cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recruiting participants with peripheral arterial disease for clinical trials: experience from the Study to Improve Leg Circulation (SILC).

Objective To describe the success of diverse recruitment methods in a randomized controlled clinical trial of exercise in persons with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods An analysis of recruitment sources conducted for the 746 men and women completing a baseline visit for the study to improve leg circulation (SILC), a randomized controlled trial of exercise for patients with PAD. For each recruitment source, we determined the number of randomized participants, the rate of randomization among those completing a baseline visit, and cost per randomized participant. Results Of the 746 individuals who completed a baseline visit, 156 were eligible and randomized. The most frequent sources of randomized participants were newspaper advertising (n = 67), mailed recruitment letters to patients with PAD identified at the study medical center (n = 25), and radio advertising (n = 18). Costs per randomized participant were $2750 for television advertising, $2167 for Life Line Screening, $2369 for newspaper advertising, $3931 for mailed postcards to older community dwelling men and women, and $5691 for radio advertising. Among those completing a baseline visit, randomization rates ranged from 10% for those identified from radio advertising to 32% for those identified from the Chicago Veterans Administration and 33% for those identified from posted flyers. Conclusion Most participants in a randomized controlled trial of exercise were recruited from newspaper advertising and mailed recruitment letters to patients with known PAD. The highest randomization rates after a baseline visit occurred among participants identified from posted flyers and mailed recruitment letters to PAD patients.
Orientation-contingent color aftereffects mediated by subjective transparent structures.

We examined whether the orientation-contingent color aftereffect (the McCollough effect) could be mediated by subjective horizontal and vertical structure induced by the perception of transparency. In our experiments, red vertical bars and green horizontal bars were alternated as an adapting stimulus. After adaptation, subjects (n=6) were asked to adjust the green and red saturation of a test pattern until they obtained a neutral gray. Horizontal and vertical stripes were combined in the test pattern in three different ways: (1) overlapping with a luminance combination that gave rise to a perception of transparent overlays of horizontal and vertical stripes (valid transparency condition), (2) overlapping with luminance combinations that did not induce a perception of transparency (invalid transparency condition) and that appeased more as a patchwork of checks, and (3) presented in adjacent, nonoverlapping areas. Our results showed that the McCollough effect was significantly greater in the valid transparency condition than in the invalid transparency conditions. The effect in the valid transparency condition was nevertheless less strong than was the effect seen with the standard test stimulus made up of nonoverlapping vertical and horizontal stripes, Our results suggest that the McCollough effect can be mediated by the subjective spatial organization (inner representation of vertical and horizontal stripes) that accompanies the perception of transparency in our stimulus.
A novel single-step fabrication technique to create heterogeneous poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel microstructures containing multiple phenotypes of mammalian cells.

In this study, a novel method for the one-step fabrication of stacked hydrogel microstructures using a microfluidic mold is presented. The fabrication of these structures takes advantage of the laminar flow regime in microfluidic devices, limiting the mixing of polymer precursor solutions. To create multilayered hydrogel structures, microfluidic devices were rotated 90° from the traditional xy axes and sealed with a cover slip. Two discreet fluidic regions form in the channels, resulting in the multilayered hydrogel upon UV polymerization. Multilayered patterned poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel arrays (60 μm tall, 250 μm wide) containing fluorescent dyes, fluorescein isothiocyanate, and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate were created for imaging purposes. Additionally, this method was used to generate hydrogel layers containing murine fibroblasts and macrophages. The cell adhesion promoter, RGD, was added to hydrogel precursor solution to enhance fibroblast cell spreading within the hydrogel matrix in one ...
Effect of anti-platelet antibodies on the in vitro uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine by blood platelets.

Effect of Anti-Platelet Antibodies on the in Vitro Uptake of 5-Hydroxytryptamine by Blood Platelets
Function of protein kinase A in hedgehog signal transduction and Drosophila imaginal disc development

Reduced protein kinase A (PKA) activity in anterior imaginal disc cells leads to cell-autonomous induction of decapentaplegic (dpp), wingless (wg), and patched (ptc) transcription that is independent of hedgehog (hh) gene activity. The resulting nonautonomous adult wing and leg pattern duplications are largely due to induced dpp and wg expression and resemble phenotypes elicited by ectopic hh expression. Inhibition of PKA in anterior cells close to the posterior compartment can substitute for hh activity to promote growth of imaginal discs, whereas overexpression of PKA can counteract transcriptional induction of ptc by hh in these cells. PKA therefore appears to be an integral component of the mechanism by which hh regulates the expression of key patterning molecules in imaginal discs.
Surgical Site Infections: Epidemiology and Prevention

ABSTRACT Background: The overall incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) has been estimated to be 2.8% in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alt...
The Morphological Development of the Human Fovea

