cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A micromechanistic model of superplastic behavior in pseudo single phase aluminum alloys

Grain boundary sliding (GBS) has been shown to account for essentially all the deformation under optimum superplastic conditions. It is also recognized that GBS is accommodated by diffusional and dislocation mechanisms active within the grains and their boundaries. Most of the existing models for superplasticity relate the strain rate of the accommodation processes of GBS to the macroscopically measured strain rate. The author conform to this approach and present a micromechanics-based deformation model which considers accommodation due to diffusional flow and dislocation movement at the grain level. The model derives the superplastic strain of the aggregate from the level of its constituent grains. It uses the self-consistent method to evaluate the grain to grain variation of stress during superplastic deformation. The crystallographic structure of the material and the corresponding slip systems are used in modeling the deformation in a grain. This model is developed in a manner similar to Murali and Weng`s unified theory of creep and strain-rate sensitivity of polycrystals. It is used to predict the influence of temperature on the flow stress vs. strain rate behavior of superplastic materials.
021 Altered in Vitro Migratory Activity of Human Fibroblasts Isolated from Type I Diabetics

An essential cell behavior for wound healing is the ability of reparative cells to migrate into a wound site. Impairment of this migratory behavior could delay or potentially halt the healing process, allowing for infection or other secondary insults to the wound. Type I diabetics experience significant morbidity from failure of lower extremity injuries to heal. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain this impaired healing response, but little is known about intrinsic migratory differences in the fibroblasts that populate the diabetic dermis prior to wounding. Nontransformed fibroblast cell lines from type I diabetics were obtained from the NIGMS-NIH cell repository at the Coriell Institute. Cells were maintained in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, penicillin, streptomycin, and either 25 mM (high) or 5.6 mM (low) glucose. Cell migration was measured over 72 hr by two methods; the monolayer scrape method, or by quantifying the movement of cells away from a circular source of cells, deposited within cloning rings, under high- or low-glucose conditions. The initial (0, 6, 24, and 48 hr) proliferative response of cells was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into confluent cell monolayers following partial scraping of the cell layer. Using the scrape method, diabetic cells failed to start moving across a monolayer scrape until > 10 hrs, whereas normal fibroblasts had started migrating at 8 hrs and were noticeably closing the scrape “wound” by 10 hours. Consistent with this finding, fibroblasts from diabetics showed impaired migration (70% vs. 145% increase in diameter) in high glucose over an initial 72 hrs in the second migration assay. This difference was less if the cells were cultured and tested in low glucose medium. In contrast, diabetic derived cells incorporated 3H-thymidine more rapidly at early times (55.9%[24 hr] and 72%[48 hr]) when cultured under high-glucose conditions. These results suggest that fibroblasts in the type I diabetic are characterized by a reduced capacity to migrate, but a normal or heightened proliferative capacity. This may indicate that injury to this connective tissue fails to produce the required influx of fibroblasts to deposit new matrix.
Threshold and sheet concentration sensitivity of high electron mobility transistors

We present results of an analysis of the dependence of the threshold voltage and the sheet carrier concentration on background substrate doping, Al 1 - x Ga x As doping, thickness, and metal barrier height in the high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The sensitivity of threshold voltage and sheet carrier concentration to buffer layer or substrate background concentrations improves at lower temperatures. The sensitivity of threshold voltage and sheet carrier concentration to Ga 1 - x Al x As doping and thickness degrades at lower temperatures. The threshold sensitivity to barrier height is temperature independent but increases for sheet carrier concentration at lower temperatures. The design of a device structure for integrated circuit application with minimial threshold variations will require an optimal design of the device and will depend on the status of control of the various parameters.
Evaluating a Screening/Training Program for NNS Teaching Assistants.

E Iowa State University, like many other institutions, has recently developed a program for screening potential teaching assistants (TAs) who are nonnative speakers (NNSs)-to see whether they have the necessary speaking proficiency and teaching skills to be placed in undergraduate classrooms-and for training those who demonstrate deficiencies. From the beginning, in 1984, we have attempted to assess the effectiveness of the program to discover how we could improve it and have reported to interested parties (students, their parents, administrators, and state legislators) how well we were succeeding. This report describes some of our measures and results.
A preparative method for obtaining enucleated mammalian cells

