cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MAMMALIAN TOXICOLOGY OF 3,3′,4,4′-TETRACHLOROAZOBENZFNE AND 3,3′,4,4′-TETRACRLOROAZOXYRENZENE: IMPLICATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

ABSTRACT 3,3′,4,4′-Tetrachloroazobenzene (TCAB) and 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachloroazoxybenzene (TCAOB) are formed as trace contaminants during the industrial manufacturing of chloroanilide herbicides. Environmental occurrence of TCAB and TCAOB arises from the microbial degradation of propanil in the soil. The carcinogenic potential of TCAB was demonstrated by its ability to cause mammalian cell transformation in culture. This was substantiated by the induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis observed in suspensions of rat hepatocytes treated with TCAB. Numerous biochemical and pathological alterations were observed in rats and mice exposed to moderate doses of TCAB and TCAOB using either the acute or chronic dosing protocol. TCAOB was found to be a very potent and persistent inducer of the hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase. In addition to the various morphological changes observed in the liver of treated animals, TCAB and TCAOB were shown to exert dramatic catabolic effects on the lymnhoid tissues and especially the thymus. Thus, our studies indicate that exposure to these two compounds should be considered as a health hazard in humans. In a broader sense, results obtained in our laboratory may have significant implications in the areas of environmental and occupational health.
Flare & lantern: efficiently swapping horses midstream

Running machine learning (ML) workloads at scale is as much a data management problem as a model engineering problem. Big performance challenges exist when data management systems invoke ML classifiers as user-defined functions (UDFs) or when stand-alone ML frameworks interact with data stores for data loading and pre-processing (ETL). In particular, UDFs can be precompiled or simply a black box for the data management system and the data layout may be completely different from the native layout, thus adding overheads at the boundaries. In this demo, we will show how bottlenecks between existing systems can be eliminated when their engines are designed around runtime compilation and native code generation, which is the case for many state-of-the-art relational engines as well as ML frameworks. We demonstrate an integration of Flare (an accelerator for Spark SQL), and Lantern (an accelerator for TensorFlow and PyTorch) that results in a highly optimized end-to-end compiled data path, switching between SQL and ML processing with negligible overhead.
Recombinant Activated Factor VII (rFVIIa)-Mediated Normalization of INR Levels Post-Coumadin Overdose.

Abstract Coumadin is typically prescribed as prophylaxis to prevent extension of emboli or for patients with mechanical heart valves and atrial fibrillation in order to reduce the risk of strokes. Coumadin toxicity is common and usually results from changes in therapy or drug interactions. However, there are very few overdose cases reported in the literature. Typically, immediate reversal of coumadin toxicity can be achieved by the infusion of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), large volumes of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or Vitamin K. However concerns still exist regarding the potential for transmission of blood-borne pathogens, large infusion volumes, and the thrombogenic potential of PCC use. Patients who are Jehovah's Witness cannot receive blood products. Vitamin K is unsuitable to correct acute bleeding episodes, as there is a 4 to 6 hour delay in onset of action. Recombinant FVIIa (rFVIIa), a Vitamin-K dependent glycoprotein, is currently licensed for the treatment of bleeding episodes in hemophilia A or B patients with inhibitors to FVIII or FIX. Structurally identical to plasma-derived FVII, rFVIIa complexes with tissue factor (TF) initiating the activation of several other coagulation factors, eventually leading to the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, a key component of clot formation and stabilization. This process can also occur on the surface of platelets. In coumadin-treated rats, rFVIIa has been shown to normalize prothrombin time (PT) as well as to stop acute bleeding. In healthy volunteers treated with the oral anticoagulant acenocoumarol in whom the international normalized ratio (INR, defined as a ratio of the patient PT to the international reference PT) was greater than 2.0, correction of the elevated INR was achieved using doses of rFVIIa between 5 and 320 mcg/kg. Therefore rFVIIa could potentially be used for the correction of PT and INR in patients overdosed with oral anticoagulants. In this report, an 83-year-old male Jehovah's Witness diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), received 4.5 mg coumadin daily. This patient presented to the emergency room with epistaxis, elevated PT of 42.7 and INR of 11.48, as a result of an unintentional overdose of coumadin. Hemoglobin was 7.7, hematocrit 22.8, and platelet count 284,000. Coumadin therapy was discontinued and general supportive care was started including Vitamin B12, Vitamin K, iron and erythropoietin. As bleeding did not stop, a dose of rFVIIa (90 mcg/kg) was administered. Thirty minutes after the dose of rFVIIa the PT/INR was 18/2.05, and hemostasis was achieved. The next day, there was no evidence of active bleeding, but since the hemoglobin and hematocrit dropped, (6.8/20.3) the patient was given a second dose of rFVIIa. The patient's PT and INR remained at normal levels during the 2 week follow-up period. The figure below describes the time course of the change in PT and INR as a result of rFVIIa treatment. Download : Download high-res image (91KB) Download : Download full-size image
Blancura hecha trizas, fundamento

El canto de las moscas (version de los acontecimientos). Maria Mercedes Carranza. Golpe de Dados. vol. XXV. num. CL. Bogota, noviembre-diciembre de 1997.
Who’s Missing? Undercounting and Underreporting

