cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in cartilage proteoglycans associated with calcification

The purposes of these experiments were to study the biosynthetic and postbiosynthetic relationships between proteoglycans in noncalcified growth cartilage and calcified cartilage in metaphysis from the costochondral junctions of immature rabbits. Based on in vivo experiments in which 35 S-sodium sulfate was injected into rabbits, it is shown that proteoglycans from the hypertrophic region becomes part of the calcified cartilage matrix which is to be incorporated into the metaphysis. The proteoglycan aggregates in the growth apparatus undergo partial disaggregation and degradation. There is approximately a 25% decrease in aggregation from regions of the rib distal to the metaphyseal-growth plate junction (69%) to the region proximal to it (50%). In contrast, in their final state in calcified cartilage, the proteoglycans are more completely disaggregated and the proteoglycans subunits are smaller, as adjudged from gel chromatography. Control experiments indicate that although some artifactual disaggregation is produced by the extraction process, it is not of the same magnitude as that seen in the actual isolation experiments nor are the subunits reduced in size.
Allinea DDT as a Parallel Debugging Alternative to Totalview

Totalview, from the Etnus Corporation, is a sophisticated and feature rich software debugger for parallel applications. As Totalview has gained in popularity and market share its pricing model has increased to the point where it is often prohibitively expensive for massively parallel supercomputers. Additionally, many of Totalview's advanced features are not used by members of the scientific computing community. For these reasons, supercomputing centers have begun to search for a basic parallel debugging tool which can be used as an alternative to Totalview. As the cost and complexity of Totalview has increased over the years, scientific computing centers have started searching for a viable parallel debugging alternative. DDT (Distributed Debugging Tool) from Allinea Software is a relatively new parallel debugging tool which aims to provide much of the same functionality as Totalview. This review outlines the basic features and limitations of DDT to determine if it can be a reasonable substitute for Totalview. DDT was tested on the NERSC platforms Bassi, Seaborg, Jacquard and Davinci with Fortran90, C, and C++ codes using MPI and OpenMP for parallelism.
Educating the Humanitarian Engineer

The creation of new technologies that serve humanity holds the potential to help end global poverty. Unfortunately, relatively little is done in engineering education to support engineers’ humanitarian efforts. Here, various strategies are introduced to augment the teaching of engineering ethics with the goal of encouraging engineers to serve as effective volunteers for community service. First, codes of ethics, moral frameworks, and comparative analysis of professional service standards lay the foundation for expectations for voluntary service in the engineering profession. Second, standard coverage of global issues in engineering ethics educates humanitarian engineers about aspects of the community that influence technical design constraints encountered in practice. Sample assignments on volunteerism are provided, including a prototypical design problem that integrates community constraints into a technical design problem in a novel way. Third, it is shown how extracurricular engineering organizations can provide a theory-practice approach to education in volunteerism. Sample completed projects are described for both undergraduates and graduate students. The student organization approach is contrasted with the service-learning approach. Finally, long-term goals for establishing better infrastructure are identified for educating the humanitarian engineer in the university, and supporting life-long activities of humanitarian engineers.
Memory and display applications for PLZT ceramics

Abstract The useful electrooptic effects in lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics divide into three general classes: variable birefringence, light scattering, and surface deformation. These effects are related to electrical switching of ferroelectric domains and electrically induced changes in the lattice distortion. Certain compositions exhibit memory properties due to remanent polarization of the domains, while some nonremanent compositions offer an electrostatic memory capability. A number of memory and display devices use longitudinal electrooptic effects. All three classes of electrooptic effects have been utilized in ferroelectric-photoconductor devices for information storage and display. Longitudinal light depolarization scattering is useful in alpha-numeric displays as is a fringe-field effect. The three classes of electrooptic effects in PLZT ceramics are also under evaluation for use as optical data input devices for optical memory systems.
Thermodynamics and kinetics of non-native interactions in protein folding: a single point mutant significantly stabilizes the N-terminal domain of L9 by modulating non-native interactions in the denatured state.

Abstract Comparatively little is known about the role of non-native interactions in protein folding and their role in both folding and stability is controversial. We demonstrate that non-native electrostatic interactions involving specific residues in the denatured state can have a significant effect upon protein stability and can persist in the transition state for folding. Mutation of a single surface exposed residue, Lys12 to Met, in the N-terminal domain of the ribosomal protein L9 (NTL9), significantly increased the stability of the protein and led to faster folding. Structural and energetic studies of the wild-type and K12M mutant show that the 1.9 kcal mol−1 increase in stability is not due to native state effects, but rather is caused by modulation of specific non-native electrostatic interactions in the denatured state. pH dependent stability measurements confirm that the increased stability of the K12M is due to the elimination of favorable non-native interactions in the denatured state. Kinetic studies show that the non-native electrostatic interactions involving K12 persist in the transition state. The analysis demonstrates that canonical Φ-values can arise from the disruption of non-native interactions as well as from the development of native interactions.
Network Analysis as a Method for Understanding the Dynamics of Natural Resource Management in Rural Communities