Summary Mouse L cells can be enucleated in suspension by centrifugation in discontinuous Ficoll density gradients while in the presence of Cytochalasin B. Greater than 50% of the cytoplasts thus obtained attach to glass or plastic and undergo morphologic recovery within 2–4 hours of replating. Protein synthesis in cytoplasts undergoes a biphasic decay from an initial rate of approximately 50% of control nucleated cells. This method can yield up to 5 × 108 cytoplasts with consistently low levels of contamination by nucleated cells (less than 0.2%), and is well suited for obtaining quantitative amounts of cytoplasts or karyoplasts for physiologic or biochemical studies.
One View of the Current State of Understanding in Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology and What is Needed for the Future.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), arguably, is the most dramatic development in movement disorders since the levodopa for Parkinson’s disease. Yet, its mechanisms of action of DBS are unknown. However, DBS related research already has demonstrated that current concepts of basal ganglia pathophysiology are wrong. Specifically, the notion that over-activity of the globus pallidus interna causes parkinsonism, the basis for the most current theories, is no longer tenable. The development of any new theory will be aided by an understanding of how current theories are wrong and why have these flawed theories persist. Many of the problems of current theories are more matters of inference, assumptions, presumptions, and the accepted level of ambiguity than they are of fact. Consequently, it is imperative that these issues be addressed. Just as the inappropriate use of a tool or method is grounds for criticism, methods of reasoning are tools that can be used inappropriately and should be subject to discussion just as misuse of any other tool. Thorough criticism can provide very important lesions though the process could be mistaken as harsh or personal; neither is the case here. At the least, such analyzes can point to potential pitfalls that could be avoided in the development of new theories. As will be discussed, theories are important for the development of therapies but perhaps most important, for the acceptance of new therapies, as was the case for the recent resurgence of interest in surgical therapies.
Approach to the patient with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common and often asymptomatic. Antibodies against HCV are a highly sensitive marker of infection. Molecular testing for HCV is used to confirm a positive result on antibody testing and to provide prognostic information for treatment; however, quantitative HCV RNA does not correlate with disease severity or risk for progression. Chronic HCV infection is most frequently associated with remote or current intravenous drug use and blood transfusion before 1992, although as many as 20% of infected patients have no identifiable risk factor. In an estimated 15% to 20% of persons infected with HCV, the infection progresses to cirrhosis; alcohol intake is an important cofactor in this progression. Most specialists prefer to include an examination of liver histology in the management of patients with chronic HCV infection to aid prognostic and treatment decisions. The current standard of pharmacologic treatment of chronic HCV is weekly subcutaneous peginterferon in combination with daily oral ribavirin, which results in sustained virologic response in approximately 55% of chronically infected patients. Side effects of interferon therapy include myalgias, fever, nausea, irritability, and depression. The cost-effectiveness of interferon therapy is similar to that of many commonly accepted medical interventions. The primary care physician serves a vital role in identifying patients with chronic HCV infection, educating patients about risk factors for transmission, advising patients about the avoidance of alcohol, and aiding patients in making treatment decisions.
Waveshifting fiber readout of lanthanum halide scintillators

Abstract Newly developed high-light-yield inorganic scintillators coupled to waveshifting optical fibers provide the capability of efficient X-ray detection and millimeter scale position resolution suitable for high-energy cosmic ray instruments, hard X-ray/gamma ray astronomy telescopes and applications to national security. The CASTER design for NASA's proposed Black Hole Finder Probe mission, in particular, calls for a 6–8 m2 hard X-ray coded aperture imaging telescope operating in the 20–600 keV energy band, putting significant constraints on cost and readout complexity. The development of new inorganic scintillator materials (e.g., cerium-doped LaBr3 and LaCl3) provides improved energy resolution and timing performance that is well suited to the requirements for national security and astrophysics applications. LaBr3 or LaCl3 detector arrays coupled with waveshifting fiber optic readout represent a significant advance in the performance capabilities of scintillator-based gamma cameras and provide the potential for a feasible approach to affordable, large area, extremely sensitive detectors. We describe some of the applications and present laboratory test results demonstrating the expected scintillator performance.
Relationship of certain milk fat depressing diets to changes in the proportions of the volatile fatty acids produced in the rumen.

Summary Twelve high-producing Holstein cows were used to study the effect of feeding cod liver oil and a high-grain restricted roughage ration on milk and fat production, fatty acid composition of the milk fat, and the proportions of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. The cod liver oil and high-grain rations did not significantly alter milk production when compared to a control diet; however, these rations did significantly lower the fat content of the milk produced. When cod liver oil was added to a normal ration of hay and grain, the proportions of the volatile fatty acids in the rumen were unaltered; whereas, the high-grain diet caused a significant decrease in the proportion of acetate and a significant increase in propionate. As a result of these findings, it was concluded that cod liver oil exerts its effect on milk fat production somewhere beyond the rumen, whereas the fat depressing effect of high-grain feeding must be attributed to the significant changes occurring in the rumen fermentation.
Antibiotic residues in food and their significance

(2000). Antibiotic residues in food and their significance. Food Biotechnology: Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 147-171.
Constraint satisfaction using soft quantifiers

