cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exogenous procalcitonin evokes a pro-inflammatory cytokine response

Procalcitonin (ProCT) is increased in serum of septic patients and those with systemic inflammation. Endogenous levels of ProCT might influence the response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), independently of endotoxin, in clinical disease. Healthy human volunteers. Recombinant human ProCT (rhProCT). Whole blood and PMNs were exposed in vitro to exogenous rhProCT. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), IL-1β, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β (pg/ml) were measured by multiplex suspension bead-array immunoassay, and migration and phagocytosis were measured in PMNs. In a whole-blood model, a dose-dependent increase in IL-6, TNFα, and IL-1β of the cell-free supernatant was noted. Pre-incubation with ProCT, at doses consistent with clinical sepsis, resulted in a decrease in PMN migration without alteration in phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus or indirect measurements of bacterial killing. Clinically relevant levels of ProCT influence immunologic responses that may contribute to systemic inflammatory response and septic shock.
Autophagy Supports Breast Cancer Stem Cell Maintenance by Regulating IL6 Secretion

Autophagy is a mechanism by which cells degrade cellular material to provide nutrients and energy for survival during stress. The autophagy is thought to be a critical process for cancer stem cell (CSC) or tumor-initiating cell maintenance but the mechanisms by which autophagy supports survival of CSCs remain poorly understood. In this study, inhibition of autophagy by knockdown of ATG7 or BECN1 modified the CD44+/CD24low/− population in breast cancer cells by regulating CD24 and IL6 secretion. In a breast cancer cell line that is independent of autophagy for survival, autophagy inhibition increased IL6 secretion to the media. On the other hand, in an autophagy-dependent cell line, autophagy inhibition decreased IL6 secretion, cell survival, and mammosphere formation. In these cells, IL6 treatment or conditioned media from autophagy-competent cells rescued the deficiency in mammosphere formation induced by autophagy inhibition. These results reveal that autophagy regulates breast CSC maintenance in autophagy-dependent breast cancer cells by modulating IL6 secretion implicating autophagy as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer. Implications: Modulation of autophagy in breast cancer has different and even opposite effects, indicating the need for a selection strategy when trying to manipulate autophagy in the context of cancer therapy. Mol Cancer Res; 13(4); 651–8. ©2015 AACR .
Morphological evidence of reduced bone resorption in the osteosclerotic (oc) mouse.

Osteopetrosis, a metabolic bone disease characterized by a generalized sclerosis of the skeleton, is inherited as an autosomal recessive in a number of mammalian species. The pathogenesis of congenital osteopetrosis is mediated by a reduction in bone resorption as a result of decreased osteoclast function. This hypothesis is based on both functional and structural evidence of reduced bone resorption in all mutations examined to date. The present study examined the histology of cartilage and bone, the ultrastructure of osteoclasts, and the morphology of mineralized bone surfaces in a lethal osteopetrotic mutation, the osteosclerotic (oc) mouse. Histologically, epiphyseal cartilage growth plates, especially the hypertrophic zone, are markedly thickened in oc mice and metaphyses contain excessive osteoid, features characteristic of rickets. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that less than one-quarter of osteoclasts in oc mice demonstrated evidence of ruffled border formation compared with three-quarters of the osteoclasts in normal littermates. In mutants, ruffled borders were less elaborate and cytoplasmic processes penetrated into bone surfaces, suggesting that bone may be removed by mechanical rather than by enzymatic means. There was little morphological evidence of cartilage degradation and broad laminae limitantes persisted in mutants. Mineralized surfaces that undergo resorption in normal mice showed no evidence of bone resorption by scanning EM in mutants. The presence of a rachitic condition, the observations of reduced bone resorption, and the possible contribution of undermineralized matrices to decreased bone resorption are charcteristics of the osteosclerotic mutation which suggest that it is a unqiue csteopetrotic mutant in which to study both the development and regulation of skeletal metabolism.
Field Evaluations of (Z)-9-Tricosene, A Sex Attractant Pheromone of the House Fly

(Z)-9-tricosente (muscalure) was evaluated as an attractant for Musca domestica L. in the field in paired tests with different types of traps; panels painted with adhesive, flypaper strips, sugar bait in pans, and electric grids. The addition of muscalure (0.5–100 mg/trap) increased the numbers of flies caught by these traps by 3.4, 2.8, 7.0, and 12.4 times, respectively. Several kinds of box traps were ineffective. Muscalure-baited traps caught about equal numbers of males and females in the field in contrast to the lahoratory, where only males were attracted to muscalure in olfactometer studies.
When "the program is good, but the disease is better": lessons from Peru on drug-resistant tuberculosis.

