . Based upon calculations of sulfate removal efficiencies, over 80% of the ingested sulfate aerosol was removed from the simulated summer and winter storms. The storm simulations also predicted a high level source of sulfate which was attributable to in-cloud conversion of SO 2 at levels where removal by precipitation was negligible. These findings should not be generalized to include any winter or summer storms at any location. To do so would require many simulations with data relating particular pollutant surface deposition patterns to specific inflow concentrations of pollutants. Such data are not available.
PALEOSOLS AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE: PART I

As a subject of inquiry, the chemical evolution of the atmosphere has a long and distinguished history. However, few tools have been available until recently that yield more than qualitative answers to questions regarding changes in the partial pressure of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere during the course of earth history. The study of paleosols (ancient soils) now promises to yield semiquantitative answers to these questions. The composition of soils today reflects not only the composition of the present-day atmosphere, but also the intense chemical effects of the biosphere. The CO2 content of soil air is strongly enhanced by respiration and by the microbial oxidation of organic matter in soils. In soils which are poorly drained, the O2 content of soil air is significantly depleted by the same processes. Before the advent of higher land plants the effects of the biosphere must have been much weaker and may have been negligible compared to the effects of inorganic processes. For this reason the chemistry of paleosols is potentially useful for reconstructing the pre-mid-Ordovician evolution of the atmosphere (Holland, 1984, Chapter 7).
Antecedents of perinatal cerebral white matter damage with and without intraventricular hemorrhage in very preterm newborns

BACKGROUND: Isolated periventricular leukomalacia, defined as periventricular leukomalacia unaccompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage, is reportedly increased in newborns with systemic hypotension and in infants who received treatment for systemic hypotension or a patent ductus arteriosus. METHODS: This study sought to determine if the risk profile of one or more hypoechoic lesions unaccompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage, our surrogate for isolated periventricular leukomalacia, differs from that of one or more hypoechoic lesions preceded or accompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage. We compared extremely preterm infants (i.e., gestation 23-27 weeks) with each of these entities to 885 extremely preterm infants who had neither an isolated hypoechoic lesion nor a hypoechoic lesion preceded or accompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage. RESULTS: The risk of a hypoechoic lesion with intraventricular hemorrhage (N ¼ 61) was associated with gestation <25 weeks, high Score for Acute Neonatal Physiology, early recurrent or prolonged acidemia, analgesic exposure, and mechanical ventilation 1 week after birth. CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multicenter sample of extremely low gestational age newborns, the risk profile of a hypoechoic lesion unaccompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage differed from that of a hypoechoic lesion with intraventricular hemorrhage. This suggests that hypoechoic lesions accompanied or preceded by intraventricular hemorrhage (our surrogate for periventricular hemorrhagic infarction) may have a different causal pathway than hypoechoic lesions without intraventricular hemorrhage, our surrogate for periventricular leukomalacia.
Proposed revision to the radiation dosimetry of 82Rb.

Three models for the biodistribution and dosimetry of 82 Rb-chloride were reviewed and a proposal is made for the best dosimetry for this agent to be adopted. Data from three proposed biokinetic models for 82 Rb-chloride were used to calculate dose estimates for the compound, and the results were compared. The blood content-based model was found to produce dose estimates that were considered to be overly conservative, and a blood flow-based model, which showed good agreement with available measured data, was considered to be more reasonable. A new set of dose estimates for 82 Rb-chloride, based on the blood flow-based kinetic model are suggested for general use. Health Phys. 99(6):811-813; 2010
Modern breast cancer detection: a technological review

Breast cancer is a serious threat worldwide and is the number two killer of women in the United States. The key to successful management is screening and early detection. What follows is a description of the state of the art in screening and detection for breast cancer as well as a discussion of new and emerging technologies. This paper aims to serve as a starting point for those who are not acquainted with this growing field.
Predicting the Outcome of Infectious Diseases: Variability among Inbred Mice as a New and Powerful Tool for Biomarker Discovery