Fuzzy sets and other methods have been used to model a softening of constraints in constraint propagation (CP) problems. Here, we suggest an approach to the softening of the CP problem at the meta level, in the process used to aggregate the satisfactions to the individual constraints. We discuss the possibility of using soft quantiﬁers such as ‘most’ to guide the process of aggregating the satisfactions to the individual constraints. Use is made of the ability to represent these soft quantiﬁers by fuzzy sets and the ability to implement their authorized aggregation by the ordered weighted averaging operator. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Education Bill of 1906 and the Decline of Political Nonconformity

The early years of the twentieth century prior to the outbreak of World War I have been described as a period in which the Liberal Party was in a state of decline. One significant aspect of this decline was the deterioration of what in the late nineteenth century has been labelled as political nonconformity. Gladstone's statement that Nonconformists supplied the backbone of British Liberalism perhaps best symbolises the political significance of this group for the vitality of the Liberal Party.
Understanding Flow of Energy in Buildings Using Modal Analysis Methodology

It is widely understood that energy storage is the key to integrating variable generators into the grid. It has been proposed that the thermal mass of buildings could be used as a distributed energy storage solution and several researchers are making headway in this problem. However, the inability to easily determine the magnitude of the building’s effective thermal mass, and how the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system exchanges thermal energy with it, is a significant challenge to designing systems which utilize this storage mechanism. In this paper we adapt modal analysis methods used in mechanical structures to identify the primary modes of energy transfer among thermal masses in a building. The paper describes the technique using data from an idealized building model. The approach is successfully applied to actual temperature data from a commercial building in downtown Boise, Idaho.
Reply to a comment by Stephen M. Chiswell on: “Annual cycles of ecological disturbance and recovery underlying the subarctic Atlantic spring plankton bloom” by M. J. Behrenfeld et al. (2013)

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, [year]. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles 27 (2013): 1294–1296, doi:10.1002/2013GB004720.
Cultured skin grafts. Past, present, future.

Replacement of missing skin has been a problem for physicians and surgeons throughout the ages. The use of autologous skin grafts has been the "gold standard" for wound closure, but in patients with wounds of large surface area, such as extensive burns, this strategy cannot be realized because of the lack of adequate donor sites for grafting. Because the ultimate outcome of many burn patients is determined by wound coverage, temporary coverage of wounds with materials other than the patient's own skin has been performed in these situations using fresh or cadaver skin allografts from related or unrelated donors. However, such allografts are rejected, usually after two weeks, and regrafting is necessary. 1,2 DEVELOPMENT OF KERATINOCYTE CULTURE TECHNIQUES As techniques for organ culture and tissue culture were developing in the 1970s, attempts were made to cover skin wounds with epidermal sheets derived from in vitro cultivation of skin.
The space of conditional systems is a ball

LetS be a nonempty finite set. The space Δ(S) of conditional systems onS, as defined by Myerson (1986), is shown to be homeomorphic to the closed unit ball in (#S-1)-dimensional Euclidean space.
Electroosmotically driven electrochromatography of anions having similar electrophoretic mobilities by ion pairing

Abstract Anions of similar electrophoretic mobility are separated using an electrochromatographic technique which involves partitioning the anions, with the aid of the ion-pairing agent, tetrabutylammonium (TBA) cation, onto the surface of a reversed-phase open-tubular capillary liquid chromatographic (OTCLC) column. The anions separate based on differences in retention rather than differences in electrophoretic mobility. Resolution is easily controlled by varying the concentration of TBA in the buffer. Complete separation of anions having similar mobilities is achieved with as little as 600 μM TBA. Mass transfer broadening is inherently smaller for this electroosmotically driven system than that for pressure-driven OTCLC. The efficiency achieved for such a separation in a 40-cm column (N  140 000) is twice that for a similar chromatographic separation and nearly equal to that for a similar, but poorly resolved, capillary zone electrophoretic separation.
Pro-opiomelanocortin gene expression and protein processing in rat mononuclear leukocytes

Although production of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA and POMC-derived peptides in extrapituitary tissues, including immune tissues, has been demonstrated, questions remain concerning the nature of POMC transcripts and peptide products. With regard to POMC gene expression in lymphocytes, the expression of full-length mRNA and POMC has been questioned. In the present report, we have tested for the existence of these molecules. Western blot analysis with an antibody against POMC-derived adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) specifically identified identical immunoreactive (ir) species in both rat anterior pituitary (AP) and splenocyte cell extracts. The relative molecular weights were those expected for nonglycosylated ACTH, as well as its biosynthetic intermediate, and POMC. Mitogen stimulation of splenic mononuclear cells (MNC) enhanced the levels of these three molecular species. Primer extension analysis identified a band which migrated with a size equivalent to a full-length POMC transcript (approximately 816 nt) in both mitogen-stimulated MNC and AP mRNA. Macrophages produced POMC protein and mRNA among unstimulated splenocytes, while lymphocytes could be induced to produce POMC mRNA upon stimulation. 5' RACE-tailed PCR products were cloned and sequenced. A mRNA encoding all three POMC exons was identified in Concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated MNC and was identical to that from the anterior pituitary. These results unequivocally demonstrate that mononuclear cells produce full-length POMC transcripts. Its regulation in lymphocytes is distinct from that in macrophages which constitutively produce POMC-derived peptides and mRNA. Also, the biosynthetic pathway of ACTH from POMC in splenic MNC stimulated with ConA appears to be identical to that in rat corticotrophs.
Assessment and requirements of nuclear reaction databases for GCR transport in the atmosphere and structures.