ABSTRACT This is a qualitative study of the politics of public health surrounding a resurgent tuberculosis epidemic in Lima, Peru during the 1990s. The paper traces the role of debt and neoliberal economics in creating conditions for the epidemic, and the reforms that turned Peru's TB program into a model for treating drug-susceptible disease by 1996. Despite this success, public health officials were blind-sided by the appearance of drug-resistant TB in the late 1990s when their “good” program turned out to be not good enough. The study follows the conflict, and eventual collaboration, that ensued between the Ministry of Health and a local NGO affiliated with Boston-based Partners in Health, which undertook a radical program of community-based directly-observed therapy (DOTS-Plus) to treat drug-resistant patients who otherwise would have died. Lessons from this case are relevant to many international settings where “hot-spots” of drug-resistant TB currently exist and go untreated, posing a threat to the ...
Retinoic acid and its receptors

Retinoic acid (RA)—the active metabolite of vitamin A—and its analogues have pleiotropic effects on growth, differentiation, proliferation, and development. RA, and its analogues, determine embryonic pattern formation and inhibit tumor growth; however, they are also teratogens. There is a potential clinical use for retinoids in cancer prevention and treatment. RA has already been used as a cytodifferentiation drug in stabilizing cancer cells in acute promyelocytic leukemia. The biologic effects of retinoic acid are mediated by its retinoic acid receptors; to date, several acid receptors have been characterized. The presence of multiple receptors for one ligand helps explain the diverse biologic roles of retinoic acid and suggests that each type of receptor has a specific function.
Transport properties of Ag-Y123 fibers prepared using the polymer-metal precursor technique

We report on the fabrication and superconducting transport properties of superconducting fibers with typical cross-sectional areas of 10 2 to 10 3 μm 2 made using the polymer-metal precursor (PMC) technique. These samples show superconducting properties similar to good quality bulk polycrystalline pellets, with J c (77K) ~ 10 3 A/cm 2 and J c (4K) ~ 10 4 A/cm 2 . Magnetic field measurements show that the fiber’s superconducting transport properties are dominated by weak links between grains, as in bulk polycrystalline materials.
Direct Resinous Filling Materials: Temperature Rise during Polymerization

The investigation of the direct resinous filling materials used primarily in place of silicate cement is one of the major projects in the cooperative research program on dental materials at the National Bureau of Standards. This report on the tempera­ ture rise of direct resinous filling materials during polymerization contains the trade brand names of the materials investigated. Likewise, the manufacturer’s batch number is listed when present. The data are applicable only to those specific batches mentioned.
Timing and evaluation of pesticides for control of the pear rust mite.

Field studies on timing of application and effectiveness of materials against Epitremerus pyri (Nalepa) were conducted during 1966 and 1967 in southern Oregon pear orchards. The degree of fruit russet increased with the time the trees were left unsprayed. Delayed dormant or pink bud applications of endosulfan resulted in an absence of economic injury at harvest, but when treatment was delayed until Mayor later, severe fruit injury was evident. Oil used alone or oil-organophosphate combinations applied prebloom effectively suppressed rust mite densities. Other materials found effective included: Carzol® (N′- (chloro-0-tolyl) -N, N- dimethyIformamidine hydrochloride). dimethoate, carbofuran, maneb, Morestan ® (6-methyl-2,3-quinoxalinedithiol cyclic S, S -dithiocarbonate), Temik® (a 10% granular formulation of UC-21149 (2-methyl-2-(methylthio) propionaldehyde 0 -(methylcarbamoyl) oxime) ), and zineb.
A CoMFA Study of Dopamine D2 Receptor Agonists and X-Ray Crystal Structure of Quinelorane Dihydrochloride Dihydrate, R(−)-Apomorphine Hydrochloride and R(−)- N - n -Propylnorapomorphine Hydrochloride

A QSAR and CoMFA study of 33 agonists of the dopamine D2 receptor has been completed. These analogs belong to different chemical classes of compounds and include varied functional groups and stereoisomers. The CoMFA program was used to calculate the steric and electrostatic interaction energies as a probe atom or probe charge interacts with the molecules. Color contour maps show that bulky substituents with low electronegativity on the fused piperidine ring nitrogen are favored for enhanced activity. The maps also showed that small substituents with low electronegativity on the aromatic ring are favored for enhanced activity. The X-ray crystal structures of quinelorane dihydrochloride (1), R-(−)-apomorphine hydrochloride (2), and R-(−)-N-n-propylnorapomorphine hydrochloride (3) showed the three-dimensional structures and the hydrogen bonding interactions of these molecules in the crystal. Since many of the dopamine agonists are mostly rigid, conformationally restrained structures, these crystal structures are reasonable representations for the solution structures. Crystallographic data: (1) C14H22N4⋅2HCl⋅2H2O, orthorhombic space group P212121, a = 7.223 (1) A, b = 18.705 (2) A, c = 13.465 (2) A, Z = 4, final R = 0.045 for 4586 observed reflections (I > 3σ (I)); (2) C17H17NO2⋅ HCl, orthorhombic space group P212121, a = 11.535 (2) A, b = 13.251 (1) A, c = 20.348 (2) A, Z = 8, final R = 0.08 for 1806 observed reflections (I > 3σ (I)); (3) C19H21NO2⋅HCl, triclinic space group P1, a = 7.133 (1) A, b = 11.247 (1) A, c = 11.112 (2) A, Z = 2, final R = 0.054 for 3779 observed reflections (I > 3σ(I)).
Observation of dislocation dynamics in the electron microscope

