cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Opportunities in the Advancement of Nanomedicines

Nanomedicine-based approaches to cancer treatment face several challenges that differ from those encountered by conventional medicines during clinical development. A systematic exploration of these issues has led us to identify the following needs and opportunities for further development: (1) robust and general methods for the accurate characterization of nanoparticle size, shape, and composition; (2) scalable approaches for producing nanomedicines with optimized bioavailability and excretion profiles; (3) particle engineering for maintaining low levels of nonspecific cytotoxicity and sufficient stability during storage; (4) optimization of surface chemistries for maximum targeted delivery and minimum nonspecific adsorption; (5) practical methods for quantifying ligand density and distributions on multivalent nanocarriers; and (6) the design of multifunctional nanomedicines for novel combination therapies with supportable levels of bioaccumulation.
Exploring social media marketing strategies in SMEs

This paper explores the emerging consistencies in the implementation of social media marketing by SMEs and classifies these recurring patterns into a taxonomy of managerially relevant strategic types. The empirical method of cluster analysis is applied to self-reported data by marketing executives to derive a typology of three dominant social media marketing strategic patterns. Calculative pragmatists, cautious watchers, and proactive strategists exhibit significant differences in the implementation of social media venues, perceived benefits of social media, utilised tactics, and performance. Cluster membership is also associated with industry type and firm size, as well as companies’ goals and reasons for adopting SMM.
Detection of heavy-ion reaction products in bound excited states.

The population of bound (\ensuremath{\gamma}-decaying) states of the projectilelike fragments from the $^{14}\mathrm{N}$${+}^{164}$Dy reaction at 20 MeV/nucleon was studied by measuring coincidences between these fragments and \ensuremath{\gamma} rays detected with large volume bismuth germanate detectors. The results indicate that products of pickup and exchange reactions are more likely to be excited than products of stripping reactions, particularly in fast, peripheral collisions.
Cu-AlN INTERFACE : ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND ADHESION

Mesure par une methode semi-quantitative de l'adhesion du cuivre sur le nitrure d'aluminium. La force d'adhesion est dependante de l'orientation cristallographique du support. L'origine de l'adhesion est attribuee a la nature de l'interaction Cu-AlN, en particulier au fait que le cuivre prefere se lier a l'aluminium
Prevention of cardiac sudden death by N‐3 fatty acids: a review of the evidence

The essential n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can prevent ischaemia-induced ventricular fibrillation in rats, dogs and marmosets. In isolated neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, these have been shown to prevent tachyarrhythmias caused by elevated calcium concentrations, toxic levels of ouabain, a β-adrenergic agent (isoproterenol), lysophosphatidylcholine and acylcarnitine. The antiarrhythmic effect is caused by a reduction in electrical excitability caused by partitioning of the free polyunsaturated fatty acids into the phospholipid cell membranes of the cardiac myocytes, which modulates membrane ion channels. Two clinical trials suggest they could prevent sudden cardiac death in humans.
The specificity of neuroleptic- and methysergide-induced behavioral hypersensitivity.

It has been proposed that prolonged pharmacologic blockade of specific receptor sites by specific antagonists results in specific denervation hypersensitivity. The exact specificity of such antagonist-induced behavioral hypersensitivity has not previously been investigated. The present study was undertaken to determine whether hypersensitivity induced by a chronic dopamine antagonist (chlorpromazine or haloperidol) and by a serotonin antagonist (methysergide) is specific to their respective agonists or whether the induced physiologic alterations are more generalized. Chlorpromazine, haloperidol, or methysergide was given to guinea pigs daily for 21 days and the subsequent behavioral responses to d-amphetamine, apomorphine, and d,l-5-hydroxytryptophan were observed.
α2β1 Integrin recognition of the carboxyl-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen: Integrin recognition and feed-back regulation of matrix biosynthesis are mediated by distinct sequences

Abstract It has recently been established that the carboxyl-terminal propeptide of type I collagen exert a feedback regulatory effect on extracellular matrix biosynthesis and that the propeptide bind to the α2β1 integrin. This raises the intriguing hypothesis that the regulatory propeptide sequences exert their effects as a consequence of binding to the integrin. We show that recombinant α1(I) collagen chain C-terminal propeptide contains a binding site for the intact α2β1 integrin and for a recombinant α2 integrin I domain, but not for the α1β1 integrin, a structurally and functionally related collagen/laminin receptor. Additional studies employing a series of recombinant N-terminal and C-terminal deletion mutants, internal fragments of the propeptide, synthetic peptides, recombinant α2 integrin I domain and inhibitory monoclonal antibodies established that the previously identified sequences within the α1(I) C-terminal propeptide that mediate regulation of matrix biosynthesis are neither necessary nor sufficient for α2β1 integrin binding. In contrast, the integrin recognition site is composed of a conformationally complex determinant located within a structurally distinct 115 amino acid region of the propeptide.
Effect of agglomeration on pulverized-coal combustion

The effect of coal particle agglomeration during pulverized coal combustion is studied using a plug-flow model of a practical coal combustor. The model incorporates turbulent agglomeration, in addition to the combustion equations, to explore certain combustor and coal parameters that may be used for optimizing a chosen output parameter (e.g., burnout time). This routine has been used to develop relations describing the effects of turbulent agglomeration on pulverized coal combustion as an aid in combustor design or retrofitting. The results of this work indicate that, in agreement with general observations, agglomeration will have little impact on pulverized coal combustion in typical combustors.
Propagation effects on pulsed light beams in absorbing media.

