cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elevation of hepatic tyrosine 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase in rats by 4-pentynoic acid, a hypoglycemic agent

4-Pentinsaure, ein hypoglykamisches Mittel, vermehrte Leber-Tyrosinaminotransferase in intakten, nicht aber in adrenalektomierten Ratten.
A prospective study of lung function among boilermaker construction workers exposed to combustion particulates.

Background Given the evidence of both acute cross-shift and short-term decrements in lung function in boilermaker construction workers following occupational exposure to combustion particulates, we sought to determine whether exposure is associated with an annual loss in lung function. Methods As part of an ongoing investigation, we conducted a 2-year longitudinal study of lung function among 118 boilermakers. Exposure was assessed with a work history questionnaire. Spirometry measurements were performed annually. Results We found an association between annual FEV1 and hours worked at a gas-fired plant during the previous year, β = − 9.8 mls/100 hours worked (95% CI: − 16.0, − 3.5) after adjustment for age, baseline FEV1 and cigarette smoking status. The adjusted association between FEV1 and “ever” worked at a gas-fired plant was − 99.7 mls (95% CI: − 154.8, − 44.5). There was also evidence of a negative association between FEV1 and “ever” worked and hours worked at oil and coal-fired plants. Conclusions These data suggest an association between annual lung function loss and working at gas, coal and oil-fired plants. Further follow-up of this cohort of boilermakers is in progress. Am. J. Ind. Med. 39:454–462, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Use of post-processing to increase the order of accuracy of the trapezoidal rule at time integration of linear elastodynamics problems

In this paper, we suggest a very simple and effective post-processing procedure to increase the order of accuracy in time for numerical results obtained by the trapezoidal rule. We first derive a new exact, closed-form, a-priori error estimator for time integration of linear elastodynamics equations by the trapezoidal rule with non-uniform time increments. Based on this error estimator, we suggest a new post-processing procedure (containing additional time integration of elastodynamics equations by the trapezoidal rule with few time increments) that systematically improves the order of accuracy of numerical results, with the increase in the number of additional time increments used for post-processing. For example, the use of just one additional time increment for post-processing after time integration with any number of uniform time increments, renders the order of accuracy of numerical results equal to 10/3. Numerical examples of the application of the new techniques to a system with a single degree of freedom and to a multi-degree system confirm the corresponding increase in the order of convergence of numerical results after post-processing. Because the same trapezoidal rule is used for basic computations and post-processing, the new technique retains all of the properties of the trapezoidal rule, requires no writing of a new computer program for its implementation, and can be easily used with any existing commercial and research codes for elastodynamics.
Profit efficiency, Farrell decompositions and the Mahler inequality

Abstract We show in this letter how the well-known Farrell decomposition of cost efficiency is a special case of the duality between the directional technology distance function and the profit function.
Designing an Energy Literacy Questionnaire for Middle and High School Youth

A measurement scale has been developed to assess secondary students’ energy literacy—a citizenship understanding of energy that includes cognitive as well as affective and behavioral items. Instrument development procedures followed psychometric principles from educational and social psychology research. Initial exploration of the measure yielded promising results: internal consistencies for the cognitive, affective, and behavioral subscales, measured by Cronbach's α, ranged from 0.75 to 0.83; average discrimination indices ranged from 0.27 to 0.46. The instrument's validity was supported with contrasted-groups and developmental-age progression comparisons, as well as factor analyses. The energy literacy questionnaire provides an opportunity to measure baseline levels of energy literacy and to assess broader impacts of educational interventions.
Jackknifed kernel quantile estimators

A new quantile estimator is obtained by jackknifing the kernel quantile estimator. The asymptotic relative deficiency of the kernel quantile estimator relative to the jackknifed quantile estimator is investigated.
Conversion of alkylacetylglycerol to platelet-activating factor in HL-60 cells and subcellular localization of the mediator.

Abstract A human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cell line was used to investigate the conversion of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (alkylacetyl-G) to platelet-activating factor (PAF; 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) by intact cells and in subcellular fractions in order to examine the fate of PAF synthesized de novo. Lipid extracts obtained from undifferentiated HL-60 cells incubated with [3H]alkylacetyl-G contained 2–4% of the label as [3H]PAF; several related metabolites were also detected. The yield of [3H]PAF could be dramatically increased by pretreating the cells with either oleic acid, an activator of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase, or phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, an inhibitor of PAF acetylhydrolase. These results, together with a kinetic study of [3H]alkylacetyl-G metabolism, indicate the sequential participation of a cholinephosphotransferase for the conversion of [3H]alkylacetyl-G to PAF and acetylhydrolase and transacylase activities in the remodeling pathway that metabolize the newly formed [3H]PAF to 1-[3H]alkyl-2-acyl (long chain)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. The dithiothreitol-insensitive cholinephosphotransferase activity capable of converting alkylacetyl-G to PAF was localized in subcellular fractions that contain CDP-choline: 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol cholinephosphotransferase (dithiothreitol-sensitive), as well as marker enzyme activities for the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membranes. Subcellular localization analyses also indicated that the majority of newly formed [3H]PAF and a large portion of its deacetylated metabolite were associated with the plasma membrane-containing fractions, whereas most of the 1-[3H]alkyl-2-acyl(long chain)-snglycero-3-phosphocholine was present in the intracellular organelles. Incubations of HL-60 cells with exogenous [3H]PAF produced a similar subcellular distribution of metabolites. Very little (
Contact and dipolar NMR shifts in nickel and cobalt pyridine complexes

