cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhomogeneities in the structure of built-up monolayers of two porphyrin compounds

Pressure-area isotherms are reported for magnesium and copper adducts of several porphyrins. These isotherms were determined in a recording Langmuir balance, and an attempt was made to deposit monolayers of the adducts on glass slides. Films of the adducts were examined microscopically, and it was concluded that smooth, even deposition of the film was no guarantee of the integrity of the multilayer for these two porphyrin adducts or for the mixture of stearic acid with the copper porphyrin adducts. (BLM)
Knotted vortex filaments in an ideal fluid

Knotted closed-curve solutions of the equation of self-induced vortex motion are studied. It is shown that there are invariant torus knots which translate and rotate as rigid bodies. The general motion of ‘small-amplitude’ torus knots and iterated (cabled) torus knots is described and found to be almost periodic in time, and for some, but not all, initial data, the topology of the knot is shown to be invariant.
A New Discrete Weibull Distribution

This paper introduces another discrete Weibull distribution. A connection is shown to the famous Birthday Problem and to the lifetime of a series system of components.
Temporal and structural dynamics of anxiety sensitivity in predicting fearful responding to a 35% CO2 challenge

Abstract The current study assessed the incremental prediction of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in both taxonic (categorical) and dimensional representations at various time points before and after a single vital capacity inhalation of a 35% CO 2 , 65% balanced O 2 gas mixture. Participants were 128 young adults screened for a history of panic attacks. By controlling for traitwise factors including state anxiety and testing both categorical and continuous conceptualizations of the AS construct at various timepoints, the present report was able to evaluate the temporal and structural dynamics of AS in relation to fearful responding to the challenge. Relevant variables were evaluated in a hierarchical linear regression framework, and it was found that a continuous conceptualization of AS provided incremental predictive validity above and beyond trait anxiety immediately post-challenge, while a categorical representation of AS was equivalent to a continuous model of AS at post-challenge but outperformed a continuous model at follow-up. These data provide basic but important evidence suggesting that AS is uniquely associated with anxious responding to a 35% CO 2 challenge, and that categorical representations of AS should be considered in biological challenge studies.
Milk Production, Estimated Phosphorus Excretion, and Bone Characteristics of Dairy Cows Fed Different Amounts of Phosphorus for Two or Three Years

Diets containing 0.31, 0.39, or 0.47% P on a DM basis were fed to 10, 14, and 13 multiparous Holstein cows, respectively, for a full lactation. Most of the cows (33) were fed similar amounts of P in the previous one or two lactations. The objective was to obtain information on bone integrity after prolonged feeding of different amounts of P. At the end of the experiment, a section (∼20 cm) of the 12th rib was surgically removed. The bone was tested for strength and analyzed for ash and P content. The shear strength and the energy required to deform the bone to the point of fracture did not differ among treatments. Bone specific gravities were 1.50, 1.57, and 1.55 for the three treatments. Ash and P content of the bone, measured in wet weight, dry weight, and wet bone volume, were similar for the 0.39 and 0.47% P treatments, but tended to be lower with the 0.31% P treatment. Milk production of cows in all groups was high, averaging >11,900 kg for the 308-d lactation. Feeding P at 0.31% of dietary DM over two to three lactations appeared to decrease P concentration of bone, but the decrease was not severe enough to affect bone strength. Dietary P at 0.39% did not affect bone P content or strength. Dietary P content of 0.31% appears to be borderline deficient for cows producing >11,900 kg/308 d.
Predicting political elections from rapid and unreflective face judgments

Here we show that rapid judgments of competence based solely on the facial appearance of candidates predicted the outcomes of gubernatorial elections, the most important elections in the United States next to the presidential elections. In all experiments, participants were presented with the faces of the winner and the runner-up and asked to decide who is more competent. To ensure that competence judgments were based solely on facial appearance and not on prior person knowledge, judgments for races in which the participant recognized any of the faces were excluded from all analyses. Predictions were as accurate after a 100-ms exposure to the faces of the winner and the runner-up as exposure after 250 ms and unlimited time exposure (Experiment 1). Asking participants to deliberate and make a good judgment dramatically increased the response times and reduced the predictive accuracy of judgments relative to both judgments made after 250 ms of exposure to the faces and judgments made within a response deadline of 2 s (Experiment 2). Finally, competence judgments collected before the elections in 2006 predicted 68.6% of the gubernatorial races and 72.4% of the Senate races (Experiment 3). These effects were independent of the incumbency status of the candidates. The findings suggest that rapid, unreflective judgments of competence from faces can affect voting decisions.
Wind speed equalization-based incoming wind classification by aggregating DFIGs