The propagation of a pulsed light beam through a medium containing absorbing aerosol droplets is considered. A previous analysis of the droplet temperature, including both vaporization and conductivity effects, is used to obtain for a monodisperse distribution of droplet radii the beam intensity and the droplet temperature along the path. For sufficiently long pulses, a vaporization front may be defined by the leading edge of the steady-state droplet temperature regime. The speed of the front is shown to vary for sufficiently large droplets approximately as the inverse fifth power of the droplet radius. Numerical calculations are given for the specific case of beam propagation through a medium containing absorbing water droplets.
Higgs-boson effects in grand unified theories

It is argued that fine tuning of a minimal set of parameters, needed to fix the hierarchy of gauge-boson masses and a knowledge of intermediate symmetry groups, leads to "natural" mass scales for physical Higgs bosons in grand unified theories. This is applied to $\ensuremath{\Delta}B=2$ transitions in models based on SU(5), SO(10), SU(16), and ${[\mathrm{SU}(2N)]}^{4}$. It turns out that the Higgs bosons which mediate $\ensuremath{\Delta}B=2$ neutron-antineutron and hydrogen-antihydrogen oscillations become superheavy, and so such transitions can be observable only in theories with low unification scales, such as SU(16) and ${[\mathrm{S}\mathrm{U}(8)]}^{4}$, if we adhere to the hypothesis of minimal fine tuning.
Thermal Boundary Conductance Between Thin Metal Films and Graphite Substrates

Due to the high intrinsic thermal conductivity of graphitic structures, much interest has developed in incorporating these materials into modern nano-devices for improved thermal abatement. In order to be integrated successfully, thermal energy must be able to transport efficiently through the graphitic materials and into the surrounding structure, most commonly a metal. However, thermal boundary conductance at metal-graphite interfaces is traditionally poor in comparison to non-graphitic substrates, due in large part to the weak van der Waals adhesion force between the metal and underlying carbon structure. To be applicable as thermal abatement materials, an enhanced understanding of the role of the metal-carbon interface is required. This paper reports the changes to phononic thermal transport across the interface between metallic thin films and highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) substrates due to changes in interface structure and chemistry. The temperature dependent thermal boundary conductance is measured using transient thermoreflectance from 100 K to 400 K. It is found that the differences in metal-carbon bonding and structure at the interface have a significant impact on the thermal conductance between the metallic thin films and the HOPG substrates.
Microwave and millimeter wave characterization of high temperature superconducting thin films

Stripline transmission line resonators and resonant cavities were used to determine the surface resistance of high-T/sub c/ superconducting materials and were found to be an effective measurement tool. Thin films were found to have surface resistivity values slightly better than those of cooled copper at 20 K in the frequency range from 3 to 26 GHz, while the more nearly single-crystal bulk samples had even lower surface resistivity values in the millimeter-wave frequency range. >
Prediction of the relaxation behavior of amorphous pharmaceutical compounds. I. Master curves concept and practice

ABSTRACT: Variability in the time to crystallization is a major technical and economic hurdle in using amorphous solids in dosage forms. It is hypothesized that amorphous solids “age”, and that the older they are, the more relaxed they are and the higher the probability of crystallization. At present, there is no method that allows the “effective age” of an amorphous raw material to be assessed relative to its unrelaxed initial condition. A method has been developed that may satisfy this unmet need and provide a first step in subsequent investigation of the crystallization “event”. This method consists of using master curves to enable the determination of the effective age (‘aging’) of an amorphous compound given normal excursions in storage conditions. The present study shows that master curves can be prepared for different storage conditions and subsequently be used to predict the relaxation or aging behavior of amorphous compounds with expected variations in storage conditions. Given the constraint that the system remain within the area enclosed by the equilibrium supercooled liquid line and the glass on the enthalpy–temperature diagram, experimental results using indomethacin and salicin as model compounds show that master curves can be used to predict aging behavior under nonisothermal conditions, with temperature excursions as large as 10°C. The nonisothermal relaxation behavior can be modeled by combining the Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) stretched exponential function, the relaxation function, and a shift factor. In addition, a model was developed that extends the range of applicability to time/temperature regions in which partial crystallization occurs.
Morning Commute with Competing Modes and Distributed Demand: User Equilibrium, System Optimum, and Pricing