Individuals respond differently to infectious diseases. Even among inbred mice that are presumed to be genetically identical, the response to a microbial pathogen is variable, which is generally thought to reflect experimental inconsistencies, technical errors, and stochastic processes. Here we describe the remarkable observation that the variability of Helicobacter pylori colonization density in the stomachs of experimentally infected C57BL/6J mice is tightly correlated with weight loss and viral load after a challenge with influenza virus, though H. pylori infection per se does not affect influenza and vice versa. Since these two infectious agents are found in different tissue compartments and are detected using unrelated methods, the correlation in microbial burden must represent a biological measure of disease susceptibility among genetically nearly identical individuals and not technical or stochastic factors. We hypothesize that inbred mice represent a powerful new tool for the identification of biomarkers to predict the outcome of infectious diseases.
Flow Control of Stochastic Manufacturing Systems: A Simulation-based Design Approach using Perturbation Analysis for Second Derivative Estimation

The optimal production control of a flexible manufacturing system subject to random Markov disturbances is considered. The resulting optimality conditions, which are expressed as a system of stochastic partial differential equations, are analytically unsolvable for non-trivial systems. An alternative, simulation-based, numerical technique has been proposed in [2]. It uses infinitesimal perturbation analysis to estimate first-order sensitivities ties of the parameters of a quadratic approximation to the value function that characterises the optimal policy. Using this gradient estimate, a stochastic optimization alorithm is applied to optimize the parameters. This technique is extended here to generate second-order information of the design parameters to speed up convergence.
Southern Disillusionment with the Democratic Party: Cultural Conformity and “the Great Melding” of Racial and Economic Conservatism in Alabama during World War II

This essay explores growing disillusionment with the national Democratic Party in the southern United States, disillusionment that led to third-party movements such as the Dixiecrats and George Wallacism, and eventually southern allegiance to the modern Republican Party. The essay focusses on Alabama during the first half of the 1940s, where a “Great Melding” between economic conservatism and racial conservatism came to maturity. The melding resulted in a cross-class and pan-white alliance in a state that had experienced periodic plain-white challenges to business and planter elite dominance. It also resulted in the use by economic conservatives of white supremacy and allied conservative norms on gender, class, religion, and militaristic hyper-patriotism to suppress future working-class insurgency, and set the stage for a more formal southern disassociation from the Democratic Party and eventual conversion to Republicanism.
Functional learning: a new approach to learning in digital circuits

Recently, learning-based techniques, which are extremely effective in finding test vectors for hard to detect faults and in detecting redundancies, have been proposed as an efficient alternative to the traditional branch-and-bound techniques for test generation. This paper presents functional learning, a new OBDD-based learning technique, that uses implication procedures. Functional learning is complete given enough time; it will determine all the uniquely implied values in the circuit from the current situation of value assignments. The most attractive feature of functional learning is its ability to extract, maintain and manipulate novel information regarding the circuit in compact OBDD representations for Boolean functions. >
Eligibility Characteristics of Infants and Toddlers Entering Early Intervention Services in the United States

In the United States, legislation originally enacted in 1986 provided grants to states to build interagency service systems for children from birth to 3 years of age with developmental delays and disabilities. This legislation now renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was intended to facilitate the development of a coordinated comprehensive statewide system of early intervention (EI) services. This legislation allowed states considerable flexibility, resulting in diverse service systems and variability regarding eligibility for services. To meet the need for information about EI services and its participants, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study. Data on a nationally representative sample of children revealed that 62% of children who began EI before 31 months of age were eligible for services because of developmental delay, 22% of them because of a diagnosed condition and 17% because they were at risk for developmental delay. For those entering when older than 24 months, 91% were described as eligible because of developmental delay. Reasons for eligibility based on information from parent descriptions of why their child received services corresponded with reasons for eligibility based on information from providers for the majority of children. Authors provide suggestions for improved services through the use of descriptors of the nature of a child's disability.
Stressors impair odor recognition memory via an olfactory bulb-dependent noradrenergic mechanism.