The development of the human fovea has been traced from 22 weeks gestation to 45 months postpartum using aldehyde-fixed, plastic embedded, serially-sectioned normal retinas. Five anatomical indicators of foveal maturity were used in this study: the shape of the foveal curvatures; the presence of the transient layer of Chievitz; the width of rod-free zone in the central retina; the width and length of the individual foveal cones; and the number and thickness of layers of nuclei within the fovea. The future fovea is identifiable at 22 weeks by the presence of a thick layer of ganglion cells and a photoreceptor layer containing only cones. By 1 week after birth, there is a shallow foveal depression, but the thick cones still lack outer segments and are only 1 cell deep in the fovea. The inner nuclear layer contains a thick transient layer of Chievitz. As judged by these anatomical criteria and compared to normal adult foveas similarly processed, the human fovea reaches maturity between 15 and 45 months of age.
The Function of Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) a Subunit Isoforms in Invasiveness of MCF10a and MCF10CA1a Human Breast Cancer Cells

The vacuolar H+ ATPases (V-ATPases) are ATP-driven proton pumps that transport protons across both intracellular and plasma membranes. Previous studies have implicated V-ATPases in the invasiveness of various cancer cell lines. In this study, we evaluated the role of V-ATPases in the invasiveness of two closely matched human breast cancer lines. MCF10a cells are a non-invasive, immortalized breast epithelial cell line, and MCF10CA1a cells are a highly invasive, H-Ras-transformed derivative of MCF10a cells selected for their metastatic potential. Using an in vitro Matrigel assay, MCF10CA1a cells showed a much higher invasion than the parental MCF10a cells. Moreover, this increased invasion was completely sensitive to the specific V-ATPase inhibitor concanamycin. MCF10CA1a cells expressed much higher levels of both a1 and a3 subunit isoforms relative to the parental line. Isoforms of subunit a are responsible for subcellular localization of V-ATPases, with a3 and a4 targeting V-ATPases to the plasma membrane of specialized cells. Knockdown of either a3 alone or a3 and a4 together using isoform-specific siRNAs inhibited invasion by MCF10CA1a cells. Importantly, overexpression of a3 but not the other a subunit isoforms greatly increased the invasiveness of the parental MCF10a cells. Similarly, overexpression of a3 significantly increased expression of V-ATPases at the plasma membrane. These studies suggest that breast tumor cells employ particular a subunit isoforms to target V-ATPases to the plasma membrane, where they function in tumor cell invasion. Background: The V-ATPase has been suggested to function in tumor cell invasion. Results: Invasion by MCF10CA1a cells is inhibited by knockdown of the a3 isoform, whereas a3 overexpression increases invasion and plasma membrane localization of V-ATPases in MCF10a cells. Conclusion: Invasion and plasma membrane V-ATPase localization can be controlled by expression of a3. Significance: a3 is a possible therapeutic target to limit metastasis.
Organic petrography of Mississippian and Devonian shales in east-central Kentucky

The Devonian and Mississippian oil shales of east-central Kentucky are classified as marinites. The petrographic composition of the kerogen in the shales is complex, and significant amounts of macerals from all of the major groups are present. Unfigured alginite (lamalginite) and bituminite are the most abundant macerals present, followed by vitrinite and inertinite (fusinite and semifusinite). Figured alginite (telalginite) includes Leosphoridia and Tasmanites; a minor amount of sporinite (~1% or less) is also present. The maceral composition of the Cleveland and Sunbury Shale interval from a core taken in Fleming County, Kentucky was determined quantitatively. The liptinite suite in the Sunbury interval was dominated by bituminite, while the Cleveland contained higher proportions of alginite. The total amount of inertinite plus vitrinite was found to be relatively constant. Variations in maceral composition affect the scatter of Fischer assay oil yield versus organic carbon relations for Eastern US oil shale. The kerogen macerals were found to correlate selectively with certain trace elements (e.g. Cr, Cu, V and Zn), suggesting that the maceral composition may be related to shale provenance. Bituminite:alginite ratio was found to correlate selectively with trace element concentration and supports the concept that the organic precursors for this maceral were bacterial decay products.
Normal- and bonded-phase liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection of maytansinoids

Abstract Maytansinoids obtained from Maytenus species are known as potential anti-cancer drugs. Investigation of new plant species for the presence of unknown maytansinoids as well as synthetic work requires a reliable analytical and semipreparative normal-phase separation which can distinguish between known and unknown compounds independently from retention times and which would be compatible to LC-MS interfacing for further studies. A thorough study of numerous maytansinoids on silica gel and on diol-, aminopropyl- and cyanopropyl-bonded phases, suggests a complex retention mechanism based on molecular size as well as on specific interaction with the stationary phase while limiting a selectivity effect of the mobile phase. Utilizing a Varian 9065 photodiode array detector a spectral library of the separated substances was generated. This library simplifies the identification of known compounds in a matrix of unknowns such as fractions of plant extracts even if baseline separation is not achieved. Unlike reversed-phase separations that have been described in the literature the presented method allows an easy sample recovery in a semipreparative separation.
Legendre-Bernstein basis transformations