This article presents a methodological approach to identifying local social networks and discusses how these networks may be drawn upon to build consensus or acceptance of natural resource management plans. The article also presents a method for identifying local network structures, including quantitative analysis of the influence of these structures on community behavior. Network analysis provides additional information collected from community surveys and public meetings. Use of this method can help scientists and natural resource managers develop plans that incorporate an array of social cliques within a natural resource management area.
A rapid assessment randomized-controlled trial of improved cookstoves in rural Ghana

article i nfo We conducted a rapid assessment randomized-controlled trial to quantify changes in fuel use, exposure to smoke, and self-reported health attributable to deployment of an improved wood cookstove in the Upper West region of Ghana. Women trainers from neighboring villages taught participants to build an improved cookstove and demonstrated optimal cooking techniques on such stoves. Participants were then randomly assigned to construct improved stoves at their homes immediately (treatments) or in a few months (controls). Several weeks after the treatments built their new stoves, all participants engaged in a cooking test while wearing a carbon monoxide monitor. At that time we surveyed participants on cooking activity, fuel wood gathering, self-reported health, and socioeconomic status. At a subset of homes we also installed stove usage monitors on the improved and traditional stove for the following three weeks. During the cooking tests, treatments used 5% less fuel wood than controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. There were no detectable reductions in a households' weekly time gathering wood or in exposure to carbon monoxide. In contrast, there was a sharp decline in participants' self-reported symptoms associated with cooking, such as burning eyes, and in respiratory symptoms, such as chest pain and a runny nose. Stove usage monitors show that treatments used their new stove on about half of the days monitored and reduced use of their old stoves by about 25%. When we returned to three of the villages eight months after project implementation, about half the improved stoves showed evidence of recent usage. Overall the new stoves were not successful, but the evaluation was. Our methods offer a rigorous modest-cost method for evaluating user uptake, field-based stove performance, and exposure to smoke.
How Group Loyalties Shape Ethical Judgment and Punishment Preferences

Once a matter of safety and survival, loyalty is a moral principle deeply rooted in human evolution—one that may wield a profound influence on ethical judgment and conceptions of just punishment. Consumers live in a complex Web of loyalty obligations woven through affiliations with marketers, fellow consumers, and other groups. This article examines how such affiliations shape consumers’ judgments of ethically controversial marketing conduct and preferences for punishment. In general, the more unethical an act is judged to be, the more severe the preferred punishment. However, the findings show that although consumers judge a controversial marketing act as more unethical when an in-group member targets the consumer’s in-group (vs. out-group), a more lenient punishment is preferred (Study 1). Additionally, the extent to which one embraces loyalty as a moral value appears to mediate the relationship between group affiliations and preferred punishment (Study 2). This is a bias participants deny having, but believe others exhibit. This research finds evidence of loyalty to the principle of loyalty itself. A person will view an out-group member transgressing a member from that same out-group with disdain similar to that accorded an in-group member who transgresses the in-group, because the innate badness of the act is compounded by the stigma of disloyalty. C
Mucosal competitive exclusion to diminish colonization of chickens by Campylobacter jejuni.

Mucosal competitive exclusion flora (MCE) and length of MCE culture storage were studied to determine their influence upon colonization of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens. Day-of-hatch broiler chicks, held in isolation units, were treated with MCE or were left untreated. Thirty to 48 h later, groups of chicks were challenged with serial dilutions of C. jejuni (Strain A74/C). Single challenge doses and treatments were administered to chickens within each isolation unit. After 5 d, chicks were killed and levels of the organism in cecal materials were enumerated. Effective MCE was held at -80 C in 15% glycerol for 3 to 9 mo, and efficacy in inhibiting C. jejuni colonization of fresh and stored MCE cultures was compared. Colonization dose-50% (CD50%; dose needed to colonize one-half of the challenged chicks) and colonization quotients (CQ; log10 colony-forming unit geometric means per gram cecal materials) were determined. Data indicated that in three of five trials a significant reduction (P < .02) in CQ was observed in groups of chicks provided fresh MCE as compared with the control groups. Generally, efficacy of MCE treatment decreased with storage of the cultures. This study defines methods for production of MCE and the advantages and limitations of MCE intervention for C. jejuni colonization in chickens.
Magnetic Resonance of 2-Hydroxyglutarate in IDH1-Mutated Low-Grade Gliomas

