cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incidence of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and arsenic exposure in New Hampshire

Objective: Arsenic is a known bladder carcinogen and populations exposed to high arsenic levels in their water supply have reported elevated bladder cancer mortality and incidence rates. To examine the effects of lower levels of arsenic exposure on bladder cancer incidence, we conducted a case–control study in New Hampshire, USA where levels above 10 μ/l are commonly found in private wells. Methods: We studied 383 cases of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder cancer, newly diagnosed between July 1, 1994 and June 30, 1998 and 641 general population controls. Individual exposure to arsenic was determined in toenail clippings using instrumental neutron activation analysis. Results: Among smokers, an elevated odds ratio (OR) for bladder cancer was observed for the uppermost category of arsenic (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 0.92–5.11 for greater than 0.330 mcg/g compared to less than 0.06 μ/g). Among never smokers, there was no association between arsenic and bladder cancer risk. Conclusions: These, and other data, suggest that ingestion of low to moderate arsenic levels may affect bladder cancer incidence, and that cigarette smoking may act as a co-carcinogen.
Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy

Recent developments in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) now make it routinely possible to obtain direct images and spectra from interface and defects structures with atomic spatial resolution. Here we describe the experimental conditions required to set-up and align a 200 kV STEM/TEM microscope to perform this analysis. The various imaging and analysis techniques will be illustrated with examples from interfaces in II-VI and III-V quantum dot systems and dislocation cores in GaN.
Extracellular matrix and nuclear localization of βig‐h3 in human bladder smooth muscle and fibroblast cells

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an essential role in bladder structure and function. In this study, expression of beta ig-h3, a recently identified extracellular matrix protein, was investigated in human bladder tissue, and human bladder smooth-muscle (SMC) and fibroblast cells in vitro. SMCs secreted greater than three times the level of this protein compared with fibroblasts. The relative levels of beta ig-h3 mRNA in the two cell types reflected the protein expression. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated protein deposition in the ECM as well as cytoplasmic localization and, unexpectedly, nuclei. Anti-beta ig-h3 antibodies also stained the matrix surrounding the detrusor SMCs and nuclei of bladder fibroblasts, SMCs, and urothelium in intact bladder tissue. Western blot analyses of medium and matrix fractions obtained from cells in vitro revealed protein of approximately 70-74 kDa, whereas nuclear extracts contained a 65-kDa reactive protein band. We propose that although this protein is a structural component of bladder ECM, its nuclear localization suggests that it has other regulatory and/or structural functions.
Application of compound compressible flow to nonuniformities in hypersonic propulsion systems

An analytical model is presented to study the propagation of the forebody boundary layer inside the engine channel of a hypersonic engine, based on a compound compressible one-dimensional streamtube method. It is shown that the compound compressible flow model can be greatly simplified in the hypersonic regime. This model is appropriate for studying the effects of nonuniform flow inside a supersonic combustion ramjet. It is found that even a small boundary layer can produce noticeable changes in freestream properties inside the inlet. In the combustor models, it is seen that freestream Mach number is generally increased, and so static pressure and temperature are decreased. It is suggested that these effects will reduce the combustion reaction rate relative to that expected in a uniform flow and will therefore reduce the total heat release and increase losses inside the engine.
Automated immunoassay with a silver sulfide ion-selective electrode

Abstract Antibody levels in the μg ml -1 range are selectively and rapidly determined in an automated flow system which employs an Ag 2 S membrane electrode sensor in conjunction with immobilized immunoabsorbent. Experiments with anti-benzoate antibody in the presence of excess γ-globulin or whole serum demonstrate the operating characteristics of the system in terms of selectivity, precision and dynamic response.
Moving Sofas and Exhuming Woodchucks: On Relevance, Impact, and the Following of Fads

Continuing concerns about the relevance and impact of management research deserve reflection and response. In this article, the author considers ways to increase management research relevance, including rewards for relevance and mechanisms for inreach. The author argues, however, that management research is already quite relevant and that basic research and research that appears somehow "artificial" should not be sacrificed on the altar of relevance. Conversely, the author argues that seeking relevance by following fads creates an unfortunate and dangerous illusion of responsiveness. To enhance impact, the author suggests seeking channels for better communication of the relevance and applicability of management research as well as the presentation of management research to potential users in intrinsically appealing ways. This might require using more concrete examples and metaphors and telling better stories. It should not involve "dummying down" research reports or debasing the nature of the research pro...
Activation of 2-aminofluorene by cultured plant cells

Cultured tobacco plant cells activated 2-aminofluorene to an agent mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98. The plant activation of 2-aminofluorene is heat-inactivated and may not involve solely cytochrome P-450. The kinetics of activation demonstrated both time- and concentration-dependent responses.
A genome-based approach for the study of erythroid biology and disease