Abstract The Bernstein form of a polynomial offers valuable insight into its geometrical behavior, and has thus won widespread acceptance as the basis for Bezier curves and surfaces. For least-squares approximation problems, on the other hand, the use of orthogonal bases, such as the Legendre polynomials, permits simple and efficient constructions for convergent sequences of approximants. We derive the transformation matrices that map the Bernstein and Legendre forms of a degree-n polynomial on [0,1] into each other, and examine the stability of this linear map. In the p=1 and ∞ norms, the condition number of the Legendre–Bernstein transformation matrix grows at a significantly slower rate with n than in the well-studied power-Bernstein case, and at a dramatically slower rate than for other common (e.g., Bernstein–Hermite or power-Hermite) basis conversions. The utility of Legendre representations in approximation problems, and their relatively stable transformation to Bernstein–Bezier form, argue for more widespread applications of Legendre methods in CAGD algorithms.
Morphine-elicited feeding: diurnal rhythm, circulating corticosterone and macronutrient selection.

Abstract The present study examined the feeding response elicited by morphine, injected either intraperitoneally (IP), or into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), as a function of diurnal cycle and also in adrenalectomized rats with or without peripheral corticosterone replacement. In animals maintained on a single diet of chow, milk and sugar, a diurnal rhythm in both the peripheral and central morphine-induced feeding responses was observed, with a stronger eating effect occuring in the early dark hours compared with the responses obtained in the early light period. Adrenalectomy significantly reduced the feeding induced by morphine injected IP or into the PVN, and acute corticosterone replacement restored the response. Rats maintained on a self-selection feeding paradigm, with carbohydrate, protein and fat simultaneously available, exhibited a significant increase in total caloric intake after morphine injected IP, along with a preferential increase in the consumption of protein and fat. Adrenalectomy nearly abolished this stimulatory effect of morphine on total intake and altered the diet preference pattern. These findings underscore the importance of corticosterone in the feeding response of morphine injected peripherally or specifically into the PVN. The present findings suggest that corticosterone plays an important role in determining the diurnal rhythm of opiate-induced feeding and the function of endogenous opioids in the regulation of energy balance.
cAMP increases the rate of GABAA receptor desensitization in chick cortical neurons.

During prolonged application of GABA to cultured neurons from the chick embryo cerebrum, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings show a decline in GABA-gated chloride currents due to desensitization. At a holding potential of –60 mV, desensitization can normally be described as a single exponential process with a time constant (τ) of 7–10 sec at a GABA concentration of 100 μM. After exposure to 50 μM forskolin, the peak amplitude of the GABA-induced currents declined and a fast component of desensitization (τ = 0.92 sec) appeared, whereas the slow component was essentially unchanged. This effect of forskolin was reversible after washing. Similar, although less robust effects were produced by incubation with 8-Br-cAMP, but not by 1,9-dideoxyforskolin. The desensitization process could also be measured by the GABA-dependent uptake of 36Cl− into the cultured neurons. A 20-sec incubation with 10 μM GABA in physiological saline produced a 29% inhibition of subsequent GABA-gated 36Cl− uptake in the presence of 40 mM K+. This inhibition was increased to 64% by the addition of 100 μM forskolin to the preincubation medium. This effect of forskolin was prevented by 100 μM 2′,5′-dideoxyadenosine, an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase. A similar acceleration of desensitization was produced by 0.5 mM 8-Br-cAMP or by 0.5 mM isobutylmethylxanthine, but these compounds themselves failed to produce desensitization in the absence of exogenous GABA. In the presence of GABA, cAMP analogs were effective in the order 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP > 8-Br-cAMP > N6, 02 -dibutyryl-cAMP. The results suggest that a cAMP-dependent phosphorylation converts the GABA receptor into a more rapidly desensitizing form.
Key Distribution and management for power aggregation and accountability in Advance Metering Infrastructure

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a critical system in smart grid. While readings of aggregated power consumption are needed for near real time response to energy demand, relatively slow paced readings of power demand in each individual household are also very important, because they account for an accurate billing for energy usage at each household, as well as identifying which households may be cheating or may have compromised their meters to report false data. Investigation on properly designed key distribution and management scheme for securely gathering both individual and aggregated meter's readings is of paramount importance. Based on this observation, we propose a framework for key distribution and management for both aggregation and accountability in a neighborhood area network employed by a utility company in its power distribution system. Specifically, a key distribution table is set up for each smart meter to carry out homomorphic encryption for secure data aggregation, while a loose time synchronized key scheme is proposed for low rate data collection of each smart meter. Security analysis demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
epsilon -entropy and critical distortion of random fields

