cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional Modulation of ES-Derived Hepatocyte Lineage Cells via Substrate Compliance Alteration

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells represent a promising renewable cell source to generate a variety of differentiated cell types including hepatocyte lineage cells, and may ultimately be incorporated into extracorporeal bioartificial liver devices and cell replacement therapies. Recently, we and others have utilized sodium butyrate to directly differentiate hepatocyte-like cells from murine embryonic stem cells cultured in a monolayer configuration. However, to incorporate stem cell technology into clinical and pharmaceutical applications, and hopefully increase the therapeutic potential of these differentiated cells for liver disease treatment, a major challenge remains in sustaining differentiated functions for an extended period of time in their secondary culture environment. In the present work, we have investigated the use of polyacrylamide hydrogels with defined mechanical compliances as a cell culture platform for improving and/or stabilizing functions of these hepatocyte-like cells. Several functional assays, e.g., urea secretion, intracellular albumin content, and albumin secretion, were performed to characterize hepatic functions of cells on polyacrylamide gels with stiffnesses of 5, 46.6, and 230 kPa. In conjunction with the mechanical and cell morphological characterization, we showed that hepatic functions of sodium butyrate differentiated cells were sustained and further enhanced on compliant substrates. This study promises to offer insights into regulating stem cell differentiation via mechanical stimuli, and assist us with designing a variety of dynamic culture systems for applications in tissue and cellular engineering.
3D simulation of cracks and fractures in a molecular solid under stress and compression

Abstract Using molecular mechanics, we study the evolution and propagation of cracks and fractures in a three-dimensional molecular sheet of ice under stress and compression. We use an approximate 6–12 Lennard-Jones potential for a pair of ice molecules to derive dynamical equations for the ice molecules in the solid. The resulting systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations are then used to simulate the evolution and propagation of cracks and fractures in the solid. In the computer examples, we compare dynamical responses when the solid sheet of ice has a slot or does not have a slot. The mechanisms for development of both cracks and fractures are presented and discussed. In addition, the buckling effect is seen clearly in the results.
SV40 Immortalization of feline fibroblasts as targets for MHC-restricted cytotoxic T-cell assays

CTL assays in outbred cats have been difficult to perform because of a lack of a good source of syngeneic target cell. Primary fibroblasts from cats are widely used as target cells for MHC-restricted cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) assays, but their limited life-spans of 8-10 culture passages can be problematic for longitudinal studies. To circumvent the life-span limitations of primary fibroblast cultures, we developed a procedure for immortalizing feline primary fibroblast cells by transfection with a molecular clone of simian virus 40 (SV40). Fibroblast cultures from skin biopsies of 28 cats were immortalized using this procedure and have been passaged for longer than 6 months without showing any phenotypic difference from the original primary cells. Non-SV40 transfected feline fibroblasts from a selection of animals in the same group survived for only 6-8 weeks before reaching senescence. The immortalized fibroblasts expressed SV40 T-antigen and Class I MHC protein, and were successfully used as target cells in 51Cr release CTL assays in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats and in vitro stimulated allogeneic T-cell cultures.
Large Variations in 13Cα Chemical Shift Anisotropy in Proteins Correlate with Secondary Structure

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the relation between protein structure and chemical shift.1-8 Most clear-cut has been the correlation between the deviation of 13CR chemical shifts from their random coil values (so-called secondary shifts) and the polypeptide backbone angles, φ and ψ.3 Characteristic downfield secondary shifts of ∼3 ppm in R-helices and small (∼1 ppm) upfield shifts in â-sheet have greatly facilitated the identification of secondary structure.3,4 The root-mean-square agreement between 13CR chemical shifts in the 213-residue protein cutinase and values predicted on the basis of its 1.25-A crystal structure was only 0.95 ppm.9 Isotropic shifts only report on the average shielding along three orthogonal axis, and frequently small changes in isotropic shift correspond to much larger changes in chemical shift anisotropy.10,11 In this case, ab initio calculations are expected to be particularly useful at correlating changes in the shielding tensor with structure. Here, we show that quantitative information on the 13CR CSA is readily obtained from relatively simple 2D and 3D triple resonance solution state NMR experiments. Results confirm that also for 13CR, small variations in isotropic chemical shift are accompanied by much larger changes in the CSA tensor. Relaxation interference (cross correlation)12 between the 13C1HR and 13CR CSA interactions results in different transverse relaxation rates, λ ( η, of the two 13CR-{1HR} doublet components.13 The cross-correlation component, η, is given by10,11,13
Three photosynthetic antenna porphyrins in a primitive green alga