The transport properties of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) in the atmosphere, material structures, and human body (self-shielding) am of interest in risk assessment for supersonic and subsonic aircraft and for space travel in low-Earth orbit and on interplanetary missions. Nuclear reactions, such as knockout and fragmentation, present large modifications of particle type and energies of the galactic cosmic rays in penetrating materials. We make an assessment of the current nuclear reaction models and improvements in these model for developing required transport code data bases. A new fragmentation data base (QMSFRG) based on microscopic models is compared to the NUCFRG2 model and implications for shield assessment made using the HZETRN radiation transport code. For deep penetration problems, the build-up of light particles, such as nucleons, light clusters and mesons from nuclear reactions in conjunction with the absorption of the heavy ions, leads to the dominance of the charge Z = 0, 1, and 2 hadrons in the exposures at large penetration depths. Light particles are produced through nuclear or cluster knockout and in evaporation events with characteristically distinct spectra which play unique roles in the build-up of secondary radiation's in shielding. We describe models of light particle production in nucleon and heavy ion induced reactions and make an assessment of the importance of light particle multiplicity and spectral parameters in these exposures.
Catalase prevents elevation of [Ca2+]i induced by alcohol in cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells: Possible relationship to alcohol-induced stroke and brain pathology

Abstract Several studies have suggested that alcohol-induced brain injury is associated with generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The recent findings, that antioxidants (Vitamin E and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)) prevent intracellular Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+ ] i ) overload in cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells, induced by alcohol, demonstrate indirectly that ROS formation is related to cerebral vascular injury. The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that catalase, an hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) scavenging enzyme, can prevent or ameliorate alcohol-induced elevation of [Ca 2+ ] i . Preincubation of cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells with catalase (20–1000 units/ml) didn’t produce any apparent changes from controls in resting levels of [Ca 2+ ] i after 1–3 days. Exposure of the cerebral vascular cells to culture media containing 10–100 mM ethanol resulted in significant rises in [Ca 2+ ] i ( p 2+ ] i induced by ethanol, concomitant addition of higher concentrations of catalase (100–1000 units/ml) and ethanol (10–100 mM) inhibited or ameliorated the rises of [Ca 2+ ] i induced by ethanol either at 24 h or at 3 days, in a concentration-dependent manner. Catalase, in the range of 100–200 units/ml, inhibited ∼50% of the [Ca 2+ ] i increases caused by ethanol in the first 24 h. Catalase at a concentration of 1000 units/ml inhibited completely excessive [Ca 2+ ] i accumulation. The present results when viewed in light of other recently published data suggest that H 2 O 2 generation may be one of the earliest events triggered by alcohol in alcohol-induced brain-vascular damage, neurobehavioral actions and stroke.
New World cattle show ancestry from multiple independent domestication events

Previous archeological and genetic research has shown that modern cattle breeds are descended from multiple independent domestication events of the wild aurochs (Bos primigenius) ∼10,000 y ago. Two primary areas of domestication in the Middle East/Europe and the Indian subcontinent resulted in taurine and indicine lines of cattle, respectively. American descendants of cattle brought by European explorers to the New World beginning in 1493 generally have been considered to belong to the taurine lineage. Our analyses of 47,506 single nucleotide polymorphisms show that these New World cattle breeds, as well as many related breeds of cattle in southern Europe, actually exhibit ancestry from both the taurine and indicine lineages. In this study, we show that, although European cattle are largely descended from the taurine lineage, gene flow from African cattle (partially of indicine origin) contributed substantial genomic components to both southern European cattle breeds and their New World descendants. New World cattle breeds, such as Texas Longhorns, provide an opportunity to study global population structure and domestication in cattle. Following their introduction into the Americas in the late 1400s, semiferal herds of cattle underwent between 80 and 200 generations of predominantly natural selection, as opposed to the human-mediated artificial selection of Old World breeding programs. Our analyses of global cattle breed population history show that the hybrid ancestry of New World breeds contributed genetic variation that likely facilitated the adaptation of these breeds to a novel environment.
Characterizing and improving HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients using modified materials.

