cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
485 ROLE OP SOMATOMEDIN-C (SMC) IN LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATION

As lymphocytes have receptors for SMC, we studied the role of SMC in lymphocyte proliferation. Peripheral lymphocytes from 27 controls and 17 children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) were cultured in either autologous serum (AS) or pooled serum from normal adults (NS) with and without phytohemagglutinin(PHA). The mitogenic response (MR) was defined as thymidine incorporated in AS ÷ thymidine incorporated in NS. Control MR = 1.01 ± 0.05 (X ± SEM). Two different MRS were observed in the untreated GHD children. Most GHD sera had a normal MR (1.09 ± 0.06), but 4 had a very low MR (0.05 ± 0.02). MR did not correlate with SMC or growth rate. The two groups of children were similar in all other parameters that we measured. After 1 week of growth hormone treatment (0.1u/kg/d), MR was normal in all (0.97 ± 0.06). Partially purified SMC (10–500 ng/ml) did not increase MR in the presence of varying (0–5%) amounts of AS. Although PHA stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, culture medium SMC was not increased and was proportional to the SMC content of the serum used (r = 0.8). Conclusions: SMC does not have a direct role in lymphocyte proliferation since the MR in GHD serum was not proportional to SMC; exogenous SMC did not increase MR nor was SMC synthesized by lymphocytes in vitro. Serum from some GHD children lacks another factor(s) that supports lymphocyte proliferation in vitro.
Evaluation of the human choroidal melanoma rabbit model for studying microcirculation patterns with confocal ICG and histology.

The aim of this study was to develop consistently focal elevated choroidal masses of human choroidal melanoma in immunosuppressed rabbits and to correlate the visualization of prognostically significant microcirculation patterns from confocal indocyanine green angiography with histologic microcirculation patterns. A human choroidal melanoma cell line (OCM1) was implanted in the choroid of 40 rabbit eyes using three different techniques: transscleral choroidal injection of a cell suspension, injection of a cell suspension in a surgically induced cyclodialysis cleft, and implantation of solid tumor fragments in a surgically induced cyclodialysis cleft. The rabbits were immunosuppressed with daily injections of Cyclosporin A to prevent host versus graft reaction. The eyes were studied weekly with indirect ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography to monitor tumor growth and indocyanine green angiography using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope to identify microcirculation patterns in vivo and correlate these findings with the histologic demonstration of tumor microcirculation patterns. A tumor mass was identified by indirect ophthalmoscopy in 16 of the 40 implanted rabbit eyes (40%). Each of these tumors was confirmed histologically to represent a focal elevated choroidal mass. All 16 elevated choroidal masses grow in eyes in which solid tumor fragments were implanted. In total, a melanoma was identified histologically in 28 of the implanted 40 eyes (70%). In addition to the 16 eyes where the melanoma appeared as a focal elevated choroidal mass, 4 eyes contained a focal elevated mass in the sclera and 8 eyes contained a flat choroidal tumor. Histologically, microcirculation patterns were identified only in the 16 eyes with focal elevated choroidal masses. Confocal indocyanine green angiography imaged microcirculation patterns in 13 of these 16 eyes (81%). The surgical implantation of small solid fragments of human choroidal melanoma in immunosuppressed rabbit eyes provides the best method to consistently obtain focal elevated choroidal masses. These focal elevated choroidal masses resemble booth the localization and the growth pattern of choroidal melanomas in humans. In addition, they also contain microcirculation patterns similar to those seen in humans that are detectable with confocal indocyanine green angiography. The use of indocyanine green angiography with this animal model may be especially useful in designing and evaluating anti-microcirculation treatments directed at uveal melanoma.
Mean-field theory of acentric order of chromophores with displaced dipoles

A mean-field model of acentric order of dipolar chromophores in polymeric electro-optic materials is developed by extension of our earlier results [Y.V. Pereverzev, O.V. Prezhdo, Phys. Rev. E 62 (2000) 8324] to allow for position and orientation flexibility of chromophore dipoles with respect of the molecular frame. The extended model quantitatively reproduces the experimental data for two sample chromophore systems. The model indicates that the disappearance of the acentric order and the related turnover and decay of the electro-optic coefficient are associated with a second-order phase transition in the dipolar system from para- to antiferroelectric state.
An interactive HTML ocean nowcast GUI based on Perl and JavaScript

Abstract We describe the use of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript code, and Perl I/O to create and validate forms in an Internet-based graphical user interface (GUI) for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Ocean models and Assimilation Demonstration System (NOMADS). The resulting nowcast system can be operated from any compatible browser across the Internet, for although the GUI was prepared in a Netscape browser, it used no Netscape extensions. Code available at: http://www.iamg.org/CGEditor/index.htm
Protein synthesis by 80S ribosomes during plant development