The proportion of residents missed in the census has declined with each recent census, but it is still too high. Through demographic analysis, post-enumeration studies, and matching of census data with administrative records, the Census Bureau estimates the size and characteristics of the missed population. Children, minority groups, renters, and rural residents are among the most undercounted populations. Although the undercount has sparked many lawsuits, the courts have so far been reluctant to order an adjustment to the reapportionment data as a response to undercount. The stakes are high for states and localities. Besides representation in Congress, the distribution of $1.504 trillion dollars in 316 federal funding programs also is determined by census data, much of that funding intended for the groups that are most likely to be missed. These programs fund health, education, nutrition, and other programs—many of which serve children and low-income households. For the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau is encouraging the creation of Complete Count Committees in states and localities to stimulate higher response rates.
Platelet Inhibition With IV Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor to Prevent Thrombosis in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Aortopulmonary Shunting.

OBJECTIVES Shunt thrombosis, a potential complication of aortopulmonary shunting, is associated with high mortality. Commonly used oral antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin demonstrate variable absorption and inconsistent antiplatelet effect in critically ill patients early after surgery. IV glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are antiplatelet agents with rapid and reproducible effect that may be beneficial as a bridge to oral therapy. DESIGN Retrospective review of pediatric patients undergoing treatment with IV tirofiban. Discarded blood samples were used to determine pharmacokinetic parameters. SETTING Pediatric cardiac ICU at a single institution. PATIENTS Fifty-two pediatric patients (< 18 yr) undergoing surgical aortopulmonary shunt procedure who received tirofiban infusion as a bridge to oral aspirin. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Primary outcome measures were shunt thrombosis and bleeding events, whereas secondary outcomes included measurement of platelet inhibition by thromboelastography with platelet mapping and pharmacokinetic analysis (performed in a subset of 15 patients). Shunt thrombosis occurred in two of 52 patients (3.9%) after prophylaxis treatment with tirofiban; both thrombosis events occurred after discontinuation of the drug. One patient (1.9%) experienced bleeding complication during the infusion. A tirofiban bolus of 10 µg/kg and infusion of 0.15 µg/kg/min resulted in significantly increased platelet inhibition via adenosine diphosphate pathway (median 66% [43-96] pre-tirofiban compared with 97% [92-99%] at 2 hr; p < 0.05). Half-life of tirofiban in plasma was 142 ± 1.5 minutes, and the average steady-state concentration was 112 ± 62 ng/mL. Age and serum creatinine were significant covariates associated with systemic clearance. Dosing simulations were generated based upon one compartment model. CONCLUSIONS IV glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor as a bridge to oral antiplatelet therapy is safe in pediatric patients after aortopulmonary shunting. Dosing considerations should include both age and renal function. Randomized trials are warranted to establish efficacy compared with current anticoagulation practices.
Production Polarization and Magnetic Moment of \( {{\bar{\Xi }}^{+}} \)and Ω− Hyperons: Preliminary Results from FNAL E-756

Production polarization of \( {{\bar{\Xi }}^{+}} \) and Ω− in 800 GeV proton-Beryllium inclusive reaction has been measured. At =0.39 and =0.76 GeV/c, the mean polarization of \( {{\bar{\Xi }}^{+}} \) is −0.097±0.012±0.009, and −0.011±0.010±0.010 at =0.46 and =0.89 GeV/c for the Ω−. The magnetic moment of \( {{\bar{\Xi }}^{+}} \) is 0.657±0.028±0.020 n.m.. With a sample of polarized Ω−’s produced by polarized neutral hyperons, the magnetic moment of if is ;−2.08±0.15±0.13 n.m..
Immigration Enforcement and Employment in Large Firms: Evidence from County Participation in 287(g)*

Immigrant deportations over the last two decades have grown at an alarming rate, with fewer than 150,000 annual removals in the early 2000s but rising to over 400,000 by 2013. Over this period, demographers estimate that over 4 million immigrants – the vast majority of whom are unauthorized and Latino – have been deported (Gonzalez-Barrera and Krogstad 2014). An important feature of this trend is that local policing agencies played a crucial role in facilitating apprehensions and coordinating with federal agents to deport immigrants from local communities. While post-recession declines in unauthorized migration have led to recent declines in deportations, the risk of apprehension remains high, and hostile rhetoric and intensified approaches for targeting non-criminal migrants heighten the fear and anxiety associated with being undocumented.
Burnout among Primary Care Providers and Staff: Evaluating the Association with Practice Adaptive Reserve and Individual Behaviors.