Abstract Deformation experiments performed in situ in the transmission electron microscope have led to an increased understanding of dislocation dynamics. To illustrate the capability of this technique two examples will be presented. In the first example, the processes of work hardening in Mo at room temperature will be presented. These studies have improved our understanding of dislocation mobility, dislocation generation, and dislocation–obstacle interactions. In the second example, the interaction of matrix dislocations with grain boundaries will be described. From such studies predictive criteria for slip transfer through grain boundaries have been developed.
A Predictive Score for the Presence of Eosinophils in the Esophagus

M O N D A Y 631 A Predictive Score for the Presence of Eosinophils in the Esophagus Margaret Redmond, MD, Jean Brown, MD, Dale Rhoda, Wei Wang, John Russo, MD, Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, FRS, Elizabeth Erwin, MD; Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. RATIONALE: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a clinicopathologic diagnosis that weighs heavily on having >15 eosinophils per high power field (hpf) on esophageal biopsy. Our objective was to define clinical features that could be used to predict the diagnosis of EoE reducing the need for esophageal biopsy. METHODS: We reviewed 442 medical records for pediatric patients having esophageal biopsy. Using data on demographics, symptoms, and laboratory results, we performed multivariate logistic regression using complete data from 360 charts. RESULTS: We found that there were four independent predictors for the presence of any eosinophils on esophageal biopsyfemale gender [odds ratio (OR) 0.45, p50.004], having food stuck (OR 6.0, P50.001), the absence of diarrhea (OR 0.40, p50.003), and weighted peripheral blood eosinophil count. Using these parameters for the group of patients we studied, sensitivity and specificity for having eosinophils in the esophagus were 0.18 and 0.97 respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.72. For 60 patients, serum specific IgE to foods was available. By univariate analysis, specific IgE to milk >0.35 IU/ml, was associated with EoE (OR 5.7, p50.008). Only having peripheral blood eosinophil count >600/mm3 seemed to have a slight effect on having low eosinophils compared with >15 eos/hpf (OR 3.5, p50.05). CONCLUSIONS: The high specificity we found suggests that in patients with a negative biopsy result, our test model is likely to be negative. There was little clinical evidence in our model to support a distinction between low esophageal eosinophils and >15 eosinophils/hpf.
Correlation of magnetic transition temperatures to disorder for atomically arranged perovskites

Oxygen contents and the A–O and Mn–O bond lengths have been measured over extended temperature and composition ranges to derive accurate equilibrium interatomic distances for perovskite manganites AMnO3. By using these parameters instead of tabulated ionic radii we have derived the functional dependence of the tolerance factor t ¼ tðx; T ; dÞ on composition, temperature, and oxygen content. This functional dependence of t ¼ tðx; T ; dÞ permits a systematic representation of perovskite phase stability, structural distortions, and magnetic transition temperatures in terms of the tolerance factor. An additional dependence of the properties on local structural and charge disorder on the A-site is demonstrated for the Sr1� xCaxMnO3 and RE0:5Ba0:5MnO3 compounds. These effects also appear to be universal for other perovskites-like compounds; for example, the high temperature superconducting cuprates. 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Training Teachers to Supervise Their Peers A Pilot Practicum Project

The empowerment of teachers is a key issue in education today. One way of empowering teachers is to enhance their role in the preparation of new teaching personnel. The Department of Special Education at West Virginia University has developed a pilot project to train peer teachers to provide supervision to practicing, but as yet uncertified, teachers in an on-the-job practicum experience. A series of training sessions develops peer teachers' skills in observing teaching performance, providing supervisory feedback, and evaluating teacher proficiency. This article discusses the rationale for and benefits of peer supervision, describes the components of the training sessions, and presents preliminary evaluation data.
Factors related to biopsy willingness in patients with advanced cancer in a phase 1 clinic for molecularly targeted therapy

Purpose Tumor biopsies are critical for delineating pharmacodynamic effects of drugs and for optimal patient selection during oncology clinical trials of molecular targeted therapies. The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to patients’ willingness to provide study-related tumor biopsies in phase 1 clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapy.
Identification of several proteins involved in the messenger RNA binding site of the 30 S ribosome by inactivation with 2-methoxy-5-nitrotropone.

