cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of cellular chemotaxis with ECIS/Taxis.

Cellular movement in response to external stimuli is fundamental to many cellular processes including wound healing, inflammation and the response to infection. A common method to measure chemotaxis is the Boyden chamber assay, in which cells and chemoattractant are separated by a porous membrane. As cells migrate through the membrane toward the chemoattractant, they adhere to the underside of the membrane, or fall into the underlying media, and are subsequently stained and visually counted 1. In this method, cells are exposed to a steep and transient chemoattractant gradient, which is thought to be a poor representation of gradients found in tissues 2. Another assay system, the under-agarose chemotaxis assay, 3, 4 measures cell movement across a solid substrate in a thin aqueous film that forms under the agarose layer. The gradient that develops in the agarose is shallow and is thought to be an appropriate representation of naturally occurring gradients. Chemotaxis can be evaluated by microscopic imaging of the distance traveled. Both the Boyden chamber assay and the under-agarose assay are usually configured as endpoint assays. The automated ECIS/Taxis system combines the under-agarose approach with Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) 5, 6. In this assay, target electrodes are located in each of 8 chambers. A large counter-electrode runs through each of the 8 chambers (Figure 2). Each chamber is filled with agarose and two small wells are the cut in the agarose on either side of the target electrode. One well is filled with the test cell population, while the other holds the sources of diffusing chemoattractant (Figure 3). Current passed through the system can be used to determine the change in resistance that occurs as cells pass over the target electrode. Cells on the target electrode increase the resistance of the system 6. In addition, rapid fluctuations in the resistance represent changes in the interactions of cells with the electrode surface and are indicative of ongoing cellular shape changes. The ECIS/Taxis system can measure movement of the cell population in real-time over extended periods of time, but is also sensitive enough to detect the arrival of a single cell at the target electrode. Dictyostelium discoidium is known to migrate in the presence of a folate gradient 7, 8 and its chemotactic response can be accurately measured by ECIS/Taxis 9. Leukocyte chemotaxis, in response to SDF1α and to chemotaxis antagonists has also been measured with ECIS/Taxis 10, 11. An example of the leukocyte response to SDF1α is shown in Figure 1.
Optical spectroscopy of Cu+-doped β-aluminas

Abstract Cu + -doped β-aluminas were prepared by ion exchange of single crystals of Na + -β-alumina. The emission spectrum of these crystals under UV excitation is complex and depends upon the nature and identity of other cations in the β-alumina conduction plane. In the Na + isomorph, emission is from isolated Cu + ions in aBR sites (at 435 nm), and from Cu + -Cu + dimers resulting from Cu + ions occupying adjacent BR and ABr sites. The dimer emission is assigned on the basis of homoatomic d 10 ion interactions. When the Na + ions in the crystal are replaced by other cations (K + , Ag + , or Ca 2+ ), changes in the emission spectrum result. These changes are the result of altered ion interactions and site occupancies in the β-alumina conduction plane. The most notable of these is the formation of Cu + -Ag + ion pairs via a mechanism causes the Cu + -Cu + dimers. The congruent melting nature of the β-alumina host allows the growth of large, high-optical quality single crystals of these materials, suggesting a potential for application as solid-state tunable laser materials.
Thermoluminescence and microwave induced thermoluminescence fading of rare-earth-doped barium titanate ceramics

Abstract The effect of microwave exposure on thermoluminescence (TL) of rare-earth-Uoped BaTiO3 ceramic phosphors was investigated as a method for microwave dosimetry. Following exposure to 60Co gamma radiation, phosphors exhibited a TL glow curve with two peaks. The low temperature glow peak faded rapidly, but the high temperature glow peak was relatively stable with more than 50% of the initial response remaining after 48 h. The phosphors were linear in TL response over an exposure range of 103 to 105 R. Within-batch variation in TL response was insignificant for all phosphors except BaTiO3 :Ce. Readouts from three batches of BaTiO3) :Dy showed reproducible glow curve structure but significant differences in glow curve area. All phosphors except BaTiO3, :Nd showed statistically significant TL fading following exposure to 100 mW/cm2 or more of microwaves. Fading increased with increasing microwave power density. Results of these studies show that rare-earth-doped BaTiO3 ceramics can potentially be utiliz...
Invertible Toeplitz Products

We will discuss invertibility of Toeplitz products TfTg, for analytic f and g, on the Bergman space and the Hardy space. We will furthermore describe when these Toeplitz products are Fredholm.
Non-standard numerical methods applied to subsurface biobarrier formation models in porous media.

