cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurotransmitters, KCl and antioxidants rescue striatal neurons from apoptotic cell death in culture.

Abstract Striatal neurons grown in low density culture on serum-free media and in the absence of glia die within 3 days of plating. In this study, we sought to determine the mechanism of cell death (e.g., apoptosis) and whether trophic influences, such as, growth factors, neurotransmitters, antioxidants or KCl-mediated depolarization could improve their survival. We found that striatal neurons grown in this manner die via apoptosis unless treated with one of several different rescuing agents. One way to prevent the death of most striatal neurons was continual treatment with 5–20 μM dopamine (DA) or other monoamines. Although the survival effect of DA was mimicked by the specific D1 receptor agonist, SKF38393, no D1 or D2 receptor antagonists blocked the effect. As with DA, chronic depolarization with KCl (12–39 mM) or treatment with antioxidants, such as the vitamin E analog, Trolox (10–10–500 μM), or the hormone, melatonin (10–10–500 μM) also rescued striatal neurons from impending cell death. Surprisingly, growth factors, such as BDNF, bFGF, GDNF, NGF, NT3 and EGF, demonstrated no ability to rescue striatal neurons in this model, suggesting that death was not solely caused by the absence of essential trophic factors. We conclude that a variety of agents, but not growth factors, can prevent the demise of striatal neurons, presumably by neutralizing damage at one or more steps in the death cascade.
Bringing in Managers and Union Leaders

Sociologists are supposedly fascinated by class conflict. That said, there is remarkably little work done by sociologists on American unionism, and even less on the unions of the present day. Some of this comes from the traditional Marxist dismissal of the labor movement as bourgeois reformism. Burawoy's (1979) characterization of unionism as a ritual game serving to defuse serious critiques of capitalism is harsh; nevertheless, it has received almost no protest from the ranks of sociologists. Disinterest has led to a certain amount of superficiality in our models of industrial conflict. Our propositions are reasonable, but they are simple-overly so. Our first commonly invoked theory is resource mobilization theory. Workers will unionize and strike when they are strong. Formal organizations, such as unions, make workers stronger and thus encourage more striking (Obserschall, 1973; Tilly, 1978). Our second proposition is that unions once formed tend to become bureaucratized and centralized.
Delay of Microwave Signals in Single-crystal Yttrium Iron Garnet†

ABSTRACT A first-order theory with experimental results is presented to describe the magnetoelastic propagation effects in single-crystal yttrium iron garnet. These crystals have been found to possess extremely low magnetic and acoustic loss characteristics. When cut in the shape of a cylindrical rod and immersed in an external magnetic field, the internal magnetic field is found to be a function of position within the rod. If, in addition, the crystal is illuminated with electromagnetic energy at microwave frequencies, spin waves can be excited. The non-uniformity of the internal magnetic field permits these spin waves to excite elastic shear waves. Both the elastic and spin waves propagate at velocities at least four orders of magnitude less than the speed of light; the exact group velocity of the spin waves depends on the magnitude of the magnetic field. By exciting such waves in yttrium iron garnet, the incident microwave signal can be delayed as much as 14 microsec in a 1 cm length rod. The low loss ...
Locus of Control, Interpersonal Trust and Academic Achievement

The present study examined the relationship of locus of control, interpersonal trust and academic performance of 133 college students. Internality and trust were significantly negatively related to...
Educating for Equity and Social Justice: A Conceptual Model for Cultural Engagement.

This article presents an alternative approach to using service-learning courses to help students develop cultural competence. Service learning often comes from a deficit model that views the providers of a service as advantaged and the recipients as disadvantaged. The Conceptual Model for Cultural Engagement (CMCE) recognizes that those many deem as the disadvantaged have assets to share. The CMCE develops long-term, asset-based, reciprocal relationships between faculty members, community partners, and higher education students. During this relationship, all of the individuals actively participate in culturally engaged learning. The goal is to develop culturally effective members of our society who are educated to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
A Convenient Synthesis of Diketopiperazines via Aminolysis of N-Pyruvyl α-Amino Esters

Abstract Several years ago we began some preliminary synthetic studies directed toward sulfide-bridged 1, 4-diketopiperazines (III).2 These initial efforts were concerned with the cyclization reaction shown in Scheme I whereby precursor N-methyl α-sulfhydryl diketopiperazines (II) might be directly obtained from pyruvamide derivatives of α-amino esters (I).3,4
Suitability of the adenosine antagonist istradefylline for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: pharmacokinetic and clinical considerations.