Abstract Chemical modification of unwashed 30 S ribosomal subunits with 2-methoxy-5-nitrotropone causes a rapid loss of their capacity to bind bacteriophage Qβ RNA. Reconstitution experiments show that ribosomal protein is the functionally inactivated species. When purified unmodified ribosomal proteins were included in a mixture of 16 S ribosomal RNA and total protein derived from 2-methoxy-5-nitrotropone-treated subunits, four proteins (S1, S12, S13 and S21) were found to promote the reconstitution of particles capable of binding natural messenger RNA.
Incidence of marginal zone lymphoma in the United States, 2001–2009 with a focus on primary anatomic site

The aetiology of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is purported to differ by anatomic site. While this is supported by clinical series of single MZL sites, no population-based study has comprehensively assessed incidence patterns across sites. To gain insight into disease aetiology, we assessed MZL incidence by site using data from 18 U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program population-based registries. We calculated age-adjusted incidence rates (IRs) by sex, race, and calendar year. During 2001–2009, 4,081 (IR=5.7/1,000,000 person-years) and 8,821 (IR=12.3) individuals were diagnosed with nodal MZL and extranodal MZL, respectively. The most common extranodal sites were stomach (IR=3.8), spleen (IR=1.6), eye/adnexa (IR=1.4), and lung, skin, and salivary glands (IRs=0.9–1.0). We observed distinct age-specific patterns by MZL site, with IRs increasing steeply at younger ages and less prominently after mid-life at several sites, except skin. Gender and racial/ethnic disparities were also apparent across sites. Between 2001–2005 and 2006–2009, MZL IRs decreased significantly for gastric (-15%) and soft tissue (-28%) sites, whereas IRs increased significantly for lung (18%), skin (43%), and kidney/renal pelvis (116%). In combination, our findings support the contention that MZL is characterized by aetiological heterogeneity across sites and susceptibility is probably influenced by intrinsic characteristics and environmental exposures.
Insulin Resistance But Not Inflammation Is Associated With Gestational Hypertension

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, are leading causes of pregnancy-associated morbidity. Although insulin resistance and inflammation contribute to preeclampsia, prospective data regarding mechanisms of gestational hypertension are sparse. We conducted a prospective, nested case-control study to test the hypotheses that insulin resistance, marked by reduced sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) levels, and inflammation, marked by increased C-reactive protein levels, are similarly associated with gestational hypertension. We measured first-trimester C-reactive protein and SHBG levels in 51 women who subsequently developed gestational hypertension and 102 randomly selected normotensive pregnant controls. Compared with controls, first-trimester SHBG levels were significantly reduced among women who later developed gestational hypertension (176±73 versus 203±79 nmol/L; P =0.03), but there was no difference in C-reactive protein levels. There was statistically significant interaction among nulliparity, first-trimester SHBG levels, and risk of gestational hypertension, such that increasing SHBG levels were associated with significantly reduced risk of gestational hypertension among nulliparous women (odds ratio, 0.64 per 50-nmol/L increase; 95% confidence interval, 0.46, 0.90; P P =0.04). We conclude that insulin resistance, but not inflammation, is an independent risk factor for gestational hypertension among nulliparous women. Furthermore, important mechanistic differences exist in the pathogenesis of gestational hypertension comparing nulliparous and multiparous women.
Navigating source code with words

The hierarchical method of organizing information has proven beneficial in learning in part because it maps well onto the human brain's memory. Exploiting this organizational strategy may help engineers cope with large software systems. In fact such an strategy is already present in source code and is manifested in the class hierarchies of objected-oriented programs. However, an engineer faced with fixing a bug or any similar need to locate the implementation of a particular feature in the code is less interested in the syntactic organization of the code and more interested in its conceptual organization. Therefore, a conceptual hierarchy would bring clear benefit. Fortunately, such a view can be extracted automatically the source code. The hierarchy generating tool HierIT performs this task using an information-theoretic approach to identify “content-bearing” words and associate them hierarchically. The resulting hierarchy enables an engineer to better understand the concepts contained in a software system. To study their value, an experiment was conducted to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate the value that hierarchies bring. The quantitative evaluation first considers the Expected Mutual Information Measure (EMIM) between the set of topic words and natural language extracted from the source code. It then considers the Best Case Tree Walk (BCTW), which captures how “expensive” it is to find interesting documents. Finally, the hierarchies are considered qualitatively by investigating their perceived usefulness in a case study involving three engineers.
Antimicrobial Peptide GL13K Is Effective in Reducing Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Human parotid secretory protein (PSP; BPIF2A) is predicted to be structurally similar to bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein. Based on the locations of known antimicrobial peptides in the latter two proteins, potential active peptides in the PSP sequence were identified. One such peptide, GL13NH2 (PSP residues 141 to 153) was shown previously to interfere with LPS binding and agglutinate bacteria without bactericidal activity. By introducing three additional positively charged lysine residues, the peptide was converted to the novel bactericidal cationic peptide GL13K (MIC for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 8 μg/ml [5.6 μM]). We investigated the antibiofilm activity of GL13K against static, monospecies biofilms of P. aeruginosa PAO1. Two-hour exposure of a 24-h biofilm to 64 μg/ml (44.8 μM) GL13K reduced biofilm bacteria by 10(2), and 100 μg/ml (70 μM) GL13K reduced bacteria by 10(3). Similar results could be achieved on 48-h-old biofilms. Lower concentrations of GL13K (32 μg/ml [22.4 μM]) were successful in reducing biofilm cell numbers in combination with tobramycin. This combination treatment also achieved total eradication of the biofilm in a majority (67.5%) of tested samples. An alanine scan of GL13K revealed the importance of the leucine residue in position six of the peptide sequence, where replacement led to a loss of antibiofilm activity, whereas the impact of replacing charged residues was less pronounced. Bacterial metalloproteases were found to partially inactivate GL13K but not a d amino acid version of the peptide.
Certification and Special Education Leadership Personnel: an Analysis of State Standards