Abstract Biofilm forming microbes have complex effects on the flow properties of natural porous media. Subsurface biofilms have the potential for the formation of biobarriers to inhibit contaminant migration in groundwater. Another example of beneficial microbial effects is the biotransformation of organic contaminants to less harmful forms, thereby providing an in situ method for treatment of contaminated groundwater supplies. Mathematical models that describe contaminant transport with biodegradation involve a set of coupled convection–dispersion equations with non-linear reactions. The reactive solute transport equation is one for which numerical solution procedures continue to exhibit significant limitations for certain problems of groundwater hydrology interest. Accurate numerical simulations are crucial to the development of contaminant remediation strategies. A new numerical method is developed for simulation of reactive bacterial transport in porous media. The non-standard numerical approach is based on the ideas of the ‘exact’ time-stepping scheme. It leads to solutions free from the numerical instabilities that arise from incorrect modeling of derivatives and reaction terms. Applications to different biofilm models are examined and numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed new method.
The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS): Risk assessment and real-time toxicovigilance across United States poison centers

The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) is a uniform data set of US poison centers cases. Categories of information include the patient, the caller, the exposure, the substance(s), clinical toxicity, treatment, and medical outcome. The TESS database was initiated in 1985, and provides a baseline of more than 36.2 million cases through 2003. The database has been utilized for a number of safety evaluations. Consideration of the strengths and limitations of TESS data must be incorporated into data interpretation. Real-time toxicovigilance was initiated in 2003 with continuous uploading of new cases from all poison centers to a central database. Real-time toxicovigilance utilizing general and specific approaches is systematically run against TESS, further increasing the potential utility of poison center experiences as a means of early identification of potential public health threats.
Decline in mutation frequency in temperature-sensitive SV40 viruses before viral DNA synthesis.

Abstract Lesions that promote reversion from a temperature-sensitive to a wild-type phenotype were induced in temperature-sensitive late mutants of SV40 virus by UV irradiation. When cultures infected with UV-irradiated temperature-sensitive mutants were grown for various times at permissive temperature (32°C) and then at restrictive temperature (39°C), the reversion frequency declined just before the onset of semiconservative DNA synthesis when DNA synthesis began at 32°C. This decline can be explained by competition between reactions that lead to the onset of viral DNA synthesis and reactions that repair the lesions before the onset of viral DNA synthesis.
Modeling the syn disposition of nitrogen donors at the active sites of carboxylate-bridged diiron enzymes. Enforcing dinuclearity and kinetic stability with a 1,2-diethynylbenzene-based ligand.

The syn coordination of histidine residues at the active sites of several carboxylate-rich non-heme diiron enzymes has been difficult to reproduce with small molecule model compounds. In this study, ligands derived from 1,8-naphthyridine, phthalazine, and 1,2-diethynylbenzene were employed to mimic this geometric feature. The preassembled diiron(II) complex [Fe2(μ-O2CArTol)2(O2CArTol)2(THF)2] (1), where ArTolCO2- is the sterically hindered carboxylate 2,6-di(p-tolyl)benzoate, served as a convenient starting material for the preparation of iron(II) complexes, all of which were crystallographically characterized. Use of the ligand 2,7-dimethyl-1,8-naphthyridine (Me2-napy) afforded the mononuclear complex [Fe(O2CArTol)2(Me2-napy)] (2), whereas dinuclear [Fe2(μ-DMP)(μ-O2CArTol)2(O2CArTol)2(THF)] (3) resulted when 1,4-dimethylphthalazine (DMP) was employed. The dinuclear core of compound 3 is kinetically labile, as evidenced by the formation of [Fe(O2CArTol)2(vpy)2] (4) upon addition of 2-vinylpyridine (vpy). ...
Computer-Aided Off-Line Planning and Programming of Robot Motion

Off-line planning of tasks and robot motion via the computer- graphics simulation of the robot and its environment is dis cussed. The internal structure and the mathematical basis of a generalized computer program developed for this purpose are described. Methods based on truncated trigonometric series for the off-line planning of robot trajectories and methods for the planning of multiple-segment robot motions with minimum cycle times are presented. The dynamic aspects of motion trajectories are discussed in relation to the generation of these time-optimal motions.
The Causes of School Finance Inequalities: Serrano and the Case of California

Based on a model of school district behavior, this paper investigates the determinants of school revenue and expenditure variation using data for California unified school districts The effects of stratifying the statewide sample by district size and by wealth are considered in detail The hypotheses of the model are consistently supported and prove useful in explaining other wise puzzling results Implications for both the Serrano case and legislative reforms are developed
Ruptured Congenital Aneurysms of the Sinuses of Valsalva