Workplace burnout among healthcare professionals is a critical public health concern. Few studies have examined organizational and individual factors associated with burnout across healthcare professional groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between practice adaptive reserve (PAR) and individual behavioural response to change and burnout among healthcare professionals in primary care. This cross-sectional study used survey data from 154 primary care practices participating in the EvidenceNOW Heart of Virginia Healthcare initiative. We analysed data from 1279 healthcare professionals in Virginia. Our sample included physicians, advanced practice clinicians, clinical support staff and administrative staff. We used the PAR instrument to measure organizational capacity for change and the Change Diagnostic Index© (CDI) to measure individual behavioural response, which achieved a 76% response rate. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of PAR and CDI on burnout. As organizational capacity for change increased, burnout in healthcare professionals decreased by 51% (OR: 0.49; 95% CI, 0.33, 0.73). As healthcare professionals showed improved response toward change, burnout decreased by 84% (OR: 0.16; 95% CI, 0.11, 0.23). Analysis by healthcare professional type revealed a significant association between high organizational capacity for change, positive response to change and low burnout among administrative staff (OR: 2.92; 95% CI, 1.37, 6.24). Increased hours of work per week was associated with higher odds of burnout (OR: 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05, 1.10) across healthcare professional groups. As transformation efforts in primary care continue, it is critical to understand the influence of these initiatives on healthcare professionals’ well-being. Efforts to reduce burnout among healthcare professionals are needed at both a system and organizational level. Building organizational capacity for change, supporting providers and staff during major change and consideration of individual workload may reduce levels of burnout.
The Democratic Utility of Trust: A Cross-National Analysis

Studies of political culture have long emphasized the importance of generalized trust for effective democratic governance. Individual-level models continue to treat generalized trust as a crucial predictor of more democratic political cultures, leading some scholars to suggest that building generalized trust is an important means of developing democratic prerequisites, like the appreciation of democratic values, in the nondemocratic world. In this paper we refute this conventional wisdom, arguing that the democratic utility of trust varies cross-nationally depending on existing levels of democracy within a country. Seldom have existing studies looked at the ways in which levels of generalized trust relate to micro-level indicators of support for democracy while controlling for overall institutional contexts. We argue existing government institutions play an important role in promoting levels of generalized trust because, in democracies and non-democracies alike, political confidence in existing political institutions is linked to higher levels of generalized trust. The democratic utility of trust therefore is not consistent across the globe. The degree of democracy determines the extent to which generalized trust becomes meaningfully linked to support for democracy. We offer evidence from a multilevel model using World Values Survey data to support these claims.
‘Neither Completely Guilty nor Completely Innocent’: Representing Injustice in Jean Racine’s Phèdre

The eponymous protagonist of Phedre emerges as a true tragic heroine by exercising her own free will to commit wrong instead of being a mere victim of fate. Criticism focusing on injustice has tend...
Host gut microbiome and potential therapeutics in Gulf War Illness: A short review.

Abstract Aims Since our troops had returned from the first Persian Gulf War in 1990–91, the veterans have reported chronic multisymptomatic illness widely referred to as Gulf War Illness (GWI). We aim to review the current directions of GWI pathology research in the context of chronic multisymptomatic illness and its possible gut microbiome targeted therapies. The veterans of Gulf War show symptoms of chronic fatigue, cognitive deficits, and a subsection report of gastrointestinal complications. Method Efforts of finding a suitable treatment regimen and clinical management remain a challenge. More recently, we have shown that the pathology is connected to alterations in the gut microbiome, and efforts of finding a suitable regimen for gut-directed therapeutics are underway. We discuss the various clinical interventions and summarize the possible effectiveness of gut-directed therapies such as the use of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), phenolic compounds, and their metabolites, use of probiotics, and fecal microbiota transfer. Significance The short review will be helpful to GWI researchers to expand their studies to the gut and find an effective treatment strategy for chronic multisymptomatic illness.
Concepts of IoT Networking

IoT is inherently associated with data networking as it relies on the Internet as the primary mechanism for communication. Traditional Internet networking, however, falls short in providing solid instruments for interaction between constrained devices and applications. This chapter deals with networking concepts from an IoT perspective. Specifically, it describes the types of networks as well as their main components including their limitations and differences with mainstream mechanisms. Moreover, the chapter addresses the main challenges and requirements of IoT network security. It also focuses on WSNs that, predating IoT, provide solutions to many of the problems IoT networks face. To this end, the chapter presents the main characteristics of the WSNs and how they differ from conventional IoT solutions.
A novel method for the normalization of ChIP-qPCR data.

Abstract ChIP-qPCR permits the study of protein and chromatin interactions. The general technique can apply to the study of the interactions of protein with RNA, and the methylation state of genomic DNA. While the technique is vital to our understanding of epigenetic processes, there is much confusion around the proper normalization methods. Percent Input has recently emerged as a normalization standard, due to its reproducibility and accuracy. This method relies on the use of a constant volume of ChIP Isolate in each qPCR assay. Researchers may accidentally run qPCR assays with a constant amount of isolate, a common practice for RT-qPCR; however, the traditional Percent Input method cannot accurately normalize these data. We developed a novel method that can normalize these data to provide the same reproducible Percent Input value. Here, we present evidence that this novel method of normalizing ChIP-qPCR data works with real samples. Later, we present a mathematical proof which shows how a Percent Input value calculated from Cq (quantification cycle) values obtained from qPCR run with a constant amount (in nanograms of DNA in ChIP isolate) is equal to the traditional Percent Input calculated from quantification cycle (Cq) values obtained from running a constant volume of ChIP isolate. • Increases the number of possible data points per sample • End values are the same % Input values as the traditional normalization method
Design study for a 16x zoom lens system for visible surveillance camera

