cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ownership of cultural expression: speech & culture in the new intellectual property rights regime of the European Union

Abstract This article offers a socio-legal argument that the emerging intellectual property rights regime of the European Union (EU) sweeps away constraints on proprietary accumulation of expression by altering notions of property rights over content in a way that would inhibit rather than stimulate the diversity of ideas, expressive forms, opinion, and representations of social reality in the Information Society. In order to understand the socio-legal significance of intellectual property rights in shaping and naturalizing the information age, the article explores unexamined premises in diverse political-legal models governing the production and diffusion of expression. The emerging EU and global intellectual property rights (IPR) regime is examined for the form in which it deals with a set of serious complexities in regulating content ownership rights in the construction of the information society, and for its approach to balancing the economic rights of the content industry as against the human rights of creative labor and the information rights of the public. This is illustrated in the transformation of the political and social aims of IPR at the global level and in EU policy and law. The article concludes by addressing the ascent of contractual law as an ordering principle regulating ownership rights over content in the public sphere of the information society.
Energy-Equation Approximations in Fluid Mechanics

Fig. 1 is a dimensionless plot of the digital-computer solution of Eq. (1). Each constant-^ curve peaks at a depth Froude Number, c/vgH < 1. A s ^ decreases the peaks become sharper and larger in magnitude, approaching the two-dimensional solution which gives infinite drag at c/vgH = l. The inflection point of each curve, to the right of the peak, corresponds approximately to c/vgH = 1 or Froude 1. Fig. 2 shows the relation of peak speed and resistance to water depth. Values other than those shown in Fig. 1 were obtained from solutions of Eq. (1) in the immediate vicinity of the peak. Peak locations were computed only to within ±0.005, which accounts for the slight scatter in these curves. A comparison of Havelock's original hand-computed curves with Fig. 1 yields interesting results. Except at p = 0.75 and 1.00 and Vl /x greater than about 1.50, the digital-computer resistances are smaller than Havelock's values. The peak values, however, occur at approximately the same x. As an example of this difference, at p = 1, Havelock's peak resistance value is approximately 0.27 while the digital value is 0.217. In addition, the digital curves do not exhibit the secondary shallow-water peak found by Havelock at Vi/ x = 1.25 and p = 2 or his "enhanced" deep-water resistance values at \/llx = 0.92 and 0.81 for p = 1.43 and 1.00 respectively. As shown in Fig. 2, the transition from deepto shallow-water characteristics follows a single, continuous curve.
Neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy for locally advanced urothelial cancer of the bladder.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) on pathologic down-staging of patients with locally advanced urothelial cancer (UC) of the bladder. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) for clinical stage cT2-T4, N any, M0 bladder UC at Strong Memorial Hospital from 1999 to 2009. The primary exposure variable was use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (GC vs none). The primary outcome was stage pT0 at RC. Secondary outcomes included other down-staging end points in the bladder (<pT1, <pT2, <pT3), nodal status, and surgical margins. Linear probability models were used to estimate the effect of neoadjuvant GC on tumor down-staging with adjustment for clinical staging variables. RESULTS: A total of 160 eligible patients were identified, of whom 25 were treated with neoadjuvant GC before RC (GC + RC) and 135 without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (RC only). Stage pT0 at cystectomy was found in 20% of patients in the GC + RC group and in 5% of patients in the RC group (adjusted risk difference [aRD] = 16%, P = .03). For other down-staging end points, the estimated treatment effect was as follows (all point estimates favoring chemotherapy): <pT1 aRD = 30% (P = .005); <pT2 aRD = 30% (P = .004); <pT3 aRD = 31% (P = .008); margins aRD = 8% (P = .41); nodes aRD = 4% (P = .74). CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant GC was found to be capable of down-staging UC in the bladder; however, no effect on disease in nodes was seen in this study. Cancer 2012;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.
The mouse frizzy (fr) and rat 'hairless' (frCR) mutations are natural variants of protease serine S1 family member 8 (Prss8).

Please cite this paper as: The mouse frizzy (fr) and rat ‘hairless’ (frCR) mutations are natural variants of protease serine S1 family member 8 (Prss8). Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: 527–532. Abstract: We have previously suggested (based on genetic mapping analysis) that the allelic ‘fuzzy’ and ‘hairless’ mutations in the rat are likely orthologues of the mouse frizzy mutation (fr). Here, we analysed three large intraspecific backcross panels that segregated for mouse fr to restrict this locus to a 0.6-Mb region that includes fewer than 30 genes. DNA sequencing of one of these candidates known to be expressed in skin, protease serine S1 family member 8 (Prss8), revealed a T to A transversion associated with the fr allele that would result in a valine to aspartate substitution at residue 170 in the gene product. To test whether this missense mutation might be the molecular basis of this frizzy variant, we crossed fr/fr mice with mice that carried a recessive perinatal lethal mutation in Prss8. Hybrid offspring that inherited both fr and the Prss8 null allele displayed abnormal hair and skin, showing that these two mutations are allelic, and suggesting strongly that the T to A mutation in Prss8 is responsible for the mutant frizzy phenotype. Sequence analysis of all Prss8 coding regions in the ‘hairless’ rat identified a 12-bp deletion in the third exon, indicating that mouse fr and the rat ‘hairless’ mutations are indeed orthologues. However, this analysis failed to detect any alterations to Prss8 coding sequences in the allelic ‘fuzzy’ rat variant.
A Genetic Algorithm for Linear Feature Extraction