The link between epsilon -entropy for binary random fields and the Lee-Yang theorem in statistical mechanics makes it possible to prove the existence of positive critical distortion for most binary random fields with pair interactions and some with many body interactions. Lower bounds for critical distortion of random fields on two-dimensional (2-D) lattices have been obtained. In particular, the new lower bounds for some 2-D Ising models improve upon previously known bounds. >
Numerical analogs to Fourier and dispersion analysis: development, verification, and application to the shallow water equations

Abstract Herein, we present numerical analogs to traditional Fourier and dispersion analyses and validate them with well-characterized phase behavior for classic finite difference and finite element (FE) discretizations of the shallow water equations. Basically, the procedure is to introduce a single wave with known amplitude and phase into the domain, propagate the wave approximately one wavelength using some discretization scheme, and then note its final amplitude and phase. The final state of the wave is then compared with the expected wave form predicted by the continuum equations to determine the propagation behavior of the discretization. After validating the technique, we then examine two case studies: (1) slope limiting schemes within the finite volume framework and (2) lumping coefficients within the selective lumping FE framework. Of the three common slope limiters that we examined, the Superbee limiter has the most promising phase behavior, as it is the least dissipative while maintaining minimal phase error. Using our numerical technique, we were also able to verify the range of values that has been found to be most accurate in practice for the selective lumping coefficient.
The environment for auditory research

The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) constructed the Environment for Auditory Research (EAR) laboratory for their own and other researchers. The multi-purpose research facility was designed to conduct signal detection, spatial perception, and communication research in various indoor and outdoor acoustic environments. The EAR consisted of a large Integrated Control Room supporting all its research functions and four indoor indoor listening spaces. The four indoor listening spaces included Sphere, Dome Room, Distance Hall, Listening Laboratory, and outdoor area. The facility was constructed as an auditory perception and communication research center permitting the latest perception and communication research in various indoor and outdoor acoustic environments. It was designed to address all the needs of auditory spatial research and included spaces that were better than other indoor environments.
High Performance Control for Tandem Cold Mill Main Drive Systems

Control systems for tandem cold mills have developed to a performance level that approaches the full capabilities of the controlled equipment. Control system limitations are now closely associated with drive and process problems and limitations. This paper discusses control regulating systems and logic circuits associated with this control.
A USEFUL MONOCHROMATOR DRIVE SYSTEM FOR SPECTRAL SCANNING

HALLDAL[l] describes the use of an interference-wedge filter as a simple monochromator for recording different types of spectra. His use of the cam and screen to obtain equal quanta is particularly clever. We have used interference-wedge filters in a similar way for the purpose of recording fluorescence emission spectra[2,3]. I t is frequently useful and efficient to be able to change the scanning speed of a monochromator during a run so that it is slow in spectral regions where the property being measured changes rapidly with wavelength and conversely. However, to achieve satisfactory results, the recording speed must be changed simultaneously with the monochromator scan speed. This can be done easily in Halldal’s instrument (or with any other monochromator) with a relatively simple modification [3]. The modification consists of using a stepping motor and multispeed chart drive unit (Heath # EU-20-26) for a Heath servo chart recorder in place of the multispeed synchronous motor (# 5 in Halldal’s Fig. I ) to drive the interference wedge or monochromator and recording on a Heath recorder equipped with the multispeed attachment. The stepping motor used to drive the wedge can be either unidirectional (A. W. Haydon series 45 100) or bidirectional (Haydon series 44100), although the motor drive unit may need some slight modifications to accommodate the bidirectional motor. The wedge motor drive unit is then driven by the output signal from the recorder chart drive unit, rather than its own internal 60 cycle signal (or conversely, depending on which motor requires the higher frequency of stepping pulses). This results in a constant speed ratio between the two motors. The actual ratio is determined by the speed setting on the slave unit. The absolute scan speed of both together can then be vaned, while maintaining the constant ratio between them, by varying the speed setting of the master drive unit. Using a more complex programming between the wedge and recorder drive units, it may be possible to correct for the nonlinearity of wavelength with distance along the wedge which occurs in these interference wedges; we have not attempted to do this. I t should also be noted that when studying physiological processes which require corrections for instrumental or physiological drifts in time, such as the action spectra described by Halldal[l], it may be necessary to keep the scanning rate constant over the entire range of measurement to be able to make the corrections.
Stitching Circuits: Learning About Circuitry Through E-textile Materials