Abstract Protein synthesis by ribosomes from the meristematic region of pea roots (0–0·3 cm) and 2-day-old corn shoots (young tissues) relative to ribosomes from matured regions of pea roots (2·0–2·5 cm) and 10-day-old corn leaves (aged tissues) was compared in the poly U-phenylalanine system. With normal polyribosome preparations, ribosomes from young tissues required approx. 16 mM Mg 2+ while ribosomes from aged tissues required 20–22 mM Mg 2+ for optimal activity. With monomeric ribosome preparations induced by anaerobic treatment of the seedlings, the Mg 2+ optimum was 20–22 mM for ribosomes from both young and aged tissues. A higher level of peptidyl- t RNA in ribosomes from young tissues accounts, at least in part, for the differences in Mg 2+ optima between ribosomes from young and aged tissues. Monomeric ribosomes were used for assaying the activity of ribosomes per se . Ribosomes from young pea root tips and ribosomes from 2-day-old corn shoots were 25–30% and 100–150% more active, respectively, than the corresponding ribosomes from aged tissues. Differences in ribosomal proteins revealed by gel electrophoresis correlated with the change in ribosomal activity. Reduced activity in the aged ribosomes was not due to RNase activity or inhibitors.
Outcome-based assessment of endolymphatic sac surgery for Meniere's disease

This study reports the preliminary results of an outcomes approach to analysis of the effectiveness of endolymphatic sac decompression (ELSD). Using the medical outcomes survey's 36-item, short-form health survey (SF-36), we assessed the quality of life in 33 patients with disabling Meniere's disease undergoing ELSD for medically intractable vertigo. Results indicate that patients with 1995 American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery (AAO/HNS) class A or B outcomes showed no significant difference from population norms on the SF-36, whereas patients with AAO/HNS classes C to E outcomes scored significantly below norms. Six patients who were given the SF-36 preoperatively scored consistently below population norms. Postoperatively, they showed a statistically significant improvement and were statistically equal to norms. These findings suggest that the SF-36 is a good measure of the quality of life impairment in patients with disabling Meniere's disease. In addition, SF-36 scores correlated well with the 1995 AAO/HNS classification.
Cardioregulation in an aneural heart

Abstract 1. 1. The aneural branchial heart of the California hagfish ( Eptatretus stoutii ) was used in these experiments. The evidence indicates that the myocardium of this species possesses a pressure-sensitive, diffuse, myocardial pacemaker. 2. 2. Electron microscopic studies have revealed in the heart of this species heretofore undescribed atypical subendothelial cells which strongly resemble secretory cells. 3. 3. Biochemical studies, in extension of earlier work, indicate that pacemaker activity is linked to a small-molecule metabolite found in the heart (but not in the liver). This cardioaccelerator substance is not species specific, but it will exert its effect on the hearts of frog and mussel as well as on that of the hagfish. 4. 4. It is suggested that there may be a relationship between the atypical cells and the cardioaccelerator material. 5. 5. It is concluded that cardioregulation in the aneural branchial heart of the hagfish is accomplished by two major factors: tension as governed by venous return and a biochemical factor produced in the heart.
Bidirectional modulation of GABA-gated chloride channels by divalent cations : inhibition by Ca2+ and enhancement by Mg2+

The effects of the divalent cations Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+ were studied on gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) responses in rat cerebral cortical synaptoneurosomes. The divalent cations produced bidirectional modulation of muscimol-induced 36Cl- uptake consistent with their ability to permeate and block Ca2+ channels. The order of potency for inhibition of muscimol responses was Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+, similar to the order for permeation of Ca2+ channels in neurons. The order of potency for enhancement of muscimol responses was Cd2+ > Mn2+ > Mg2+, similar to the order for blockade of Ca2+ channels in neurons. Neither Ca2+ nor Mg2+ caused accumulation of GABA in the extravesicular space due to increased GABA release or decreased reuptake of GABA by the synaptoneurosomes. The inhibition of muscimol responses by Ca2+ was most likely via an intracellular site of action because additional inhibition could be obtained in the presence of the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187. This confirms electrophysiologic findings in cultured neurons from several species. In contrast, the effects of Cd2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ may be mediated via blockade of Ca2+ channels or by intracellular sites, although the results of these studies do not distinguish between the two loci. The effects of Zn2+ were also studied, because this divalent cation is reported to have widely divergent effects on GABAA responses. In contrast to other studies, we demonstrate that Zn2+ inhibits GABAA responses in an adult neuronal preparation. Zn2+ produced a concentration-dependent inhibition (limited to 40%) of muscimol responses with an EC50 of 60 microM. The inhibition of muscimol-induced 36Cl- uptake by Zn2+ was noncompetitive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Use of Wind Profiler Estimates of Significant Moisture Gradients to Improve Humidity Profile Retrieval