*avella@ur.rochester.edu Design study for a 16x zoom lens system for visible surveillance camera Anthony Vella*, Heng Li, Yang Zhao, Isaac Trumper, Gustavo A. Gandara-Montano, Di Xu, Daniel K. Nikolov, Changchen Chen, Nicolas S. Brown, Andres Guevara-Torres, Hae Won Jung, Jacob Reimers, Julie Bentley The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Wilmot Building, 275 Hutchison Rd, Rochester, NY, USA 14627-0186 ABSTRACT High zoom ratio zoom lenses have extensive applications in broadcasting, cinema, and surveillance. Here, we present a design study on a 16x zoom lens with 4 groups (including two internal moving groups), designed for, but not limited to, a visible spectrum surveillance camera. Fifteen different solutions were discovered with nearly diffraction limited performance, using PNPX or PNNP design forms with the stop located in either the third or fourth group. Some interesting patterns and trends in the summarized results include the following: (a) in designs with such a large zoom ratio, the potential of locating the aperture stop in the front half of the system is limited, with ray height variations through zoom necessitating a very large lens diameter; (b) in many cases, the lens zoom motion has significant freedom to vary due to near zero total power in the middle two groups; and (c) we discuss the trade-offs between zoom configuration, stop location, packaging factors, and zoom group aberration sensitivity.
Measurement and inference of profile soil-water dynamics at different hillslope positions in a semiarid agricultural watershed

[1] Dynamics of profile soil water vary with terrain, soil, and plant characteristics. The objectives addressed here are to quantify dynamic soil water content over a range of slope positions, infer soil profile water fluxes, and identify locations most likely influenced by multidimensional flow. The instrumented 56 ha watershed lies mostly within a dryland (rainfed) wheat field in semiarid eastern Colorado. Dielectric capacitance sensors were used to infer hourly soil water content for approximately 8 years (minus missing data) at 18 hillslope positions and four or more depths. Based on previous research and a new algorithm, sensor measurements (resonant frequency) were rescaled to estimate soil permittivity, then corrected for temperature effects on bulk electrical conductivity before inferring soil water content. Using a mass-conservation method, we analyzed multitemporal changes in soil water content at each sensor to infer the dynamics of water flux at different depths and landscape positions. At summit positions vertical processes appear to control profile soil water dynamics. At downslope positions infrequent overland flow and unsaturated subsurface lateral flow appear to influence soil water dynamics. Crop water use accounts for much of the variability in soil water between transects that are either cropped or fallow in alternating years, while soil hydraulic properties and near-surface hydrology affect soil water variability across landscape positions within each management zone. The observed spatiotemporal patterns exhibit the joint effects of short-term hydrology and long-term soil development. Quantitative methods of analyzing soil water patterns in space and time improve our understanding of dominant soil hydrological processes and provide alternative measures of model performance.
Genomic alterations in lung adenocarcinoma

Summary Treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer is evolving from the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy to personalised treatment based on molecular alterations. This past decade has witnessed substantial progress in the treatment of patients with EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements, and it is now possible to study complex genomic alterations in cancer using next-generation sequencing. Sequencing data from large-scale consortia, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas, as well as several independent groups, have helped identify novel drivers and potentially targetable alterations in lung adenocarcinomas. These data clearly suggest that lung adenocarcinoma is associated with distinct genomic alterations compared with other lung cancer subtypes, and highlight the widespread molecular heterogeneity that underlies the disease. In this Review, we discuss some of the key findings from genomic studies of lung adenocarcinoma.
Damage, repair, and recombination. I. Contribution of the host to recombination between the superinfecting phage and the prophage.

Abstract When UV-irradiated P22 bacteriophage is assayed simultaneously on various mutants of Salmonella typhimurium strains, the number of survivors on the wild-type ( rec + hcr + ) and recombination-deficient host strains ( rec − ) is about the same and is much larger than those on UV-sensitive ( hcr − ) strains. The former two types of hosts have the host cell reactivation ( hcr ) mechanism whereas the latter type lacks this mechanism. When clear plaque-forming mutants, c 1 , c 2 , and c 3 , of P22 were exposed to UV and assayed on P221b lysogens, rec + hcr + ( P 221 b ) and hcr − ( P 221 b ), a very high frequency (30–40%) of turbid, c + , plaques of P22 was observed whereas no c + plaques were found on rec + hcr + and hcr − strains. Since no c + plaque formation was observed on the nonlysogenic strains, the c + plaque formation of P22 on the P221b lysogens must be due to marker rescue by recombination between superinfecting P22 c and the prophage P221b. The frequency of c + plaque formation on hcr − ( P 221 b ) is always higher than that on rec + hcr + ( P 221 b ). Although rec − ( P 221 b ) has hcr activity, no UV enhancement of recombination frequency on rec − ( P 221 b ) was observed. The prophage P221b is not inducible from rec − ( P 221 b ) by UV but is inducible by superinfection with P22. Efficiency of prophage induction of rec − ( P 221 b ) by the superinfection with P22 was about the same as that of rec + hcr + ( P 221 b ) and hcr − ( P 221 b ). From these results, it may be concluded that the bacterial recombination mechanism plays an important role in recombination between prophage and superinfecting phage.
Electron Scattering for Nuclear and Nucleon Structure