Central to our understanding of learning is the relationship between various tools and technologies and the structuring of disciplinary subject matter. One of the staples of early science education curriculum is the use of electrical circuit toolkits to engage students in broader discussions of energy. Traditionally, these concepts are introduced to youth using battery packs, insulated wire and light bulbs. However, there are affordances and limitations in the way this toolset highlights certain conceptual aspects while obscuring others, which we argue leads to common misconceptions about electrical circuitry. By contrast, we offer an alternative approach utilizing an e-textiles toolkit for developing understanding of electrical circuitry, testing the efficacy of this approach for learning in elective settings to pave the way for later classroom adoption. This study found that youth who engaged in e-textile design demonstrated significant gains in their ability to diagram a working circuit, as well as significant gains in their understanding of current flow, polarity and connections. The implications for rethinking our current toolkits for teaching conceptual understanding in science are discussed.
Design and Deployment of a Continuous Monitoring System for the Dowling Hall Footbridge

Continuous monitoring of structural vibrations is becoming increasingly common as interest in structural health monitoring (SHM) grows, as equipment becomes more affordable, and as system and damage identification methods develop. In vibration-based SHM, the dynamic modal parameters of a structure may be used as damage-sensitive features. The modal parameters are often sensitive to changes in temperature or other environmental effects, so continuous monitoring systems must also measure environmental conditions. Necessary components of a continuous structural monitoring system include a well-designed sensor array, data acquisition and logging equipment, data transfer and storage functions, and routines for extracting modal parameters from vibration measurements. All processes must be automated to handle the large volume of data generated. Such a monitoring system has been installed on the Dowling Hall Footbridge at Tufts University and is currently providing live data for research in vibration-based SHM. This paper focuses on (1) the design and installation of the system hardware and (2) the strategy used to automate the monitoring system. Successful automation of modal analysis is emphasized as the key component of this strategy. To highlight the system’s capabilities, the pattern of variation of the natural frequencies is examined and compared with environmental data.
Improvement and Evaluation of Cell-Transmission Model for Operational Analysis of Traffic Networks: Freeway Case Study

The cell-transmission model (CTM), developed by Daganzo in 1994, has not been fully exploited as an operations model for analysis of largescale traffic networks. Because of its macroscopic and mesoscopic features, CTM offers calibration and computational advantages over microscopic models. This paper demonstrates specific improvements to the original form of CTM to increase its accuracy and realism of traffic flow representation. These improvements include modifications to provide flexibility in selection of cell lengths, noninteger movements of vehicles between cells, and algorithmic enhancements in the merging and diverging logics. The effect of such improvements on the performance of CTM was evaluated independently and comparatively. A sample freeway network of the I-10 corridor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was used to evaluate and compare the performance of the improved version of CTM versus CORSIM under heavily congested traffic conditions. The results showed comparable performance of both platforms in...
Cell-based therapies for skeletal regenerative medicine

Skeletal deficits represent a substantial biomedical burden on the US healthcare system. Current strategies for reconstructing bony defects are fraught with inadequacies. Cell-based therapies for skeletal regeneration offer a paradigm shift that may provide alternative solutions. Substantial work has identified a host of cellular sources that possess the potential for osteogenic differentiation. Significant efforts have been devoted toward characterizing the role of postnatal cellular sources that are relatively abundant and easily accessible. Among these, the potential of using adipose-derived stromal cells for skeletal regeneration has garnered much interest. Integral to these efforts directed at characterizing cellular sources are studies that seek to understand the factors that initiate and regulate osteogenic differentiation of progenitor cells. Specifically, focus has been directed on elucidating the role of bone morphogenetic protein and fibroblast growth factor signaling in regulating osteogenic differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells. Concurrent studies in the field of scaffold design have also helped to advance the potential for cell-based therapies.
String theory and black holes.

An exact conformal field theory describing a black hole in two-dimensional space-time is found as an SL(2,openR)/U(1) gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten model. For k=9/4, the conformal field theory can be regarded as a classical solution of the same system that is probed in the c=1 matrix model. The conformal field theory governing the space-time is regular at the Riemannian singularity, but it appears that generic perturbations blow up there. It is argued that the end point of the Hawking black-hole evaporation is the standard space-time of the c=1 matrix model, which should be regarded as an analog of the extreme Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole of four-dimensional general relativity. The c=1 model is thus a model of the quantum mechanics of matter interacting with a black hole.
Special Issue Introduction: Thriving Across the Adolescent Years: A View of the Issues

Framed within a relational developmental systems model, the 4-H Study of positive youth development (PYD) explored the bases and implications of thriving across much of the second decade of life. This special issue pertains to information derived from the recently completed eight waves of the 4-H Study of PYD, and presents findings about the relations between individual and contextual variables that are involved in the thriving process. This introduction briefly reviews the historical background and the theoretical frame for the 4-H Study and describes its general methodology. We provide an overview of the articles in this special issue and discuss the ways in which the articles elucidate different facets of the thriving process. In addition, we discuss the implications of this research for future scholarship and for applications aimed at improving the life chances of diverse adolescents.
Appraisal of the cancer experience by family members and survivors in long-term survivorship.

