cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Offshore Silicon Valley? The Emerging Irish Software Industry:

This paper assesses the development potential of local inter-firm networks in Newly Industrializing Countries. This is done through an analysis of the role of such networks in the growth of the software industry in the Republic of Ireland. Transnational software companies located in Ireland developed extensive local supply networks. Local social networks and a local culture of innovation contributed to the growth of an indigenous software development sector. While local networks can generate significant competitive advantage for a region they are inevitably internationalized as successful firms organize globally or as the region attracts further foreign investment. Corporations utilize local networks to solve problems of cost, control and innovation management in the globalization of production and corporate organization.While fostering local networks can be an effective public policy, it is not sufficient for development. The role of the state in supporting, guiding and bargaining with local firms in these networks remains a crucial aspect of development strategy.
Hiding Worries from One's Spouse: Associations Between Coping via Protective Buffering and Distress in Male Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients and Their Wives

The relationship between protective buffering, a style of coping in which the individual hides his/her concerns from spouse, and level of distress was studied among post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients and their spouses. Forty-three male married MI survivors and their wives completed measures of psychological distress and protective buffering at 4 weeks and 6 months post-hospital discharge. At both time periods, a greater propensity for protective buffering by the patient was related to higher levels of patient distress. Protective buffering by wife was also associated with higher levels of wife distress. In addition, patient buffering at 4 weeks predicted increased patient distress at 6 months. The results suggest that male MI patients who conceal their worries from their spouses adjust more poorly over time.
The role of ROS in peripheral artery deformation

Introduction High failure rates are common in treatments for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Mechanical deformations of the femoropopliteal artery (FPA) with limb flexion co-localize with diseased areas in the popliteal artery (PA). These deformations generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which stimulates vascular remodeling. Therefore, we hypothesize that a more dynamic PA has higher ROS levels than the static superficial femoral artery (SFA), which may contribute to these treatment failures. Methods FPAs were obtained from tissue donors. Segments were taken from both, the PA and SFA. They were analyzed for DNA oxidation by staining for 8-hydroxydeoxy guanosine (8-OHdG), protein oxidation by staining for protein carbonyls, and lipid oxidation by staining for 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Differences between SFA and PA were compared using paired sample t-test with p Results There was a 5% increase in 8-OHdG in the PA versus SFA, p=0.03. Carbonyl staining was 18% higher in the PA than in the SFA, p=0.05. 4-HNE staining was not significantly different between the segments. Additionally, we compared the PA/SFA oxidative damage in young (14-29 y/o) and old (60 y/o+) and compared it to pre-stretch, a measure of FPA health. The old cohort had a 23% loss of pre-stretch, p Conclusion There is an increase in oxidative damage in the dynamic PA when compared to the static SFA. This increase is associated with age, loss of pre-stretch, and disease.
Recapturing American Innovation Through Education: The Creativity Challenge for Schools

This chapter introduces a research-based model for how educators can cultivate creative Climates, nurture creative Attitudes, and develop creative Thinking skills (CATs) in students. Described is how the current test-centric climate of the American education system smothers creativity in its students, leading to the creativity crisis in the United States. The chapter describes the components of the CATs model (Kim KH, The creativity challenge: how we can recapture American innovation. Prometheus, Amherst, 2016): the ION (i.e., inbox, outbox, newbox) thinking skills, 27 creative attitudes, and 4S climates (i.e., sun, storm, soil, and space) that are necessary for creativity development in students. The chapter also addresses how the CATs model can be used as a resistive theory and practice to provide educators with the potential to rekindle the creativity that has been lost. The CATs model can be practically integrated into educators’ pedagogical practices. Ways are suggested for educators to cultivate creative climates, nurture creative attitudes, and develop creative thinking skills in students, such as by using children’s picture books.
Introduction to Predictive Biomarkers: Definitions and Characteristics

The concept of “biomarkers” as indicators of health or disease is not new. This introductory chapter is focused on the utilization of “biomarkers” that can be detected directly in tissues from cancer patients. Within this context, biomarkers include proteins and nucleic acids and derivatives and parts thereof. The main methods of biomarker detection in cancer are reviewed, together with definitions and requirements set forth by regulatory organizations. The major challenges that this constellation of new test modalities presents to pathologists and clinicians are discussed, along with critical aspects of test cost and resultant test availability.
Drug Discovery from Complex Mixtures: Serendipity, Screening, and Characterization

