cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Lipocalin 24p3 in Apoptosis and Leukemia.

Abstract Programmed cell death or Apoptosis, is a critical aspect of normal physiology as well as the genesis and treatment of cancer. Certain apoptotic pathways are transcriptionally regulated; in these cases, apoptosis is induced by the transcriptional activation of genes encoding proapoptotic proteins. We originally identified lipocalin 24p3 as the gene undergoing maximum transcriptional stimulation following induction of apoptosis by cytokine-deprivation of interleukin 3 (IL-3) dependent cells. 24p3 is a member of the lipocalin family of carrier proteins – a group of small-secreted molecules that bind and transport low-molecular weight ligands. By delivering this cargo via cell-surface receptors they are known to influence many responses. 24p3 is a secreted lipocalin, which we have found induces apoptosis when added to a variety of lymphoid cells. These and other results revealed a model in which IL-3 deprivation activates 24p3 transcription, leading to synthesis and secretion of 24p3, which induces apoptosis through an autocrine/paracrine pathway. We have isolated the 24p3 cell surface receptor (24p3R) and found that 24p3 induces apoptosis through a novel pathway culminating in a decrease in intracellular iron levels (a biological iron chelator). Interestingly, iron chelators inhibit cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis, and are under active investigation as chemotherapeutic agents. The basis by which decreased intracellular iron induces apoptosis is not well understood. We performed expression-profiling experiments to identify differentially regulated genes in 24p3 and as a control in Deferoxamine (DFO), a synthetic iron chelator, treated cells. Our preliminary results suggest that 24p3 activates the expression of a novel gene, ING-2 (inhibitor of growth-2). ING-2 prevents cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. In contrast, the synthetic iron chelator, DFO activates the expression of NDRG1 (n-Myc downstream-regulated gene 1), which induces cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. These results suggest that 24p3 induces cell death by activating regulators of the cell cycle. Finally, we have also found that the oncogene BCR-ABL counteracts the 24p3 proapoptotic pathway by misregulating expression of 24p3 and 24p3R. To study the contribution of 24p3 apoptotic pathway in the progression of CML, we have performed CML modeling experiments in mice. BCR-ABL transformed 24p3 deficient bone marrow cells failed to induce myeloproliferative disease in recipients upon transplantation. However, wild-type bone marrow cells when transduced with BCR-ABL oncogene readily induced CML-like disease in transplanted mice. Therefore, the secretion of 24p3 by BCR-ABL transformed cells facilitates the progression of CML. We have also demonstrated that 24p3 plays an important role in Gleevec-induced cell death in BCR-ABL transformed cells. These studies have therapeutic implications for Gleevec resistant CML.
Property Rights and Takings Burdens

The Fifth Amendment Takings Clause was interpreted through the 19th century as referring only to physical takings or ousters of possession. Justice Holmes enigmatic 1922 opinion in Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon was the genesis of contemporary “regulatory takings” doctrine, which reached full expression in 1978, in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York. The ad hoc, three-factor test of Penn Central, generally deemed incoherent and chaotic, focused on regulatory burdens placed upon landowners, with respect not to specific rights, but rather with regard to a specified relevant parcel (“parcel as a whole).” In 2017, in Murr v. Wisconsin, the Court conflated the elements of what constitutes the relevant parcel and the three factors pertaining to whether that parcel had been taken. The Article discusses theories of “property,” the merits of balancing tests versus more objective rules, and how these play out in the Murr majority opinion and dissents. It also treats the importance of Murr’s mandate to internalize those externalities that were irrelevant prior to regulation. Given the universal unhappiness with regulatory takings jurisprudence, the Article also considers arguments for reconsidering regulatory takings as due process deprivations.
Regulating Hemp and Cannabis-Based Products.

(1)Different state agencies often regulate the hemp and cannabis industries separately. (2) Pharmaceutical products derived from cannabis are currently in clinical trials for approval in the U.S. and other countries. One product is already approved for use in 29 countries, but not in the U.S. (3) In August 2017, NCSL unanimously approved a policy position supporting federal legislation to define industrial hemp as a distinct agricultural crop (containing 1 percent or less of THC) and allow states to regulate commercial hemp farming.
Christianity → Liberalism: Siedentop Reading Group Notes

The present 77 page document is my set of notes used in a five-part reading group on Larry Siedentop's great book Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism. The document contains a link to the set of videos online.
O Simbolismo na Tentativa de Suicídio: Uma Pesquisa Qualitativa