Recent studies have indicated that a significant survival advantage is conferred to patients with gliomas whose lesions harbor mutations in the genes isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2). IDH1/2 mutations result in aberrant enzymatic production of the potential oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG). Here, we report on the ex vivo detection of 2HG in IDH1-mutated tissue samples from patients with recurrent low-grade gliomas using the nuclear magnetic resonance technique of proton high-resolution magic angle spinning spectroscopy. Relative 2HG levels from pathologically confirmed mutant IDH1 tissues correlated with levels of other ex vivo metabolites and histopathology parameters associated with increases in mitotic activity, relative tumor content, and cellularity. Ex vivo spectroscopic measurements of choline-containing species and in vivo magnetic resonance measurements of diffusion parameters were also correlated with 2HG levels. These data provide extensive characterization of mutant IDH1 lesions while confirming the potential diagnostic value of 2HG as a surrogate marker of patient survival. Such information may augment the ability of clinicians to monitor therapeutic response and provide criteria for stratifying patients to specific treatment regimens.
An evaluation of central laboratories in three VA cooperative studies

We compared central laboratory with local determinations of key clinical measurements in three VA Cooperative Studies. Electrocardiographic evidence of new myocardial infarction was assessed in the study of Aspirin Therapy and Unstable Angina, ejection fraction measurement in the Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Trial and lesion size in the Angioplasty Compared with Medicine (ACME) Trial. The findings in the Aspirin Trial indicated that central coding of all serial electrocardiograms in 1266 patients to detect new acute myocardial infarction by computer algorithm was not cost-effective when compared with the local investigator's diagnosis on the basis of a central Electrocardiographic Committee as the reference standard. In the other two trials, the contribution of the central laboratories was important because the assessments of the local investigators generally underestimated the degree of abnormality in the Bypass Trial and overestimated it in the ACME Trial. The VA results have clearly demonstrated two cases in which the decision for central evaluation was prudent, but one case in which it was not cost-effective. These equivocal findings indicate the need to evaluate the contribution of central laboratories when used as an adjunct to local determinations. Such evaluations may provide guidelines for decision-making in the design of future trials.
ATLAS plans on heavy flavor physics

With the starting up of the Large Hadron Collider, the ATLAS experiment is getting ready to perform many interesting measurements as part of its program on heavy flavor physics. Here we present a summary of feasibility tests we have performed and the plans we have prepared to analyze the data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC.
Projection and Division: Linear-Space Verification of Firewalls

A firewall is a packet filter that is placed at the entrance of a private network. It checks the header fields of each incoming packet into the private network and decides, based on the specified rules in the firewall, whether to accept the packet and allow it to proceed, or to discard the packet. A property of a firewall is a set of packets that the firewall is required to accept or discard. Associated with each firewall is a very large set of properties that the firewall needs to satisfy. The space and time complexity of the best known deterministic algorithm, for verifying that a given firewall satisfies a given property, is $O(n^d)$, where $n$ is the number of rules in the given firewall and $d$ is the number of fields checked by the firewall. Usually, $n$ is around $2000$ and $d$ is $5$. In this paper, we propose the first deterministic firewall verification algorithm whose space complexity is $O(nd)$, linear in both $n$ and $d$. This algorithm consists of three components: a projection pass, a division pass, and a probe algorithm. We applied our verification algorithm to over two million firewall-property pairs, varying $n$ from $100$ to $10000$ and fixing $d$ at $5$. From this experiment, we observed that the algorithm requires 900 + 0.5n Kilobytes of storage and in the order of 10 seconds execution time.
Development of a Quantitative Competitive PCR Assay for Detection and Quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cells

A quantitative competitive PCR (QC-PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells. From 103 to 108 CFU of E. coli O157:H7 cells/ml was quantified in broth or skim milk, and cell densities predicted by QC-PCR were highly related to viable cell counts (r2 = 0.99 and 0.93, respectively). QC-PCR has potential for quantitative detection of pathogenic bacteria in foods.
Comparison of levofloxacin, alatrofloxacin, and vancomycin for prophylaxis and treatment of experimental foreign-body-associated infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The prophylactic and therapeutic activities of two fluoroquinolones, levofloxacin and alatrofloxacin (the L-Ala-L-Ala prodrug of trovafloxacin), were compared to those of vancomycin in two different experimental models of foreign-body-associated infections caused by methicillin-resistant but quinolone-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. In a guinea pig model of prophylaxis, subcutaneously implanted tissue cages were infected with 10(3) CFU of MRSA, which was a 100% infectious dose in control animals. A single dose of 50 mg of levofloxacin per kg of body weight, administered intraperitoneally 3 h before bacterial challenge, was more efficient than vancomycin for the prevention of infections in tissue cages with MRSA inocula of 10(4) and 10(5) CFU. In a rat model used to evaluate therapy of chronic tissue cage infection caused by MRSA, the efficacies of 7-day high-dose regimens of levofloxacin (100 mg/kg once a day [q.d.] or 50 mg/kg twice a day [b.i.d.]) or alatrofloxacin (50 mg/kg q.d.) were compared to the efficacy of vancomycin (50 mg/kg b.i.d.). Active levels of levofloxacin, trovafloxacin, and vancomycin were continuously present in tissue cage fluid, with the levels exceeding the minimal bactericidal concentrations for MRSA during therapy. The q.d. and b.i.d. regimens of levofloxacin had equivalent activities and were significantly (P < 0.05) more active than alatrofloxacin or vancomycin in decreasing the viable counts of MRSA in tissue cage fluids. No quinolone-resistant mutants emerged during therapy with either fluoroquinolone. The mechanisms explaining the inferior activity of alatrofloxacin compared to the activity of levofloxacin against chronic foreign-body-associated infections by MRSA are unknown.
Mothers' reflections on raising a child with a craniofacial anomaly.