Two cases operated upon for ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm are presented and discussed. Operations done previously for this condition are noted. Aspects of the deformity that are pertinent to its recognition and treatment are briefly reviewed.
Cognitive functioning, cortisol release, and symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract Background: There is substantial evidence of dysregulation of cortisol secretion, hippocampal abnormalities, and memory deficits in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Research also suggests that cortisol secretion augments dopaminergic activity, which may result in increased symptom expression in this clinical population. Methods: We examined the relations among cortisol release, cognitive performance, and psychotic symptomatology. Subjects were 18 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, seven with a nonpsychotic psychiatric disorder, and 15 normal control subjects. Tests of memory and executive function were administered. Cortisol was assayed from multiple saliva samples. Results: Findings indicated the following: 1) patients with psychotic disorders scored below the comparison groups on the cognitive measures; 2) for the entire sample, cortisol levels were inversely correlated with performance on memory and frontal tasks; and 3) among patients, cortisol levels were positively correlated with ratings of positive, disorganized, and overall symptom severity, but not with negative symptoms. Conclusions: The present results suggest that abnormalities in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and hippocampal systems play a role in observed cognitive deficits across populations. Among psychotic patients, elevated cortisol secretion is linked with greater symptom severity.
Patterns of world weather changes

Statistical studies of the irregular week to week fluctuations of the general circulation pattern of the Northern Hemisphere indicate the reality of large-scale changes and inter-relationships between the branches of the general circulation of the sort which conform to the ideal high and low index patterns as defined by the strength of the zonal westerlies. On the other hand, lag correlations of these indices fail to establish any significant lag relationships between the branches of the general circulation of the sort that might be expected if these large-scale changes are controlled by some internal mechanism of operation. This result is particularly discouraging for the possibility of statistical long-range forecasting. The question is raised as to what extent this failure to detect cause and effect relationships in the major changes of the general circulation pattern may be due to inadequacies in the observational data or in the technique of statistical analysis, or to what extent it may be due to the operation of independent external factors of control, such as irregular solar variability. This possibility of direct solar influence on the short-period irregular changes of the general circulation pattern is further suggested by the marked similarity in pattern of the long-period changes of the general circulation, and the strong evidence which exists for the direct role of irregular solar variability of the sunspot type in these latter changes. Suggestions are offered as to further investigations which might throw additional light on the question as to what extent external (solar) influences may be the primary cause of large-scale changes of the general circulation.
Antihypertensive Effects of Pinacidil in Patients with and Without Indomethacin Pretreatment

To determine the potential role of prostaglandins in mediating the hypotensive action of the new antihypertensive agent pinacidil, we measured the blood pressure, regional blood flow and neurohumoral responses to pinacidil in thirteen hypertensive patients randomly assigned to receive pretreatment with either indomethacin (75 mg) or placebo. After baseline measurements had been obtained, each patient received an oral dose of pinacidil to which he had previously demonstrated a therapeutic response. The doses of pinacidil administered between the two groups did not differ. Serial measurements of blood pressure and heart rate over two hours revealed no attenuation of the hypotensive effect of pinacidil in the indomethacin-pretreated patients (−12.7±4.1 mm Hg) compared to the placebo group (−9.3±3.2 mm Hg). While significant vasodilation was not observed in the forearm, renal vasodilation occurred and was not different between the two groups. Pinacidil had no effect on glomerular filtration rate. Neither did ...
Vertisols and Their Implications for Archeological Research

Vertisols are soils with dynamic characteristics. They are capable of disrupting the stratigraphic sequence and/or cultural context of a site; in addition, these soils are not easily tilled by primitive agricultural methods. They seem to have been a factor in restricting the westward spread of prehistoric village farmers in Texas and thus contributed to the development of the so-called “cultural sink.”
Exploiting elasticity: Modeling the influence of neural control on mechanics and energetics of ankle muscle-tendons during human hopping.

Abstract We present a simplified Hill-type model of the human triceps surae-Achilles tendon complex working on a gravitational–inertial load during cyclic contractions (i.e. vertical hopping). Our goal was to determine the role that neural control plays in governing muscle, or contractile element (CE), and tendon, or series elastic element (SEE), mechanics and energetics within a compliant muscle–tendon unit (MTU). We constructed a 2D parameter space consisting of many combinations of stimulation frequency and magnitude (i.e. neural control strategies). We compared the performance of each control strategy by evaluating peak force and average positive mechanical power output for the system (MTU) and its respective components (CE, SEE), force–length (F–L) and –velocity (F–V) operating point of the CE during active force production, average metabolic rate for the CE, and both MTU and CE apparent efficiency. Our results suggest that frequency of stimulation plays a primary role in governing whole-MTU mechanics. These include the phasing of both activation and peak force relative to minimum MTU length, average positive power, and apparent efficiency. Stimulation amplitude was primarily responsible for governing average metabolic rate and within MTU mechanics, including peak force generation and elastic energy storage and return in the SEE. Frequency and amplitude of stimulation both played integral roles in determining CE F–L operating point, with both higher frequency and amplitude generally corresponding to lower CE strains, reduced injury risk, and elimination of the need for passive force generation in the CE parallel elastic element (PEE).
Transient Leakage Currents in Amorphous Silicon Thin-Film Transistors