The scattering of high-energy electrons from nuclear and nucleon targets provides a microscope for examining the structure of these tiny objects. The best evidence we have on what nuclei and nucleons actually look like comes from electron scattering. This 2001 book examines the motivation for electron scattering and develops the theoretical analysis of the process. It discusses our current theoretical understanding of the underlying structure of nuclei and nucleons at appropriate levels of resolution and sophistication, and summarizes present experimental electron scattering capabilities. Only a working knowledge of quantum mechanics and special relativity is assumed, making this a suitable textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses. It will also provide a valuable summary and reference for researchers already working in electron scattering and other areas of nuclear/particle physics.
Level IIB lymph node metastasis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine the incidence of level IIB lymph node metastasis in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and to evaluate the necessity of level IIB dissection for elective and therapeutic neck dissections. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Patients with OPSCC (N = 348) were surgically managed at our institution from 2004 through 2010. Neck dissection specimens were reviewed by a pathologist, and level IIB metastases were analyzed with respect to clinical and pathologic data. Results Level IIB lymph node metastases were present in 2.5% and 25% of elective and therapeutic neck dissections, respectively. Level IIA metastasis, clinical tumor stage, clinical nodal stage, extracapsular spread, and primary tumor location in the tonsil were significantly associated with level IIB metastasis. Conclusions This study uniquely demonstrated a statistically significant association between clinical tumor stage and tonsil subsite with level IIB metastasis in OPSCC. Considering the predicted incidence of nodal metastasis, we conclude that level IIB neck dissection can be omitted in early stage (T1 or T2) clinically node negative (cN0) OPSCC. In patients with a cN0 neck and advanced OPSCC (T3 or T4), primary tumor in the tonsil, or ipsilateral clinically node positive (cN+) and contralateral cN0 neck, level IIB dissection should be considered. Level IIB dissection should be performed routinely in patients with cN+ OPSCC. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 123:2700–2705, 2013
The correlation of new GOLD classification (2011 version) with exercise capacity and mortality

Background: New GOLD guideline recommends assessing the severity of COPD by combination of FEV1, symptom scoring, and exacerbation frequency. However, whether the new GOLD classification is more closely associated with exercise capacity and mortality remains unclear. Method: The correlation of 6MWD (6-minute walking distance) and mortality rate with COPD staging in a cohort of 114 clinically stable COPD patients was compared by using old (2007) and new (2011) GOLD classifications. Results: In the new classification set, patients were divided into group A (29 patients, 25.4%), B (21 patients, 18.4%), C (14 patients, 12.3%), and D (50 patients, 43.9%). Those patients were re-divided in the old GOLD classification group into stage I (17 patients, 14.9%), stage II (36 patients, 31.6%), stage III (50 patients, 43.9%), and stage IV (11 patients, 9.6%). FEV1 and mMRC score showed a significant correlation (P Conclusions: New GOLD classification is a better applicable tool in assessment of exercise capacity and mortality in COPD patients than old GOLD classification.
Coronary endothelial proliferation and morphogenesis are regulated by a VEGF-mediated pathway.

Though development of the coronary vasculature is a critical event during embryogenesis, the molecular mechanisms that regulate its formation are not well characterized. Two unique approaches were used to investigate interactions between cardiac myocytes and proepicardial (PE) cells, which are the coronary anlagen. One of these experimental approaches used a 3-D collagen scaffold system on which specific cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions were studied. The other approach used a whole heart culture system that allowed for the analysis of epicardial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT). The VEGF signaling system has been implicated previously as an important regulator of coronary development. Our results demonstrated that a specific isoform of VEGF-A, VEGF164, increased PE-derived endothelial cell proliferation and also increased EMT. However, VEGF-stimulated endothelial cells did not robustly coalesce into endothelial tubes as they did when cocultured with cardiac myocytes. Interestingly, blocking VEGF signaling via flk-1 inhibition reduced endothelial tube formation despite the presence of cardiac myocytes. These results indicate that VEGF signaling is complex during coronary development and that combinatorial signaling by other VEGF-A isoforms or other flk-1-binding VEGFs are likely to regulate endothelial tube formation. Developmental Dynamics 238:423–430, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Insights into Atrioventricular Nodal Function from Patients Displaying Dual Conduction Properties: Interactive and Orthogonal Pathways

Background—There is a significant variability observed in the conduction properties of the atrioventricular node. In a subset of hearts, impulse transmission tends to fall into two distinct conduct...
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and the Teaching of Ethics