Introduction: Recent experimental and clinical research has shown that A2A adenosine receptor antagonism can bring about an improvement in the motor behavior of patients with Parkinson's disease. Istradefylline, a xanthine derivative, has the longest half-life of all the currently available A2A adenosine receptor antagonists; it can successfully permeate through the blood–brain barrier and has a high human A2A adenosine receptor affinity. Areas covered: In this article, the author discusses the potential role of A2A adenosine receptor antagonists in the treatment of Parkinson's disease through the evaluation of istradefylline. Specifically, the article reviews the clinical and pharmacokinetic information available to elucidate its therapeutic potential. Expert opinion: A2A adenosine receptor antagonists are efficacious in combination with l-dopa. l-dopa has a complex pharmacokinetic behavior and causes long-term behavioral and metabolic side effects. Future research on A2A adenosine receptor antagonism sh...
Modern Monarchs and Democracy: Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej and Juan Carlos of Spain:

The history of democracy is typically a history of struggle against monarchs and other such autocrats. The elevation of one person over others by virtue of blood and birth has come to be seen as anachronistic; yet some monarchies have managed to survive to this day. This paper analyses two examples of the uneasy coalition between popular sovereignty and royal leadership that is constitutional monarchy. Whereas Juan Carlos of Spain has been described as having steered Spain away from dictatorship, Bhumibol of Thailand has come under scrutiny for allegedly lacking a principled approach to democracy. I argue that structural as much as personal factors influenced the ways in which the two monarchies were legitimised – one by positively responding to the modern aspirations of the king’s subjects, giving him a “forward legitimacy,” the other by revitalising the king’s traditional charisma and opting for “backward legitimacy.”
Synthesis of unlabelled and tritium labelled 4‐isothiocyanato‐1‐(1‐phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine (fourphit), tools for the study of the dopamine reuptake complex.

The synthesis of high specific activity tritium labelled 4-isothiocyanato-1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine ([3H]fourphit), a probe for the autoradiographic study of the dopamine reuptake complex, is described. An improved, facile synthesis of unlabelled fourphit in high overall yield is also presented. Detailed study of the interaction of unlabelled and tritium labelled fourphit with the dopamine reuptake complex may lead to a better understanding of the actions of cocaine.
Cycloaddition reactions of 1,4-benzoquinone mono- and bisimides with styrenyl systems: New syntheses of nitrogen substituted azapterocarpans, pterocarpans, 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroindoles and -dihydrobenzofurans

Abstract Lewis acid-promoted reactions of 1,4-benzoquinones and 1,4-benzoquinone bis- and monoimides with various 2H-chromenes, N-tosyl-1,2-dihydroquinolines and styrenes regio- and stereoselectively produce the title compounds in good yields.
LcrV Mutants That Abolish Yersinia Type III Injectisome Function

LcrV, the type III needle cap protein of pathogenic Yersinia, has been proposed to function as a tether between YscF, the needle protein, and YopB-YopD to constitute the injectisome, a conduit for the translocation of effector proteins into host cells. Further, insertion of LcrV-capped needles from a calcium-rich environment into host cells may trigger the low-calcium signal for effector translocation. Here, we used a genetic approach to test the hypothesis that the needle cap responds to the low-calcium signal by promoting injectisome assembly. Growth restriction of Yersinia pestis in the absence of calcium (low-calcium response [LCR(+)] phenotype) was exploited to isolate dominant negative lcrV alleles with missense mutations in its amber stop codon (lcrV(*327)). The addition of at least four amino acids or the eight-residue Strep tag to the C terminus was sufficient to generate an LCR(-) phenotype, with variant LcrV capping type III needles that cannot assemble the YopD injectisome component. The C-terminal Strep tag appears buried within the cap structure, blocking effector transport even in Y. pestis yscF variants that are otherwise calcium blind, a constitutive type III secretion phenotype. Thus, LcrV(*327) mutants arrest the needle cap in a state in which it cannot respond to the low-calcium signal with either injectisome assembly or the activation of type III secretion. Insertion of the Strep tag at other positions of LcrV produced variants with wild-type LCR(+), LCR(-), or dominant negative LCR(-) phenotypes, thereby allowing us to identify discrete sites within LcrV as essential for its attributes as a secretion substrate, needle cap, and injectisome assembly factor.
Health Care Applications

This chapter focuses on health care applications of DEA. The paper begins with a brief history of health applications and discusses some of the models and the motivation behind the applications. Using DEA to develop quality frontiers in health services is offered as a new and promising direction. The paper concludes with an eight-step application procedure and list of Do’s and Don’ts when applying DEA to health services.
Family Matters: Aristotle's Appreciation of Women and the Plural Structure of Society

Aristotle is no misogynist, but the way this charge is answered can skew the understanding of his political theory as a whole. Those who dismiss the charge of misogyny on grounds that Aristotle covertly advocates women's participation in civic affairs tend to obscure the leading thesis of the Politics, namely, that polis and household differ in kind, not merely in number. I argue that Aristotle condones the exclusion of women from civic affairs because this practice conforms to the natural complementarity of the sexes and because it fortifies the naturally pluralistic structure of society. By securing these underpinnings, Aristotle frames a constitution that best supports women and men in their pursuit of human excellence.
Modeling Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in Nanophotonics