Abstract Objective: To conduct a qualitative evaluation of parenting among families with school-aged and young adolescent children with craniofacial anomalies (CFAs). Methods: Interview responses were obtained from nine mothers of children ages 9 to 14 years old with CFAs. Mothers were asked to describe their perceptions of their children, their children's special needs because of CFAs, and their parenting strategies. Narratives were coded into categories, including maternal concerns and worries, children's strengths, proactive maternal behaviors, and role of CFAs in the families' lives. Results and Conclusions: Mothers' responses indicated concern and protectiveness because of the challenges of having a CFA, as well as parenting strategies intended to promote autonomy and positive social and emotional adjustment.
A RISC architectural design of the HERMES multiprocessor vision machine

HERMES is a heterogeneous, real-time, systolic array structure consisting of (N/2/sup i/)*(N/2/sup i/) processors, where i is a resolution parameter and 0 >
Health Care and the Silent Language of Vietnamese Immigrant Consumers

Cultural contexting has long been an established part of the business communica tion vocabulary. Each cultural group possesses a deeply embedded "silent lan guage" that requires attention and provides communication challenges. In the busi ness of health care, this silent language can create tremendous challenges for the physician/patient communication process, especially when the physician and patient come from starkly different cultural backgrounds, an increasingly common scenario. Through focus groups with recent Vietnamese immigrants, we identified three salient factors in this silent language: cultural health beliefs, time orientation, and the expected role of family members in the practice of health care. Business communication instructors need to incorporate these factors as they prepare administrators and practitioners to communicate well as health care professionals.
Behavioral effects of current Alzheimer's disease treatments: a descriptive review

Abstract Background Behavioral abnormalities and neuropsychiatric symptoms are common manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Many clinical trials of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChE-Is) and memantine have included behavioral measures as primary or secondary outcomes, and most have observed behavioral benefits in conjunction with treatment. The purpose of this review was to determine the frequency of positive behavioral outcomes in AD clinical trials and clinical reports, to determine the symptoms most responsive to antidementia agents, and to explore factors that correlate with negative outcomes in clinical trials of antidementia agents with regard to behavioral measures. Methods We performed a computerized search of randomized clinical trials and open-label studies of ChE-Is and memantine for AD including a behavioral outcome measure. Studies involving 10 or more patients using therapeutic doses of the target agents and including a behavioral measure as a primary or secondary outcome were included in this review. Results One hundred fifty-seven peer-reviewed articles and 68 publicly presented abstracts were identified in the literature search. Subsequent review established that 15 publications arising from 13 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled AD trials met the review inclusion criteria. Positive outcomes on behavioral measures were reported in 8 of 15 publications as a primary or secondary outcome. In most blinded AD clinical trials, behavioral measures were secondary outcomes. Mood symptoms and apathy have most commonly responded to ChE-Is, whereas memantine has been associated with a reduction in irritability and agitation. However, there is substantial variability among trials in terms of behavioral outcomes. Studies that assessed patients with more severe dementia, included patients with less severe behavioral disturbances at baseline, involved institutionalized patients, or were international in scope tended to have negative outcomes. In institutionalized patients there is commonly an improvement in the placebo group that confounds the observation of any drug-placebo difference. Conclusions Antidementia agents have been associated with beneficial behavioral outcomes in many randomized clinical trials and open-label studies. Most studies are not designed to test the psychotropic properties of antidementia drugs. Trials with negative behavioral outcomes are most likely to involve patients who are institutionalized and have few behavioral disturbances at baseline. Clinical trials designed to assess behavioral effects of antidementia agents should anticipate these factors.
The differentiation of synaptic leadership in rural Laos

In Thailand and Laos modernization may lead to replacing multipurpose synaptor roles (such as displayed by village headmen) by more specialized, or differentiated synaptor roles. The observation of modern irrigation projects in Sayaboury, Laos supports this view. In one small irrigation system a new role of “lateral chief” has been created to act as a link (synaptor) between a small group of water users supplied from a common lateral and the extra-local irrigation agents of the national government. This specialized role links a subgroup of the village (a group of water users) with one unit of the government (the irrigation agency) and represents an initial differentiation of the multipurpose synaptor role of the village headman. That is, there are now two formal synaptor roles in the village in place of the formerly exclusive role performed by the village headman.
A review of infantile capillary hemangiomas and their current treatment modalities