Medicine has undergone a technological explosion which presents physicians with an increased need to make difficult ethical decisions. This has been met by an equivalent development in American medical schools of efforts to teach the ethics of medical practice. The courses vary widely from school to school. It is recommended that a core curriculum of basic theory be taught in preclinical years, followed by case-centered teaching in clinical years and residency. Only with real cases can the influence of the doctor-patient relationship be appreciated. Teaching of ethics cannot be divorced from the clinical reality of the doctor-patient relationship. The emotional needs of both enter into all decisions. It is offered that consultation-liaison psychiatry, which addresses the needs of both, is an ideal focus for such teaching.
CO2 hydrate formation and dissociation rates: Application to Mars

Abstract CO 2 clathrate hydrate is a crystalline material composed of water cages around a CO 2 molecule. CO 2 gas hydrates are naturally occurring on Earth and are a likely phase on Mars as well as other cold planetary bodies. CO 2 hydrates have minor effects on terrestrial atmospheric composition, but may be a major reservoir for greenhouse gases on Mars. In this study, CO 2 hydrate formation and dissociation rates were measured experimentally on ultrapure and CO 2 infused water ice (ice containing previously trapped CO 2 gas bubbles). Overall, increasing pressure and temperature increased CO 2 consumption rates, indicating enhanced hydrate formation rates. CO 2 consumption and release rates both increased significantly in infused ice experiments as did the overall amount of CO 2 consumed. CO 2 bubbles formed during freezing of the infused ice likely provided more surface area for hydrate nucleation, increasing the rate of formation. Higher dissociation rates in infused ice experiments compared to ultrapure ice may be due to the higher concentration of hydrate originally formed in the bubble-filled samples. These results suggest that CO 2 hydrate formation in natural, gas-rich ice occurs significantly faster than previously assumed. In addition, formation rates would be maximized and dissociation rates minimized at Mars equatorial conditions, perhaps leading to long-term storage of atmospheric CO 2 in localized clathrate reservoirs.
Methodological Considerations to Improve Anti-Smoking Research

One of the most extensively studied areas of health behavior is that related to smoking. However, significant methodological limitations often limit the usefulness of research efforts. The purpose of this paper is to identify several of the more significant limitations found in the present research and to present suggestions to improve further research in smoking behavior.Several significant limitations of smoking research include the lack of common definitions of various behaviors, honesty of subject response, the lack of prospective studies and the problems inherent in such a design, and the preponderance of univariate types of analyses. Also, evaluation of program effectiveness is often limited by lack of appropriate criteria of what is meant by “success.” Lastly, much of the current research appears to focus on cessation or modification of the smoking habit. Less emphasis is directed at the area of prevention, especially involving an educational approach. Suggestions for improving anti-smoking researc...
Can a "Psychosocial Model" Help Explain Violence Perpetrated by Female Batterers?.

Objective:The purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychosocial predictors of propensity for abusiveness among a large sample of women ordered into a 26-week batterer intervention program (BIP).Method:The study employed a nonequivalent, control group design (comparing program completers to dropouts) in a secondary analysis of 485 women.Results:Analysis indicated that (1) there were no significant differences between program completers and dropouts on their propensity for abusiveness. (2) There are specific family of origin indicators associated with higher levels of propensity for abusiveness among women batterers. (3) Family of origin indicators leading to increased propensity for abusiveness were significantly different among racial groups.Conclusion:These findings reveal characteristics of women batterers, as they relate to the propensity for abusiveness and provide preliminary evidence suggesting exposure to various forms of violence in family of origin helps explain the use of violence by adult w...
r-Bounded k-complete bipartite bihypergraphs and generalized split graphs

Let P and Q be hereditary classes of graphs. Suppose that the stability number α(H) is bounded above for all H ∈ P, and the clique number ω(H) is bounded above for all H ∈ Q. An ordered partition A∪B=V(G) is called a Ramseian (P,Q)-partition if G(A)∈ P and G(B)∈Q where G(X) denotes the subgraph of G induced by X. Let R(P,Q) be the set of all graphs which have a Ramseian (P,Q)-partition. It is proved that if both P and Q have finite forbidden induced subgraph (FIS) characterizations then R(P,Q) also has such a characterization. In particular, every class of (α,β)-polar graphs (which are generalizations of split graphs) has a finite FIS-characterization.For the proof we use the following model. Let H0 and H1 be hypergraphs with the same vertex set V. The ordered pair H=(H0,H1) is called a bihypergraph. A bihypergraph H=(H0,H1) is called bipartite if there is an ordered partition V0 ∪ V1 = V(H) such that Vi is stable in Hi, i=0, 1. If the maximum cardinality of hyperedges in H is at most r and every k-subset of V(H) contains at least one hyperedge then H∈C(k,r). We prove that there exists a finite number of minimal non-bipartite bihypergraphs in C(k,r) (when k and r are fixed).
Polarizing activity and retinoid synthesis in the floor plate of the neural tube.

