cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-dose naltrexone therapy and dietary counseling for obesity

There is considerable evidence that antagonism of the endogenous opioids will suppress food intake in a variety of animal species. The authors report a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the long-acting, orally active narcotic antagonist naltrexone in the promotion of weight loss in obese male subjects who were also undergoing dietary counseling for weight reduction. Subjects received medication (naltrexone, 300 mg/day or placebo) for 8 weeks following an initial 2-week single-blind placebo phase. The results failed to demonstrate an advantage for the active drug. However, the naltrexone was associated with hepatotoxicity when used at this dosage in this population.
Magnetic resonance imaging and three-dimensional reconstructions of the brain of a fetal common dolphin, Delphinus delphis

To demonstrate the kinds of data that can be obtained non-destructively and non-invasively from preserved museum specimens using modern imaging technology the head region of a whole body fetal specimen of the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, aged 8–9 months post-conception, was scanned using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Series of scans were obtained in coronal, sagittal and horizontal planes. A digital three-dimensional reconstruction of the whole brain was prepared from the coronal series of scans. Sectional areas and three-dimensional volumes were obtained of the cerebral hemispheres and of the brainstem-plus-cerebellum. Neuroanatomical features identified in the scans include the major sulci of the cerebral hemispheres, well-differentiated regions of gray and white matter, the mesencephalic, pontine, and cervical flexures, the ”foreshortened’’ appearance of the forebrain, and the large auditory inferior colliculi. These findings show that numerous features of the fetal common dolphin brain can be visualized and analyzed from MRI scans.
Anomalous proteins associated with three strains of tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract Infection by three distinct strains of tobacco mosaic virus, severe, mild, and Holmes' rib grass, engenders the formation of anomalous proteins in tobacco plants. These proteins have been characterized by electrophoresis and have been found to be different and specific for each strain of virus. All were polymerized into rods resembling the virus.
Frank Parsons: His Heritage Leads Us into the 21st Century

In conclusion these are my hopes for career development in the year 2000, and beyond: It seems to me that is part of the Frank Parsons heritage from the past 85 years. This heritage seems well positioned to take us into the 21st century if we have the wisdom and insight necessary to utilize the best research and resources available to us now and in the future.
Parenteral chlorpromazine treatment of migraine

A prospective, uncontrolled clinical trial was conducted to test the safety and efficacy of intramuscular chlorpromazine (1 mg/kg) in the acute, outpatient treatment of migraine. One hundred adult patients were included in the study. There was complete relief of both pain and nausea/emesis symptoms in 96 patients within 55 minutes of the injection. Eighteen patients experienced orthostatic hypotension following injection. All but one responded to noninvasive therapy. The results suggest that chlorpromazine is a safe, effective alternative medication in the outpatient treatment of acute migraine.
Comparative lipid-lowering effects of policosanol and atorvastatin: A randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Policosanol, commonly derived from purified sugar cane wax, has been reported to exert lipid-lowering effects. Policosanol is available in the United States as a nutritional supplement despite no US research clinical experience. This trial was designed to rigorously establish the lipid-lowering efficacy of policosanol as monotherapy and its potential additive and possibly synergistic effects when added to statin therapy. Methods A randomized, parallel, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled design was used. Patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels from 140 to 189 mg/dL were assigned into 1 of 4 groups to receive policosanol 20 mg, atorvastatin 10 mg, combination therapy, or placebo for 12 weeks. Results A total of 99 patients were examined. Baseline characteristics were similar among all treatment groups. Policosanol (20 mg/d for 12 weeks) did not significantly change plasma total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or triglyceride levels when compared with baseline values or with values of placebo-treated patients. Atorvastatin (10 mg/d for 12 weeks) reduced total cholesterol by 27% and LDL-C by 35%. Addition of policosanol to atorvastatin failed to produce any further reduction in lipid levels above that of atorvastatin alone. Policosanol was safe and did not affect liver enzyme or creatinine phosphokinase levels. Conclusions Policosanol did not reduce LDL-C or total cholesterol levels either alone or in combination with atorvastatin. This observation supports the need for systematic evaluation of available products containing policosanol to determine their clinical lipid-lowering efficacy under rigorous experimental conditions. We propose that policosanol should be added to the list of nutritional supplements lacking scientific validity to support their use.
Parallel Object-Oriented Computation Applied to a Finite Element Problem