With the development of wind energy, it is necessary to develop equivalent models to represent dynamic behaviors of wind farms in power systems. The equivalent wind method is investigated for the aggregation of doubly-fed induction generator wind turbines. The detailed procedures for the calculation of equivalent wind are analyzed. The necessity of classifying incoming winds is shown. To improve the performances of the method, incoming winds are classified according to mean wind speeds and positive/negative semi-variances of wind speeds, and a group of turbines with similar incoming winds are aggregated together. The effectiveness of the method is verified through simulations in MATLAB/Simulink.
Outcome research and patient-oriented measures in the multiperspective assessment of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders

Members and affiliations: P. Altrudo, Institute of Occupational Medicine UCSC, Rome; I. Aprile, Neurology Institute UCSC, Rome; L. Aulisa, Orthopedics Institute UCSC, Rome; E. Beghi, Clinical Neurology Hospital S. Gerardo, Monza, Institute M. Negri, Milan; M.R. Camelliti, Institute of Occupational Medicine UCSC, Rome; S. Capici, Institute of Orthopedics, Universita La Sapienza, Rome; T. Carboni, Neurology Civil Hospital, San Benedetto del Tronto; I. Caruso, Institute of Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, University Tor Vergata, Rome; E. Ceccarelli, Orthopedics Institute UCSC, Rome; M. Cianfanelli, Clinical Orthopedics Hospital S. Camillo, Rome; C. Conti, Institute of Orthopedics UCSC, Rome; D. D'Amico, Neurological Institute C. Besta, Milan; D. Dell'Acqua, Institute of Orthopedics UCSC, Rome; C. Foti, Institute of Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, University Tor Vergata, Rome; A. Insola, CTO, Rome; M. Lo Monaco, Neurology Institute UCSC, Rome; R. Marrocco, Institute of Orthopedics UCSC, Rome; M. Montone, Institute of Occupational Medicine UCSC, Rome; L. Motti, Reggio Emilia; D. Murasecco, Clinical Neurology University of Perugia; M. Paciello, Hospital S. Carlo, Potenza; N. Paciello, Neurology Institute UCSC, Rome; P. Pasqualetti, A.Fa.R Osp. Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina, Rome; P. Pinelli, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Veruno (NO); A. Pizzoli, Institute of Orthopedics, University of Verona; E. Romanini, Institute of Orthopedics UCSC, Rome; S. Servidei, Neurology Institute UCSC, Rome; C. Speranzini, Hospital A. Murri, Fermo (AP).
Computational investigations into the operating window for memristive devices based on homogeneous ionic motion

A model that describes the homogeneous migration of oxygen vacancies as a function of electric field, temperature, and activation energy of diffusion was used to investigate the resistance switching and retention characteristics of memristive SrTiO3 Schottky devices. Numerical simulations suggest that, though ionic motion results in switching, it is not possible to meet the criteria of fast switching and long retention simultaneously; conditions that lead to sufficiently fast switching also lead to unacceptably fast decays of programmed states. However, an operational window is found when a term accounting for local enhancement of electric field in the dielectric is included. A discussion of the appropriateness of this inclusion is provided.
Impaired endothelial function in healthy African-American adolescents compared with Caucasians.

Objective To determine whether African-American adolescents have endothelial dysfunction compared with Caucasians and whether differences are a result of differences in insulin sensitivity calculated from total glucose (S I ) or secretion. Study design Thirty-three Caucasian (13.6 ± 2.6 years of age; body mass index [BMI] 21.6 ± 4.4 kg/m 2 mean ± SD) and 25 African-American (13.3 ± 2.9 years of age; BMI 24.0 ± 4.4 kg/m 2 ) adolescents were studied. Forearm blood flow (FBF; plethysmography) was measured before and after 5 minutes of arterial occlusion. S I and acute insulin response to glucose (AIRG) were measured using intravenous glucose tolerance tests and minimal modeling. Results Baseline FBF did not differ between races. Postocclusion FBF was lower in African-Americans (17.2 ± 1.2 vs 22.6 ± 1.2 mL/dL/minute, P = .006). AIRG was higher in African-Americans (6050 ± 940 vs 2410 ± 30 μU minute/mL, P = .001). Pubertal stage had no effect. S I did not differ by race or pubertal stage. In African-Americans, percent fall in FVR following arterial occlusion correlated (r = 0.67, P = .001) with log AIRG. No relationships were found between percent fall in FVR and S I in either race. Conclusion African-American adolescents have decreased endothelial function. This may be a result of increased insulin secretion. Endothelial dysfunction in African-American adolescents may predispose to cardiovascular and type II diabetes.
Estrogen-induced sexual receptivity and localization of 3H-estradiol in brains of female mice: Effects of 5α-reduced androgens, progestins and cyproterone acetate