In this paper, we review various numerical methods currently used to model nonlinear optical processes in nanophotonics. Among the different theoretical frameworks that have been used to study nonlinear photonic structures, we particularly focus on the application of both perturbation theory and coupled-mode theory to the analysis of complex nonlinear nanophotonic devices. This description is illustrated on several examples of how these techniques can be used to design photonic-crystal-based nonlinear devices. In addition, in all these examples, we show that the predictions made by the two mentioned techniques are in a good agreement with the numerical results obtained from a nonlinear finite-difference-time-domain approach to these problems.
Generating test-cases from an object-oriented model with an artifical-intelligence planning system

Black-box test-generation requires a model of the system under test to describe what is to be tested. Testing criteria and test objectives define how it is to be tested. This paper describes an approach to black-box test-generation in which an AI (artificial intelligence) planner is used to generate test cases from test objectives derived from UML (Unified Modeling Language) Class Diagrams. The UML Class Diagrams are conceptual models of the systems under test. They differ from traditional design and requirements models in that they include information pertinent to test case generation. From these models, test objectives and a domain theory are: obtained, transformed to planner representations, and input to the planner. The planner uses the problem description to generate a test suite that satisfies the UML-derived test objectives. This paper describes the application of the testing approach to an industrial problem.
Outer Membrane c-Type Cytochromes Required for Fe(III) and Mn(IV) Oxide Reduction in Geobacter sulfurreducens

The potential role of outer membrane proteins in electron transfer to insoluble Fe(III) oxides by Geobacter sulfurreducens was investigated because this organism is closely related to the Fe(III) oxide-reducing organisms that are predominant in many Fe(III)-reducing environments. Two of the most abundant proteins that were easily sheared from the outer surfaces of intact cells were c-type cytochromes. One, designated OmcS, has a molecular mass of ca. 50 kDa and is predicted to be an outer membrane hexaheme c-type cytochrome. Transcripts for omcS could be detected during growth on Fe(III) oxide, but not on soluble Fe(III) citrate. The omcS mRNA consisted primarily of a monocistronic transcript, and to a lesser extent, a longer transcript that also contained the downstream gene omcT, which is predicted to encode a second hexaheme outer membrane cytochrome with 62.6% amino acid sequence identity to OmcS. The other abundant c-type cytochrome sheared from the outer surface of G. sulfurreducens, designated OmcE, has a molecular mass of ca. 30 kDa and is predicted to be an outer membrane tetraheme c-type cytochrome. When either omcS or omcE was deleted, G. sulfurreducens could no longer reduce Fe(III) oxide but could still reduce soluble electron acceptors, including Fe(III) citrate. The mutants could reduce Fe(III) in Fe(III) oxide medium only if the Fe(III) chelator, nitrilotriacetic acid, or the electron shuttle, anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonate, was added. Expressing omcS or omcE in trans restored the capacity for Fe(III) oxide reduction. OmcT was not detected among the sheared proteins, and genetic studies indicated that G. sulfurreducens could not reduce Fe(III) oxide when omcT was expressed but OmcS was absent. In contrast, Fe(III) oxide was reduced when omcS was expressed in the absence of OmcT. These results suggest that OmcS and OmcE are involved in electron transfer to Fe(III) oxides in G. sulfurreducens. They also emphasize the importance of evaluating mechanisms for Fe(III) reduction with environmentally relevant Fe(III) oxide, rather than the more commonly utilized Fe(III) citrate, because additional electron transfer components are required for Fe(III) oxide reduction that are not required for Fe(III) citrate reduction.
Blood serum as an adhesive for paraffin sections.

Diluted human and other mammalian blood serum (15 ml. of fresh blood serum diluted with 10 ml. of freshly distilled water, with 6 ml. of 5% formalin solution in distilled water added) can be used as a good adhesive for paraffin sections. It is preferable to Mayer's egg albumin-glycerol mixture because it is easily obtainable, can be quickly prepared, and sections are less subject to loosening after its use.
Self-Consistent Crystalline Condensate in Chiral Gross-Neveu and Bogoliubov de Gennes Systems

We derive a new exact self-consistent crystalline condensate in the (1+1)-dimensional chiral Gross-Neveu model. This also yields a new exact crystalline solution for the one dimensional Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations and the Eilenberger equation of semiclassical superconductivity. We show that the functional gap equation can be reduced to a solvable nonlinear equation and discuss implications for the temperature-chemical potential phase diagram.
Evaluating Methods for Estimating Program Effects.