In this paper we present both experimental data and computer simulations of the leakage characteristics of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film transistors operated under time transient conditions. The transient behaviour of these devices for realistic operating conditions is often very different from their steady-state characteristics, due to the slow response of deep traps in a-Si. Our model is in good agreement with the data and realistically accounts for the time-dependent behaviour of amorphous silicon with leakage being mainly determined by a combination of fixed charge in the passivation dielectric and a distribution of surface states at the top silicon interface. We show how voltage pulses applied to the gate of a TFT affect its performance as a pixel switch in a two-dimensional array. In particular we concentrate on the effects of light and bias stressing.
Identification of Growth Precursors In Hot Wire CVD of Amorphous Silicon Films

A soft ionization laser-based technique using 10.5 eV photon energy has been used to probe radical growth precursors in the hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HW-CVD) of a-Si:H. Using a Re filament, it is shown that Si, SiH3, and Si2H6are the major silicon-containing species formed from the hot wire dissociation of silane, and SiH2is at most a very minor product. However, chamber history is found to influence the radical species produced; i.e. SiH3 and Si2H6are largely related to the chamber wall and filament conditions. The gas species produced by W and Re filaments at wire temperatures between 1000oC and 2000oC have been studied and compared. Heating the filament to higher temperatures increases the flux of Si, SiH3 and Si2H6 in a similar fashion for both filament materials. Above 1800oC, the Si intensity saturates, while SiH3 and Si2H6show monotonic increase without saturation up to 2000oC.
Apparent dominant transmission of the Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome

The cause of the Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS), a multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation (MCA/MR) syndrome first described in 1963, remains obscure. Recently, a deletion of chromosomal material at 16p13.3 has been found in some patients with the disorder, but no such deletion can be identified in the majority of affected individuals. Although the disorder has been well documented to be concordant in at least 7 monozygotic twin pairs and in one non-twin sib pair, only one clear-cut case of parent-to-child transmission has been reported previously. We present here a mother and daughter, both of whom appear to be affected with RTS, strongly suggesting either autosomal or X-linked dominant transmission. The paucity of previous cases of parent-to-child transmission may be related to either decreased fertility or decreased fitness in affected individuals.
The effect of oxygen reduction on activated carbon electrodes loaded with manganese dioxide catalyst

Abstract The statistical design-of-experiment method was used to identify the significant factors for making a manganese oxide-loaded activated carbon matrix. The carbon matrixes, which were made by reacting KMnO4 with carbon material, were tested as gas-diffusion electrodes for oxygen reduction. Three factors—KMnO4 concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction duration were tested in a two-level full-factorial design-of-experiment. The modification of carbon morphology and its effect on the performance of oxygen reduction are discussed. Temperature, KMnO4 concentration, and the interaction between temperature and reaction time were found to have a significant influence on the catalytic activity of the manganese oxide-loaded carbon electrode.
Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: Progress and Prospects

Development of advanced energy-storage systems for portable devices, electric vehicles, and grid storage must fulfill several requirements: low-cost, long life, acceptable safety, high energy, high power, and environmental benignity. With these requirements, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries promise great potential to be the next-generation high-energy system. However, the practicality of Li-S technology is hindered by technical obstacles, such as short shelf and cycle life and low sulfur content/loading, arising from the shuttling of polysulfide intermediates between the cathode and anode and the poor electronic conductivity of S and the discharge product Li2 S. Much progress has been made during the past five years to circumvent these problems by employing sulfur-carbon or sulfur-polymer composite cathodes, novel cell configurations, and lithium-metal anode stabilization. This Progress Report highlights recent developments with special attention toward innovation in sulfur-encapsulation techniques, development of novel materials, and cell-component design. The scientific understanding and engineering concerns are discussed at the end in every developmental stage. The critical research directions needed and the remaining challenges to be addressed are summarized in the Conclusion.
Amplitude bound interpolation of sonic well-log data

The problem of interpolating and resampling signals known to result from the application of a linear operator to signals whose minimum and maximum values are known is addressed. These limits are physically meaningful in many applications, and modeling the signals with the limits is preferable to modeling with the unrealistic energy bounds that are sometimes used. It is shown that these more realistic bounds (called amplitude bounds) induce estimation techniques and estimates which have different properties than the ones induced by energy bounds. This allows, potentially, more accurate signal processing and more accurate design of signal processing systems, when the signals are well-described by these bounds. The energy-bound estimation techniques and estimates are reviewed. It is shown that amplitude-bound estimation may be implemented with a modified linear programming technique. >
The chemoreceptor superfamily in the honey bee Apis mellifera: Expansion of the odorant, but not gustatory, receptor family