Sexual receptivity induced in ovariectomized CD-1 mice with chronic daily administration of estradiol benzoate (E2B) was blocked by concurrent administration of the 5α-reduced androgen, dihydrotesterone (DHT). Receptivity was restored in these females with progesterone-, but not with dihydroprogesterone-priming 6 hr prior to testing. Delaying the DHT injections until 12 hr after the E2B injections greatly reduced its inhibitory properties. Receptivity in E2B-primed females was also blocked by concurrent treatment with cyproterone acetate and 3α-, but not 3β-androstanediol. Pretreatment with DHT, or 3α- or 3β-androstanediol failed to consistently affect 3H-estradiol accumulation in crude nuclear and supernatant fractions from brain and pituitary.
Experimental and Numerical Impingement Heat Transfer in an Airfoil Leading-Edge Cooling Channel With Cross-Flow

To enhance the internal heat transfer around the airfoil leading-edge area, a combination of rib-roughened cooling channels, film cooling and impingement cooling is often employed. Experimental data for impingement on various leading-edge geometries are reported by these and other investigators. Effects of strong crossflows on the leading-edge impingement heat transfer, however, have not been studied to that extent. This investigation dealt with impingement on the leading-edge of an airfoil in the presence of crossflows beyond the crossflow created by the upstream jets (spent air). Measurements of heat transfer coefficients on the airfoil nose area as well as the pressure and suction side areas are reported. The tests were run for a range of axial to jet mass flow rates (Maxial /Mjet ) ranging from 1.14 to 6.4 and and jet Reynolds numbers ranging from 8000 to 48000. Comparisons are also made between the experimental results of impingement with and without the presence of crossflow and between representative numerical and measured heat transfer results. It was concluded that the presence of the external crossflow reduces the impinging jet effectiveness both on the nose and side walls, even for an axial to jet mass flow ratio as high as 5, the convective heat transfer coefficient produced by the axial channel flow was less than that of the impinging jet without the presence of the external crossflow, and the agreement between the numerical and experimental results was reasonable with an average difference ranging from −8% to −20%.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Biochemical acclimation, stomatal limitation and precipitation patterns underlie decreases in photosynthetic stimulation of soybean (Glycine max) at elevated [CO2] and temperatures under fully open air field conditions

The net effect of elevated [CO2] and temperature on photosynthetic acclimation and plant productivity is poorly resolved. We assessed the effects of canopy warming and fully open air [CO2] enrichment on (1) the acclimation of two biochemical parameters that frequently limit photosynthesis (A), the maximum carboxylation capacity of Rubisco (Vc,max) and the maximum potential linear electron flux through photosystem II (Jmax), (2) the associated responses of leaf structural and chemical properties related to A, as well as (3) the stomatal limitation (l) imposed on A, for soybean over two growing seasons in a conventionally managed agricultural field in Illinois, USA. Acclimation to elevated [CO2] was consistent over two growing seasons with respect to Vc,max and Jmax. However, elevated temperature significantly decreased Jmax contributing to lower photosynthetic stimulation by elevated CO2. Large seasonal differences in precipitation altered soil moisture availability modulating the complex effects of elevated temperature and CO2 on biochemical and structural properties related to A. Elevated temperature also reduced the benefit of elevated [CO2] by eliminating decreases in stomatal limitation at elevated [CO2]. These results highlight the critical importance of considering multiple environmental factors (i.e. temperature, moisture, [CO2]) when trying to predict plant productivity in the context of climate change.
Strong expression of IGF1R in pediatric gastrointestinal stromal tumors without IGF1R genomic amplification

Wildtype (WT) gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), lacking mutations in KIT or PDGFRA, represent 85% of GISTs in pediatric patients. Treatment options for pediatric WT GIST are limited. Recently, expression profiling of a limited number of pediatric and adult WT GISTs and more in depth study of a single pediatric WT GIST implicated the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) as a potential therapeutic target in pediatric WT GIST. We performed immunoblotting, SNP and FISH studies to determine the extent of expression, biochemical activation and genomic amplification of IGF1R in a larger number of pediatric WT GISTs. Pediatric WT GISTs expressed IGF1R strongly, whereas typical adult KIT mutant GISTs did not. IGF1R gene amplification was not detected in pediatric WT GISTs, and some KIT-mutant GISTs had IGF1R gene deletion due to monosomy 15. Despite the absence of apparent genomic activation mechanisms accounting for overexpression, clinical study of IGF1R-directed therapies in pediatric WT GIST is warranted.
Associated Chromosome Trap for Identifying Long-range DNA Interactions

Genetic information encoded by DNA is organized in a complex and highly regulated chromatin structure. Each chromosome occupies a specific territory, that may change according to stage of development or cell cycle. Gene expression can occur in specialized transcriptional factories where chromatin segments may loop out from various chromosome territories, leading to co-localization of DNA segments which may exist on different chromosomes or far apart on the same chromosome. The Associated Chromosome Trap (ACT) assay provides an effective methodology to identify these long-range DNA associations in an unbiased fashion by extending and modifying the chromosome conformation capture technique. The ACT assay makes it possible for us to investigate mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in trans, and can help explain the relationship of nuclear architecture to gene expression in normal physiology and during disease states.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of donepezil to improve memory in epilepsy.