A genetic algorithm for the detection and extraction of linear features in a gray scale image is presented. Conventional techniques for detection of linear features based on template matching and the Hough Transform, rely on an exhaustive search of the solution space, thus rendering them computationally intensive, whereas techniques based on heuristic search in a state-space graph are prone to being trapped in a suboptimal solution state. On account of its building blocks property the genetic algorithm alleviates the need for exhaustive search and the stochastic nature of the genetic algorithm operators makes it robust to the presence of local optima in the solution space. Experimental results on gray scale images bring out the advantages of the genetic algorithm in comparison to the template matching-based and Hough Transform-based techniques for linear feature extraction.
Enzymatic synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate (D-alpha-glycerophosphate). Inorganic pyrophosphate-glycerol phosphotransferase and inorganic pyrophosphate-glucose phosphotransferase compared.

Abstract "Microsomal" particulate fractions of rat organ homogenates are capable of catalyzing the synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate1 from inorganic pyrophosphate and glycerol. The product has been isolated and characterized by elementary analysis, specific rotation, and chemical and enzymatic studies. PPi-glycerol phosphotransferase is presumably specific for the primary carbinol group of glycerol opposite to that which is phosphorylated by ATP-glycerol phosphotransferase (glycerol kinase). The distribution and some of the kinetic properties of PPi-glycerol phosphotransferase have been studied and compared with those of PPi-glucose phosphotransferase, which catalyzes the synthesis of glucose 6-phosphate. The two activities are roughly parallel in liver, kidney, and intestinal mucosa, and glucose is a competitive inhibitor of the synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate by these organ preparations. Spleen, brain, and lung preparations catalyze the phosphorylation of glycerol from PPi while they are completely incapable of glucose 6-phosphate synthesis. In these organs glucose does not inhibit the synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate. This suggests that there are at least two transferase enzymes which phosphorylate glycerol, one of which may be the same as the liver PPi-glucose phosphotransferase that is probably identical with glucose 6-phosphatase. Liver PPi-glycerol phosphotransferase has a pH optimum of about 5.0, is activated by preliminary treatment with deoxycholate or by NH4OH at pH 9.5, has no requirement for Mg++ or other added cofactor, and has a Km for PPi of 5 x 10-3 and for glycerol of about 3 m. The rate of hydrolysis of inorganic pyrophosphate, which proceeds simultaneously with synthetic transferase activity, is inhibited by glucose and accelerated by glycerol. This phenonemon is observed also when studied as a function of pH or of PPi, glucose, or glycerol concentration. Cytidine triphosphate or glucose-6-P can replace PPi as an efficient donor, while ATP is relatively inactive in the synthesis of glycerol 1-phosphate by the liver microsomal enzyme. Glycerol 1-phosphate is hydrolyzed at a much faster rate than is glycerol 3-phosphate by the liver microsomal preparations. This enzymatic synthesis provides a convenient method for the preparation of glycerol 1-phosphate (D-α-glycerophosphate).
Prevalence of Anal Dysplasia in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background & Aims Although the prevalence of anal dysplasia is higher in some immunosuppressed populations, the prevalence in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown. We examined the prevalence of abnormal anal cytology among IBD patients, and its relation to the human papilloma virus (HPV). Methods Adults with IBD and age-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. IBD patients were categorized as nonimmunosuppressed (IBD-N) or immunosuppressed (IBD-I). Anal Papanicolaou tests were performed for HPV testing and classification by a cytopathologist as follows: negative, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, cancer, or unsatisfactory. Results A total of 270 subjects (100 IBD-I, 94 IBD-N, and 76 HC) were recruited. ASC-US were detected in 19 subjects, with a trend toward a higher prevalence among IBD subjects compared with HC (8.8% vs 2.6%; P = .10). The prevalence did not differ with respect to immunosuppression. Crohn's disease (CD) subjects had a higher prevalence of ASC-US compared with others with IBD ( P = .02). Among those with CD, female sex and disease duration longer than 10 years were risk factors. There were no cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, or anal cancer in the cohort. HPV was present in 5.3% and 1.5% of subjects with and without ASC-US, respectively ( P = .26). Conclusions Although there was a trend toward abnormal anal Papanicolaou tests in IBD subjects compared with HC, there was no difference based on immunosuppression. The presence of HPV did not correlate with abnormal anal cytology. Risk factors associated with this increased trend include female CD subjects and those with a longer duration of CD. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT01860963; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01860963.
Power prediction in smart grids with evolutionary local kernel regression