I define a treatment effect in terms of a comparison of outcomes and provide a typology of all possible comparisons that can be used to estimate treatment effects, including comparisons that are relatively unknown in both the literature and practice. I then assess the relative merit, worth, and value of all possible comparisons based on the criteria of bias, precision, generalizability, ease of implementation, and cost. Which comparison is best depends on how these criteria are weighted and on the constraints of the specific research setting. I hope readers come to recognize a wider range of comparisons than they had previously, appreciate the value of considering all possible comparisons, and see how my typology of comparisons provides the basis for making fair appraisals of the relative strengths and weaknesses of different types of comparisons in the presence of the contingencies that are most likely to arise in practice.
Playable data: characterizing the design space of game-y infographics

This work explores the intersection between infographics and games by examining how to embed meaningful visual analytic interactions into game mechanics that in turn impact user behavior around a data-driven graphic. In contrast to other methods of narrative visualization, games provide an alternate method for structuring a story, not bound by a linear arrangement but still providing structure via rules, goals, and mechanics of play. We designed two different versions of a game-y infographic, Salubrious Nation, and compared them to a non-game-y version in an online experiment. We assessed the relative merits of the game-y approach of presentation in terms of exploration of the visualization, insights and learning, and enjoyment of the experience. Based on our results, we discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of our designs. More generally, we identify challenges and opportunities for further exploration of this new design space.
Polynomial intensity correction for multimodal image registration

Based on the standard sum of squared differences (SSD) criterion, we develop a fast and robust multimodal image registration algorithm that incorporates a polynomial model to capture the complex relationship between the intensity values of two images. The resulting energy function can be efficiently optimized using the Gauss-Newton method in either joint or constrained fashion. Comparisons using simulated data reveal that our method has a similar capture range to that of the mutual information. Furthermore, we demonstrate accurate MR-PET registration results for images with abnormal structures.
A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for polyethylene glycol-coated gold nanoparticles of different sizes in adult mice

AbstractNanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in various fields of nanomedicine. A systematic understanding of NP pharmacokinetics is crucial in their design, applications, and risk assessment. In order to integrate available experimental information and to gain insights into NP pharmacokinetics, a membrane-limited physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for polyethylene glycol-coated gold (Au) NPs (PEG-coated AuNPs) was developed in mice. The model described endocytosis of the NPs in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs and was calibrated using data from mice that were intravenously injected with 0.85 mg/kg 13 nm and 100 nm PEG-coated AuNPs. The model adequately predicted multiple external datasets for PEG-coated AuNPs of similar sizes (13–20 nm; 80–100 nm), indicating reliable predictive capability in suitable size ranges. Simulation results suggest that endocytosis of NPs is time and size dependent, i.e. endocytosis of larger NPs occurs immediately and predominately from the blood, whereas sm...
Ocean current measurements from submarine set and drift

A procedure for calculating ocean currents from submarine set and drift is described. Relationships for the response length of the submarine to velocity perturbations are given. These lengths are found to be 3-10 boat lengths, and they represent a limit to the spatial resolution of the current measurements. A procedure for the in-situ calibration of the submarine speed sensor is described. An example shows that the current vectors are consistent from one leg of the submarine track to another and with satellite observations. Ocean current measurement capability is presently being integrated into an oceanographic monitoring system for tactical applications. >
Evaluation of stream chemistry trends in US Geological Survey reference watersheds, 1970–2010

The Hydrologic Benchmark Network (HBN) is a long-term monitoring program established by the US Geological Survey in the 1960s to track changes in the streamflow and stream chemistry in undeveloped watersheds across the USA. Trends in stream chemistry were tested at 15 HBN stations over two periods (1970-2010 and 1990-2010) using the parametric Load Estimator (LOADEST) model and the nonparametric seasonal Kendall test. Trends in annual streamflow and precipitation chemistry also were tested to help identify likely drivers of changes in stream chemistry. At stations in the northeastern USA, there were significant declines in stream sulfate, which were consistent with declines in sulfate deposition resulting from the reductions in SO₂ emissions mandated under the Clean Air Act Amendments. Sulfate declines in stream water were smaller than declines in deposition suggesting sulfate may be accumulating in watershed soils and thereby delaying the stream response to improvements in deposition. Trends in stream chemistry at stations in other part of the country generally were attributed to climate variability or land disturbance. Despite declines in sulfate deposition, increasing stream sulfate was observed at several stations and appeared to be linked to periods of drought or declining streamflow. Falling water tables might have enhanced oxidation of organic matter in wetlands or pyrite in mineralized bedrock thereby increasing sulfate export in surface water. Increasing sulfate and nitrate at a station in the western USA were attributed to release of soluble salts and nutrients from soils following a large wildfire in the watershed.
Variation in Gnathopod Morphology of Cave Amphipods and Its Use in Determination of Sex

The ability to distinguish sex using secondary rather than primary sexual characteristics allows the reduction or elimination of handling organisms, an advantage with rare and/or fragile species. Based on observations of differences in the morphology of gnathopods 1 and 2 of male and female cave amphipods, Gammarus acherondytes and Gammarus troglophilus, we tested the hypothesis that gnathopod morphology could be used to identify sex. To examine the size at which gnathopod metrics allowed reliable identification of sex and to establish predictive relationships, we recorded sex, total body length, and the length and width of propodi from museum collections. In an attempt to test these predictive relationships with an independent data set, we discovered that relationships were species and population specific, even after accounting for shrinkage in the preserved samples. Sex could be most successfully distinguished for G. acherondytes from Reverse Stream Cave using propodus 1 length, while for G. troglophilus it was propodus 2 length. Because regression lines of relationships diverged for G. troglophilus from Fogelpole Cave, all metrics except propodus 1 length were predictive. Although gnathopod dimorphism was limited to large individuals, it was much faster than examining individuals for the presence of penal papillae or oostegites. Thus, using gnathopod morphology to determine sex may be adequate for some studies.
Clinically relevant differences among the opioid analgesics.