A presente pesquisa objetivou conhecer sobre possiveis manifestacoes de mensagens simbolicas das vitimas por meio da tentativa de suicidio. Empiricamente existe a suspeita de que ha intencao de transmitir mensagens ou protestos, como em um espetaculo, por conta dos elementos escolhidos. Participaram da pesquisa seis pessoas em atendimento no Centro de Assistencia Psicossocial – CAPS I, com uma ou mais tentativas de suicidio. Como instrumento da coleta de dados, foi aplicada uma entrevista semiestruturada. A coleta de dados ocorreu nas dependencias do CAPS I, em encontros individuais. A analise foi fundamentada com material teorico especifico, principalmente na teoria Junguiana ao abordar conceitos como projecao e simbolos. Os resultados indicaram que nos casos onde a vitima considerava alguem como responsabilizado pelo seu sofrimento, um dos elementos escolhidos pertencia a esta pessoa, buscando fazer com que ela se sinta culpada. O conflito com uma doenca cronica foi expresso atraves da tentativa simbolica de cura e alivio. O sentimento de abandono foi manifesto no ato de se retirar do ambiente de convivio para executar a tentativa de suicidio.
Pupillometry reveals cognitive demands of lexical competition during spoken word recognition in young and older adults.

In most contemporary activation-competition frameworks for spoken word recognition, candidate words compete against phonological “neighbors” with similar acoustic properties (e.g., “cap” vs. “cat”). Thus, recognizing words with more competitors should come at a greater cognitive cost relative to recognizing words with fewer competitors, due to increased demands for selecting the correct item and inhibiting incorrect candidates. Importantly, these processes should operate even in the absence of differences in accuracy. In the present study, we tested this proposal by examining differences in processing costs associated with neighborhood density for highly intelligible items presented in quiet. A second goal was to examine whether the cognitive demands associated with increased neighborhood density were greater for older adults compared with young adults. Using pupillometry as an index of cognitive processing load, we compared the cognitive demands associated with spoken word recognition for words with many or fewer neighbors, presented in quiet, for young (n = 67) and older (n = 69) adult listeners. Growth curve analysis of the pupil data indicated that older adults showed a greater evoked pupil response for spoken words than did young adults, consistent with increased cognitive load during spoken word recognition. Words from dense neighborhoods were marginally more demanding to process than words from sparse neighborhoods. There was also an interaction between age and neighborhood density, indicating larger effects of density in young adult listeners. These results highlight the importance of assessing both cognitive demands and accuracy when investigating the mechanisms underlying spoken word recognition.
Reimagining public library programming during a pandemic

This article uses survey data to describe, discuss, and examine the ways in which small and rural public libraries adjusted their programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions associat...
Envisioning human service organizations free of microaggressions

Abstract Microaggressions refer to verbal or non-verbal communications that invalidate those with non-dominant group identities across all dimensions of human diversity. Within human service organizations (HSOs), microaggressions may lower therapeutic alliance, reduce retention, and result in negative outcomes. While understanding the type, frequency, and damaging impact of microaggressions are useful and well established in research, less is known about the organizational policies, practices, behaviors, and values needed to reduce or eradicate microaggressions within human service contexts. Utilizing three focus groups and four individual interviews with adults who received services from HSOs, this qualitative study explored: What would HSOs need to learn, practice, and believe in order to be free of microaggressions? Sixteen participants reported on the provider's knowledge and behaviors, organizational environment, and institutional characteristics needed to create an organization free of microaggressions. Limitations of existing approaches and implications to develop more equitable practices within HSOs are discussed.
A review of the genus Zonophryxus Richardson, 1903 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Dajidae) with recognition of Colypurus agassizi Richardson, 1905 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Colypuridae) as a synonym of Zonophryxus similis Searle, 1914 and the requisite sinking of Colypuridae

All species in the epicaridean isopod genus Zonophryxus Richardson, 1903 are reviewed, and information regarding host choice is summarized. The enigmatic species Colypurus agassizi Richardson, 1905 is shown to be synonymous with Zonophryxus similis Searle, 1914, and Colypurus Richardson, 1905 and Colypuridae Richardson, 1905 are synonymized with Zonophryxus and Dajidae, respectively. The correct name for the species is Zonophryxus agassizi, new combination. The existence of two distinct male morphotypes in at least some species of Zonophryxus is confirmed and discussed. Type and other material of Zonophryxus retrodens Richardson, 1903 and Zonophryxus trilobus Richardson, 1910 were examined, and these species are discussed and illustrated, including description of morphological structures either erroneously or not previously reported. New material of Zonophryxus dodecapus Holthuis, 1949 is reported on, with the discovery that females of the species can have either five or six pairs of pereopods independent of their developmental stage. A new species, Zonophryxus probisowa, is described from Peruvian material and named in honor of The Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington on the occasion of this, its final volume.
Is Perfusion Dose-Response Different Than Ventilation Dose-Response for Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Radiotherapy?