The conventional wisdom in the scientific computing community is that the best way to solve large-scale numerically intensive scientific problems on today's parallel MIMD computers is to use Fortran or C programmed in a data-parallel style using low-level message-passing primitives. This approach inevitably leads to nonportable codes and extensive development time, and restricts parallel programming to the domain of the expert programmer. We believe that these problems are not inherent to parallel computing but are the result of the programming tools used. We will show that comparable performance can be achieved with little effort if better tools that present higher level abstractions are used. The vehicle for our demonstration is a 2D electromagnetic finite element scattering code we have implemented in Mentat, an object-oriented parallel processing system. We briefly describe the application. Mentat, the implementation, and present performance results for both a Mentat and a hand-coded parallel Fortran version.
Abstract 5144: Epigenetic reprogramming by tumor-derived EZH2 gain of function mutants leads to aggressive 3D-cell morphologies in both epithelial and melanoma cells

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA In addition to numerous genetic changes underlying cellular transformation, cancer cells are also characterized by epigenetic changes that are likely to play important roles in disease progression. EZH2 is an epigenetic repressor that plays well-established roles in development. In addition to widespread overexpression in a variety of tumors, the discovery of gain of function (GOF) mutations of EZH2 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma, and melanoma strongly suggests an important function for this histone methyltransferase in cancer. To ascertain the function of elevated EZH2 catalytic activity, we expressed either wild-type EZH2 (WT) or EZH2 GOF mutants in both non-tumorigenic (immortalized epithelial cells) and tumorigenic (melanoma cells) settings. In both systems, EZH2 GOF mutants greatly increased global levels of H3K27me3 and decreased H3K27me2 levels, similar to the epigenetic pattern seen in DLBCL cell lines with endogenous EZH2 GOF mutations. In epithelial cells, expression of an EZH2 GOF mutant caused striking changes in 3D-morphology and gene changes that are indicative of cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In the disease relevant melanoma cells, several distinct EZH2 GOF mutants (but not EZH2 WT) caused prominent branching morphology in 3D-culture. Interestingly, these GOF mutants did not affect 2D-cell morphology or proliferation of melanoma cells. Furthermore, catalytic inhibition of EZH2 GOF mutants with a commercially available tool compound attenuated the 3D-phenotype. Importantly, EZH2 inhibition in melanoma cells expressing an endogenous GOF mutation also caused similar changes in 3D-morphology. RNA-seq analysis revealed genes involved in processes such as cell adhesion and axonal guidance that were down-regulated by EZH2 GOF mutants. Finally, melanoma cells expressing ectopic EZH2 GOF mutants formed larger tumors than control cells in mouse xenograft studies. Collectively, these results suggest that EZH2 GOF mutants may alter the interaction of tumor cells with their microenvironment and in this way provide a selective advantage to such tumors. Citation Format: Robert A. Rollins, Anthony M. Barsotti, Michael Ryskin, Wenyan Zhong, Wei-Guo Zhang, Andreas Giannakou, Christine Loreth, Veronica Diesl, Maximillian T. Follettie, Jonathon Golas, Michelle Lee, Timothy Nichols, Conglin Fan, Gary Li, Stephen Dann, Paul A. Rejto, Kim T. Arndt, Dominique Verhelle. Epigenetic reprogramming by tumor-derived EZH2 gain of function mutants leads to aggressive 3D-cell morphologies in both epithelial and melanoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5144. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5144
Older Adults' Perceptions of Physical Activity Participation Based on Age-role and Sex-role Appropriateness

(1986). Older Adults' Perceptions of Physical Activity Participation Based on Age-role and Sex-role Appropriateness. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 167-169.
Lipid interactions with human antiphospholipid antibody, β2-glycoprotein 1, and normal human IgG using the fluorescent probes NBD-PE and DPH

Abstract Recurrent venous thrombosis, arterial thrombosis and pregnancy losses are clinical manifestation associated with antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) that recognizes negatively charged phospholipid antigens. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are generally used to determine the presence and specificity of aPL. In this paper, a fluorescence spectroscopy method has been applied, through monitoring the alteration of fluorescence intensity and anisotropy of a fluorophore that was incorporated in liposomes to explore the changes of molecular structure or configuration elicited by the binding aPL with phospholipid antigens. The bilayer surface was markedly ordered by aPL binding as indicated by the surface-sensitive probe NBD-PE. The binding of aPL on the bilayer surface is saturable. The saturation concentration of aPL is 40% (w/w, aPL/lipid) for cardiolipin membranes. The binding of aPL on cardiolipin took place in the absence of β2-GP1. The addition of β2-GP1 further increased the anisotropy and decreased the intensity of fluorescence. The binding of aPL is predominantly attributed to electrostatic interaction, but the configuration of the acyl chains of phospholipid also plays a role. It is found that the thermal history is important for aPL binding. The incubation at 37°C is more favorable for aPL binding than ambient temperature. Normal human serine (IgG-NHS) did not elicit any distinct change of NBD-PE fluorescence, which indicates it does not interact with the lipid.
Viral Induction of the Zinc Finger Antiviral Protein Is IRF3-dependent but NF-κB-independent

The zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is an interferon-stimulated gene that restricts the replication of retroviruses, alphaviruses, and filoviruses. Relatively little is known, however, regarding the detailed mechanism of ZAP induction during viral infections. We show that, although being inducible by either interferon or virus, expression of ZAP is more efficiently activated by virus than are several other classical interferon-stimulated genes and that viral induction of ZAP occurs under the direct control of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) independent of interferon paracrine/autocrine signaling. ZAP was up-regulated in cells unresponsive to type I and III interferons upon engagement of TLR3, retinoic inducible gene I/melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 pathways, or ectopic expression of a constitutively active IRF3 mutant. Conversely, induction of ZAP by virus or dsRNA was severely impaired in cells expressing a dominant-negative mutant IRF3 and completely abrogated in cells lacking IRF3. In contrast to IRF3, ZAP induction was independent of NF-κB activity. Mutational analysis of the human ZAP promoter revealed that multiple interferon-stimulated response elements far distal to the transcription start site serve redundantly to control IRF3-dependent induction of ZAP transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that IRF3 selectively binds the distal interferon-stimulated response elements in human ZAP promoter following viral infection. Collectively, these data suggest that ZAP is a direct target gene of IRF3 action in cellular antiviral responses.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency and the Therapeutic Effects of Daflon 500 mg

Chronic venous insufficiency is linked to venous hypertension and forces of shear stress on the endothelium. Venous hypertension depends upon two forces: the weight of a column of blood from the right atrium transmitted through the valveless vena cava and iliac veins to the femoral vein, and pressure generated by contracting skeletal muscles of the leg transmitted through failed perforating veins. When valve failure occurs in superficial axial veins and perforating veins, the venous pressure in the veins and venules of the skin and subcutaneous tissue is raised. The skin changes in chronic venous insufficiency are directly related to the severity of the venous hypertension. Also, pathologic changes in the valves are linked to venous hypertension and leukocyte infiltration and activation. It is hypothesized that acute venous pressure elevations cause a shift in the venous hemodynamics with changes in wall shear stress. This initiates the inflammatory cascade. Daflon 500 mg ameliorates the effects of chronic inflammation. In randomized trials, 60 days of therapy with Daflon at a dosage of 500 mg 2 tablets daily was effective, in addition to elastic compression, in accelerating venous ulcer healing. Because venous insufficiency is linked to venous hypertension and an inflammatory reaction, it appears that Daflon 500 mg 2 tablets daily shows a great potential for accomplishing blockade of the inflammatory cascade.
A functional series expansion method for response analysis of non-linear systems subjected to random excitations

Abstract A Wiener-Hermite functional series expansion method for response analysis of nonlinear systems under random excitations is presented. The formal procedure for the derivation of the deterministic equations governing the Wiener-Hermite kernel functions is described. A singleterm expansion is used to analyze the non-stationary responses of a damped Duffing oscillator subjected to several modulated white noises. An iterative procedure for evaluating the kernel functions and the mean-square responses of the Duffing oscillator is developed. For several values of non-linearity strength and different damping coefficients the non-stationary variances and autocorrelations of the response are obtained. The results are compared with those found by the digital simulations and the existing methods.
Effectiveness of a Custom-fitted Flange and Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) System in Controlling the Release of Nanoscale Metal Oxide Particulates During Reactor Cleanout Operations

As the nanotechnology industry expands, facilities engaged in the production and use of engineered nanoscale materials (ENMs) are challenged with determining whether their processes pose a risk for worker inhalation exposure. Although there are neither regulatory exposure limits specific to ENMs nor validated measurement standards for nanomaterials in the workplace, many facilities opt to be proactive in managing uncharacterized ENMs by reducing or eliminating the potential for exposure by controlling their release into the workplace atmosphere. A field study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a portable, HEPA-filtered, local exhaust ventilation system equipped with a custom-fitted flange for controlling the emission of engineered nanoscale metal oxide particulates during reactor cleanout operations. On the basis of the findings of this study, it appears that a properly designed LEV system, coupled with good work practices can be highly effective in controlling nanoscale material emissions during processes of this type.
Perceived Parental Power and Parental Identification among Armenian-American Adolescents

The study partially supported the social power model of parental identification for 64 female and 47 male Armenian-American adolescents. The results suggested a possible interaction of identification by sex and identification by perceived power. Perceived power and identification correlated moderately for the same rather than the cross-sex parents. Girls perceived mothers to have more power than boys, while they did not differ on the perception of fathers' over-all power. Fathers were perceived to be strongest in Outcome Control power and mothers in Referent power.
The role of a 70 kDa nuclear protein in fetal haemoglobin synthesis in K562 cells