Abstract Proton magnetic resonance data are presented for the paramagnetic complexes M(ligand) 4 X 2 where MCo and Ni, ligand=pyridine and γ-picoline and XCl, Br, I, and NCS. The shifts exhibited by the nickel compounds can be interpreted in terms of a contact interaction involving the same electron spin delocalization mechanisms as found previously for other pyridine complexes. In the cases of the cobalt complexes, both contact and dipolar effects contribute to the observed shifts. However, the sign of the dipolar effect is found to depend upon the nature of X. The cloroform solvent resonances suffer large shifts in the cobalt systems attributable to a dipolar interaction.
Franchising the american elementary and secondary educational system

To solve the education “woes” of the U.S., many experts have looked to both command economies (standardized curriculum), and competitive markets (e.g. school choice and school vouchers), for answers. This normative research explores an optimal mix between market economies and command economies in education through the use of the business-format franchising structure. Franchising, an organizational form lying between the extremes of markets and hierarchies, would establish a standardized curriculum composed of those components of education that are deemed essential to the educational growth of our students. At the same time, franchising allows for levels of autonomy for educational institutions that would enable them to effectively target the additional needs and preferences of their local area, which in turn develops competitive markets in which schools compete for student enrollment thereby remedying the moral hazard problem. Finally, two additional characteristics that make this format attractive in tackling the problems in education are its continuous transfer of “know how” and its regular technical assistance. In the context of education, these characteristics translate into necessary links between educational theory and practice as well as national research and training grounds for teachers and administrators.
Immune checkpoints in MSI and CSI colorectal cancers and their translational implications.

Meeting abstracts Cancer vaccines attracted a lot of attention as an alternative/adjuvant therapeutic approach for patients with advanced metastatic cancer. Preclinical studies showed that tumors can evade the adaptive immune response by activation of immune checkpoints in the tumor micro-
Superoxide generation from endothelial nitric-oxide synthase. A Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent and tetrahydrobiopterin regulatory process

It has been previously shown that besides synthesizing nitric oxide (NO), neuronal and inducible NO synthase (NOS) generates superoxide (O-2) under conditions of L-arginine depletion. However, there is controversy regarding whether endothelial NOS (eNOS) can also produce O-2. Moreover, the mechanism and control of this process are not fully understood. Therefore, we performed electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trapping experiments to directly measure and characterize the O-2 generation from purified eNOS. With the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), prominent signals of O-2 adduct, DMPO-OOH, were detected from eNOS in the absence of added tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and these were quenched by superoxide dismutase. This O-2 formation required Ca2+/calmodulin and was blocked by the specific NOS inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) but not its non-inhibitory enantiomer D-NAME. A parallel process of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent NADPH oxidation was observed which was also inhibited by L-NAME but not D-NAME. Pretreatment of the enzyme with the heme blockers cyanide or imidazole also prevented O-2 generation. BH4 exerted dose-dependent inhibition of the O-2 signals generated by eNOS. Conversely, in the absence of BH4 L-arginine did not decrease this O-2 generation. Thus, eNOS can also catalyze O-2 formation, and this appears to occur primarily at the heme center of its oxygenase domain. O-2 synthesis from eNOS requires Ca2+/calmodulin and is primarily regulated by BH4 rather than L-arginine.
The effects of the catalytic converter and fuel sulfur level on motor vehicle particulate matter emissions: light duty diesel vehicles.

Wind tunnel measurements and direct tailpipe particulate matter (PM) sampling are utilized to examine how the combination of oxidation catalyst and fuel sulfur content affects the nature and quantity of PM emissions from the exhaust of a light duty diesel truck. When low sulfur fuel (4 ppm) is used, or when high sulfur (350 ppm) fuel is employed without an active catalyst present, a single log-normal distribution of exhaust particles is observed with a number mean diameter in the range of 70−83 nm. In the absence of the oxidation catalyst, the high sulfur level has at most a modest effect on particle emissions (<50%) and a minor effect on particle size (<5%). In combination with the active oxidation catalyst tested, high sulfur fuel can lead to a second, nanoparticle, mode, which appears at ∼20 nm during high speed operation (70 mph), but is not present at low speed (40 mph). A thermodenuder significantly reduces the nanoparticle mode when set to temperatures above ∼200 °C, suggesting that these particles...
Randomized Clinical Trial of Azithromycin vs. Erythromycin for the Treatment of Chlamydia Cervicitis in Pregnancy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to prospectively test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in the clinical effectiveness of azithromycin and erythromycin for the treatment of chlamydia cervicitis in pregnancy.
Communication deficits in childhood schizotypal personality disorder.