Non-associative habituation and odor recognition tasks have been widely used to probe questions social recognition, odor memory duration, and odor memory specificity. Among others, these paradigms have provided valuable insight into how neuromodulation, and specifically norepinephrine/noradrenaline (NE) influences odor memory. In general, NE levels are modulated by arousal, stress, and behavioral state, and there is sparse evidence of a direct relationship between NE and odor memory in adult rodents. The present study uses simple mild psychological stressors (bright light and sound), to modulate NE levels physiologically in order to probe its effect on olfactory memory. In rats with bilateral bulbar cannulations, we show that these stressors modulate olfactory memory and that this effect is at least partially mediated by olfactory bulb. Specifically, we show that the presence of stressors during the acquisition of odor memory suppresses memory for an odor when tested 30 minutes after the acquisition. This suppression is blocked by infusing NE antagonists into the olfactory bulb prior to odor acquisition. Additionally, we find that infusion of bulbar NE is sufficient to suppress odor memory in a manner mimicking that of our stressors. These effects are unlikely to be solely mediated by locomotor/exploratory changes produced by stressors, although these stressors influence certain behaviors not directly related to odor investigation. This study provides important information about how behaviorally relevant changes in NE can influence top-down sensory processing and odor memory.
Too Undisciplined to Legislate? Party Unity and Policy-making in Brazil

Discipline and cohesiveness of political parties are essential for legislatures to engage in policy-making. Parties in Brazil have historically been considered ideologically weak and uninvolved in policy issues of national importance. Analyses of roll-call votes, however, have shown that parties can be disciplined government supporters. This paper tests the claim that Brazilian parties have also become programmatic actors in their own right. The paper uses statutory delegation content to test whether voting discipline translates into greater influence on the substance of legislation. The data analysis shows that party unity among parties of the government coalition does not affect statutory content. Opposition parties, by contrast, are more likely to reduce the executive’s discretion when they are more unified. Overall, the support for the hypothesis of programmatic parties is weak, given that executive authorship is the strongest determinant of statutory content.
An Asynchronous Image Subtracting Optically Addressed Spatial Light Modulator

The operation of image-subtraction is useful in optical processing. We report the first asynchronous image-subtracting optically addressed spatial light modulator incorporating a ferroelectric liquid crystal and a color-sensitive a-Si:H p-i-n-i-p photodetector. We present experimental results characterizing the sensitivity of the photodetector current-voltage characteristics to wavelength, and demonstrate image subtraction. Finally, we propose a model that explains the operation of the image-subtracting OASLM.
Abstract 157: Use of a Novel Risk Score in the Emergency Department Discriminates Acute Coronary Syndrome Among Chest Pain Patients with Known Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD) presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with chest pain thought to be of ischemic origin are often admitted to the hospital, yet less than half are eventually diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We assessed whether the use of a novel risk score in the ED could discriminate which of these high-risk patients actually do or do not have ACS. Methods and Results: Chart review was performed on a prospectively defined cohort of 142 patients with known CAD presenting to the ED with chest pain thought to be of ischemic origin, all of whom were admitted to the hospital from December 2012 to April 2013. Known CAD was defined as history of myocardial infarction, PCI, CABG, angiographic coronary stenosis >50%, or a positive stress test. Troponin I was measured using the Beckman Coulter assay. Variables were assessed with logistic regression for their association with ACS as determined by the inpatient attending physician at hospital discharge. The cohort included 59 women (42%) and 90 African American individuals (63%). One-hundred sixteen patients (82%) had a history of revascularization (104 PCI, 53 CABG, 41 both). ACS was eventually diagnosed in 43 (30%) of the patients. Non-ACS patients had a 2.8 day average length of stay and $9,908 average inpatient (post-ED) hospital charges (not including physician fees), which is $980,926 for the 99 (70%) non-ACS patients. A novel risk score, including (1) elevated troponin I (>0.05 ng/mL) in the ED, (2) dynamic ECG changes in the ED, (3) body mass index (BMI), (4) home aspirin use, (5) age older than 65, (6) history of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and (7) associated illness at presentation to the ED (anemia, arrhythmia, hypertension, infection, COPD exacerbation, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state), discriminated ACS and non-ACS with an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.829. In the multi-variable regression, troponin I elevation was the most predictive of ACS (OR 7.22, p <0.001), followed by home aspirin use (OR 6.07, p 0.036), age older than 65 (OR 4.06, p 0.012), dynamic ECG changes (OR 2.68, p 0.046), and BMI (OR 1.09, p 0.008). The presence of an associated illness was associated with decreased likelihood of ACS (OR 0.24, p 0.013), as was CKD (OR 0.17, p 0.008). Conclusions: A novel risk score including elevated troponin I in the ED, dynamic ECG changes in the ED, body mass index, home aspirin use, age older than 65, history of chronic kidney disease, and associated illness at presentation to the ED, is a valuable tool for discriminating between ACS and non-ACS among patients with known CAD presenting to the ED with chest pain. This preliminary analysis provides a foundation for larger and prospective studies for validation. Application of this risk score, along with other clinical factors, may reduce the number of potentially avoidable admissions and associated costs.
Absence of volume regulatory mechanisms contributes to the rapid activation of apoptosis in thymocytes