. Previously, we reported that a 70 kDa nuclear protein may regulate fetal haemoglobin gene expression in haemin treated K562 cells. To obtain further evidence of the specific role of this 70 kDa nuclear protein, we compared the nuclear fractions isolated from phenylacetate, hydroxyurea and haemin treated K562 cells. Both phenylacetate and hydroxyurea have been used to induce fetal haemoglobin synthesis in K562 cells. Cell growth was measured by biochemical events including DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. Differentiation of K562 cells was determined by both [3H]-leucine incorporation into fetal haemoglobin and scoring benzidine-stained positive cells. Unlike the haemin treated cells, phenylacetate and hydroxyurea induced growth arrest and increased fetal haemoglobin gene expression in K562 cells. After four days of treatment with phenylacetate and hydroxyurea more than 50% of the cells stained positive with benzidine. The SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of nuclear proteins isolated from phenylacetate and hydroxyurea treated K562 cells showed that the 70 kDa protein was reduced in nuclear protein extract in both groups similar to haemin treated cells. These results suggest that the loss of the 70 kDa protein from a nuclear protein extract is not restricted to only haemin treated cells but also occurs in hydroxyurea and phenylacetate treated cells. Our results provide further evidence that the 70 kDa nuclear protein may be involved in regulating fetal haemoglobin expression through a negative control mechanism.
Remasculinizing American white guys in/through new millennium American sport films

In this essay I analyse the cultural politics of the white masculinities constructed in new millennium American sport films. Specifically, I situate the production and consumption of these films in...
"Stand-up" urologic endoscopy

Abstract Objectives To report the advantages of performing diagnostic and therapeutic urologic endoscopic procedures with the urologic surgeon in the standing-up position. Methods Our 25-year institutional experience with more than 10,000 cases of transurethral ablation of the prostate and other urologic endoscopic procedures, performed by the urologist in the standing-up position, was examined. A questionnaire of all 55 of our former urology residents was carried out to determine current practice trends. Results We have noted no drawbacks from performing transurethral surgery in the standing-up position. Ninety-two percent of the respondents believe that the standing-up position was more comfortable for endoscopic surgery than the sitting-down position. Conclusions The standing-up technique of transurethral surgery minimizes positional stresses on the urologist's cervical and thoracic spine while optimizing endoscopic visualization and maneuverability. We recommend it in preference to the conventional sitting-down technique.
Capital Punishment in the Era of Globalization: A Partial Test of the Marshall Hypothesis Among College Students

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s hypothesis—that knowledge about the death penalty would reduce support for it—has been measured in terms of the public’s receptivity to key arguments for abolition including racial discrimination, lack of deterrent effect, and innocence. The effect of the international contextual argument, however, has gone virtually untested, despite the argument’s increased popularity. This preliminary study examines the impact of the international contextual argument against the death penalty on the opinion of 216 adult American students at a public university in California. The results of this study suggest that student support for the death penalty was decreased by exposure to international contextual information. The research presented in this paper is intended to encourage further investigation into the possibility that American public opinion may be significantly affected by international context.
Pyridine-Substituted Desoxyritonavir Is a More Potent Inhibitor of Cytochrome P450 3A4 than Ritonavir

Utilization of the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor ritonavir as a pharmacoenhancer for anti-HIV drugs revolutionized the treatment of HIV infection. However, owing to ritonavir-related complications, there is a need for development of new CYP3A4 inhibitors with improved pharmacochemical properties, which requires a full understanding of the CYP3A4 inactivation mechanisms and the unraveling of possible inhibitor binding modes. We investigated the mechanism of CYP3A4 interaction with three desoxyritonavir analogues, containing the heme-ligating imidazole, oxazole, or pyridine group instead of the thiazole moiety (compounds 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Our data show that compound 3 is superior to ritonavir in terms of binding affinity and inhibitory potency owing to greater flexibility and the ability to adopt a conformation that minimizes steric clashing and optimizes protein–ligand interactions. Additionally, Ser119 was identified as a key residue assisting binding of ritonavir-like inhibitors, which...
Knowledge management through the development of information schema

Knowledge management (KM) has been receiving considerable attention in the human-systems research community in the past few years. This paper discusses the key concepts of user-computer interaction for knowledge development and proposes a model of an information schema. Such an information repository for KM must be organized into a domain schema. Users of an information repository play an active role in searching through information to coordinate their actions. An example of information schema for KM can be found in a student advising system. This will be used to illustrate the concept of the development of an information schema.
Can It Be That It Would Have Been Even Though It Might Not Have Been

The score was tied in the bottom of the ninth, I was on third base, and there was only one out when Bubba hit a towering fly ball to deep left-center. Although I'm no speed-demon, the ball was hammered so far that I easily could have scored the winning run if I had tagged up. But I didn't. I got caught up in the excitement and stupidly played it half way, standing between third and home until I saw the center fielder make his spectacular catch, after which I had to return sheepishly to third. The next batter grounded out, and we lost the game in extra innings. This thought haunts me:
Determination of molecular weight from protein crystals.