Abstract A method is presented to obtain a high-vertical-resolution humidity profile if the location and strength of only a few significant segments of the humidity gradient profile are known. The method is based on a previously developed statistical inversion technique coupled with moisture gradient information derived from wind profiler and the radiosonde temperature measurements. An existing retrieval algorithm uses an independent historical radiosonde-derived dataset and data from a two-channel microwave radiometer, standard surface meteorological instruments, and a lidar ceilometer. In this study, the possibility of constraining the statistical retrieval using measurements of significant moisture gradients derived from wind profiler signals and radiosonde temperature observations is investigated. An example is given to illustrate the method: on 26 May 1994 the 449-MHz wind profiler/RASS at Erie, Colorado, detected a strong humidity gradient at 4.9 km MSL. A statistical inversion algorithm constrained...
Recognition sequence of specific endonuclease BamHI from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H

MANY specific endonucleases (restriction endonucleases) have been isolated and recognition sequences have been determined for a number of them1. The isolation of a new specific endonuclease, BamHI, from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H has recently been described2. We have determined the recognition sequence of BamHI and find that it cleaves the two-fold rotationally symmetric sequence at the positions indicated by the arrows generating fragments with cohesive termini.
PRONOUNCEABILITY RATINGS OF SOME CVCs: THEIR RELIABILITY AND RELATIONSHIP TO m'

Underwood and Schult (1960) report correlations as high as nineties between measures of verbal learning and pronounceability, p', ratings of the learned items. They comment (p. ;47) "Clearly an astonishingly large proportion of the variance is accounted for by the pronounceability dimension." Since the potential usefulness of p' in assessing verbal items for learning experiments is in part a function of the reliability of the ratings, one purpose of this st~~dy was to obtain three different reliability estimates of p'. Underwood and Schulz (1960) also report a correlation of .78 between mean p' ratings of some nonsense syllables and corresponding m' values of Noble, Stockwell, and Pryer ( 1957). Badia, Rosenberg, and Langer ( 1965) report p' ratings to be as effective as m' values in accounting for differences in mean trials to criterion on a serial learning task involving high and low m' CVCs. A second purpose, therefore, was to obtain two independent estimates of the correlation of m' and p' so as to have a be:ter basis for estimating the degree of correlation. METHOD
The Association between Parent and Adult Child Shyness, Social Skills, and Perceived Family Communication

This investigation examined how parents' and adult children's behavioral manifestations of shyness are associated with perceived family communication. A theoretical model predicted that shyness would be negatively associated with social skills, and socials skills would, in turn, be positively associated with perceived family communication. Participants included 111 parent-adult child dyads. Parents and adult children completed measures of shyness, social skills, and perceived family communication in an online questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, as predicted, parent and adult child shyness were negatively associated with their own social skills. In addition, adult children's social skills were significantly associated with perceived family communication, but their parents' social skills were not.
Detergent-resistant membrane microdomains in the disposition of the lipid signaling molecule anandamide

The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide is an agonist of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, as well as transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 and type 4 ion channels. In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the cellular processes regulating the signaling of endocannabinoids such as anandamide. This is due largely to evidence that augmentation of cannabinergic tone might be therapeutically beneficial in the treatment of multiple disease states such as chronic pain, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Of particular interest are the cellular processes that regulate the cellular accumulation and metabolism of anandamide. Characterization of the process by which anandamide is internalized and metabolized by the cell may identify drug targets useful in the positive modulation of cannabinergic tone. Recently, we reported that detergent-resistant membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts play a role in the cellular accumulation of anandamide by mediating an endocytic process responsible for anandamide internalization. The enzyme primarily responsible for anandamide metabolism, fatty acid amide hydrolase, is excluded from lipid rafts. However, the metabolites of anandamide accumulate in these detergentresistant membrane microdomains. There is some preliminary evidence that makes it reasonable to propose that anandamide metabolites enriched in lipid rafts may act as precursors to anadamide synthesis. Overall, experimental evidence is mounting that detergent-resistant membrane microdomains such as lipid rafts may play a role in the cellular regulation of anandamide inactivation and production.
Heat transfer to gas-solids suspensions flowing cocurrently downward in a circular tube

Heat transfer to a gas-solids suspension flowing cocurrently downward in a 13-mm inside diameter tube with uniform heat-flux boundary conditions was investigated using 329-..mu..m spherical glass beads in air. The gas Reynolds number varied from 0 to 30,000 with solids-loading ratios of up to 20 at a gas Reynolds number of 10,000. The suspension Nusselt number, defined in terms of the wall-to-gas mixed-mean temperature difference, decreased with increasing solids-loading ratio at high Reynolds numbers, while it changed little from the value for gas alone at low Reynolds numbers. A possible explanation is given by considering the effects of particles on the fluid mechanical properties of the gas. Asymptotic Nusselt numbers in downflow are compared with results of other investigations for upflow.
The bromination of isatoic anhydride