Electric grids are moving from a centralized single supply chain towards a decentralized bidirectional grid of suppliers and consumers in an uncertain and dynamic scenario Soon, the growing smart meter infrastructure will allow the collection of terabytes of detailed data about the grid condition, e.g., the state of renewable electric energy producers or the power consumption of millions of private customers, in very short time steps For reliable prediction strong and fast regression methods are necessary that are able to cope with these challenges In this paper we introduce a novel regression technique, i.e., evolutionary local kernel regression, a kernel regression variant based on local Nadaraya-Watson estimators with independent bandwidths distributed in data space The model is regularized with the CMA-ES, a stochastic non-convex optimization method We experimentally analyze the load forecast behavior on real power consumption data The proposed method is easily parallelizable, and therefore well appropriate for large-scale scenarios in smart grids.
Menopause and Sexuality

Sexuality is an important component in the lives of menopausal women. Despite the importance of sexual function in menopausal women, sexual dysfunction increases with age. Age-related decline in sexual function may significantly reduce quality of life, making recognition of sexual dysfunction by physicians important for getting menopausal women effective care. Sexual dysfunction can result from multiple etiologies including psychosocial factors, medication side effects, vulvovaginal atrophy, chronic illness, or hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Discovering the etiology and identifying modifiable factors of the sexual function will help define appropriate treatment.
B Cells Are Crucial for Determinant Spreading of T Cell Autoimmunity among β Cell Antigens in Diabetes-Prone Nonobese Diabetic Mice

The determinant spreading of T cell autoimmunity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and in the protective mechanism of Ag-based immunotherapy in NOD mice. However, little is known about the role of APCs, particularly B cells, in the spreading of T cell autoimmunity. We studied determinant spreading in NOD/ scid or Igμ−/− NOD mice reconstituted with NOD T and/or B cells and found that mice with mature B cells (TB NOD/ scid and BMB Igμ−/− NOD), but not mice that lacked mature B cells (T NOD/ scid and BM Igμ−/− NOD), spontaneously developed Th1 autoimmunity, which spread sequentially among different β cell Ags. Immunization of T NOD/ scid and BM Igμ−/− NOD mice with a β cell Ag could prime Ag-specific Th1 or Th2 responses, but those T cell responses did not spread to other β cell Ags. In contrast, immunization of TB NOD/ scid and BMB Igμ−/− NOD mice with a β cell Ag in IFA induced Th2 responses, which spread to other β cell Ags. Furthermore, we found that while macrophages and dendritic cells could evoke memory and effector T cell responses in vitro, B cells significantly enhanced the detection of spontaneously primed and induced Th1 responses to β cell Ags. Our data suggest that B cells, but not other APCs, mediate the spreading of T cell responses during the type 1 diabetes process and following Ag-based immunotherapy. Conceivably, the modulation of the capacity of B cells to present Ag may provide new interventions for enhancing Ag-based immunotherapy and controlling autoimmune diseases.
THE EFFECTS OF PHENYLALANINE AND TYROSINE ANALOGS ON THE SYNTHESIS AND ACTIVITY OF 3-DEOXY-D-ARABINO-HEPTULOSONIC ACID 7-PHOSPHATE SYNTHETASES.

Abstract Two 3-deoxy- d - arabino -heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetases, one of which is inhibited by tyrosine and the other by phenylalanine, exist in Escherichia coli mutant 83-24. The abilities of a number of analogs of phenylalanine and tyrosine to substitute for the natural metabolites in preventing the synthesis of or inhibiting the activity of the two DAHP synthetases have been examined. It can be concluded that the enzymatic sites to which phenylalanine and tyrosine must conform on the respective DAHP synthetases are relatively specific. An unsubstituted 4-position of the aromatic ring enhances binding of an analog in place of phenylalanine, and for effective binding in lieu of tyrosine, a 4-hydroxyl group greatly increases binding affinity of an analog. For prevention of enzyme synthesis, a variety of analogs are appreciably active, indicating that the structural requirements for repression are somewhat less specific than the requirements for regulation of the activity of the DAHP synthetases. Some effects of these inhibitors have been correlated with their ability to prevent growth of the parent organism, Escherichia coli W.
Sterol carrier protein-x gene and effects of sterol carrier protein-2 inhibitors on lipid uptake in Manduca sexta

Background Cholesterol uptake and transportation during the feeding larval stages are critical processes in insects because they are auxotrophic for exogenous (dietary) cholesterol. The midgut is the main site for cholesterol uptake in many insects. However, the molecular mechanism by which dietary cholesterol is digested and absorbed within the midgut and then released into the hemolymph for transportation to utilization or storage sites is poorly understood. Sterol carrier proteins (SCP), non-specific lipid transfer proteins, have been speculated to be involved in intracellular cholesterol transfer and metabolism in vertebrates. Based on the high degree of homology in the conserved sterol transfer domain to rat and human SCP-2, it is supposed that insect SCP-2 has a parallel function to vertebrate SCP-2.
Dempster–Shafer belief structures with interval valued focal weights