Abstract Different methods for the determination, of molecular weight from protein crystals are summarized, and in some cases extended. The use of crystal density measurements is discussed, and several approaches based on such measurements, including density extrapolation (Colman & Matthews, 1971) and crosslinking (Cornick et al. , 1973), are described and illustrated by density measurements of crystals of γ-chymotrypsin and β-amylase. The importance of allowing for “bound water” in molecular weight estimation is illustrated by examples, and a summary is given of information which may be gained from densities of crystals soaked in heavy water. The determination of molecular weight from measurement of the loss of weight of crystals on drying is discussed and illustrated using North's (1959) data. Also the method of molecular weight estimation from “crystal volume and protein content” (Love, 1957; Heidner et al. , 1971) is reviewed, and a new method based on “crystal mass and protein content” is proposed.
Electrode Potential Stability

This study demonstrates that even a small contamination on a single metal electrode produces large fluctuating potentials. These potentials can seriously distort the recording of bioelectric events. Controlled contaminants were placed on single metal electrodes of copper, zinc, and silver-silver chloride, and recordings were made versus a stable electrode of the same metal. In all cases, the fluctuating potentials recorded with the contaminated electrode were much larger than those when no contaminant was present. Electrolytically clean electrodes produced the smallest fluctuating potentials with all electrode pairs.
Phase transition pattern of 2,5-diphenyloxazole/γ-cyclodextrin (PPO/γ-CD) self-assembly aggregates

Abstract The molecule 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) organizes into non-covalently bonded self-assembled aggregates of guest-host complexes with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) in aqueous solutions. This structure is held together by weak interactions between the PPO and the γ-CD molecules. Therefore a small activation energy allows deterioration of these self-assembled aggregates. In this study, we report the effect of temperature and pH on this unique ensemble of aggregates. We report a phase transition pattern in which the structure disassembles from long to short (i.e. basic unit) aggregates. The relative fluorescence intensities of the excimer and monomer of PPO have been used to study this transition. Earlier investigations reported that these self-assembled aggregates were destroyed by an increase in temperature up to 80°C. In this study, we examined the effect of temperature on this structure and found a phase transition pattern of the temperature-dependent structure. Both the intensity and polarization of the steady state fluorescence reveal similar values of the critical temperature at 46±8°C and 49±7°C for the monomer and excimer fluorescence respectively. In addition, earlier studies proposed that hydrogen bonding between the guest and host molecules may play an active role in stabilizing the linear beads. We examined this hypothesis by changing the pH to an acidic or basic medium. A change in the aggregates was observed at approximately pH 12, which is the pKa value of γ-CD. For the pH range 10–13, a phase transition is centered at about pH 12.
A new species of small-bodied sparassodont (Mammalia, Metatheria) from the middle Miocene locality of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia

The Sparassodonta (Mammalia, Metatheria) are a group of carnivorous mammals that dominated the macropredatory guild of South America during the Cenozoic. Here, we describe a new sparassodont based ...
Benefits of screening for breast cancer: application of a probabilistic model to a breast cancer detection project.

Abstract A probabilistic model for disease screening is applied to breast cancer, in particular, data from the HIP breast cancer screening project. The observed morbidity and mortality in that study are shown to be well fitted by the predicted values obtained from the model. Estimates of lead time average about one-third of a year over all age groups screened. Sensitivity of screening is determined to be higher in the older age groups. The predicted benefits of screening are a decreased probability of dying of breast cancer and increased life expectancy. These are predicted for all age groups considered.
The field performance of frontal air bags: a review of the literature

This article presents a broad review of the literature on frontal air bag field performance, starting with the initial government and industry projections of effectiveness and concluding with the most recent assessments of depowered systems. This review includes as many relevant metrics as practicable, interprets the findings, and provides references so the interested reader can further evaluate the limitations, confounders, and utility of each metric. The evaluations presented here range from the very specific (individual case studies) to the general (statistical analyses of large databases). The metrics used to evaluate air bag performance include fatality reduction or increase; serious, moderate, and minor injury reduction or increase; harm reduction or increase; and cost analyses, including insurance costs and the cost of life years saved for various air bag systems and design philosophies. The review begins with the benefits of air bags. Fatality and injury reductions attributable to the air bag are presented. Next, the negative consequences of air bag deployment are described. Injuries to adults and children and the current trends in air bag injury rates are discussed, as are the few documented instances of inadvertent deployments or non-deployment in severe crashes. In the third section, an attempt is made to quantify the influence of the many confounding factors that affect air bag performance. The negative and positive characteristics of air bags are then put into perspective within the context of societal costs and benefits. Finally, some special topics, including risk homeostasis and the performance of face bags, are discussed.
Overlay-NoC and H-Phy based computing using modern Chip Multiprocessors

