cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A crooked stool: The rhetoric of the triple bottom line

The triple bottom line (TBL) is a popular model used to introduce the basic sustainability concept that social and environmental concerns deserve consideration alongside economic concerns, especially for businesses. Despite its best intentions, however, the TBL fails to resolve central tensions between the economic bottom line and environmental and social priorities, resulting in a fatally flawed model. The TBL inherently privileges economic accounting, which is reliably measurable, over social and environmental accounting, which are more complicated and contestable.
TU-E-217BCD-05: Dedicated Breast CT: Skin Thickness Measurements in a Diagnostic Population

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the mean skin thickness determined using cone‐beam dedicated breast CT varied between breasts with malignant, hyperplasia and benign pathology, and to determine the appropriate skin thickness for Monte Carlo based estimation of normalized glandular dose coefficients. Methods: Breast skin thickness was estimated in 137 women scheduled for biopsy (BI‐RADS 4 or 5), who underwent unilateral cone‐beam dedicated CT of the breast to be biopsied, after providing written informed consent and in adherence to an IRB‐approved protocol. Pathology results were available for 132 women and there were 38 malignancies. A previously reported method [Huang et al., Med Phys 35(4): 1199–206, 2008] was applied to coronal (transverse) imagesreconstructed to 0.273 mm voxel size. The accuracy of the method was determined by imaging two phantoms of differing wall thickness and shape. For each breast, the mean, intra‐breast standard deviation (SD) and the median skin thickness were computed. The mean skin thickness and associated confidence intervals (CI) in our study population were obtained from the mean skin thickness of each breast. Results: The estimated mean wall thicknesses for both phantoms were within +/−1% of the measured thickness. At the 0.05 level (ANOVA), the skin thickness means did not vary significantly with pathology (p=0.61). For each breast, the median, mean and intra‐breast SD, in mm, were in the range [0.87,2.23], [0.87,2.34], and [0.22,0.85], respectively. From all 137 women, the mean +/− inter‐breast SD and 95% CI were 1.44+/−0.25 and [1.40,1.48], respectively. Conclusions: The skin thickness means were not different between breasts with malignant and non‐malignant pathology. Our estimate of mean skin thickness is in agreement with a previous report. Skin thickness of approximately 1.45 mm, rather than the standard 4 mm [Wu et al., Radiology 193:83–9, 1994], is appropriate for Monte Carlo based determination of normalized glandular dose coefficients. Supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01 CA128906 and R21 CA134129. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of the NIH or NCI.
Methodology for creating alloplasmic soybean lines by using Glycine tomentella as a maternal parent.

Soybean breeders have not exploited the diversity of the 26 wild perennial species of the subgenus Glycine Willd. that are distantly related to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and harbour useful genes. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for introgressing cytoplasmic and genetic diversity from Glycine tomentella PI 441001 (2n = 78) into cultivated soybean using ‘Dwight’ (2n = 40) as the male parent. Immature seeds (19–21 days post-pollination) were cultured in vitro to produce F1 plants (2n = 59). Amphidiploid (2n = 118) plants, induced by colchicine treatment, were vigorous and produced mature pods and seeds after backcrossing with ‘Dwight’. The BC1 plants (2n = 79) produced mature seeds in crosses with ‘Dwight’. Chromosome numbers in BC2F1 plants ranged from 2n = 41–50. From BC2F2 to BC3F1, the number of plants in parentheses with 2n = 40 (275), 2n = 41 (208), 2n = 42 (80), 2n = 43 (27), 2n = 44 (12) and 2n = 45 (3) were identified. Fertile lines were grown in the field during 2012 and 2013. This is the first report of the successful development of new alloplasmic soybean lines with cytoplasm from G. tomentella.
Disarticulating distribution: Labor segmentation and subcontracting in global logistics

An enduring focus of scholarly work on global production networks (GPNs) is the process of insertion into production networks and the capacity of places to shape their manner of inclusion. Sometimes overlooked are ways in which these insertions are based on an evolving set of exclusions. A disarticulations perspective trains our attention on the mutual interplay between moments of inclusion and exclusion that produce uneven geographies and histories of development, foregrounding place-specific factors and offering a framework for understanding local experimentation. Firms continue to restructure under relentless pressure to improve performance and the concomitant need to experiment, causing firm strategy to shape-shift and re-making relations of inclusion and exclusion. In the distribution function of global supply chains, the prevailing value-creation strategy is downward pressure on the cost of labor, but this perhaps suggests a false sense of stability. Using data gathered in the distribution hub just outside of Chicago, I examine the role of labor market intermediaries in re-negotiating the boundaries of inclusion. This article explores processes of linking and delinking subsets of workers and the differential implications for worker segments and their attachment to the supply chain. Inscribed in the absorption of places and workers into GPNs are ongoing processes of disarticulation, evident in this case through the labor market strategies pursued by local firms and temporary staffing agencies. These processes lay bare the mechanisms that reproduce capital-labor relationships in global supply chains.
Race and the Fragility of the Legal Distinction between Juveniles and Adults