Abstract Background Only 56% of outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in the U.S. provide HIV/AIDS education, likely due to the time required to complete existing educational interventions. This report describes results of a third study in a series to develop a brief educational intervention to increase HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients. Methods Participants ( N = 90) were randomized to experimental or control conditions and completed two HIV/AIDS knowledge pre-tests with response formats modified to “true–false–don’t know.” Pre-test results were later compared to historical controls that completed pre-tests in their original “true–false” format. Next, participants in the experimental condition completed an HIV/AIDS educational intervention while participants in the control condition completed a sham intervention. Participants in both conditions then completed knowledge tests a second time. Participants in both conditions were subsequently crossed over, and then completed knowledge tests a third time. Post-intervention analyses were conducted using test data from all participants who completed the educational intervention ( N = 56). A subset of these participants ( N = 40) completed follow-up tests approximately 9 weeks after completing the educational intervention. Results Scores on both pre-tests were lower than those observed in historical controls ( p p p > .05). Scores at follow-up remained higher than baseline scores ( p Conclusions Modifying response formats to include a “don’t know” option likely increases identification of baseline knowledge deficits. This brief intervention is effective at increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge among cocaine-dependent outpatients.
Allergic contact eczema to phenylephrine

A female patient developed periorbital eczema and conjunctivitis prior to cataract surgery. Investigations revealed an allergic contact eczema to phenylephrine hydrochloride 10% eyedrops being used pre-operatively for mydriasis.
Safety of Yttrium-90 Microsphere Radioembolization in Patients with Biliary Obstruction

Purpose There are few data on radioembolization in the setting of biliary obstruction. The present study was performed to assess the safety of yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) radioembolization in the setting of tumor-related biliary obstruction and total bilirubin levels of 2 mg/dL or lower. Materials and Methods Twelve patients with liver tumors underwent 19 treatment sessions with 90 Y to the obstructed liver lobe or segment. Initial bilirubin level was 2 mg/dL or lower in all cases. Measured outcomes included pre- and posttreatment white blood cell (WBC) count, total bilirubin level, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level. Bilirubin toxicities and biliary complications were assessed according to Common Toxicity Criteria, version 3.0. Results Lobar or segmental 90 Y was successful in all cases. Pre- and posttreatment median WBC counts (5.3 vs 5.3; P = .490), bilirubin levels (1.0 vs 1.1; P = .460), and ALP levels (195 vs 146; P = .712) showed no differences. One case of grade 3 bilirubin toxicity was noted in a patient with liver hilar nodal progression and subsequent biliary obstruction requiring external drainage. Complete resolution of biliary obstruction was seen after 90 Y treatment in one case of metastatic colorectal carcinoma at 1 month follow-up. No biliary complications (infection, sepsis, biliary necrosis, biloma formation, abscess development, or biliary stricture) were encountered in this cohort during an overall median follow-up time of 22.9 months. Conclusions The use of 90 Y glass microspheres demonstrated a good safety profile in the setting of tumor-related biliary obstruction in patients with normal or near-normal bilirubin levels in this series, without evidence of therapy-related progressive leukocytosis, bilirubin increase, or infectious or biliary complications after treatment.
Kana Keoki Fracture Zone: Interaction with the Hawaiian Ridge

Magnetic and seismic data have confirmed the presence of an east-striking fracture zone south-southeast of Hawaii, ∼200 km north of the Clarion Fracture Zone. Absence of the rugged topography usually associated with oceanic fracture zones indicates that the large magnetic anomaly found there reflects dike intrusions into the zone. It is suggested that crustal opening may be occurring where the zone intersects the Hawaiian swell. This crustal opening could be in response to right-angle tensional stress as the swell migrates across the fracture.
Regulation of Human Fetal Hemoglobin Gene Expression

An understanding of the mechanism involved in the regulated expression of the human gamma and beta globin genes requires the detailed definition of the cis-acting DNA sequences and trans-acting protein factors responsible for their developmental stage specific expression. To determine the critical cis-acting elements, hybrid genes containing elements of the gamma and beta globin genes were transfected into K562 cells, a human erythroleukemia line. The regulated expression of the gamma and beta genes was also studied by transferring hybrid genes containing the gamma or beta promoters linked to the neomycin resistance gene (neoR) into erythroid (K562) cells and nonerythroid (Hela) cells. DNA sequences found to be important to the expression of the gamma gene were assayed for the presence of transacting factors by studying the binding of protein factors using the gel mobility shift assay. The results suggest that there are multiple cis-acting elements 5' and 3' to the gamma and beta genes, and perhaps within these genes contributing to their regulation. In addition, there are multiple trans-acting protein factors interacting with these regions which may determine their transcriptional regulation in erythroid cells.
Regulation of platelet-derived growth factor signaling by activated p21Ras.