IN many developing organisms the establishment of axial polarity and the patterning of cells depend on local signals that derive from restricted regions of the embryo1–2. In vertebrate embryos, the origins of tissue polarity have been examined extensively in the developing limb3–5. The anteroposterior pattern of the chick limb seems to be controlled by a morphogen, possibly retinoic acid, that is enriched in a region of the limb known as the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA)6–11. Certain tissues other than the ZPA have also shown polarizing activity experimentally in the chick limb12–14, raising the possibility that signalling molecules involved in pattern formation in different embryonic tissues are conserved. Here we provide evidence that a similar polarizing activity is also present in a restricted region of the developing central nervous system (CNS). We show that a specialized group of neural cells termed the floor plate15, but not other regions of the CNS, mimics the ZPA in respecifying the digit pattern in the developing chick limb. In addition, using an in vitro biochemical assay, we show that the floor plate can synthesize retinoic acid and 3,4-didehydroretinol, the precursor of a second morphogenetically active retinoid, 3,4-didehydroretinoic acid16. These results show that the floor plate is a local source of a ZPA-like polarizing signal, possibly a retinoid, which may regulate the pattern of cell differentiation in the developing CNS.
COMPLEX PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF RURAL INCARCERATED WOMEN

Despite the growing numbers of incarcerated women, there still remain few systematic analyses of their unique physical and mental health needs. A descriptive design was used in a convenience sample...
The Complexity Theory Companion

1. The Self-Reducibility Technique.- 2. The One-Way Function Technique.- 3. The Tournament Divide and Conquer Technique.- 4. The Isolation Technique.- 5. The Witness Reduction Technique.- 6. The Polynomial Interpolation Technique.- 7. The Nonsolvable Group Technique.- 8. The Random Restriction Technique.- 9. The Polynomial Technique.- A. A Rogues' Gallery of Complexity Classes.- B. A Rogues' Gallery of Reductions.- References.
Influence of pump-field phase diffusion on laser gain in a double-λ non-inversion laser

Abstract The influence of pump-field phase diffusion on the gain in a non-degenerate double-∧ non-inversion laser is studied. The phase diffusion of the lower-level coherence leads to loss contributions which are not directly proportional to the number density of atoms and occur in addition to the well known effect of reduced coherent population trapping. Lasing without inversion is however still possible even if the phases of the pump fields are not locked.
Explaining the differential distribution of Clean Development Mechanism projects across host countries

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol represents an opportunity to involve all developing countries in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also promoting sustainable development. To date, however, the majority of CDM projects have gone to emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Mexico, while very few least developed countries have hosted projects. This paper investigates the differential distribution of CDM activities across countries. We develop a conceptual model for project profitability, which helps to identify potential country-level determinants of CDM activity. These potential determinants are employed as explanatory variables in regression analysis to explain the actual distribution of projects. Human capital and greenhouse gas emission levels influenced which countries have hosted projects and the amount of certified emission reductions (CER) created. Countries that offered growing markets for CDM co-products, such as electricity, were more likely to be CDM hosts, while economies with higher carbon intensity levels had greater CER production. These findings work against the least developed countries and help to explain their lack of CDM activity.
It Is Only a Test! [Microwave Surfing]

NOTE: This column first appeared in the February 2012 issue of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine. Ten questions that have some relevance to electrical engineering or mathematics are presented.
Pyrolysis kinetics for oil-shale particles☆

Abstract Experimental and mathematical investigations of the pyrolysis kinetics for single particles (12.7 mm diameter cylinders and spheres) of 22 gal/ton (91.8l/t) oil shale are presented. Machined samples of uniform geometry were suspended in a nitrogen stream and pyrolysed over a range of temperatures (384–520 °C), while weight losses were continuously measured with a Cahn recording thermobalance (TGA). In addition to weight-loss measurements, centreline temperature histories were obtained from several samples that were instrumented with microthermocouples. Other samples were partially pyrolysed, quenched, cross-sectioned and visually examined to aid in the understanding of the pyrolysis mechanism. Photographs of partially pyrolysed samples are included and discussed. Two mathematical models were developed in order to represent the pyrolysis process. The weight-loss data were then compared with the results obtained from these models. A non-isothermal shrinking-core model was developed first, as a direct consequence of having observed a shrinking-core mechanism in partially pyrolysed samples. This model resulted in an apparent pyrolysis activation energy of 110 kJ/mol. Subsequently, a simplified, non-isothermal homogeneous model was developed, tested, and resulted in a pyrolysis activation energy of 148 kJ/mol. It was shown that either model could account for the experimental centreline temperature histories and for the pyrolysis rates. The non-isothermal homogeneous representation is considerably less complex than previously published pyrolysis models, and would be preferred for use as a subprogram in a comprehensive retorting model.
Distribution of antithrombin III and glucosylceramide in human plasma lipoproteins and lipoprotein deficient plasma.