Legal precedent establishes juvenile offenders as inherently less culpable than adult offenders and thus protects juveniles from the most severe of punishments. But how fragile might these protections be? In the present study, simply bringing to mind a Black (vs. White) juvenile offender led participants to view juveniles in general as significantly more similar to adults in their inherent culpability and to express more support for severe sentencing. Indeed, these differences in participants’ perceptions of this foundational legal precedent distinguishing between juveniles and adults accounted for their greater support for severe punishment. These results highlight the fragility of protections for juveniles when race is in play. Furthermore, we suggest that this fragility may have broad implications for how juveniles are seen and treated in the criminal justice system.
Lifespan and autopsy findings in the first-generation offspring of X-irradiated male mice

Abstract Male mice of the C3Hf strain were exposed to 600 R of acute X-rays and, along with unirradiated control males, mated with 101-strain females. The offspring of the treated males were all conceived more than 7 weeks after irradiation, thereby ensuring that they were derived from germ cells exposed as stem-cell spermatogonia. After weaning, the offspring were caged individually and allowed to live their normal lifespan. Tumors and other major pathological disorders were recorded at a careful post-mortem examination. The lesions encountered were typical of those characteristically seen in aging (101 × C3Hf)F 1 mice. The results showed no significant differences in lifespan between experimentals and controls. This held true when allowance was made for littermate correlations and for other factors that might contribute to differences among litters. Likewise, there were no significant differences between experimentals and controls in the frequency, severity, or age distribution of neoplasms and other diseases.
Development of IMARAD CZT Detectors with PIN Contacts

We present initial result from our evaluation of a PIN contacted pixelated detector using cadmium zinc telluride substrate produced by IMARAD Imaging Systems. The Horizontal Bridgman (HB) grown crystals from IMARAD have been shown to produce high resolution photopeaks but they are also seen to have large dark current. We seek to test whether the use of PIN contacts could reduce the dark current and thus improve the spectral response especially in the 10-100 keV energy range. We have fabricated PIN and MIN detector with a 4 X 4 array of pixels on 10 X 10 mm substrates. Measurements of the detectors' dark current, spectral response, and internal electric field are presented and compared to IMARAD's ohmic contact detector and PIN detectors made of High Pressure Bridgman material.
On Nonlinear Instability and Stability for Stratified Shear Flow

An example of stratified shear flow is presented in which an explicit construction is given for unstable eigenvalues with smooth eigenfunctions for the Taylor—Goldstein equation. It is proved for any stratified, plane parallel shear flow that the unstable spectrum of the linear operator is purely discrete. A general theorem is then invoked to prove that the specific example is nonlinearly unstable. A sufficient condition for nonlinear stability for stratified shear flow is discussed.
Archive storage system design for long-term storage of massive amounts of data

A dramatic shift is underway in how organizations use computer storage. This shift will have a profound impact on storage system design. The requirement for storage of traditional transactional data is being supplemented by the necessity to store information for long periods. In 2005, a total of 2,700 petabytes of storage was allocated worldwide for information that required long-term retention, and this amount is expected to grow to an estimated 27,200 petabytes by 2010. In this paper, we review the requirements for long-term storage of data and describe an innovative approach for developing a highly scalable and flexible archive storage system using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Such a system is expected to be capable of preserving data for decades, providing efficient policy-based management of the data, and allowing efficient search and access to data regardless of data content or location.
OPTIMAL SAMPLE TIME SELECTIONS FOR INTERPOLATION AND SMOOTHING

Abstract A solution is presented to the problem of selecting sample points in an optimal fashion. These points are used for interpolation and smoothing procedures, and, in particular, we derive necessary optimality conditions for the sample points. An example is presented concerning generalized smoothing splines that illustrate the generality as well as the numerical feasibility of the proposed approach.
Rat optic nerve: Freeze-fracture studies during development of myelinated axons

