cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The neutral lipids of bovine bone.

Abstract Bovine compact bone was extracted with chloroform-methanol and then demineralized with EDTA. The dried demineralized bone was then extracted with acidified chloroform-methanol. The neutral lipids present in this and the preceding extract were identified and measured. Finally, to ensure complete removal of the lipid, the demineralized solvent-extracted bone was hydrolysed and the hydrolysate was examined for the presence of lipids. While triglycerides comprised over 94 per cent of the pre-demineralized lipid extract, cholesterol esters were the predominant lipid of the post-demineralized extract. Of the total lipids released from the bone, 65 per cent were removed prior to decalcification of the tissue. A small proportion (8 per cent) of the total bone lipids could not be removed from the bone unless the matrix was first subjected to acidic hydrolysis. It is postulated that these lipids were bound to components of the bone matrix by covalent forces. Analysis of both neutral lipid and phospholipid revealed that a wide variety of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were present in bone. Of these, oleate, palmitate and stearate were predominant. Comparing the phospholipids and neutral lipids of the pre- and post-demineralized extracts, differences were noted in their fatty acid composition. It is speculated that this was due to the intra- and extracellular origin of the fatty acid species.
Generalized Ballistic-Diffusive Formulation and Hybrid SN-PN Solution of the Boltzmann Transport Equation for Phonons for Nonequilibrium Heat Conduction

A generalized form of the ballistic-diffusive equations (BDEs) for approximate solution of the Boltzmann Transport equation (BTE) for phonons is formulated. The formulation presented here is new and general in the sense that, unlike previously published formulations of the BDE, it does not require a priori knowledge of the specific heat capacity of the material. Furthermore, it does not introduce artifacts such as media and ballistic temperatures. As a consequence, the boundary conditions have clear physical meaning. In formulating the BDE, the phonon intensity is split into two components: ballistic and diffusive. The ballistic component is traditionally determined using a viewfactor formulation, while the diffusive component is solved by invoking spherical harmonics expansions. Use of the viewfactor approach for the ballistic component is prohibitive for complex large-scale geometries. Instead, in this work, the ballistic equation is solved using two different established methods that are appropriate for use in complex geometries, namely the discrete ordinates method (DOM) and the control angle discrete ordinates method (CADOM). Results of each method for solving the BDE are compared against benchmark Monte Carlo results, as well as solutions of the BTE using standalone DOM and CADOM for two different two-dimensional transient heat conduction problems at various Knudsen numbers. It is found that standalone CADOM (for BTE) and hybrid CADOM-P1 (for BDE) yield the best accuracy. The hybrid CADOM-P1 is found to be the best method in terms of computational efficiency. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4003961]
Future directions for resuscitation research: introduction

The editors of the journal Resuscitation have agreed to publish, throughout 1996, 12 of the 26 sessions (papers) from the International Resuscitation Research Corrfemmx held in Pittsburgh in May 1994. This conf&ence was sponsored and hosted by the International Resuscitation Research Center (IRRC) of the University of Bittsburgh. In 1994, Peter Safar, the initiator and Director of the IRRC from 1979 to 1994, decided at age 70 to turn the Center’s leader&p over to young scientists, but to remain full-time at the center as an investigator. The new Director, Patrick Kochanek, changed the name to ‘Safar Center for Resuscitation Research.’ His CoDirectors are Nicholas Bircher and Ernest0 Bretto:
Non-linear Modeling of Tubular Adhesive Scarf Joints Loaded in Tension

Abstract In this paper, a simple analytical model is developed to determine the adhesive shear strain distribution of a tubular adhesive scarf joint loaded in tension. The approach is an extension of the original well-recognized Volkersen's shear lag analysis for a shear loaded joint, which is frequently applied to adhesively-bonded joints. A mathematical representation consisting of linear and exponential functions is employed to model the elastic–plastic behavior commonly observed in structural adhesives. The governing equation is found to be in the form of a non-linear second-degree ordinary differential equation with variable coefficients. A numerical method required for solving this equation is also introduced. Numerical predictions of shear strain distributions are compared with results from non-linear Finite Element Analysis (FEA), utilizing the commercially available software, ANSYS 5.6, a general-purpose software system. It is shown that both the linear and non-linear approximate solutions are cl...
Interaction of liver plasma membranes and GTP with GTP hydrolysis.