Natural products mixtures, as originally sourced in nature, are encountered in complex matrices that may contain useful active components at low concentrations, but also a number of unrelated molecular components, often in larger quantities. To detect and identify active principles can be challenging and depends on the process of sample preparation, along with the selection, design, and operation of the relevant assay. Sample preparation may entail extraction, chromatography, or some other concentration/purification step(s). The assays chosen may range from simple isolated enzyme assays, where the mixture is tested against a particular target, to phenotypic type assays where the growth, viability, or function of a cell or a tissue is being monitored. And in more sophisticated approaches, cellular systems may be so studied—even engineered for optimization—to incorporate a specific target-based screen in a cellular context. In many drug discovery settings, these assays have been miniaturized to enhance efficiency and throughput. Identification of “hits” (complex mixtures positive for the activity in question) can allow further purification of the mixture to “track” the active principle(s) and then to structurally identify them using chemical means. In some programs, the screening and chemistry work can be combined in integrated operations to maximize efficiency. Because of the complexity of cellular assay systems, and the vast complexity of natural products, many “serendipitous” discoveries have been encountered, identifying new chemical classes or new modes of biological action for known compounds.
Role of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Regulatory T-Cells in the Tuberculous Granuloma

In the course of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, while a robust immune response is required for containment and clearance of the pathogen, immune-mediated tissue damage may also occur. Immune suppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are recruited to the site of infection, but in the process of controlling immune responses can promote pathogen survival. Tregs are known to be elevated in tuberculosis (TB) patients with active disease and studies in animal models demonstrate that Tregs inhibit effector T cell function through multiple mechanisms during M.tb infection (Guyot-Revol et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:803–10, 2006). More recently, increased levels of MDSCs have been found in patients with active TB and although less is known about their role in infection, it has become clear that MDSCs are very effective in suppressing T cell responses in tumors (El Daker et al., PLoS One 10:e0123772, 2015). In this chapter, we will give a brief overview of the early immune response to M.tb. infection and the host’s attempt to contain infection through the formation of granulomas in the lung. We will then review the function of MDSCs and Tregs and what is known about their role during TB infection. Finally, we will discuss currently available drugs that can target these cell populations and their potential use for the treatment of TB.
Baby NINJA (Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-Time Action): Reduction of Nephrotoxic Medication-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objective(s) To test if acute kidney injury (AKI) is preventable in patients in the neonatal intensive care unit and if infants at high-risk of nephrotoxic medication-induced AKI can be identified using a systematic surveillance program previously used in the pediatric non-intensive care unit setting. Study design Quality improvement project that occurred between March 2015 and September 2017 in a single center, level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were screened for high-risk nephrotoxic medication exposure (≥3 nephrotoxic medication within 24 hours or ≥4 calendar days of an intravenous [IV] aminoglycoside). If infants met criteria, a daily serum creatinine (SCr) was obtained until 2 days after end of exposure or end of AKI, whichever occurred last. The study was divided into 3 eras: pre-Nephrotoxic Injury Negated by Just-in-time Action (NINJA), initiation, and sustainability. Differences for 5 metrics across 3 eras were compared: SCr surveillance, high nephrotoxic medication exposure rate (per 1000 patient-days), AKI rate (per 1000 patient-days), nephrotoxin-AKI percentage, and AKI intensity (number of AKI days per 100 susceptible patient-days). Results Comparing the initiation with sustainability era, there was a reduction in high nephrotoxic medication exposures from 16.4 to 9.6 per 1000 patient-days (P = .03), reduction in percentage of nephrotoxic medication-AKI from 30.9% to 11.0% (P Conclusion(s) A systematic surveillance program to identify high-risk infants can prevent nephrotoxic-induced AKI and has the potential to prevent short and long-term consequences of AKI in critically ill infants.
Probing Single-Particle Electrocatalytic Activity at Facet-Controlled Gold Nanocrystals

Electrocatalytic reduction reactions (i.e., the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen reduction reaction) at individual, faceted Au nanocubes (NCs) and nano-octahedra (ODs) expressing predominantly {100} and {111} crystal planes on the surface, respectively, were studied by nanoscale voltammetric mapping. Cyclic voltammograms were collected at individual nanoparticles (NPs) with scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) and correlated with particle morphology imaged by electron microscopy. Nanoscale measurements from a statistically informative set of individual NPs revealed that Au NCs have superior HER electrocatalytic activity compared to that of Au ODs, in good agreement with macroscale cyclic voltammetry measurements. Au NCs exhibited more particle-to-particle variation in catalytic activity compared to that with Au ODs. The approach of single-particle SECCM imaging coupled with macroscale CV on well-defined NPs provides a powerful toolset for the design and activity assessment of nanoscale electrocatalysts.
Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation in patients with preexisting mechanical mitral valves: a systematic review.