Abstract This study examined the similarities and differences in the communication deficits of 13 schizotypal and 12 schizophrenic children matched by age and IQ. Like schizophrenic children, schizotypal children underutilize some discourse devices necessary for coherent speech and overutilize others. Schizotypal children, however, appear to display a more restricted range of discourse deficits than schizophrenic children. In addition, their discourse deficits do not appear to be associated with clinical measures of loose associations. The clinical implications and the potential use of discourse measures to differentiate schizophrenic and schizotypal children are discussed.
Anti-Imperialism and the Good Neighbour Policy: Ernest Gruening and Puerto Rican Affairs, 1934–1939

During his five years as chief US policy-maker towards Puerto Rico, Ernest Gruening strove to create a model – based on the anti-imperialist principles he had outlined in the 1920s – for a reformist policy which the United States could pursue towards the rest of Latin America. The initial support of Franklin Roosevelt allowed Gruening to position his Puerto Rican programme as one of the three ideological alternatives present in the early stages of the Good Neighbour Policy. The collapse of Gruening's scheme provided US policymakers with an early illustration of the difficulty of imposing reform with insufficient local support.
Measuring transepidermal water loss: a comparative in vivo study of condenser-chamber, unventilated-chamber and open-chamber systems.

Background/aims: Two main systems have been utilized for measuring transepidermal water loss (TEWL): open chamber and closed chamber. Yet, further validation and standardization studies may be necessary to reveal the sensitivity, precision, and robustness of these instruments. Methods: Three instruments are compared for their applicability to assess TEWL: unventilated chamber, open chamber and condenser chamber. The comparative study was performed on human forearm skin (n=6), in the normal condition (baseline), and after (1) 10 tape strippings on both arms, (2) moisturizer cream (Eucerin®) and petrolatum application for 1 h, and (3) 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution and distilled water (as control) application for 20 min. Results: The condenser-chamber system, was the only device among these three that could show the effect of tape stripping on TEWL values as compared with baseline (P 0.05). However, only the values obtained from condenser-chamber device revealed a highly significant change as compared with baseline (P<0.001). Condenser-chamber system could also discriminate between the effect of moisturizer and petrolatum on TEWL values (P<0.05). The change of TEWL values after SLS application was shown to be significant by unventilated and condenser-chamber systems (P<0.05). However, none of the devices differentiated between the effect of water and 1% SLS solution applied for 20 min. The values obtained from all three instruments correlate well with each other (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our results highlight the differences between two closed-chamber TEWL measurement instruments, which are designed based on different measurement principles. This may provide insights to find the best practice to improve the quality, precision and sensitivity of the measurements.
p34cdc2-mediated phosphorylation mobilizes microtubule-organizing centers from the apical intermediate filament scaffold in CACO-2 epithelial cells

We have shown previously that centrosomes and other microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) attach to the apical intermediate filament (IF) network in CACO-2 cells. In this cell line, intermediate filaments do not disorganize during mitosis. Therefore, we speculated that the trigger of the G2-M boundary may also detach MTOCs from their IF anchor. If that was the case, at least one of the proteins involved in the attachment must be phosphorylated by p34cdc2 (cdk1). Using confocal microscopy and standard biochemical analysis, we found that p34cdc2-mediated phosphorylation indeed released MTOCs from IFs in permeabilized cells. In isolated, immunoprecipitated multiprotein complexes containing both γ-tubulin and cytokeratin 19, p34cdc2phosphorylated only one protein, and phosphorylation released cytokeratin 19 from the complexes. We conclude that this as yet unidentified protein is a part of the molecular mechanism that attaches MTOCs to IFs in interphase.
Structure and physical properties of substituted malonate divalent metal coordination polymers with dipyridylamine co-ligands: acentric chain, herringbone layer, and novel binodal network topologies

Three divalent metal coordination polymers and one molecular species containing 4,4′-dipyridylamine (dpa) and substituted malonate ligands have been prepared and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The degree of substitution and different coordination environments promote significant structural diversity in this system. {[Cu(mmal)(Hmmal)(Hdpa)]·H2O}n (1, mmal = methylmalonate) crystallizes in an acentric space group and possesses 1-D coordination polymer chain motifs containing [Cu(OCO)]n linkages. {[Cu3(dmmal)2(dpa)3](ClO4)2·2H2O}n (2, dmmal = dimethylmalonate) manifests an unprecedented (4,5)-connected binodal network with (4462)(4664)2 topology, and contains equatorial–equatorial bridged linear {Cu3O2} trimeric units. {[Cd2(dmmal)2(dpa)(Hdpa)](ClO4)·2H2O·CH3CH2OH}n (3) displays (6,3) herringbone layers, while {[Co(dmmal)2(Hdpa)2]·6H2O} (4) has co-crystallized neutral coordination complexes and hydrogen-bonded hexameric water molecule aggregations. Ultraviolet irradiation of a sample of 3 resulted in blue-violet light emission due to π–π* transitions within the dpa and Hdpa+ ligands. Variable temperature magnetic studies indicated antiferromagnetic coupling along the {Cu(OCO)}n chains in 1 and within the {Cu3O2} linear trimers in 2.
A scalable stepped gate sensing scheme for sub-100nm multilevel flash memory