This freeze-fracture study examines the development of myelinated fibers in the rat optic nerve. Axolemma of optic nerve fibers were studied before, during, and after myelination. At birth, the optic nerve is composed entirely of non-myelinated (premyelinated) axons, while in the adult, virtually all fibers acquire compact myelin. Myelination begins at 6-8 days postparturition and proceeds rapidly, such that by 28 days of age approximately 85% of the axons are myelinated. The axolemma of premyelinated fibers from 2-day-old animals exhibits an asymmetrical partitioning of intramembranous particles (IMPs) between E- and P-fracture faces; the E-face had approximately 125 particles/micron2 and the P-face approximately 550 particles/micron2. Particle densities for premyelinated axolemma from 8, 12, 14, 16, and 28-day-old nerves were similar to those observed at 2 days. Beginning at 8-12 days postnatal, definitive association between oligodendroglial processes and axons (termed 'ensheathed' fibers) was observed. At the time of glial ensheathment, there was a 50-100% increase in the number of P-face particles; in contrast, the E-face did not display an overall increase in particle density. In certain regions, however, localized aggregations of E-face particles were observed. IMPs on P-faces of ensheathed axons had a greater mean particle size and higher percentage of 'large' (greater than 9.6 nm) particles than did IMPs on the corresponding fracture face of premyelinated fibers. Myelinated axons from 14-16 day optic nerves displayed several differences from adult myelinated fibers. The P-face of the internodal axolemma had approximately 45% fewer particles than that of adult internodal membrane, and the percentage of large IMPs on the P-face of the younger internodal membrane was approximately 50% of the value for adult internodal axolemma. E-faces of internodal axolemma from 14-16-day-old and adult animals had equivalent IMP densities and size distributions. The nodal region of myelinated axons from 14-16-day-old rats had fewer large particles on both E- and P-faces than did adult fibers, though particle densities on both fracture faces were similar for the two age groups. These studies demonstrate a clear reorganization of axon membrane structure concomitant with axo-glial ensheathment, followed by continued gradual axolemmal changes as myelination progresses.
Multivalent Systems of Catch Bonds Exhibit Ideal Bond Behavior

Catch bonds play a critical role in the phenomenon of leukocyte rolling and adhesion. All selectin isoforms have been shown to form catch-slip bonds with their ligands, and in vivo presumably act as systems of several parallel receptor-ligand bonds. Little is known, however, about how the unusual kinetics of the catch bond manifest as systems, nor how the inherent compliance of the molecules themselves alters the behavior of the system. We conducted Monte Carlo simulations and derived a closed form probabilistic expression for mean bond lifetime based on reliability theory. Both approaches were based on a single model that included the variables of contact area between the opposing surfaces, molecular compliance, and site density, and allowed for the formation of new bonds when receptors and ligands were within range. We found that at high numbers of initial bound receptor-ligand pairs (≥10) and at low molecular stiffness (≤ 1 pN/nm) receptor-ligand clusters behave exhibit “ideal” behavior over the 0-40 pN range - that is, an overall bond lifetime that is invariant with load. This is in agreement with recent experimental data that found ideal bond behavior at high surface densities of E-selectin. The bond lifetimes even at high site densities were reasonable and not orders of magnitude higher than single bonds. In contrast, slip bond (classical Bell model) interactions give rise to disproportionate increases in bond lifetime with bond on-rate; increasing the on-rate 50 to 75 fold increased mean bond lifetime 100 and 1000 fold respectively. The compliance of the receptor-ligands pairs also exerts a strong influence by modulating the contact area between the surfaces. Our results suggest that classical slip bonds alone are untenable for adhesion in biological systems where cells must move relative to one another.
Risk for exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on the route to and from school: the role of alcohol outlets

Despite the national push encouraging children to walk to school, little work has been done to examine what hazards children encounter on the route to school. This study examined the association between the presence of alcohol outlets on children’s route to school and perceived safety on the route to school as well as exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Data come from a community-based epidemiological study of 394 urban elementary school students. Participants’ residential address, school location, and alcohol outlet data were geocoded and the route to school was mapped. The route to school layer and the geocoded alcohol outlet data were joined to determine the number of alcohol outlets children pass on the route to school. Logistic regression models estimated the association between the presence of alcohol outlets on the route to school, alcohol and drug exposure, and self-reported safety. Children with an alcohol outlet on the route to school were more likely to be offered ATOD (OR = 2.20, p = 0.02) as well as be exposed to drug selling (OR = 1.72, p = 0.02) and seeing people using drugs (OR = 1.93, p = 0.02). After adjusting for individual-level variables, the relationship between presence of alcohol outlets and being offered ATOD and seeing people using drugs remained significant. However, after adjusting for individual-level control variables and a proxy for the larger neighborhood context, the association between the presence of alcohol outlets and exposure to ATOD was no longer significant. As national campaigns are encouraging children to walk to school, it is essential to consider what children are exposed to on the route to school.
Stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer. A multivariate analysis of treatment methods and patterns of recurrence