The morning commute problem for a single bottleneck is extended to model mode choice in an urban area with time-dependent demand. This extension recognizes that street space is shared by cars and public transit. It is assumed that transit is operated independently of traffic conditions, and that when it is operated it consumes a fixed amount of space. As a first step, a single fixed-capacity bottleneck that can serve both cars and transit is studied. Commuters choose which mode to use and when to travel in order to minimize the generalized cost of their own trip. The transit agency chooses the headway and when to operate. Transit operations reduce the bottleneck’s capacity for cars by a fixed amount. The following results are shown for this type of bottleneck: 1. If the transit agency charges a fixed fare and operates at a given headway, and only when there is demand, then there is a unique user equilibrium. 2. If the transit agency chooses its headway and time of operation for the common good, then there is a unique system optimum. 3. Time-dependent prices exist to achieve system optimum. Finally, it is also shown that results 2 and 3 apply to urban networks.
A Matrix Alignment Approach for Collective Classification

Within networks there is often a pattern to the way nodes link to one another. It has been shown that the accuracy of node classification can be improved by using the link data. One of the challenges to integrating the attribute and link data, though, is balancing the influence that each has on the classification decision. In this paper we present a matrix alignment approach to the problem of collective classification which weights the attributes and the links according to their predictive influence. The experiments show that while our approach provides comparable accuracy in prediction to other methods, it is also very fast and descriptive.
Safety Issues with Herbal Products

OBJECTIVE:TO review safety issues associated with the use of herbal products.DATA SOURCES:Literature accessed through MEDLINE and other Internet search engines. Key search terms included herbs, dietary supplements, and safety.DATA SYNTHESIS:A misconception exists among consumers that herbal remedies are safe because they are natural. In an effort to provide healthcare practitioners with information necessary for a patient discussion, a review of safety concerns with herbal products was conducted.CONCLUSIONS:Several safety concerns exist with herbal products including lack of safety data, absence of quality-control requirements for potency and purity, and lenient labeling standards.
Prevalence of Mental Illnesses in U.S. State Prisons: A Systematic Review

Two federal reports dating from 1999 and 2006 are by far the most widely cited sources for the prevalence of mental illness among persons in U.S. jails and prisons. To provide a broader picture of the issue, the author undertook a systematic review of 28 articles published between 1989 and 2013. Not only did the review confirm the high prevalence of mental illnesses among prisoners, it identified a litany of health problems associated with the incarceration of persons with mental illness and profound difficulties in finding housing and employment after release.
Comparison between laparoscopic and open radical nephroureterectomy in a contemporary group of patients: are recurrence and disease-specific survival associated with surgical technique?

Background Open radical nephroureterectomy (ORN) is the current standard of care for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), but laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LRN) is emerging as a minimally invasive alternative. Questions remain regarding the oncologic safety of LRN and its relative equivalence to ORN.
Enhancement effects in polarimetric radar returns: phase difference statistics

The probability density functions (pdfs) of the co- and cross-polarized phase differences are derived for backscatter from vegetation using the coherent and incoherent scattering theories. Unlike previous derivations, no assumptions or observations other than the applicability of the central limit theorem, the low fractional volume of the medium, the reciprocity of the scatterers, and the azimuthal symmetry of the scatterer's orientation statistics, are employed. Everything else follows logically via the mathematics. The difference between the coherent theory and the incoherent theory is referred to as the enhancement backscatter effect. The influence of this enhancement effect on the phase difference pdfs is examined and found to be important under combined conditions of scatterer anisotropy and appropriate reflection coefficient values. >
Demodulation performance of multiband UWB communication system with one RF and ADC module receiver

This paper studies the BER performance of a multiband UWB system with a common RF and ADC module in the receiver. Communication signals in multiple RF bands are received by one UWB antenna. The ADC samples the received signal in a swath. This means that the RF signals with lower frequencies are oversampled. Using the ADC output signal, the demodulator demodulates each RF signal individually. The quantization noise process depends on the resolution of the ADC and is considered as a uniform distribution. The bit error rate of each RF signal is analyzed. Numerical results are provided for different ADC resolution. The results can help system designer to choose the right resolution for ADC in multiband UWB communications systems.
Successful use of antihistamines in severe hypereosinophilia

Eosinophilia is common in childhood, and in most cases it is mild and of limited clinical relevance, being often secondary to allergy or infections. In rare cases, eosinophilia may be idiopathic or related to neoplastic aetiology. When severe and protracted, it can cause potentially irreversible organ or system damage, whose prevention is the first priority in the clinical management of hypereosinophilia. We describe the case of a patient with very severe eosinophilia, in whom antihistamines proved to be effective and safe in contributing to the eosinophil count normalization, thus avoiding the use of steroids until the hypothesis of an underlying neoplastic disorder was reasonably excluded.
Health Consequences of Criminal Victimization