Dempster–Shafer belief structures provide a useful framework for the representation of information about a variable whose value is uncertain. Important parameters in these structures are the weights associated with the focal elements. These weights, which can be viewed as probabilities, are required to be precisely known. Here we relax this requirement and we consider the situation in which our knowledge of the weights associated with the focal elements is that they lie in some known interval rather then being precisely specified. This relaxation will allow us to more realistically model situations in which the weights cannot be precisely obtained. At a formal level, this situation can be viewed as one in which we have some uncertainty as to what is the actual belief structure, this uncertainty being of the possibilistic type. We introduce the measures of plausibility and belief in this environment. We also look at the issue of combining belief structures for these interval type belief structures. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sensory and nutritional quality of white rice after residential storage for up to 30 years

Rice is a staple food that may be packaged for long-term storage to ameliorate unpredictable circumstances such as crop failures and natural disasters. The sensory and nutritional quality of 18 sam...
The role of specific ions in glutamate neurotoxicity

Abstract When the chick embryo retina is incubated in balanced salt solution containing glutamate (Glu) in 1 mM concentration, a neurodegenerative reaction occurs within 30 min. Here we report that the neurotoxic action of Glu on retinal neurons is dependent on the presence of Na+ and Cl−, but not Ca2+, in the incubation medium. Also, we report that depolarizing concentrations of K+ can induce a severe cytotoxic reaction in chick retina which, like the depolarization-linked neurotoxicity of Glu, is a Cl−-dependent phenomenon.
Teotihuacan: completion of map of giant ancient city in the valley of Mexico.

The detailed archeological map of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, demonstrates what the prehistoric city was like from its densely crowded center to its more sparsely settled peripheries. The city's population lived in crowded one-story apartment compounds, grouped into neighborhoods based at least partly on occupation. At its height the city had a minimum population of 75,000, a probable population of 125,000, and a possible population of more than 200,000. Those involved in craft production and associated activities may have numbered in the tens of thousands. The scope and intensity of urbanization at Teotihuacan is not paralleled in other contemporary New World centers. The growth potential of the obsidian and other industries, the rise of Teotihuacan as a market and trade center, and its attraction as a religious center may have combined in a self-generating process that led to the creation of Teotihuacan's unique urban society.
Double Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Observation of Electron Exchange between Ferri- and Ferrocytochrome c

Cyanide-inhibited electron exchange between ferri- and ferrocytochrome c molecules has been observed by nuclear magnetic resonance. Irradiation of a partially reduced protein solution at resonance frequencies arising from protons of the oxidized state results in a decrease in the absorption due to the corresponding protons of the reduced state. The experiment quantitates the hyperfine shifts observed in this system and can be used to identify hitherto unassignable resonances. Analysis of the shifts suggests that an aromatic side chain ring lies near the edge of the heme ring.
Tuscan-K squares

We prove that an n x (n + 1) polygonal path circular Tuscan-n array exists only if n + 1 is prime. Two results proved in [1] are illustrated. One says that an n x n polygonal path Tuscan-(n - 1) square exists if and only if an ~ x n singly periodic Costas array exists. The other gives a construction for K orthogonal (n + 1) x (n + 1) Latin squares, if an n x (n + 1) circular Tuscan-K array exists. We review Tuscan-2 squares found by computer, and discuss nine questions.
Electrodeposition of hard magnetic films and microstructures

Abstract Electrochemical deposition of materials with hard magnetic properties in the as-deposited state is essential for the efficient integration of micro-magnetic components into MEMS devices. Here we discuss the growth process and the microstructure-magnetic properties correlation for two Co-rich alloys, Co–Ni–P and Co–Pt. Under suitable synthesis conditions, these materials exhibit perpendicular anisotropy and hard magnetic properties in the as-deposited state; in addition, such properties are maintained up to several micrometer film thickness through close control of the film microstructure. In the case of Co–Ni–P films we achieved a saturation magnetization of 1.21 T (963 emu/cm 3 ), perpendicular coercivity up to 188 kA/m (2.36 kOe) at a thickness of 10 μm, and energy products up to 4.2 kJ/m 3 . Co-rich Co–Pt films were grown on several substrates – Cr, Cu(0 0 1), Cu(1 1 1), and Ru(0 0 0 1) – in order to control magnetic anisotropy and achieve optimum hard magnetic properties. Cu(1 1 1) contributes to stabilize the hexagonal hcp phase at high current density yielding excellent hard magnetic properties, although only in films thicker than 100 nm; saturation magnetization in these films was about 1.04 T (828 emu/cm 3 ). Perpendicular coercivities up to 485.6 kA/m (6.1 kOe) were obtained in 1 μm thick film deposited at 50 mA/cm 2 . Ru(0 0 0 1) seed layers provide an appropriate interface structure to further facilitate the epitaxial growth of hcp films, yielding hard magnetic properties and perpendicular coercivity with a squareness ∼1 in films as thin as 10 nm. The hard magnetic properties were only marginally compromised at large film thickness. Deposition at higher current density (50 mA/cm 2 ) favored markedly improved hard magnetic properties. The Co–Pt films on Ru exhibited perpendicular anisotropy with anisotropy constant up to 1.2 MJ/m 3 . The electrodeposition process was further extended to fill lithographically patterned hole arrays (850 nm diameter, center-to-center distance 2550 nm and about 700 nm thick resist), yielding arrays of micron-sized hard magnetic cylinders with perpendicular coercivity of 361 kA/m (4.54 kOe) and high squareness.
Reduced quinidine clearance in elderly persons.