The mechanism of action of opioids and clinically relevant differences among the opioid analgesics are described. Both endorphins (endogenous morphine-like substances) and exogenous opioids (opium alkaloids and their derivatives) bind to opioid receptors in the human central nervous system to provide analgesia and other effects. Some drugs, such as morphine, are true agonists, i.e., they bind to and activate receptors. Some are partial agonists, binding to part of the receptor and causing effects that are similar to, but perhaps less pronounced than, the effects produced by agonists. Others are antagonist, i.e., they bind to the receptor but do not cause the associated effects. Some drugs, termed agonist-antagonist opioids, act as antagonists at one type of receptor and agonists at another type of receptor. True agonists tend to have relatively straight-line dose-response curves; in other words, their effect increases with increasing doses over a broad dosage range. Partial agonists and agonist-antagonists tend to have ceiling effects; that is, they do not have the broad dosage range of drugs such as morphine, methadone, hydromorphone, and other "strong" opioids. This fact mediates against the use of partial agonists and agonist-antagonists in cancer patients who have chronic pain that may increase as the disease progresses. Three major factors that should be considered when a drug is selected for clinical use are (1) relative affinities for the different opioid receptor types, (2) pharmacokinetic characteristics that influence onset and duration of action, and (3) whether the opioids are strong or weak. For treatment of cancer pain, drugs with long durations of action are preferable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Biofueled Miniature Turbojet Engine (BIOMITE)

The Busemann Advanced Concepts Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder has been researching improvements to small turbojet engines designed for unmanned aerial vehicles for the past three years. The BIOMITE senior design team has continued this tradition by designing adaptations for a commercial-off-the-shelf US Microjet AT-450 turbojet engine to run on a biofuel and increase its thrust-to-weight ratio. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the areas in which to make thrust-to-weight improvements. The new engine is designed to incorporate a new combustor can, turbine stage, and variable area nozzle. Shapiro analysis was used to determine the combustor geometry needed to burn the biofuel at a higher temperature and deliver higher energy flow to the turbine stage. Frequency analysis of the new rotor was conducted to ensure safe operation after integrating the new commercial-off-the-shelf turbine. Since the engine operates at a higher temperature than originally designed for, the existing engine control unit was replaced with LabVIEW software. The engine was successfully run on synthetic-paraffinic-kerosene and demonstrated the predicted performance.
Mn K-Edge X-ray Absorption Studies of Oxo- and Hydroxo-manganese(IV) Complexes: Experimental and Theoretical Insights into Pre-Edge Properties

Mn K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was used to gain insights into the geometric and electronic structures of [MnII(Cl)2(Me2EBC)], [MnIV(OH)2(Me2EBC)]2+, and [MnIV(O)(OH)(Me2EBC)]+, which are all supported by the tetradentate, macrocyclic Me2EBC ligand (Me2EBC = 4,11-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane). Analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data for [MnIV(O)(OH)(Me2EBC)]+ revealed Mn–O scatterers at 1.71 and 1.84 A and Mn–N scatterers at 2.11 A, providing the first unambiguous support for the formulation of this species as an oxohydroxomanganese(IV) adduct. EXAFS-determined structural parameters for [MnII(Cl)2(Me2EBC)] and [MnIV(OH)2(Me2EBC)]2+ are consistent with previously reported crystal structures. The Mn pre-edge energies and intensities of these complexes were examined within the context of data for other oxo- and hydroxomanganese(IV) adducts, and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) computations were used to predict pre-edge properties ...
Suspension Processing of SiC Whisker-Reinforced Composites

Suspension processing was used to prepare Al2O3 /SiC whisker and Al2O3/ZrO2 /SiC whisker compacts with high green density, fine pore sizes, and homogeneous microstructure. Procedures for optimizing particle/whisker co-dispersion and subsequent consolidation by slip casting are reviewed. Compacts prepared by slip casting showed significantly higher sintered densities compared to dry-pressed samples.
Healing of Experimental Skin Wounds

SummaryThe use of methacrylate polymers as a wound dressing in rodents is described and its advantage in the experimental study of wound healing indicated.
The Study of Cytotoxicity of the Porous NiTi Alloy Dental Implant Material