The honey bee genome sequence reveals a remarkable expansion of the insect odorant receptor (Or) family relative to the repertoires of the flies Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae, which have 62 and 79 Ors respectively. A total of 170 Or genes were annotated in the bee, of which seven are pseudogenes. These constitute five bee-specific subfamilies in an insect Or family tree, one of which has expanded to a total of 157 genes encoding proteins with 15%-99% amino acid identity. Most of the Or genes are in tandem arrays, including one with 60 genes. This bee-specific expansion of the Or repertoire presumably underlies their remarkable olfactory abilities, including perception of several pheromone blends, kin recognition signals, and diverse floral odors. The number of Apis mellifera Ors is approximately equal to the number of glomeruli in the bee antennal lobe (160-170), consistent with a general one-receptor/one-neuron/one-glomerulus relationship. The bee genome encodes just 10 gustatory receptors (Grs) compared with the D. melanogaster and A. gambiae repertoires of 68 and 76 Grs, respectively. A lack of Gr gene family expansion primarily accounts for this difference. A nurturing hive environment and a mutualistic relationship with plants may explain the lack of Gr family expansion. The Or family is the most dramatic example of gene family expansion in the bee genome, and characterizing their caste- and sex-specific gene expression may provide clues to their specific roles in detection of pheromone, kin, and floral odors.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Crystalline TATB

We are performing constant-NPT Monte Carlo calculations of the physical properties of crystalline TATB. Our approach is to employ an atomistic model in which the individual molecules are treated as semi-rigid entities. Each molecule is allowed to undergo rigid translations and rotations, and in some cases limited intramolecular flexibility is conferred on the molecules via exocyclic torsions. Additionally, the size and shape of the simulation box is allowed to vary. Our immediate interest is in computing the density, lattice energy, lattice constants, and other structural parameters as a function of temperature. Preliminary results indicate that simulations involving only two molecules suffice for calculations of the energy and density, but that more molecules are required to compute the lattice constants. Intramolecular flexibility is important, particularly at higher temperatures.
Videography in marketing and consumer research

Purpose – Marketing and consumer researchers have only recently been able to put videographic methods into their data collection and research representation toolkits. This paper provides an overview of these methods and offers some guidelines for their use.Design/methodology/approach – We offer an overview of videographic methods that illustrates the considerable choice and diversity offered to budding videographers. With examples from different kinds of marketing and consumer research, from academia as well as marketing research practice, we survey, critique, and make recommendations about some of the best ways to use this method. We also promote current and existing venues for distributing videographic work.Findings – We find videographic methods full of promise and in the early introduction growth stage in marketing and consumer research. Combined with decreases in the cost and availability of digital recording media, videography is ready for prime time.Originality/value – Much observational data have ...
Relationship of dieting history to resting metabolic rate, body composition, eating behavior, and subsequent weight loss

(� = 4.9 ± 0.5), as well as the total weight loss resulting from these diets (1 = 55.9 ± 6.0 kg). We found no evidence that weight cycling, as measured by either ofthese variables, was associated at baseline with a reduced resting metabolic rate or an increased percentage of body fat. Nor did we find that weight cycling was associated with smaller weight losses in a prospective trial in which subjects were treated by very-low-calorie diet and behavior therapy. The clinical implications ofthese findings are discussed, as are the methodological problems encountered in conducting research on this topic. Am J C/in Nutr l992;56:203S-8S.
Radiographic Findings and Etiologic Diagnosis in Ambulatory Childhood Pneumonias

The chest roentgenograms of 128 consecutive ambulatory children with radiologic pneumonia were read independently and without clinical information by a faculty general pediatrician (Ped), a pediatric radiologist (R-P) and a general radiologist (R-G). The films were classified as normal, indicative of a viral or bacterial process, or indeterminate. Readings were compared with results of viral titers and bacterial cultures. Agreement between any two observers in classifying films, measured by unweighted Kappa, while statistically significant (p less than 0.001) for any pair, was low. There was no significant difference between the agreement scores of Ped/R-P, Ped/R-G, and R-P/R-G. Twenty-one patients had fourfold viral titer increases (N = 16) or positive bacterial cultures of blood or pulmonary aspirate (N = 5). The sensitivity of viral readings for titers increases varied from 19% to 68% depending on observer type; the sensitivity of bacterial readings for positive bacterial cultures varied from 60% to 80%. The three observers agreed on a correct reading in only three children with viral and three with bacterial pneumonia. Because of poor observer agreement and appreciable false-negative errors when viral and bacterial readings were compared to titer increases and positive bacterial cultures, respectively, we conclude that radiographic findings are poor indicators of etiology diagnosis in ambulatory childhood pneumonias and, of themselves, are an insufficient data base for making therapeutic decisions.
Description of a GNSS availability model and its use in developing requirements