As flash memory cell size scales with lithography, the storage capacitance area scales resulting in the need to sense fewer electrons that are stored on a floating gate. A stepped-gate sensing scheme for NOR flash memories with multilevel storage are presented. Stepped-gate sensing motivation, scalability advantages and implementation are discussed.
Response of soil invertebrates to forest canopy inputs along a productivity gradient

Summary Previous studies have suggested that herbivory in forest canopies can influence forest floor processes such as nutrient cycling and decomposition. We studied the response of litter decomposition to a moisture/productivity gradient with manipulations of the effects of canopy herbivory at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina. Litterbags containing Quercus rubra L. and Acer rubrum L. litter were placed at three elevations along the gradient and sampled monthly for two years. Microarthropods, nematodes, and litter mass loss responses to the productivity gradient were measured. The relative abundance of Collembola and three suborders of mites (Oribatida, Mesostigmata and Prostigmata) was compared across the gradient. Mass loss was greater at the middle and high elevation sites in both years and was correlated with increased numbers of oribatid mites per gram of litter. The abundance of all the above microarthropods (of which oribatids were the most common) was also greater on the middle and high elevation sites and greater on two- year -old litter than on one- year- old litter. Nematode densities were also greater on the older litter. The herbivore inputs study, simulating the effects of canopy herbivory, included frass additions, throughfall additions, greenfall exclusion, total litter exclusion, and controls. Experimental additions of frass to plots on the low and middle elevation sites led to an increase in Collembola abundance in litterbags from those plots. Plots with frass and artificial throughfall additions also showed increased numbers of fungal feeding and bacterial feeding nematodes in some months. Numbers of oribatid and prostimatid mites were reduced in litter exclusion plots. Results from these studies suggest not only significant influences of elevation on litter decomposition and soil fauna abundance but direct links between canopy herbivory and responses in population densities of forest floor biota.
Reduced cardiac efficiency and altered substrate metabolism precedes the onset of hyperglycemia and contractile dysfunction in two mouse models of insulin resistance and obesity.

Hyperglycemia is associated with altered myocardial substrate use, a condition that has been hypothesized to contribute to impaired cardiac performance. The goals of this study were to determine whether changes in cardiac metabolism, gene expression, and function precede or follow the onset of hyperglycemia in two mouse models of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes (ob/ob and db/db mice). Ob/ob and db/db micewerestudiedat4,8,and15wkofage.Four-week-oldmice of both strains were normoglycemic but hyperinsulinemic. Hyperglycemia develops in db/db mice between 4 and 8 wk of ageandinob/obmicebetween8and15wk.Inisolatedworking hearts, rates of glucose oxidation were reduced by 28–37% at 4 wk and declined no further at 15 wk in both strains. Fatty acid oxidation rates and myocardial oxygen consumption were increased in 4-wk-old mice of both strains. Fatty acid oxidation rates progressively increased in db/db mice in parallel with the earlier onset and greater duration of hyperglycemia. In vivo, cardiac catheterization revealed significantly increased left ventricular contractility and relaxation (positive and negative dP/dt) in both strains at 4 wk of age. dP/dt declined over time in db/db mice but remained elevated in ob/ob mice at 15 wk of age. Increased -myosin heavy chain isoform expression was present in 4-wk-old mice and persisted in 15-wk-old mice. Increased expression of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor- regulated genes was observed only at 15 wk in both strains. These data indicate that altered myocardial substrate use and reduced myocardial efficiency are early abnormalities in the hearts of obese mice and precede the onset of hyperglycemia. Obesity per se does not cause contractile dysfunction in vivo, but loss of the hypercontractile phenotype of obesity and up-regulation of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor- regulated genes occur later and are most pronounced in the presence of longstanding hyperglycemia. (Endocrinology 146: 5341–5349, 2005)
Intracranial pressure waveform morphology and intracranial adaptive capacity.