Abstract The influence of age on quinidine pharmacokinetics was assessed in 22 healthy male and female volunteers; 14 of the subjects were young (aged 23 to 34 years) and 8 elderly (aged 60 to 69 years). All subjects received 180 to 300 mg of quinidine base by constant rate intravenous infusion over 10 to 15 minutes. The concentration of total and unbound quinidine in multiple serum samples and in urine collected within 48 hours after the administration of quinidine was determined with spectrophotofluorometric assay. Mean kinetic values for total quinidine in the young subjects were: elimination half-life ( t 1 2β ), 7.3 hours; total volume of distribution (V d ), 2.39 liters/kg; total clearance, 4.04 ml/min per kg; renal clearance, 1.43 ml/min per kg; and percent unbound, 24.6. In the elderly subjects, the values for V d (2.18 liters/kg) and percent unbound (28.2) did not differ significantly from these values in the young subjects. However, In the elderly subjects t 1 2β was significantly longer (9.7 hours, P P P r = 0.66). Reduced clearance of quinidine and prolongation of its elimination half-life could predispose to toxicity in the elderly unless the dose were appropriately adjusted.
Spinodal decomposition in age hardening copper-titanium alloys

Abstract The early stages of spinodal decomposition in age hardening Cu-Ti alloys have been studied by electron microscopy. The alloys (1.55, 3.08 and 5.17 w/o Ti) decomposed on the quench from solutionizing temperatures into Ti enriched and Ti lean regions. Superlattice reflections, at 1 5 {420} m positions as well as 1 2 {210} m reflections were observed in the diffraction patterns of the as quenched 5.17 w/o Ti alloy. The alloys continued to decompose when aged at elevated temperatures. A sequence of microstructures was used to show that continuous phase separation, and hence spinodal decomposition, was the mechanism of decomposition. The metastable two phase structure which formed from the spinodal process was aligned and periodic from the start of the process. The Ti enriched phase was ordered, with the Dla(Ni4Mo; 14/m) structure. Reversion experiments were performed to determine the position of the coherent metastable solvus. When aging treatments were performed near this solvus. heterogeneous nucleation of the metastable phase was observed.
Phenylalanine hydroxylase isozymes in regenerating liver: Effects of diet and age☆

Abstract Three isozymes of phenylalanine hydroxylase (pi, kappa, and upsilon) have been identified in rat liver, but their individual purposes remain unknown. It may be possible, however, to discern a specific function for each by their differential response to stress. Also, individual variation in time course of response to stress may suggest whether the isozymes are a product of post-translational modification or of separate genes. Stress models utilized were (a) partial hepatectomy and regeneration and (b) dietary constraint. The rat fetus shows the presence of only two of the three isozymes: pi and upsilon (1). The neonate then acquires the adult isozyme complement within 7 days of birth. We performed partial hepatectomies on adult rats in order to examine whether phenylalanine hydroxylase might revert to the more fetal pattern during the course of liver regeneration. The rapid replacement of lost mass over a period of about 1 to 2 weeks (2) is accompanied by changes in the specific activities of many hepatic enzymes (3). The justification theory of Bessman (4) states that an animal's tissues alter the incoming (dietary) complement of amino acids to a pattern consistent with the phenotypic amino acid synthesizing system of the body. A large excess of protein (91% of diet) does cause an increase in phenylalanine hydroxylase activity (5). We investigated the effects of specific changes in phenylalanine and tyrosine contents and ratio at much lower protein levels to see whether this theory operates in more physiological situations.
EFFECT OF PROPENTOFYLLINE (PPF) ON NMDA RECEPTOR MODIFICATION DURING CEREBRAL HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS. † 1353

EFFECT OF PROPENTOFYLLINE (PPF) ON NMDA RECEPTOR MODIFICATION DURING CEREBRAL HYPOXIA IN NEWBORN PIGLETS. † 1353
Multi‐nozzle deposition for construction of 3D biopolymer tissue scaffolds

Purpose – To introduce recent research and development of biopolymer deposition for freeform fabrication of three‐dimensional tissue scaffolds that is capable of depositing bioactive ingredients.Design/methodology/approach – A multi‐nozzle biopolymer deposition system is developed, which is capable of extruding biopolymer solutions and living cells for freeform construction of 3D tissue scaffolds. The deposition process is biocompatible and occurs at room temperature and low pressures to reduce damage to cells. In contrast with other systems, this system is capable of, simultaneously with scaffold construction, depositing controlled amount of cells, growth factors, or other bioactive compounds with precise spatial position to form complex cell‐seeded tissue constructs. The examples shown are based on sodium alginate solutions and poly‐e‐caprolactone (PCL). Studies of the biopolymer deposition feasibility, structural formability, and different material deposition through a multi‐nozzle heterogeneous system...
An investigation of the anisotropic etching of (100) silicon using cesium hydroxide