Bromination of isatoic anhydride in acetic acid gives N-dibromoacetyl-3,5-dibromoanthranilic acid. Three new anthranils are described.
The associations of adipokines with selected markers of the renin–angiotensinogen–aldosterone system: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Among obese individuals, increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity results in increased renin and aldosterone production, as well as renal tubular sodium reabsorption. This study determined the associations between adipokines and selected measures of the renin-angiotensinogen-aldosterone system (RAAS). The sample consisted of 1970 men and women from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline and had blood assayed for adiponectin, leptin, plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone. The mean age was 64.7 years and 50% were female. The mean (s.d.) PRA and aldosterone were 1.45 (0.56) ng ml(-1) and 150.1 (130.5) pg ml(-1), respectively. After multivariable adjustment, a 1-s.d. increment of leptin was associated with a 0.55 ng ml(-1) higher PRA and 8.4 pg ml(-1) higher aldosterone (P<0.01 for both). Although adiponectin was not significantly associated with PRA levels, the same increment in this adipokine was associated with lower aldosterone levels (-5.5 pg ml(-1), P=0.01). Notably, the associations between aldosterone and both leptin and adiponectin were not materially changed with additional adjustment for PRA. Exclusion of those taking antihypertensive medications modestly attenuated the associations. The associations between leptin and both PRA and aldosterone were not different by gender but were significantly stronger among non-Hispanic Whites and Chinese Americans than African and Hispanic Americans (P<0.01). The findings suggest that both adiponectin and leptin may be relevant to blood pressure regulation via the RAAS, in that the associations appear to be robust to antihypertension medication use and that the associations are likely different by ethnicity.
Policy making in China’s space program: A history and analysis of the Chang’e lunar orbiter project

Abstract China’s space program is one of the most advanced, rapidly improving and opaque in the world. Insight into the program’s policy-making process could help eliminate misunderstandings, make intentions more clear and promote stability in US–China relations. This case study of China’s first lunar orbiting probe traces the project from initial policy proposal through agenda-setting, policy approval and final policy implementation. It reveals a highly rational decision-making process that is ruled by incrementalism, consensus building, scientific judgment and the use of leading small groups to coordinate among ministries. This research was guided by several relevant theories, including the “fragmented authoritarian” framework of power, the theory of the “policy entrepreneur” and the recently developed “inside access model”. The paper is one of the first published accounts in the English language to detail, from policy proposal to policy implementation, China’s first mission to the Moon.
A study of the stress factor in corrosion cracking by use of the pre-cracked cantilever beam specimen

Abstract Most high strength steels are susceptible to stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) in aqueous environments if stressed in tension, but in the general case a stress raiser is required before SCC commences. By inserting a fatigue crack in the specimen before commencing the test, SCC can be caused to initiate immediately upon application of sufficient stress. The stress at the root of the precrack can be described quantitatively by the stress intensity parameter KI and a threshold value of this required to initiate SCC is defined as KIscc. A simple test to do this is described. The results are used to predict the effect of various small surface flaws on cracking of other specimens under various stresses, and the predictions are compared with experience with a martensitic steel of the AISI 4340 type.
A fuzzy dynamic model based state estimator

Systems containing uncertainty are traditionally analyzed with probabilistic methods. However, for non-linear, non-Gaussian systems solutions can sometimes be very difficult to obtain. The focus of this work is to determine if in such cases fuzzy dynamic system models may provide an alternative approach that more easily leads us to a good solution. In this paper, we present a fuzzy estimator whose system model is a fuzzy dynamic system. We show that for the linear, Gaussian case the fuzzy estimator produces the same result as the Kalman filter. More importantly, we show that the fuzzy estimator can succeed for some non-Gaussian, nonlinear systems. Finally, we illustrate the application of the fuzzy estimator on a non-linear, non-Gaussian, time-varying rocket launch problem where we show that it performs better than the extended Kalman filter. From a broad perspective this paper essentially shows how to build on Zadeh's seminal ideas in fuzzy sets, logic, and systems and use Kalman's seminal ideas on optimal estimators to construct a novel fuzzy estimator for non-linear estimation problems. While this seems to reconcile some of the fundamental ideas of Zadeh and Kalman it is unfortunate that the fuzzy estimator can be very computationally complex to implement for practical applications.
Natural, unnatural, and supernatural concepts☆