Background. Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and men in the United States, with more than 157,000 estimated deaths in 1995. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of therapy in Stage I and II disease. However, local and distant recurrence account for the disappointing survival rates after resection. Appropriate selection of surgical procedures and effective use of adjuvant therapies will depend upon the elucidation of prognostic factors that predict for recurrence. Methods. A detailed analysis was undertaken to evaluate surgical therapy and to define risk factors associated with recurrence and cancer death in 289 consecutive patients with NSCLC who were diagnosed, resected and followed at the Duke University Medical Center from January 1, 1980, until December 31, 1988. These patients had no evidence of metastases on head and chest/abdominal computed tomograms and radionuclide bone scans before resection. Resected specimens from these patients pathologic verification of Stage I disease. Follow-up was complete in all cases through 8/1/94 (median, 61 months). Variables analyzed included age, sex, smoking history, presenting signs and symptoms, operative procedure, histopathology, hospital course including complications, and the time and location of any recurrence or cancer death. Results. The 30-day mortality rate was 5 of 289 (1.7%), with minor and major morbidity rates of 17% and 9%, respectively. Statistical comparison of lobectomy (193) wedge resection (75) and pneumonectomy (21) revealed significantly (P < 0.04) smaller tumors (T1), more comorbidity, and fewer complications for wedge resection patients. A trend (P < 0.09) toward an increased rate of local/regional recurrence and no difference in survival was also observed for wedge resection. One hundred five patients died of cancer (13-month median time to recurrence) for an actual 5-year survival of 63%. Significant univariate predictors of early recurrence and decreased survival (P < 0.01) were: male sex, the presence of symptoms, hemoptysis, chest pain, type of cough, tumor size in cm and by T-classification, visceral pleural invasion, high mitotic index, and vascular invasion. Significant (P < 0.05) multivariate independent variables for early recurrence and cancer death were the presence of symptoms, vascular invasion, pleural invasion, high mitotic index, and tumor size greater than 3 cm. Conclusion. Current surgical therapy for stage I NSCLC has an acceptable morbidity and mortality rate. The current data also stratify patients with Stage I NSCLC into high and low risk populations that can be used in future randomized trials of adjuvant therapy.
Refracting systems for Gaussian-to-uniform beam transformations

Abstract Two refracting optical systems have been designed to convert respectively (i) a circularly-Gaussian laser beam into a circularly-uniform laser beam and (ii) an annular Gaussian beam into a circularly-uniform laser beam.
Gynecologic screening examinations: Does the obstetrician-gynecologist's spouse comply?

The practicing obstetrician-gynecologist has certainly moved toward more active teaching and encouragement of preventive medical measures during the past decade. The purpose of this study was to determine how these measures espoused by the practitioner are applied in the physician's family setting. To accomplish this, 5000 questionnaires were sent to actively practicing obstetrician-gynecologists. Questions pertained to health habits as well as social and demographic issues. The results revealed that preventive medical practices, which have a high impact on morbidity and mortality, were not practiced to a significant degree by the spouses of obstetrician-gynecologists. Approximately 17% of the spouses did not have yearly Papanicolaou smears. Women older than 55 years of age were less likely to have this screening test than their younger cohorts. Only 65% perform breast self-examination, and 36% did not have screening mammography performed when recommended. In the postmenopausal group, 57% of the spouses did not receive estrogen replacement therapy, whereas 32% had both estrogen- and progestrone replacement therapy and 11% took estrogen alone. Contraceptive measures used by respondents indicated essentially equal distribution among methods available. The majority of the physicians who responded indicated they did not smoke (84%), did not use illegal drugs (99%), and used alcohol occasionally or not at all (71%).
Are Center Access Advantages Weakening? The Case of Office–Commercial Markets

Abstract This paper presents the first attempt to explore recent changes in office–commercial land value gradients within polycentric Los Angeles. The empirical results uncover substantial flattening in these gradients between 1989 and 1994. As such, they are consistent with conjectures that the recent information revolution is contributing toward the weakening of spatial links between office–commercial activities and large business centers, thereby leading to increasingly dispersed patterns of business location. Further empirical research, however, is needed to not only ascertain the continuation of observed trends but also to more conclusively link them to technological advances. To the extent that this research uncovers long-run, technology-induced spatial transformations, urban spatial models may need to be revised to more accurately reflect dispersed patterns of office–commercial activity within post-industrial markets.
Nephrotoxicity of N-(3-bromophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide: role of halogen groups in the nephrotoxic potential of N-(halophenyl) succinimides.