Abstract Elucidating the molecular mechanisms regulating transduction of growth control signals and the discovery of the subversion of these pathways by oncogenes has proven critical in unraveling the biochemical factors leading to cellular transformation. One such line of investigation has been study of the effects of transforming p21Ras on platelet-derived growth factor type-beta receptor (PDGF-betaR) signaling. Platelet-derived growth factor is an important extracellular factor regulating the G0-S phase transition of mesenchymal cells. Expression of activated, oncogenic Kirsten- or Harvey-p21Ras in cells influences PDGF-betaR signaling at multiple levels. At least two separate mechanisms account for defective PDGF-betaR signaling in activated p21Ras-expressing cells: (i) transcriptional down-regulation of PDGF-betaR expression, and (ii) inhibition of ligand-induced PDGF-betaR phosphorylation by a factor which is present in the cellular membrane fraction of fibroblasts expressing activated p21Ras. The state of growth arrest in G0 is associated with increased expression of the PDGF-betaR, and oncogene-transformed cell lines, which fail to undergo growth-arrest following prolonged serum-deprivation, express constitutively low levels of the PDGF-betaR mRNA, and possess greatly reduced numbers of PDGF-BB-binding sites. This repression of PDGF-betaR expression by p21Ras is, at least in large part, transcriptional. The membrane-associated factor induced by oncogenic p21Ras provides a connection between cell morphology and cytoskeletal elements and control of ligand-dependent PDGF-betaR autophosphorylation. Reversion of the transformed phenotype results in the recovery of PDGF-betaR kinase activity. Conversely, disruption of the actin cytoskeleton of untransformed fibroblasts leads to the loss of PDGF-betaR function. These studies define two potential mechanisms for feedback control of PDGF-betaR function by downstream elements in the PDGF signaling pathway. In addition, the connection between cell morphology and the function of the PDGF-betaR established by these studies provides a new mechanistic link between the organization of the cytoskeleton, the Ras-related small G proteins, and the activity of membrane-bound receptor tyrosine kinases.
Paradoxical modulation of short-term facilitation of dopamine release by dopamine autoreceptors

Electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that dopaminergic neurons burst fire during certain aspects of reward-related behavior; however, the correlation between dopamine release and cell firing is unclear. When complex stimulation patterns that mimic intracranial self-stimulation were employed, dopamine release was shown to exhibit facilitated as well as depressive components (Montague et al. 2004). Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying these variations in dopamine release is necessary to unravel the correlation between unit activity and neurotransmitter release. The dopamine autoreceptor provides negative feedback to dopamine release, inhibiting release on the time scale of a few seconds. Therefore, we investigated this D(2) receptor to see whether it is one of the biological mechanisms responsible for the history-dependent modulation of dopamine release. Striatal dopamine release in anesthetized rats was evoked with stimulus trains that were designed to promote the variability of dopamine release. Consistent with the well established D(2)-mediated autoinhibition, the short-term depressive component of dopamine release was blocked by raclopride, a D(2) antagonist, and enhanced by quinpirole, a D(2)-receptor agonist. Surprisingly, these same drugs exerted a similar effect on the short-term facilitated component: a decrease with raclopride and an increase with quinpirole. These data demonstrate that the commanding control exerted by dopamine autoreceptors over short-term neuroadaptation of dopamine release involves both inhibitory and paradoxically, facilitatory components.
Leadership: A communicative perspective:

This paper reviews the literature on communication in organizations most relevant to the study of leadership. Although leadership communication research has a history of significant overlap with leadership psychology, the value commitments of a communicative orientation now find expression in a large body of extant literature that this paper reviews. These value commitments, which cross several theoretical paradigms, serve as the organizing framework for this paper. The paper concludes with a research agenda for future leadership communication research.
What ethics lie Beyond Oil

Abstract Companies’ responsibilities for safety are important social and environmental welfare concerns. This fictional case—inspired by actual events—presents a capital investment decision intended to improve oil refinery safety. Beyond Oil (BO), Inc. has a recently-acquired refinery that is in need of extensive modernization and repair. The case analysis requires you to integrate capital investment analysis methods with consideration of ethical responsibilities. You have the opportunity to consider how to incorporate both uncertainty and qualitative/strategic information into a conventional discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis and to weigh competing claims and conflicting incentives in order to make a recommendation.
Prevalence and correlates of electronic-cigarette use in young adults: Findings from three studies over five years

Background We aimed to examine prevalence and correlates of past-month electronic cigarette (“e-cigarette”) use and use of e-cigarettes to aid a cessation attempt in three samples of young adult smokers recruited online in 2009–2010 (Study 1), 2010–2011 (Study 2), and 2013 (Study 3).
Critical points of mixtures: An analogy with pure fluids