This study assessed the appraisal of the stressfulness of the cancer experience and its correlates for family members and older survivors living in the long-term survivorship phase of the disease. On average, family members appraised the cancer experience as more stressful than their surviving relatives. Beliefs about the effect of the diagnosis and treatment on family members were important correlates for both family members and survivors in the appraisal process. Cancer characteristics were not related to appraisal for survivors, but stage at diagnosis was associated with a more stressful appraisal for family members. Demographic characteristics were unrelated to appraisal for family members, but being African-American was linked to a less stressful appraisal for survivors. These findings highlight the stressful impact of the cancer experience on family members and can help guide health care interventions which include family members from African-American and White ethnicities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Ovary

Adult granulosa cell tumor (GCT) of the ovary is oftentimes a hormonally active, stromal cell neoplasm that is distinguished by its ability to secrete sex steroids such as estrogen. Patients may present with vaginal bleeding caused by endometrial hyperplasia or uterine cancer as a result of prolonged exposure to tumor-derived estrogen. In addition, GCT is a vascular tumor that may occasionally rupture and result in abdominal pain, hemoperitoneum, and hypotension, mimicking an ectopic pregnancy in younger patients. GCT is usually associated with a mass on pelvic examination that is subsequently confirmed on ultrasonography. Surgery is required for definitive tissue diagnosis, staging, and tumor debulking. In older women, a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy are typically performed. In women of childbearing age, a more conservative unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may be performed, assuming that careful staging reveals that the disease has not extended outside of the involved ovary and that a concomitant uterine cancer has been excluded. Survival of patients with GCT is generally excellent because most patients present with early-stage disease, although certain high-risk patient groups may be identified. Stage is the most important prognostic factor, with a higher risk of relapse being associated with stages II through IV disease. In addition, patients with stage I disease associated with features such as large tumor size, high mitotic index, or tumor rupture may also be at higher risk in some series. The value of postoperative adjuvant therapy for high-risk patients has not been investigated by prospective randomized trials, which are difficult to perform because of the rarity of this tumor. Nonetheless, the use of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation has sometimes been associated with prolonged disease-free survival in patients with high-risk features. Because of the propensity of GCT to recur years after initial diagnosis, prolonged surveillance with serial physical examination and serum tumor markers such as estradiol and inhibin is reasonable.
Adaptive scheduling for CDMA-based networks-on-chip

A novel adaptive scheduling algorithm for CDMA-based networks-on-chip is proposed. An orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) code is combined with the dual round robin matching (DRRM) algorithm to obtain efficient usage of orthogonal codewords. The length of codewords is adjusted depending on how many active IP blocks have packets to send at any given time. In addition, pointers are maintained to perform the necessary input and output arbitration. SystemC simulation results demonstrate that our scheduling technique exhibits the fairness property.
Gene expression changes induced by green tea polyphenol (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in human bronchial epithelial 21BES cells analyzed by DNA microarray

Many studies suggest green tea is a cancer chemopreventive agent. This effect has been attributed to its major constituent (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is also observed to have cytotoxic anticancer effects, especially when used in combination with certain chemotherapeutic agents. The biochemical actions of EGCG in chemoprevention and anticancer effects have been studied; however, the mechanisms of action are not clearly understood. We show here by expression genomics the effects of EGCG (25 micromol/L) in the Ha-ras gene transformed human bronchial epithelial 21BES cells. We found induction of temporal changes in gene expression and the coalescence of specific genetic pathways by EGCG. In this experimental system, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was produced. By treating cells with EGCG in the presence or absence of catalase, we further distinguished gene expression changes that are mediated by H2O2 from those that are H2O2 independent. Many genes and cellular pathways, including genes of the transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathway, were H2O2 dependent because the effects were abolished by catalase. Gene expression changes that were not affected by catalase included those of the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway, peptidylprolyl isomerase (cyclophilin)-like 2, alkylated DNA repair enzyme alkB, polyhomeotic-like 2, and homeobox D1. We show further that EGCG and H2O2 differentially transactivated the bone morphogenetic protein and the transforming growth factor-beta response element promoter reporters, respectively, thus confirming results from DNA microarray analysis. The elucidation of gene expression changes between H2O2-dependent and H2O2-independent responses helps us better understand the cancer chemopreventive and anticancer actions of EGCG.
Feline renal allograft rupture.