The study describes recent changes that have taken place in state certification standards as they apply to special education leadership personnel. Data were collected from the 50 state education agencies regarding certification of special education administrators and supervisors. An analysis of these data revealed that a number of changes have occurred. There are presently 30 states that have some provision for the certification of the leadership position in special education. However, specific criteria for certification vary a great deal across states. Several states confirmed that they are in the process of developing or revising their certification standards for special education administrators and/or supervisors.
Influence of Inorganic Fillers on the Voltage Endurance of Solid Dielectric Power Cables

Results of work undertaken to evaluate solid dielectric materials containing inorganic fillers with respect to voltage endurance are reported. The results obtained are associated with degradation caused by the growth of dendrites within the solid dielectric when under voltage stress.
Dynamic Dependency Tests for Audio-Visual Speaker Association

We formulate the problem of audio-visual speaker association as a dynamic dependency test. That is, given an audio stream and multiple video streams, we wish to determine their dependency structure as it evolves over time. To this end, we propose the use of a hidden factorization Markov model in which the hidden state encodes a finite number of possible dependency structures. Each dependency structure has an explicit semantic meaning, namely "who is speaking". This model takes advantage of both structural and parametric changes associated with changes in speaker. This is contrasted with standard sliding window based dependence analysis. Using this model we obtain state-of-the-art performance on an audio-visual association task without benefit of training data.
Inadequacy of property specifications in ASTM C 270

Bond strength and water leakage were determined for Types M, S, and N mortars joined to six different brick types. The air content, water retention, and flow rate were varied for each mortar-brick combination. It was found that air content, water retention, and compressive strength were inadequate indices of bond strength and water leakage. Yet these are the only properties specified in ASTM Specification for Mortar for Unit Masonry (C 270-84). A plea is made to add a bond strength requirement to present property requirements. The initial rate of absorption (IRA) of brick was found to be significant in predicting water leakage. Low IRA brick provided the highest probability of zero leakage.
On communication security in wireless ad-hoc sensor networks

Networks of wireless microsensors for monitoring physical environments have emerged as an important new application area for wireless technology. Key attributes of these new types of networked systems are the severely constrained computational and energy resources, and an ad hoc operational environment. This paper is a study of the communication security aspects of these networks. Resource limitations and specific architecture of sensor networks call for customized security mechanisms. Our approach is to classify the types of data existing in sensor networks, and identify possible communication security threats according to that classification. We propose a communication security scheme where for each type of data we define a corresponding security mechanism. By employing this multitiered security architecture where each mechanism has different resource requirements, we allow for efficient resource management, which is essential for wireless sensor networks.
The porcine genome initiative: Implications for digestive physiology

Abstract Completion of the pig genome sequencing will celebrate the Chinese Year of the Pig in 2007. The International Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium has established an integrated approach to create genome sequences, chromosomal contigs, whole-genome libraries, full-length cDNA libraries and to generate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The project is being conducted in collaboration with The Wellcome Trust Sange Institute. Project information as well as monitoring progress of the project can be viewed at http://www.sanger.ac.uk/Projects/S_scrofa/ . During the next year, numerous physical maps and functional genomics analyses will be published. These advances will have significant implications for studying digestive physiology. Examples illustrating as to how effective genomic approaches for addressing critical questions in digestive physiology are presented. This includes approaches showing how genomics can be used to monitor the process of GI colonization and the effects of various nutrients are explored. The development of comparative genome maps also permits the incorporation of experimental studies in other species (mice and humans) to identify new hypotheses for testing in the pig. This comparative genomics approach further supports the use of the pig in biomedical research studies for human clinical studies. As this new genomic information becomes available, the necessity to create interactive databases, that provide portals for using genomic information to create gene based hypotheses will become rate limiting. Thus, the digestive physiology community contributions towards building web-based interfaces are essential.
Biomechanical Properties of In Vivo Human Skin From Dynamic Optical Coherence Elastography