Summary: Purpose: To determine whether an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, such as donepezil, would improve memory or other cognitive/psychological functions in epilepsy patients with subjective memory complaints. Methods: Twenty-three epilepsy patients with subjective memory difficulty were randomized to either 3 months of donepezil (10 mg/day) or 3 months of placebo treatment, and then crossed over to the other treatment arm. Patients and physicians were blinded to treatment phase throughout data acquisition. Assessment of memory and other cognitive functions, subjective memory, mood, and self-rated quality of life (QOL) and social functioning was performed at baseline and following completion of both treatment phases. Seizure frequency and severity as well as treatment emergent adverse effects were also monitored. Results: Donepezil treatment was not associated with improvement in memory or other cognitive functions, mood, social functioning or QOL. Comparable increases in self-rated memory functioning relative to baseline were evident during donepezil and placebo phases. Donepezil treatment was not associated with increased seizure frequency or severity. Similar to group results, analysis of change within individual patients as a function of treatment phase also showed neither significant benefit nor detriment associated with donepezil. Conclusion: This study found no benefit on memory or other cognitive/psychological functions in a heterogeneous group of epilepsy patients with subjective memory difficulty. Further investigation would be required to determine whether individual patients, or those with particular epilepsy syndromes, might benefit from donepezil or other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, or if a higher dosage might be
An improved boundary-integral equation method for three dimensional elastic stress analysis

Abstract An improved numerical implementation of the boundary-integral equation method for three dimensional stress analysis is reported. The new implementation models the boundary data as piecewise-linear variations over the boundary segments. As with all boundary-integral equation models, a system of equations relating unknown boundary data to known boundary data is obtained. The new implementation is described mathematically and verified on several simple test problems. In addition the method is used to study a finite fracture specimen used in material testing. The numerical results and computer run times are compared to an earlier version of the boundary-integral equation method. The results show significant improvement in accuracy for comparable run times for most problems.
Bats and pollen: Physiological aspects of the syndrome of chiropterophily

The physiology and biochemistry of nectarivorous bats (Leptonycteris sanborni) and bat-pollinated flowers are discussed. It is found that: 1. 1. The bats must supplement their carbohydrate diet with pollen; pollen from bat-adapted plants provides sufficient nitrogen to maintain adult Leptonycteris. 2. 2. The environment of the bats' gastrointestinal tracts allows access to pollen cell contents despite the resistant exine. 3. 3. Chiropterophilous flower pollen is higher in protein than closely related flowers pollinated by other means. 4. 4. A full complement of amino acids is present in chiropterophilous pollen; abundance of certain amino acids may fulfill particular needs of the bats.
Dependence and Order in Families of Archimedean Copulas

The copula for a bivariate distribution functionH(x, y) with marginal distribution functionsF(x) andG(y) is the functionCdefined byH(x, y)=C(F(x), G(y)).Cis called Archimedean ifC(u, v)=??1(?(u)+?(v)), where?is a convex decreasing continuous function on (0, 1] with?(1)=0. A copula has lower tail dependence ifC(u, u)/uconverges to a constant?in (0, 1] asu?0+; and has upper tail dependence ifC(u, u)/(1?u) converges to a constant?in (0, 1] asu?1?whereCdenotes the survival function corresponding toC. In this paper we develop methods for generating families of Archimedean copulas with arbitrary values of?and?, and present extensions to higher dimensions. We also investigate limiting cases and the concordance ordering of these families. In the process, we present answers to two open problems posed by Joe (1993,J. Multivariate Anal.46262?282).
Pupil aberration in zoom lenses

In any zoom lens, individual zoom groups experience both image and pupil magnification changes during zooming. Deliberate aberration can be introduced into zoom groups to produce an overall compensatory effect over the zoom range. When using a modular design approach, in which lens groups are designed independently, one has to take into account pupil matching among zoom groups. This is analogous to the design of relay optical systems. In a zoom lens, pupil matching becomes a dynamic problem. Perfect pupil matching among zoom groups in theory cannot be maintained for a continuum of zoom positions. With the deliberate introduction of pupil aberration on the group level, compensatory effects can be obtained and a more desirable pupil match can be achieved, resulting in better stability of system image performance over the zoom range. This paper presents a systematic explanation on how pupil spherical aberration can be used in controlling residual system distortion in zoom lenses. The study involves "black box" lens modules design with the help of computer ray trace program.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of midazolam in children during esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