Introduction: A preexisting mechanical mitral valve (MMV) is thought to be a thrombogenic risk factor after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) implantation. We sought to evalu...
SPATIAL PATTERNS AND CAUSES OF MARBLE TOMBSTONE WEATHERING IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

A 9600 km2 area of southwestern Pennsylvania with widely varying amounts of historic industrial air pollution contains enough old cemeteries (135) to permit high-resolution mapping of Vermont marble tombstone weathering rates. Mean vertical-slab surface recession rates are as much as eight times greater for urban/industrial areas (maximum 3.0 mm [100 yr]-1) than for rural areas (minimum 0.4 mm [100 yr]-1). A damage function relates mean weathering rates to long-term numbers of employees in nearby polluting industries, and shows that even small industrial operations significantly augmented local rates of weathering within several kilometers. Marble stones near short-smokestack industries are significantly more weathered than are those near tall-smokestack, coal-fired electrical power plants. The comparatively high mean rate of marble weathering in small town cemeteries (1.1 mm [100 yr]-1) suggests that recent acidic precipitation may be dissolving the stones throughout the study region or that pollution fr...
GHUM & GHUML: Generative 3D Human Shape and Articulated Pose Models

We present a statistical, articulated 3D human shape modeling pipeline, within a fully trainable, modular, deep learning framework. Given high-resolution complete 3D body scans of humans, captured in various poses, together with additional closeups of their head and facial expressions, as well as hand articulation, and given initial, artist designed, gender neutral rigged quad-meshes, we train all model parameters including non-linear shape spaces based on variational auto-encoders, pose-space deformation correctives, skeleton joint center predictors, and blend skinning functions, in a single consistent learning loop. The models are simultaneously trained with all the 3d dynamic scan data (over 60,000 diverse human configurations in our new dataset) in order to capture correlations and ensure consistency of various components. Models support facial expression analysis, as well as body (with detailed hand) shape and pose estimation. We provide fully train-able generic human models of different resolutions- the moderate-resolution GHUM consisting of 10,168 vertices and the low-resolution GHUML(ite) of 3,194 vertices–, run comparisons between them, analyze the impact of different components and illustrate their reconstruction from image data. The models will be available for research.
Reliability of Metal-Dielectric Structures Under Intermittent Current Pulsing

Design rules for specification of current densities in lines are driven by consideration of possible failure mechanisms. Under large amplitude intermittent current pulses, thermal stresses are the dominant cause for failure, with chief failure mechanisms being cyclic fatigue and plastic ratcheting of the metal line or dielectric fracture. In this study, a BEOL structure with aluminum or copper interconnects and silicon dioxide dielectric under well-separated current pulses is studied numerically through finite element simulations. The effects of varying duty cycles, peak current densities and line widths are studied. Line fatigue is found to be the dominant mode of failure in the absence of package structure. The results are characterized by the temperature rise in the line and the duty cycle of current pulses. A threshold is found to exist for the per cycle temperature rise below which there is no observable fatigue. A comparison of reliability between aluminum and copper lines is made and it is observed the copper lines permit a lower threshold temperature rise, but induce a lower dielectric stress. The results of the study may be used to develop peak current density specifications for dies.
New Frontiers in Hypofractionation for Regional Nodal Irradiation in Breast Cancer

In recent years, there have been a number of small, yet notable practice changes in the delivery of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in breast cancer patients. Herein, we describe the role of PMRT and its evolving delivery with hypofractionated regimens. The UK START trials and whole-breast hypofractionation studies established the safety and effectiveness of accelerated radiotherapy. This has inspired further investigations of similar principles in patients with reconstruction, acute and late toxicities associated with hypofractionated regimens, socioeconomic benefit, and evolving delivery techniques. Overall, results from clinical trials evaluating hypofractionation for RNI or PMRT appear promising despite the limited length of follow-up. Ongoing clinical trials will provide valuable data on the safety of hypofractionation in breast cancer patients with immediate reconstruction. Hypofractionation for PMRT represents high-quality care that is not only more convenient for patients but also more cost-effective for the healthcare system.
Online Delivery of Social Media Posts to Appropriate First Responders for Disaster Response

Delivering the right information to the right people in a timely manner can greatly improve outcomes and save lives in emergency response. A communication framework that flexibly and efficiently brings victims, volunteers, and first responders together for timely assistance can be very helpful. With the burden of more frequent and intense disaster situations and first responder resources stretched thin, people increasingly depend on social media for communicating vital information. This paper proposes ONSIDE, a framework for coordination of disaster response leveraging social media, integrating it with Information-Centric dissemination for timely and relevant dissemination. We use a graph-based pub/sub namespace that captures the complex hierarchy of the incident management roles. Regular citizens and volunteers using social media may not know of or have access to the full namespace. Thus, we utilize a social media engine (SME) to identify disaster-related social media posts and then automatically map them to the right name(s) in near-real-time. Using NLP and classification techniques, we direct the posts to appropriate first responder(s) that can help with the posted issue. A major challenge for classifying social media in real-time is the labeling effort for model training. Furthermore, as disasters hits, there may be not enough data points available for labeling, and there may be concept drift in the content of the posts over time. To address these issues, our SME employs stream-based active learning methods, adapting as social media posts come in. Preliminary evaluation results show the proposed solution can be effective.
Targeting the Cholesterol Paradigm in the Risk Reduction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Does the Mechanism of Action of Pharmacotherapy Matter for Clinical Outcomes?