Abstract The human genome contains all elements of the erythroid transcriptome with the exception of those genes encoded in mitochondrial DNA. The concept of a “genome-based” approach for the study of erythroid biology and disease was envisioned in the mid-1990s as a logical offshoot of efforts to map the human genome. Although a completed human genome map was not expected until 2005 [Science 279 (1998) 23], the idea of creating a robust and retrievable description of erythroid gene activity was both encouraged and supported on the NIDDK Bethesda campus of the National Institutes of Health. The 5–10-year goals were organized into three parts. The initial project goal involved the collection of sequence data derived from mRNA expressed in developmentally staged erythroblasts. Those cells were isolated prospectively by flow cytometry monitoring of CD71 and glycophorin A expression patterns. Next, the sequence data was organized into a database and integrated with related information available in the public domain. The paramount goal of the project continues to be clinical application. As discussed in this paper, progress already made in each of these areas suggests that genome-based approaches will greatly facilitate future studies of erythroid biology and disease.
In vitro regeneration of Gaillardia pulchella Foug.

Young leaf and internodal stem segments of Gaillardia pulchella, collected from wild species re-established in the greenhouse, were used to initiate callus on Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with NAA (2.0 mgl−1) and BA (0.4 mgl−1). Callus formed after 10 to 14 days in the dark. Cultures were transferred to fresh medium and placed under lighted conditions where shoot formation occurred approximately 14 to 30 days after initiation. Callus sub-cultured at 14 to 21-day intervals continued to produce primordia for several weeks. Flowers were produced by regenerated shoots maintained on MS medium, but roots did not develop until the plantlets were transferred to soil conditions.
Effective index method in modeling of high-index-contrast planar photonic crystals

In this paper, a novel effective index method for modeling high index contrast planar photonic crystals is introduced. In this effective index method, the frequency axis is divided into many regions, and the effective index for each region is obtained using the central frequency of this region. Dispersion relationship in a wide frequency region can then be calculated using the effective index for each region to obtain the states in this region with a 2-D simulation and integrating all states in all frequency regions. The validity of this effective index method in approximating an intense three-dimensional (3-D) simulation required by the finite thickness of planar photonic crystals with a less intense two-dimensional simulation is examined. As an example, this method is applied to calculate the band diagram of a planar photonic crystal waveguide. By comparing with the results obtained with the full 3D simulation, we find that this method is valid for all states below the light cone in many bands, and the wider the waveguide, the more the number of bands, which agree with the full 3D results.
The use and abuse of climate models

Projections of future climate change depend largely on the results of computer models. Such models are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but they do not offer the certainties that policy-makers would like.
A Unified Model for Signal Transduction Reactions in Cellular Membranes

An analytical solution is obtained for the steady-state reaction rate of an intracellular enzyme, recruited to the plasma membrane by active receptors, acting upon a membrane-associated substrate. Influenced by physical and chemical effects, such interactions are encountered in numerous signal-transduction pathways. The generalized modeling framework is the first to combine reaction and diffusion limitations in enzyme action, the finite mean lifetime of receptor-enzyme complexes, reactions in the bulk membrane, and constitutive and receptor-mediated substrate insertion. The theory is compared with other analytical and numerical approaches, and it is used to model two different signaling pathway types. For two-state mechanisms, such as activation of the Ras GTPase, the diffusion-limited activation rate constant increases with enhanced substrate inactivation, dissociation of receptor-enzyme complexes, or crowding of neighboring complexes. The latter effect is only significant when nearly all of the substrate is in the activated state. For regulated supply and turnover pathways, such as phospholipase C-mediated lipid hydrolysis, an additional influence is receptor-mediated substrate delivery. When substrate consumption is rapid, this process significantly enhances the effective enzymatic rate constant, regardless of whether enzyme action is diffusion limited. Under these conditions, however, enhanced substrate delivery can result in a decrease in the average substrate concentration.
A model of the lower ionosphere above Red Lake, Canada, during the 26 February 1979 solar eclipse

Measurements of ionization sources, ionization profiles and minor atmospheric constituents were conducted during the 26 February 1979 solar eclipse above Red Lake, Canada. A model of the lower thermosphere has developed to describe the D- and E-regions of the ionosphere for this case with the model being guided by the measurements. During the eclipse a rather intense particle precipitation event was in progress. For this reason, an auroral deposition code was coupled to a chemical-kinetics code to calculate degraded primary and secondary electron fluxes, ionization rates, positive ion and electron densities. The model was calibrated with the experimental measurements of electron flux below 100 km and electron density between 70 and 150 km. This calculation not only satisfactorily described the ionization in the E-region but also the gross electron density characteristics of the D-region. Bursts in the observed electron flux were also simulated with the model to give electron density profiles that were remarkably consistent with small perturbations seen in the electron density measurements.
Frequency and temperature dependence of dielectric properties of chicken meat