We undertook a prospective study to evaluate the relationship between the onset and degree of sedation and the midazolam plasma concentration in children between 6 and 18 years of age during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Thirteen boys and seven giris (median age 13.5 years) were studied. Midazolam was injected intravenously for 5 minutes, and the dose was titrated to sedation or a maximum dose of 0.1 mg/kg was given. Plasma midazolam concentration was determined just before and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the start of midazolam injection. The patient's level of sedation was evaluated by an assistant at each blood sampling time. Clearance, volume of distribution, and terminal elimination (β) half-life were estimated from a biexponential fit of the serial plasma midazolam concentrations. Mean β half-life of midazolam was 47±26 minutes and mean clearance was 10.0±5.0 ml/min per kilogram of body weight. Maximum level of sedation occurred at 5 minutes after initiation of the injection and corresponded to a mean peak midazolam serum concentration of 229±39 μg/L. Thereafter, a decline of mean sedation scores paralleled the decrease in midazolam concentration. Mean oxygen saturation remained greater than 94% during the study. We conclude that children metabolize and excrete midazolam more rapidly than adults do and that sedation adequate for endoscopy is safely achieved in the majority of children with a midazolam dose of 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg and a mean peak midazolam concentration greater than 200 μg/L.
Normal mice express idiotypes related to autoantibody idiotypes of lupus mice

Spleen and fetal liver B cells of normal mice synthesized idiotypes shared by anti-DNA autoantibodies of genetically autoimmune mice. Some of the idiotypes were specific for DNA; the majority, however, were not. The findings indicate that the autoantibody idiotypes are related to a conserved family of antibody variable regions that are present in normal animals.
Treatment of human muscle cells with popular dietary supplements increase mitochondrial function and metabolic rate

Obesity is a common pathology with increasing incidence, and is associated with increased mortality and healthcare costs. Several treatment options for obesity are currently available ranging from behavioral modifications to pharmaceutical agents. Many popular dietary supplements claim to enhance weight loss by acting as metabolic stimulators, however direct tests of their effect on metabolism have not been performed. This work identified the effects popular dietary supplements on metabolic rate and mitochondrial biosynthesis in human skeletal muscle cells. Human rhabdomyosarcoma cells were treated with popular dietary supplements at varied doses for 24 hours. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), an important stimulator of mitochondrial biosynthesis, was quantified using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Mitochondrial content was measured using flow cytometry confirmed with confocal microscopy. Glycolytic metabolism was quantified by measuring extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxidative metabolism was quantified by measuring oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Total relative metabolism was quantified using WST-1 end point assay. Treatment of human rhabdomyosarcoma cells with dietary supplements OxyElite Pro (OEP) or Cellucore HD (CHD) induced PGC-1α leading to significantly increased mitochondrial content. Glycolytic and oxidative capacities were also significantly increased following treatment with OEP or CHD. This is the first work to identify metabolic adaptations in muscle cells following treatment with popular dietary supplements including enhanced mitochondrial biosynthesis, and glycolytic, oxidative and total metabolism.
Partial leading in pursuit and evasion games

Pursuit and evasion games encompass a large class of games in which one or more "pursuers" attempt to find and/or capture one or more "evaders". These games have immense practical importance, yet their mathematics is not fully-understood outside of a limited number of simple cases. This paper introduces PursuitSim, a simulation platform for pursuit and evasion games in which the user interactively explores these games by dynamically adjusting algorithm parameters. The dynamic and exploratory nature of the platform allows the user to quickly ascertain broad patterns and test hypotheses. We discuss insights gained using the platform on the efficacy of "leading" strategies in situations where the pursuer can make reasonable assumptions about the path of the evader.
Tu1620 Depth of Mucosectomy Specimens as a Predictor of Stricture Formation in Patients With Barrett's Esophagus (BE) Undergoing Circumferential Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (cEMR)

has been reported for BE eradication. We present our early experience of pressurised CO2 cryotherapy in the treatment of dysplastic BE after endoscopic resection (ER) of nodular areas. Methods: Prior to each treatment, all patients were assessed using high-definition white light, narrow band imaging and magnification endoscopy for variation of pit pattern or vasculature using a prototype endoscope. Any nodular areas were resected by multiband mucosectomy, with ablation of non-nodular Barrett’s scheduled for a subsequent session. Flat areas of irregularity were biopsied. Pressurised CO2 was delivered at 7L/min through a catheter inserted through the working channel of the endoscope. The gas was vented through a suction overtube attached to the endoscope. Our protocol was to apply cryoablation for 20 seconds, let it thaw and then suction excess gas from the stomach. This was performed for a total of 8 freeze/thaw cycles per session. Follow-up endoscopy further treatment is scheduled approximately 4-6 weeks later. Results: 9 patients underwent cryoablation for BE (11 months). Five male patients (mean age 63 years) had endoscopic surveillance to assess the response to treatment and are included in this analysis. Mean pre-treatment length of Barrett’s esophagus was 3.4cms (range 1-5cms). All patients underwent ER of nodular lesions. Pathology (based on mucosectomy) confirmed HGD or CIS in all patients. Mean number of treatment sessions was 2.8 (range 2-4). The average procedure time was 23.8 minutes, which compares favourably with our experience using 90-degree (25.6 minutes) and 360-degree (42.2 minutes) radiofrequency ablation (RFA). No complications were observed and no patients required prescription analgesia following their procedures. Mean follow-up after therapy was 4.8 months (range 1-8). All patients were considered to have successful ablation of residual BE (4/5 with complete ablation and 1/5 with almost complete ablation). No evidence of residual or recurrent disease has been noted at standard follow-up exams to date. Conclusion: Pressurised CO2 cryoablation appears to be a reasonably effective treatment for non-nodular dysplastic BE, particularly for short segment disease. It can be performed at least as rapidly as RFA and appears to be better tolerated. Further data are required to assess for medium to long term efficacy, durability and possible buried BE glands.
An enantioselective synthesis of S-γ-[(4-trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]benzenepropanamine-[3-14C] hydrochloride, an important metabolite of fluoxetine hydrochloride