Abstract Among N -(halophenyl)succinimides, N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) is a potent nephrotoxicant as well as an agricultural fungicide. Although two chloride groups on the phenyl ring are essential to induce optimal nephrotoxicity, the role of halogen groups in NDPS nephrotoxicity is not clear. In this study, N -(3-bromophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NBPHS) was prepared as a monohalophenyl derivative of N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS), an oxidative and nephrotoxicant metabolite of NDPS. The nephrotoxic potential of NBPHS was evaluated in vivo and in vitro to determine the role of halogen groups in N -(halophenyl)succinimide nephrotoxicity. Male Fischer 344 rats (four/group) were administered a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of NBPHS (0.1, 0.4 or 0.8 mmol/kg) or vehicle (25% dimethyl sulfoxide in sesame oil) and renal function monitored for 48 h. Administration of NBPHS (0.8 mmol/kg) induced nephrotoxicity, while very mild changes or no changes in renal function were observed following administration of 0.4 mmol/kg or 0.1 mmol/kg of NBPHS, respectively. Nephrotoxicity induced by NBPHS (0.8 mmol/kg) was characterized by diuresis, transiently increased proteinuria, glucosuria and hematuria, elevated kidney weight, and reduced tetraethylammonium (TEA) uptake by renal cortical slices, and was not as marked as nephrotoxicity induced by NDHS (0.1 mmol/kg) or NDPS (0.4 mmol/kg). In the in vitro studies, the effects of NBPHS on organic ion accumulation, pyruvate-stimulated gluconeogenesis, and lactatc dehydrogenase (LDH) release were measured using renal cortical slices. NBPHS decreased p -aminohippurate (PAH) and TEA accumulation at NBPHS bath concentrations of 0.05 mM and 0.5 mM or greater, respectively. Renal gluconeogenesis was inhibited by NBPHS at 1 mM bath concentration, while LDH leakage was not increased at NBPHS bath concentrations up to 1 mM. The results demonstrate that NBPHS is a mild nephrotoxicant in vivo and in vitro, but does not have cytotoxic effects to renal tissues at the concentrations tested. From these results, it appears that halogen groups are essential to the nephrotoxic potential of N -(halophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimides or N -(halophenyl)succinimides and play an important role in the mechanism of NDPS nephrotoxicity following NDHS formation.
Responses of auditory nerve fibers to trains of clicks

Responses of auditory nerve fibers to trains of clicks were recorded in ketamine anesthetized chinchillas. By varying the number of clicks and the interclick interval, this study examined whether “post-onset adaptation,” described in psychoacoustic experiments on localization, occurred in auditory nerve fibers. The results showed that the number of action potentials recorded from a nerve fiber in response to a train of clicks was a power function of the number of clicks. For interclick intervals of 2 ms or greater the exponent of the power function was 0.5, and this exponent did not change over a 20-dB range of intensities. The timing of action potentials relative to the click stimuli was measured using synchronization coefficients. The coefficients increased with interclick interval, decreased with increasing intensity, and were greater for fibers with low rates of spontaneous activity than for high spontaneous fibers. Recovery functions showed that for interclick intervals of 2 ms or more, the responses to the second click were at least 70% of the response to the initial click. The recovery depended upon the number of clicks in the train. These findings indicate that auditory nerve fibers respond to high rates of stimulus presentation and do not display the adaptation observed in localization studies.
Ultraviolet light inhibition of oriented fibrin formation in psoriasis.

SUMMARY Radially-oriented fibrin crystallization was induced by incubation of blood from psoriatic patients with killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa.. The phenomenon was inhibited by irradiation of the buffy coat in plasma with UV-B. It was not inhibited by UV-A unless trioxsalen had been added. Addition of UV-B-irradiated plasma to non-irradiated buffy coat also inhibits the fibrin formation.
Linear Baroclinic instability with the Geostrophic Momentum Approximation.

Abstract The linear Eady model of baroclinic instability with the geostrophic momentum (GM) approximation is solved analytically in physical space and shown to be identical to linear three-dimensional semigeostrophic theory. Both the growth rates and the wavenumber of the short-wave cutoff are larger than those predicted by quasi-geostrophic (QG) theory. This behavior arises because the effective static stability is reduced in the GM case. These results are opposite to those using standard nongeostrophic (NG) theory, and the discrepancy increases with decreasing Richardson number. Energetically, the unstable GM normal modes enhance the conversion of available potential energy compared to the QG modes and also convert available kinetic energy to eddy kinetic energy. With regards to the structure of the unstable modes, the northward tilt with height in the GM case is more consistent with NG theory than is the QG solution which displays no meridional tilt. Additional analysis addresses the effect of assuming...
Partial purification of a GTPase-activating protein for rap2b from bovine brain membranes

Abstract Rap2n is a ras-related GTP-binding protein isolated from a human platelet cDNA library. It shares 90% similarity to the previously described rap2a and is closely related to rap1a (Krev-1, smgp21), which has been shown to possess reversion of transformation activity in Kirsten ras transformed 3T3 cells. In this study we have partially purified a protein from bovine brain membranes which stimulates the GTPase activity of rap2b. This rap2b GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity is not immunoreactive with antibodies specific for rap1 GAP or ras GAP, yet displays limited GTPase stimulatory activity toward rap1. This result differs from the previously described rap1 GAP which is highly specific for rap1. When the rap2 GAP activity is analyzed by coomassie staining, an enrichment of a ≈ 55 kDa protein is observed providing further evidence of a distinct rap2 GAP.
Algorithms for the bounded set-up knapsack problem