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of violent and property victimization on health. Data from a random sample survey of 2,430 respondents were analyzed with multivariate regression models to test for effects of victimization on health, controlling for sociodemographic predictors of health. The results show that criminal victimization adversely affects health. Victims of violent crime reported lower levels of perceived health and physical well being, controlling for measures of injury and for sociodemographic characteristics. A significant age with violent victimization interaction indicated that younger violent crime victims experienced relatively greater decreases in perceived health compared to older violent crime victims. Victims of property crime also reported lower levels of perceived health and physical well being. Again, the impact of property victimization on perceived health was contingent upon the age of the victim. A significant interaction of age with property victimization r...
An empirical soil moisture estimation algorithm using imaging radar

An empirical algorithm was developed for the retrieval of soil moisture content and RMS height from remotely sensed data. It was developed using scatterometer data acquired with the RASAM and POLARSCAT systems. The algorithm requires two co-polarized channels at L-band. Omitting the usually weaker hv-polarized returns makes the algorithm less sensitive to system cross-talks and system noise. Furthermore, since the co-polarized terms are less sensitive to the presence of vegetation than the cross-polarized terms, this algorithm is more robust in the presence of vegetation than one relying on the hv-polarized returns. Even so, the authors results indicate that significant amounts of vegetation causes the algorithm to underestimate soil moisture. In this paper, the algorithm is described and its accuracy tested against the scatterometer data set. This algorithm is then applied to multipolarization SAR data acquired with the NASA/JPL multi-frequency multi-polarization AIRSAR system. In order to assess the accuracy of the studied algorithms, the estimated soil moisture values are compared with the actual "in situ" measurements. Accuracy of 5% or better are typically found for bare surfaces. >
UNDERSTANDING GENE AND ALLELE FUNCTION WITH TWO-HYBRID METHODS

Two-hybrid schemes for detecting protein-protein interactions have deepened our understanding of biology by allowing scientists to identify individual important proteins. Recent developments will allow biologists to chart regulatory networks and to rapidly generate hypotheses for the function of genes, allelic variants, and the connections between proteins that make up these networks. Future developments will allow biologists to test inferences about the function of network elements, and allow global approaches to questions of biological function.
Fair Trade? How Oxfam Presented a Systemic Approach to Poverty, Development, Human Rights and Trade

This article examines how Oxfam built the fair trade movement and in particular, examines how the NGO developed a new approach to linking trade, development and human rights.
Habitat and species identity, not diversity, predict the extent of refuse consumption by urban arthropods

Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services to city residents, but their management is hindered by a poor understanding of their ecology. We examined a novel ecosystem service relevant to urban public health and esthetics: the consumption of littered food waste by arthropods. Theory and data from natural systems suggest that the magnitude and resilience of this service should increase with biological diversity. We measured food removal by presenting known quantities of cookies, potato chips, and hot dogs in street medians (24 sites) and parks (21 sites) in New York City, USA. At the same sites, we assessed ground-arthropod diversity and abiotic conditions, including history of flooding during Hurricane Sandy 7 months prior to the study. Arthropod diversity was greater in parks (on average 11 hexapod families and 4.7 ant species per site), than in medians (nine hexapod families and 2.7 ant species per site). However, counter to our diversity-based prediction, arthropods in medians removed 2–3 times more food per day than did those in parks. We detected no effect of flooding (at 19 sites) on this service. Instead, greater food removal was associated with the presence of the introduced pavement ant (Tetramorium sp. E) and with hotter, drier conditions that may have increased arthropod metabolism. When vertebrates also had access to food, more was removed, indicating that arthropods and vertebrates compete for littered food. We estimate that arthropods alone could remove 4–6.5 kg of food per year in a single street median, reducing its availability to less desirable fauna such as rats. Our results suggest that species identity and habitat may be more relevant than diversity for predicting urban ecosystem services. Even small green spaces such as street medians provide ecosystem services that may complement those of larger habitat patches across the urban landscape.
Measurement of oxygen in the newborn.

Numerous conditions endanger the life or the health of the newborn baby apparently through decreased or increased oxygen supply to various organs. Shortly after birth cardio-respiratory embarrassment leads to hypoxia and creates the need for increased oxygen concentration in the inspired gas (FIO2). Subsequently, as the baby improves, the need to regulate oxygen intake persists mainly because of the detrimental effects of high oxygen in the environment or in the blood and the dependency on external support of respiration.
The role of turbocompound in the era of emissions reduction

This paper presents the results of an analytical investigation into the fuel economy benefit of turbocompound on a heavy-duty diesel engine in the presence of emissions control technologies - specifically exhaust aftertreatment and EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). Included in the investigation are the impact of aftertreatment backpressure levels, turbine efficiencies, variable geometry turbine (VGT) technology, and CVT power transmission technology. The fuel economy benefit of turbocompound is shown to be highly dependent on both aftertreatment backpressure and the use or absence of EGR. Application of advanced technologies like VGT and CVT is shown to have a comparatively smaller impact on BSFC benefit.
Suppression of German cockroach (Orthoptera: Blattellidae) populations with cypermethrin and two chlorpyrifos formulations.