Constant growth in demand for computational power requires advances in the internal mechanisms of multiprocessor computing structures. Such architectures may include many (sometimes, even millions of) processors performing processing tasks. Each technique that increases efficiency leads to significant benefits in operational energy and task execution time. Due the scale of multiprocessor computing structures, the importance of achieving faster and efficient systems is invaluable. In this paper, we present two different approaches for processing tasks on multiprocessor architectures: Hardware-Physical (H-Phy) and Overlay-Network-on-Chip (Overlay-NoC). Both methods are described and compared. We also present the research plan, models, simulation assumptions, and results of research. The paper is summarized with conclusions and future work plan.
Physostigmine: effects on fear or defense responses in the rat.

Previous research had shown that the anticholinergic drug, scopolamine, decreased innate defensive responses of rats to a live cat or mechanical robot, and that the effects of scopolamine were attributable to actions of the drug on the central nervous system. In the present research, the anticholinesterase, physostigmine, which increases central cholinergic activity, caused an increase in the defense responses of male hooded rats. Physostigmine caused significantly more freezing and significantly more suppression of feeding and suppression of time near the aversive stimulus (ROBOT). Dose-response curves showed a positive, linear relationship between dose (0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg) of physostigmine and defense responses. The present results could not be attributed to general response suppression since the effects of physostigmine were situation-specific, i.e., the drug had no significant effect on behavior in the non-aversive or NO ROBOT condition. The present results were taken as further evidence of the involvement of cholinergic activity in the mediation of defense responses. The effects of cholinergic and anticholinergic drugs on the observable defense response of freezing were thought to have important implications for the large literature relating these drugs and avoidance responding.
Assay methods for methyl farnesoate esterases in crustaceans

Methyl farnesoate (MF) is a sesquiterpenoid that is synthesized by crustaceans and is structurally similar to the insect juvenile hormones. MF is metabolized to farnesoic acid by carboxylesterases present in crustacean tissues. In order to investigate the biological significance of MF metabolism, we have developed two rapid methods for measuring MF esterase activity. The first method is a radiochemical partition assay that utilizes an authentic substrate. The [3H]MF partition assay was used to evaluate the spectrophotometric esterase substrates methyl 1-heptylthioacetothioate (HEPTAT) and methyl 1-pentylthioacetothioate (PENTAT) for use with crude and partially purified samples of MF esterases from lobster hepatopancreas (midgut gland). The spectrophotometric method is less specific for MF esterases than the partition assay but is less time consuming and nonradioactive, and it provides kinetic information. HEPTAT and PENTAT were suitable for rapid screening of chromatographic fractions for MF esterase activity. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 36:115–128, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Advanced space-based detector research at the Air Force Research Laboratory

At the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory we are interested in the use of detectors in space for surveillance and situational awareness missions. Our primary interests are in observations of objects both on earth and in space, each of which has very different background requirements. In addition, the space environment itself is especially demanding of any sensor system that will be expected to work continuously for long periods of time in such a challenging environment. In this talk we will describe some of the requirements for operation in space (low temperatures, long distances, high radiation, etc.), and some of the research we have been performing to address these special issues.
N-Acylated Serinol Is a Novel Ceramide Mimic Inducing Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma Cells

A novel structural analog of ceramide was synthesized by N-acylation of serinol (2-amino-1,3-propanediol) and studied for its effects on glycolipid biosynthesis and cell differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. Incubation with N-palmitoylated serinol (C16-serinol) increased the concentration of endogenous ceramide by 50–80% and caused apoptosis in rapidly dividing low density cells but not in confluent cells. Cell death was not suppressed by simultaneous incubation with phorbol ester, known to antagonize ceramide-induced apoptosis by activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Purification of potential target proteins of C16-serinol was achieved by affinity chromatography of a protein preparation from rat brain on immobilized C16-serinol. A gel activity assay revealed that the eluate from C16-serinol-Sepharose contained three serine/threonine-specific protein kinases with molecular masses of 50, 70, and 95 kDa. The 70-kDa protein was immunostained on a Western blot using a PKCζ-specific antibody. The purified PKCζ could be activated directly by C16-serinol in anin vitro phosphorylation assay. Induction of apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells was suppressed by inhibition of PKCζ with Go 6983. Our overall results indicate that apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells induced by C16-serinol was at least partially mediated by activation of PKCζ on condition of ongoing cell division.N-Acylated serinols may thus be useful for induction of apoptosis in mitotic cells and may be of therapeutic potential for treatment of cancer in the nervous system.
FALLIBILITY OF MEASUREMENT AND THE POWER OF A STATISTICAL TEST