A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat, that had undergone renal transplantation 3 months earlier, was evaluated after an acute episode of abdominal discomfort. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an enlarged renal allograft (5.5 cm; reference range, 3.2–4.2 cm) with pyelectasia (renal pelvis = 3.7 mm; reference range, 1–2 mm). Based on the ultrasonographic appearance of the allograft, primary rule-outs for the renomegaly included hypertrophy and allograft rejection. The ureter and urethra were dilated and a mild amount of abdominal effusion was noted. Thirty-six hours after admission, the cat became acutely hemodynamically unstable and was diagnosed with a hemoabdomen. Review of the original ultrasound revealed a peri-renal hematoma. During emergency laparotomy, ruptures in the cortex of the transplanted kidney were found to be the source of hemorrhage. Immediately following surgery, the cat experienced cardiorespiratory arrest, and resuscitation was not successful. Necropsy and histopathology revealed rupture of the renal allograft. This is the first reported case of renal allograft rupture in a cat, whereas allograft rupture has been reported in human renal transplant patients.
Carry-Over Effects of Smoking Cue Exposure on Working Memory Performance

The present study investigated the effects of drug cue exposure on working memory performance in cigarette smokers. Adult smokers (N=23) deprived for 12 hr performed a working memory task during which they were exposed to three types of task-irrelevant stimuli: Pictures containing smoking related-content, pictures devoid of smoking content, and a fixation cross. Consistent with prior research, we found that drug cue exposure affected the processing of subsequent items (i.e., carry-over effects). Specifically, we found that working memory performance was worse on trials containing neutral pictures preceded by trials containing smoking cues compared with performance on trials containing neutral pictures preceded by trials not containing smoking-related stimuli. Previously observed effects of smoking cue exposure on cognitive processing were replicated but only after removing trials subject to carry-over effects. These results replicate and extend previous research demonstrating similar effects and highlight the significant methodological and conceptual implications of carry-over effects.
Extracting redundancy-aware top-k patterns

Observed in many applications, there is a potential need of extracting a small set of frequent patterns having not only high significance but also low redundancy. The significance is usually defined by the context of applications. Previous studies have been concentrating on how to compute top-k significant patterns or how to remove redundancy among patterns separately. There is limited work on finding those top-k patterns which demonstrate high-significance and low-redundancy simultaneously.In this paper, we study the problem of extracting redundancy-aware top-k patterns from a large collection of frequent patterns. We first examine the evaluation functions for measuring the combined significance of a pattern set and propose the MMS (Maximal Marginal Significance) as the problem formulation. The problem is known as NP-hard. We further present a greedy algorithm which approximates the optimal solution with performance bound O(log k) (with conditions on redundancy), where k is the number of reported patterns. The direct usage of redundancy-aware top-k patterns is illustrated through two real applications: disk block prefetch and document theme extraction. Our method can also be applied to processing redundancy-aware top-k queries in traditional database.
MD-2 and TLR4 N-Linked Glycosylations Are Important for a Functional Lipopolysaccharide Receptor *

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor is a multi-protein complex that consists of at least three proteins, CD14, TLR4, and MD-2. Because each of these proteins is glycosylated, we have examined the functional role of N-linked carbohydrates of both MD-2 and TLR4. We demonstrate that MD-2 contains 2N-glycosylated sites at positions Asn26 and Asn114, whereas the amino-terminal ectodomain of human TLR4 contains 9 N-linked glycosylation sites. Site-directed mutagenesis studies showed that cell surface expression of MD-2 did not depend on the presence of either N-linked site, whereas in contrast, TLR4 mutants carrying substitutions in Asn526 or Asn575 failed to be transported to the cell surface. Using a UV-activated derivative of Re595 LPS (ASD-Re595 LPS) in cross-linking assays, we demonstrated a critical role of MD-2 and TLR4 carbohydrates in LPS cross-linking to the LPS receptor. The ability of the various glycosylation mutants to support cell activation was also evaluated in transiently transfected HeLa cells. The double mutant of MD-2 failed to support LPS-induced activation of an interleukin-8 (IL-8) promoter-driven luciferase reporter to induce IL-8 secretion or to activate amino-terminal c-Jun kinase (JNK). Similar results were observed with TLR4 mutants lacking three or more N-linked glycosylation sites. Surprisingly, the reduction in activation resulting from expression of the Asn mutants of MD-2 and TLR4 can be partially reversed by co-expression with CD14. This suggests that the functional integrity of the LPS receptor depends both on the surface expression of at least three proteins, CD14, MD-2, and TLR4, and thatN-linked sites of both MD-2 and TLR4 are essential in maintaining the functional integrity of this receptor.
Teaching Students to Document a Design Project and Present the Results