This paper discusses the use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Air Traffic Operations Model (GATOM) to assess GNSS availability. Many models estimate average availability. In addition to the average value, the GATOM output also includes the little-studied temporal and spatial characteristics of GNSS availability. These characteristics must be understood so that operationally meaningful availability requirements can be defined, and augmentations to GNSS developed to allow the overall system to meet these requirements. GATOM is a comprehensive, Markov process model that calculates a variety of statistical measures of the required services at locations specified by the user; the primary GNSS services modeled at present are navigation and the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) detection and isolation functions. The current version of the model is briefly described, and then the results are presented of an analysis conducted with the model regarding availability during Category I and nonprecision approaches. The analysis addresses Global Positioning System (GPS) constellations of 24 to 32 satellites, and augmentation with baro-altimeter and geostationary satellites. >
Hepatitis C Genotypes: Current Trends and Future Implications

Objective To review the geographic distribution and current understanding of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in regard to liver disease activity and response to treatment. Material and Methods We review the relevant medical literature and discuss our recent findings relative to chronic HCV infection and the importance of HCV genotypes. Results HCV genotypes 1a and 1b are the most commonly found genotypes in patients with chronic HCV in the United States. Infection with HCV genotype 1b may be associated with more severe liver disease and may have a higher risk for the development hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV genotype 2b seemed to be the most sensitive and HCV genotype 1b was the least sensitive to interferon therapy. Conclusion The identification of the infectious HCV genotype may be beneficial in clinical settings and may assist in the selection of patients who would benefit from interferon treatment.
Implementing global virtual teams to enhance cross-border transfer of knowledge in multinational enterprises: a resource-based view

Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) face major impediments to transferring firm-specific advantages given their relatively low capacity to absorb knowledge from internationally dispersed units. In a world where workers' expertise is increasingly internationally distributed, global virtual teams hold the promise of enabling geographically, temporarily and functionally dispersed groups to overcome distance and time barriers with the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). This study offers a theoretical framework that explains the potential benefits of global virtual teams to MNEs by explicitly examining the effects of technology, demographic dissimilarity and absorptive capacity on the cross-border transfer of knowledge in MNEs. It also presents a set of propositions distilled from empirical evidence and theoretical considerations to guide future research in this area.
Determination of the ground- and excited-state dipole moments of bromocresol purple in protic and aprotic solvents

Although it has been widely recognized that hydrogen bonds play a significant role in the photophysics of molecules, this phenomenon has rarely been applied to the solvatochromic method for determination of dipole moments. The difference in the dipole moment between the ground and excited state was determined in protic and aprotic solvents using both the Lippert-Mataga equation and the Bilot-Kawski equation for bromocresol purple, a molecule capable of hydrogen-bond donation and acceptance. The dipole change in protic environments was determined to be 15.2 ± 1.0 D for the Lippert-Mataga method and 9.2 ± 1.0 D for the Bilot-Kawski method, while the change in aprotic environments was 10.4 ± 1.0 D and 6.7 ± 1.0 D, respectively. Both methods highlighted the importance of hydrogen bonding in stabilizing increased charge-separation of the excited state, allowing for larger changes in dipole moments in protic environments. This study further validates a simple, rational modification to the commonly used methods that allows access to dipole-moment data on dyes with hydrogen-bonding capabilities through solvatochromic experiments.
Phase II study of combination cisplatin, docetaxel and erlotinib in patients with metastatic/recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

5521 Background: Interrupting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway has shown promise in a variety of cancers and preclinical data has demonstrated possible synergy with pla...
An Empirical Assessment of Contemporary Online Media in Ad-Hoc Corpus Creation for Social Events

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become favorite portals for users to discuss and express opinions. Research shows that topical discussions around events tend to evolve socially on microblogs. However, sources like Twitter have no explicit discussion thread which will link semantically similar posts. Moreover, the discussion may be evolving in multiple different threads (like Facebook). Researchers have proposed the use of online contemporary documents to act as external corpus to connect pairs of contextually related semantic topics. This motivates the question: given a significant social event, what is a good choice of external corpus to identify evolution of discussion topics around the event’s context? In this work, we compare the effectiveness of contemporary blog posts, online news media and forum discussions in creating adhoc external corpus. Using social propensity of evolution of topical discussions on Twitter to assess the goodness of the creation, we find online news media as most effective. We evaluate on three large reallife Twitter datasets to affirm our findings.
Money in Judicial Politics: Individual Contributions and Collective Decisions

We study how campaign contributions affect the voting strategies and effectiveness of justices in the Supreme Court of eight US states. A judge's voting strategy leans more heavily towards an interest group the larger are its contributions to the judge, and the smaller are its contributions to other members of the court. This indirect effect is consistent with an equilibrium adjustment to contributions to other members of the court. Observed contributions have a large effect on the behavior of individual judges - affecting both the probability that they vote to overturn a decision of the lower court and the probability that they support an incorrect decision - but they have a small effect on the decisions and effectiveness of the Court.
Second and Foreign Language Assessment