Purpose/Objective(s) Ventilation-perfusion dose-response studies have focused on using functional imaging to characterize a dose-response and to assess whether the dose-response can predict subsequent pulmonary toxicity. Current dose-response studies typically focus on a single modality (ventilation or perfusion) and perform assessments on a population-based basis. There is no work evaluating whether ventilation dose-response differs from perfusion dose-response for individual lung cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to use single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)-CT ventilation-perfusion imaging to quantitatively and clinically evaluate whether lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy have differences between their ventilation and perfusion dose-responses. Materials/Methods Twenty patients with biopsy proven lung cancer enrolled on a prospective functional avoidance protocol underwent SPECT-CT perfusion-ventilation scans pre- and 3-month post-radiotherapy. The SPECT-CT, planning CT, and dose distribution were rigidly registered. We calculated the relative changes in pre- to post-treatment ventilation-perfusion in lung regions receiving ≥ 20 Gy (referred to as ΔPV20 for perfusion and ΔVV20 for ventilation). Differences between perfusion-based ΔPV20 and ventilation-based ΔVV20 were assessed and referred to as ΔfV20. A radiologist read each pre- and post-treatment ventilation-perfusion scans using a semi-quantitative scale that assigned a score ranging from 1 to 8 that reflected functional defect and heterogeneity in each lung. The difference between radiologist scores for the pre- and post-treatment scans was calculated for both ventilation and perfusion. Differences between ventilation-based and perfusion-based radiologist scores were assessed. Results Twenty-five percent of patients had a difference of ΔfV20 > 35% between ventilation-perfusion pre- to post-treatment changes (ΔVV20 and ΔPV20) and 20% of patients had opposite directions for ventilation-perfusion pre- to post-treatment changes. Radiologist assessment resulted in 20% of patients having different ventilation-perfusion semi-quantitative change scores for ipsilateral lungs. Conclusion The current work employed quantitative metrics and clinical assessments to evaluate whether ventilation dose-response differs from perfusion dose-response for individual lung cancer patients. Our data showed that ventilation dose-response can differ from perfusion dose-response for 20% to 30% of patients. Our study demonstrates that when evaluating functional dose-response for lung cancer patients, it is insufficient to look at ventilation or perfusion alone for a subset of patients; but rather both modes of functional imaging may be needed when predicting for clinical outcomes.
Observation of Gap Acceptance During Intersection Approach

This paper presents the results of a field test evaluating drivers’ decision making and gap acceptance for a left turn maneuver with opposite traffic; with a focus on the scenario where the turning vehicle is approaching the intersection. Twenty-three participants drove an instrumented vehicle ten times around an extended block turning left at four specific intersections. DGPS and radar data were combined to represent the trajectories of the turning vehicle and opposite traffic and to compute the gap between the turning vehicle and the lead vehicle of the on-coming traffic. The results cover the categorization of driver behavior based on the velocity profile while crossing the intersection. The velocity profile shows whether a driver stopped during the maneuver and the categories are defined based on where the driver stopped. The trajectories were then further sorted to account for the difference in speed profile or stopping location within one category. The characteristics of the accepted and rejected lags are presented and discussed, with an emphasis on turning drivers’ speed adaptation to the presence of an on-coming vehicle, and the presence of following traffic on a decision to stop. The conclusion of this study is that although valuable information was gathered during this field test, the data collection setup did not capture sufficiently the characteristic of the opposite traffic for a quantitative description of the effect of subsequent gaps on drivers’ decision to stop. Therefore, further data collection will be conducted on an instrumented intersection on a closed track.
Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome in an Atypical Parkinson's Disease Patient Population (P7.301)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if there is an increased incidence of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in Multiple Systems Atrophy, Corticobasilar Degeneration, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and/or Diffuse Lewy Body Dementia, collectively known as Atypical Parkinson’s Disease (APD), when compared to a control group and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) group. BACKGROUND: A prevalence of RLS has been established in PD, up to 22[percnt] in some studies, when compared to the general North American population, quoted at 4-11[percnt]. Although some studies have evaluated the impact of RLS in APD, these have focused on a small number of subjects and prevalence figures are not well documented. DESIGN/METHODS: Three study groups were assessed for prevalence and severity of RLS. Patients diagnosed with one of the APD disorders were compared to patients with PD and a control group. A survey was administered to determine the presence or absence of symptoms consistent with RLS, as well as to assess the severity of these symptoms. RESULTS: We surveyed 73 patients at a movement disorder clinic and compared their responses to 35 age matched controls. Of the 73 patients, 52 were diagnosed with PD and 21 with APD. Twenty percent of patients with PD met the diagnostic criteria for RLS than while only ten percent of patients with APD, trending towards significance. There was no difference between the control group and patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: Restless leg syndrome appears to be more prevalent in patients with PD than those with APD. This difference may be explained by the difference in pathophysiology between PD and APD disorders. Further investigation is needed to further define the prevalence of RLS in APD disorders. Disclosure: Dr. Zuzuarregui has nothing to disclose. Dr. Werbaneth has nothing to disclose. Dr. Qin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tonn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Murray has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hohler has nothing to disclose.
A Review of The Blackwell Handbook of Entrepreneurship, Edited by Donald Sexton and Hans Landström

This article provides a review and evaluation of TheBlackwell Handbook of Entrepreneurship.
Pastoral images: the Good Samaritan and the Unjust Judge.