Dielectric properties of chicken breast meat were measured with an open-ended coaxial-line probe between 200 MHz and 20 GHz at temperatures ranging from −20 °C to +25 °C. At a given temperature, the frequency dependence of the dielectric constant reveals two relaxations while those of the dielectric loss factor are dominated by ionic conduction in the lower range and a broad dipolar relaxation at higher frequencies. At a given frequency, the temperature dependence reveals a sharp increase of dielectric properties at about 0 °C which is typical of materials with high water content and indicates the transition from ice-like behavior to liquid. Both frequency and temperature behavior will be used in investigating correlations of dielectric properties with quality attributes of chicken meat.
Spatial price competition with consumers on a plane, at intersections, and along main roadways

This paper examines two-dimensional price competition on a plane, with a block metric and a square grid of main roadways. One store is located at each intersection of main roadways. Consumer locations include a uniform distribution over the plane, linear concentrations along main roadways, and point concentrations at intersections. Bertrand-Nash mill price competition is examined first. The equilibrium price depends on the relative numbers of consumers in the three types of locations (and on travel costs per mile and the spacing between stores). If too many consumers are in each point concentration, then the price equilibrium is undermined by a high-price strategy or by mill-price undercutting. Spatial competition with price discrimination is examined, and compared to Bertrand-Nash mill price competition.
Inorganic and organic nitrogen cycling in the Southern California Bight

Abstract On the basis of mass balance calculations performed for nitrogen (N) uptake experiments in the Southern California Bight (SCB), it has been suggested that a significant portion of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) uptake results in the production of dissolved organic N (DON). To investigate this process, the fate of ammonium (NH 4 + ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) uptake was quantified within the euphotic zone at three coastal stations in the SCB using 15 N tracer techniques. Several trends in the fate of DIN and the production of DON were observed. First, production of particulate N (PN), from both NH 4 + and NO 3 − , was quantitatively more important in near surface waters, while DON release dominated within the nitracline. Second, the percentage of gross N uptake released as DON was generally higher when NO 3 − , rather than NH 4 + , was the substrate. Third, the percentage of N released as DON was higher at night, relative to the day. Fourth, rates of DON release were significantly correlated to NH 4 + regeneration, suggesting that similar mechanisms are responsible for both processes—presumably grazing. The results of this study indicate that the DON pool is a sink for DIN uptake on the time scale of hours. One implication of this finding is that new production estimates based on 15 NO 3 − uptake rates will likely underestimate particle flux out of the surface layer because the rate of NO 3 − uptake is underestimated due to loss of DO 15 N during the incubation. On time scales of months to years, however, the N that is taken up as NO 3 − and released as DON will likely contribute to export flux via incorporation of the dissolved phase during seasonal mixing into sinking particles or transport. The export of DON on these time scales argues for the use of gross uptake rates to calculate f -ratios.
(-)-[3H]Dihydroalprenolol binding in subcellular fractions of rat cortex following noradrenergic denervation.

Abstract Two weeks after noradrenergic denervation, β-adrenergic receptor binding increased in 2 of 3 crude fractions of rat cortical homogenates, while the relative distribution of binding was unchanged on continuous sucrose density gradients of the crude synaptosomal fraction. When rat glioma cells were fractionated by the same methods, a band of membranes with β-adrenergic receptor binding sedimented at the same sucrose density as synaptosomes. Thus membrane receptors remained associated with synaptosomes even in the absence of noradrenergic nerve terminals suggesting that a portion of these receptors are either glial or associated with non-noradrenergic nerve terminals.
Generic Node Removal for Factor-Graph SLAM

This paper reports on a generic factor-based method for node removal in factor-graph simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), which we call generic linear constraints (GLCs). The need for a generic node removal tool is motivated by long-term SLAM applications, whereby nodes are removed in order to control the computational cost of graph optimization. GLC is able to produce a new set of linearized factors over the elimination clique that can represent either the true marginalization (i.e., dense GLC) or a sparse approximation of the true marginalization using a ChowLiu tree (i.e., sparse GLC). The proposed algorithm improves upon commonly used methods in two key ways: First, it is not limited to graphs with strictly full-state relative-pose factors and works equally well with other low-rank factors, such as those produced by monocular vision. Second, the new factors are produced in such a way that accounts for measurement correlation, which is a problem encountered in other methods that rely strictly upon pairwise measurement composition. We evaluate the proposed method over multiple real-world SLAM graphs and show that it outperforms other recently proposed methods in terms of Kullback-Leibler divergence. Additionally, we experimentally demonstrate that the proposed GLC method provides a principled and flexible tool to control the computational complexity of long-term graph SLAM, with results shown for 34.9 h of real-world indoor-outdoor data covering 147.4 km collected over 27 mapping sessions spanning a period of 15 months.
Electron budgets for the hypolimnion of a recovering urban lake, 1989-2004: Response to changes in organic carbon deposition and availability of electron acceptors