Hypercholesterolemia is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been labeled as “bad” cholesterol and high...
Significant and rapid stimulation of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses against Her-2/neu positive ovarian cancer

A21 BACKGROUND: Although immunotherapeutic interventions are promising, current treatments to induce strong immune responses against ovarian cancer (OC) are still inadequate. In order to develop a new method to induce strong immune responses against OC, we used the rAAV-based antigen loading of dendritic cells (DCs) to generate significant and specific CTL responses against OC antigen. Recent studies demonstrate that recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based antigen loading of DCs generates in vitro , significant and rapid cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses against viral antigens. We used the rAAV system to induce specific CTL against tumor antigens for the development of OC gene therapy. As an extension of the versatility of the rAAV system, we incorporated a self -antigen, Her-2/neu, expressed in many cancers, including breast and OC. We then tested the ability of r-AAV loading of DCs to generate CTLs specific for the self-antigen. METHODS: The AAV/Her-2/neu vectors encoding a short (157-612) and long domain (1-1197) were constructed, and the titers of AAV/Her2/157 and AAV/Her2/1197 virus stocks were determined by real-time PCR. AAV/Her2/neu-transduced DCs were confirmed by Immunofluorescence and measuring polyadenylated RNA expression of the AAV/Her2/neu transgene. We then generated autologous targets by infecting donor Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with AAV/Her2/157 and AAV/Her2/1197 virus 4 days before the CTL assay. The ability of rAAV-transduced DCs to stimulate Her2/neu-specific CTLs was determined by standard 6-hour 51 Cr assay. RESULTS: AAV/Her2/neu-infected PBMCs were found to express Her2/157 and Her2/1197 by RT-PCR analysis, whereas unaltered PBMCs and K562 cells did not express Her2/neu. Our rAAV vectors induced strong stimulation of CTLs directed against the self tumor antigen Her-2/neu. Moreover, a significant MHC Class I-restricted, anti-Her-2/neu-specific CTL killing was demonstrated against Her-2/neu positive OC cells after one in vitro stimulation . The results showed that the T-cells incubated with both AAV/Her2/157 and AAV/Her2/1197-loaded DCs were able to kill the patients’ OC cells. The CTLs’ stimulation due by Her2/1197 loaded DCs was superior to the one due by Her2/157, which confirmed our hypothesis that the Her2/1197 containing more Her2/neu-derived specific epitopes than Her2/157. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our results demonstrate that the delivery of Her2/neu antigen by an AAV vector is a good strategy for generating anti-Her-2/neu CTLs. A single PBMC stimulation with AAV/Her2/157 or AAV/Her2/1197 pulsed DCs induces strong antigen specific-CTLs generation. CTLs were capable to lyse low doses of peptide pulsed into target cells or OC Her-2/neu + tumors. These data suggest that AAV-based antigen loading of DC is highly effective for generating human CTL responses against OC antigens.
Algorithms for efficient phylogenetic tree construction

The rapidly increasing amount of available genomic sequence data provides an abundance of potential information for phylogenetic analyses. Many models and methods have been developed to build evolutionary trees based on this information. A common feature of most of these models is that they start out with fragments of the genome, called genes. Depending on the genes and species, and the methods used to perform the phylogenetic analyses, one typically ends up with a large number of phylogenetic trees which may not agree with one another. Simply put, the problem now is the following: Given several discordant phylogenetic trees as input, infer the (presumably) correct phylogeny. This thesis seeks to address some of the methodological and algorithmic challenges posed by this problem. In particular, we present two new algorithms related to inferring phylogenetic trees in the presence of gene duplication, and introduce a new distance measure for comparing phylogenetic trees.
Logically proper definite descriptions : An essay in Honor of Ruth Marcus

This essay notes a striking parallel between the original Hilbert-Bernays treatment of definite descriptions and Russell's theory of logically proper names. The formal language for the original theory is laid out and the implications of a theory of vis a vis the statements that qualify as predications in a logically proper definite descriptions sense of the word 'predication' different from the espoused by Frege, Russell and Meinong.
A synthesis of two decades of research documenting the effects of noise on wildlife