Noting the continuing popularity among pastoral theologians of the Good Samaritan as an image of the pastoral caregiver, the author argues that the parable is not really about the obligation of the...
The separation of new forms of the proteinpolysaccharides of bovine nasal cartilage.

Abstract The principal proteinpolysaccharide, called PP-L, of bovine nasal cartilage has been fractionated centrifugally to give four products. The method requires low concentration of PP-L, high concentration of salt, and makes use of a remarkable difference between the effects of salts with monovalent and divalent cations on the sedimentation behavior of these proteinpolysaccharides. A fifth product, PP-L2, has previously been isolated from cartilage residue. Of these five, three are almost identical analytically, but differ in the stage of the whole procedure at which their separation becomes possible. The protein contents of the five lie in the range 9 to 36%, but the amino acid profiles of all five are very similar. Of the five forms, the one called PP-L3 behaves in the analytical ultracentrifuge as a single component; the others do not. The two forms with high protein contents sediment most easily and have the highest limiting viscosity numbers. These five products account for 40% of the original dry cartilage weight and 85% of its uronic acid content.
C. Wright Mills and American Democracy

Do the writings of C. Wright Mills, largely published in the 1950s, have anything to offer to the discussion about the condition and possibilities of egalitarian democratic politics during a period...
The exchange rate and the trade balance

Exchange rate flexibility is commonly justified as an efficient method for adjusting the trade balance to some desirable net international capital flow. In this orthodox view, fluctuations in a country's terms of trade or its saving-investment balance would continually upset its balance of payments equilibrium if the nominal exchange rate remained rigid.
Applying the effective distance to location-dependent data

In wireless mobile environments, we increasingly use data that depends on the location of mobile clients However, requested geographical objects (GOs) do not exist in all areas with uniform distribution More urbanized areas have greater population and greater GO density Thus the results of queries may vary based on the perception of distance We use urbanization as a criterion to analyze the density of GOs We propose the Effective Distance (ED) measurement, which is not a physical distance but the perceived distance varying based on the extent of urbanization We present the efficiency of supporting location-dependent data on GOs with proposed ED We investigate several membership functions to establish this proposed ED based on the degree of urbanization In our evaluation, we show that the z-shaped membership function can flexibly adjust the ED Thus, we obtain improved performance to provide the location-dependent data because we can differentiate the ED for very densely clustered GOs in urbanized areas.
Alterations in torque and hamstrings agonist and antagonist activity over repeated maximum effort, reciprocal isokinetic flexion-extension movements

Examining the effects of fatigue on hamstrings' functioning can provide useful information regarding their role in stabilizing the knee joint. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of fatiguing, maximum effort, reciprocal isokinetic flexion-extension movements on peak torque (PT) and average torque (AVT) of the knee flexors and extensors, and agonist and antagonist medial hamstrings (MH) and biceps femoris (BF) surface electromyography (SEMG), as measured by the root mean square amplitude (RMS) and median frequency of the frequency spectrum (MDF). Ten healthy adult female university students (age = 22.5 ± 2.0 years) performed 32 maximal effort contractions of the quadriceps (extension) followed by maximal effort contractions of the hamstrings (flexion) at an angular velocity of 400 ◦ · s −1 . Data were normalized (as a percentage) and compared to maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) at repetitions 8, 16, 24, and 32. Separate repeated measures analyses of variance were performed on data to determine changes from MVC levels. Results indicated: (1) there were significant declines in PT and AVT from MVC levels across repetitions tested; (2) when acting as agonists MH and BF displayed increased RMS across repetitions tested, except from repetition 8-to-16; (3) when acting as antagonists MH and BF displayed no significant differences in RMS across repetitions tested; and, (4) there was a steady decline in MDF across repetitions tested in both MH and BF muscles when acting as agonists and antagonists, indicating a shift in motor unit recruitment from fast-to-slow twitch units. Based on the results, it appears that the MH and BF behave in unison when acting as either agonists or antagonists but as a muscle pair, they behave differently when acting in agonist or antagonist mode. As agonists, the MH and BF displayed increased amplitude and decreased spectral frequency over the course of a fatiguing, maximum effort, reciprocal isokinetic flexion-extension test performed at 400 ◦ · s −1 . However, when acting as antagonists, they displayed stable amplitude with decreasing spectral frequency.
Accurate flexural spring constant calibration of colloid probe cantilevers using scanning laser Doppler vibrometry