A common event that occurs during apoptosis is a loss of cell volume, but little information is available on its role in the cell death process. Lymphocytes undergo apoptosis in response to glucocorticoids and exhibit cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and apoptotic body formation. Interestingly, only cells that exhibit a loss in cell volume degrade their DNA. To determine if physical shrinkage was sufficient to initiate apoptosis, S49 Neo lymphocytes were cultured in hypertonic medium. The normal osmolarity (approximately 300 mosM) of tissue culture medium was increased to either 550 or 800 mosM, using impermeant sugars such as mannitol and sucrose or NaCl. These hypertonic conditions led to a rapid killing of S49 Neo cells. Evaluation of the mode of cell death revealed that these hypertonic conditions resulted in apoptosis. Unlike glucocorticoid-induced cell death, hypertonically induced apoptosis did not require protein synthesis. When S49 Neo cells were cultured under hypotonic conditions, the cells swelled but apoptosis did not occur. Analysis of several cell types revealed that all lymphoid cells examined (S49 Neo, CEM-C7, primary thymocytes) undergo apoptosis in response to hypertonic conditions, whereas several other cell types (L cells, COS, HeLa, GH3) did not. Although these nonlymphoid cells showed a similar initial reduction in cell volume in response to hypertonic conditions, they subsequently maintained volume or regulated back to a near normal cell volume. These data indicate that thymic lymphoid cells have the machinery in place for rapid induction of apoptosis in response to physical shrinkage, whereas other cell types resist shrinkage-induced apoptosis by the activation of cell volume regulatory mechanisms.
Combined inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor and JAK/STAT pathways results in greater growth inhibition in vitro than single agent therapy

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition with small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors results in antitumor activity in only a minority of patients whose tumors express EGFR. One hypothesis to explain this suboptimal clinical activity is that multiple growth regulatory pathways are abnormal in most EGFR-expressing cancers. Given the importance of Stat-3 signaling pathway in epidermoid tumors, we hypothesized that blocking complementary pathways in an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-driven model of proliferation in the A431 cell line would demonstrate improved antiproliferative activity. Exposure of A431 cells to the EGF results in a significant increase in EGFR and Stat-3 phosphorylation. However, inhibition of EGFR by AG1478 fails to decrease EGF-induced Stat-3 phosphorylation. This suggests that EGF continues to drive Stat-3 phosphorylation through other receptors. Our study suggests that residual ErbB2 activation by EGF, despite EGFR blockade, is responsible for persistent downstream activation of Stat-3. In this setting, combined exposure to an EGFR blocker and Stat-3 blocker (AG490) results in significantly greater tumor growth inhibition than either agent alone. We conclude that targeting multiple pathways (EGFR and JAK/STAT pathways) in EGF-driven tumors may result in greater antiproliferative activity than blocking EGFR alone.
Measure of empathy change in pharmacy students through a behaviour change assignment

