cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endothelial progenitor cell response to antiproliferative drug exposure

Abstract Background Vascular stent coverage by endothelial cells, derived from endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) is considered a surrogate for healing. However, the effects of antiproliferative drugs used in current drug-eluting stents (DES) on EPC proliferative and antithrombotic function remains poorly defined. Method and results Herein, we studied and compared the in vitro and in vivo effects of four antiproliferative drugs – paclitaxel, sirolimus, everolimus, and zotarolimus on several EPC properties including colony forming units (CFU), cell proliferation, apoptosis, antithrombotic and prothrombotic gene expression and nitric oxide (NO) as well as prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) release. We also examined EPC migration and adhesion under flow conditions. We find that whereas all antiproliferative agents inhibited EPC proliferation and caused cell apoptosis, only paclitaxel and sirolimus reduced CFU formation. Paclitaxel treatment also resulted in the greatest down-regulation of antithrombotic gene expression and up-regulation of prothrombotic gene expression. NO release, migration, and adhesion of EPC under shear stress were inhibited by all antiproliferative drugs, most notably by paclitaxel and sirolimus. Conclusions These results indicate that antiproliferative drugs on DES, particularly paclitaxel, impair the proliferative and antithrombotic functions of EPC, and thereby could contribute to incomplete vascular healing and increase the risk of stent thrombosis.
Ionization energy determination by the kinetic method

Ionization energies of organic compounds can be determined by the kinetic method by dissociation of radical cations of van der Waals complexes. The ionized dimeric complexes of benzene and substituted benzenes, generated in the ion source of a multiquadrupole instrument by gentle charge exchange chemical ionization using carbon disulfide as reagent gas, when mass-selected and allowed to undergo collision-induced dissociation with argon, yield only the two individual radical cations as products. The logarithm of the ratio of their ion abundances correlates linearly with their ionization energies. Using this linear relationship, the ionization energy of 3-iodobenzonitrile was determined to be 9.39 ± 0.05 eV, and this case serves to illustrate the application of the kinetic method in the determination of an unknown ionization energy. From the slope of the kinetic method plot, it is evident that the clusters are weakly bound (effective temperature, 1670 K). Strengths of this method are the simplicity of the p...
Prolonged Δ4-Cholestenone Feeding in Birds The Effects on Plasma and Liver Sterols and the Induction of Aortic Arteriosclerosis

The pathologic changes in the aorta, liver, and adrenal glands, and the changes in sterols of plasma and liver induced in birds by the prolonged feeding of a diet containing 0.5 per cent Δ4-cholestenone are described. Lesions were found in the media of thoracic aortas and intima of the abdominal aortas of the sterol-fed birds and evidence is presented to show that the crystalline material in the abdominal plaques is not cholesterol. There was enlargement of both liver and adrenal glands with a pronounced deposition of total digitonin-precipitable sterols which could not be accounted for by Liebermann-Burchard reacting sterols (LBRS). In the Δ4-cholestenone-fed birds the level of LBRS in plasma, fell to about 50 per cent of that in control birds, whereas the levels of total digitonin-precipitable sterols (TDPS) rose to values of 200 mg. per 100 ml. The fraction of the TDPS present as non-LBRS was quite constant in the plasma of the sterol-fed birds (63-69 per cent). By means of isotope dilution procedures the non-LBRS in the livers of sterol-fed birds was identified as dihydrocholesterol.
Creating the infrastructure for collaboration between digital reference services and researchers: the digital reference electronic warehouse (DREW) project

The Digital Reference Electronic Warehouse (DREW) project is a collection of digital reference transactions from different services and different communication channels that live in a single space. Reference services work with DREW to submit transactions using the DREW schema, which is conceptually similar to the MARC record format for bibliographic materials. Researchers can then receive records from DREW to improve our knowledge of digital reference. These researchers then use the results of their research to create tools, reports, and models based on the DREW schema, and place those items into a management information system (MIS). The services can then access the MIS and apply those tools to their own archives. The result is that services can benefit directly and rapidly from research, and are then more likely to continue their involvement with the project. This infrastructure creates a collaborative space where researchers and practitioners can benefit from the work of each other and aid us in advancing the field of digital reference.
Dynamics of Bilayer Interactions at the Air-Water Interface