The thermodynamic properties of vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) states near the critical locus of mixtures are correlated in very close analogy with the techniques used to correlate the properties of pure fluids near a critical point. The only mixture parameters used in the correlation are the values of pressure, volume, temperature, and mole fraction (PVTx) along the physical critical locus. We illustrate the power of the present approach by correlating the rather extensive PVTx data that exist near the critical loci of the binary mixtures: CO2C2H6, SF6C3H8, and C8H18C3H8. Nearly all the data within 10% of the critical temperature may be described within their accuracy despite the occurrence of critical azeotropy or large regions of retrograde condensation.
Healthcare Reform 2009 and Its Implications for Pharmacists

The US healthcare system has been widely criticized by many and praised by others for many reasons that are not mutually exclusive. There is no doubt that, compared with our peer industrialized countries, the US ranks near the bottom in many of the benchmark criteria such as life expectancy, infant mortality, and mortality of the population that is amenable to health care. Despite these shortcomings, the US has been a major innovator in healthcare technology including the development of biological and pharmacological drugs. The shortcomings of our system are often focused on the fact that a significant portion of the population lacks access to these cutting-edge resources and therapies. In this commentary, the healthcare reform proposals that have been introduced in 2008–2009, with a focus on the 3 leading plans that have been put forward by the House of Representatives and Senate, are reviewed. The inclusion of pharmacist-delivered medication therapy management (MTM) as well as medication reconciliation ...
The effect of resections of the inferotemporal cortex or the amygdala on visual orienting and habituation.

Abstract Visual orienting and its habituation were studied by means of an eye-camera technique in monkeys with bilateral inferotemporal or amygdala resections. The number of observing responses emitted was increased by inferotemporal lesions and drastically curtailed by amygdalectomy. By contrast, the change in the distribution of observing responses when the orienting stimulus was displayed was no different in inferotemporally lesioned monkeys and in the controls but orienting was abolished by amygdalectomy. These results are discussed in terms of an analysis of attention into a selective and an intensive component.
Resistance Training for Women’s Health

This review discusses evidence-based perspectives on resistance training for women’s health. Future directions for inquiry and empirically driven public policy initiatives also are addressed.
Construction of an abdominal probabilistic atlas and its application in segmentation

There have been significant efforts to build a probabilistic atlas of the brain and to use it for many common applications, such as segmentation and registration. Though the work related to brain atlases can be applied to nonbrain organs, less attention has been paid to actually building an atlas for organs other than the brain. Motivated by the automatic identification of normal organs for applications in radiation therapy treatment planning, we present a method to construct a probabilistic atlas of an abdomen consisting of four organs (i.e., liver, kidneys, and spinal cord). Using 32 noncontrast abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans, 31 were mapped onto one individual scan using thin plate spline as the warping transform and mutual information (MI) as the similarity measure. Except for an initial coarse placement of four control points by the operators, the MI-based registration was automatic. Additionally, the four organs in each of the 32 CT data sets were manually segmented. The manual segmentations were warped onto the "standard" patient space using the same transform computed from their gray scale CT data set and a probabilistic atlas was calculated. Then, the atlas was used to aid the segmentation of low-contrast organs in an additional 20 CT data sets not included in the atlas. By incorporating the atlas information into the Bayesian framework, segmentation results clearly showed improvements over a standard unsupervised segmentation method.
Erosion and Burial of Granite Rocky Shores in the Recent and Late Pleistocene of the Seychelles Islands: Physical and Biological Perspectives

Abstract Modern and abandoned Pleistocene rocky shores are described for several of the Seychelles Islands in order to examine the range of erosional features typical of granite shores in a tropical setting and to gauge the prospects for their preservation at unconformities in the rock record. The proportion of sandy beaches to rocky shores is estimated for each of the various islands under consideration, including Mahe, Praslin, Ronde, La Digue, Grande Sœur, and Cocos. Aspects of physical geography related to the position of reefs and the variable width of lagoons that surround and buffer the islands is considered with respect to the regional pattern of prevailing winds and oceanic circulation. Literature on the erosion of granite landforms is reviewed and applied to the Seychelles Inner Islands and the Seychelles Bank on which they sit. Outcrops of Pleistocene limestone closely associated with granite surfaces were searched for body fossils that represent an intertidal rocky-shore biota. Coralline red a...
International Organization: What Do We Know and How Do We Pass on Our Knowledge?