The S-enantiomer of γ-[(4-trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]benzenepropanamine-[3-14C] hydrochloride has been prepared in eight steps from acetophenone-[carbonyl-14C]. The key step in the synthesis involved the enantioselective reduction of R-2-chloroacetophenone-[1-14C] with (-)-diisopinocampheylchloroborane in an 86.5% yield. The chlorohydrin was converted to R-phenyloxirane-[1-14C], which was subsequently converted to the corresponding R-cyanohydrin by reaction with TMS-CN/CaO. Borane reduction and arylation, followed by salt formation yielded S-γ-[(4-trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]benzenepropanamine-[3-14C] hydrochloride.
Performance of DS/SSMA Communications in Impulsive Channels--Part I: Linear Correlation Receivers

The performance of digital linear correlation receivers is studied in a multiuser environment. There are assumed to be two types of sources interfering with data transmission: multiple-access interference, and additive channel noise which is attributed to impulsive noise sources in the environment. The contribution of multiple-access interference is examined by considering K asynchronous users transmitting simultaneously over a linear channel using the binary PSK direct-sequence spreadspectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) technique. Alternatively, the effects of the non-Gaussian impulsive channel in such a system are studied by modeling the samples of noise after front-end filtering. Errorprobability performance under these conditions is compared to that for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. Due to computational complexity, exact analysis is limited here to systems utilizing short spreading sequences. Computationally simple methods are proposed for approximating the average error probability when the length of the signature sequences is large. Furthermore, some asymptotic results are obtained for the case of infinitely long sequences. In all cases, performance variation is examined as the shape of the noise density varies with SNR held constant. The results of this analysis indicate that the presence of impulsive noise can cause significant performance degradation over that predicted from an AWGN model, even when the total noise power does not increase.
Infantile glaucoma presenting as a case of "red eye".

Le glaucome infantile est une forme de glaucome congenital qui se manifeste au cours de la premiere annee de vie. Les enfants, comme les adultes, peuvent developper une forme de glaucome aigu pouvant conduire a la cecite chez l’enfant. L’identification et le traitement rapides sont essentiels afin d’eviter ce denouement tragique. L’enfant dont le cas est discute dans le present article presentait une rougeur a l’œil qui fut diagnostiquee par la suite comme etant un glaucome. Cet article passe en revue la physiopathologie du glaucome infantile, les techniques d’examen et les strategies de traitement.
Membranous Glomerulonephritis with ANCA-Associated Necrotizing and Crescentic Glomerulonephritis

Background and objectives: Only rare cases of concurrent membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis (NCGN) have been reported. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: The authors report the clinical and pathologic findings in 14 patients with MGN and ANCA-associated NCGN. Results: The cohort consisted of eight men and six women with a mean age of 58.7 yr. ANCA positivity was documented by indirect immunofluorescence or ELISA in all patients. Indirect immunofluorescence was positive in 13 patients (seven P-ANCA, five C-ANCA, one atypical ANCA). ELISA was positive in nine of 10 patients (five MPO-ANCA, three PR3-ANCA, one MPO- and PR3-ANCA). Clinical presentation included heavy proteinuria (mean 24-hr urine protein 6.5 g/d), hematuria, and acute renal failure (mean creatinine 4.4 mg/dl). Pathologic evaluation revealed MGN and NCGN, with crescents involving a mean of 32% of glomeruli. On ultrastructural evaluation, the majority of cases showed stage I or II membranous changes. Follow-up was available for 13 patients, 12 of whom were treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide. At a mean follow-up of 24.3 mo, five patients progressed to ESRD, seven had stabilization or improvement in renal function, and one had worsening renal function. Five patients, including three with ESRD, died during the follow-up period. The only independent predictor of progression to ESRD was serum creatinine at biopsy. Conclusions: MGN with ANCA-associated NCGN is a rare dual glomerulopathy seen in patients with heavy proteinuria, acute renal failure, and active urine sediment. Prognosis is variable, with 50% of patients reaching endpoints of ESRD or death.
Establishingethical guidelines for telehomecareresearch on chronic diseases