Hypolimnetic electron budgets were developed for sulfate-rich, eutrophic Onondaga Lake, New York, for the summer stratification periods of 16 years (1989–2004) to describe seasonal, long-term, and interannual changes in hypolimnetic metabolism. A mass balance approach was applied to the hypolimnion to estimate the consumption of electron acceptors (e.g., O2 ,N O { ) and production of reduced by-products (e.g., H2S, CH4) associated with the decomposition of organic matter. The stoichiometry of the associated redox reactions supported calculation of electron transfer in the hypolimnion and partitioning of the contributions of various metabolic pathways. In 12 of the 16 study years SO 2{ 4 reduction was the most important decomposition pathway, accounting for an average of 44% of the electron transfer in the hypolimnion. Aerobic decomposition (28%), methanogenesis (19%), and denitrification (9%) were also quantitatively important mineralization processes. The relative importance of the various decomposition pathways to overall hypolimnetic metabolism varied widely in response to an abrupt decrease in organic carbon deposition in 1987, incomplete spring turnover in 1993, and improved nitrification treatment at a contributing wastewater treatment facility in 2004. Changes in the importance of the different decomposition pathways were generally consistent with the thermodynamic constraints that regulate the spatial and temporal patterns of redox processes in aquatic sediments. On average, the discrepancy between observed dissolved inorganic carbon accumulation and that calculated from the four redox pathways was 14%; potential causes for this discrepancy include storage of reduced forms of particulate organic carbon and metabolic byproducts in the sediment.
State Enterprise Zones and Local Housing Markets

In the past two decades, more than 40 states have implemented enterprise zone programs to encourage business activity and revitalize distressed communities. Previous evaluations (predominantly at the zone or state level) on the impact of these programs have been inconclusive. We argue that property values are an ideal outcome measure, since any wealth created by these programs should be capitalized into the local housing market. We examine the impact of zones on the growth in housing values in 22 states, using a large sample of small cities both with and without enterprise zones. We use variation in the timing of zone designation to differentiate the impact of zone designation from that of unobserved, preexisting conditions hampering growth in zone locations. We find that, on average, zones do not increase housing values, although they do have a positive impact in tight housing markets.
Diagnostic Error - Mini Review and Case Report of Patient Death Resulting from Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Prostatitis

A 57-year old man presenting with frequent and painful urination and negative initial urinalysis for infection was given a diagnosis of benign prostate hypertrophy, which was never revised by subsequent providers. Instead, the patient continued to be treated for urinary retention and pain. A potent NSAID, Toradol (ketorolac), was included in his regimen. One day prior to his demise, the patient was diagnosed with prostatic abscess and admitted for treatment with intravenous antibiotics. However the patient died on hospital day one from massive GI bleeding. Autopsy revealed an underlying peptic ulcer. This case shines a light on diagnostic error: missed, wrong, or delayed diagnosis. It also uncovers the multifaceted nature of diagnostic errors and highlights the importance of system- related interventions, in particular, better communication between health care providers. Based on malpractice claims data, diagnostic error is the most frequent and costly of all medical mistakes, yet it remains one of the least studied areas of patient safety. While the field has some barriers to study, many opportunities exist for impact in the field of diagnostic errors.
Intergovernmental Relations and Base Closing

Military base closings have accelerated since the end of the Cold War, and an independent decisionmaking process is in place for deciding which bases to close. With more closures has come increased debate about the appropriate federal role in assisting communitiesfaced with base closures. There has been a gradual increase in the salience of the issue and in the range offederal assistance provided to the affected communities. This has led to questions regarding the determination of the bounds of affected communities, and the measures to be used in determining success in the baseclosure process. The federal government defers to state decisions regarding community definition, broadening its own definition of success to include entire communities, and not just acreage within the fenceposts of the closed facilities. Issues of homelessness and environmental cleanup now play a larger role in reuse decision than in the past.
Coronary artery calcium: associations with brain magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities and cognitive status.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between coronary atherosclerosis and subclinical brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities and between coronary atherosclerosis and abnormal cognitive function (dementia/ mild cognitive impairment). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), an epidemiological study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in older adults. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred nine men and women, mean age 79, recruited from the Pittsburgh center of the CHS. MEASUREMENTS: Coronary atherosclerosis was defined according to the level of coronary artery calcification (CAC), as measured using electronic beam tomography. Subclinical brain MRI abnormalities included ventricular enlargement, white matter hyperintensities, and number of subcortical brain infarcts. Brain MRI and CAC measurements were performed between 1998 and 2000 at the Pittsburgh center of the CHS. Prevalence of brain MRI abnormalities and abnormal cognitive status were examined across quartiles of the CAC score, before and after controlling for age. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess whether CAC level was associated with abnormalities of brain MRI or abnormal cognitive status. RESULTS: Older adults with high CAC scores were more likely to have more-severe brain MRI abnormalities, including subcortical infarction and high white matter hyperintensities. The associations between CAC and ventricular enlargement showed a similar but not significant trend. The presence of any of the MRI abnormalities attenuated the association between CAC and abnormal cognitive status. CONCLUSION: Older adults with higher levels of CAC were more likely to have more-severe brain MRI abnormalities and abnormal cognitive status.
Inferring personal qualities through handwriting analysis