Cypermethrin and two new chlorpyrifos formulations (Dursban LO and ME) were evaluated in the laboratory and field to determine effects on German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.). Initially, continuous exposure of adult males on cypermethrin- or chlorpyrifos-treated surfaces for 24 h resulted in total mortality of susceptible cockroaches. Dursban LO was less effective than the ME formulation 2 wk after treatment. Multiresistant cockroaches were more difficult to kill with both chlorpyrifos formulations, but cypermethrin killed 100% of both strains within 30 min. In modified choice arena tests, cypermethrin killed 100% of German cockroaches (susceptible and multi resistant). Chlorpyrifos applied as a micro emulsion (Durban LO) and as a micro encapsulated (Durban ME) formulation resulted in 92% and 95% mortality of susceptible cockroaches and 81% and 39% mortality of resistant cockroaches, respectively. Weekly sampling of populations demonstrated that chlorpyrifos (Durban LO) resulted in significantly fewer cockroaches per harbor ager than untreated controls, whereas chlorpyrifos (Durban ME) results were variable. Field evaluations resulted in percent reductions of 91% for cypermethrin, 66% for chlorpyrifos (Durban ME), and 15% for chlorpyrifos (Durban LO) at 4 wk after treatment.
Abstract 2186: Characterization of a novel ubiquitin E3 ligase that targets tumor suppressor RASSF1A for degradation during mitosis

Ras association domain family 1 isoform A (RASSF1A) is an important tumor suppressor. Loss or altered expression of RASSF1A has been associated with pathogenesis of a variety of cancers. RASSF1A is known to play an important role in regulation of mitosis, however, little is known about how RASSF1A is regulated during mitotic-phase of the cell cycle. In the present study, we have identified Cul4A as a RASSF1A E3 ligase and DDB1 serves as an adaptor protein to bring RASSF1A into the Cul4A-DDB1 complex. We have found that depletion of Cul4A E3 ligase results in increased levels of RASSF1A protein due to increased half-life; whereas overexpression of the Cul4A ligase markedly enhances RASSF1A protein ubiquitination resulting in reduced RASSF1A levels. We have further shown that Cul4A-mediated RASSF1A degradation occurs during mitosis and depletion of the E3 ligase markedly reverses mitotic-phase-stimulated RASSF1A degradation. Thus, our present study demonstrates that Cul4A is important for regulation of RASSF1A during mitosis and it may contribute to inactivation of RASSF1A thereby promoting cell cycle progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2186. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2186
Temporary inhibition of platelet function with iloprost (ZK36374) preserves canine platelets during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Contact between blood and artificial surfaces results in extensive quantitative and qualitative alterations in platelet function. We evaluated the efficacy of a brief infusion of iloprost (ZK36374), a stable analog of prostacyclin, in preventing these platelet changes during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Twelve nonsplenectomized male mongrel dogs (23 to 30 kg) were randomized to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. The treatment animals received an infusion of iloprost at a rate of 150 ng/kg/min with the infusion being terminated 30 minutes after the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, despite the fact that all animals were maintained on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 3 hours. In the control group, platelet counts dropped to 54% ± 8.9% (mean ± standard error of the mean) of initial levels at 30 minutes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and gradually rose to 87.2% ± 6.7% at 3 hours. In contrast, the platelet counts of the iloprost-treated dogs remained stable throughout extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at 98.3% ± 4.2% of initial counts. Platelet reactivity toward adenosine diphosphate revealed a significant and permanent loss of platelet function in the control group (37.0% ± 2.1% inhibition). In contrast, the iloprost group demonstrated significant inhibition of platelet reactivity (79.2% ± 8.3%) during the iloprost infusion but a return to normal function (4.2% ± 6.7% inhibition) after cessation of drug infusion which persisted throughout extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Plasma levels of the platelet-specific protein thrombospondin rose progressively from 918 ± 89 ng/ml to 1465 ± 239 ng/ml (±548 ± 179 ng/ml) at 30 minutes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which indicates extensive release of platelet granule contents (p
Administration of porcine somatotropin by daily injection: growth and endocrine responses in genetically lean and obese barrows and gilts.