Global increases in environmental noise levels – arising from expansion of human populations, transportation networks, and resource extraction – have catalysed a recent surge of research into the effects of noise on wildlife. Synthesising a coherent understanding of the biological consequences of noise from this literature is challenging. Taxonomic groups vary in auditory capabilities. A wide range of noise sources and exposure levels occur, and many kinds of biological responses have been observed, ranging from individual behaviours to changes in ecological communities. Also, noise is one of several environmental effects generated by human activities, so researchers must contend with potentially confounding explanations for biological responses. Nonetheless, it is clear that noise presents diverse threats to species and ecosystems and salient patterns are emerging to help inform future natural resource-management decisions. We conducted a systematic and standardised review of the scientific literature published from 1990 to 2013 on the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife, including both terrestrial and aquatic studies. Research to date has concentrated predominantly on European and North American species that rely on vocal communication, with approximately two-thirds of the data set focussing on songbirds and marine mammals. The majority of studies documented effects from noise, including altered vocal behaviour to mitigate masking, reduced abundance in noisy habitats, changes in vigilance and foraging behaviour, and impacts on individual fitness and the structure of ecological communities. This literature survey shows that terrestrial wildlife responses begin at noise levels of approximately 40 dBA, and 20% of papers documented impacts below 50 dBA. Our analysis highlights the utility of existing scientific information concerning the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife for predicting potential outcomes of noise exposure and implementing meaningful mitigation measures. Future research directions that would support more comprehensive predictions regarding the magnitude and severity of noise impacts include: broadening taxonomic and geographical scope, exploring interacting stressors, conducting larger-scale studies, testing mitigation approaches, standardising reporting of acoustic metrics, and assessing the biological response to noise-source removal or mitigation. The broad volume of existing information concerning the effects of anthropogenic noise on wildlife offers a valuable resource to assist scientists, industry, and natural-resource managers in predicting potential outcomes of noise exposure.
Main Sequence Fitting and the Distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud

The development of new photometric techniques has permitted accurate measurements of the stellar main sequences in the Magellanic Clouds. Reasonable choices of the relevant parameters (i.e., reddening and abundances) have led to a “short” distance modulus, (m-M)o = 18.2, for the Large Cloud. A consistent short value for the distance is derived from ZAMS fits, isochrone fits from the Yale and VandenBerg models, and comparisons with Galactic clusters. The sources of random and systematic error are briefly discussed, and the effects due to convective overshoot are estimated. The possibility of extending this technique to other galaxies is mentioned.
Hole Tunneling in GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As Barriers and Wells

Abstract We have calculated the tunneling of holes in single -barrier and double -barrier GaAs /A1GaAs diodes using a ten -band,empirical tight- binding model. Transfer matrices are used to model the wave -function on a layer -by -layer level allowing for a simple, transparent imposition of an electric field, and the mixing of heavy, light and splitoff valence band states. Transmission resonances have been found, and hole currents calculated at 77 degrees K. Mixing of different hole states hasbeen examined as a function of aluminum fraction and thickness of the barriers and well. Introduction The tunneling of electrons has received a great deal of attention since the advent of fabrication techniques capable ofgrowing extremely thin (10A- 100is) layers of semiconducting materials. Tsu and Esakil provided a basic model for calcu-lating the transmission of carriers in a superlattice comprised of a few barriers and wells. Since that time, there have been many theoretical and experimental investigations into the tunneling of electrons in semiconducting systems. However,
A Rainbow of Gangs: Street Cultures of the Mega‐City

A Rainbow of Gangs: Street Cultures of the Mega-City. James Diego Vigil. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002. 213 pp.
The Process of Motion Capture: Dealing with the Data

This paper presents a detailed description of the process of motion capture, whereby sensor information from a performer is transformed into an articulated, hierarchical rigid-body object. We describe the gathering of the data, the real-time construction of a virtual skeleton which a director can use for immediate feedback, and the offline processing which produces the articulated object. This offline process involves a robust statistical estimation of the size of the skeleton and an inverse kinematic optimization to produce the desired joint angle trajectories. Additionally, we discuss a variation on the inverse kinematic optimization which can be used when the standard approach does not yield satisfactory results for the special cases when joint angle consistency is desired between a group of motions. These procedures work well and have been used to produce motions for a number of commercial games.
Onto TEMAS: an ontology-based teaching materials search engine

This vision paper describes an effort to develop Onto TEMAS, an Ontology-based TEaching MAterials Search engine. This special purpose search engine combines statistical and semantic search methods to provide a central search interface and directory for educators who wish to distribute, share and find curriculum and course preparation materials. Onto TEMAS uses an educational materials ontology to crawl the Web for relevant teaching materials and then asks authors for permission to make the materials available to others. It also allows authors to register and publish materials that might not be available through the Web. This proactive approach makes it possible for authors to share their content in an intuitive environment for maximized productivity.
A comprehensive analysis of voltage stability indices in the presence of distributed generation