A novel supported bilayer system at the air-water interface has been developed for use in synchrotron X-ray scattering experiments in order to drastically increase signal to noise ratio. This system gives a significant resolution improvement comparing to more traditional solid-supported bilayer system and is better suited for specular X-Ray reflectivity and grazing incidence X-ray off-specular scattering. Using this system we have successfully characterized anionic bilayers mimetic of Gram-positive bacterial membranes interacting with engineered biomimetic oligomers (peptoids), zwitterionic bilayers interacting with human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), and insertion differences between zwitterionic membranes with and without cholesterol and the glycoprotein-41 subunit fragment of the viral envelope glycoprotein-160. Results from anionic and net neutral bilayers correspond to previous studies on monolayer insertion studies, where peptoid ML 2-6 acts by associating throughout the lipophilic regions and zwitterionic bilayers without cholesterol were completely penetrated by the GP-41 fusion peptide. Resolution of the dynamic formation of a zwitterionic lipid bilayer system in minute scale time resolution via Grazing Incidence X-Ray Off-Specular Scattering (GIXOS) was also observed, and found to be in agreement with the proposed mechanisms associated with vesicle fusion on a solid support.
Trace Metals and Radionuclides Reveal Sediment Sources and Accumulation Rates in Jordan Cove, Connecticut

Many small estuaries are influenced by flow restrictions resulting from transportation rights-of-way and other causes. The biogeochemical functioning and history of such systems can be evaluated through study of their sediments. Ten long and six short cores were collected from the length of Jordan Cove, Connecticut, a Long Island Sound subestuary, and analyzed for stratigraphy, radionuclides (14C, 210Pb, 226Ra, 137Cs, and 60Co), and metals (Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Al). For at least 3,800 yr, rising sea level has gradually inundated Jordan Cove, filling it with mud similar to that currently being deposited there. Long-term sediment accumulation in the cove averaged close to 0.1 cm yr−1 over the last three millennia. Recent sediment accumulation rates decrease inland from 0.84 cm yr−1 to 0.40 cm yr−1, and are slightly faster than relative sea-level rise at this site (0.3 cm yr−1). Similarity of depth distributions of trace metals was used to confirm relative sediment accumulation rates. 60Co and Ag are derived from sources outside the cove and its watershed, presumably the Millstone nuclear power plant and regional contaminated sediments, respectively. The combined data suggest that Long Island Sound is an important source of sediment to the cove; a minor part of total sediment is supplied from the local watershed. Trace metal levels are strongly correlated with Fe but not with either organic matter or Al. Sediment quality has declined in the cove over the past 60 yr, but only slightly. Cu, Pb, and Zn data correlate strongly with Fe but not with either organic matter or aluminum. Ratios of Ag to Fe and to trace metals suggest that Ag in the cove is derived almost entirely from Long Island Sound. This result supports the notion that Fenormalized Ag can serve as a better tracer of some kinds of contamination than more common and abundant metals, like Cu, Pb, and Zn. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY085 00008
Climate change and the outbreak ranges of two North American bark beetles

One expected effect of global climate change on insect populations is a shift in geographical distributions toward higher latitudes and higher elevations. South- ern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis and mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae undergo regional outbreaks that result in large-scale disturbances to pine forests in the south-eastern and western United States, respectively. 2 Our objective was to investigate potential range shifts under climate change of outbreak areas for both bark beetle species and the areas of occurrence of the forest types susceptible to them. 3 To project range changes, we used discriminant function models that incor- porated climatic variables. Models to project bark beetle ranges employed changed forest distributions as well as changes in climatic variables. 4 Projected outbreak areas for southern pine beetle increased with higher temperatures and generally shifted northward, as did the distributions of the southern pine forests. 5 Projected outbreak areas for mountain pine beetle decreased with increasing temperature and shifted toward higher elevation. That trend was mirrored in the projected distributions of pine forests in the region of the western U.S. encompassed by the study. 6 Projected outbreak areas for the two bark beetle species and the area of occurrence of western pine forests increased with more precipitation and decreased with less precipitation, whereas the area of occurrence of southern pine forests decreased slightly with increasing precipitation. 7 Predicted shifts of outbreak ranges for both bark beetle species followed general expectations for the effects of global climate change and reflected the under- lying long-term distributional shifts of their host forests.
Improved resolution in triple-resonance spectra by nonlinear sampling in the constant-time domain

Nonlinear sampling along the constant-time dimension is applied to the constant-time HNCO spectrum of the dimerization domain of Gal4. Nonlinear sampling was used for the nitrogen dimension, while the carbon and proton dimensions were sampled linearly. A conventional ct-HNCO spectrum is compared with a nonlinearly sampled spectrum, where the gain in experiment time obtained from nonlinear sampling is used to increase the resolution in the carbonyl dimension. Nonlinearly sampled data are processed by maximum entropy reconstruction. It is shown that the nonlinearly sampled spectrum has a higher resolution, although it was recorded in less time. The constant intensity of the signal in the constant-time dimension allows for a variety of sampling schedules. A schedule of randomly distributed sampling points yields the best results. This general method can be used to significantly increase the quality of heteronuclear constant-time spectra.
An Efficient Approach for Candidate Set Generation