Background Intracranial hypertension due to primary and secondary injuries is a prime concern when providing care to patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Increases in intracranial pressure vary depending on compensatory processes within the craniospinal space, also referred to as intracranial adaptive capacity. In patients with traumatic brain injury and decreased intracranial adaptive capacity, intracranial pressure increases disproportionately in response to a variety of stimuli. However, no well-validated measures are available in clinical practice to predict the development of such an increase. Objectives To examine whether P2 elevation, quantified by determining the P2:P1 ratio (=0.8) of the intracranial pressure pulse waveform, is a unique predictor of disproportionate increases in intracranial pressure on a beat-by-beat basis in the 30 minutes preceding the elevation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury, within 48 hours after deployment of an intracranial pressure monitor. Methods A total of 38 patients with severe traumatic brain injury were sampled from a randomized controlled trial of cerebral perfusion pressure management in patients with traumatic brain injury or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Results The P2 elevation was not only present before the disproportionate increase in pressure, but also appeared in the comparison data set (within-subject without such a pressure increase). Conclusions P2 elevation is not a reliable clinical indicator to predict an impending disproportionate increase in intracranial pressure.
Nonvanishing of central Hecke L-values and rank of certain elliptic curves

Let D≡ 7 mod 8 be a positive squarefree integer, and let hD be the ideal class number of ED=\({\mathbb{Q}}\left( {\sqrt { - D} } \right)\). Let d≡1 mod 4 be a squarefree integer relatively prime to D. Then for any integer k≥0 there is a constant M=M(k), independent of the pair (D,D), such that if (−1)k=sign (d), (2k+1,hD)=1, and\(\sqrt D \) >(12/π)d2 (log∣d+M(k)), then the central L-value L(k+1, χD, d2k+1>0. Furthermore, for k≤1, we can take M(k)=0. Finally, if D=p is a prime, and d>0, then the associated elliptic curve A(p)d has Mordell–Weil rank 0 (over its definition field) when \(\sqrt D \)>(12/π)d2 log d.
Severe recurrent cholestatic hepatitis C following orthotopic liver transplantation

Recurrent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is almost universal following orthotopic liver transplantation although clinical severity varies. Data on 135 patients who underwent transplantation for hepatitis C cirrhosis were reviewed. We describe a progressive, severe cholestatic form of hepatitis occurring in a subgroup of patients with recurrent hepatitis C. Ten patients with severe recurrent hepatitis C were identified; 1 has died, 1 awaits retransplantation, and 8 have undergone retransplantation. All 10 developed severe progressive cholestatic hepatitis, with a mean rise in bilirubin to 24.7 mg/dL at the time of retransplantation. Histology at initial recurrence was of mild hepatitis without evidence of rejection. The failed grafts showed either cirrhosis or confluent hepatic necrosis. The onset of cholestasis preceded retransplantation by less than 5 months. Our study suggests that a minority of patients with recurrent hepatitis C after undergoing liver transplantation develop a severe progressive cholestatic hepatitis and liver failure.
Induction of endogenous γ-globin gene expression with decoy oligonucleotide targeting Oct-1 transcription factor consensus sequence

Human β-globin disorders are relatively common genetic diseases cause by mutations in the β-globin gene. Increasing the expression of the γ-globin gene has great benefits in reducing complications associated with these diseases. The Oct-1 transcription factor is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the γ-globin gene. The human γ-globin genes (both Aγ and Gγ-globin genes) carry three Oct-1 transcription factor consensus sequences within their promoter regions. We have studied the possibility of inducing γ-globin gene expression using decoy oligonucleotides that target the Oct-1 transcription factor consensus sequence. A double-stranded 22 bp decoy oligonucleotide containing the Oct-1 consensus sequence was synthesized. The results obtained from our in vitro binding assay revealed a strong competitive binding of the decoy oligonucleotide for the Oct-1 transcription factor. When K562 human erythroleukemia cells were treated with the Oct-1 decoy oligonucleotide, significant increases in the level of the γ-globin mRNA were observed. The results of our western blots further demonstrated significant increases of the fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2) in the Oct-1 decoy oligonucleotide-treated K562 cells. The results of our immunoprecipitation (IP) studies revealed that the treatment of K562 cells with the Oct-1 decoy oligonucleotide significantly reduced the level of the endogenous γ-globin gene promoter region DNA co-precipitated with the Oct-1 transcription factor. These results suggest that the decoy oligonucleotide designed for the Oct-1 transcription factor consensus sequence could induce expression of the endogenous γ-globin gene through competitive binding of the Oct-1 transcription factor, resulting in activation of the γ-globin genes. Therefore, disrupting the bindings of the Oct-1 transcriptional factors with the decoy oligonucleotide provides a novel approach for inducing expression of the γ-globin genes. It also provides an innovative strategy for the treatment of many disease conditions, including sickle cell anemia and β-thalassemia.
Robotics versus laparoscopy - an experimental study of the transfer effect in maiden users