The penetration level of conventional and renewable distributed generation (DG) has increased recently. Voltage stability is a key factor in determining optimal location and size of DGs in electric grid. DGs connected to distribution networks are potential to improve the system voltage stability. Placing DG units at weakest load buses (candidate buses) is a widely used technique which requires utilizing an effective voltage stability index. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of various voltage stability indices on utilizing DGs units optimally within certain limits and constraints. Important recommendations are concluded. The proposed study is demonstrated through power flow studies in IEEE 5-bus test system, using several scenarios of active and reactive load increase.
The influence of zinc on apoptosis

This review summarizes the evidence that apoptosis is modulated by intracellular excess or deficiency of Zn2+, considers mechanisms whereby Zn2+ may influence apoptosis, and delineates gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for research. The experimental evidence supports four major conclusions: [1] Zinc deficiency, resulting from dietary deprivation of mice, or exposure of cultured cells to membrane-permeable Zn(2+)-chelators, can induce apoptosis; [2] Zinc supplementation, either by pretreating mice with ZnSO4, or adding Zn2+ to the media of cell cultures, can prevent apoptotic death. Zn2+ protects against the apoptosis induced by diverse physical, chemical, or immunologic stimuli in cultured cells of lymphoid, hepatic, or neoplastic origin; [3] Zn2+ does not affect the triggering events or earliest signs of apoptosis, but acts later in the apoptotic pathway, preventing endonucleosomal fragmentation and subsequent cytolysis; and [4] An intracellular pool of chelatable Zn2+ plays a critical role in apoptosis, possibly by modulating the activation or activity of endonuclease(s). These conclusions should alert pharmacologists and physicians to the potential therapeutic applications of zinc compounds and zinc chelators in clinical disorders and diseases that involve apoptosis, and to the relevance of zinc nutrition in such conditions.
Feasibility of using alginate to absorb dissolved copper from aqueous media

Alginate (a biopolymer from kelp and some bacterial strains) is known to absorb copper favorably in the presence of other cations. In this work, the feasibility of using a 2-liter batch three-phase (air/liquid/alginate gel) loop fluidized bed reactor to polish water containing 10-150 ppm dissolved copper was investigated. Three methods were tested: (1) calcium alginate spheres, prepared by dispensing sodium alginate (3.2 wt. % in water) into a 0.05 M calcium nitrate solution, were used as the absorbent, (2) the alginate spheres were formed in situ by dispensing the sodium alginate solution directly into the reactor fluid, and (3) same as (2) except that a trace amount of EDTA was added to the alginate solution. Batch absorption data showed that Method 3 yielded the best result; the concentration of dissolved copper was successfully reduced from 140 ppm to 10 ppm with 3.2 g sodium alginate and 0.2 g EDTA used. However, when the initial concentration was below 40 ppm, both Method 2 and Method 3 are not recommended because the concentration of dissolved copper was too low to allow in situ formation of alginate spheres. Method 1 was found to be useful for treating water containing 10 ppm dissolved copper.more » But the competition from calcium seriously affected the effective capacity of the alginate for copper. The application of the classical shell progressive model to describe the absorption kinetics was discussed.« less
Organization of the intermediate gray layer of the superior colliculus. I. Intrinsic vertical connections.

A pathway from the superficial visual layers to the intermediate premotor layers of the superior colliculus has been proposed to mediate visually guided orienting movements. In these experiments, w...
Localization of the regions on the C-terminal domain of the heavy chain of botulinum toxin a recognized by t lymphocytes and by antibodies after immunization of mice with pentavalent toxoid

We have mapped the regions recognized by T and/or 6 cells (Abs) on the C-terminal domain (Hc) of the heavy chain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) after immunization of two inbred mouse strains with pentavalent toxoid (BoNTs A, B, C, D and E). Using a set of synthetic overlapping peptides, encompassing the entire Hc domain (residues 855–1296), we demonstrated that T cells of Balb/c (H-2d) mice, primed with one injection of toxoid, recognized two major regions within residues 897–915 and 939–957. After multiple inoculations with toxoid, T cells of Balb/c expanded their recognition ability and responded very well to challenge with peptide 1261–1279 and moderately to stimulation with peptide 1149–1167. Unlike Balb/c T cells, those of toxoid-primed SJL (H-2s) mice exhibited a more complex profile and responded to challenge with a large number of overlapping peptides. After one toxoid injection, however, three peptides, 897–915, 939–957/953–971 overlap and 1051–1069, were the most potent T cells stim...
Nuclear-structure effects in proton evaporation spectra.