Knowing and being able to apply the design process are important to the practicing engineer. Being able to thoroughly document the design process and present the results effectively are skills that employers and clients expect engineers to possess. Students have an opportunity to learn and practice the design process throughout their engineering studies. While they are often asked to document their design projects and present the results, they rarely receive instruction on how to do so effectively. At The Ohio State University, in courses developed as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Gateway Engineering Education Coalition, students are taught to document their design projects and present the results in a professional manner. They produce a variety of documents including laboratory notebooks, a design schedule, progress reports, and a final report. In addition, they make an oral presentation on the project. Instruction on producing a particular document is provided when students are ready to begin work on that document. This paper outlines the instruction on documentation provided at each stage of the design process and discusses evaluation of the documents prepared by the students.
Grass Repellency to the Red Imported Fire Ant

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is an invasive pest that causes ecological disturbance and economic damage to habitats worldwide. Since its introduction to the United States 75 years ago, the ant has spread across the southeast through Texas into California and causes over $6.5 billion in damages. Conventional control techniques have not proven effective or long-lasting, leading to a search for alternative methods. We examined the ability of WW-B.Dahl Old World bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii [Retz] S.T. Blake), increasingly used in pastures, to limit or reduce ant infestations. Pastures planted with WW-B.Dahl had about one-third the fire ant mounds found in adjacent pastures of native grass or coastal bermuda (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers) grass, and the difference is statistically significant (P = 0.0006). No difference was found in the number of ants collected in bait cups or in mound vitality ratings, suggesting that more than one measure of ant infestation is needed to accurately assess ant populations. A reduction in fire ant mounds can improve the efficiency of haying operations and reduce wildlife impacts, suggesting broad uses for WW-B.Dahl in ant-infested areas.
Geophysical monitoring of subsurface contamination in two-phase porous media

Abstract We have explored a new technology based on using low-frequency strain attenuation data to monitor the infiltration of contaminants into two-fluid phase porous materials. The attenuation mechanism is related to the loss of energy due to the hysteresis of resistance to meniscus movement (changes in surface tension and wettability) when a pore containing two fluids is stressed at very low frequencies. This phenomenon was verified in our laboratory experiments and applied to a field study near Maricopa, Arizona. In the field study we conducted controlled experiments with the aim of detecting and monitoring the infiltration of a contaminant – a biosurfactant – into groundwater. Three sets of geophysical instruments, each consisting of a 3-component seismometer and a tiltmeter, were installed near an irrigation site. The experiment lasted about 3 years with controlled irrigations of initially water only and then water with contaminant into the vadose zone. We used naturally occurring signals of microseisms for our seismic sources and solid Earth tides as sources for the tilt signals. To process the tilt data we extracted the tidal signal from the raw data, and then compared the measured tidal signals with site-specific theoretical data. Changes in tidal signals indicate a strong anomaly associated with the irrigation when a 150 ppm concentration of a biosurfactant was present. No such anomaly was detected when only water was used. Further data processing with an automated procedure shows that the anomalies still persisted. Furthermore, the microseismic results from the seismic data suggest that there may also be a detectable anomaly.
Authoritarian and benevolent god representations and the two sides of prosociality

The Big Gods model focuses on belief in an authoritarian God as a psychological mechanism that inhibits antisocial behavior and facilitates the formation of tight, cohesive groups. Recent empirical evidence suggests, however, that belief in a benevolent God is more likely to inspire helping and inclusivity. Both kinds of beliefs are necessary to explain the development of large-scale societies.
Clonal variation in crown structure, absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and growth of loblolly pine and slash pine

Crown structure, absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and growth were analyzed in 300 replicated loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliotti) clones to: (1) quantify genetic variation in crown structural traits, growth and APAR at the species, family and clonal levels; and (2) estimate within-family genetic and environmental influences on measured variables. Species and family-within-species differences were found in some growth traits, crown size, leaf area, APAR and branch angle. Loblolly pine developed larger crowns, exposed more leaf area with an acute angle, and intercepted more radiation than slash pine. Significant differences among clones within-family were found for stem volume and crown architecture. Loblolly pine and slash pine within-family, individual-tree broad-sense heritabilities ranged from 0.00 to 0.41 for growth and crown structural traits and most were between 0.10 and 0.25 when estimated from a combined analysis across families. Genetic correlations of crown size, leaf area and APAR with volume increment generally ranged from 0.60 to 0.75. This knowledge of the genetic interactions among growth and crown structural traits improves our understanding of how crown morphology affects light interception and stand development, and ultimately how these attributes can be incorporated in the selection of families or clones for the development of new crop tree ideotypes.
A Geometrical Problem in Which Order of Choice is Important

(1928). A Geometrical Problem in Which Order of Choice is Important. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 35, No. 8, pp. 412-415.
Pólya's Counting Theorem via Tensors

(1981). Polya's Counting Theorem via Tensors. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 88, No. 3, pp. 179-185.