Calibration of the flexural spring constant for atomic force microscope (AFM) colloid probe cantilevers provides significant challenges. The presence of a large attached spherical added mass complicates many of the more common calibration techniques such as reference cantilever, Sader, and added mass. Even the most promising option, AFM thermal calibration, can encounter difficulties during the optical lever sensitivity measurement due to strong adhesion and friction between the sphere and a surface. This may cause buckling of the end of the cantilever and hysteresis in the approach–retract curves resulting in increased uncertainty in the calibration. Most recently, a laser Doppler vibrometry thermal method has been used to accurately calibrate the normal spring constant of a wide variety of tipped and tipless commercial cantilevers. This paper describes a variant of the technique, scanning laser Doppler vibrometry, optimized for colloid probe cantilevers and capable of spring constant calibration uncertainties near ±1%.
Short-range Interaction and Nonrelativistic Phi**4 Theory in Various Dimensions

We employ the effective field theory method to systematically study the short-range interaction in two-body sector in 2, 3 and 4 spacetime dimensions, respectively. The phi**4 theory is taken as a specific example and matched onto the nonrelativistic effective theory to one loop level. An exact, Lorentz-invariant expression for the S-wave amplitude is presented, from which the nonperturbative information can be easily extracted. We pay particular attention to the renormalization group analysis in the 3 dimensions, and show that relativistic effects qualitatively change the renormalization group flow of higher-dimensional operators. There is one ancient claim that triviality of the 4-dimensional phi**4 theory can be substantiated in the nonrelativistic limit. We illustrate that this assertion arises from treating the interaction between two nonrelativistic particles as literally zero-range, which is incompatible with the Uncertainty Principle. The S-wave effective range in this theory is identified to be approximately 16/3pi times the Compton wavelength.
Modeling the evolution of lithium-ion particle contact distributions using a fabric tensor approach

Abstract Electrode microstructure and processing can strongly influence lithium-ion battery performance such as capacity retention, power, and rate. Battery electrodes are multi-phase composite structures wherein conductive diluents and binder bond active material to a current collector. The structure and response of this composite network during repeated electrochemical cycling directly affects battery performance characteristics. We propose the fabric tensor formalism for describing the structure and evolution of the electrode microstructure. Fabric tensors are directional measures of particulate assemblies based on inter-particle connectivity, relating to the structural and transport properties of the electrode. Fabric tensor analysis is applied to experimental data-sets for positive electrode made of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, captured by X-ray tomography for several compositions and consolidation pressures. We show that fabric tensors capture the evolution of inter-particle contact distribution and are therefore good measures for the internal state of and electronic transport within the electrode. The fabric tensor analysis is also applied to Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations of electrode microstructures using spherical particles with size distributions from the tomography. These results do not follow the experimental trends, which indicates that the particle size distribution alone is not a sufficient measure for the electrode microstructures in DEM simulations.
Transition to superparamagnetism in chains of magnetosome crystals

[1] Magnetotactic bacteria use chains of magnetic crystals to orient them in the Earth's field. Magnetic measurements show that these chains are in a single-domain state with all the moments pointing along the chain axis. Yet many of the crystals in the chains fall in either the multidomain (MD) or the superparamagnetic (SP) size range for isolated crystals. Magnetostatic coupling between crystals keeps the magnetization uniform and prevents thermally assisted transitions between states. The SP critical size for a chain of magnetite crystals is calculated using a new algorithm. The network of stable states and transition states connecting them is determined using a homotopy continuation method. This determines the energy barriers between stable states, and the critical size can then be calculated using a master equation. As the number of crystals in the chain increases, the SP critical volume approaches a limit that is nearly independent of the shape of the crystals. The cube root of this volume is about 10 nm. Most magnetosome crystal sizes are well above this limit. About half of the magnetosome crystals found in sediments would be MD in isolation. However, there is also a population of cubo-octahedral crystals, a large fraction of which would be SP in isolation. Such crystals are also formed in fresh water by bacteria in the genus Magnetospirillum. The difference in size and shape between the populations of isometric and nonisometric crystals may be related to redox conditions and the choice of magnetoaerotaxis mechanism.
Aircraft measurements of CO2, O3, water vapor, aerosol fluxes and, turbulence over Lake Michigan

Using an instrumented aircraft we made a constant altitude flight over lake Michigan near the Chicago shoreline and about 50 km downwind of it. The flight was made on June 18, 1992 between about 1:30 and 3:30 pm. The wind was southwesterly averaged about 12 m s -1 . Employing the eddy correlation method we calculated the fluxes of CO 2 , O 3 , water vapor and aerosols in the diameter range of 0.1 to 3.0 µm. The fluxes near the shoreline were found to be significantly higher than those in the middle of the lake. The fluxes near the shoreline for O 3 and aerosols were directed toward the surface and corresponding to transfer (deposition) velocities of 0.15 cm s -1 and 0.86 cm s -1 , respectively. For CO 2 , and water vapor, the fluxes were directed upward and corresponding to transfer velocities of 0.04 cm s -1 and 0.54 cm s -1 , respectively. At mid-lake the fluxes of O 3 and water vapor were directed upward and corresponding to transfer velocity of 0.045 cm s -1 and 0.003 cm s -1 . For CO 2 and aerosols the fluxes were directed downward and corresponding to transfer (deposition) velocities of 0.006 cm s -1 and 0.226 cm s -1 .
Sensory reinforcement as a predictor of cocaine and water self-administration in rats