was not significant, and thus there was no difference between the two treatments. STATISTICIAN IN RESIDENCE: How can you be sure that there was no difference without first determining the power available in your study to detect various differences? What if you didn't have enough subjects to detect real differences? CANDIDATE: I did compute the power, and the probability was .97 for detecting a true difference in the two means of at least one within-cell standard deviation. PSYCHOMETRICIAN IN RESIDENCE: Did you consider the reliability of your test in arriving at that figure of .97? CANDIDATE: [shuffling through notes and unsigned documents] Well uh, not exactly in determining the power; but I was able to compute an internal-consistency estimate of the reliability of my instrument using all my data and it turned out to be .85, which I understand is usually considered pretty good.... Isn't it?
The reliability of the diagnostic features in patients with narcolepsy

This study determined the test-retest reliability of the polysomnographic findings in narcolepsy. The diagnosis of narcolepsy was based on clinical symptoms and polysomnographic signs. Control subjects were screened before participation and were split based on their screening multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) into high- and low-MSLT groups. Subjects completed two polysomnographic evaluations with at least 5 days between laboratory tests. Narcoleptics had lower sleep efficiencies and high stage 1% when compared to the low MSLT control group. They had more awakenings and less stage 2% than the control groups. Narcoleptics had a shorter latency to 1 when compared to the high-MSLT group but comparable to that of the low-MSLT group. Narcoleptics had a higher number of sleep-onset rapid eye movement periods (SOREMPs) than both control groups. The MSLT scores were stable across the two evaluations and showed a statistically significant correlation. Twenty-eight of the 30 narcoleptic subjects had two or more SOREMPs on reevaluation. None of the controls had multiple SOREMPs. Thus, multiple SOREMPs were shown to be a reliable finding in patients with narcolepsy.
Optimal pairwise alignment of fixed protein structures in subquadratic time.

The problem of finding an optimal structural alignment for a pair of superimposed proteins is often amenable to the Smith–Waterman dynamic programming algorithm, which runs in time proportional to ...
Dynamic ductile to brittle transition in a one-dimensional model of viscoplasticity

We study two closely related, nonlinear models of a viscoplastic solid. These models capture essential features of plasticity over a wide range of strain rates and applied stresses. They exhibit inelastic strain relaxation and steady flow above a well defined yield stress. In this paper, we describe a first step in exploring the implications of these models for theories of fracture and related phenomena. We consider a one-dimensional problem of decohesion from a substrate of a membrane that obeys the viscoplastic constitutive equations that we have constructed. We find that, quite generally, when the yield stress becomes smaller than some threshold value, the energy required for steady decohesion becomes a nonmonotonic function of the decohesion speed. As a consequence, steady-state decohesion at certain speeds becomes unstable. We believe that these results are relevant to understanding the ductile to brittle transition as well as fracture stability.
Some pitfalls in the application of the ‘incremental-cost’ approach to formulating U.S. energy policy

Abstract A widely-applied criterion for judging the appropriateness of various alternatives to imported oil involves comparison of the per-barrel cost of the alternative with the per-barrel ‘incremental cost’ of imported oil. The incremental cost of imported oil differs from its price if and only if the attempt to change import levels causes a price change. Typically, extra imports are assumed available only at a higher price. Under this assumption, the incremental cost of a marginal barrel of imported oil is computed by adding to its price the increment in expenditure on the inframarginal units caused by the increase in demand for imports. In this paper we identify and illustrate two potentially important pitfalls in applying the incremental-cost criterion: (1) ‘the’ incremental cost of imported oil depends on the cause of the change in import levels; and (2) even if the appropriate incremental cost can be determined, direct application of the incremental-cost yardstick ignores important considerations.
Asset Accumulation and Housing Cost Burden: Pathways to (Not) Saving

Asset accumulation is especially challenging for low- and moderate-income households, which often face fixed costs in their budgets that limit their ability to save. Key fixed costs include expenses associated with housing, such as rent, mortgage, taxes, and utilities. In 2011, 64% of households making $15,000–29,999 were cost-burdened (spent 30% or more of their income on housing). Data were collected in 2007 at two sites using a mixed-methods approach. A sample of 175 households were examined to determine how certain low- and moderate-income households with varying levels of cost burden managed to build savings and why others struggled with the same goal. Households with savings above the sample median of $112 saved an average of $2,304 (with a median of $803). Households with savings below the group's median had an average of $13 in savings, with a median of zero. Barriers to saving experienced by our asset-challenged households include unpredicted shocks, low incomes, unemployment and chronic sickness...
Gastric evacuation rates for juvenile largemouth bass