Abstract [ 14 C]GTP or a metabolic product of GTP binds to liver membranes. Less label was associated with membranes when membranes were incubated with increasing concentrations of carrier GTP; ATP did not displace the label. Chromatography of extracted incubation mixtures of [ 14 C]GTP and membranes revealed that over 96% of the nucleotide was hydrolyzed to 5′GMP and guanosine, Exposure of liver membranes to GTP prevented the separation of characteristic membrane bands that could be obtained when centrifugation was carried out without GTP. These studies indicate that GTP-effected alteration of liver plasma membranes is concomitant with GTP hydrolysis. These effects may be in addition to direct effects of GTP on enzymes and membrane proteins.
Lignin-based carbon fibers for composite fiber applications

Abstract Carbon fibers have been produced for the first time from a commercially available kraft lignin, without any chemical modification, by thermal spinning followed by carbonization. A fusible lignin with excellent spinnability to form a fine filament was produced with a thermal pretreatment under vacuum. Blending the lignin with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) further facilitated fiber spinning, but at PEO levels greater than 5%, the blends could not be stabilized without the individual fibers fusing together. Carbon fibers produced had an over-all yield of 45%. The tensile strength and modulus increased with decreasing fiber diameter, and are comparable to those of much smaller diameter carbon fibers produced from phenolated exploded lignins. In view of the mechanical properties, tensile 400–550 MPa and modulus 30–60 GPa, kraft lignin should be further investigated as a precursor for general grade carbon fibers.
On the almost certain limiting behavior of normed sums of identically distributed positive random variables

Abstract Consider a sequence of identically distributed positive random variables { X n , n ⩾ 1} with partial sums S n = ∑ n j = 1 , X j , n ⩾ 1, and let { b n & 0, n ⩾ 1} be a sequence of norming constants. The almost certain limiting behavior of the normed sums S n / b n is investigated irrespective of the joint distributions of the { X n , n ⩾ 1}. Some open problems are also formulated. The current investigation was inspired by that of Smit and Vervaat (1983) on the convergence of series of nonnegative random variables irrespective of the joint distributions of the random variables.
Clonidine analgesia: tolerance and cross-tolerance to autoanalgesia.

Abstract Clonidine induced significant antinociception in rats, as assessed by radiant-heat tail-flick procedures. Continued administration of 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg of the drug for 7 days induced significant analgesic tolerance in a dose-dependent manner. Significant cross-tolerance to antinociception elicited by acute footshock or classical conditioning procedures was observed, with the greatest cross-tolerance being exhibited by the 1.0 mg/kg group. These data suggest similar noradrenergic mechanisms may subserve clonidine antinociception and autoanalgesia.
Modulation of Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystal Size and Shape by Polyelectrolytic Peptides

Interactions of synthetic peptides containing charged amino acids with hydroxyapatite (HAP) have been used as models of non-collagenous proteins’ interaction with bone’s minerals. While there is some knowledge of the affinities of these peptides with HAP, the effects of the type of charged peptide, peptidic molecular weight, and concentration on the crystal morphology have not been systematically investigated. Such knowledge could be useful for identifying the peptides ideal for in vitro or in vivo administration to customize crystal growth or for coating of implant surfaces for improving anchorage to neighboring bone tissue. This study used charged peptides of arginine (Arg), aspartate (Asp), glutamate (Glu), and lysine (Lys) to influence the HAP morphology. A systematic approach evaluated the polyelectrolytic peptides’ affinity for HAP as well as their effects on mineral nucleation/growth kinetics and crystal morphology. Negatively charged polymers (Asp, Glu) had greater affinity for hydroxyapatite than...
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Correlation of the Diastereoisomers of 2,3-Dihydroxy-2,6,8-trimethyldeca-(4Z, 6E)-dienoic Acid: Implications for the Structures of Papuamides A-D and Mirabamides A-D.