When Apriori was first introduced as an algorithm for discovering association rules in a database of market basket data, the problem of generating the candidate set of the large set was a bottleneck in Apriori's performance, both in space and computational requirements. At first, many unsuccessful attempts were made to improve the generation of a candidate set. Later, other algorithms that out performed Apriori were developed that generate association rules without using a candidate set. They used the counting property of association rules instead of generating the candidate set as Apriori does. However, the Apriori concept has been used in many different areas other than counting market basket items, and the candidate generation problem remains a bottleneck issue. The approach described here improves the overall time and space requirements by eliminating the need for a hash table/tree of formation for the candidate set.
Repeated phencyclidine in monkeys results in loss of parvalbumin-containing axo-axonic projections in the prefrontal cortex

Repeated exposure to the N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonist, phencyclidine, has been shown to result in biochemical and cognitive changes similar to aspects of schizophrenia. Recently, emerging evidence indicated that the symptoms of schizophrenia might result at least in part from dysfunction of local circuit neurons containing parvalbumin, including a loss of their axo-axonic projections to pyramidal neurons. In this report, we test if repeated exposure to phencyclidine in the primate shares this change to parvalbumin-containing cells and their axo-axonic structures. Eight adult male African green monkeys were treated with saline or phencyclidine (0.3 mg/kg BID × 14 days) and, after 8 days drug-free, perfused and fixed, and the principal sulcus was collected (Walker’s area 46) for immunohistochemical analysis. Prior treatment with phencyclidine resulted in a 40% reduction in the density of parvalbumin-containing axo-axonic structures. There was no apparent change in the lengths or laminar location of the axo-axonic projections. Additionally, there was no change in the total density or laminar location of parvalbumin-containing or calretinin-containing cell bodies in area 46. These results indicate that repeated treatment with phencyclidine results in plastic changes in parvalbumin-containing local circuit neurons in the prefrontal cortex similar to that reported in schizophrenia and that these changes may contribute to the common cognitive disruption seen in both schizophrenic patients and the phencyclidine monkey model.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: NHLBI Workshop on the Primary Prevention of Chronic Lung Diseases

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex set of conditions with multiple risk factors, disease mechanisms, and clinical manifestations. These characteristics make primary prevention of COPD challenging. Semantic issues related to prevalent and incident disease (e.g., the use of specific cut points on a continuous range) should not derail development of primary prevention initiatives. Potential targets for COPD prevention occur along the spectrum of disease development. Understanding risk factors early in life, whether specific to COPD or not, allows for study of interventions to optimize lung function at birth and to prolong the lung function plateau, potentially reducing the development of COPD. It is necessary to identify noninvasive ways to screen for early COPD in those at risk before progression to clinically significant disease. Identification of specific COPD subgroups, such as individuals with chronic bronchitis, those with α1-antitrypsin deficiency, or early radiographic changes ...
Malocclusion as a risk factor in the etiology of headaches in children and adolescents

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of occlusal factors in recurrent headaches in children and adolescents without other signs or symptoms of temporomandibular disorders or related craniomandibular disorders. Methods: A sample of 50 children and adolescents, ages 8 to16, who reported headaches was obtained from the University at Buffalo Orthodontic Clinic records; a control group of 50 children and adolescents, matched for age and sex, was also obtained. Plaster models, made during the routine collection of orthodontic records, were used to obtain the following occlusal trait measurements: Angle classification, overjet, anterior and posterior crossbite, scissors-bite, overbite, open bite, dental midline discrepancy, crowding, spacing, and dental development stage. Results: Overbite, overjet, and posterior crossbite showed statistically significant associations (chi-square) with increased risk for headaches. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that overjet was a significant factor only because of its correlation with overbite and posterior crossbite. Overjet was not significant after adjusting for the other 2 variables, whereas overbite and posterior crossbite were associated with significantly increased risk (>3:1) of headache. The combination of 2 or more of these 3 occlusal factors increased the risk of headache even more (8.5:1). Conclusions: Posterior crossbite and overbite ≥5 mm were associated with significantly increased risk of headache in children and adolescents.
Plumbagin (5-Hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) Suppresses NF-κB Activation and NF-κB-regulated Gene Products Through Modulation of p65 and IκBα Kinase Activation, Leading to Potentiation of Apoptosis Induced by Cytokine and Chemotherapeutic Agents