Abstract Infantile capillary hemangiomas (IHs) are common, benign, high flow, vascular tumors affecting children. These lesions typically involute spontaneously leaving no long-term sequelae and require no treatment. IHs can, however, be life and vision threatening depending on their extent and location. These lesions can be addressed with a number of treatment options including corticosteroids, surgical excision, and laser. Most recently, β-blockers have shown promising results when used both systemically and topically to treat IH. Beta-blockers are an exciting new treatment option for IH and have shown promising results with few reported side effects.
A wavelength scaled array of Doubly-Mirrored Balanced Antipodal Vivaldi Antennas (Dm-BAVAs)

A wideband phased array with an aperture made of two distinct element periodicities, which effectively thin the array, is presented. The topology is based on a “quantized” version of the wavelenght-scaled aperture of [1], and [2]. This thinning method was used in conjunction with the Doubly-Mirrored Balanced Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna (Dm-BAVA) elements to substantially reduce the element (and T/R module) count of the array, while retaining good performance over the frequency range of 2–8 GHz (4:1 bandwidth). The use of modular Dm-BAVA elements is particularly beneficial in wavelength-scaled arrays because they allow easy assembly and appear to confine truncation effects to fewer elements around the discontinuities. The proposed structure offers a practical way to reduce the weight, cost and fabrication of large, wideband arrays. The majority of the studies in this paper were carried out using the full-wave domain decomposition finite element method (DD-FEM) [4]. This method is capable of quantifying truncation effects, the mutual coupling between the two array sections, and the far-field performance.
A relay based MAC protocol to support multi-rate feature in mobile ad hoc networks

Multi-rate feature is an important advance in wireless communications. It enables wireless devices to operate at high data rate when the channel condition is sufficiently good. Existing ad hoc routing protocols can not perform very well in the multi-rate ad hoc networks because they generally assume that bandwidth of different links are identical in the system. One straightforward solution to this issue is to use special routing metrics in routing algorithm, which is called routing approach. However, we believe that only localized reaction is performed in response to the local event. Based on this design principle, we propose a relay based medium access scheme to employ multi-rate capability even if existing minimum-hop based routing protocols are used. This scheme takes advantage of the node residing between neighboring nodes as a relay node and transforms a long-range transmission into two short-range transmissions. In our scheme design, we are very careful in reducing the additional overhead caused in order to exploit the high data rate transmission. Simulations show that our scheme achieve better throughput compared with 802.11 MAC scheme, a rate-adaptive MAC protocol called RBAR and the routing approach.
Comparative Biochemical and Immunocytochemical Studies Reveal Differences in the Effects of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin on Polarized CaCo-2 CellsVersus Vero Cells

Since most in vitrostudies exploring the action of Clostridium perfringensenterotoxin (CPE) utilize either Vero or CaCo-2 cells, the current study directly compared the CPE responsiveness of those two cell lines. When CPE-treated in suspension, both CaCo-2 and Vero cells formed SDS-resistant, CPE-containing complexes of ∼135, ∼155, and ∼200 kDa. However, confluent Transwell® cultures of either cell line CPE-treated for 20 min formed only the ∼155-kDa complex. Since those Transwell® cultures also exhibited significant86Rb release, ∼155-kDa complex formation is sufficient for CPE-induced cytotoxicity. Several differences in CPE responsiveness between the two cell lines were also detected. (i) CaCo-2 cells were more sensitive when CPE-treated on their basal surface, whereas Vero cells were more sensitive when CPE-treated on their apical surface; those sensitivity differences correlated with CPE binding the apicalversus basolateral surfaces of these two cell lines. (ii) CPE-treated Vero cells released 86Rb into both Transwell® chambers, whereas CaCo-2 cells released 86Rb only into the CPE-containing Transwell® chamber. (iii) Vero cells express the tight junction (TJ) protein occludin but (unlike CaCo-2 cells) cannot form TJs. The ability of TJs to affect CPE responsiveness is supported by the similar effects of CPE on Transwell® cultures of CaCo-2 cells and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, another polarized cell forming TJs. Confluent CaCo-2 Transwell® cultures CPE-treated for >1 h formed the ∼200-kDa CPE complex (which also contains occludin), exhibited morphologic damage, and had occludin removed from their TJs. Collectively, these results identify CPE as a bifunctional toxin that, in confluent polarized cells, first exerts a cytotoxic effect mediated by the ∼155-kDa complex. Resultant damage then provides CPE access to TJs, leading to ∼200-kDa complex formation, internalization of some TJ proteins, and TJ damage that may increase paracellular permeability and thereby contribute to the diarrhea of CPE-induced gastrointestinal disease.
Pulsus paradoxus as a parameter in treatment of the asthmatic

In 40 patients treated in the Billings Hospital emergency department for acute exacerbations of bronchial asthma, pulsus paradoxus was noted at presentation and at the time of admission to the hospital or discharge. No level of initial pulsus paradoxus predicting eventual admission was found. High initial pulsus paradoxus was more frequent in admitted patients. A correlation between the percent drop of pulsus paradoxus and success or failure of treatment was noted. Treatment failure was the most frequent criterion for admission.
Red reflex: Procedures and assessments video series.