Abstract Fluorescence excitation spectra (between 400–500 and 610–700 nm) for chlorophyll emission from particles and detergent extracts of the primitive green microalga, Mantoniella , were measured. The results showed that the prophyrin, magnesium 2,4-divinylpheoporphyrin a 5 , which this alga accumulates in addition to Chl b , also can transfer excitation energy to Chl a , and therefore act as antenna for photosynthesis. Evidence was found that magnesium 2,4-divinylpheoporphyrin a 5 has a Soret band near 450 nm in vivo which further increases the light-harvesting capacity of these algae growing deep in the open ocean.
Catalytic conversion of alcohols: VI. Selectivity of indium oxide

India, in contrast to two other oxides of group IIIA metals (alumina and gallia), is active for dehydrogenation as well as dehydration. Furthermore, india is selective for the formation of 1-alkenes from 2-ols. Neither the alkene selectivity nor the dehydrogenation-dehydration selectivity changed uniformly as one progressed through the group IIIA metal oxide catalysts. Primary and secondary alcohols reduced indium oxide to an undetermined oxide composition at the reaction temperatures. The dehydrogenation-dehydration selectivity depended on the degree of reduction of the catalyst.
Women in Religion: A Sociological Perspective*

Religious ministry, theology, and even the study of religion in history and sociology have been done for so long from a male point of view that the burgeoning activity and reflection of women scholars and activists are not yet researched or deliberated when male scholars define the parameters for interpretation and name the problems as they perceive them. Current scholarship is sadly lacking in its address of modern problems in religious perspective, especially as attempts are made to understand the new pressures on population and institutions.
Modeling the machine layout problem

Abstract In this paper, a mathematical model for the machine layout problem is presented. The objective function of the model minimizes the total cost involved in transporting material between each pair of machines. The constraints ensure that: (i) the pickup and drop-off points of a machine fall within the boundaries of the machine; (ii) no two machines in the layout overlap; and (iii) the machines are located inside the building. A simulated annealing algorithm for solving the model is also presented. The solution provided by the algorithm indicates the MHS paths, the relative positioning of each machine, the pick-up and drop-off points for each machine, and clearance between machines.
Hyperchaotic probe for damage identification using nonlinear prediction error

Abstract The idea of damage assessment based on using a steady-state chaotic excitation and state space embedding, proposed during the recent few years, has led to the development of a computationally feasible health monitoring technique based on comparisons between the geometry of a baseline attractor and a test attractor at some unknown state of health. This study explores an extension to this concept, namely a hyperchaotic excitation. Three different types of Lorenz chaotic/hyperchaotic oscillators are used to provide the excitations and comparisons are made using a prediction error feature called ‘nonlinear auto-prediction error’, which is based on attractor geometry, to evaluate the efficiency of chaotic excitation versus hyperchaotic ones. An 8-degree-of-freedom system and a cantilever beam are two models that are used for numerical simulation. A comparison between the results from the chaotic excitation with the results from each of the hyperchaotic excitations, obtained for both of the numerical models, highlights the higher sensitivity of a hyperchaotic excitation relative to a chaotic excitation. The experimental results also confirm the numerical results conveying the higher sensitivity of the hyperchaotic excitation compared to the chaotic one. A hyperchaotic excitation having three positive Lyapunov exponents is shown in some cases to be even more sensitive than a two-positive-Lyapunov-exponent hyperchaotic excitation.
Collagens from the skin and cartilage of the larval salamander Ambystoma tigrinum

The major collagens of larval salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) skin and cartilage were purified and characterized by CM-cellulose chromatography and amino acid analysis of the component alpha chains. The collagens are similar to type I (skin) and type II (cartilage) collagens of birds and mammals. The type I molecule has the chain composition (alpha 1)2 alpha 2, and the type II molecule is an (alpha 1)3 molecule. Both collagens have lower levels of proline hydroxylation than the collagens isolated from homoiotherms, and generally higher serine contents. The type II collagen molecule has about half of its lysine residues hydroxylated, as in cartilage collagens of other species. Cyanogen bromide digestion of the component alpha chains followed by CM-cellulose chromatography or SDS gel electrophoresis of the peptides confirms that each chain is a different gene product and allows identification of the collagens in this species. Similar collagens were isolated from newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) tissues by pepsin extraction and fractional salt precipitation. These data will allow more effective utilization of the regeneration salamander limb for studies of collagen metabolism during regeneration.
A High-Performance Keyboard Neural Prosthesis Enabled by Task Optimization