This article summarizes some of the main issues, concerns, and debates that have ensued over the years in the field of L2 assessment and shows how past concerns have shaped contemporary L2 assessment research and practice. The article first describes what L2 assessment is and what it entails, arguing that notions of L2 assessment have been broadened over the years to keep pace with contemporary interpretations of how information from assessments in large-scale or classroom contexts is used to make decisions. It then describes in some detail four approaches to construct definition, showing how these approaches have influenced what gets assessed. Finally, the paper discusses a range of other topics of current and future importance for L2 assessment theory, research, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
An accessible approach to preparing water-soluble Mn2+-doped (CdSSe)ZnS (core)shell nanocrystals for ratiometric temperature sensing.

A new synthetic scheme allowing structural modifications to temperature-sensitive and water-soluble d-penicillamine-passivated Mn2+-doped (CdSSe)ZnS (core)shell nanocrystals (MnQDs) was reported using air-stable chemicals. The temperature-dependent optical properties of the nanocrystals were tuned by changing their structure and composition—the ZnS shell thickness and the Mn2+-dopant concentration. Thick ZnS shells significantly reduce the interference of nonradiative transitions on ratiometric emission intensities. High-dopant concentration affords consistent temperature sensitivity. In addition to the new base structure for quantum dot ratiometric temperature sensing via flexible, glovebox-free routes, the results also underscore the generalizability of the emission intensity ratio scheme for temperature sensing, originally proposed for rare-earth-doped materials.
The Biology of Geocoris bullatus Inhabiting Orchard Floors and Its Impact on Myzus persicae on Peaches

Autumn populations of the omnivorous predator Geocoris bullatus (Say) were as high as 25 per square foot on the floor of a peach orchard in some years. This tremendous buildup was associated with the dropping of the arboreal forms of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), from the peach trees where infested leaves fell to the ground and produced a spatial and temporal synchronization of the 2 species. When applications of insecticide and cloth barriers were used to obtain nearly predatorfree plots, the seasonal average number of aphids returning to each tree was 18,169 in treated plots and 7,595 in untreated plots. The minimal temperature threshold for Geocoris activity was calculated to be about 15°C in October, but as the temperature dropped in November, Geocoris appeared to acclimatize so the threshold was reduced to 10°C by late November.
Abstract 4932: Role of ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 in regulation of head and neck and lung cancer undergoing invasion.

Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) is a key enzyme in DNA replication which can serve as a potential therapeutic target. RRM2 is also thought to modulate cellular invasiveness but the mechanisms through which RRM2 affects the invasive phenotype have not been elucidated. In this study, we report a mechanism linking RRM2 to invasion which provides a vital clue for the development of novel therapeutics. Since RRM2 is a known prognostic factor and an indicator of poor patient outcome in several cancers, we investigated the correlation between RRM2 and metastasis in tumor tissues from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. We utilized both quantum dot (QD)-immunofluorescence and conventional immunohistochemistry techniques to stain RRM2 proteins in metastatic (n = 20) and non-metastatic (n = 20) HNSCC tissue samples. In addition, we validated the clinical findings in an in vitro system and explored the underlying mechanism in invasion. The function of RRM2 in cell invasion was examined in different HNSCC cell lines (Tu212, Tu686, 37A, M4e, 886LN) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (A549, H460 and H1299). siRNA was applied to knockdown the RRM2 protein while pcDNA3/RRM2 plasmid was used to establish RRM2 overexpressing cell lines. Cell invasion was examined by Boyden chamber invasion assay. Molecular signaling analysis was performed by Western blotting. Our results showed that RRM2 had a significant positive correlation with metastasis in HNSCC tumor tissues (p value Citation Format: Mohammad Aminur Rahman, A.R.M. R. Amin, Sreenivas Nannapaneni, Zhongliang Hu, Hyunseok Kang, Zhuo (Georgia) Chen, Dong M. Shin. Role of ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 in regulation of head and neck and lung cancer undergoing invasion. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4932. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4932
Attitudes to schism at the council of Nicaea

The council of Nicaea in AD 325 had to deal with disciplinary matters related to three schisms or heresies in addition to Arianism. The persons involved were the clergy among the followers of Meletius, Novatian, and Paul of Samosata. The interpretation given in the standard history of the councils by Hefele and Leclercq is that the fathers at Nicaea did not require a new ordination of Novatian and Meletian clergymen who returned to the catholic Church. Their previous ordinations were valid but irregular. When this irregularity was corrected, the persons involved could then function in the clergy of the great Church. Later theory about the indelibility of ordination appears to have influenced unduly this interpretation.
Control of Pink Bollworm Moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) with Insecticides and Pheromones (Attracticide): Lethal and Sublethal Effects