Check out this month’s instructional video—“Red reflex.” Testing the red reflex is a simple and efficient way for FPs and pediatricians to rapidly screen children for ophthalmic conditions that, if left untreated, could lead to irreversible visual loss, blindness, and even death. By using a
‘Home taping is killing music’: the recording industries' 1980s anti-home taping campaigns and struggles over production, labor and creativity

In the 1980s, the major record labels in the United States and the United Kingdom publicly confronted consumers over the private copying of music onto blank cassette tapes. Industry trade groups, such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the British Phonographic Industry, mounted publicity campaigns combatting this practice of ‘home taping’, and, in addition, took legal action and lobbied governments for new copyright legislation. They condemned the practice as piracy, even though private, non-commercial copying was predominantly legal. In a significant precursor to the digital file-sharing battles of the 1990s and 2000s, fans and musicians widely objected to these attempts at media control, often through highly creative responses. This article examines these anti-home taping campaigns as a historical conjuncture that reveals some of the ways content firms defend themselves against new media technologies, while also illustrating the complexity and diversity that exist within media industri...
Lead-free piezoelectric materials and ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging

Piezoelectric materials have been vastly used in ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging. In this paper, firstly, the most promising lead-free compositions with perovskite structure for medical imaging applications have been reviewed. The electromechanical properties of various lead-free ceramics, composites, and single crystals based on barium titanate, bismuth sodium titanate, potassium sodium niobate, and lithium niobate are presented. Then, fundamental principles and design considerations of ultrasonic transducers are briefly described. Finally, recent developments in lead-free ultrasonic probes are discussed and their acoustic performance is compared to lead-based transducers. Focused transducers with different beam focusing methods such as lens focusing and mechanical shaping are explained. Additionally, acoustic characteristics of lead-free probes including the pulse-echo results as well as their imaging capabilities for various applications such as phantom imaging, in vitro intravascular ultrasound imaging of swine aorta, and in vivo or ex vivo imaging of human eyes and skin are reviewed.
Flocculation and dispersion studies of iron ore using laser scattering particle size analysis

In many mineral processing applications it is necessary to know the isoelectric points of the various minerals in the ore to properly perform flotation and other mineral separations. However, current zeta potential analysis technology used to determine the isoelectric point of a particle suspension cannot deliver the isoelectric point of each individual mineral, just an average of the mineral system. Traditionally, individual isoelectric points have been gathered by testing pure, synthetic minerals. These values can vary widely depending on the mineral synthesis procedure and the water quality used during the isoelectric point analysis. A more robust approach for determining the actual isoelectric point of a particular mineral in a mixture of minerals is needed. This paper details a method for determining the isoelectric point of an iron oxide mineral in a siliceous iron ore. The method uses a laser scattering particle size analyzer and a pH electrode to determine the pH at which the liberated mineral particles begin to flocculate as pH is decreased. The pH at which the average particle size rises dramatically is the isoelectric point of the mineral with the highest isoelectric point in the ore. This measurement technique was used on natural hematite, goethite and siderite ores as well as a synthetic mixture of pure silica and pure hematite. The results for synthetic hematite mixtures were comparable to literature values.
Effect of Formic Acid Addition on Water Cluster Stability and Structure