Dynamic optical coherence elastography is used to determine in vivo skin biomechanical properties based on mechanical surface wave propagation. Quantitative Young's moduli are measured on human skin from different sites, orientations, and frequencies. Skin thicknesses, including measurements from different layers, are also measured simultaneously. Experimental results show significant differences among measurements from different skin sites, between directions parallel and orthogonal to Langer's lines, and under different skin hydration states. Results also suggest surface waves with different driving frequencies represent skin biomechanical properties from different layers in depth. With features such as micrometer-scale resolution, noninvasive imaging, and real-time processing from the optical coherence tomography technology, this optical measurement technique has great potential for measuring skin biomechanical properties in dermatology.
Permanent magnets for microwave devices

The magnetron, invented in 1939, created the need for a microwave tube magnet which evolved from the early horn magnet to the U magnet, the E magnet, and finally the bowl magnet. A more recent innovation, the self-shielded cylindrical magnet, is now used on many crossed-field amplifiers. The klystron and the traveling wave tube created the need for permanent magnets with gaps longer than their diameters. The field straightener and the periodic permanent magnet facilitated the use of permanent magnets in focusing these linear beam tubes. The operation of magnetrons, crossed field amplifiers, klystrons, traveling wave tubes, and microwave ferrite devices, and the permanent magnets which are used in conjunction with these devices are described. Magnetic circuit design criteria, design methods, and the magnetization and stabilization of permanent magnets are discussed. The requirements of microwave devices have provided much of the incentive for the great advances in permanent magnet materials made in the last decade. The recent development of rare-earth-cobalt powders which exhibit the highest magnetocrystalline anisotropy ever recorded are of great interest to the microwave device designer.
Evaluation of Amplicor PCR for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum specimens.

We evaluated the Amplicor PCR assay (Roche Molecular Systems, Branchburg, N.J.) for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum. A total of 532 specimens from 270 patients were decontaminated and stored at 4 or -75 degrees C until assayed by PCR. This assay used three-step sample preparation, biotinylated primer pairs, AmpErase, and a microtiter format for amplicon capture and detection. Amplicor PCR results were compared with clinical history, culture from a Lowenstein-Jensen slant, and results from the BACTEC TB-460 system. Eighty-seven cultures from 15 patients grew M. tuberculosis; of these, 83 (95%) were positive with the Amplicor PCR test. The false negatives were most likely due to sample variation and inhibitors. Of the 445 specimens from which M. tuberculosis was not isolated, 428 (96%) were negative with the Amplicor PCR test. Of the 17 M. tuberculosis culture-negative, Amplicor-positive specimens, 15 were reclassified as true positives because previous cultures grew M. tuberculosis. Of the 445 specimens which did not grow M. tuberculosis, Mycobacterium spp. other than M. tuberculosis were isolated from 150 specimens. Three of these 150 specimens were Amplicor positive; two were from a patient with a history of tuberculosis, and one specimen gave a false-positive result. We do not feel that this represents cross-reactivity, because repeated Amplicor testing of the isolate gave negative results. The microtiter plate has 96 wells. Allowing for six controls, 90 decontaminated specimens can be tested by one technologist in 7.5 h. This PCR assay took 7.5 h to complete and is a sensitive and specific, rapid method for the direct detection of M. tuberculosis from sputum.
Defining spatial comparison metrics for evaluation of paleoclimatic field reconstructions of the Common Era

Climate field reconstructions (CFR) of the Common Era (the last two millennia) provide important insights into the dynamics of past climate change that, in turn, have implications for the future. Multiple CFR methods have emerged in the literature, and comparisons between these methods using pseudoproxy experiments have been performed. These experiments, however, have not fully quantified the spatial skill of the CFRs, particularly with regard to the relative performance of each. Toward such ends, a formal statistical hypothesis test is proposed as a means of evaluating the differences between two random fields that integrate the differences in both the mean and the dependence structure. This involves a careful selection of the statistical model for the CFR residual process and systematic comparisons over different spatial scales. Application of this method yields a systematic assessment of the spatial character of five widely applied CFRs in a pseudoproxy experiment context. The analyses indicate that spatial differences among the five CFRs are not statistically significant. Further rigorous statistical assessments will help elucidate the strength and weakness of each CFR method, while quantifying the degree to which their spatial dissimilarities can be ascribed to methodological choices. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In search of sweet-spots in parallel performance monitoring

Parallel performance monitoring extends parallel measurement systems with infrastructure and interfaces for online performance data access, communication, and analysis. At the same time it raises concerns for the impact on application execution from monitor overhead. The application monitoring scheme parameterized by performance events to monitor, access frequency and the type of data analysis operation defines a set of monitoring requirements. The monitoring infrastructure presents its own choices, particularly the amount and configuration of resources devoted explicitly to monitoring. The key to scalable, low-overhead parallel performance monitoring is to match the application monitoring demands to the effective operating range of the monitoring system (or vice-versa). A poor match can result in over-provisioning (wasted resources) or in under-provisioning (lack of scalability, high overheads and poor quality of performance data). We present a methodology and evaluation framework to determine the sweet-spots for performance monitoring using TAU and MRNet.
HDF-EOS, NASA's standard data product distribution format for the Earth Observing System data information system