Abstract Five experiments investigating information-processing consequences of concept naturalness and unnaturalness are reported. In particular, an attempt is made to examine the separate and joint effects of simplicity and entrenchment upon reasoning with natural and unnatural concepts. The experiments employed four variants of a concept-selection task in which subjects characterized the state of an object at some future time on the basis of information about the object at that time and at some earlier time. In all five experiments, both simplicity and entrenchment affected ease of information processing. The last two experiments showed that the effect of simplicity was greater than that of entrenchment. An informationprocessing model of task performance provided a very good account of the latency and error data. Scores from the concept-selection task correlated with scores from a set of psychometric inductive-reasoning tests; indeed, the correlations were higher than those usually found between cognitive task performance and psychometrically measured intelligence. Processing of nonentrenched concepts may provide a useful means for studying the nature of intelligent performance.
Extended Gergonne Syllogisms

Syllogisms with or without negative terms are studied by using Gergonne’s ideas. Soundness, completeness, and decidability results are given.
A new perspective on quiet Sun magnetism

The Hinode mission has provided us with a new, quantitative view of the magnetism of the quiet Sun. It has revealed that the quiet internetwork areas are blanketed by horizontal fields that appear at first sight to have more flux than the vertical fields resolved on the same 0.3″ size scale. These measurements point to the possibility that the horizontal fields might be the primary source of the “hidden turbulent flux” of the quiet Sun anticipated from Hanle effect depolarization. In this paper, evidence is presented suggesting that the “seething” horizontal fields observed by Harvey in 2007 and the horizontal fields revealed by Hinode are the same phenomenon. Because the seething fields appear to be of uniform fluctuation over the whole disk, the phenomenon is most likely not associated with the dynamo source of solar activity. Thus, the small-scale “hidden turbulent flux” lends support to the notion of a local solar dynamo acting on granular sizes and time scales.
Pure mucinous carcinoma of the breast: A clinicopathologic correlation study

Background: Pure mucinous carcinoma (PMC) of the breast has a better prognosis than does invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified and is more prevalent in older patients. We investigated the correlation between prognostic indices and clinical outcome in this histologic subset.
Men are also victims of intimate partner violence.

Every year, more than 1.6 million lives are lost as a result of some form of human violence in the world. Violence is among the leading causes of death for people 15 to 44 years of age worldwide, with 14% of these deaths occurring among men and 4% among women. These are just some of the worldwide violence statistics that influenced the World Health Assembly at their 1996 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, to adopt a resolution declaring violence as a leading public health problem worldwide (World Health Organization, 2002). One form of violence that raises much concern worldwide and at the national level is intimate partner violence. Violence against intimate partners occurs in all countries with much cultural variation for its tolerance. Worldwide, the majority of intimate partner violence occurs in women at the hands of men. It is estimated that 10% to 69% of women around the world report some form of intimate male partner violence. With such alarming epidemiological data, the focus of intimate partner violence has been on the female victim, much to the neglect of the male victim of intimate partner violence (World Health Organization, 2002). The latest information from the U.S. Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that while intimate partner violence against women is more often reported than is intimate partner violence against men, it is still a significant public health problem. The Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Fact Sheet developed by the Department of Justice indicates that 834,700 men are raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate partner each year. In the year 2001, men constituted the largest majority of murder/homicide victims in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, in the year 2001, there were 10,503 men murdered in the United States, whereas there were 3,214 women murdered. These numbers indicate that 76% of all murder victims documented by the FBI in the year 2001 were men. Furthermore, the report indicates that of all the men killed, 9,371 were older than the age of 18. The alarming statistics regarding violence against men in the United States should be a call to action for all of us working to address the problem of violence in society. It is clear that men are not just the perpetrators of violence, as is often constructed in social-psychological discourse, but they are also disproportionately the victims of brutal violence and murder when compared to females, and they experience intimate partner violence at a rate that is all too high. Society’s social construction of men and violence primarily renders men invisible as victims but emphasizes the fact that men are more often the perpetrators of violence than are women. This social construction has neglected to recognize men as legitimate victims of violence at the hands of women and other same-sex partners. Society’s narrow focus on men as victims of intimate partner violence has primarily emphasized same-sex intimate partner violence to the exclusive
An optimal, dynamic policy for hotel yield management

Abstract Most research into the yield management problem has generated variations on the marginal seat revenue models that are based on simplifying assumptions about the demand process and heuristic decision rules. In this paper, a dynamic programming formulation of the problem is given allowing for general demand patterns and a policy that is based on time and the number of vacancies. Furthermore, this policy incorporates both revealed-price and hidden-price market behavior. It is shown that this formulation has a simple, closed-form solution that can be efficiently computed. As a result, a more general formulation of the problem with an optimal solution is available to hotels and airlines. The particular application that motivated this model development is that of yield management for small hotels.
Manganese-enhanced MRI enables longitudinal tracking of transplanted stem cell viability in the murine myocardium