The Bounded Set-up Knapsack Problem (BSKP) is a generalization of the Bounded Knapsack Problem (BKP), where each item type has a set-up weight and a set-up value that are included in the knapsack and the objective function value, respectively, if any copies of that item type are in the knapsack. This paper provides three dynamic programming algorithms that solve BSKP in pseudo-polynomial time and a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme (FPTAS). A key implication from these results is that the dynamic programming algorithms and the FPTAS can also be applied to BKP. One of the dynamic programming algorithms presented solves BKP with the same time and space bounds of the best known dynamic programming algorithm for BKP. Moreover, the FPTAS improves the worst-case time bound for obtaining approximate solutions to BKP as compared to using FPTASs designed for BKP or the 0-1 Knapsack Problem.
Effect of ganglionectomy on the stimulation of salivary glands by isoproterenol

Abstract Isoproterenol in acute experiments greatly stimulates DNA synthesis and mitotic activity in the submaxillary gland of rat. Prolonged administration of the drug leads to a severalfold enlargement of the gland. Removal of the superior cervical ganglion has no effect either on the enlargement or on the stimulation of DNA synthesis produced by isoproterenol. The experiments support the assumption that the stimulation of DNA synthesis is a direct effect of the drug on the cells of the submaxillary gland.
Self-Organized Multilayers via a Dipole Interaction Mechanism

A phase field model is developed to simulate the molecular motion and patterning under the combined actions of dipole moments, intermolecular forces, entropy, and external electric field. The study reveals self-alignment, pattern conformation and the possibility to reduce the domain sizes via a layer by layer approach.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Electronic networking for engineers: research from a user perspective

Abstract This paper presents preliminary results from a study of the use of electronic networks in engineering settings. Electronic networks, for the purposes of this paper, are defined as telecommunications links that connect computers to each other or to other devices, allowing users access to remote resources through such applications as electronic mail, file transfer, and remote log-in. The paper first provides a brief discussion of user-based approaches to the study of electronic networks. It then presents selected results from an ongoing empirical study whose aim is to describe and explore the use of electronic networks by engineers. The study draws its subjects from the U.S. aerospace industry. Data presented here were gathered, in site visits/interviews and in a national telephone survey, from aerospace engineers who perform a variety of jobs in a wide range of organizations. Results from the telephone survey provide a snapshot of the current use of electronic networks in the aerospace industry. Interview results, on the other hand, explore factors associated with the use of electronic networks and identify perceived impacts of electronic networks on aerospace engineering work and communication. The paper concludes with suggestions for utilizing the results of user-based studies of networking.
Bound magnetic polaron interactions in insulating doped diluted magnetic semiconductors

The magnetic behavior of insulating doped diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS's) is characterized by the interaction of large collective spins known as bound magnetic polarons. Experimental measurements of the susceptibility of these materials have suggested that the polaron-polaron interaction is ferromagnetic, in contrast to the antiferromagnetic carrier-carrier interactions that are characteristic of nonmagnetic semiconductors. To explain this behavior, a model has been developed in which polarons interact via both the standard direct carrier-carrier exchange interaction (due to virtual carrier hopping) and an indirect carrier-ion-carrier exchange interaction (due to the interactions of polarons with magnetic ions in an interstitial region). Using a variational procedure, the optimal values of the model parameters were determined as a function of temperature. At temperatures of interest, the parameters describing polaron-polaron interactions were found to be nearly temperature-independent. For reasonable values of these constant parameters, we find that indirect ferromagnetic interactions can dominate the direct antiferromagnetic interactions and cause the polarons to align. This result supports the experimental evidence for ferromagnetism in insulating doped DMS's.
Cholesterol vehicle in experimental atherosclerosis Part II. Peanut oil

Abstract In 4 consecutive experiments, young adult, male, Dutch belted rabbits were fed diets, containing 6% of fats of varying fatty acid composition. These fats included coconut oil (CNO), corn oil (CO), peanut oil (PNO), and a special fat (PGF) simulated to resemble peanut oil minus arachidic and behenic acids. All diets contained 2% cholesterol and were fed to the rabbits for 8 weeks. Biochemical and histological findings were then compared. In the 4 experiments, the following characteristics were generally seen. The rabbits fed corn oil showed a slightly greater weight gain than did the other groups, with the group fed coconut oil exhibiting the least weight gain. The liver weight of the group fed coconut oil was consistently lowest, as was the liver cholesterol content of this group; the liver weight and liver cholesterol levels observed in the other 3 groups were comparable. Serum cholesterol levels were highest in the group fed the special fat and those fed corn oil. Visual grading of the prestained aortas showed the groups fed the special fat or corn oil to have lesions of comparable severity, but less severe than the lesions of the groups fed coconut or peanut oil, which were similar to each other. The gross visual and microscopic evaluations of the severity of aortic lesions indicated that the rabbits fed coconut or peanut oil had the most extensive, as well as the most frequent and severe, lesions. In contrast, the animals fed the special fat consistently showed much less aortic disease, no matter how the disease was evaluated; generally in these animals the aortic involvement was similar to that seen in the rabbits fed corn oil. The main characteristic of the lesions seen in rabbits fed peanut oil was a prominent intimal proliferation with a high proportion of collagen, whereas in animals fed coconut oil intimal proliferation was over the area of lipid deposition. The trend in severity and frequency of the coronary artery lesion was similar to that seen in the aorta. Intimal proliferation with lipid deposition was a characteristic finding, regardless of the lipid fed. These findings support the concept that arachidic and behenic acids, which are present in peanut oil, but not in the special fat, may be responsible, in part, for the unexpectedly greater atherogenic effect of peanut oil. However, our observations suggest that other factors, such as triglyceride structure, may also play an important role in atherogenesis.
Changes in vascular permeability and expression of different angiogenic factors following anti-angiogenic treatment in rat glioma