Rationale The ability of locomotor activity in a novel environment (Loco) and visual stimulus reinforcement (VSR) to predict acquisition of responding for cocaine and water reinforcers in the absence of explicit audiovisual signals was evaluated.
Silicon rectifier cells for power rectification on railway vehicles

Application and tests on a silicon power rectifier installed on an existing multiple-unit passenger car in place of the original ignitron rectifier permitted evaluation of silicon rectifiers in traction propulsion power service and proved their feasibility in actual field operation. Both static tests and actual service tests showed that the equipment was satisfactory for extended field testing, which was begun in April 1961 and is continuing.
Profit oriented and decision time market segmentation

The authors report a refinement of their Survey Implemented Market Segmentation (SIMS) algorithm that adds decisiontime implementation by retailers. The analysis incorporates more completely the complexity of practical market segmentation policy alternatives. Two retailing executives aided in classifying variables that characterize potential market segments in terms of their temporal implementability. The result is an ability to formulate a segmentation policy applicable to long-range, medium-range, or short-range planning horizons.
Primary aldosteronism: emerging trends

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common etiology of endocrine hypertension (HTN), and recent prevalence studies suggest that it may be under-diagnosed. Indications for screening have been expanded with recognition that many patients with PA do not have hypokalemia and that the disease may be familial. The aldosterone:renin ratio (ARR) is the preferred screening test for PA. The ARR can be interpreted in patients on most anti-hypertensive agents, and can be used to guide medical therapy of HTN even in patients without PA. Once PA is confirmed, adrenal venous sampling (AVS) should be performed to determine if PA is due to bilateral disease or a unilateral adenoma, if surgery is being considered. Targeted medical or surgical therapy improves patient outcomes.
An innovative middle tier design for protecting federal privacy act data

This paper identifies an innovative middle tier technique and design that provides a solid layer of network security for a single source of human resources (HR) data that falls under the Federal Privacy Act. The paper also discusses functionality for both retrieving data and updating data in a secure way. It will be shown that access to this information is limited by a security mechanism that authorizes all connections based on both application (client) and user information.
Pressure/Temperature/Reaction Phase Diagrams for Several Nitramine Compounds

Pressure/temperature/reaction phase diagrams for several nitramine compounds, including hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW), 1,3,5-trinitrohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), ammonium dinitramide (ADN), and p-nitroaniline (PNA) are presented. A diamond anvil cell was used in conjunction with optical polarizing light microscopy (OPLM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXD), and micro FT-Raman spectroscopy to determine these diagrams. A description is given of the diamond anvil cell and the associated techniques employed.
The effectiveness of chemical carcinogens to induce atherosclerosis in the white Carneau pigeon.

The frequency of atherosclerotic lesions of the abdominal aorta has been reported to increase significantly in chickens exposed to benzo[a]pyrene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a,h]anthracene. The present studies were performed to determine in another experimental model frequently used in atherosclerotic studies (i.e. White Carneau Pigeons) whether these and other chemical carcinogens enhance atherosclerosis. The induction and enhancement of atherosclerotic lesions were observed in pigeons treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene. The number and size of plaques in the aorta were frequently greater in pigeons treated with the higher concentration (i.e. 100 mg/kg) of these 3 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzo[e]pyrene and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol were ineffective in the induction or enhancement of atherosclerosis in the pigeons. The results of the present and previous studies suggest that the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (excluding benzo[e]pyrene) may be the only potential atherogens in avian atherosclerosis. This relationship may be associated with how these hydrocarbons are transported in the plasma (i.e. by lipoproteins) as demonstrated by the present distribution studies.
WE‐E‐110‐01: Optimization of Image Acquisition and Reconstruction in Multi‐Slice CT

CT scanning protocols, which specify image acquisition and reconstruction parameters, need to be optimized so that minimum radiation dose can be used to achieve sufficient image quality for specific diagnostic tasks. To achieve this goal, the relation among image acquisition parameters, image reconstruction algorithms, image quality, and radiation dose must be clearly understood. This lecture will provide an overview on how to optimize image acquisition and reconstruction parameters in multi‐slice CT. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand how the CT acquisition parameters (helical pitch, collimation,detector configurations, etc.) affect the image quality. 2. Understand how the reconstruction parameters (kernel, slice thickness, etc.) affect the image quality. 3. Understand how to optimize the acquisition and reconstruction parameters for different diagnostic tasks in order to improve image quality or reduce radiation dose.
Separation of citric acid cycle intermediates by high-performance liquid chromatography with ion pairing