Background Stem cell therapy in the heart is limited by an inability to track transplanted cell survival. To address this limitation, we used human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs), which exhibit longer in vivo survival, and Manganese (Mn2+)-Enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which enters live stem cells to augment T1 signal. We tested Mn2+ pre-labeling of hAMSCs in vitro and whether MEMRI would detect hAMSC survival in mouse myocardium in vivo. Methods hAMSCs were isolated from human placentas after IRB consent. A subset of cells was transduced with a luciferase reporter gene. One group of hAMSCs was exposed to 1 μM doxorubicin (DOX) for 4 hrs, then incubated for 48 hrs. The hAMSCs (Healthy & DOX) were then labeled with increasing concentrations (0.1, 0.5, & 1 mM) of MnCl2 (Sigma, Inc) for 30 min. Bioluminescence (BLI) was performed after MnCl2 labeling. Cells were pelleted into Eppendorf tubes and in vitro 3T MRI was performed (SignaHDx, GE, Inc). For in vivo MEMRI, 0.25 × 106 Healthy and DOX hAMSCs were pre-labeled with 0.5 mM MnCl2 for 30 min, washed, and pelleted for direct injection into
The importance of the pronated grip x-ray view in evaluating ulnar variance

Although dynamic increases in ulnar variance may accompany functional activity, radiographic assessment of ulnar variance traditionally has used a neutral rotation x-ray of the wrist that provides an image of the radioulnar length with the wrist unloaded. Such a view may underestimate variance in wrists in which power grip and pronation result in significant proximal migration of the radius. This study investigates the effect of a maximum grip effort in combination with forearm pronation on ulnar variance in 22 patients who presented with ulnar wrist pain. The pronated grip x-ray view resulted in statistically significant increases in ulnar variance. Preoperative ulnar variance should be measured using both neutral rotation and pronated grip x-rays before selecting treatment for causes of ulnar wrist pain that are affected by radioulnar length so that dynamic increases in ulnar variance are considered when operative treatment is necessary.
Parents' perceptions of parenting

Much has been written about parenting practices from a theoretical perspective, but we know very little about what parents believe about parenting. This article begins with an overview of parenting theory, reviews briefly studies that have attempted to identify parenting characteristics, and provides a rationale for the use of the scaling techniques known as Q-methodology for rank-ordering statements of parenting behavior.
Modeling large-area influence in digital halftoning for electrophotographic printers

Digital halftoning provides a mechanism for rendering continuous-tone images on devices such as printers. With electrophotography, the deposition of toner within the area of a given printer addressable pixel is strongly influenced by the halftone values of the immediately neighboring pixels. To account for these effects, it is necessary to embed a printer model in the halftoning algorithm. In our previous work, we used an efficient strategy to account for the impact of a 5x5 neighborhood of pixels on the central pixel absorptance. Now we examine the potential influence of a much larger neighborhood (45x45) of the digital halftone image on the measured value of a printed pixel at the center of that neighborhood. The experiment shows that the extended model yields a significant improvement in the accuracy of the prediction of the pixel values of the printed and measured halftone image.
The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Global Sustainability: A Review

This article discusses ways in which ICTs contribute to several aspects of global sustainability. We examine how economic development, education, energy, environment, and transportation at the country level benefit from ICTs, along with several orders of effects on global sustainability. We also examine rebound effects. The anecdotal and theoretical research suggests that the impact of ICTs is felt primarily in sustainable development. We thus identify the key challenges to be addressed in bringing about an ICTs-based sustainable world. Studying the macro impacts of ICT investments can also guide countries in setting policy and making selective investments in ICTs that will promote global sustainability.
Rollett Proviso in the Stability of Linear Microwave Circuits&#8212;A Tutorial

This paper ties together several different aspects of linear stability analysis as it applies to microwave circuits. In particular, it reviews how the Rollett proviso enters into the well-known stability parameter tests and how the proviso can be evaluated using standard computer-aided-design software.
Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Carbohydrate and Insulin-dosing Knowledge in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE The American Diabetes Association advocates insulin regimens for youth with type 1 diabetes that involve adjusting insulin dose based on carbohydrate intake and blood glucose level. Implementing these regimens requires knowledge about carbohydrate content of foods and subsequent calculations of insulin dose, skills that may be difficult to gauge in practice. Therefore, we sought to develop and validate a questionnaire, the PedCarbQuiz (PCQ), to assess carbohydrate and insulin-dosing knowledge in youth with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS After development by an expert panel, the PCQ was administered to 75 youth with type 1 diabetes or their parents. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach α and split-half testing. To assess validity, scores were correlated with A1C, expert assessments, parent educational level, and complexity of insulin regimen. RESULTS PCQ mean score was 87 ± 9.7% (range 42–98%). Cronbach α was 0.88, and correlation of split halves was 0.59 ( P r = −0.29, P = 0.01) and expert assessments ( r = 0.56, P P = 0.01) and in participants with more complex insulin regimens ( P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The PCQ is a novel, easily administered instrument to assess knowledge about carbohydrates and insulin dosing calculations. Initial analyses support the reliability and validity of the PCQ.
Strain differences in sensitivity to light-induced photoreceptor degeneration in albino mice