Abstract The anisotropic etching of (100) silicon by cesium hydroxide (CsOH) solutions is investigated. Experimental data of the (100) etch-rate variation over
Determination of femoral artery endothelial function by phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

area and fl ow in the aorta, 1 iliac, 2 and femoral arteries. 2,3 PC-MRI is noninvasive, does not require the use of ionizing radiation or intravenous contrast, does not have acoustic window limitations, and can be performed rapidly after magnetic resonance angiography. To date, the utility and reproducibility of PCMRI for measuring time-dependent changes in arterial area and fl ow after an ischemic stimulus, thus characterizing peripheral arterial endothelial function in medium-sized arteries has not been described. This study was performed for these purposes.  The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of our University’s School of Medicine and all participants provided written, informed consent. The study population consisted of 10 young healthy men and women (aged 18 to 30 years), and 10 older men and women (aged 50 to 75 years) with New York Heart Association class II heart failure (HF) associated with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The young participants did not smoke, had no medical illness, and took no over-the-counter or prescribed medications. All of the young women had normal menstrual cycles and were not taking oral contraceptives. 4,5 Older participants with HF had a LV ejection fraction of 40% measured within 2 months before testing. No subject had a history of claudication or an increase in carotid wall thickness by ultrasound. Participants were ineligible for study if they had intracranial metal, a pacemaker or defi brillator, claustrophobia, or were pregnant. Upon arrival for study, participants rested supinely in a dimly lit room for 30 to 45 minutes. 4 Substances that could affect vascular reactivity, such as theophylline, caffeine, or nicotine were withheld 24 hours before scan. Subjects were then placed into the scanner supine, feet-fi rst, with electrocardiographic monitoring leads, a brachial blood pressure cuff, a large thigh cuff, and a phased array (cardiac) surface coil placed around the left thigh. Before and throughout the course of testing, heart rate and systemic pressure were monitored. Axial, coronal, and sagittal gradient-echo images of the superfi cial femoral artery were obtained 20 cm distal to the femoral head. The purpose of these acquisitions was to obtain a cross-sectional view of the artery along a straight vessel segment perpendicular to its course that would minimize partial volume effects during scanning. To measure area and fl ow, PC-MRI images were acquired in the cross-sectional slice position identifi ed previously. After 3 baseline acquisitions, the thigh cuff was infl ated to 50 mm Hg above the participant’s systolic blood pressure as measured in the forearm. A PC-MRI acquisition was obtained to confi rm absence of fl ow in the superfi cial femoral artery; if fl ow was present, the cuff was infl ated an additional 20 mm Hg and repeat PC-MRI images were acquired to confi rm vessel occlusion. After occluding the artery for 5 minutes, 6,7 the pressure within the thigh cuff was released and PC-MRI scans were re
Gardening in green space for environmental justice: food security, leisure and social capital

This ethnography examines the origins and growth of a rural community garden in the context of food security, leisure and social capital within an environmental justice framework. Community residents, including low-income populations, people with disabilities and senior citizens, banded together with the assistance of local leaders in order to grow healthy produce based on concerns of produce cost and commercial growing practices. Results indicate that participants did enter into the garden activity mainly for food security, but soon realized leisure benefits such as socializing and meeting new people. Moreover, the external social networks that facilitated the gardens resulted in the creation of internal social capital, including increased gardening knowledge and shared ability. Finally, we discuss implications to community/recreation leaders in the context of building social networks in rural areas, creating access and bringing together diverse populations within a leisure-based community garden.
Microtubule Disassembly by ATP-Dependent Oligomerization of the AAA Enzyme Katanin

Katanin, a member of the AAA adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) superfamily, uses nucleotide hydrolysis energy to sever and disassemble microtubules. Many AAA enzymes disassemble stable protein-protein complexes, but their mechanisms are not well understood. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay demonstrated that the p60 subunit of katanin oligomerized in an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)- and microtubule-dependent manner. Oligomerization increased the affinity of katanin for microtubules and stimulated its ATPase activity. After hydrolysis of ATP, microtubule-bound katanin oligomers disassembled microtubules and then dissociated into free katanin monomers. Coupling a nucleotide-dependent oligomerization cycle to the disassembly of a target protein complex may be a general feature of ATP-hydrolyzing AAA domains.
Contribution of two sources of listener knowledge to intelligibility of speakers with cerebral palsy.

Purpose This study examined the independent and combined effects of two sources of linguistic knowledge (alphabet cues and semantic predictability) on the intelligibility of speakers with dysarthri...
Clinical pharmacy services, pharmacy staffing, and adverse drug reactions in United States hospitals