Background Anti-angiogenic treatments of malignant tumors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase are being used in different early stages of clinical trials. Very recently, VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Vetanalib, PTK787) was used in glioma patient in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, changes in the tumor size, tumor vascular permeability, vascular density, expression of VEGFR2 and other angiogenic factors in response to PTK787 are not well documented. This study was to determine the changes in tumor size, vascular permeability, fractional plasma volume and expression of VEGFR2 in PTK787 treated U-251 glioma rat model by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The findings were validated with histochemical and western blot studies. Methodologies and Principal Findings Seven days after implantation of U251 glioma cells, animals were treated with either PTK787 or vehicle-only for two weeks, and then tumor size, tumor vascular permeability transfer constant (Ktrans), fractional plasma volume (fPV) and expression of VEGFR2 and other relevant angiogenic factors were assessed by in vivo MRI and SPECT (Tc-99-HYNIC-VEGF), and by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) using a high molecular weight contrast agent albumin-(GdDTPA) showed significantly increased Ktrans at the rim of the treated tumors compared to that of the central part of the treated as well as the untreated (vehicle treated) tumors. Size of the tumors was also increased in the treated group. Expression of VEGFR2 detected by Tc-99m-HYNIC-VEGF SPECT also showed significantly increased activity in the treated tumors. In PTK787-treated tumors, histological staining revealed increase in microvessel density in the close proximity to the tumor border. Western blot analysis indicated increased expression of VEGF, SDF-1, HIF-1α, VEGFR2, VEGFR3 and EGFR at the peripheral part of the treated tumors compared to that of central part of the treated tumors. Similar expression patters were not observed in vehicle treated tumors. Conclusion These findings indicate that PTK787 treatment induced over expression of VEGF as well as the Flk-1/VEGFR2 receptor tyrosine kinase, especially at the rim of the tumor, as proven by DCE-MRI, SPECT imaging, immunohistochemistry and western blot.
An evaluation of game controllers and tablets as controllers for interactive tv applications

There is a growing interest in bringing online and streaming content to the television. Gaming platforms such as the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii are at the center of this digital convergence; platforms for accessing new media services. This presents a number of interface challenges, as controllers designed for gaming have to be adapted to accessing online content. This paper presents a user study examining the limitations and affordances of novel game controllers in an interactive TV (iTV) context and compares them to "second display" approaches using tablets. We look at task completion times, accuracy and user satisfaction across a number of tasks and find that the Wiimote is most liked and performed best in almost all tasks. Participants found the Kinect difficult to use, which led to slow performance and high error rates. We discuss challenges and opportunities for the future convergence of game consoles and iTV.
Assessing forest decline in coniferous forests of Vermont using NS-001 Thematic Mapper Simulator data

This study evaluates the potential of measuring/mapping forest decline in spruce-fir forests using airborne NS-001 TMS data. Using field instruments, it was found that ratios of 1.65/1.23 and 1.65/0.83-micron reflectance discriminated between spruce samples of low and high-damage sites. Using TMS data, band ratios were found to be strongly correlated with ground-based measurements of forest damage. Ratio colo-density slice images using these band ratios, and images using 0.56 and 1.65-micron bands with either of these band ratios in a false-color composite, provide accurate means of detecting, quantifying and mapping levels of forest decline.
An effective media toolset for use in metamaterial design

This paper introduces an effective-media toolset that can be used for the design of metamaterial structures based on metallic components such as split-ring resonators and dipoles, as well as dielectric spherical resonators. For demonstration purposes the toolset will be used to generate infrared metamaterial designs, and the predicted performances will be verified with full-wave numerical simulations.
Is neurotensin in the brain involved in thermoregulation of the monkey