Background: Current standards for pharmacy education include developing skills in empathy as a part of curriculum. Aims: The primary purpose of this research was to assess whether a behaviour change assignment resulted in increased empathy in pharmacy students as evaluated by a validated empathy scoring system. Methods: Pharmacy students completed a pre-assessment utilising the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale. Students were then given a behaviour change assignment where each student chose a personal behaviour to change for a ten days followed by a post-assessment utilising the same tool. Results: Pharmacy students achieved a statistically significant improvement in empathy score after completing the behaviour change assignment ( p <0.011) with a response rate of 81.3%. Age, gender, campus, or nature of the behaviour change did not predict results. Conclusions: A behaviour change assignment that utilised minimal classroom time and resources without relation to a specific disease state resulted in increased empathy in pharmacy students.
Classical Political Economy

Classical Political Economy is characterized by the systemic study of economic forces. Primarily concerned with the dynamics of economic growth, the classical economists sought to explain how and why wealth is created and destroyed. Their study found the role of institutions central in answering this question and as a result, stressed the importance of laissez-faire, free trade, and free competition. This entry reviews the history and basic elements of classical liberty political economy, some of the criticisms that have been raised, and the impact of classical political economy on economic policy.
An Experimental Study on Mechanics Pattern of Bed Disease in Railway Tunnel

In view of the severe situation about the bed disease in the existed railway tunnel, the model experimental method is used to study the problem. Fatigue tests were performed on the different tunnel bed modes in order to know the emerge time and the expansion condition of fatigue cracks and the service life of them. And the compressive stress and bending stress on the tunnel bed were also tested. The experimental results show that the tunnel bed is destroyed by bending stress when the compressive stress acting on tunnel bed is less than 0.2 MPa and the bending stress in it is generally larger than 0.8 MPa under the axial load of locomotive, the tunnel bed is destroyed because the bending stress is circularly acted on and it is large. A conclusion also can be drawn that the tunnel bed construction can be optimized if it is made of 20 cm-thick reinforced concrete. Based on the experimental results, the mechanics pattern of tunnel bed construction is analyzed at the end.
423 UTERINE CANCER IN PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER—DO THESE PATIENTS ALWAYS BLEED?

Purpose To determine the initial presenting signs of uterine cancer in patients with a history of breast cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing surgery for uterine cancer at our institution from January 1998 through June 2004. Clinical and patient information, initial presenting sign, FIGO stage and histologic type were extracted from the medical records. Comparisons were done using Fisher9s exact and trend tests. Results 838 patients with a history of uterine cancer were identified. 106 (12.6%) had a history of breast cancer (Group A) and 732 (83.4%) did not (Group B). The majority of patients presented with post-menopausal bleeding or abnormal vaginal bleeding (PMB/AVB) (Group A: 75%, Group B: 85%). Patients in Group A were less likely to present with PMB/AVB compared to those in Group B (p=0.02). Unusual signs of uterine cancer in Group A were an abnormal pap smear (6), abnormal ultrasound (13), or abnormal clinical finding other than bleeding (7). The distribution of histology and stage of uterine cancers were similar in both groups. Conclusion PMB/AVB is the most common presenting sign of uterine cancer. However, patients with a history of breast cancer may present with other less common findings more frequently than expected. Physicians caring for patients with a history of breast cancer should be aware of other presentations of uterine cancer and stress the importance of a complete annual gynecologic evaluation including a full history, pap smear and pelvic examination.
The Role of the States in the Regulation of Private Placements