The study of international organization (IO) has a long history within international studies. To gauge the state of this domain of inquiry, this contribution to the Forum undertakes a detailed comparative analysis of international organization textbooks. Textbooks are an important indicator of the knowledge that has accumulated in an area of study because they represent the efforts of scholars to draw together the state of the field for students. Not only does such a comparative analysis provide an overview of what the study of international organization has to offer, but it also demonstrates some of the different understandings and emphases that exist among scholars in the field. The textbooks that are examined here include those used by the author in his IO courses or found in a careful review of publishers' catalogues. Although the designation of a book as a textbook is sometimes fairly clear-cut, with either the catalogue or book jacket identifying the book as such, some of the books included in the present analysis may not have been explicitly designed by the authors as textbooks. However, the books that either are used or would be viable to use as a text in an IO class were incorporated into this study. Another criterion for the books that were selected was that they be available in paperback. The one exception to this criterion is the text by A. LeRoy Bennett and James Oliver (2002), which is only available in hardback. Finally, the books selected were in print at the time of writing. The seven books that resulted from this survey and that will be discussed in what follows are:
Learning to teach in a new medium: Adapting library instruction to a videoconferencing environment

The development of a new method of providing instruction involves many different issues. This paper examines a pilot project in which videoconferencing was used to provide library instruction to students at remote campuses. The librarians initiating this new service confronted the issues of training, adaptation of instruction techniques to the new format, and collaboration with faculty and administrative staff. They also dealt with administrative issues such as scheduling classes and facilities and staff scheduling. This paper examines how this cross-departmental project developed and was supported, how the initial training was conducted, and how existing class outlines were adapted. Also discussed are the lessons learned from the initial sessions. Varied administrative and collaborative challenges face the library, faculty, and departmental administrators as this project moves from pilot project status into a regular and required part of the curriculum.
High-performance photonic analogue-digital converter

The authors demonstrate a photonic analogue-digital converter architecture based on temporal-spectral mapping. Linearily chirped optical pulses form a quasi-continuous carrier modulated by the analogue RF signal. The signal is separated into several distinct wavelength channels for parallel demodulation and quantisation. Measurements performed on 70 ps electrical signals indicate six bit resolution.
Feasibility study of normal and septic tracheal imaging using optical coherence tomography.

Author(s): Jung, Woonggyu; Zhang, Jun; Mina-Araghi, Reza; Hanna, Nevine; Brenner, Matthew; Nelson, J Stuart; Chen, Zhongping | Abstract: Background and objectivesOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology that may be adapted for use with flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy, potentially allowing it to play an important role in pulmonary diagnostics. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of OCT to image tracheal pathology.Study design/materials and methodsTracheas were harvested from normal and septic New Zealand White rabbits and imaged using OCT. Two delivery devices were employed. One was a moving stage with an objective lens and collimator, the other a linear scanning flexible fiberoptic catheter using a GRIN lens and prism for endoscopic OCT. After OCT images were obtained from normal and septic tracheas, the excised tissues were prepared for standard histologic examination. Areas imaged by OCT were compared with corresponding histology slides.ResultsOCT images demonstrated in detail tracheal sub-surface structures such as the epithelium, lamina propria, submucosa, and cartilage. The appearance of structures imaged by OCT corresponded very well with histologic pictures obtained by light microscopy. The OCT images from septic tracheas showed marked swelling of the mucosal and submucosal layers. Such pathology was equally imaged by either the moving stage or fiberoptic catheter for endoscopic OCT.ConclusionsOCT images of the trachea can distinguish many sub-surface structural features usually requiring biopsy and light microscopy for visualization. Marked differences between normal and septic trachea were apparent in OCT images. In the future, OCT may be a valuable tool for evaluating tracheal pathology in situ with high image resolution.
The challenge of developing robust drugs to overcome resistance

Drug resistance is problematic in microbial disease, viral disease and cancer. Understanding at the outset that resistance will impact the effectiveness of any new drug that is developed for these disease categories is imperative. In this Feature, we detail approaches that have been taken with selected drug targets to reduce the susceptibility of new drugs to resistance mechanisms. We will also define the concepts of robust drugs and resilient targets, and discuss how the design of robust drugs and the selection of resilient targets can lead to successful strategies for combating resistance.
A Numerical Study of the Steady Circulation in an Open Bay

Abstract The steady-state circulation in a rectangular bay is studied numerically in a model of homogeneous water and vertical coasts. The competing influences of the surface winds and longshore currants flowing by the open side of the bay and the effect of the bathymetry are emphasized. For a wind-stress field that does not vary along the coast but decays linearly inshore from the open side of the bay, the mass-transport streamfunction contours form a gyre rotating in the sense of the wind-stress curl. A uniform continental shelf slope distorts the gyre by creating depth variations that cause vortex stretching. Consequently, the streamlines become more packed to the right of the down-slope direction. The nonlinearity tends to destroy symmetry by crowding streamlines in the direction of the induced current. The influence of large-scale ocean currents along the open side is normally confined to the outer half of the bay. When the wind is blowing against these currents, the influence of the wind creates two...