HDF-EOS is the official data format standard for the Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS) data production, archive and distribution. The adoption of HDF-EOS as the data format standard will encourage and facilitate data and software exchange and interoperability of EOSDIS data. The scientific goal of EOS is to study the global environment and obtain sustained and continuous observations of the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice coverage, and land uses. The goal of EOSDIS is to enable wide use of the collected data. EOSDIS will receive and store over one terabyte of new data each day. ESODIS stores and retrieves these data as "product collections" of "granules". These terms are roughly equivalent to "data sets" and "files" respectively. The users of these products will number in the thousands and will include scientists from many disciplines, educators, policy makers, commercial organizations and the public.
Polymersomes functionalized via “click” chemistry with the fibronectin mimetic peptides PR_b and GRGDSP for targeted delivery to cells with different levels of α5β1 expression

Polymersomes were functionalized using azide-alkyne “click” chemistry with two targeting peptides: GRGDSP and the recently designed fibronectin mimetic peptide, PR_b, which has been shown to bind with high specificity to the α5β1 integrin expressed on colon cancer cells. The ability of these peptide functionalized polymersomes to achieve targeted delivery to colon cancer cells was assessed by studying their delivery to CT26.WT and Caco-2 cells in vitro. The diblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(1,2-butadiene) was synthesized and self-assembled to form polymersomes, which were subsequently functionalized with peptides using a “click” conjugation reaction. Drug delivery efficacy of these peptide functionalized polymersomes loaded with fluorescent markers or the chemotherapeutic, doxorubicin, was assessed and compared. In addition, the cell binding and internalization of fluorescently labeled polymersomes was imaged using confocal microscopy. PR_b functionalized polymersomes are found to significantly outperform both GRGDSP and non-functionalized polymersomes, both in terms of promoting cell binding and internalization and doxorubicin cytotoxicity. Moreover, PR_b functionalized polymersomes are found to act as highly target specific drug delivery agents, thus highlighting them as a promising model targeted drug delivery system.
Copolymerization of methacrylic acid with methyl methacrylate by SET‐LRP

Single-electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) has developed as a reliable, robust and straight forward method for the construction well-defined polymers. To span an even larger variety of functional monomers, we investigated the copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with methacrylic acid by SET-LRP. Copolymerizations were catalyzed by Cu(0)/Me6-TREN and performed in MeOH/H2O mixtures at 50 °C. The SET-LRP copolymerizations of varying methacrylic acid content were evaluated by kinetic experiments. At low (2.5%) and moderate (10%) MAA loadings, the copolymerizations obeyed perfect first order kinetics (kpapp = 0.008 min−1 and kpapp = 0.006 min−1) and exhibited a linear increase in molecular weights with conversion providing narrow molecular weight distributions. The SET-LRP of MMA/25%-MAA was found to be significantly slower (kpapp = 0.0035 min−1). However, a reasonable first-order kinetics in monomer consumption was maintained, and the control of the polymerization process was preserved since the molecular weight increased linearly with conversion and could therefore be adjusted. This work demonstrates that the copolymerization of methacrylic acid by SET-LRP is feasible and the design of well-defined macromolecules comprising acidic functionality can be achieved. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010
Age-dependent Changes in the Oxidative Metabolism in Rat Brain

The effects of aging on the oxidation of labeled glucose and 3-hydroxybutyrate and on several mitochondrial enzymes in rat brain were investigated. The oxidation of labeled glucose and labeled 3-hydroxybutyrate was diminished by about 40 and 35%, respectively, in cerebral cortex slices from 2-year-old rats compared to those from 3-mo-old animals. A significant reduction in the activities of 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, 3-oxo acid CoA transferase, acetoacetyl CoA thiolase, and NAD-isocitrate dehydrogenase was observed in brains of 1- and 2-year-old rats compared to 3-mo-old animals. However, aging had no effect on the activities of citrate synthase and pyruvate carboxylase. These findings show that specific alterations occur in the activities of several mitochondrial enzymes in aging brain.
Garlic-Derived Organic Polysulfides and Myocardial Protection