Communication neural prostheses are an emerging class of medical devices that aim to restore efficient communication to people suffering from paralysis. These systems rely on an interface with the user, either via the use of a continuously moving cursor (e.g., mouse) or the discrete selection of symbols (e.g., keyboard). In developing these interfaces, many design choices have a significant impact on the performance of the system. The objective of this study was to explore the design choices of a continuously moving cursor neural prosthesis and optimize the interface to maximize information theoretic performance. We swept interface parameters of two keyboard-like tasks to find task and subject-specific optimal parameters as measured by achieved bitrate using two rhesus macaques implanted with multielectrode arrays. In this paper, we present the highest performing free-paced neural prosthesis under any recording modality with sustainable communication rates of up to 3.5 bits/s. These findings demonstrate that meaningful high performance can be achieved using an intracortical neural prosthesis, and that, when optimized, these systems may be appropriate for use as communication devices for those with physical disabilities.
Transcription factor NtcB specifically controls the nitrate assimilation genes in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002

SUMMARY The ntcA and ntcB genes, encoding cAMP-receptor-protein (CRP) type and LysR type transcriptional regulators, respectively, were isolated from the transformable marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 to study the inactivation of these genes by interposon mutagenesis. The ntcA gene could not be disrupted in this cyanobacterial strain, indicating that the ntcA gene is essential for cell growth on either urea or nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. The ntcB mutant cells grew very slowly on nitrate or nitrite as the sole nitrogen source but could grow on urea at the same rate as wild-type cells. The consumption of nitrate and nitrite was barely detectable in the ntcB mutant cells, indicating that nitrate and nitrite use was impaired in the ntcB mutant. In wild-type cells, mRNA levels for the three genes required for nitrate assimilation, nrtP (nitrate permease), narB (nitrate reductase) and nirA (nitrite reductase), increased when cells were shifted to nitrate growth conditions, but no increase in transcription of these genes occurred in the ntcB mutant. The mRNA level of ntcA was nearly identical in the wild-type and ntcB mutant cells. These results demonstrate that NtcB specifically controls the transcription of the three genes for nitrate assimilation in this marine cyanobacterium.
Parallel processing of multielement displays

Abstract The spatiotemporal characteristics of mechanisms that extract information from complex alphanumeric displays were investigated in a series of experiments using search and same-different detection tasks. Under several (but not all) experimental conditions the functions relating reaction time to the number of elements in the display were flat. Such data are consistent with a model in which individual elements are examined by independent parallel channels. Interestingly, this model was appropriate even in a search task in which the target was specified as any digit and the nontargets were a random assortment of letters.
Femtosecond laser observations of molecular vibration and rotation

Ultrafast molecular vibrations and rotations are the fundamental motions that characterize chemical bonding and determine reaction dynamics at the molecular level. The timescales for these motions are typically 10^(−10) s for vibrations and 10^(−13) s for rotations. For decades, time-integrated (frequency-resolved) spectros-copy has provided a powerful tool for probing the dynamics of motion, but the motions themselves are not 'seen' directly in real-time. With femtosecond laser techniques it is now possible to follow the motions of isolated molecular systems as they occur. The requirement is that the system is excited (for vibration) and aligned (for rotation) on a timescale shorter than the vibrational and rotational periods. Here we report real-time observations of these molecular motions. The system—in this case, molecular iodine—is prepared in the particular state(s) of interest by coherent excitation with an initial femtosecond laser pulse, and the subsequent motions are probed with successive femtosecond pulses. The probe monitors changes in the interatomic distance (vibration) or molecular orientation (rotation), so that the measured signal provides direct 'snapshots' of the molecular motions.
Impact of introducing a direct channel on supply chain performance

We construct a dual channel (direct and retailer-intermediated) supply chain model in this paper that captures key attributes of the relationship between a manufacturer and a retailer, and present thorough analysis to understand how different channel characteristics influence the supply chain equilibrium behaviours. Our analysis shows the specific conditions that each party is better off or worse off in a dual-channel system, and when channel conflicts exist, if they do, when they are solvable and when they are not. The managerial insights gained from this study can serve as practical guidelines for supply chain firms utilising the dual channel strategy.
230Th and 231Pa in the Arctic Ocean: Implications for particle fluxes and basin-scale Th/Pa fractionation

Abstract We report concentrations of 231Pa, 230Th, and 232Th measured in unfiltered seawater samples from three stations occupied during the 1994 Arctic Ocean Section; at the western edge of the Canada Basin, in the Makarov Basin, and in the Amundsen Basin at the North Pole. The North Pole data agree well with previously published profiles from the Amundsen Basin. 230Th and 231Pa concentrations in the Canada and Makarov Basins are intermediate between those reported previously for the Beaufort Sea and the Alpha Ridge, reinforcing the observation that scavenging rates are variable in the western and central Arctic and can be as rapid as in the Eurasian Basin and other oceans. Thorium-232 data indicate that relatively high rates of scavenging under the permanent ice cover are driven at least in part by offshore transport of detrital particulate material. A comparison of water column 230Th 231Pa ratios throughout the Arctic suggests that there may be little basin-scale fractionation of these two isotopes in this ocean, contrary to expectations based on the relatively large area of the continental shelves and their contrasts with the deep basins. Models of shelf–basin exchange and 230Th/231Pa scavenging, incorporating available constraints, support this suggestion and point to the need for more data from the Arctic shelves, where the imprint of Th/Pa fractionation, if any, is expected be most pronounced.
Extensions of Power Transitions: Applications to Political Economy