The sensitivity to light-induced photoreceptor degeneration was examined in 7 different inbred strains of albino mice. The mice were exposed to 3 weeks of constant fluorescent light at an illuminance level of 115-130 ft-c (ca. 1,265-1,430 lux), after which the eyes were examined histologically. The degree of light-induced photoreceptor degeneration was compared to that found in BALB/cByJ (BALB/c) albino mice, which have previously been described as sensitive to the damaging effects of light, and to C57BL/6J-c2J albino mice, which have been shown to be resistant to light-induced damage. Mice of the A/J, AKR/J and NZW/LacJ strains were indistinguishable from BALB/c mice in light sensitivity, as measured by mean outer nuclear layer thickness and the presence or absence of outer segment membranes. Mice of the Ma/MyJ and RF/J strains were somewhat more sensitive to light than BALB/c mice, and those of the RIIIs/J were far more sensitive than all of the other strains. The LG/J strain differed from other strains by individual mice displaying one of two degrees of light sensitivity, those similar to the light-sensitive Ma/MyJ and RF strains and those remarkably more resistant to light, with photoreceptor outer segment integrity even greater than that of the light-resistant C57BL/6J-c2J strain. These findings demonstrate that different inbred strains of a given species may exhibit a wide range of sensitivities to constant light exposure and that most albino mouse strains examined thus far are highly sensitive to the damaging effects of light.
Mineral Volume and Morphology in Carotid Plaque Specimens Using High-Resolution MRI and CT

Objective— High-resolution MRI methods have been used to evaluate carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque content. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of high-resolution MRI in evaluation of the quantity and pattern of mineral deposition in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) specimens, with quantitative micro-CT as the gold standard. Methods and Results— High-resolution MRI and CT were compared in 20 CEA specimens. Linear regression comparing mineral volumes generated from CT (VCT) and MRI (VMRI) data demonstrated good correlation using simple thresholding (VMRI=−0.01+0.98VCT; R2=0.90; threshold=4×noise) and k-means clustering methods (VMRI=−0.005+1.38VCT; R2=0.93). Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC [mineral mass]) were calculated for CT data and BMC verified with ash weight. Patterns of mineralization like particles, granules, and sheets were more clearly depicted on CT. Conclusions— Mineral volumes generated from MRI or CT data were highly correlated. CT provided a mor...
Promising directions in public choice

The discipline of public choice was founded largely by economists and political scientists who were interested in borrowing from each others’ disciplines and joining forces in a new type of research.1 Economists felt traditional economic models were remiss in failing to include a positive theory of government decision-making. The political scientists were seeking to develop political theories on an intellectual par with economic theories of market behavior. Mainstream political scientists, still in the throes of the behavioral revolution, were ill prepared if not openly hostile to the axiomatic method of analysis and the assumption of individual rationality. Economists, wanting to incorporate a model of government into classical models of market decision-making, were natural allies for public choice political scientists.
Caffeine and human DNA metabolism: the magic and the mystery

The ability of caffeine to reverse cell cycle checkpoint function and enhance genotoxicity after DNA damage was examined in telomerase-expressing human fibroblasts. Caffeine reversed the ATM-dependent S and G2 checkpoint responses to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR), as well as the ATR- and Chk1-dependent S checkpoint response to ultraviolet radiation (UVC). Remarkably, under conditions in which IR-induced G2 delay was reversed by caffeine, IR-induced G1 arrest was not. Incubation in caffeine did not increase the percentage of cells entering the S phase 6-8h after irradiation; ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53 and transactivation of p21(Cip1/Waf1) post-IR were resistant to caffeine. Caffeine alone induced a concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis. It inhibited the entry of human fibroblasts into S phase by 70-80% regardless of the presence or absence of wildtype ATM or p53. Caffeine also enhanced the inhibition of cell proliferation induced by UVC in XP variant fibroblasts. This effect was reversed by expression of DNA polymerase eta, indicating that translesion synthesis of UVC-induced pyrimidine dimers by DNA pol eta protects human fibroblasts against UVC genotoxic effects even when other DNA repair functions are compromised by caffeine.
Adaptive Calibration and Control of Cascade Processes With Unknown Measurement Model and Actuator Dynamics and Its Application to Paper Manufacturing