Cannulae for intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion were implanted stereotaxically in monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) maintained post-operatively in a primate restraint chair. During each experiment, a series of physiological measures was recorded simultaneously on a polygraph which included colonic temperature, vasomotor tone, heart rate, respiratory rate, and basal metabolism as reflected by O2 uptake. The ICV infusion in a volume of 0.5 ml of neurotensin (NT) in doses ranging from 3-150 micrograms produced neither a statistically significant nor consistent change in body temperature or vasomotor response. Although the highest dose of 450 micrograms NT infused ICV caused an immediate bradycardia and a concomitant decline in metabolic and respiratory rates, an average decline in core temperature of 0.6 degrees C and the accompanying cutaneous vasodilation often had a latency as long as 1.0 hr. In contrast to the typical hypothermia in this species following an ICV infusion of catecholamines, implicated in the central pathways underlying thermoregulation, NT failed to elicit a coordinated set of physiological responses for heat dissipation in the monkey. Therefore, it is unlikely that this tridecapeptide plays a role in the central mechanisms mediating the control of body temperature of this primate species.
Effect of Unilateral Pulmonary Artery Obstruction on Circulatory Dynamics in Dogs with Chronic Atrial Septal Defects

Simultaneous and continuous recording of venous flow (rotameter) of a femoral and renal bed of the dog revealed dissimilar responses in these regions. Bilateral common carotid occlusion and hypoxia (5 per cent oxygen) cause a greater increase in femoral resistance than in renal resistance. Conversely, levarterenol and angiotensin produce a greater increase in renal than in femoral resistance. Bleeding is associated with resistance changes in opposite directions, the renal bed's resistance increasing, the femoral bed's decreasing. Aortic constriction causes a reduction in the resistance of each bed; the femoral bed's resistance is reduced significantly more than the renal vascular resistance. These results suggest that the femoral bed is more reactive than the renal following baro-receptor- or chemoreceptor-induced changes. In contrast, the renal bed is more susceptible to hormonal stimuli. To those stimuli reducing perfusion pressure, renal blood flow is more likely to be compromised.
Citizen science: A new direction in canine behavior research

Abstract Researchers increasingly rely on members of the public to contribute to scientific projects—from collecting or identifying, to analyzing and disseminating data. The “citizen science” model proves useful to many thematically distinctive fields, like ornithology, astronomy, and phenology. The recent formalization of citizen science projects addresses technical issues related to volunteer participation—like data quality—so that citizen scientists can make longstanding, meaningful contributions to scientific projects. Since the late 1990s, canine science research has relied with greater frequency on the participation of the general public, particularly dog owners. These researchers do not typically consider the methods and technical issues that those conducting citizen science projects embrace and continue to investigate. As more canine science studies rely on public input, an in-depth knowledge of the benefits and challenges of citizen science can help produce relevant, high-quality data while increasing the general public's understanding of canine behavior and cognition as well as the scientific process. We examine the benefits and challenges of current citizen science models in an effort to enhance canine citizen science project preparation, execution, and dissemination. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Canine Behavior.
The Barnacle, Conchoderma Virgatum (Spengler), in Association With the Isopod, Nerocila Acuminata Schioedte & Meinert, and the Orange Filefish, Alutera Schoepf1 (Walbaum)

[Ein Exemplar von Alutera schoepfi (Teleostei; 318 mm Standardlange) wurde am 4. April 1970 nahe Panama City, Florida (30°07.1'N 85°43.7'W) gefangen. Am Maul dieses Fisches befand sich ein Conchoderma virgatum; 16 C. virgatum hatten sich an einem der zwei parasitischen Isopoden festgesetzt, welche an der linken Brustflosse des Fisches gefunden wurden. Dieser Befund belegt erstmals das Vorkommen von Conchoderma auf einem parasitischem Isopoden. Glatte, harte Oberflachen - wie zum Beispiel das Aussenskelett von Crustaceen oder Schiffs-rumpfe und Bojen - sind bevorzugte Befestigungsstellen fur C. virgatum. Der Mangel an Fundmeldungen uber die Befestigung von Conchoderma an parasitischen Isopoden ist wahrscheinlich auf die temporare Natur der Befestigung dieser Parasiten an Fischen zuruckzufuhren., Ein Exemplar von Alutera schoepfi (Teleostei; 318 mm Standardlange) wurde am 4. April 1970 nahe Panama City, Florida (30°07.1'N 85°43.7'W) gefangen. Am Maul dieses Fisches befand sich ein Conchoderma virgatum; 16 C. virgatum hatten sich an einem der zwei parasitischen Isopoden festgesetzt, welche an der linken Brustflosse des Fisches gefunden wurden. Dieser Befund belegt erstmals das Vorkommen von Conchoderma auf einem parasitischem Isopoden. Glatte, harte Oberflachen - wie zum Beispiel das Aussenskelett von Crustaceen oder Schiffs-rumpfe und Bojen - sind bevorzugte Befestigungsstellen fur C. virgatum. Der Mangel an Fundmeldungen uber die Befestigung von Conchoderma an parasitischen Isopoden ist wahrscheinlich auf die temporare Natur der Befestigung dieser Parasiten an Fischen zuruckzufuhren.]