We have investigated the distribution of antithrombin-III and glucosylceramide (Glc-Cer) in human plasma, plasma lipoproteins and lipoprotein-deficient plasma. Antithrom bin III activity was measured employing immunochemical and biological assays. Glc-Cer was quantified by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Whole plasma contained 145 μg antithrombin III/ml plasma, all of which was associated with the lipoprotein-deficient plasma (d>1.25 g/ml). Whereas, most if not all the plasma GlcCer was associated with plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL) (d-1.022–1.055 g/ml) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) (d-1.063–1.25). GlcCer was not found in the lipoprotein-deficient plasma. We conclude that GlcCer on lipoproteins does not contribute to antithrombin III activity. Moreover, the absence of GlcCer in lipoprotein-deficient plasma does not impair antithrombin-III activity.
Regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factor I Receptor Dephosphorylation by SHPS-1 and the Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-2

Activation of insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) kinase is an important site of control of IGF-I-linked intracellular signaling pathways. One potentially important regulatory variable is IGF-IR dephosphorylation. It has been shown that SHP-2, a tyrosine phosphatase, can bind to the activated IGF-IR in vitro; however, its role in IGF-IR dephosphorylation in whole cells is unknown. These studies were undertaken to determine whether SHP-2 was a candidate for mediating IGF-IR dephosphorylation. The IGF-IR in smooth muscle cells was dephosphorylated rapidly beginning 10 min after ligand addition, and this was temporally associated with SHP-2 binding to the receptor. IGF-I stimulated SHPS-1 phosphorylation and the subsequent recruitment of SHP-2. In cells expressing a SHPS-1 mutant that did not bind SHP-2 there was no recruitment of SHP-2 to the IGF-IR. Cells expressing a catalytically inactive form of SHP-2 showed SHP-2 recruitment to SHPS-1, but this did not result in SHPS-1 dephosphorylation, and there was a prolonged IGF-IR phosphorylation response after IGF-I stimulation. These studies indicate that IGF-IR stimulates phosphorylation of SHPS-1 which is critical for SHP-2 recruitment to the plasma membrane and for its recruitment to the IGF-IR. Recruitment of SHP-2 to the receptor then results in receptor dephosphorylation. The regulation of this process may be an important determinant of IGF-IR-mediated signaling.
Quantitative characterization of cellular adhesions with Total Internal Reflection Holographic Microscopy

Total Internal Reflection Holographic Microscopy (TIRHM) uses near-field phase shifts to quantitatively image cellular adhesions. Cell-substrate interfaces cause relative index of refraction and frustrated TIR to modulate the specimen’s phase profile. Dictyostelium Discoideum imagery presented.
Efficiencies of honeycomb absorbers of solar radiation

Determination of efficiency of solar absorption of honeycomb structure attached to collecting base surface on which incoming solar energy impinges directly on base surface
Effects of diet nitrogen and forage nitrogen insolubility on performance of cows in early lactation.

Abstract Thirty-six Holsteins were allotted at parturition to six treatments to measure effects of diet nitrogen and increased insolubility of silage nitrogen on performance and ruminal, plasma, and milk constituents during the first 100 d of lactation. Diets contained 40% concentrate and 60% silage in dry matter. The six silage treatments were 1) untreated corn silage (low nitrogen); 2) untreated corn silage and untreated alfalfa silage (1:1); 3) untreated corn silage and formaldehyde and formic acid-treated alfalfa silage (1:1); 4) ammonia-treated corn silage (low nitrogen); 5) treated corn silage and untreated alfalfa silage (1:1); or 6) treated corn silage and treated alfalfa silage (1:1). Diets containing ammonia-treated corn silage had higher hot water-insoluble nitrogen and diets containing formaldehyde and formic acid-treated alfalfa had higher autoclaved rumen fluid-insoluble and hot water-insoluble nitrogen that their respective untreated silage diets. Dry matter intake, daily yields of milk and its constituents, ruminal NH 3 nitrogen, and plasma urea nitrogen were lower for cows consuming low nitrogen diets containing only corn silage compared with cows consuming high nitrogen diets containing alfalfa. Dry matter intake and milk protein yields were greater for cows consuming treated alfalfa compared with untreated alfalfa in the diet. Daily 4% fat-corrected milk yields tended to be higher for diets containing treated alfalfa than untreated alfalfa. Cows fed diets containing NH 3 -treated corn silage had similar milk, fat, and protein yields compared with diets containing untreated corn silage and urea in the concentrate.
Characterization of a hemagglutinin from Leptogorgia virgulata

Abstract 1. 1. Extracts of the marine coral Leptogorgia virgulata possess potent hemagglutination activity. 2. 2. The hemagglutination activity is both heat and protease sensitive. 3. 3. The hemagglutination activity requires the divalent cation, Ca 2+ . 4. 4. Competitive inhibition experiments with complex carbohydrates indicate that this hemagglutinin recognizes a glycosyl aspect on the oligosaccharides of thyroglobulin glycopeptides, submaxillary mucin and human IgG. 5. 5. Other glycoconjugates were effective as inhibitors only after desialylation of the oligosaccharides.
Stommel's “Westward Intensification” in a Three-Dimensional Similarity Version

Abstract A special three-dimensional solution of similarity type is given for a meridionally closed ocean with dynamic according to Stommel's classical transport model, and with the density determined by three-dimensional advection and vertical diffusion. The boundary current exhibits a rapidly varying scale depth; this depth becomes zero at a critical latitude where the current must separate. The solution requires an upwelling everywhere, to be balanced by abyssal sources of water and a deep circulation, as described by Stommel and Arons. It is proposed that a more general similarity form may be useful in future analytical as well as numerical studies of the ocean circulation.