Plumbagin, derived from the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica, modulates cellular proliferation, carcinogenesis, and radioresistance, all known to be regulated by the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB, suggesting plumbagin might affect the NF-kappaB activation pathway. We found that plumbagin inhibited NF-kappaB activation induced by TNF, and other carcinogens and inflammatory stimuli (e.g. phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, H2O2, cigarette smoke condensate, interleukin-1beta, lipopolysaccharide, and okadaic acid). Plumbagin also suppressed the constitutive NF-kappaB activation in certain tumor cells. The suppression of NF-kappaB activation correlated with sequential inhibition of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced activation of IkappaBalpha kinase, IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, IkappaBalpha degradation, p65 phosphorylation, p65 nuclear translocation, and the NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression activated by TNF, TNFR1, TRAF2, NIK, IKK-beta, and the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. Plumbagin also suppressed the direct binding of nuclear p65 and recombinant p65 to the DNA, and this binding was reversed by dithiothreitol both in vitro and in vivo. However, plumbagin did not inhibit p65 binding to DNA when cells were transfected with the p65 plasmid containing cysteine 38 mutated to serine. Plumbagin down-regulated the expression of NF-kappaB-regulated anti-apoptotic (IAP1, IAP2, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cFLIP, Bfl-1/A1, and survivin), proliferative (cyclin D1 and COX-2), and angiogenic (matrix metalloproteinase-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor) gene products. This led to potentiation of apoptosis induced by TNF and paclitaxel and inhibited cell invasion. Overall, our results indicate that plumbagin is a potent inhibitor of the NF-kappaB activation pathway that leads to suppression of NF-kappaB-regulated gene products. This may explain its cell growth modulatory, anticarcinogenic, and radiosensitizing effects previously described.
The Subculture of Violence Thesis An Example of a Simultaneous Equation Model in Sociology

This paper examines the subculture of violence thesis (Wolfgang, 1958) as an example of a sociological theory with a feedback process. The thesis is operationalized in a simultaneous equation model, which is solved through a technique which uses only a "canned" ordinary least squares computer program. The findings do not support the subculture of violence thesis.
Origins and activity of the Mediator complex

The Mediator is a large, multisubunit RNA polymerase II transcriptional regulator that was first identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a factor required for responsiveness of Pol II and the general initiation factors to DNA binding transactivators. Since its discovery in yeast, Mediator has been shown to be an integral and highly evolutionarily conserved component of the Pol II transcriptional machinery with critical roles in multiple stages of transcription, from regulation of assembly of the Pol II initiation complex to regulation of Pol II elongation. Here we provide a brief overview of the evolutionary origins of Mediator, its subunit composition, and its remarkably diverse collection of activities in Pol II transcription.
Spatial interactions and cooperation can change the speed of evolution of complex phenotypes

Complex traits arise from the interactions among multiple gene products. In the case where the complex phenotype is separated from the wild type by a fitness valley or a fitness plateau, the generation of a complex phenotype may take a very long evolutionary time. Interestingly, the rate of evolution depends in nontrivial ways on various properties of the underlying stochastic process, such as the spatial organization of the population and social interactions among cells. Here we review some of our recent work that investigates these phenomena in asexual populations. The role of spatial constraints is quite complex: there are realistic cases where spatial constrains can accelerate or delay evolution, or even influence it in a nonmonotonic fashion, where evolution works fastest for intermediate-range constraints. Social interactions among cells can be studied in the context of the division-of-labor games. Under a range of circumstances, cooperation among cells can lead to a relatively fast creation of a complex phenotype as an emerging (distributed) property. If we further assume the presence of cheaters, we observe the emergence of a fully mutated population of cells possessing the complex phenotype. Applications of these ideas to cancer initiation and biofilm formation in bacteria are discussed.
Seeking the holy grail through gay and lesbian consumers: An exploratory content analysis of ads with gay/lesbian-specific content

Marketing communication has come around, it seems, to embracing the gay consumer market. Research indicates that gay consumers are affluent, well educated, and in possession of disposable income. Marketers, capitalizing on this market, have been creating gay-themed ads. This study, an exploratory content analysis, considers how gay-themed ads differ from that of conventional ads. Looking closely at the dominant appeals and product categories of such ads, this study finds that they reflect the demographics and psychographics of gay consumers. The study also finds a variety of iconography or symbolism of gays in gay-themed ads. Especially, rainbow flags were used prevalently, in implicit or explicit fashion. This finding cross-validates the literature that suggests that gay specific symbolism or iconographies could be used to minimize the risk of alienating heterosexual consumers. This study helps us understand the current phenomenon of print ads in a gay or lesbian magazine, especially advertising with gay...
A Role-Performance Strategy of State Grid Unified Application Platform