Telehomecare technologies are applications designed to be used in patients' personal living spaces ranging from private homes to assisted-living facilities. The goal of these technologies is to help physically and/or mentally vulnerable people live more safely, more capably, and longer in their location of choice. The technologies support a person's ability to conduct normal activities of daily living and maintain well-being. This is usually accomplished by integrating the technologies into the home environment, thereby creating a homecare that proactively monitors and reports undesirable events. The technologies focus on disease management and the monitoring of physiologic data for aberrant indicators necessitating clinical treatment.
Modeling of lamps through a diffuser with 2D and 3D picket-fence backlight models

Laboratory photometric measurements are taken of a display backlight one metre away from the emission surface (diffuser) with a whole acceptance angle on the photometer of about 0.125 degrees (2.182mm spot size at emission surface). A simulation method was sought to be able to obtain the brightness uniformity (luminance peak to trough ratio from above one lamp to the null between lamps in a picket-fence backlight). A 3D raytrace BackLight model in TracePro and a 2D Mathematical model in Matlab have been developed. With a specimen backlight in the laboratory, a smooth luminance profile was measured by the photometer on the diffuser surface. Ray Trace models in both 3D and 2D take too long to produce smooth 'continuous filled' distributions. The Mathematical 2D approach, although with limitations, yielded smooth solutions in a very reasonable time frame.
LEARNING TEST‐WISENESS BY PROGRAMMED TEXTS1

High school seniors (84 males, 77 females) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group received a programmed text designed to teach Ss to answer every item on an examination, whether or not the directions included a penalty for incorrect answers. The other group was administered a programmed text to teach certain selected aspects of test-wiseness. Each group served as the control group for the other. The following day all Ss were administered a measure of willingness to guess and a measure of test-wiseness. Two weeks later, all Ss received additional measures of willingness to guess and test-wiseness. Analysis of the data indicated the group that received the guessing program answered significantly more items than its control group (on both the immediate and delayed tests), even though there was a penalty for incorrect answers. In similar fashion, the group exposed to the test-wiseness program achieved significantly higher mean test-wiseness scores than its control group.
Must tensor addition be among same-order tensors?

This paper gives a concise outline for an extended, multi-dimensional number system from a component perspective. We briefly motivate such a system, sketch the associated algebra and geometry, and conclude with a connection to tensor products that shows it is reasonable, if not desirable, to add tensors of different orders.
Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Cells with Dicumarol Induces Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress

Purpose: NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO 1 ) catalyzes the two-electron reduction of quinones to hydroquinones. This reaction is believed to prevent the one-electron reduction of quinones that would result in redox cycling with generation of superoxide (O 2 .- ). We have recently demonstrated that inhibition of NQO 1 with dicumarol increases intracellular O 2 .- production and inhibits the in vitro malignant phenotype of pancreatic cancer cells (J. Cullen et al ., Cancer Res., 63: 5513–5520, 2003). We hypothesized that inhibition of NQO 1 would increase cell killing, induce oxidative stress, and inhibit in vivo tumor growth. Experimental Design and Results: In the human pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2, dicumarol decreased cell viability, as measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and decreased clonogenic survival. Dicumarol increased the percentage of apoptotic cells in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner as measured by 3,3′-diaminobenzidine staining and flow cytometry, which was associated with cytochrome c release and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Dicumarol also induced oxidative stress as evidenced by increased total glutathione and oxidized glutathione, as well as sensitizing to cell killing mediated by menadione. In established orthotopic pancreatic tumors in nude mice, intratumoral injections of dicumarol slowed tumor growth and extended survival. Conclusions: Inhibition of NQO 1 with dicumarol induces cell killing and oxidative stress in pancreatic cancer cells and speculate that dicumarol may prove to be useful in pancreatic cancer therapeutics.
Strategy, core competencies and human resource development

Abstract HRD's traditional approach to competency focuses on superior individual performance. The concept of a core competency in the strategic literature, as reviewed here, considers it as an organizational capability that provides sustained competitive advantage. That model is examined and implications for HRD practice noted.
Functional Analysis of DNA Sequences Required for Conidium-Specific Expression of the SpoC1-C1C Gene of Aspergillus nidulans

The SpoC1-C1C gene is centrally located within the A. nidulans conidium-specific SpoC1 gene cluster. With one exception, the 14 genes within the cluster are coordinately regulated. C1C transcript is first detected late in conidiation, coincidental with the appearance of mature conidia, and accumulates approximately 1000-fold in conidia. We show that C1C expression is restricted to conidia, with mRNA abundance decreasing immediately after induction of germination. C1C transcription and translation are not temporally separated and, similar to C1C RNA abundance, a C1C::beta-galactosidase fusion protein is first detected with the appearance of mature conidia and decreases after induction of germination. Cell-specific C1C expression requires both a position-dependent mechanism of regulation, responsible for repression in hyphae, and a position-independent mechanism of regulation, responsible for developmental expression. We show by functional analysis of upstream DNA sequences that a 10-bp sequence and two adjacent 6-bp direct repeats are necessary for position-independent, condium-specific expression of both the intact C1C gene and the reporter gene. At least one repeat (CAACAT) is required for normal levels of expression. We find that the C1C gene is not a direct target of the BrlAp and AbaAp developmental regulators, but of a yet unidentified conidium-specific transcriptional activator.
The Drosophila E74 gene is required for the proper stage- and tissue-specific transcription of ecdysone-regulated genes at the onset of metamorphosis