Handwriting analysis has been of interest to many areas of psychology, as well as to the general public. While the popular interest in this topic has been growing over the years, scientific research is limited. This article is intended to familiarize the reader with the essential features and the present status of handwriting analysis. The procedure of analysing scripts is outlined, as are the different methods of integrating graphological inferences. Information on the ability to infer personal qualities through handwriting analysis is reviewed in light of the two basic psychometric questions: reliability and validity. Issues unique to the study of graphology are examined—namely, the effects of the content of a script sample, and the professional skill required to analyse script. The present state of knowledge on this topic can best be described by saying its use in applied settings is premature. Although the literature on this topic suffers from significant methodological negligence, the general trend of findings is to suggest that graphology is not a viable assessment method.
The impact of vitamin a deficiency and repletion with retinol and β-carotene on concanavalin a-induced lymphocyte proliferation

Abstract Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced splenic lymphocyte proliferation was studied in young rats during vitamin A deficiency and after oral repletion with 1500 retinol equivalents (R.E.) of either retinyl palmitate (RP) or βC-carotene (βC). Initial studies, designed to optimize the proliferation assay, showed that the response of vitamin A-deficient rats was consistently delayed in comparison to control rats fed a vitamin A-adequate diet. The overall magnitude of the proliferative response in vitamin A-deficient rats was also somewhat reduced (≈34% less than that of the control group). After vitamin A-deficient rats were repleted with RP, the Con A-induced proliferative response of splenic lymphocytes resembled that of the control group in both magnitude and kinetics. However, in vitamin A-deficient rats repleted with βC, the delayed response to Con A persisted in some animals and the overall response was intermediate between that of vitamin A-deficient rats and either control rats or rats repleted with RP.
tRNA modification by GidA/MnmE is necessary for Streptococcus pyogenes virulence: a new strategy to make live attenuated strains.

Studies directed at vaccine development and mucosal immunity against Streptococcus pyogenes would benefit from the availability of live attenuated strains. Our approach for production of candidate live attenuated strains was to identify mutations that did not alter growth in vitro and did not alter the overall complement of virulence factors produced but did result in reduced levels of expression of multiple secreted virulence factors. A global reduction but not elimination of expression would likely lead to attenuation while maximizing the number of antigenic targets available for stimulation of immunity. Adaptation of Tn5-based transposome mutagenesis to S. pyogenes with initial screening for reduced expression of the SpeB protease resulted in identification of mutations in gidA, which encodes an enzyme involved in tRNA modification. Reduced SpeB expression was due to delayed onset of speB transcription resulting from reduced translation efficiency of the message for RopB, a transcriptional activator. Overall, GidA− mutants had a nearly normal global transcription profile but expressed significantly reduced levels of multiple virulence factors due to impaired translation efficiencies. A translation defect was supported by the observation that mutants lacking MnmE, which functions in the same tRNA modification pathway as GidA, phenocopied GidA deficiency. The mutants stimulated a cytokine response in cultured macrophages identical to that in the wild type, with the exception of reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-23. Significantly, GidA− mutants were highly attenuated in the murine ulcer model of soft tissue infection. These characteristics suggest that GidA pathway tRNA modification mutants are attractive candidates for further evaluation as live attenuated strains.
Attraction of walking Tribolium castaneum adults to traps

The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), is a major pest of food processing facilities and can be monitored using pitfall type traps. To determine how beetles interact with these traps under field situations, the behavior of individual beetles released in the vicinity of traps was observed in a large arena. Specifically, the response of adults to traps baited with combinations of commercially available pheromone and kairomone attractants was measured, as was the influence of beetle sex and strain, airflow presence or absence, and distance from trap. The beetle’s response to traps was strongest (e.g., more encountered trap, more remained in observation zone, more time was spent on treatment side, and decreased speed and increased turn angle) to pheromone/kairomone or pheromone baited traps when there was air movement, while kairomone alone and all attractants under still air conditions generated no significant response by the beetles. Even with the best combination of attractants and with airflow, average number encountering trap was only 40%. With airflow, beetles were successful at locating a pheromone/kairomone baited trap out to 90 cm, the maximum distance tested, but under still air conditions even at 10 cm there was no difference between traps with and without attractants. Since airflow at trap locations within commercial food facilities can vary considerably, these patterns of response to traps could significantly impact insect detection. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
A rapid and highly sensitive method for the determination of glimepiride in human plasma by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry: application to a pre-clinical pharmacokinetic study