Influences of genotype and sex on responses to porcine somatotropin (pST) administered by daily injection were examined in genetically lean and obese gilts and barrows. Pigs (59 +/- 1.4 kg BW, eight per pST dose x line x sex) were injected daily with pST at doses of 0, 2, and 4 mg/d for 6 wk. Administration of pST induced dose-dependent decreases in feed intake and rate of backfat deposition, whereas rate and efficiency of gain were increased in a quadratic manner indicating that 4 mg of pST/d approached the optimal dose. These live measures of growth were also influenced (P < .05) by sex and line. Line, sex, and pST dose effects (P < .05) were noted for most offal components and carcass components. Quantity of lean and bone in the ham was increased (P < .01) and that of fat decreased (P < .01) with dose of pST. Throughout the trial pST induced increases (P < .05) in serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, insulin, and glucose and decreases in urea nitrogen. Concentrations of pST 24 h after injection were lower (P < .05) in pST-injected pigs than in buffer-injected pigs, indicating negative feedback on endogenous pST secretion. The pST-induced increases (P < .05) in insulin, IGF-I, and IGF-II and the decrease in urea nitrogen were evident at 24 h after the initial injection. Although pST administration improved the growth performance and composition of lean and obese barrows and gilts, the influences of line and sex were not expunged by administration of pST.
Cervical spine manipulation was not better than mobilization for improving outcomes in neck pain

Source Citation Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Harber P, et al. A randomized trial of chiropractic manipulation and mobilization for patients with neck pain: clinical outcomes from the UCLA neck-pain s...
Surgical Resection of Cranial base Meningiomas

This article outlines strategies for the surgical management of skull base meningiomas, including preoperative studies, general techniques of tumor resection, complications, postoperative management, follow-up, and nonsurgical modalities of treatment. The conventional and skull base surgical approaches are compared for meningiomas in specific skull base locations.
Detection of Dihydrofolate Reductase Conformational Change by FRET Using Two Fluorescent Amino Acids

Two fluorescent amino acids, including the novel fluorescent species 4-biphenyl-l-phenylalanine (1), have been incorporated at positions 17 and 115 of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to enable a study of conformational changes associated with inhibitor binding. Unlike most studies involving fluorescently labeled proteins, the fluorophores were incorporated into the amino acid side chains, and both probes [1 and L-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl)ethylglycine (2)] were smaller than fluorophores typically used for such studies. The DHFR positions were chosen as potentially useful for Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements on the basis of their estimated separation (17-18 A) and the expected change in distance along the reaction coordinate. Also of interest was the steric accessibility of the two sites: Glu17 is on the surface of DHFR, while Ile115 is within a folded region of the protein. Modified DHFR I (1 at position 17; 2 at position 115) and DHFR II (2 at position 17; 1 at position 115) were both catalytically competent. However, DHFR II containing the potentially rotatable biphenylphenylalanine moiety at sterically encumbered position 115 was significantly more active than DHFR I. Irradiation of the modified DHFRs at 280 nm effected excitation of 1, energy transfer to 2, and emission by 2 at 450 nm. However, the energy transfer was substantially more efficient in DHFR II. The effect of inhibitor binding was also measured. Trimethoprim mediated concentration-dependent diminution of the emission observed at 450 nm for DHFR II but not for DHFR I. These findings demonstrate that amino acids containing small fluorophores can be introduced into DHFR with minimal disruption of function and in a fashion that enables sensitive monitoring of changes in DHFR conformation.
Appropriate experimental approach is critical for identifying neurotransmitter substances: application to enteric purinergic neurotransmission.

to the editor: The identity of the purinergic neurotransmitter in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a controversial issue ([12][1]). For several decades adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) was assumed to be the enteric inhibitory purinergic neurotransmitter ([1][2]–[3][3]). However, recent studies
Counseling persons of Black African ancestry.

The purpose of this chapter is to help counselors explore practices and procedures that appreciate the culture, nomenclature, history, and clinical preferences of clients and counselor trainees of Black African ancestry. The chapter emphasizes ways in which counselors can enhance the quality and integrity of their services by developing a better understanding of (1) specific cultural norms and folkways, (2) how sociocultural power differentials manifest within a therapeutic context, and (3) how Black/African psychology tenets can shape clinical practice. In many counseling settings, routine practices and compliance standards often diminish the quality of care for Black clients. Some counselors report that they often alter standards and bend rules, not only to enhance Black clients’ services but also to protect them from maltreatment (Williams, 2005). For example, one Black counselor reported that he instructs his Black adolescent clients to use the title of “Brother” instead of “Mr.” when addressing him. Another counselor described the dissonance she felt when she frankly told her client to “just ignore that label . . . that’s not who you really are,” when referring to her client’s treatment plan diagnosis. Yet another counselor encouraged her client to call out the name of a deceased loved one to keep his memory alive
Analysis of Loss-of-Coolant Accidents in the High-Flux Isotope Reactor