The steroid hormone ecdysone directly induces a small set of early genes, visible as puffs in the larval salivary gland polytene chromosomes, as it signals the onset of Drosophila metamorphorsis. The products of these genes appear to function as regulators that both repress their own expression and induce a large set of secondary-response late genes. We have identified recessive loss-of-function mutations in the early gene E74, a member of the ets protooncogene family that encodes two related DNA-binding proteins, E74A and E74B. These mutations cause defects in pupariation and pupation, and result in lethality during metamorphosis. Here we extend our phenotypic characterization of the E74A and E74B mutant alleles to the molecular level by examining their effects on the transcription of over 30 ecdysone-regulated genes. We show that the transcription of most ecdysone primary-response genes during late larval and prepupal development is unaffected by the E74 mutations. Rather, we find that E74 is necessary for the appropriate regulation of many ecdysone secondary-response genes. E74B is required for the maximal induction of glue genes in mid third instar larval salivary glands, while E74A is required in early prepupae for the proper timing and maximal induction of a subset of late genes. E74 activity is also necessary for the correct regulation of genes expressed predominantly in the fat body, epidermis or imaginal discs. These observations confirm that E74 plays a critical role in regulating transcription during the early stages of Drosophila metamorphosis. In addition, the widespread effects of the E74 mutations on transcription indicate that E74 functions in regulatory hierarchies not only in the larval salivary gland, but throughout the entire organism.
Smarter Earth Science Data System

The explosive growth in Earth observational data in the recent decade demands a better method of interoperability across heterogeneous systems. The Earth science data system community has mastered the art in storing large volume of observational data, but it is still unclear how this traditional method scale over time as we are entering the age of Big Data. Indexed search solutions such as Apache Solr (Smiley and Pugh, 2011) provides fast, scalable search via keyword or phases without any reasoning or inference. The modern search solutions such as Googles Knowledge Graph (Singhal, 2012) and Microsoft Bing, all utilize semantic reasoning to improve its accuracy in searches. The Earth science user community is demanding for an intelligent solution to help them finding the right data for their researches. The Ontological System for Context Artifacts and Resources (OSCAR) (Huang et al., 2012), was created in response to the DARPA Adaptive Vehicle Make (AVM) programs need for an intelligent context models management system to empower its terrain simulation subsystem. The core component of OSCAR is the Environmental Context Ontology (ECO) is built using the Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET) (Raskin and Pan, 2005). This paper presents the current data archival methodology within a NASA Earth science data centers and discuss using semantic web to improve the way we capture and serve data to our users.
A New Calcium Silicate-based Bioceramic Material Promotes Human Osteo- and Odontogenic Stem Cell Proliferation and Survival via the Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Signaling Pathway.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate odontogenic and osteogenic cell adhesion, proliferation, and survival on the surface of a newly developed bioceramic material (EndoSequence Root Repair Material [RRM]; Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA) and compare it with mineral trioxide aggregate (gray MTA) (ProRoot MTA; Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK). A potential role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in the RRM/MTA-induced cellular activities was also investigated. Methods Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, periodontal ligament stem cells, and dental pulp stem cells were cultured on RRM- or MTA-coated slides. Cell proliferation was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays after 1, 3, and 5 days of growth. Cell survival was assessed under serum starvation (0.5% and 0.2% serum) using MTT assays. RRM and MTA surface characteristics and cell morphology were studied using a scanning electron microscope. The role of ERK signaling in RRM/MTA-induced cell proliferation/survival was studied using an ERK-specific inhibitor. Results All cell types firmly attached to RRM- and MTA-coated plates. The coated surfaces had a granular appearance under the scanning electron microscope. Compared with those grown on uncoated plates, the cells on MTA/RRM-coated plates appeared healthy and smaller. Cell proliferation was significantly higher on RRM/MTA-coated surfaces (2- to 3-fold in cell number). The mitogenic effect on periodontal ligament stem cells and dental pulp stem cells was more pronounced with RRM than MTA (49% and 26% higher, respectively), but human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells responded to both materials similarly. In serum-deprived conditions, significantly more cells (2- to 3-fold) survived on RRM/MTA surfaces. The cells grown on RRM/MTA surfaces showed sustained up-regulation of ERK phosphorylation, and blocking ERK signaling with U0126 significantly reduced RRM- and MTA-dependent cell survival. Conclusions MTA and RRM are biocompatible and promote cell proliferation and survival in an ERK-dependent manner.