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography–positive electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the determination of glimepiride (GPD) in human plasma. GPD and the internal standard (IS, glibenclamide) were extracted from a small aliquot of human plasma (200 µL) by a simple liquid–liquid extraction technique using ethyl acetate as extraction solvent. The compounds were separated on a YMC Propack, C18, 4.6 × 50 mm column using a mixture of ammonium acetate buffer, acetonitrile and methanol (30:60:10, v/v) as mobile phase at 0.5 mL/min on an API 4000 Sciex mass spectrometer connected to an Agilent HPLC system. Method validation and pre-clinical sample analysis was performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria. GPD and IS were detected without any interference from human plasma matrix. The method was proved to be accurate and precise at linearity range of 0.02–100.00 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The method was robust with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.02 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day accuracies for GPD were 88.60–113.50 and 96.82–103.93%, respectively. The inter-day precision was better than 12.21%. This method enabled faster and reliable determination of GPD in a pre-clinical study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactive visualization of video metadata

Much current research on digital libraries focuses on named entityextraction and transformation into structured information. Examples include entities like events, people, and places, and attributes like birth date or latitude. This video demonstration illustrates the potential for finding relationships among entities extracted from 50,000 news segments from CMUs Informedia Digital Video Library. A visual query language is used to specify relationships among entities. Data populate the query structure, which becomes an interface for exploration that gives continuous feedback in the form of visualizations of summary statistics. The target user is a data analyst familiar with the domain from which the entities come, but not a computer scientist.
Maternal N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) protects the rat fetal brain from inflammatory cytokine responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Objective: Inflammatory cytokines, play a central role in the genesis of preterm parturition and fetal brain injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may activate cytokine pathways via induction of oxidative stress pathways. We hypothesized that enhanced maternal antioxidant activity may blunt fetal brain inflammatory responses to maternal LPS injection in pregnant rats. Methods: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats at 18 and 20 days gestation received intraperitoneal (ip) LPS injection and pre- and post-treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) or saline. Six hours after the LPS injection, rats were sacrificed, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 mRNA expression in the fetal brains was determined by real time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Maternal ip LPS induced significant increase in fetal brain IL-6 mRNA expression at E18 (3.1 ± 0.6 vs 1.0 ± 0.10 AU) and E20 (29.01 + 13.06 vs 0.95 + 0.05 AU; p < 0.05) compared to Control, only at E20 maternal LPS induced increase in fetal brain IL-10 compared to control. ...
Analysis of laminar flow forced convection heat transfer with uniform heating in the entrance region of a circular tube

On presente une nouvelle solution integrale ou de couches limites pour le transfert de chaleur en ecoulement laminaire dans la region d'entree combinee d'un tube circulaire pour un flux de chaleur a la paroi constant. La solution s'inspire du concept de region hydrodynamique remplie a l'entree initialement propose par Ishizawa et adopte plus tard par Mohanty et Asthana pour un ecoulement en developpement hydrodynamique dans un tube circulaire. Contrairement aux solutions de couches limites disponibles, cette nouvelle analyse fournit des resultats qui rejoignent de facon naturelle et asymptotique les valeurs pour les ecoulements entierement developpes
Effect of thyroxine on enzymes of the urea cycle in regenerating rat liver.

SummaryThe activities of carbamyl phosphate synthetase, ornithine transcarbamylase and arginase have been found to be unchanged in regenerating liver of thyroidectomized rats. Complete thyroidectomy results in an impaired rate of liver regeneration. Daily injection of thyroxine during the regeneration period restores the capacity of the liver to regenerate.
Effect of dietary vitamin E on the oxidative stability, flavor, color, and volatile profiles of refrigerated and frozen turkey breast meat