Loss-of-coolant accident analyses have been completed for the High-Flux Isotope Reactor safety analysis report. More than 100 simulations have been performed using the RELAP5/MOD2.5 computer program. The RELAP5 input model used for the simulations is quite detailed, including 17 parallel channels in the core region, the three active heat exchanger cells, the pressurizing system, and the secondary cooling system. Special models are developed to represent the effects of shrinkage in the primary coolant pressure boundary and cavitation of the primary coolant pumps. Six locations in the primary coolant system are selected as pipe break sites to determine the worst-case scenario. At each of the locations, simulations are completed for a range of break diameters. The reactor is assumed to survive the transient as long as the hot-spot heat flux remains below the flow excursion limit. In addition to the base-line simulations, extensive parametric simulations are conducted to ensure that the modeling assumptions used are conservative. For a break diameter of 5.1 cm at any of the six locations in the system, the hot-spot heat flux remains beneath this limit, and furthermore, no boiling occurs in the fuel region. A summary table for all results is presented, and results are discussedmore » in detail for the worst-case 5.1-cm break scenario.« less
Shear stress magnitude and transforming growth factor-βeta 1 regulate endothelial to mesenchymal transformation in a three-dimensional culture microfluidic device

Normal fibroblasts are present within the extracellular matrix (ECM). They can become activated, leading to increased proliferation and ECM protein secretion such as collagen type I to promote tissue remodeling. These cells are also involved in adult pathologies including cancer metastasis and cardiac and renal fibrosis. One source of activated fibroblasts is endothelial to mesenchymal transformation (EndMT), in which endothelial cells lose their cell–cell and cell–ECM adhesions, gain invasive properties, and become mesenchymal cells. While EndMT is well characterized in developmental biology, the mechanisms and functional role of EndMT in adult physiology and pathology have not been fully investigated. A microfluidic device with an incorporated three-dimensional ECM chamber was developed to study the role of combined steady fluid shear stress magnitudes and transforming growth factor-βeta 1 (TGF-β1) on EndMT. Low (1 dyne per cm2) steady shear stress and TGF-β1 exposure induced EndMT in endothelial cells, including upregulation of mesenchymal protein and gene expression markers. Cells exposed to TGF-β1 and high (20 dynes per cm2) steady shear stress did not undergo EndMT, and protein and gene expression of mesenchymal markers was significantly downregulated. Mesenchymally transformed cells under static conditions with and without TGF-β1 showed significantly more collagen production when compared to fluidic conditions. These results confirm that both low shear stress and TGF-β1 induce EndMT in endothelial cells, but this process can be prevented by exposure to physiologically relevant high shear stress. These results also show conditions most likely to cause tissue pathology.
The role of quantitative systems pharmacology modeling in the prediction and explanation of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury.

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (iDILI) is a serious concern in drug development. The rarity and multifactorial nature of iDILI makes it difficult to predict and explain. Recently, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele associations have provided strong support for a role of an adaptive immune response in the pathogenesis of many iDILI cases; however, it is likely that an adaptive immune attack requires several preceding events. Quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP), an in silico modeling technique that leverages known physiology and the results of in vitro experiments in order to make predictions about how drugs affect biological processes, is proposed as a potentially useful tool for predicting and explaining critical events that likely precede immune-mediated iDILI, as well as the immune attack itself. DILIsym, a QSP platform for drug-induced liver injury, has demonstrated success in predicting the presence of delayed hepatocellular stress events that likely precede the iDILI cascade, and has successfully predicted hepatocellular stress likely underlying iDILI attributed to troglitazone and tolvaptan. The incorporation of a model of the adaptive immune system into DILIsym would represent and important advance. In summary, QSP methods can play a key role in the future prediction and understanding of both immune-mediated and non-immune-mediated iDILI.
A tutorial introduction to compressed sensing

Compressed sensing refers to recovering a large but sparse vector, or a large but low rank matrix, from a small number of linear measurements. This paper presents some of the most popular and useful approaches at present.
Sociology of Social Practices: Theory or Modus Operandi of Empirical Research?

Practice sociology seeks to overcome the ingrained academic division of labour between blind empirical research without theory and ‘scholastic’ theory that immunises itself against being empirically questioned. To meet such demands, this chapter proposes a procedure of praxeologising, which combines empirical perspectives and theoretical tools within stimulating epistemic arrangements. This procedure closely ties in with praxeological epistemology, which subsequently is exemplified using three steps. First, by referring to Bourdieu’s praxeology, this study reflects on the differences between the practices of theorising and the logic of practice within the fields of activities to be studied and theorised. Second, it is illustrated how the procedure of praxeologising can employ a heuristics of game playing to focus on the tacit, bodily dimensions of social events and participants’ shared feel and sense of the game. Third, it is pointed out that to master the overtly public nature of social practices, praxeology particularly should work out applicative procedures and methods derived from observation.
Virtue of Self-Regulation