Objective: To evaluate the biological safety of porous NiTi alloy for possible use as dental implant,and provide evidence for animal experiment and clinical application.Methods:The biological safety of porous NiTi alloy was evaluated through the experiment mcludmg hemolysls test and cytotoxicity test(MTT test).Results:MTT revealed that L929 cells grew well in the extract and the grade of cytotoxicity was zero.Conclusion:The porous NiTi alloy dental implant material have good biological safety.
Rhythmic and melodic sight reading interventions: Two meta-analyses

The purpose of these meta-analyses was twofold: 1) to determine whether experimentally - tested sight reading interventions positively influenced rhythmic or melodic sight reading performance and i...
Dental journals: yesterday and today

Today's dentists may subscribe to, or receive complimentarily, a number of periodical publications containing technical professional information. Dental journals are the prime example: providing timely, reliable and useful information. The development of dental journals is a component of the evolution of scientific communication. This article reviews the origins and evolution of dental journals, including the Texas Dental Journal.
When's the next Big One?

INTRODUCTION AND FRUSTRATION As earthquake scientists, we study a natural phenomenon that could destroy a city and could kill tens of thousands of people. For that reason, we are frequently interviewed on television and radio to discuss earthquakes. Invariably, the first thing our interviewer wants to know is “When's the next Big One?” When our answer is “I don't know, exactly,” we frustrate our interviewer, who may start to lose interest. “You've been studying this problem for decades, and you still don't know?” But we are required to talk about identifying earthquakes in advance and say why we're not farther along in answering this question. In our defense, it should be noted that it is difficult to predict anything . Will the stock market plunge us into a new recession like the one in 2008? Will we suffer a nuclear attack from North Korea? Will we suffer a drought next summer as bad as last summer? Each of these questions has its own army of prognosticators, so the earthquake people have lots of company. The section on China (Chapter 12) describes the world's first successful earthquake “prediction” in Haicheng, Manchuria – an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 in February 1975. A year-and-a-half later, while the Chinese were still basking under the impression that they had figured out how to predict earthquakes, the nearby city of Tangshan was destroyed by an earthquake of magnitude 7.8, with the loss of more than 240,000 lives. The Haicheng earthquake had been preceded by foreshocks that had rattled the city and alerted its inhabitants to the danger, but the Tangshan earthquake had no foreshocks. It came as a complete surprise. Back to the drawing boards, not just the Chinese but all of us. The US Geological Survey (USGS) thought it had a key to forecasting an earthquake on the San Andreas fault in a segment of the Coast Ranges of central California. This segment, at the tiny village of Parkfield, experienced moderate-sized earthquakes of magnitude 6 to 6.4 in 1857, 1881, 1901, 1922, 1934, and 1966, repeating every two to three decades.
Incidence of infusion reactions to anti-neoplastic agents in early phase clinical trials: The MD Anderson Cancer Center experience

Infusion reactions (IRs) to anti-neoplastic agents require prompt recognition and immediate treatment to avert significant complications. We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of consecutive patients who received anti-neoplastic therapy in the outpatient treatment center of the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics from January 1, 2013 to November 30, 2013. Of the 597 patients who received treatment, 9 (1.5 %) had IRs (all ≤ grade 2). The most common IRs observed on first occurrence were chills (n = 5), itching, rash, and facial flushing (n = 3 each). There were no IR-related deaths. All the IRs were reversible with appropriate symptomatic treatment and the therapy was completed after temporary cessation of infusion in 7 of the 9 patients. The infusion was stopped in 2 patients due to symptoms suggestive of IgE-mediated allergic reaction and cytokine storm. Five of the 8 patients who were re-challenged with the same therapy developed a similar reaction. However, the infusion was completed in 4 of the 5 patients after administration of intravenous diphenhydramine and/or hydrocortisone, or slowing the rate of infusion. And, subsequent cycles with the same agents were uneventful. IRs to anti-neoplastic agents are rare. Though the clinical presentations are overlapping, most IRs are not IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Appropriate premedication and slow rate of infusion facilitates uneventful administration of the anti-neoplastic agents in subsequent cycles. Further study in a larger cohort of patients to identify biomarkers of hypersensitivity is warranted.
A modified collaborative adaptive wiener filter for multi-frame super-resolutionaper

During acquisition, digital images are invariably degraded by a number of phenomena that limit image resolution and utility. Aliasing from undersampling, blur from optics, and sensor noise are some factors which can affect the image resolution. Multi-frame super-resolution (SR) is a technique that takes several low-resolution (LR) frames of a particular scene and processes them together to produce one or more high-resolution (HR) images. The HR images have higher spatial frequency content, and less noise and blur, than any of the LR frames. A collaborative adaptive Wiener filter (CAWF) for multi-frame SR, proposed by the current authors, is one of the very recent effective multi-frame SR algorithms. In this paper, we modify the original CAWF SR method by employing a spatially varying signal variance estimate. Instead of using a global signal variance estimate as an external input to the original CAWF SR algorithm, we estimate the desired signal variance in each processing window and incorporate it to estimate the HR pixels. The modified CAWF SR is presented and demonstrated. In addition, performance comparisons between the original and the modified CAWF SR are conducted. The modified CAWF SR outperforms the original CAWF SR, particularly in low signal-to-noise ratio images.
Environmental Education Organizations and Programs in Texas: Identifying Patterns through a Database and Survey Approach for Establishing Frameworks for Assessment and Progress.