Abstract In this study, the effect of varying dietary vitamin E levels on the oxidative stability, flavor, color, and volatile profiles of refrigerated and frozen turkey breast meat was examined. Nicholas turkey toms were reared on diets containing vitamin E levels as dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate equivalent to the NRC recommendations (12 and 10 IU/kg from 0 to 8 and 9 to 18 wk, respectively) and 5x, 10x, and 25x the NRC diet. Two other diets were evaluated and included feeding the NRC diet until 15 and 16 wk followed by a diet containing 20x the NRC vitamin E level. All turkeys were processed in a commercial turkey processing plant and breast meat scored for color. Breast meat was excised from four carcasses per treatment and evaluated after refrigeration (1 and 7 d) or frozen storage (30, 90, 150 d) for oxidative stability and sensory quality by TBA analysis, descriptive flavor profiling, and headspace gas chromatography. The TBA values were inversely related to the dietary vitamin E levels. Refrigerated samples had TBA values 78 to 88% lower for the 10x and 25x vitamin E treatments, respectively, than for the NRC control treatment. No differences in TBA values (refrigerated samples) were detected for the 10x, 25x, and 20x (3 wk feeding duration) or across all treatments for samples frozen for 5 mo. The 10x and 25x NRC diets produced the most typical and acceptable turkey meat flavors with the fewest oxidized off-flavor notes for both fresh and frozen samples as opposed to the more oxidized flavor notes detected in the control samples. Mean color scores increased, indicative of less pale meat, as the level and duration of feeding dietary vitamin E increased. These findings showed that varying dietary vitamin E levels significantly influenced the oxidative stability and functionality of turkey breast meat.
Role of Notch and its oncogenic signaling crosstalk in breast cancer

The Notch signaling plays a key role in cell differentiation, survival, and proliferation through diverse mechanisms. Notch signaling is also involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Moreover, Notch expression is regulated by hypoxia and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6 and leptin). Entangled crosstalk between Notch and other developmental signaling (Hedgehog and Wnt), and signaling triggered by growth factors, estrogens and oncogenic kinases, could impact on Notch targeted genes. Thus, alterations of the Notch signaling can lead to a variety of disorders, including human malignancies. Notch signaling is activated by ligand binding, followed by ADAM/tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE) metalloprotease and γ-secretase cleavages that produce the Notch intracellular domain (NICD). Translocation of NICD into the nucleus induces the transcriptional activation of Notch target genes. The relationships between Notch deregulated signaling, cancer stem cells and the carcinogenesis process reinforced by Notch crosstalk with many oncogenic signaling pathways suggest that Notch signaling may be a critical drug target for breast and other cancers. Since current status of knowledge in this field changes quickly, our insight should be continuously revised. In this review, we will focus on recent advancements in identification of aberrant Notch signaling in breast cancer and the possible underlying mechanisms, including potential role of Notch in breast cancer stem cells, tumor angiogenesis, as well as its crosstalk with other oncogenic signaling pathways in breast cancer. We will also discuss the prognostic value of Notch proteins and therapeutic potential of targeting Notch signaling for cancer treatment.
Construction area (no hard hat required)

A variety of relations widely invoked by philosophers—composition, constitution, realization, micro-basing, emergence, and many others—are species of what I call ‘building relations’. I argue that they are conceptually intertwined, articulate what it takes for a relation to count as a building relation, and argue that—contra appearances—it is an open possibility that these relations are all determinates of a common determinable, or even that there is really only one building relation.
Caveolin-1 alters Ca2+ signal duration through specific interaction with the Gαq family of G proteins

Caveolae are membrane domains having caveolin-1 (Cav1) as their main structural component. Here, we determined whether Cav1 affects Ca(2+) signaling through the Galpha(q)-phospholipase-Cbeta (PLCbeta) pathway using Fischer rat thyroid cells that lack Cav1 (FRTcav(-)) and a sister line that forms caveolae-like domains due to stable transfection with Cav1 (FRTcav(+)). In the resting state, we found that eCFP-Gbetagamma and Galpha(q)-eYFP are similarly associated in both cell lines by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Upon stimulation, the amount of FRET between Galpha(q)-eYFP and eCFP-Gbetagamma remains high in FRTcav(-) cells, but decreases almost completely in FRTcav(+) cells, suggesting that Cav1 is increasing the separation between Galpha(q)-Gbetagamma subunits. In FRTcav(-) cells overexpressing PLCbeta, a rapid recovery of Ca(2+) is observed after stimulation. However, FRTcav(+) cells show a sustained level of elevated Ca(2+). FRET and colocalization show specific interactions between Galpha(q) and Cav1 that increase upon stimulation. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy studies show that the mobility of Galpha(q)-eGFP is unaffected by activation in either cell type. The mobility of eGFP-Gbetagamma remains slow in FRTcav(-) cells but increases in FRTcav(+) cells. Together, our data suggest that, upon stimulation, Galpha(q)(GTP) switches from having strong interactions with Gbetagamma to Cav1, thereby releasing Gbetagamma. This prolongs the recombination time for the heterotrimer, thus causing a sustained Ca(2+) signal.
Refugees, humanitarian aid and the right to decline vaccinations