Based on the State Grid Unified Application Platform as the carrier, this paper proposed an extensible access control policy. For a long time, the combination of electric power enterprise internal environment and traditional access control are very inadequate. The traditional access control model on the current unified platform access and control permissions interaction problems is almost blank. Therefore, this paper puts forward an improved access control model. The model has solves some key problems of access control in State Grid Unified Application Platform , such as specific role division, interaction between roles, permissions delivery, senior role inherited permissions unlimited scale-up, and permissions linkage.
Magnetic field generation by rotating black holes

A new mechanism of cosmic magnetic field generation is discussed. Neutrinos asymmetrically emitted by rotating black holes scatter on protons and produce a proton current which generates the magnetic field. It is shown that this mechanism can in principle produce a seed field sufficiently strong to account for present galactic fields.
Integration of CAD, CAPP and Process Modeling Using XML Technologies

Integration of CAD (Computer Aided Design), CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning) and Process Modeling activities plays a vital role in enabling concurrent product and process design. Typically each of these functions is performed in its own dedicated software environment. The integration will require interfacing several disconnected processes and software components built in different languages, and platforms. This paper presents an integration methodology, validated using a case study, in which a steering housing was analyzed and its process planning and design tasks were integrated using several software tools. The first integration task was to generate a feature based CAD model (in Unigraphics) and map these design features to a set of manufacturing features. Feature based design was performed using the Horizontal Modeling™ approach developed at Delphi. Features developed using this approach were then mapped to manufacturing features using APPS, a software tool developed at Delphi Dynamics and Propulsion Innovation Center. This task involved interrogation of the geometric CAD model to generate geometric and tolerance information and represent them in a format suitable for feature-based process planning. The second task of integration is generation of feasible “production-intent” process plans. This task is performed using APPS and IMPlanner process planner, a knowledge based software tool developed at Ohio University. The third and final task of integration is automated generation of in-process CAD models. This task involved the integration of Delphi process design techniques to generate CAD models (in Unigraphics) to represent the component at each stage of the manufacturing process. Evaluation of these steps through the case study has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed integration methodology, which is reported in this paper.© 2006 ASME
The effects of femur and implant position on the radiographic assessment of total hip femoral implants in dogs.

Objective— To determine the effect of femur positioning and femoral implant placement on the radiographic assessment of total hip femoral implants in dogs. Study design— Cadaveric study. Animals— Five canine femurs. Methods— Five canine femurs were fitted with total hip implants, in predetermined locations, postmortem. Each femur was moved through a defined range of motion and radiographed at specific intervals. Radiographs were then digitized, and implant position was measured using previously described methods. Regression analysis was conducted to determine whether varied femoral position resulted in a consistent (linear) pattern of change in the value of each particular measurement. Results— Change in the position of the femur relative to the film cassette caused significant variation in the perceived position of the implant. The placement of the implant within the femur determined which measurements were affected and to what degree. Conclusions— The information obtained from standard clinical radiographs and conventional methods of quantitative analysis does not consistently provide an accurate assessment of the placement of the femoral implant within the femoral canal. Such data cannot be used to correlate implant position with implant failure.
Exploring Shifts in Middle School Learners’ Modeling Activity While Generating Drawings, Animations, and Computational Simulations of Molecular Diffusion

Modeling and using technology are two practices of particular interest to K-12 science educators. These practices are inextricably linked among professionals, who engage in modeling activity with and across a variety of representational technologies. In this paper, we explore the practices of five sixth-grade girls as they generated models of smell diffusion using drawing, stop-motion animation, and computational simulation during a multi-day workshop. We analyze video, student discourse, and artifacts to address the questions: In what ways did learners’ modeling practices, reasoning about mechanism, and ideas about smell shift as they worked across this variety of representational technologies? And, what supports enabled them to persist and progress in the modeling activity? We found that the girls engaged in two distinct modeling cycles that reflected persistence and deepening engagement in the task. In the first, messing about, they focused on describing and representing many ideas related to the spread of smell at once. In the second, digging in, they focused on testing and revising specific mechanisms that underlie smell diffusion. Upon deeper analysis, we found these cycles were linked to the girls’ invention of “oogtom,” a representational object that encapsulated many ideas from the first cycle and allowed the girls to restart modeling with the mechanistic focus required to construct simulations. We analyze the role of activity design, facilitation, and technological infrastructure in this pattern of engagement over the course of the workshop and discuss implications for future research, curriculum design, and classroom practice.
Synovial specimens obtained by knee joint biopsy.