Many industrial processes are in cascade configuration in which the material being processed goes through a sequence of processing units. The output of an upstream processing unit is fed into the input of the unit downstream. In many cases, the variables of interests are only available via related uncertain surrogate measurements in the all the upstream stages, and directly measured at the output of the last stage. The problem of controlling such systems by adaptively calibrating the surrogate measurement model and the use of a pre-emptive control strategy was studied in [9]. In this paper, the unknown actuator dynamics is taken into account in the adaptive calibration and pre-emptive control as well. A Lyapunov based nonlinear control algorithm is derived. The proposed control algorithm is applied to a vacuum dewatering process in paper manufacturing industry. Simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can regulate the exiting moisture content of each unit at the desired value.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Grape seed polyphenolic extract specifically decreases Aβ∗56 in the brains of Tg2576 mice

Amyloid- (A) oligomers, found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and transgenic mouse models of AD, cause synaptotoxicity and memory impairment. Grape seed polyphenolic extract (GSPE) inhibits A oligomerization in vitro and attenuates cognitive impairment and AD-related neuropathology in the brains of transgenic mice. In the current study, GSPE was administered to Tg2576 mice for a period of five months. Treatment significantly decreased brain levels of A*56, a 56-kDa A oligomer previously shown to induce memory dysfunction in rodents, without changing the levels of transgenic amyloid- protein precursor, monomeric A, or other A oligomers. These results thus provide the first demonstration that a safe and affordable intervention can lower the levels of a memory-impairing A oligomer in vivo and strongly suggest that GSPE should be further tested as a potential prevention and/or therapy for AD.
Quantitative metrics of social response for autism diagnosis

Social robots recognize and respond to human social cues with appropriate behaviors. The capabilities used to build social robots can be uniquely applied to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, a pervasive developmental disorder which results in selective impairment of social abilities. This paper outlines some of the ways in which social robots can provide unique perspectives to address critical problems in diagnosing autism. We provide preliminary data and observations on how this result can be achieved based on three years of immersion in a clinical research group that performs diagnostic evaluations of more than 130 children per year.
AIDS-related primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) can develop in the setting of profound immunosuppression, including late-stage infection with HIV. The management of such patients has yet to be defined optimally arid differs substantially from that of immunocompetent patients who have PCNSL. The clinical features, diagnosis, and management of AIDS-related PCNSL are reviewed. The authors focus on commonly encountered diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas and explore some promises and pitfalls of Epstein-Barr virus-directed therapies.
Thermal boundary layer in a gas subject to a time dependent pressure

Abstract An analysis of the thermal boundary layer in a gas subject to time dependent pressure variations has been made for the case in which the thermal conductivity is proportional to the temperature. Explicit expressions for the time dependent boundary layer profile, the displacement thickness and the heat transfer rate are presented.
Baby culture and the curriculum of consumption: a critical reading of the film Babies

We focus on the recently emerging ‘baby culture’ that is fostering a curriculum of consumption and consumerism among parents-to-be and infants aged zero-to-three. To gain insight into how the cultural artifacts, practices, and trends emerging from this demographic are shaping the way we think and act in a consumer culture, we investigate Babies, a popular documentary film by French director Thomas Balmes, who spent nearly two years following the lives of four babies from Namibia, Mongolia, Japan, and the USA. We identified a metanarrative positing the civilising nature of consumption; this metanarrative was exhibited through two main themes: colonising images and ‘civilised’ cleanliness. These themes reinforce assumptions of a thriving or readily emerging baby culture in the featured consumer economy nations as contrasted with what could be read as the ‘uncivilised’ approach to parenting and child development portrayed by the film in developing countries. We argue that the film perpetuates an obsession wi...
Untimely Review of Friedrich Nietzsche's, Twilight of the Idols

This review essay of Nietzsche's "Twilight of the Idols" (1888) is part of the journal TOPOI's "Untimely Reviews" series of classic works of philosophy. The journal explains the idea of the series this way: "We take a classic of philosophy and ask an outstanding scholar in the same field to review it as if it had just been published. This implies that the classical work must be contrasted with both past and current literature and must be framed in the wider cultural context of the present day. The result is a litmus test for the work itself: Failure in accounting for relevant issues raised by contemporary literature reveals that, in those respects, our classic has indeed been outpaced by later works. On the other hand, any success in capturing core topics of current discussion, or even anticipating and clarifying issues not yet well brought into focus by contemporary scholars, is the strongest proof of the liveliness of the work, no matter how long ago it was written."This essay tries to discharge the task for Nietzsche's TWILIGHT. Themes dealt with are Nietzsche's attacks on morality, on free will, on mental causation, on Socrates, and on Kant. Connections are drawn with contemporary work by Mark Johnston, David Rosenthal, and Daniel Wagner, among others.