This is a paper about theory in political economy terms and political economy in theoretical terms. It unifies power transition theory and applies it to the central questions that now confront political economists. Will trade wars emerge as the security challenge declines? What are the economic effects of integration, trade and growth? How will economic patterns influence international power relationships? This paper offers a preliminary bridge whereon practitioners and theorist may meet to assess the challenges that lie at the intersection between politics and economics.
Material Optimization and System Demonstration for Persistent Read/Write Holographic Storage in LiNbO3:Fe:Mn Crystals

A congruently grown LiNbO3:Fe:Mn crystal with high Fe concentrations is optimized and characterized to be used in holographic memory. Particularly, the material properties for 90o geometry with small grating period is investigated in details.
Continuous monitoring in an inpatient medical-surgical unit: a controlled clinical trial.

Abstract Background For hospitalized patients with unexpected clinical deterioration, delayed or suboptimal intervention is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Lack of continuous monitoring for average-risk patients has been suggested as a contributing factor for unexpected in-hospital mortality. Our objective was to assess the effects of continuous heart rate and respiration rate monitoring in a medical-surgical unit on unplanned transfers and length of stay in the intensive care unit and length of stay in the medical-surgical unit. Methods In a controlled study, we have compared a 33-bed medical-surgical unit (intervention unit) to a "sister" control unit for a 9-month preimplementation and a 9-month postimplementation period. Following the intervention, all beds in the intervention unit were equipped with monitors that allowed for continuous assessment of heart and respiration rate. Results We reviewed 7643 patient charts: 2314 that were continuously monitored in the intervention arm and 5329 in the control arms. Comparing the average length of stay of patients hospitalized in the intervention unit following the implementation of the monitors to that before the implementation and to that in the control unit, we observed a significant decrease (from 4.0 to 3.6 and 3.6 days, respectively; P P = .04). The rate of transfer to the intensive care unit did not change, comparing before and after implementation and to the control unit ( P = .19). Rate of code blue events decreased following the intervention from 6.3 to 0.9 and 2.1, respectively, per 1000 patients ( P = .02). Conclusions Continuous monitoring on a medical-surgical unit was associated with a significant decrease in total length of stay in the hospital and in intensive care unit days for transferred patients, as well as lower code blue rates.
Finite element model correlation and calibration of historic masonry monuments: review

Building a reliable finite element (FE) model of historic masonry structures is a difficult undertaking due to the challenges in accurate representation of irregular geometry, complex material behaviour and complicated boundary conditions between structural masonry components. Model calibration refers to correcting the inherent deficiencies within the FE model by matching outputs to measured data. Model calibration has the potential to produce more reliable computer models and thus aid in the economical management and maintenance of contemporary as well as heritage structures. Researchers involved in the assessment of historic masonry monuments have devoted decades of consistent attention to FE model calibration. This paper reviews the recent developments in this topic with a focus on complex vaulted masonry monuments. Studies on simpler forms of masonry structures, such as masonry arch bridges or masonry towers, are also discussed since they lay the groundwork for studies on more complex structures. This paper identifies several remaining technical challenges as model calibration approaches gain wider recognition and usage in historic monument structural assessment. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Micromechanisms of yield and flow in ordered intermetallic alloys

Abstract The stability and mobility of active slip systems in superlattice structures, for both cubic and noncubic crystals, are theoretically investigated based on the energetics and kinetics of dislocation dissociations. The main concept of the force couplet model for the positive temperature dependence of yield and flow stress is introduced. Two sources of the glide resistance in ordered lattices are the fault dragging mechanism and the cross-slip pinning mechanism. The effective fault energy consists of two terms related to the chemical and mechanical instability of a shear fault (APB or SISF). Dependence of the yield stress on the orientation and the sense of applied stress stems from the signs and magnitudes of the glide and non-glide stresses. As the effective fault energy is altered by solute segregation and/or high non-glide stress, the two glide resistance mechanisms are affected differently. In Ni 3 Al and β-CuZn, the anomalous yield strength, strian rate sensitivity, in situ deformation TEM observations, and nonstoichiometry effect are discussed in view of the present model.
Incorporation of liposomal phytosterols into human cells in culture: a potential in vitro model for investigating pathological effects of phytosterolemia.