Abstract A method to separate underivatized tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates within 20 min using the commonly available C18 high-performance liquid chromatography column has been developed. Ion pairing using tetrabutylammonium cations and isocratic conditions is used to separate the intermediates which are then detected at 210 nm. Separation was optimized by altering pH, the concentration of sodium sulfate and the pairing ion. This technique permits the detection of as little as 120 nmol of citrate to 0.5 nmol of fumarate. Physiological samples of rat liver mitochondria, human urine, and orange juice were analyzed.
AN INTRODUCTION TO FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

BACKGROUNDFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a promising tool for understanding structure/function relationships in the brain. This technique can be used to map sensorimotor and cognitive processing noninvasively within single subjects.REVIEW SUMMARYThis review provides an overview of t
GEN04-2: M-ary, Binary, and Space-Volume Multiplexing Trade-offs for Holographic Channels

In this paper, we consider the tradeoffs of binary and M-ary signaling in page-oriented holographic storage systems that multiplex pages using two methods: conventional angle multiplexing throughout the volume and localized recording. We study the mutual information transfer, which is increasingly easy to achieve in practice, between the recorded and recovered data and use it to assess the trade-offs in these systems. We use the transmission model developed by Heanue, Bashaw, and Hesselink [7] for deriving the mutual information bound on capacity and examine the interplay between the storage density and the number of recorded pages within the medium. This result is useful for deciding the number of recorded pages and the desired level of a multi-level modulation code for maximizing the storage density in a volume holographic memory. We analyze our results for localized and angle multiplexed recording and compare the performance in these two cases.
An assessment of cholesterol goal attainment in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at significant risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The National Kidney Foundation developed clinical practice guidelines (Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative) for targeting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. Objective This study evaluated the extent to which these guidelines were adhered to among patients with CKD and to examine factors associated with the attainment of LDL-C goals. Methods In this cross-sectional study we evaluated patients with a glomerular filtration rate of 15 to 59 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 . Patients with previous CVD, who were receiving dialysis, or were post kidney transplant were excluded. Administrative databases were used to determine the percentage of patients with a fasting lipid profile performed within the previous year, the percentage who attained a LDL-C goal less than 100 mg/dL, and to determine lipid-lowering medications prescribed. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with LDL-C goal attainment. Results Of the 4541 patients evaluated, 3157 (69.5%) had a fasting lipid profile performed within the previous year. Overall, 60.8% attained a LDL-C less than 100 mg/dL. Among patients at goal, 72.2% were taking lipid-lowering therapy compared with 37.9% of those not at goal ( P Conclusion Although most patients were screened and attained LDL-C goal, there was room for improvement. Statin use was independently associated with LDL-C goal attainment. Future prospective studies should focus on evaluating clinical outcomes of lipid-lowering interventions within the CKD population.
Negative Hall plateaus and quantum Hall effect in (TMTSF) 2 PF 6

We present our study of negative Hall plateaus associated with the magnetic-field-induced spin-density waves (FISDW). Slightly above the the pressure necessary to stabilize superconductivity, the quantum Hall effect associated with the field-induced spin density waves is interrupted by several negative Hall plateaus and an in-between phase. Quantizations of the negative Hall plateaus suggests that these states may be identified as FISDW states with negative quantum numbers. The in-between phase occurs from splitting of a phase boundary deep inside the FISDW diagram and is reminiscent of the previously suggested arborescence.
Tunneled infusion catheter breakage: frequency and repair kit outcomes.

Purpose To determine the frequency of tunneled infusion catheter breakage and the durability of a repair kit used to repair damage to the external catheter segment, avoiding catheter replacement. Materials and Methods With use of a quality assurance database, 724 silicone tunneled infusion catheters placed between July 2002 and September 2005 were identified. The repair kit outcomes portion of the study focused on 10-F triple-lumen catheters ( n = 433), the type placed most frequently in our practice and that with the most repairs available for analysis. To compare durability, nonrepaired catheters and those requiring repair were compared by using Cox proportion hazard regression. Results Breakage occurred in 53 of 443 (12%) 10-F triple-lumen catheters, three of 64 (5%) 10-F dual-lumen catheters, four of 159 (3%) 11-F triple-lumen catheters, four of 12 (33%) 9.6-F single-lumen catheters, and eight of 56 (14%) 9-F double-lumen catheters. In the 10-F subset, the mean time to catheter breakage was 60 days. The mean catheter days for the nonrepaired group (143 days) and the repaired group (145 days) were not significantly different (χ 2 , 0.071; hazard ratio, 1.07; P = .79). Mean catheter dwell after repair was 79 days. The failure rate for the repair kit was 14% (seven of 51 attempts). Conclusions Tunneled infusion catheter breakage is common. Given the high breakage rates observed for many catheter designs, the development of more durable catheters should be a priority for catheter manufacturers. Until more durable catheters are developed, the catheter repair kit studied is an easy, effective, durable, and relatively inexpensive solution for the repair of external segment damage in tunneled infusion catheters.
A foveating-fuzzy scoring target recognition system