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act), signed into law by President Obama on April 5, 2012, after passage by Congress with bipartisan support, was ostensibly designed to promote job creation by eliminating perceived securities regulatory impediments to capital formation by small businesses. Congress, in Title II of the JOBS Act, concluded that what the country needed was a fundamental change in the regulatory structure of its primary capital market and decided, as a matter of public policy aimed at promoting capital formation and creating jobs, to eliminate the ban on general solicitation in the conduct of private placements. This article generally addresses the impact of Title II of the JOBS Act on state regulatory authorities as the SEC’s partners in our country’s dual regulatory system and provides a foundation for this analysis by describing the regulatory context in which the role of the states in protecting retail investors has been generally restricted through preemptive strikes at the authority of the states to regulate private offerings in their respective communities. Furthermore, this article explores the enhancement of the newly expanded Rule 506 exemptions through monitoring and enforcing the rule’s accompanying regulatory restrictions, the implementation of electronic one stop filing systems of Form D notices under Regulation D and recommends that NASAA develop a bad actor database (BAD) that is tailored to the data points set forth in the SEC’s recently promulgated bad actor rule disqualifying issuers from using the Rule 506 exemption where the issuer and associated persons have adverse regulatory histories. This article concludes that, in the new world of generally solicited private placements, the proposed enhancements of state enforcement strategies will contribute significantly to the states’ mission of protecting local investors before their losses are incurred.
SU-F-T-262: Commissioning Varian Portal Dosimetry for EPID-Based Patient Specific QA in a Non-Aria Environment.

Purpose: Development of an in-house program facilitates a workflow that allows Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) patient specific quality assurance (QA) measurements to be acquired and analyzed in the Portal Dosimetry Application (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) using a non-Aria Record and Verify (R&V) system (MOSAIQ, Elekta, Crawley, UK) to deliver beams in standard clinical treatment mode. Methods: Initial calibration of an in-house software tool includes characterization of EPID dosimetry parameters by importing DICOM images of varying delivered MUs to determine linear mapping factors in order to convert image pixel values to Varian-defined Calibrated Units (CU). Using this information, the Portal Dose Image Prediction (PDIP) algorithm was commissioned by converting images of various field sizes to output factors using the Eclipse Scripting Application Programming Interface (ESAPI) and converting a delivered configuration fluence to absolute dose units. To verify the algorithm configuration, an integrated image was acquired, exported directly from the R&V client, automatically converted to a compatible, calibrated dosimetric image, and compared to a PDIP calculated image using Varian’s Portal Dosimetry Application. Results: For two C-Series and one TrueBeam Varian linear accelerators, gamma comparisons (global 3% / 3mm) of PDIP algorithm predicted dosimetric images and images converted via the inhouse system demonstrated agreement for ≥99% of all pixels, exceeding vendor-recommended commissioning guidelines. Conclusion: Combinations of a programmatic image conversion tool and ESAPI allow for an efficient and accurate method of patient IMRT QA incorporating a 3rd party R&V system.
Plastic Analysis of Orthotropic Circular Plates

Limit analysis is used to determine the collapse loads and velocity fields of rigid-perfectly plastic, orthotropic circular plates. Anisotropy is described by a modified Tresca yield condition. Various boundary conditions are considered. The results indicate that the influence of the anisotropy varies greatly from case to case. Design charts are constructed and an example is presented for the design of a pressure vessel head.
Reduced-rank filtering on L1-norm subspaces

Recent studies in signal processing have unveiled the remarkable outlier-resistance properties of Linorm subspaces, calculated by means of L1-norm principal component analysis (L1-PCA). In this work, we present for the first time reduced-rank interference-suppressive filtering on L1-norm subspaces of the received signal vectors. Our simulation studies illustrate that the proposed filtering framework allows for successful suppression of coherent interference while, at the same time, it offers sturdy protection against outliers that appear among the training samples.