Robot-assisted laparoscopy (RL) is used in a wide range of operative interventions, but the advantage of this technique over conventional laparoscopy (CL) remains unclear. Studies comparing RL and CL are scarce. The present study was performed to test the hypothesis that maiden users master surgical tasks quicker with the robot-assisted laparoscopy technique than with the conventional laparoscopy technique. 20 subjects, with no prior surgical experience, performed three different surgical tasks in a standardized experimental setting, repeated four times with each of the RL and CL techniques. Speed and accuracy were measured. A cross-over technique was used to eliminate gender bias and the experience gained by carrying out the first part of the study. The task "tie a knot" was performed faster with the RL technique than with CL. Furthermore, shorter operating times were observed when changing from CL to RL. There were no time differences for the tasks of grabbing the needle and continuous suturing between the two operating techniques. Gender did not influence the results. The more advanced task of tying a knot was performed faster using the RL technique than with CL. Simpler surgical interventions were performed equally fast with either technique. Technical skills acquired during the use of CL were transferred to the RL technique. The lack of tactile feedback in RL seemed to matter. There were no differences between males and females.
The nuclear corepressors NCoR and SMRT are key regulators of both ligand- and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP-dependent transcriptional activity of the human progesterone receptor

Previously, we defined a novel class of ligands for the human progesterone receptor (PR) which function as mixed agonists. These compounds induce a conformational change upon binding the receptor that is different from those induced by agonists and antagonists. This establishes a correlation between the structure of a ligand-receptor complex and its transcriptional activity. In an attempt to define the cellular components which distinguish between different ligand-induced PR conformations, we have determined, by using a mammalian two-hybrid assay, that the nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) and the silencing mediator for retinoid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT) differentially associate with PR depending upon the class of ligand bound to the receptor. Specifically, we observed that the corepressors preferentially associate with antagonist-occupied PR and that overexpression of these corepressors suppresses the partial agonist activity of antagonist-occupied PR. Binding studies performed in vitro, however, reveal that recombinant SMRT can interact with PR in a manner which is not influenced by the nature of the bound ligand. Thus, the inability of SMRT or NCoR to interact with agonist-activated PR when assayed in vivo may relate more to the increased affinity of PR for coactivators, with a subsequent displacement of corepressors, than to an inherent low affinity for the corepressor proteins. Previous work from other groups has shown that 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-bromo-cAMP) can convert the PR antagonist RU486 into an agonist and, additionally, can potentiate the transcriptional activity of agonist-bound PR. In this study, we show that exogenous expression of NCoR or SMRT suppresses all 8-bromo-cAMP-mediated potentiation of PR transcriptional activity. Further analysis revealed that 8-bromo-cAMP addition decreases the association of NCoR and SMRT with PR. Thus, we propose that 8-bromo-cAMP-mediated potentiation of PR transcriptional activity is due, at least in part, to a disruption of the interaction between PR and the corepressors NCoR and SMRT. Cumulatively, these results suggest that NCoR and SMRT expression may play a pivotal role in PR pharmacology.
Program plagiarism revisited: current issues and approaches

Since the first courses were offered in programming, plagiarism has been a perplexing problem. Detection techniques, administrative procedures, and penalties vary greatly. Instructors face an increasingly legalistic system when prosecuting plagiarism cases. Panel members will discuss the prevention, detection, and prosecution aspects of program plagiarism and will present legal and administrative views of the problem.
A new technique for the study of charge transfer in multiply charged ion-ion collisions

While large cross sections (>10{sup {minus}16} cm{sup 2}) have been predicted for resonant charge transfer in ion-ion collisions, no experimental data exist for multiply charged systems. A novel technique is being developed at the ORNL ECR facility to allow study of symmetric charge exchange in multiply charged ion-ion collisions using a single ion source. Specific intra-beam charge transfer collisions occurring in a well-defined interaction region labeled by negative high voltage are identified and analyzed by electrostatic analysis in combination with ion time-of-flight coincidence detection of the collision products. Center-of-mass collision energies from 400 to 1000 eV are obtained by varying source and labeling-cell voltages. In addition, by the introduction of a target gas into the high-voltage cell, this labeling-voltage method allows measurement of electron-capture and -loss cross sections for ion-atom collisions. Consequently, higher collision energies can be investigated without the requirement of placing the ECR source on a high-voltage platform.
The alfve´n ion-cyclotron instability simulation theory and techniques

Abstract The numerical properties of a particle-ion, fluid-electron computer simulation code, used in the study of the parallel-propagating electromagnetic Alfven ion-cyclotron (AIC) instability, are examined. A numerical odd-even mode is suppressed by means of a two-timestep averaging method. Excellent energy conservation is obtained by using a method similar to the Boris particle mover to advance the transverse fields. Linear growth rates obtained' from the code differ substantially from those predicted by uniform Vlasov theory, here derived using a muitifluid model. Short wavelengths in particular show substantial growth rates when damping is predicted, and additionally show strong linear mode coupling. Positive growth rates are even observed in the case of a Maxwellian ion distribution. Disagreement is also generally found among short-wavelength mode frequencies. These inconsistencies are resolved by taking into consideration general grid and discrete-particle effects of the simulation model. A theoretical study reveals a real, physical process by which an ion distribution may collisionlessly relax via short-wavelength AIC instabilities acting resonantly on small portions of the distribution function. This process is combined with a linear mode coupling theory and other characteristics of the AIC instability to explain all observed differences. Nonlinear short-wavelength saturation levels are also obtained and their relevance to other field-aligned, electromagnetic simulations is discussed.
Learning and Revising User Profiles: The Identification ofInteresting Web Sites