Abstract A potential in vitro cell culture model was developed for studies concerning the pathological effect of phytosterolemia in which liposomal phytosterols were incorporated into human skin fibroblasts and hepatoblastoma (HepG 2 ) cells. After incubation with phytosterols, fibroblasts and HepG 2 cells contained a significant amount (20–27%) of phytosterols (campesterol and β-sitosterol). Phytosterol accumulation caused a significant reduction in the cholesterol content of cells. Labeled sitosterol and cholesterol showed similar uptake with lower esterification of sitosterol when compared to cholesterol. Labeled sitosterol incorporated into LDL was esterified to a greater extent than sitosterol added as straight liposome. About 23% of the labeled sitosterol was converted into acidic products and 5.6% was present as 5α-stanols in HepG 2 cells.
Effect of cocaine and lidocaine on the development of kindled seizures.

Abstract The effect of a subconvulsive dose of cocaine or lidocaine on the development of kindling was studied in male Long-Evans rats. Animals were divided into three groups and kindled by daily electrical stimulation of the pyriform cortex. Fifteen minutes before each stimulation each animal received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline, 20 mg/kg cocaine hydrochloride, or 20 mg/kg lidocaine hydrochloride. Following kindling the drug treatment was discontinued and the transfer of kindling to a nondrug state was assessed by test stimulations given 2, 6, and 48 days after the last of day kindling. Both cocaine and lidocaine dramatically accelerated the development of kindling. Furthermore, the duration of clonus at kindling criterion was significantly longer in lidocaine-treated animals than in animals treated with saline, and the onset of clonus in cocaine-treated animals occurred significantly sooner after stimulation. However, this performance did not transfer fully to the nondrug state, with some animals failing to exhibit clonus. Among those animals exhibiting clonus at nondrug tests, afterdischarge duration was significantly higher in cocaine-treated than in saline-treated animals, but clonus duration was no longer elevated in lidocaine-treated animals, and the latency to clonus rose dramatically in animals previously treated with either cocaine or lidocaine. These results indicate that a subconvulsive dose of cocaine of lidocaine can facilitate the development of kindling when the drug is active at the time of electrical stimulation, apparently by means of the local anesthetic action shared by the two drugs. The kindling produced in this fashion is not entirely equivalent to kindling produced by electrical stimulation alone. In animals kindled under the influence of local anesthetic, the afterdischarge at the site of stimulation is expressed at least as strongly in the absence of the drugs as in their presence, but spread of seizure activity to other areas of the brain, as reflected by the occurence and latency of clonus, appears to have been temporarily enhanced by the drugs and is weakened in their absence.
Incompatible element and isotopic evidence for tectonic control of source mixing and melt extraction along the Central American arc

The Sr and Nd isotopic ratios of Central American volcanics can be described by the mixing of four components, marine sediment from DSDP Site 495, MORB-source mantle (DM), EMORB-source mantle (EM), and continental crust. Most of the isotopic data define a trend between EM and a modified mantle (MM) formed as a mixture of DM and less than 0.5% marine sediment, or fluid derived there from. The MM to EM trend is equally apparent in the incompatible-element data and is most clearly seen in a Ba/La versus La/Yb plot. A hyperbolic trend connects high Ba/La and low La/Yb at the MM end of the trend to low Ba/La and high La/Yb at the EM end. Smooth regional variations in incompatible-element and isotopic ratios correlate with the dip of the subducted slab beneath the volcanic front and the volume of lava erupted during the last 100,000 years (volcanic flux). Steep dip and low flux characterize the MM end-member and shallow dip and high flux characterize the EM end-member. The simplest model to explain the linked tectonic and geochemical data involves melting in the wedge by two distinct mechanisms, followed by mixing between the two magmas. In one case, EM magma is generated by decompression of EM plus DM asthenosphere, which is drawn in and up toward the wedge corner. EM mantle is preferentially melted to small degrees because of the presence of low melting components. The second melt is formed by release of fluid from the subducted slab beneath the volcanic front to form MM magma. Mixing between EM and MM magmas is controlled by subduction angle, which facilitates delivery of EM magma to the volcanic front at low-dip angles and impedes it at steep-dip angles.
Self-sustaining thin films as a means of reducing first wall erosion and plasma impurity influx☆

Abstract Neutral impurities ejected from Tokamak wall and limiter surfaces may travel several cm before being ionized very quickly upon entering the plasma edge. The influence of the unipolar sheath potential is exerted only within a very short distance of the surface and has no effect on neutral impurity atoms which are subsequently ionized by charge-exchange collisions or electron impact ionization. However, secondary ions emanating from the limiter surfaces with kinetic energies less than the sheath potential will have essentially zero probability of traveling more than a few Debye lengths before being redeposited. Similarly, secondary ions originating at the first wall are redeposited as a result of the deflection produced by the magnetic field. Impurity influx resulting from sputtering would therefore be substantially reduced for surfaces which produce a very high ion/neutral ratio when sputtered. It has been previously shown that the high secondary ion yield associated with the alkali metal potassium does not apply to the bulk metal but pertains to ionic compounds and thin (mono-layer) films. Two processes are discussed as a means of producing these films in a self-sustaining manner compatible with the fusion reactor environment.
Anal cancer incidence and survival: comparing the greater San-Francisco bay area to other SEER cancer registries.