Abstract Humans recognize images by a process called foveation. Our eyes gather information about different points of interest within the image and assimilate this information to identify the image. The foveation points are generally the corners, and sometimes, the edges of segments within an image. The pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) has the inherent ability to segment an image, where the corners and edges of the segments are similar to foveation points. In this paper, the theory of foveation using a PCNN is presented, along with some examples. Also shown is that the technique of foveation through a PCNN can be used in pattern recognition using a fuzzy syntactic approach. An application to handwritten character recognition is also presented.
Advances in Type 1 Diabetes Therapeutics: Immunomodulation and β-Cell Salvage

Refinements in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of Type 1 diabetes from studies of animal models and clinical observation have led to new clinical trials to prevent disease progression and restore the loss of s-cells that defines the disease. Antigen-specific agents have shown initial promise and non–antigen-specific agents now have improved safety compared with older agents. In addition, preclinical studies with other agents have shown efficacy. Ultimately, a combination of immunologic and cellular therapies may be needed to restore metabolic control. Agents that augment recovery of dysfunctional s-cells, and other compounds that may be able to induce s-cell replication, are logical additions once immune tolerance is achieved.
A tool provisioning problem in an FMS

A fundamental decision in designing a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is the number and types of tools (cutters) to provide for system operation. This tool provisioning decision becomes especially important when space and equipment must be provided for refurbishing and storing tools within the FMS. In this article, we describe in detail the tool provisioning problem for a particular application, discuss approaches to making the tool provisioning decision, and explain why analytic models for this problem may be difficult to develop.
The food requirements of whales in the southern hemisphere

Abstract Feeding data for small and medium sized cetaceans parallel the basal metabolism predicted for mammals. Heat loss calculations, a consideration of feeding volumes, and the feeding data indicate the energy requirements of the large whales can be expressed as 1.5 times the calculated basal metabolism. Comparing the energy requirement calculated for fin whales to the energy available from storage indicates that fin whales must feed, though at a reduced level, while away from the Antarctic. A summation of the food requirements for both the initial and recent populations of whales in the southern hemisphere indicate that whales are major oceanic consumers. The reduction in their numbers through hunting has reduced their food requirements by about 50% in the open ocean and by 75% in the Antarctic, leaving approximately 96 × 106 tons per year of ‘unconsumed’ food.
Replicating Sachs and Warner’s Working Papers on the Resource Curse

AbstractThis article reports on my attempt to replicate Sachs and Warner’s 1995 and 1997 resource curse working papers. The 1995 paper is not replicable for lack of a data archive. Pure replication of the 1997 paper is achieved. Statistical replication determines that the proposed institutional causes of the resource curse are not robust to country sample. Scientific replication shows that findings of a resource curse are not sensitive to different measures of resource intensiveness, though they are sensitive to estimation technique. Typographical errors in the published paper reveal the value of researchers making both their data and code available.
CFD Assisted Design Optimization of a Flow Distributor for Uniform Fluid Distribution

This study addresses a fundamental issue of distributing a fluid flow into a number of flow channels uniformly. A basic mechanism of flow distribution is accomplished through a channel bifurcation that symmetrically split one flow channel into two downstream channels. Applying the basic mechanism, cascades flow distributions are designed to split one flow into a large number of downstream flows uniformly. Some key parameters decisive to the flow distribution uniformity in such a system have been recognized, and the flow distribution uniformity was studied for several versions of flow distributor designs using CFD analysis. The effect of the key parameters of the flow channel designs to the flow distribution uniformity was investigated. As an example of industrial application, a novel fluid packaging device was proposed and some CFD analysis results for the device were provided. The optimized flow distributor makes a very good uniform flow distribution which will significantly improve the efficiency of fluid packaging. The technology is expected to be of great significance to many industrial devices that require high uniformity of flow distribution.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Acceptance of software process innovations – the case of extreme programming

Extreme programming (XP), arguably the most popular agile development methodology, is increasingly finding favor among software developers. Its adoption and acceptance require significant changes in work habits inculcated by traditional approaches that emphasize planning, prediction, and control. Given the growing interest in XP, it is surprising that there is a paucity of research articles that examine the factors that facilitate or hinder its adoption and eventual acceptance. This study aims to fill this void. Using a case study approach, we provide insights into individual, team, technological, task, and environmental factors that expedite or impede the organization-wide acceptance of XP. In particular, we study widely differing patterns of adherence to XP practices within an organization, and tease out the various issues and challenges posed by the adoption of XP. Based on our findings, we evolve factors and discuss their implications on the acceptance of XP practices.