Energy spectra and angular distributions of evaporated protons from the reaction $^{52}\mathrm{Cr}$${(}^{34}$S, 2p2n${)}^{82}$Sr at 130 MeV were measured in coincidence with discrete \ensuremath{\gamma} transitions. Large shifts and changes in the shape of the proton spectra were observed when high-spin states in different rotational bands are populated. They are interpreted as due to near-yrast stretched proton emission, which preferentially populates the yrast band by subbarrier protons.
Cuticular lipids for species recognition of mole crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae): II. Scapteriscus abbreviatus, S. acletus, S. vicinus, S. sp., and Neocurtilla hexadactyla

Qualitative analyses were made from whole-body cuticular extracts of Scapteriscus abbreviatus, Scapteriscus acletus, Scapteriscus vicinus, and Neocurtilla hexadactyla by isothermal and temperature-programmed gas chromatography. Adults of both sexes and nymphs of each species were collected in Florida. The chromatographic profiles of peaks were distinct and easily recognizable for each species, regardless of sex or developmental stage. Distinct sexual differences were found in S. acletus and S. abbreviatus. Specimens of S. abbreviatus from Puerto Rico and S. vicinus from Bolivia produced gas chromatography (GC) traces very similar to those of conspecifics collected in Florida. Evidence is presented to illustrate the potential importance of volatile cuticular lipid analysis as a tool for mole cricket identification. Cuticular extracts of an undescribed short-winged species of Scapteriscus from Bolivia were also examined and produced GC traces unlike those of any other species analyzed to date.
Neuropsychological effects of stress on social phobia with and without comorbid depression.

Abstract Background The influence of stress on neuropsychological functioning was assessed in socially phobic (SP), comorbid socially phobic/major depression (CM), and asymptomatic control subjects (AC) under baseline and stressor conditions. Methods Subjects were 33 clinically diagnosed undergraduates aged 18 to 41 years. Neuropsychological measures included the Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Spatial Span, and Digit Span administered during a baseline condition and a psychosocial stress condition (videotaping). Results Spatial Span scores were reduced for SP during stress, improved for AC, and showed no change for CM. TMT B times showed an interaction effect, with completion time improving significantly less for SP than for AC and CM during stress. Analyses of the normative data for WCST total errors indicated that AC and CM improved significantly during stress, while SP performance declined during stress. Conclusions The present findings suggest that comorbid depressed versus non-depressed SP subjects respond uniquely to stress in terms of their neuropsychological functioning and self-reported mood and experiences; generalized social phobia may be associated with spatial working memory disturbance during social stress. Therefore, situations involving potential social and personal evaluation (e.g., examinations or presentations) may have a significant impact on the neuropsychological functioning of SP individuals.
Auditory cortex on the human posterior superior temporal gyrus.

The human superior temporal cortex plays a critical role in hearing, speech, and language, yet its functional organization is poorly understood. Evoked potentials (EPs) to auditory click-train stimulation presented binaurally were recorded chronically from penetrating electrodes implanted in Heschl's gyrus (HG), from pial-surface electrodes placed on the lateral superior temporal gyrus (STG), or from both simultaneously, in awake humans undergoing surgery for medically intractable epilepsy. The distribution of averaged EPs was restricted to a relatively small area on the lateral surface of the posterior STG. In several cases, there were multiple foci of high amplitude EPs lying along this acoustically active portion of STG. EPs recorded simultaneously from HG and STG differed in their sensitivities to general anesthesia and to changes in rate of stimulus presentation. Results indicate that the acoustically active region on the STG is a separate auditory area, functionally distinct from the HG auditory field(s). We refer to this acoustically sensitive area of the STG as the posterior lateral superior temporal area (PLST). Electrical stimulation of HG resulted in short-latency EPs in an area that overlaps PLST, indicating that PLST receives a corticocortical input, either directly or indirectly, from HG. These physiological findings are in accord with anatomic evidence in humans and in nonhuman primates that the superior temporal cortex contains multiple interconnected auditory areas.
Inflation detected at Mount Veniaminof, Alaska, with campaign GPS

[1] In 2005 a repeat GPS campaign was conducted at 12 sites on Mt.Veniaminof Volcano and the surrounding region. A previous survey in 2002 provided initial locations for the sites. The deformation that occurred in the three years between the two surveys consist of ∼2–4 cm of displacement caused by the northwest convergence of the Pacific and North America Plates and ∼0.5–1 cm displacements caused by a deep intrusion that may be associated with eruptive activity in 2003–2005. The site velocities are corrected for compression using a pre-existing model for a locked subduction zone and the residuals modeled with volcanic sources in homogeneous and layered material. Although the data are fit equally well by several source models, we nevertheless gain important information about the deformation source. The best fitting models have depths that range from 3 to 17 km.
Narrow photoluminescence linewidth of quantum wells grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum wells have been grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE). Photoluminescence (PL) linewidth of the electron to heavy hole excitonic transition is optimized as a function of substrate growth temperature. Transitions corresponding to monolayer changes in well width and impurity bound excitons are examined by deliberately growing quantum wells with additional monolayer-off wells, and by modulation doping the barriers. Growth interruption at the inverted interface was found to enhance impurity bound transitions. The narrowest 2 K photoluminescence linewidths are reported for wells in the range of 50–100 A grown by GSMBE. The differences in the growth kinetics due to the presence of As 2 and H 2 leading to improved PL linewidth are reported.
Forced in‐plane flow of an epoxy resin in fibrous networks