Computational chemistry simulations were performed to determine the effect that the addition of a single formic acid molecule has on the structure and stability of protonated water clusters. Previous experimental studies showed that addition of formic acid to protonated pure water results in higher intensities of large-sized clusters when compared to pure water and methanol−water mixed clusters. For larger, protonated clusters, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on H+(H2O)n, H+(H2O)nCH3OH, and H+(H2O)nCHOOH clusters, 19−28 molecules in size, using a reactive force field (ReaxFF). Based on these computations, formic acid−water clusters were found to have significantly higher binding energies per molecule. Addition of formic acid to a water cluster was found to alter the structure of the hydrogen-bonding network, creating selective sites within the cluster, enabling the formation of new hydrogen bonds, and increasing both the stability of the cluster and its rate of growth.
Abstract 2793: Folate, B vitamin and methionine intake and risk of colon cancer in relation toBRAFmutation and CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: One-carbon metabolism appears to play an important role in DNA methylation reaction. Evidence suggests that a low intake of folate or other B vitamins or high alcohol consumption increases colorectal cancer risk. How dietary folate and B vitamins affect the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) and BRAF mutation status in colon cancer remains uncertain. METHODS: Utilizing 472 colon cancer tissue specimens from a large prospective cohort of women in the Nurses’ Health Study, we sequenced BRAF codon 600 and quantified DNA methylation in eight CpG islands [CACNA1G, CDKN2A (p16), CRABP1, IGF2, MLH1, NEUROG1, RUNX3, and SOCS1], which have been validated as a CIMP marker panel. In addition, we examined 8 other CpG islands (CHFR, HIC1, IGFBP3, MGMT, MINT-1, MINT-31, p14, WRN). We examined the relationship between intake of folate and other one-carbon nutrients and colon cancer risk, according to BRAF mutation or CIMP status. RESULTS: We were able to sequence BRAF in 472 incident colon cancers, and determine CIMP status in 462 tumors. Compared with women reporting intake of 6 intake did not appear to differentially influence risks for CIMP-high and CIMP-low/0 tumors (P heterogeneity =0.63). In contrast, a higher methionine intake appeared to lower the risk of CIMP-high cancers (top versus bottom quintile, multivariate RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.35-1.31) whereas it had no effect on CIMP-low/0 tumors (multivariate RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.71-1.52; P heterogeneity =0.007). Using the 16-marker CIMP panel did not substantially alter our results. Folate, B vitamin or methionine intake did not differentially affect colon cancer risk by BRAF status. CONCLUSIONS: Lower levels of folate and vitamin B 6 intake were associated with increased risk of CIMP-low/0 colon tumors, whereas higher levels of methionine intake appeared to lower the risk of CIMP-high tumors. These nutrients did not appear to affect BRAF mutation status. Our data support epigenetic alterations as potential mechanisms through which one-carbon nutrients exert their influence on colon carcinogenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2793.
Relationship between attack of essential hypertension and gene variations in mitochondrial DNA control region

AIM: To explore the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations of D loop region in patients with essential hypertension (EH), and evaluate their roles in the pathogenesis of hypertension.METHODS: DNA was extracted from the 20 EH patients, who met the diagnostic standard of hypertension in WHO, and 20 normotensives. The entire genome of D loop region was amplified by using 3 overlapping primers, and direct gene sequence and comparative analysis were performed. RESULTS: The mtDNA variation frequency and density in D loop region of EH patients [13.95 per case, 0.19/100 base per case] were higher than those of normotensives [10.7 per case, 0.14/100 base per case](χ 2 =11.84, P 0.01). There was higher variation frequency in mitochondrial transcription factor binding site 1 and mitochondrial microsatellite instability for EH patients. The polymorphism changes of np152C and np16189C were possibly the high risk sites susceptible to hypertension. CONCLUSION: EH patients have higher mtDNA variations rate in D loop region, which may be closely correlated with the pathogenesis of hypertension.
A Proposed System for the Classification of Transmembrane Transport Proteins in Living Organisms

Led by the molecular archeological studies of transport proteins, the chapter proposes a novel classification system based on both function and phylogeny. It briefly describes this system of classification and provides reference sources for its exploitation. Genome analyses have helped to reveal the numbers of transport protein families and the breadth of their functionalities. These analyses have led to the devising of a novel classification system based both on functionality and phylogeny. It is believed that a functional- phylogenetic basis for transporter classification provides the most rational approach to protein classification available so far. It also provides the most information concerning the evolution, structures, and functions of any class of proteins. Many new transporter families have been identified, and several of the described families have been redefined or expanded.
Public Interest Media Advocacy and Activism as a Social Movement

This chapter reviews the literature on public interest media advocacy and activism. In so doing, it organizes the literature according to the three primary theoretical perspectives on social movements—framing processes, political opportunities, and mobilizing structures, to reflect the increased tendency in recent years for scholars to conceptualize public interest media advocacy and activism as a social movement. As this review indicates, public interest media advocacy and activism encompasses a movement that has employed a number of distinct, though overlapping, frames. It comprises a movement with political opportunities that are strongly tied to technological developments and to the conceptualization of policy problems within the policy-making sector. It constitutes a movement that, from a structural standpoint, has both emerged from—and can potentially serve the interests of—a wide range of other social movements, including civil rights and democratization movements, the consumer movement, and the an...
Fat Overload Focal Seizures

Two 9-year-old patients receiving fat emulsion therapy (FET) who presented with focal seizures and other neurologic complications are reported from the Baylor College of Medicine, Neurology Service, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX.
Rare case of Corynebacterium striatum septic arthritis

Corynebacterium species are aerobic, Gram-positive bacilli that are commensal organisms of skin and mucosal membranes. Although its pathogenicity is well established, Corynebacterium striatum is frequently isolated in cultures and generally regarded as a contaminant. Rarely, this bacterium causes septic arthritis. We present a case of right shoulder joint septic arthritis due to C. striatum in a lung-transplant recipient with end-stage renal disease. A brief review of the literature regarding C. striatum septic arthritis is also a part of this report.
Endoscopic anatomy of the sphenopalatine and posterior nasal arteries: implications for the endoscopic management of epistaxis.