We discuss algorithms for learning and revising user profiles that can determine which World Wide Web sites on a given topic would be interesting to a user. We describe the use of a naive Bayesian classifier for this task, and demonstrate that it can incrementally learn profiles from user feedback on the interestingness of Web sites. Furthermore, the Bayesian classifier may easily be extended to revise user provided profiles. In an experimental evaluation we compare the Bayesian classifier to computationally more intensive alternatives, and show that it performs at least as well as these approaches throughout a range of different domains. In addition, we empirically analyze the effects of providing the classifier with background knowledge in form of user defined profiles and examine the use of lexical knowledge for feature selection. We find that both approaches can substantially increase the prediction accuracy.
Numerical Evaluation of Vibration-Based Methods for Damage Assessment of Cable-Stayed Bridges

: This study investigated a number of different damage detection algorithms for structural health monitoring of a typical cable-stayed bridge. The Bayview Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge in Quincy, Illinois, was selected for the study. The focus was in comparing the viability of simplified techniques for practical applications. Accordingly, the numerical analysis involved development of a precise linear elastic finite element model (FEM) to simulate various structural health monitoring test scenarios with accelerometers. The Effective Independence Method was employed to locate the best distribution of the accelerometers along the length of the bridge. The simulated accelerometer data based on the FEM analysis was employed for the evaluation of the four damage identification methods investigated here. These methods included the Enhanced Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion, Damage Index Method, Mode Shape Curvature Method, and Modal Flexibility Index Method. Some of these methods had been previously applied only to a number of specific bridges. However, the investigation here provides the relative merits and shortcomings of the damage detection methods in long-span cable-stayed bridges.
Evidence That Phospholipid Oxidation Products and/or Platelet-Activating Factor Play an Important Role in Early Atherogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo Inhibition by WEB 2086

The goal of the present studies was to determine whether phospholipid oxidation products and/or platelet-activating factor (PAF) are mediators of early atherogenesis in vivo. Monocyte-endothelial cell interactions have been shown to play an important role in early atherogenesis. We and others have demonstrated that PAF and phospholipid oxidation products, present in atherosclerotic lesions, including 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POVPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-glutaroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PGPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-epoxyisoprostane E(2)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PEIPC), mediate the activation of monocytes and/or endothelial cells in vitro. Previous studies have shown that the action of PAF and PAF-like ether-containing phospholipids was inhibited by WEB 2086. We now demonstrate that pretreatment of human aortic endothelial cells with WEB 2086 (10 micromol/L) and several other PAF antagonists before treatment with POVPC and PEIPC but not PGPC prevented the activation of the endothelial cells to bind monocytes. We present evidence to suggest that this inhibition is not mediated by the PAF receptor. The role of bioactive oxidized phospholipids in fatty streak formation was tested using C57BL/6J LDL R-/- mice fed a chow or Western diet for 5 weeks with or without WEB 2086 mixed with drinking water. Quantitative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry showed similar concentrations of WEB 2086 in the plasma of mice on both diets ( approximately 4 to 5 micromol/L); this concentration was inhibitory in vitro. Administration of WEB 2086 did not affect the lipid composition of mouse plasma. However, fatty streak formation was reduced by 62% in animals fed a Western diet, whereas no change was observed in the small lesions of mice on a chow diet. These studies provide evidence that PAF and/or PAF-like phospholipid oxidation products are important mediators of atherosclerotic lesion development in vivo and that specific receptor antagonists for these molecules may represent a novel therapeutic modality.
Autonomous Aerial Water Sampling

Obtaining spatially separated, high-frequency water samples from rivers and lakes is critical to enhance our understanding and effective management of freshwater resources. In this work, we present an aerial water sampler and assess the system through field experiments. The aerial water sampler has the potential to vastly increase the speed and range at which scientists obtain water samples while reducing cost and effort. The water sampling system includes 1 a mechanism to capture three 20i¾?ml samples per mission, 2 sensors and algorithms for altitude approximation over water, and 3 software components that integrate and analyze sensor data, control the vehicle, drive the sampling mechanism, and manage risk. We validate the system in the lab, characterize key sensors, develop a framework for quantifying risk, and present results of outdoor experiments that characterize the performance of the system under windy conditions. In addition, we compare water samples from local lakes obtained by our system to samples obtained by traditional sampling techniques. We find that even winds of 5.8i¾?m/s have little impact on the water sampling system and that the samples collected are consistent with traditional techniques for most properties. These experiments show that despite the challenges associated with flying precisely over water, it is possible to quickly obtain scientifically useful water samples with an unmanned aerial vehicle.
A role for intersubunit interactions in maintaining SAGA deubiquitinating module structure and activity.