It has been my privilege to spend the past two months with our Swedish friends at the Karolinska Sjukhuset in the Department of Internal Medicine. This experience has been very rewarding, exceeding all my expectations. I wish to express my warm appreciation to Professor Nanna Svartz who made this possible and to thank her for the kind invitation to participate in these meetings. I am honored to do so and hope that our report will be of interest. TKe material to be presented represents the work of several individuals in our Investigative Unit in which respect I would like to particularly mention the names of Dr. Mikkelsen and Dr. Castor. These studies have been carried out in collaboration with our colleague Dr. A. James French, Professor of Pathology. Our preliminary observations have been reported in an earlier publication [l] . Our findings confirm the experience first reported by Drs. Polley and Bickel [2, 31 of the Mayo Clinic in 1951. Since Dr. Hench has been closely concerned with Dr. Polley in the development of this technique we will be especially interested in his comments. It gives me further pleasure to recall the part played in the historical development of this subject by another of our very distinguished colleagues here today, Dr. Forestier. In 1932 he described [4] a method of obtaining synovial tissue by use of a dental nerve extractor introduced into the joint space through a large caliber, hollow needle and by which he obtained a number of biopsy specimens.
A Theory of Health Promotion for Preterm Infants Based on Levine’s Conservation Model of Nursing

The infant born prior to the completion of term gestation faces many challenges in order to merely survive in the extrauterine environment. A preterm birth is also a time of extreme crisis for the family. There is a great need for the refinement of nursing practice models for neonatal intensive care nursing, to assure that the holistic nursing care needs of the infant and family are met. This article describes a new middle range theory of health promotion for preterm infants based on Levine's conservation model of nursing that can be used to guide neonatal nursing practice.
Imaging the State-Specific Vibrational Predissociation of the Ammonia-Water Hydrogen-Bonded Dimer

The state-to-state vibrational predissociation (VP) dynamics of the hydrogen-bonded ammonia−water dimer were studied following excitation of the bound OH stretch. Velocity-map imaging (VMI) and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) were used to determine pair-correlated product energy distributions. Following vibrational excitation of the bound OH stretch fundamental, ammonia fragments were detected by 2 + 1 REMPI via the B1E′′ ← X1A1′ transition. The REMPI spectra show that NH3 is produced with one and two quanta of the symmetric bend (ν2 umbrella mode) excitation, as well as in the ground vibrational state. Each band is quite congested, indicating population in a large number of rotational states. The fragments’ center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy distributions were determined from images of selected rotational levels of ammonia with zero, one, or two quanta in ν2 and were converted to rotational state distributions of the water cofragment. All the distributions could be fit well by...
The Intellectual Origins of Modern Economic Growth

The intellectual origins of the Industrial Revolution are traced back to the Baconian program of the seventeenth century, which aimed at expanding the set of useful knowledge and applying natural philosophy to solve technological problems and bring about economic growth. The eighteenth-century Enlightenment in the West carried out this program through a series of institutional developments that both increased the amount of knowledge and its accessibility to those who could make best use of it. Without the Enlightenment, therefore, an Industrial Revolution could not have transformed itself into the sustained economic growth starting in the early nineteenth century.
Phylogenetic systematics of the Rana signata complex of Philippine and Bornean stream frogs: reconsideration of Huxley's modification of Wallace's Line at the Oriental-Australian faunal zone interface

We addressed the evolutionary relationships and biogeographical patterns of a model organism of low relative dispersal ability by electrophoretically assaying the products of 42 presumptive gene loci in Philippine and Bornean members of the Rana signata complex of SE Asian stream frogs. Utilizing three distantly related species of ranid frogs to deeply root trees consisting of five more closely-related species and six in-group species of the Rana signata complex, we conducted phylogenetic analyses that produced concordant topologies, regardless of the data coding strategy employed. All analyses support the hypothesis of monophyly for the Rana signata complex on the whole, but none provides support for the monophyly of its Philippine members. Our analyses of morphometric and allozyme data (along with biogeographical information) indicate that (1) most previously-recognized Philippine and Bornean subspecies of the Rana signata complex should be recognized as full species in appreciation of their status as independent evolutionary lineages; (2) Rana picturata Boulenger (until very recently included in the synonymy of Rana signata signata) is deserving of specific rank; (3) the Mindoro Isl. (Philippine) population, previously confused with Rana signata similis of Luzon Isl. is a new species; (4) two major clades (((R. signata (R. grandocula + R. similis)) + (R. picturata (R. mangyanum + R. moellendorffi))) of Bornean + Philippine lineages are recognized, corresponding to two separate faunal exchanges between the Philippines and the edge of the Sunda Shelf; (5) invasions of the oceanic portions of the Philippine islands from the Sunda Shelf have occurred along both the eastern (Sulus–Mindanao–Samar–Leyte–Luzon) arc and the western (Palawan–Busuanga–Mindoro) island arcs; (6) northern reaches of Wallace’s Line (as modified by Huxley) include exceptions to an otherwise discrete faunal separation. These results suggest the need for revision of this biogeographical barrier, increased recognition of temporal patterns of island connectedness and geographical proximity, and/or a greater appreciation of dispersal abilities of ranid frogs. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 76, 393–461.
TISSUE-PRESERVING APPROACH TO EXTRACTING DNA FROM PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED SPECIMENS USING TISSUE MICROARRAY TECHNOLOGY