The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, anal canal, and anorectum (SCCA) has increased over time. However, there are still no national guidelines on screening for SCCA among high-risk populations. Providers at University of California, San Francisco have been at the forefront of providing anal dysplasia screening. To determine whether such a screening program allows for earlier detection of abnormalities and consequently, improves patient survival, we conducted an ecological study using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program to compare the San Francisco-Oakland catchment area (SF-O) to other SEER sites where routine screening has not been as accessible. Cox regression models were utilized to assess the impact of residing in the SF-O region, versus other SEER sites, on cause-specific mortality hazard. Logistic regression was used to determine if site was associated with the probability of having an in situ versus invasive tumor among SCCA cases. All analyses were stratified on calendar time (1985–1995 and 1996–2008) to compare differences pre- and post- highly active anti-retroviral therapy. Among SCCA cases, being reported by the SF-O registry was associated with a four fold higher probability of having an in situ tumor (rather than an invasive tumor) [95% CI: 3.48–4.61], compared to sites outside of California, between 1996 and 2008. Cases reported from the SF-O region between 1996 and 2008 had a 39% lower mortality risk than those reported from registries outside California (95% CI: 0.51–0.72). However, there was no decrease in the rate of invasive SCCA over this period. This is the first ecological study to evaluate whether access to anal cancer screening programs may help improve patient survival by allowing for earlier detection of lesions. Our results imply that routine screening programs may help detect SCCA at an earlier stage and thus, potentially impact patient survival.
Loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in dogs given small amounts of endotoxin.

DiscussIoN Dr. Zwillich: From rough calculations from your graphs of the arterial blood gas determinations on your animal subjects, it appears that the alveolar-arterial oxygen difference was actually reduced from the baseline values prior to endotoxin administration to an almost ideal level; that is, virtually no A-a gradient following endotoxin. How do you reconcile that fact with the pathologic changes which you have demonstrated in the lungs of these animals? Dr. Ishikawa: We felt that this occurred because so little of the lung was actually involved with this pathologic process. We believe that the uninvolved regions of the lung were able to compensate for the small areas injured after endotoxin exposure. Dr. Thuribeck: Can you tell me the relationship between anesthesia and awakening in these animals during the period of observation? Dr. Gemer: The pentobarbital was given 30 mg/kg IV before endotoxin injection and was not repeated. The animals appeared to be in a semi-conscious state throughout the experiment. 16 Durlacher SH, Bandfield WG Jr. Bergner AD: Postmortem pulmonary edema. Yale J Biol Med 22:565-572, 1950 17 Morada AO: Postmortem pulmonary edema: Differential susceptibility in newborn and adult rabbits. Arch Pathol 85:468-474, 1968
Tracking extrema in dynamic environments using a coevolutionary agent-based model of genotype edition

Typical applications of evolutionary optimization in static environments involve the approximation of the extrema of functions. For dynamic environments, the interest is not to locate the extrema but to follow it as closely as possible. This paper compares the extrema-tracking performance of a traditional Genetic Algorithm and a coevolutionary agent-based model of Genotype Editing (ABMGE). This model is constructed using several genetic editing characteristics that are gleaned from the RNA editing system as observed in several organisms. The incorporation of editing mechanisms provides a means for artificial agents with genetic descriptions to gain greater phenotypic plasticity. By allowing the family of editors and the genotypes of agents to co-evolve using the re-generation of editors as a control switch for environmental changes, the artificial agents in ABMGE can discover proper editors to facilitate the tracking of the extrema in dynamic environments. We will show that this agent-based model, together with a coevolutionary mechanism, is more adaptive and robust than the GA. We expect the framework proposed in this paper to advance the current state of research of Evolutionary Computation in dynamic environments.
Switching between diversity and multiplexing in MIMO systems

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems can offer high data rates through spatial multiplexing or substantial diversity using transmit diversity. In this letter, switching between spatial multiplexing and transmit diversity is proposed as a simple way to improve the diversity performance of spatial multiplexing. In the proposed approach, for a fixed rate, either multiplexing or diversity is chosen based on the instantaneous channel state and the decision is conveyed to the transmitter via a low-rate feedback channel. The minimum Euclidean distance at the receiver is computed for spatial multiplexing and transmit diversity and is used to derive the selection criterion. Additionally, the Demmel condition number of the matrix channel is shown to provide a sufficient condition for multiplexing to outperform diversity. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate improvement over either multiplexing or diversity individually in terms of bit error rate.
The Living World