Effectiveness of combinations of insecticides with pheromones (attracticides) for control of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) may depend on, among other factors, males freely contacting attracticide sources, insecticide-induced mortality, and sublethal interference with the mate-locating sequence in poisoned males. In flight-tunnel tests, males readily contacted pheromone sources containing permethrin, fenvalerate, or cypermethrin and suffered significant mortality. Moreover, after 24 h survivors were lesslikely to complete the normal behavioral sequence involved in sex pheromone-mediated mate location. The latter sublethal effects may contribute substantially to the effectiveness of the attracticide technique at the doses of insecticides used in the field. Cypermethrin induced lethal and sublethal effects at a lower concentration than other insecticides tested. Chlordimeform appears to be a poor candidate for attracticide formulations because males avoided contact with this insecticide. Recovery from sublethal effects of cypermethrin occurred after 48 h, and represents a potential limitation to sublethal modification of behavior for population control. However, repeated contact with a moderate concentration of permethrin attracticide enhanced sublethal and lethal effects.
Development of Analytical Models to Estimate Pile Setup in Cohesive Soils Based on FE Numerical Analyses

This paper presents the numerical simulation of pile installation and the subsequent increase in the pile capacity over time (or setup) after installation that was performed using the finite element software Abaqus. In the first part, pile installation and the following load tests were simulated numerically using the volumetric cavity expansion concept. The anisotropic modified Cam-Clay and Dracker–Prager models were adopted in the FE model to describe the behavior of the clayey and sandy soils, respectively. The proposed FE model proposed was successfully validated through simulating two full-scale instrumented driven pile case studies. In the second part, over 100 different actual properties of individual soil layers distracted from literature were used in the finite element analysis to conduct parametric study and to evaluate the effect of different soil properties on the pile setup behavior. The setup factor A was targeted here to describe the pile setup as a function of time after the end of driving. The selected soil properties in this study to evaluate the setup factor A include: soil plasticity index (PI), undrained shear strength (S u ), vertical coefficient of consolidation (C v ), sensitivity ratio (S r ), and over-consolidation ratio (OCR). The predicted setup factor showed direct proportion with the PI and S r and inverse relation with S u , C v and OCR. These soil properties were selected as independent variables, and nonlinear multivariable regression analysis was performed using Gauss–Newton algorithm to develop appropriate regression models for A. Best models were selected among all based on level of errors of prediction, which were validated with additional nineteen different site information available in the literature. The results indicated that the developed model is able to predict the setup behavior for individual cohesive soil layers, especially for values of setup factor greater than 0.10, which is the most expectable case in nature.
Impact of uterus transplant on fetuses and resulting children: a response to Daar and Klipstein

In assessing the safety of uterine transplant, the effects of gestation on mother, fetus, and resulting child need close attention. Data from current and future clinical studies should provide helpful information about those concerns. Unless the risks to mother and child are acceptable, uterus transplant will not become an accepted procedure for uterine infertility. Professor Judith Daar and Dr Sigal Klipstein in a trenchant yet generously toned comment critique my article on uterus transplant (and those of previous commentators) for a lack of focus on those risks.1 They argue that the safety record of gestational surrogacy2 in the United States is so much better than the vascular and teratogenic problems that are likely to arise with uterus transplants that women have an obligation to use surrogacy rather than transplant.3 I am very grateful for their Comment (as should be others working on uterus transplant) for they raise important questions about the effects of gestation in a donor uterus thatneedansweringduring the current experimental phaseof uterus transplant.4 If their empirical suspicions stand, uterine transplantmay notmeet the high standards of safety and efficacy required to become a routine therapy.
Broadly Neutralizing Activity of Zika Virus-Immune Sera Identifies a Single Viral Serotype

Recent epidemics of Zika virus (ZIKV) have been associated with congenital malformation during pregnancy and Guillain-Barre syndrome. There are two ZIKV lineages (African and Asian) that share >95% amino acid identity. Little is known regarding the ability of neutralizing antibodies elicited against one lineage to protect against the other. We investigated the breadth of the neutralizing antibody response following ZIKV infection by measuring the sensitivity of six ZIKV strains to neutralization by ZIKV-confirmed convalescent human serum or plasma samples. Contemporary Asian and early African ZIKV strains were similarly sensitive to neutralization regardless of the cellular source of virus. Furthermore, mouse immune serum generated after infection with African or Asian ZIKV strains was capable of neutralizing homologous and heterologous ZIKV strains equivalently. Because our study only defines a single ZIKV serotype, vaccine candidates eliciting robust neutralizing antibody responses should inhibit infection of both ZIKV lineages, including strains circulating in the Americas.