We examined the diversity of environmental education (EE) in Texas, USA, by developing a framework to assess EEorganizations and programs at a large scale: the Environmental Education Database of Organizations and Programs(EEDOP). This framework consisted of the following characteristics: organization/visitor demographics,pedagogy/curriculum, operations, and assessment. A database of organizations was built by surveying EE programdirectors state-wide. Of 237 possible organizations, 82 responded to the survey. Results showed that 6-20% of Texansare exposed to EE yearly. In 2009, each of these organizations conducted 19 programs to serve 6,000 people usingonly $7,500 USD (based on medians). Environmental educators most frequently used hands-on, outdoor experimentsand group discussions to teach students, suggesting constructivism as the underlying learning theory in Texas EE.The field needs a comprehensive analysis of the large diversity of organizations and programs to better understandthe structure and function of EE. Databases are highly effective tools in education research because they provide: 1) asource of quality research; 2) information across multiple scales; 3) networking and collaboration; and 4)comprehensive and longitudinal data for testing theories. This study provides a framework for creating large-scaledatabases of EE organizations and identifies patterns among and between characteristics.
Power grid resilience against false data injection attacks

Smart Grid security has motivated numerous researches from multiple disciplines. Among the recently discovered security challenges, the False Data Injection (FDI) has drawn great attention from power and energy, computer, and communication research community, because of its potential to manipulate measurements in state estimation (SE) without being identified by conventional bad data detection (BDD) methods. Despite the current focus on attack scheme studies in literature, the actual damage and system resilience to FDI attacks are yet to be evaluated. This paper analyzes grid resilience against FDI by formulating random FDI attacks with different magnitudes and number of false data. A steady-state AC power flow based blackout model is used to simulate misinformed system response after FDI and potential cascading blackouts in power transmission networks. Line outages, load shed, and voltage violations are evaluated on IEEE 300-bus system. Preliminary results have shown that while FDI attacks are considered severe potential threats in the smart grid, a power system can be resilient to FDI attacks in terms of blackout risk and cascading outages, yet the transient voltage stability could suffer from severe FDI attacks.
Abstract 1816: Impact of 5FU and radiation on replication of interferon-expressing adenovirus

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Pancreatic Cancer is a disease for which there are very limited efficacious treatments, resulting in a 5-year survival rate for affected patients around only 6%. A recombinant oncolytic adenovirus (OAd-IFN) developed by our group to target pancreatic cancer utilizes enhanced oncolysis with an overexpression of the adenoviral death protein, enhanced infectivity with a genetically modified fiber, conditional replication targeted to pancreatic cancer using the Cox-2 promoter, and an expression of human interferonαto enhance the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy and radiation through the antitumor effects of the cytokine. Our previous work analyzing the therapeutic abilities of IFN expressing vectors in human pancreatic cancer xenografts in immonudeficient nude mice and in syngeneic hamster pancreatic cancer nodules in immunocompetent Syrian hamsters, showed a more evident antitumor effect of OAd-IFN in the latter models. This suggests the success of OAd-IFN as an immune system stimulator, making it a promising candidate for combination therapy approaches. The goal of this study is to investigate the possibility for use of OAd-IFN as a therapy for pancreatic cancer in conjunction with 5FU and radiation. Specifically, the adenoviral replicative ability was measured within pancreatic cancer Mia-Paca 2 cells under various conditions of 5FU and radiation exposure. Replication was analyzed by a correlation to the increase in amount of viral DNA extracted from treated cells at two time points post infection. In two preliminary trials, cells were infected with the virus two days prior to receiving 5FU and radiation, and another group of cells was treated with 5FU before viral infection. Based on the initial data collected, radiation seemed to have no effect on viral replication. 5FU treatment prior to viral infection resulted in an increase in replication at low dose, and a decrease in replication with high dose, however, this effect was only seen at the first time point 3 days after infection. Similarly, 5FU treatment post infection showed a minor dose dependent inhibition of viral replication at high doses, with little to no effect observed in the low dose. Combining viral infection with 5FU appears to have an impact on the replication of OAd-IFN in vitro; however, further trials need to be done to explore the effect of various timing among viral infection and therapy treatments as well as different therapy concentrations and viral titers to further analyze the potential combination therapies. Citation Format: Jordan Sell. Impact of 5FU and radiation on replication of interferon-expressing adenovirus. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1816. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1816
Lasers in urology. II. Laser therapy.