At the time of Jan De Witt there were already five universities. The oldest was that of Leiden, founded in 1575 after the triumph over the Spanish. This was in Holland. Then followed those of Franeker in Frisia in 1585, of Harderwijk in Gelderland in 1603, of Groningen in the province of Groningen in 1614 and of Utrecht in the province of Utrecht in 1636. In addition there were Latin schools and Athenaea, as those of Dordrecht, Breda and Deventer. The most famous Athenaeum was in Amsterdam and its status almost equalled that of a university. It dated from 1632 and is the forerunner of the present university. The astronomical observatory at Leiden was founded in 1633, that of Utrecht in 1642.1 Lectures were given, and textbooks written, in Latin.
Analysis of secondary electron emission for conducting materials using 4-grid LEED/AES optics

A facility utilizing 4-grid optics for LEED/AES (low energy electron diffraction/Auger electron spectroscopy) was developed to measure the total secondary electron yield and secondary electron energy distribution function for conducting materials. The facility and experimental procedure were validated with measurements of 50–500 eV primary electrons impacting graphite. The total yield was calculated from measurements of the secondary electron current (i) from the sample and (ii) from the collection assembly, by biasing each surface. Secondary electron yield results from both methods agreed well with each other and were within the spread of previous results for the total yield from graphite. Additionally, measurements of the energy distribution function of secondary electrons from graphite are provided for a wider range of incident electron energies. These results can be used in modeling plasma-wall interactions in plasmas bounded by graphite walls, such as are found in plasma thrusters, and divertors and limiters of magnetic fusion devices.
Personality, coping style and well-being of parents rearing children with developmental disabilities

Background Parents with children with developmental disabilities (DD) encounter a variety of stressors associated with rearing their children and must develop effective coping mechanisms in order to adapt successfully to these challenges. Previous research has failed to establish the role of parental individual differences in the reported use of different coping strategies. The current study explores parental personality and whether children with DD were adopted or born into the families and their influence on the coping strategies used by mothers and fathers. Methods A total of 97 mother–father dyads rearing at least one child with DD were participants. They narrated stressful situations related to their child and completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire twice. Data were also collected with regard to personality, depression and subjective well-being (SWB). Results Both adoptive and birth mothers and fathers used more problem-focused than emotion-focused strategies. Personality factors, Neuroticism especially, were predictive of coping strategy use. Higher levels of Positive Reappraisal were associated with higher levels of SWB, whereas higher levels of Escape-Avoidance were associated with lower levels of SWB, but only for mothers. Results were consistent with a dispositional model of strategy use in that frequency of use was associated with personality characteristics, was consistent over time, and for different children in the same families. Future research should focus on the persistence of the associations between strategy use and well-being and whether they hold true at different stages of the lifespan when coping contexts may change quite dramatically.
Twelfth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research

During the past century, environmental hazards have become a major concern, not only to public health professionals, but also to the society at large because of their tremendous health, socio-cultural and economic impacts. Various anthropogenic or natural factors have been implicated in the alteration of ecosystem integrity, as well as in the development of a wide variety of acute and/or chronic diseases in humans. It has also been demonstrated that many environmental agents, acting either independently or in combination with other toxins, may induce a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Understanding the role played by the environment in the etiology of human diseases is critical to designing cost-effective control/prevention measures. This special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health includes the proceedings of the Twelfth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research. The Symposium provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the scientific advances in biomedical, environmental, and public health research that addresses global environmental health issues.
Complement Regulatory Activity of Normal Human Intraocular Fluid Is Mediated by MCP, DAF, and CD59

Purpose To identify the molecules in normal human intraocular fluid (aqueous humor and vitreous) that inhibit the functional activity of the complement system.
Healthy Body/Healthy Spirit: a church-based nutrition and physical activity intervention

African-Americans (AAs) are significantly less likely to be physically active than other Americans, and, like all Americans, they consume fewer than the recommended five fruit and vegetable (F & V) servings per day. This study, titled Healthy Body/Healthy Spirit, has two primary aims: (1) to test the effectiveness of a culturally tailored self-help dietary (focusing on F & V intake) and physical activity (PA) intervention compared to standard health education materials, and (2) to test the effectiveness of using Motivational Interviewing (MI), delivered by telephone, to modify PA and dietary habits. The study is a randomized effectiveness trial with three experimental conditions. Group 1 (comparison) will receive standard (existing commercial) nutrition and PA intervention materials, Group 2 (TX1) will receive a culturally tailored self-help nutrition and PA intervention of similar intensity as Group 1, and Group 3 (TX2) will receive the same intervention as Group 2, plus four telephone counseling calls based on MI. Participants will be AA adults recruited through local black churches. Despite the extensive use of MI to modify addictive behaviors, this represents one of the first controlled field trials to employ MI to address diet and PA. Secondly, this is one of the first studies to test the effectiveness of a self
Density Independence Versus Density Dependence in Streams