Recent instances of governments and others refusing humanitarian assistance to refugees and IDPs (internally-displaced persons) unless they agreed to polio immunization for their children raise difficult ethical challenges. The authors argue that states have the right and a responsibility to require such vaccinations in instances where the serious vaccine-preventable disease(s) at issue threaten others, including local populations, humanitarian workers, and others in camps or support settings.
'He cannot get away from us': Tautologies in police chases

A B S T R A C T ￻ The live police chase has become a staple ‐ if not a cliche ‐ of local television news in the United States in the last 20 years. But what are the psychoanalytical dynamics of this event? Why does an otherwise unremarkable property felony become elevated to a matter of instant civic importance merely by virtue of being broadcast, and why do viewers’ sympathies often feel tugged toward the criminal rather than the state? This article examines one notorious case in Seattle and outlines the ‘stages’ of a police chase, as delineated by law enforcement, as an essential dramatic pattern redolent of Girardian release. The police chase is a live-broadcast panopticon in which every viewer is a participant in a triangulated tautology: the subject is running because he is being chased, and we are watching because he is running and he is being broadcast live because he is being chased. ￻
Family of origin influences on young adult career decision problems: A test of bowenian theory

Abstract This study tested the ability of Bowenian family systems theory to explain career decision problems in young adults. Bowenian theory asserts that anxiety is the mediator of dysfunctional family dynamics and career decision problems. A sample of 1,006 young adults completed self-report measures of fusion, triangulation, and intimidation, trait anxiety, and career decision problems. Path analysis was used to test a model wherein anxiety mediates the effects of dysfunctional family patterns on career-decision-making problems. Analyses supported the mediating role of anxiety for fusion and intimidation; triangulation was not related to career decision problems. Implications for family therapists are discussed.
The Disparate Levels of Consciousness in the Two Hemispheres

With the development of commissurotomy as an acceptable treatment for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy, a significant group of subjects with two essentially separate, functioning cerebral hemispheres became available for study. The differences of hemispheric function in the cognitive and emotional modalities were described in the last chapter. But of all the functional differences that became apparent in commissurotomized patients, certainly the most dramatic was that of the apparent lack of conscious awareness of the right hemisphere to stimuli presented in the contralateral field. However one concludes that there may or may not be a right-hemispheric consciousness, it is certainly true that the kind of consciousness and awareness in the two hemispheres appear to be different. Eccles (1963) summarized the thinking up to that time as follows: In conclusion, we can say that the right hemisphere is a very highly developed brain except that it cannot express itself in language, so it is not able to disclose any experience of consciousness that we can recognize. Sperry postulates that there is another consciousness in the right hemisphere, but that its existence is obscured by its lack of expressive language. On the other hand, the left hemisphere has a normal linguistic performance so it can be recognized as being associated with the prior existence of the ego or the self with all the memories of the past before the commissural section. On this view there has been split off from the talking self a nontalking self which can’t communicate by language, so it is there but mute, or aphasic. (p. 213)
Response of Mammalian Cells Irradiated with 30 MV X-rays in the Presence of a Uniform 20-kilogauss Magnetic Field

SummaryThe effects of intense magnetic fields on the survival curves for aerated and hypoxic Chinese hamster lung cells exposed to 30 MV X-rays were investigated. A uniform 20-kilogauss magnetic field, as well as a non-uniform magnetic field with an average value of 17·5 kilogauss and a gradient of 2·3 kilogauss/cm, were employed. A study of the repair of sublethal damage for cells exposed to the magnetic field only during the split-dose irradiations, and the effect of exposure to the magnetic field alone for 2 hours, were also studied. For each of these four experiments, no effects attributable to the magnetic field were detected.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT: IFPRI 2020 CONFERENCE ON "LEVERAGING AGRICULTURE FOR IMPROVING NUTRITION AND HEALTH"

The IFPRI 2020 Conference on â€œLeveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Healthâ€ was held in New Delhi, India, February 10â€“12, 2011, and attracted more than 900 attendees. Conference activities included 12 plenary sessions, 15 parallel sessions, 14 side events, an ongoing knowledge fair with more than 25 exhibit booths and tables, six informal discussion groups, and roughly 30 â€œrapid fireâ€ presentations during coffee breaks. Assessing the impact of this Conference is a task complicated by multiple issues such as assessment coverage and impact attribution. The assessment methods used here include surveys of conferees, Internet searches, website and literature searches, and extensive personal interviews. Distinctions are drawn between short-term and medium-term impacts, and also among impacts on individuals, on institutions, and on professional discourse.
Kahn at Penn: Transformative Teacher of Architecture

James WilliamsonRoutledge, 2015204 pages$155.00 (hardcover)Louis I. Kahn was one of the few major modern architects to teach in the university most of his career, starting at Yale University in 194...