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were examined in 1,960,059 hospitalized Medicare patients in 584 United States hospitals in 1998. A database was constructed from the MedPAR database and the National Clinical Pharmacy Services survey. The 584 hospitals were selected because they provided specific information on 14 clinical pharmacy services and on pharmacy staffing; they also had functional ADR reporting systems. The study population consisted of 35,193 Medicare patients who experienced an ADR (rate of 1.8%). Of the 14 clinical pharmacy services, 12 were associated with reduced ADR rates. The most significant reductions occurred in hospitals offering pharmacist-provided admission drug histories (odds ratio [OR] 1.864, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.765-1.968), drug protocol management (OR 1.365, 95% CI 1.335-1.395), and ADR management (OR 1.360, 95% CI 1.328-1.392). Multivariate analysis, performed to further evaluate these findings, showed that nine variables were associated with ADR rate: pharmacist-provided in-service education (slope -0.469, p=0.018), drug information (slope -0.488, p=0.005), ADR management (slope -0.424, p=0.021), drug protocol management (slope -0.732, p=0.002), participation on the total parenteral nutrition team (slope 0.384, p=0.04), participation on the cardiopulmonary resuscitation team (slope -0.506, p=0.008), medical round participation (slope -0.422, p=0.037), admission drug histories (slope -0.712, p=0.008), and increased clinical pharmacist staffing (slope -4.345, p=0.009). As clinical pharmacist staffing increased from the 20th to the 100th percentile (from 0.93 ± 0.77/100 to 5.16 ± 4.11/100 occupied beds), ADRs decreased by 47.88%. In hospitals without pharmacist-provided ADR management, the following increases were noted: mean number of ADRs/100 admissions by 34.90% (OR 1.360, 95% CI 1.328-1.392), length of stay 13.64% (Mann-Whitney U test [U]=11047367, p=0.017), death rate 53.64% (OR 1.574, 95% CI 1.423-1.731), total Medicare charges 6.88% (U=111298871, p=0.018), and drug charges 8.16% (U=108979074, p<0.001). Patients in hospitals without pharmacist-provided ADR management had an excess of 4266 ADRs, 443 deaths, 85,554 patient-days, $11,745,342 in total Medicare charges, and $1,857,744 in drug charges. The implications of these findings are significant for our health care system, especially considering that the study population represented 15.55% of 12,261,737 Medicare patients and 5.71% of the 34,345,436 patients admitted to all U.S. hospitals.
VAPEC-B chemotherapy in the treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a retrospective analysis of 45 patients.

We performed a retrospective analysis on 45 patients who, between January 1989 and October 1993, received VAPEC-B chemotherapy for high and intermediate grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The aim was to assess response and tolerance to treatment. The weekly regimen consisted of: doxorubicin 35 mg/m2 i.v. weeks 1,3,5,7,9,11; cyclophosphamide 350 mg/m2 i.v. weeks 1, 5, 9; etoposide 100 mg/m2 p.o. daily for 5 days, weeks 3, 7, 11; vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 i.v. (2 mg max.) weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10; bleomycin 10 mg/m2 i.v. weeks 2, 6, 10; methotrexate 12.5 mg i.t. weeks 1, 5, 9; prednisolone 50 mg p.o. daily for 6 weeks, reduced to 25 mg daily for 6 weeks. The patients treated were aged 22-71 years, 34 (75%) had high grade (Working Formulation) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL); 11 (24%) had intermediate grade NHL; 25 had Stage III/IV disease; and 14 (31%) had marrow involvement. The majority of patients (76%) received VAPEC-B as first line chemotherapy; the remainder received it for relapsing disease. Follow-up time from completion of VAPEC-B chemotherapy ranged from 6 months to 50 months (median 25). VAPEC-B, as first line therapy, induced a complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) in 79% and 18% respectively, whilst 3% had no response to treatment. VAPEC-B used for relapsing disease produced CR and PR in 64% and 27% respectively, whilst 9% failed to respond. Six patients in PR and five patients in CR have subsequently undergone an autologous bone marrow transplant or a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. In the group who received VAPEC-B first line but did not proceed to transplant (27 patients), five relapsed (three with CNS disease who had not had CNS prophylaxis). Tolerance to treatment was measured by WHO toxicity scores. The haemoglobin (Hb) toxicity median score for all patients was grade 1 (Hb 9.5-10.9 g/dl), and the white cell count (WCC), toxicity score was grade 2 (WCC 2.0-2.9 x 10(9)/l). No platelet toxicity was observed. Ten per cent of patients suffered grade 3 severity infections requiring antibiotics and there was one treatment related death. The majority of patients received VAPEC-B on time, however, 24% patients had a 2-week delay. VAPEC-B chemotherapy is an effective regimen for malignant lymphoma, either as a first line or as a salvage treatment. Although chemotherapy was given weekly, the tolerance to treatment was acceptable, thus making this short regimen a good alternative to CHOP chemotherapy.
Refractory biventricular heart failure in secondary hemochromatosis.

ABSTRACT Cardiac hemochromatosis usually presents with clinical congestive heart failure and an enlarged heart. A woman with secondary hemochromatosis and features of both restrictive and congestive cardiomyopathy with a normal sized heart is described. Despite all Interventions she had progressive cardiac impairment and expired eight days following presentation. The clinical and laboratory findings of 49 cases of cardiac hemochromatosis during the last 50 years are reviewed. While the disease usually progresses slowly, a significant minority die within fourteen days of recognition. Not Infrequently pericardial tamponade is entertained as a cause for this rapid deterioration; however, both a restrictive and congestive cardiomyopathy appear to be responsible for this catastrophic presentation.
Temporarily Divide to Conquer: Centralized, Decentralized, and Reintegrated Organizational Approaches to Exploration and Adaptation