In the past 40 years stream ecology has been largely a descriptive science. Taxonomy has been a major thrust. Stream researchers have described the basic structure of stream communities and the life histories of some component species have been worked out. Enough information has now been amassed for researchers to examine functional relationships within the stream community. The formalization of the functional group concept (Cummins, 1974), the River Continuum Concept (Vannote et al., 1980), the recognition of the importance of detritus (Cummins, 1974; Fisher and Likens, 1972), and the importance of instream autotrophy (McIntire, 1973; Minshall, 1978) all represent major advances in our understanding of stream community structure. Yet, few studies have attempted to evaluate density dependence in structuring the organismal associations in stream communities.
Predicting Immediate Settlement on Spread Footings for Highway Bridges

The design of shallow foundations is becoming an attractive choice for supporting highway bridge structures. The analysis is considered as a semi-empirical methodology that is based on linear and nonlinear models of behavior for settlement prediction. In this paper, the performance prediction methods for spread footing foundations are verified by using compiled field data based on vertical settlements measured on 23 sites of footings for 12 highway bridges selected in Ohio and Northeast of the United States. Six settlement prediction methods are selected for calculation immediate settlement of spread footings on cohesionless soils for each site and compared with measured values of settlement. The settlements of footings in sandy soils are often estimated based on the results of in-situ tests. In particular, the standard penetration test (SPT) is considered in this study for all six prediction methods. Statistical parameters corresponding to each of the six settlement prediction methods are evaluated and summarized. CE Database subject headings: Shallow foundations; Foundation settlement, Cohesionless soils, Standard penetration test, Prediction methods, Statistical parameters.
Synaptic abnormalities in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and decreased synaptic function. Advances in transgenic animal models of AD have facilitated our understanding of this disorder, and have aided in the development, speed and efficiency of testing potential therapeutics. Recently, we have described the characterization of a novel model of AD in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, where we expressed the human AD-associated proteins APP and BACE in the central nervous system of the fly. Here we describe synaptic defects in the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in this model. Our results indicate that expression of human APP and BACE at the larval NMJ leads to defective larval locomotion behavior, decreased presynaptic connections, altered mitochondrial localization in presynaptic motor neurons and decreased postsynaptic protein levels. Treating larvae expressing APP and BACE with the γ-secretase inhibitor L-685,458 suppresses the behavioral defects as well as the pre- and postsynaptic defects. We suggest that this model will be useful to assess and model the synaptic dysfunction normally associated with AD, and will also serve as a powerful in vivo tool for rapid testing of potential therapeutics for AD.
The State Machine Approach: A Tutorial

The state machine approach is a general method for achieving fault tolerance and implementing decentralized control in distributed systems. This paper reviews the approach and identifies abstractions needed for coordinating ensembles of state machines. Implementations of these abstractions for two different failure models -Byzantine and fail-stop-are discussed. The state machine approach is illustrated by programming several examples. Optimization and system reconfiguration techniques are explained.
Upper-air model of summer balance on Mount Rainier, USA

In 2003-07 summer balance was measured at altitudes between 1700 and 3382 m a.s.l. on two glaciers on Mount Rainier, Washington State, USA (46.85 ◦ N, 121.72 ◦ W; 4400 m a.s.l.): south-facing Nisqually Glacier and east-northeast-facing Emmons Glacier. Upper-air temperatures at the nearest gridpoint in the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis database are used in a distributed (over altitude) positive-degree- day (PDD) model. For each glacier the model used the same coefficients at all altitudes, for all years. The rms model error was 0.65 (r 2 = 0.87) and 0.78 m a −1 w.e. (r 2 = 0.93) for Nisqually and Emmons Glaciers, respectively. Although PDD work generally uses different coefficients for snow and ice surfaces, and the duration of exposure of those surfaces varies with altitude, error in this single-coefficient model is nearly uncorrelated with altitude. Values of coefficients obtained are within the range of those found in other PDD work. The degree-day coefficient, however, differs markedly between the two glaciers, and is shown to be controlled by the difference between them in vertical gradient of measured summer balance. It is smaller for Nisqually Glacier, where solar radiation is a stronger contributor to melt; and larger for Emmons Glacier, where it is a weaker contributor. Over 1948-2007, when the model calibrated over 2003-07 was applied to the upper-air temperatures, estimated summer balance was ∼0.4 m a −1 less negative over 1962-83 than before and ∼0.6 m a −1 less negative than after, corresponding roughly with changes of the northeast Pacific sea-surface temperatures.