Abstract To date four laser wavelengths are commercially available which have urologic applications. The experience with all of these lasers is reviewed. The major urologic lesions treatable by the laser are: condylomata acuminata, superficial penile carcinoma, and bladder carcinoma. The carbon dioxide (C02) laser is most applicable for external genital lesions while the Nd: YAG laser is better suited for the endoscopic treatment of bladder tumors. Due to its preferential absorption by hemoglobin, the argon laser is useful in treating vascular lesions. The tunable dye laser with hematoporphyrin-derivative therapy has exciting potential, but is too new to evaluate its therapeutic efficacy.
The Rosarium Project: A case of merging traditional reference librarian skills with digital humanities technology

ABSTRACTThe role of the reference librarian has changed considerably over the past thirty years. Today reference librarians spend as much time on public relations as on answering reference questions and more time solving log-in issues than on helping with research. Despite this, there is still a role for reference librarians to play using their research and curation skills. That role involves the digital humanities, particularly text encoding projects following the guidelines of the Text Encoding Initiative Consortium (TEI). One such TEI project is the Rosarium Project, which curates online popular materials about roses.
The Quality and User Acceptance of Multiat-Tribute Utility Analysis Performed by Computer and Analyst

Abstract Two potential problems challenge the computerization of decision analysis. First, to what extent can the often ill-defined art of structuring be transformed into software. Second, to what extent is past consumers' satisfaction with decision analysis a function of the formal methods and procedures of the theory and rationale of decision theory, and to what degree do other factors such as personal interaction and the establishment of a rapport account for client approval? We compared multiattribute utility analyses of personal decision problems of undergraduates performed by a human analyst vs. those performed by a standalone 'software package, Multi-Attribute Utility Decomposition (MAUD3). Although subjects favored the analyst session over the MAUD3 session, agreement with and acceptance of the analyst and MAUD3 results implied ordering and most preferred alternative did not differ. We did find that subjects feel better taken care of when more attributes are included in the analysis, but that subjects' holistic ratings are better accounted for by analyses with smaller rather than larger number of attributes. Although the analyst attribute sets were more often judged more nearly complete and better in overall quality, the MAUD3 attribute sets were more often judged more nearly independent, both logically and valuewise. Furthermore, the attribute set of each pair with the greater number of dimensions was overwhelmingly chosen as being more complete, less independent, and of higher quality than the other attribute set. Judgments of overall quality were virtually identical to those of completeness.
A reverse ray-tracing method for modelling the net radiative flux in leaf-resolving plant canopy simulations

Abstract Radiation is a direct or indirect driver of essentially all biophysical processes in plant systems, and is commonly described through the use of models because of its complex distributions in time and space. Detailed radiation transfer models that represent plant-scale heterogeneity have high computational resource requirements, thus severely limiting the size of problems that can be feasibly considered, while simplified models that can represent entire canopies usually neglect heterogeneity across a wide range of scales. This work develops new methods for computing radiation absorption, transmission, scattering, and emission using ray-tracing approaches that can explicitly represent scales ranging from leaves to canopies. This work focuses on developing a new “reverse” ray-tracing method for describing radiation emission and scattering that ensures all geometric elements (e.g., leaves, branches) are adequately sampled, which guarantees that modelled radiative fluxes are bounded within a reasonable range of values regardless of the number of rays used. This is a critical property when complex model geometries are used, which can be subject to severe sampling errors even when very large ray counts are used. The presented model uses graphics processing units (GPUs) along with highly optimized software to efficiently perform ray-object intersection tests in parallel. This allowed for the simulation of >500 fully resolved trees on a desktop computer in under five minutes.
Interference and Phase Mismatch Effects in Coherent Triple Sum Frequency Spectroscopy

Abstract Triply resonant sum frequency is a fully coherent method for multidimensional vibrational/electronic spectroscopy that creates cross-peaks between fundamental, overtone, and combination band vibrational states and electronic/vibronic states if they are coupled. It is also a methodology that cannot be phase matched. This paper explores the consequences of coherent interference and phase matching on the multidimensional spectra obtained in experiments performed in sample cells. Fringes appear in the multidimensional spectra and simulations show the character of the fringes depend on the refractive index dispersion, the thickness of different parts of the sample cell, the volume of the excitation region, and the relative third order susceptibility of the sample and the windows. It is suggested that the fringes provide a mechanism for determining the third order susceptibility and its multidimensional dispersion.
Intentional memory and online data collection: A test of the effects of animacy and threat on episodic memory

As research in the behavioural sciences increasingly relies on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) for recruiting participants, it is an empirical question whether an intentional memory experiment cou...
Biographical Feature: Stephen G. Jenkins, Ph.D., D(ABMM), F(AAM).

Dr. Stephen G. Jenkins, D(ABMM), is the recipient of the 2019 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Award for Research and Leadership in Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Jenkins has exemplified the characteristics described for this award, which “Recognizes an outstanding scientist/clinical
Contained risk-taking: Preparing preservice teachers to teach controversial issues in three countries

ABSTRACTBased on a cross-national study conducted in Northern Ireland, England, and the United States, this article expands current literature by examining 4 teacher educators’ efforts to prepare p...