Background Refractory posterior epistaxis is a challenge for otolaryngologists. Most algorithms for managing this condition ultimately call for interrupting the arterial blood supply to the nasal mucosa. Traditionally, this was accomplished either by transantral arterial ligation or by arteriographic-guided embolization. More recently, the endonasal endoscopic approach has also been described. Because the primary blood supply to the posterior nasal cavity is derived from the terminal branches of the sphenopalatine and the posterior nasal arteries, we conducted this anatomic study to examine and describe the anatomic relationship of these two arteries as they exit the pterygopalatine fossa and enter the nasal cavity. Methods We performed endoscopic dissections of this anatomic region in nine fresh and one formalin-preserved cadaver specimens. A total of 19 sides were examined. Results In 3 of 19 specimens (16%), the sphenopalatine artery branched from the sphenopalatine artery within the sphenopalatine canal, allowing the two arteries to exit together. In 8 of the 19 specimens (42%), the sphenopalatine artery exited much more posteriorly, yet from within a shared posteriorly elongated sphenopalatine foramen. In the remaining eight specimens (42%), the sphenopalatine artery exited through a distinct foramen directly posterior to the larger sphenopalatine foramen. Conclusion Understanding this anatomic relationship is important in performing endoscopic arterial ligation. If the sphenopalatine artery is not specifically identified and ligated, an important component of the posterior nasal circulation will not be addressed adequately by this surgical approach.
CdSe Nanoplatelet Films with Controlled Orientation of their Transition Dipole Moment

Using liquid–liquid interfacial assembly, we control the deposition of CdSe nanoplatelets into face-down or edge-up configurations. Controlled assembly, combined with back focal plane imaging, enabled unambiguous determination of the transition dipole orientation. The transition dipole moment of the emissive band-edge exciton in CdSe nanoplatelets was found to be isotropically oriented within the plane of the nanoplatelet with no measurable out-of-plane component and no preference for the long- or short-axis of the nanoplatelet. Importantly, CdSe nanoplatelet films in the face-down configuration exhibited unity dipole orientation within the plane of the film, which could improve the external efficiency of nanoplatelet LEDs, lasers, photodetectors, and photovoltaic cells beyond that which is possible with isotropic emitters. We also show that the two self-assembled configurations have different Forster energy transfer rates, as a result of different dipole orientation and internanoplatelet distance.
Global sensitivity analysis for developing biological models: Application to K+ channel model in mouse ventricular myocytes

Mathematical models of cardiac myocytes are highly nonlinear and involve a large number of model parameters. The parameters are estimated using experimental data, which are often corrupted by noise and uncertainty. Such uncertainty can be propagated onto model parameters during model calibration, which further affects model reliability and credibility. In order to improve model accuracy, it is important to quantify and reduce the uncertainty in model response resulting from parametric uncertainty. Sensitivity analysis is a key technique to investigate the significance of parametric uncertainty and its effect on model responses. This can identify and rank most sensitive parameters, and evaluate the effect of uncertainty on model outputs. In this work, a global sensitivity analysis is developed to determine the significance of parametric uncertainty on model responses using Sobol indices. This method is applied to nonlinear K+ channel models of mouse ventricular myocytes to demonstrate the efficacy of the developed algorithm.
The Promises And Pitfalls Of Treating Addiction

Treatment of addiction in primary care should increase, but it will fail without the proper supports for providers in place.
Generation and filtration of O/W emulsions under near-wellbore flow conditions during produced water re-injection

Abstract Produced water in the oilfield contains oil droplets in the form of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. These oil droplets cannot be completely separated from the water by surface facilities, and produced water still containing suspended emulsions is re-injected into formations. These oil droplets plug the pore space in the near-wellbore or near-fracture region, resulting in rapid declines in the performance of water injection wells where the remediation processes can be expensive. Displaced oil droplets also contribute to the plugging of pore space near injection wells. These oil droplets are generated by high-velocity flow displacing residual oil in the rock. Because generation and filtration processes occur simultaneously, it is critical to understand both processes at high-velocity flow conditions. This paper experimentally quantifies the rate of generation and filtration of oil droplets in high-velocity flow. For the first time, empirical models were suggested to predict droplet size and rate of generation as a function of trapping number. For the filtration, synthetic dilute O/W emulsions were injected into granular packs to measure the filtration coefficient at various trapping numbers, grain sizes, and fluid velocities. We compared the measurements with known models. Also, filtration mechanisms of straining and interception are explained under high-velocity flow conditions experienced near injection wells. Based on this work, a macroscopic material balance model of O/W emulsion flow in porous media can precisely predict the near-well formation damage and the subsequent performance of injection wells during produced water re-injection (PWRI).