For centuries, garlic has been shown to exert substantial medicinal effects and is considered to be one of the best disease-preventative foods. Diet is important in the maintenance of health and prevention of many diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Preclinical and clinical evidence has shown that garlic reduces risks associated with CVD by lowering cholesterol, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and lowering blood pressure. In recent years, emerging evidence has shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has cardioprotective and cytoprotective properties. The active metabolite in garlic, allicin, is readily degraded into organic diallyl polysulfides that are potent H2S donors in the presence of thiols. Preclinical studies have shown that enhancement of endogenous H2S has an impact on vascular reactivity. In CVD models, the administration of H2S prevents myocardial injury and dysfunction. It is hypothesized that these beneficial effects of garlic may be mediated by H2S-dependent mechanisms. This review evaluates the current knowledge concerning the cardioprotective effects of garlic-derived diallyl polysulfides.
Efficacy of Blood Flow-Restricted Low-Load Resistance Training For Quadriceps Strengthening in Men at Risk of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background:Greater quadriceps strength has been associated with lower risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in older adults. However, factors that confer elevated risk of knee OA (eg, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and knee injury) also contribute to a reduced tolerance of resistance training programs at ≥60% 1-repetition maximum (1RM). Therefore, the current study assessed whether concurrent application of blood flow restriction (BFR) to low-load resistance training is an efficacious and tolerable means of improving quadriceps strength in men at risk of symptomatic knee OA.Methods:Men older than age 45, with a history of knee injury or elevated body mass index (BMI), were randomized to low-load resistance training (30% 1RM) either with or without concurrent BFR. Isotonic double-leg press strength and isokinetic knee extensor strength were assessed before and after 4 weeks of training 3 times/wk. Knee pain (Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) was assessed for tolerance.Results:Of the 42 men (mean age...
The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

The Colorado River has been identified as the most overallocated river in the world. Considering predicted future imbalances between water supply and demand and the growing recognition that base flow (a proxy for groundwater discharge to streams) is critical for sustaining flow in streams and rivers, there is a need to develop methods to better quantify present-day base flow across large regions. We adapted and applied the spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow, and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of base flow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). On average, 56% of the streamflow in the UCRB originated as base flow, and precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of spatial variability in base flow at the scale of the UCRB, with the majority of base flow discharge to streams occurring in upper elevation watersheds. The model estimates an average of 1.8 × 1010 m3/yr of base flow in the UCRB; greater than 80% of which is lost during in-stream transport to the Lower Colorado River Basin via processes including evapotranspiration and water diversion for irrigation. Our results indicate that surface waters in the Colorado River Basin are dependent on base flow, and that management approaches that consider groundwater and surface water as a joint resource will be needed to effectively manage current and future water resources in the Basin.
On the High-Pressure Solubilities of Carbon Dioxide in Several Ionic Liquids

The solubility of carbon dioxide in nine ionic liquids (ILs), at 298 K, 313 K, and 333 K and pressures up to 9 MPa, is presented. The solubility of CO2 in the selected ILs increases with increasing pressure and decreases with increasing temperature, as expected. The effect of several different anions on the solubility of CO2 with a common 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation is studied in this work. The anions compared were hydrogen sulfate ([emim][HSO4]), methylsulfate ([emim][MeSO4]), methane sulfonate ([emim][MeSO3]), thiocyanate ([emim][SCN]), and diethylphosphate ([emim][DEP]). The results for 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate are particularly interesting and can be explained based on the stronger attractive interactions between the IL and CO2, which is supported by quantum calculations. Other ILs investigated were ethyl(tributyl)phosphonium diethylphosphate ([P2444][DEP]), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate ([hmim][OTf]), 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroa...
Aztec homosexuality: the textual evidence

Male and female homosexuality among the Aztecs during the period immediately prior to the Spanish Conquest has been studied infrequently, even though a Nahuatl document, the Florentine Codex, written shortly after the Spanish Conquest, contains a number of texts on the subject. The Florentine Codex has been translated into English; however, the translators use biased and erroneous translations in the sections of the manuscript which mention homosexuality, and the actual meaning is unavailable to anyone who does not know Nahuatl. This paper is a new translation and an introductory study of the available texts on homosexuality in the Florentine Codex. The attitudes of the Aztecs toward homosexual men and women can be inferred from these texts, and there are tantalizing fragments which given an indication of how homosexuality fit into Aztec society.
Persistence of Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma spp.) in urban preserves of Central Arizona

Urbanization is rapidly enveloping isolated remnants of Sonoran Desert habitat in southern Arizona. Understanding the means by which herpetofauna can persist in these habitats in the face of multiple impacts is vital to conservation efforts to retain intact biotic communities, especially those with a high diversity of reptile species. We surveyed ten preserves in the Phoenix Metropolitan region for Desert (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) and Regal (Phrynosoma solare) horned lizards, members of an iconic group of lizards of the Southwest. At least one horned lizard species is found in preserves across the range in size, age and habitat axes we assessed, provided that their primary prey, seed-harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) are present. Horned lizards are apparently absent from one large preserve where they were once present, perhaps as a result of a decline in seed-harvester ants, but they may have been absent from other preserves due to the lack of appropriate habitat for their prey rather than due to direct anthropogenic impacts.