Background. DNA extracted from tumor cells or normal cells contained in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tis- sues is widely used in many laboratories. The 2 most common procedures to isolate cells for DNA extraction from paraffin-em- bedded tissues are scalpel microdissection and laser capture microdissection. A new tissue- and time-conserving method for rapid DNA isolation from small cores taken from paraffin-embed- ded tissue blocks is described in this report. Methods. DNA was extracted from small tissue cores col- lected from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks at the time of tis- sue microarray construction. The quality and quantity of the DNA extracted was compared to DNA collected by scalpel microdis- section. DNA collected from tissue cores was used in polymer- ase chain reaction (PCR) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis.
A semantic approach for designing business protocols

Business processes involve interactions among autonomous partners. We propose that these interactions be specified modularly as protocols. Protocols can be published, enabling implementors to independently develop components that respect published protocols and yet serve diverse interests. A variety of business protocols would be needed to capture subtle business needs. We propose that the same kinds of conceptual abstractions be developed for protocols as for information models. Specifically, we consider (1) refinement: a subprotocol may satisfy the requirements of a superprotocol, but support additional properties and (2) aggregation: a protocol may combine existing protocols. In support of the above, we develop a formal semantics for protocols, an operational characterization of them, and an algebra for protocol composition.
Cancer Risk Prediction for Carbon Tetrachloride Using Pharmacokinetic and Cell-Kinetic Models

Multistage cancer risk models that account for clonal growth of intermediate, premalignant cell populations have been successfully used to describe age-specific incidence trends for human and experimentally induced animal tumors. Currently there is keen and growing interest in applying “cell-kinetic multistage” (CKM) models, which distinguish between mutations and cell population kinetics as separate processes influencing the rate of tumor formation, to the problem of predicting human cancer risk that may be posed by environmental agents. This paper illustrates the application of such models to cancer risk prediction for carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), taking into account rodent cancer-bioassay data and CCl4 pharmacokinetics in rodents and humans. The increased importance of knowledge concerning exposure scenarios when using CKM models for risk extrapolation, as opposed to more traditional approaches, is illustrated. The presumption, made in most CKM models considered to date, that preneoplastic cell growth is exponential over time, is critically evaluated along with the impact on predicted CCl4-induced cancer risk of using a more biologically realistic cell-growth model. Because the potential application of CKM models to cancer risk prediction could have important consequences on public health measures directed at controlling environmental exposure to chemicals, the biological plausibility of specific CKM models considered for application deserves renewed scrutiny.
Natural modes and their stability in power systems

In this paper we investigate a special type of power system trajectories called natural modes. We show that the stability of the natural modes can be determined from an equivalent single machine infinite bus system. A series expansion technique is proposed for computing natural modes and is illustrated with a small example.
Frequent coamplification and cooperation between C-MYC and PVT1 oncogenes promote malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a deadly disease with poor prognosis and few treatment options. We characterized and elucidated the roles of C-MYC and PVT1 involved in the pathogenesis of MPM. Methods: We used small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown in MPM cell lines to determine the effect of C - MYC and PVT1 abrogation on MPM cells undergoing apoptosis, proliferation, and cisplatin sensitivity. We also characterized the expression of microRNAs spanning the PVT1 region in MPM cell lines. Copy number analysis was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results: Copy number analysis revealed copy number gains (CNGs) in chromosomal region 8q24 in six of 12 MPM cell lines. MicroRNA analysis showed high miR-1204 expression in MSTO-211H cell lines with four copies or more of PVT1. Knockdown by siRNA showed increased PARP-C levels in MSTO-211H transfected with siPVT1 but not in cells transfected with si C-MYC . C-MYC and PVT1 knockdown reduced cell proliferation and increased sensitivity to cisplatin. Analysis of the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the MSTO-211H cell line suggested that C-MYC maintains a balance between proapoptotic and antiapoptotic gene expression, whereas PVT1 and, to a lesser extent, miR-1204 up-regulate proapoptotic genes and down-regulate antiapoptotic genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of MPM tumor specimens showed a high frequency of both CNGs (11 of 75) and trisomy (three copies; 11 of 75) for the C-MYC locus. Conclusion: Our results suggest that C-MYC and PVT1 CNG promotes a malignant phenotype of MPM, with C-MYC CNG stimulating cell proliferation and PVT1 both stimulating proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis.
Securing our nation and protecting privacy