Abstract In situ estimation of fish daily ration is being used increasingly to test hypotheses related to competition, predation, and anthropogenic effects on fish populations. There is also an increasing demand for robust estimators of fish gastric evacuation rate for use in food consumption models. We selected the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides for study of gastric evacuation rates (GERs) because (1) it is important in the trophic dynamics of warmwater ecosystems, and (2) a limited data base describing largemouth bass GERs has precluded development of a robust estimator needed for in situ estimates of prey consumption by populations of this species. We estimated GERs for juvenile largemouth bass (82–157 mm total length; 15–70 g wet weight) fed single meals (2% of dry body weight) of live fathead minnows Pimephales promelas at 26°C. A previously unused reciprocal model gave substantially more accurate estimates of largemouth bass GERs than other models. Also, the relationship we observed between l...
Personality and Team Performance in Distributed Virtual Environments

Researchers have correlated personality with team performance in aviation, business, the military, and other domains. The present study expanded this line of research to evaluate personality and team performance in a series of virtual environment (VE) scenarios. Teams of 2 participants completed multiple missions, patterned after anti-terrorist training for police and military, over 2 days. Team personality compositions (average levels and diversity), based on the five factor model (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness), were compared for high- and low- performing teams. Results supported the hypothesis that high-performing teams would exhibit higher mean levels of extraversion than low-performing teams, but did not support predictions related to neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and team personality diversity. Findings have implications for future VE team training and distributed simulations.
Comparing student acceptance and performance of online activities to classroom activities

Students in a computer science survey course for non-majors experienced a blend of online activities with traditional classroom activities. While the majority of the course involved face-to-face meetings, online modules involving two disparate topics were inserted into the course. Students in two sections of the course participated alternately in the online modules in order to compare their performance and acceptance of the same material presented online versus in the classroom.Overall, the course presents a broad view of computing and its implications for society so incorporating online learning into the class is a perfect match with the course content. Students taking this course typically exhibit a broad range of technical ability. The module topics included a technical topic, computer programming with JavaScript, and a "softer" topic, computer mediated communication. One section received classroom instruction in JavaScript and online instruction in computer mediated communication while the other section received online instruction in JavaScript and classroom instruction in computer mediated communication.At the conclusion of each module, students completed a survey intended to measure their acceptance and opinions of each type of instruction. This paper describes student acceptance of combining online learning with classroom instruction and presents a comparison of student performance for the same topics completed online versus in the classroom.
Rethinking risk-based information security

Risk assessment in the insurance and financial industries use processes and empirical data created specifically for their needs. The risk assessment processes used by IT and information security (InfoSec) risk management do not work as well. The processes for risk assessment used in IT and InfoSec are either taken wholesale from these or other disciplines, and the empirical data that is available is either inadequate of nonexistent.Why then do IT and InfoSec practitioners need to assess risk? In most cases it is done to validate a risk control strategy or to justify the expense of a risk control regime. The dominant practice at this time is to express a risk-based assessment in the trappings of a cost-benefit analysis using the best tools at hand. This is not often an adequate response.One noted authority in the area of information security (Parker, 2005) has proposed an alternative approach. He proposes that a three-pronged approach of due diligence, compliance, and a philosophy of business enablement can replace the current reliance on risk-based justification. This paper describes some of the deficiencies in the risk-based methodology currently in wide use in the field of IT risk assessment and then describes how alternative approaches, such as Parker's, can work. Evidence showing some support for this approach has been drawn from a small-scale survey of current practitioners.
Clinical Technique: Application of Computed Tomography in Zoological Medicine

Abstract Computed tomography images generate multiple views of a target site of a patient, resulting in 2-dimensional scans of the area. This form of imaging provides visualization of internal anatomy without interference of adjacent and overlying structures, contributing to our knowledge of normal anatomy and allowing us to more accurately assess changes in clinically ill patients. Computed tomography has proven to be beneficial in establishing diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment plans in numerous zoological species when used in conjunction with other imaging modalities, and with the involvement of a dedicated radiologist. Additional studies are needed to establish protocols for image collection and criteria for evaluating the images.
Effects of sea water extracts of sediments from Charleston Harbor, S.C., on larval estuarine fishes

Larvae of seven species of estuarine fishes (Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrranus; pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides; flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, P. albigutta, P. lethostigma; spot, Leiostomus xanthurus and Atlantic croaker, Micropogon undulatus) were exposed to sea water extracts of sediments from Charleston Harbor, S.C., for periods of time up to 14 days. Survival of the larvae in various concentrations of the extracts was measured. Survival of the larvae was affected at the highest concentrations of extract tested and indications are that different species of fish have different survival rates. In the selection of disposal areas for dredged material, consideration should be given to its relative toxicity to organisms.