To create a competitive advantage, firms need to find activity configurations that are not only internally consistent, but also appropriate given the firm's current environment. This challenge is particularly acute after firms have experienced an environmental change that has shifted the existing competitive landscape and created new, high-performing sets of activity choices. How should firms organize to explore and search such an altered performance landscape? While it has been noted that adaptive entities need to maintain a balance of exploration and exploitation, little is known about how different organizational structures moderate this balance. With the help of an agentbased simulation model, we study the value of three different organizational structures: a centralized organization, in which decisions are made only at the level of the firm as a whole; a decentralized organization, in which decisions are made independently in two divisions; and a temporarily decentralized firm, which starts out with a decentralized structure and later reintegrates.We find that if interactions among a firm's activities are pervasive, neither the centralized nor the permanently decentralized organizational structure leads to high performance. In this case, temporary decentralization--an organizational structure that has not found much attention in the literature--yields the highest long-term performance. This organizational structure allows the firm both to avoid low-performing activity configurations and to eventually coordinate across its divisions. Thus, even if the decision problem a .rm faces is not fully decomposable, a temporary bifurcation can lead to a higher long-term performance outcome. Initial decentralized exploration is, however, costly in the short run, as compared to centralized exploration. As a result, a tradeoff exists between the short-term costs of decentralized exploration and the longterm benefits of reaching higher performance. As interactions across and within divisions increase, the optimal length of decentralized exploration tends to grow.Paralleling our first result, we further show that even if a decision problem is decomposable, that is, can be perfectly modularized, it can be beneficial to create a temporary decision allocation that creates "unnecessary" interdependencies across the subsystems. This benefit arises in particular when the modules are complex by themselves. In both cases, an initial phase of exploration, enabled by an appropriate organizational structure, followed by refinement and coordination, enabled by a different structure, leads to high performance. To illustrate our general model, we focus on incumbent firms' responses to the Internet and discuss implications for the product design process.
Load-Building Possibilities of Industrial Heating

The author gives a brief survey of the more recent achievements in industrial electric heating, and shows the increasing tendency of industries to adopt electric heating, particularly for high grade products. Specific installation for such processes as steel treating, copper and brass annealing, vitreous enamelling, glass annealing, baking japans, cores, bread, etc., on a large scale, are described and illustrated. It is shown that the quality of product has been improved by the use of electric heating with little if any increase in cost, and in many cases, at a lower ``over all'' cost. The desirability of heating load for the central station is emphasized, due to its high power factor and load factor.
Indices of refraction for the hitran compilation

Indices of refraction of sulfuric acid solutions, water, and ice, which will become part of the HITRAN database, are discussed. Representative calculations are presented for the sulfate aerosol, to illustrate the broadband spectral features of i.r. aerosol extinction spectra. Values of the sulfuric acid mass density are used in an application of the Lorentz-Lorenz equation, which is used to estimate the sensitivity of extinction coefficients to temperature dependent refractive indices.
A Role for Polymodal C-Fiber Afferents in Nonhistaminergic Itch

Recent psychophysical and electrophysiological studies in humans suggest the existence of two peripheral pathways for itch, one that is responsive to histamine and a second pathway that can be activated by nonhistaminergic pruritogens (e.g., cowhage spicules). To explore the peripheral neuronal pathway for nonhistaminergic itch, behavioral responses and neuronal activity in unmyelinated afferent fibers were assessed in monkey after topical application of cowhage spicules or intradermal injection of histamine and capsaicin. Cowhage and histamine, but not capsaicin, evoked scratching behavior indicating the presence of itch. In single-fiber recordings, cowhage, histamine and/or capsaicin were applied to the cutaneous receptive field of 43 mechano-heat-sensitive C-fiber (CMH) nociceptors. The majority of CMHs exhibited a prolonged response to cowhage (39 of 43) or histamine (29 of 38), but not to capsaicin (3 of 34). Seven CMHs were activated by cowhage but not histamine. The average response to cowhage was more than twice the response to histamine, and responses were not correlated. The response of the CMHs to a stepped heat stimulus (49 degrees C, 3 s) was either quickly adapting (QC) or slowly adapting (SC). In contrast, the cowhage response was characterized by bursts of two or more action potentials (at approximately 1 Hz). The total cowhage response of the QC fibers (97 action potentials/5 min) was twice that of the SC fibers (49 action potentials/5 min). A subset of QC fibers exhibited high-frequency intraburst discharges ( approximately 30 Hz). These results suggest multiple mechanisms by which CMHs may encode itch to cowhage as well as pain to mechanical and heat stimuli.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Cyclophosphamide

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described for the analysis of cyclophosphamide in the presence of its hydrolysis products. The drug was quantified using a UV detector at a low wavelength. A single band was observed for the intact drug, which was well separated from its hydrolysis product(s). Quantification was obtained with adequate precision by the use of an injector loop or a suitable internal standard (hydrocortisone). The technique requires no extraction of the drug from aqueous solution or derivatization for analysis. The method was applied to partially hydrolyzed and to known solutions of cyclophosphamide. With suitable modification, the method may be useful for analysis of dosage forms but probably lacks the sensitivity necessary for analysis of the drug in biological samples.