A method to study the forced in-plane flow of an epoxy resin into fibrous networks is presented. A radial in-plane flow apparatus has been developed which allows strict control of all important experimental variables as well as visual observation of the experiment. From the position and shape of the advancing resin front as a function of time, effective directional permeabilities are obtained and used to compare structurally different fibrous networks. Test results for an initial series of woven and nonwoven fabrics reinforce the method of data analysis and demonstrate the effects of pore structure, weave type, weave balance, fabric layering, fiber orientation, and compressibility.
Electron microscopical studies of the cerebellar molecular layer

The fine structural characteristics of the Purkinje cell dendrites and the dendrites of the stellate neurons have been described. Granule cell axons, containing synaptic vesicles with an average diameter of 468 A, form type I synapses on principal dendrites of Purkinje cells, the shafts and bulbous enlargements of stellate cell dendrites, as well as on dendritic spines of Purkinje cells and stellate cells. Large-diameter axons, containing somewhat smaller synapses vesicles (367 A), form type II synapses on the shafts of principal and spiny dendrites of Purkinje cells as well as on the shafts and bulbous enlargements of stellate cell dendrites. Type I and type II synapses vary in length and percentage of the apposed axonal surface which they occupied in different locations. In some instances synaptic segments of large-diameter axons from two separate synaptic areas on a single dendritic process whereas granule cell axons always form one synaptic area on any one dendritic process. However, synaptic segments of both granule cell axons and large-diameter axons can synapse simultaneously with two separate dendritic processes. The relationships of the different dendritic and axonal processes to each other and to astrocytic processes have been described.
Approaches for Empirical Bayes Confidence Intervals

Abstract Parametric empirical Bayes (EB) methods of point estimation date to the landmark paper by James and Stein (1961). Interval estimation through parametric empirical Bayes techniques has a somewhat shorter history, which was summarized by Laird and Louis (1987). In the exchangeable case, one obtains a “naive” EB confidence interval by simply taking appropriate percentiles of the estimated posterior distribution of the parameter, where the estimation of the prior parameters (“hyperparameters”) is accomplished through the marginal distribution of the data. Unfortunately, these “naive” intervals tend to be too short, since they fail to account for the variability in the estimation of the hyperparameters. That is, they do not attain the desired coverage probability in the EB sense defined by Morris (1983a, b). They also provide no statement of conditional calibration (Rubin 1984). In this article we propose a conditional bias correction method for developing EM intervals that corrects these deficiencies...
Effects of drug and alcohol abuse upon pituitary-testicular function in adolescent males

To assess the effects of drug and alcohol abuse (DAA) on the physical changes and hormones of puberty in adolescents, 26 males (13 5/12–22 years) enrolled in a drug rehabilitation program were examined. In 22 subjects four timed blood samples were obtained sequentially at 15 minute intervals for measurement of serum concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS). The mean duration of DAA was 3.7 years, with marijuana and alcohol being the most frequently abused substances. The study subjects were compared to a matched control group of non-substance-abusing teenagers. All heights and weights of the DAA subjects fell within two standard deviations of the mean on the Tanner Growth Charts and no statically significant differences in the Tanner stages of sexual maturation were found between the DAA and control groups. The mean (± SD) testosterone level of the DAA group (221 ± 109 ng/dl) was less than half that of the control group (477 ± 193 ng/dl, p p p p p
Preparation of chromosomes of Tetrahymena pyriformis for photomicrography.

Conjugating animals of the protozoan, Tetrahymena pryiformis, were affixed to cover slips by means of Nissenbaum's fluid, followed immediately by 1:3 acetic-alcohol for 18–24 hr. After fixation, the material was transferred through a descending alcohol series to water, then hydrolyzed in 1 N HCl, washed in water, followed by immersion in 45% acetic acid and subsequent mounting in aceto-carmine. Photomicrographs were made using a phase-contrast microscope and Microfile film. The schedule resulted in preparations with abundant material, adequate spacing of chromosomes in a single plane, and excellent differentiation of the chromosomes from the cytoplasm.
Skirting a Pleated Text: De-Disciplining an Academic Life

In this article, the author discusses the pleated text Fields of Play: Constructing an Academic Life, a book that enfolds traditional and experimental papers within "writ ing-stories" about the con...