In recent times, our nation's network infrastructure has continually been under attack by hackers from around the globe. From career criminals to other government agencies outside the U.S., network attacks and intrusions are increasing. Their attacks including the 2009 Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks caused massive outages for website of government agencies [1]. Additionally, the 2010 and ongoing WikiLeaks attack led to catastrophic results that threaten U.S. diplomacy [2]. Unfortunately, the United State response has been slow and painstaking. In 2009, our nation faced a massive DDoS attack that caused many government websites that include White House, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administrators to lose service. Approximately 60,000 infected computers were used to launch the attacks [3]. In addition, the 2009 DDoS attacks also targeted commerce and news media sites [4]. In response to these attacks, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security have increased their methods and resources to help secure our nation's infrastructure. This research will ask, if this is enough to secure the nation, and what other new technologies can these agencies employ to thwart the attacks? As much as our government is facing countless attacks, corporations and businesses have also faced attacks. Attacks including the2007 TJX Security Breach resulted in millions of credit card numbers and other confidential consumer information to be compromised [5]. In 2009, the Heartland Payment Systems followed resulting in 100 million credit cards being compromised [6]. Both cases, information was captured by hackers; it was distributed to illegal “so called” dump sites and trading forums in which confidential data ranging from PIN to social security numbers are traded online and distributed worldwide[7]. What new technologies can the corporate sector explore to secure consumers' information? Consumers' privacy has also been an issue for Information Security. In the United States, privacy laws have favored the corporate interest. Consumers' information is constantly distributed to other third party members without acknowledgement. In contrast, European laws have favored the individual by enforcing strict privacy laws that prevents the corporate sector to distribute information without acknowledgment [8]. This research will determine if these tough privacy laws better protect consumers' information from security breaches. If so, can they implement them here in the United States? As the number of attacks and security breaches continue to rise, we must act now to the growing demands of security. Our nation and its economy rely heavily on our information infrastructure; we must build the defenses that ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability within our nation and its infrastructure.
GPCR-mediated PLCβγ/PKCβ/PKD signaling pathway regulates the cofilin phosphatase slingshot 2 in neutrophil chemotaxis

Chemotaxis requires precisely coordinated polymerization and depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton at leading fronts of migrating cells. However, GPCR activation-controlled F-actin depolymerization remains largely elusive. Here, we reveal a novel signaling pathway, including Gαi, PLC, PKCβ, protein kinase D (PKD), and SSH2, in control of cofilin phosphorylation and actin cytoskeletal reorganization, which is essential for neutrophil chemotaxis. We show that PKD is essential for neutrophil chemotaxis and that GPCR-mediated PKD activation depends on PLC/PKC signaling. More importantly, we discover that GPCR activation recruits/activates PLCγ2 in a PI3K-dependent manner. We further verify that PKCβ specifically interacts with PKD1 and is required for chemotaxis. Finally, we identify slingshot 2 (SSH2), a phosphatase of cofilin (actin depolymerization factor), as a target of PKD1 that regulates cofilin phosphorylation and remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton during neutrophil chemotaxis.
Judgment under uncertainty: Evolution may not favor a probabilistic calculus

The environment in which humans evolved is strongly and positively autocorrelated in space and time. Probabilistic judgments based on the assumption of independence may not yield evolutionarily adaptive behavior. A number of “faults” of human reasoning are not faulty under fuzzy arithmetic, a nonprobabilistic calculus of reasoning under uncertainty that may be closer to that underlying human decision making.
Programming Grid Applications with GRID superscalar

The aim of GRID superscalar is to reduce the development complexity of Grid applications to the minimum, in such a way that writing an application for a computational Grid may be as easy as writing a sequential application. Our assumption is that Grid applications would be in a lot of cases composed of tasks, most of them repetitive. The granularity of these tasks will be of the level of simulations or programs, and the data objects will be files. GRID superscalar allows application developers to write their application in a sequential fashion. The requirements to run that sequential application in a computational Grid are the specification of the interface of the tasks that should be run in the Grid, and, at some points, calls to the GRID superscalar interface functions and link with the run-time library. GRID superscalar provides an underlying run-time that is able to detect the inherent parallelism of the sequential application and performs concurrent task submission. In addition to a data-dependence analysis based on those input/output task parameters which are files, techniques such as file renaming and file locality are applied to increase the application performance. This paper presents the current GRID superscalar prototype based on Globus Toolkit 2.x, together with examples and performance evaluation of some benchmarks.