This paper proposes the idea of thinking about practical rationality in terms of self-regulation and defends the thesis that self-regulation is a virtue, insofar as we have reason to think it is our highest form of practical rationality. I argue that understanding self-regulation as a virtuous form of practical reasoning is called for given the kinds of limitations we face in developing agency and pursuing our goals, and presents us with several advantages over traditional understandings of practical rationality.
Assessment of candidates for target window material in accelerator-driven molybdenum-99 production

NorthStar Medical Technologies is pursuing production of an important medical isotope, Mo-99, through a photo-nuclear reaction of a Mo-100 target using a high-power electron accelerator. The current target utilizes an Inconel 718 window. The purpose of this study was to evaluate other candidate materials for the target window, which separates the high-pressure helium gas inside the target from the vacuum inside the accelerator beamline and is subjected to significant stress. Our initial analysis assessed the properties (density, thermal conductivity, maximum stress, minimum window thickness, maximum temperature, and figure of merit) for a range of materials, from which the three most promising were chosen: Inconel 718, 250 maraging steel, and standard-grade beryllium. These materials were subjected to further analysis to determine the effects of thermal and mechanical strain versus beam power at varying thicknesses. Both beryllium and the maraging steel were calculated to withstand more than twice as high beam power than Inconel 718.
Town Hall Meeting with International Journal Reviewers: Insights and Understanding Why Manuscripts Fail the Review Process: An Abstract

With the existing insights on writing and publishing marketing journal articles and the discipline’s rapid expansion of publishing opportunities in new U.S. and international marketing journals, one intuitive prediction is marketing scholars’ publishing success of important scientific articles is rapidly becoming a more common occurrence. Yet, this trend prediction is perplexing and contradictive because the prestigious and top 25 ranked marketing-oriented journals consistently report annual acceptance rates ranging between 7 and 16%. The low acceptance suggest a disconnect gap between conducting important, relevant quality research and ultimately publishing that research in quality journals.
Epidural stimulation with locomotor training improves body composition in individuals with cervical or upper thoracic motor complete spinal cord injury: A series of case studies.

ContextFour individuals with motor complete SCI with an implanted epidural stimulator who were enrolled in another study were assessed for cardiovascular fitness, metabolic function and body composition at four time points before, during, and after task specific training. Following 80 locomotor training sessions, a 16-electrode array was surgically placed on the dura (L1-S1 cord segments) to allow for electrical stimulation. After implantation individuals received 160 sessions of task specific training with epidural stimulation (stand and step).Outcome measuresDual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), resting metabolic rate and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) were measured before locomotor training, after locomotor training but before epidural stimulator implant, at mid-locomotor training with spinal cord epidural stimulation (scES) and after locomotor training with scES.FindingsParticipants showed increases in lean body mass with decreases on percentage of body fat, particularly android body fat, and and...
Family Treatment of Poverty Level Families

Changes in family functioning are complex, especially when there is a parental life pattern of self-defeating behavior with few nurturant and stimulating resources
Sovremennyi chitatel’: vzgliad spetsialistov knizhnoi kul’tury, edited by A.S. Stepanova and V.V. Ialysheva, [The Contemporary Reader: From the Perspective of Experts in Book Culture]. St. Petersburg, Rossiiskaia Natsional’naia Biblioteka, 2011, 192 pp., ISBN: 5819204146

The dominance of information, digital communication technologies, and continuously evolving information media in current society has fundamentally transformed the cultural sphere. Frequently discus...
Physical Activity, Cognition, and School Performance: From Neurons to Neighborhoods

This generation of children is less physically active and fit than their predecessors. The prevalence of overweight and obesity rates in children have increased dramatically over the last two decades (Pate et al., 2006), with approximately 16 % of the US children identified as obese and 32 % identified as overweight. Media, video gaming, and the Internet are currently identified as inhibitors to regular engagement in physical activity among children. Habitual physical activity begins in the home environment prior to schooling, as one-third of 5-year-olds entering Kindergarten are identified as overweight or obese (Ogden, Carroll, & Flegal, 2008). Schools have been called to assume a leadership role in promoting behaviors that will prevent the development of overweight and obesity (Pate et al., 2006). Without intervention, there will be further decline of student health resulting from modern inactive lifestyles, as physical inactivity leads to the development of several chronic diseases in later life. As such, the short- and long-term effects of this modern sedentary lifestyle on physical and cognitive health are of immediate concern.
Multistrategy Learning and Optimal Mappings

Future advances on the connectionist front concern both modeling and learning and require (i) awareness of existing analogies between neural networks and related statistical disciplines, and (ii) the development of functional and hybrid learning schemes. The unified framework provided by statistics, spectral analysis, information theory and evolutionary computation provides both insights and solutions to difficult problems concerning network performance, local learning, novelty detection and rejection handling, and functional approximation using optimal bases. The most important result established in this chapter is the significance of proper sampling (corresponding to ‘Nyquist frequency’) and the tradeoffs between signal localization and detail of representation (corresponding to the uncertainty principle from signal processing and information theory) on overall network performance.