The deubiquitinating module (DUBm) of the SAGA coactivator contains the Ubp8 isopeptidase, Sgf11, Sus1, and Sgf73, which form a highly interconnected complex. Although Ubp8 contains a canonical USP catalytic domain, it is only active when in complex with the other DUBm subunits. The Sgf11 zinc finger (Sgf11-ZnF) binds near the Ubp8 active site and is essential for full activity, suggesting that the Sgf11-ZnF helps maintain the active conformation of Ubp8. We report structural and solution studies showing that deletion of the Sgf11-ZnF destabilizes incorporation of Ubp8 within the DUBm, giving rise to domain swapping with a second complex and misaligning active site residues. Activating mutations in Ubp8 that partially restore activity in the absence of the Sgf11-ZnF promote the monomeric form of the DUBm. Our data suggest an unexpected role for Sgf11 in compensating for the absence of structural features that maintain the active conformation of Ubp8.
Connecting two views on financial globalization: Can we make further progress? ✩

Abstract To understand why developing countries do not automatically benefit from financial globalization, both the need for a minimum institutional quality (the threshold hypothesis) and the possibility of varying volatility of different types of capital flows (the composition hypothesis) have been suggested. This paper contends that the two hypotheses are intimately linked, and provides supportive empirical evidence. J. Japanese Int. Economies 20 (4) (2006) 459–481.
Using the Transformative Power of Play to Educate Hearts and Minds: From Vygotsky to Vivian Paley and Beyond

This article argues that Vygotsky's analysis of children's play and of the ways it can serve as a powerful matrix for learning and development has two important implications that are not always fully appreciated. First, children's social pretend play can promote development both in the domains of cognition and language and in dimensions of social competence, such as self-regulation and cooperation. Second, tapping play's value in the education of young children is not purely a matter of alternating didactic/academic instruction with unstructured free-play periods. We also need to devise educational practices that systematically integrate the play element into the curriculum in carefully structured ways that simultaneously engage children's enthusiasm and provide scope for their own initiative and creativity. One concrete example of a play-based activity that can do this successfully is the storytelling/story-acting practice developed by Vivian Paley. Drawing on a recently completed 2-year study of this pr...
Soil Physical Properties Regulate Lethal Heating during Burning of Woody Residues

Temperatures well in excess of the lethal threshold for roots (60°C) have been measured in forest soils when woody fuels are burned. Whether this heat pulse is strongly moderated by soil moisture or soil texture is not fully understood, however. We measured soil heat profi les during 60 experimental burns, identifying changes in maximum soil temperature and heat duration above 60°C as a function of soil moisture and soil texture. Experimental treatments included a factorial combination of soil moisture (~5, 15, 30, and 45% v/v) and soil textural (sandy loam, sandy loam–pumice, loam, clay loam) gradients, with a surface fuel load comprised of a dense layer of masticated wood. Soil moisture had a strong infl uence on heat transfer. A volumetric moisture content of 20% or greater quenched the heat pulse in all soils at depths of 2.5 cm and lower. In comparison, soil temperatures in dry soil far exceeded the lethal threshold to a depth of 10 cm. Diff erences in heating characteristics among the four soil types were minor despite their dissimilarities in texture, porosity, bulk density, and resumed thermal conductivity. It was also shown that intact soil cores were required to produce accurate heat profi les during burning, as maximum soil temperatures in the surface 5 cm were overestimated by 40 to 100°C using disturbed soil (sieved and packed). The empirical results along with a simple predictive model of soil heating show that burning of woody fuels when underlying soils have 20% volumetric moisture or greater is an eff ective means for limiting lethal heating in a variety of soils.
Automatic run-time extraction of communication graphs from multithreaded applications

Embedded system synthesis, multiprocessor synthesis, and thread assignment policy design all require detailed knowledge of the runtime communication patterns among different threads or processes. Researchers have commonly relied on manual estimation, compiletime analysis, or synthetic benchmarks when developing and evaluating synthesis algorithms and thread assignment policies. In a more ideal world, it would be possible to quickly and easily determine the run-time communication properties of large commercial and academic multithreaded applications. This article describes a fully-automated method of extracting run-time communication graphs from multithreaded applications. The resulting graphs may be used to better understand, design, and synthesize application-specific hardware-software systems. The proposed graph extraction method is implemented as a module within the Simics multiprocessor simulator. It presently supports the analysis of arbitrary multithreaded applications running on the Linux operating system. This software is called CETA. It is freely available for academic and non-profit use.
The Ancient Maya Causeways of Yucatan

There is little room for doubt that the remains of ancient roads or causeways still to be seen in Yucatan are, so far as the history of the peninsula is concerned, of considerable antiquity. Two of the earliest and most important historians of Yucatan, namely, Diego de Landa and Bernardo de Lizana, mention them, and brief notices of their existence have been made by explorers in the nineteenth century. It seems highly probable that as early as a thousand years ago a broad highway extended a considerable distance across the northern part of the peninsula of Yucatan, if indeed it did not reach from the eastern to the western shores of the country.