Abstract All 4 diastereomeric possibilities for the 2,3-dihydroxy-2,6,8-trimethyldeca-(4 Z ,6 E )-dienoic acid (Dhtda) residue, found in the cyclic depsipeptide natural products papuamides A–D and mirabamides A–D, were stereoselectively synthesized using a Z -selective Wittig reaction of both enantiomers of 2,4-dimethylhex-2-enyl-triphenylphosphonium bromide with all four diastereoisomers of ethyl-3-formyl-2-methyl-1,4-dioxaspiro[4,4]nonane-2-carboxylate. To elucidate the configuration of Dhtda, the 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra of the synthetic isomers were compared to those of the natural residue. On the basis of that comparison, it is suggested that the likely configuration of the diastereomer present in Dhtda residue is either (2 R ,3 S ,8 S ) or (2 S ,3 R ,8 S ) in the papuamides and mirabimides.
Change in Autism Symptoms and Maladaptive Behaviors in Adolescence and Adulthood: The Role of Positive Family Processes

Little is known about outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into adulthood. Several characteristics of individuals with ASD predict long-term outcomes, and the family environment may also play a role. The present study uses a prospective, longitudinal design to describe and predict trajectories of autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors over 8.5 years in a large, community-based sample of adolescents and adults with ASD. Overall, autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors were observed to improve over the study period. Above and beyond the adult's gender, age, and level of intellectual disability, greater improvements were associated with higher levels of maternal praise (based on maternal speech samples) and higher quality mother-child relationships. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
Enhancement of CD2-mediated T cell activation by the interaction of VLA-4 with fibronectin

Abstract Human fibroblasts were shown to enhance the proliferation of peripheral T cells in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of anti-CD2 antibodies (anti-T112 and anti-T113) and agonistic anti-VLA-4 antibody. Evidence is provided that the interaction of VLA-4 with immobilized fibronectin can enhance the proliferation of T cells subjected to suboptimal stimulation via CD2. Our results suggest that the fibroblast-stimulated T cell proliferative response to low doses of anti-T112 and -T113 antibodies is due to the interaction of VLA-4 with fibroblast fibronectin. These findings also suggest a role for the fibronectin/VLA-4 interaction in the inflammatory process.
RNA1 is sufficient to mediate plasmid ColE1 incompatibility in vivo.

Abstract The multicopy plasmid ColE1 specifies a small RNA designated RNA1 that has been implicated in copy number control and incompatibility. We have inserted a 148 base-pair ColE1 DNA fragment containing a promoter-less RNA1 gene into a plasmid vector downstream from the tryptophan promoter of Serratia marcesens . The ColE1 RNA1 produced by this plasmid is not functional in vivo due to the presence of 49 nucleotides appended to the 5′-terminus of the wild-type RNA1 sequence. Deletions of these sequences by Bal3I nuclease in vitro and genetic selection for ColE1 incompatibility function in vivo permitted isolation of a plasmid expressing wild-type ColE1 RNA1 initiated properly from the S. marcesens trp promoter. These experiments demonstrate that RNA1 is sufficient to mediate ColE1 incompatibility in vivo . In addition, several plasmids were isolated that contain altered RNA1 genes. These alterations consist of additions or deletions of sequences at the 5′-terminus of RNA1. Analysis of the ability of these altered RNA1 molecules to express incompatibility in vivo suggests that the 5′-terminal region of RNA1 is crucial for its function.
Abstract 3840: Bone morphogenetic proteins require the type II TGFβ receptor for growth arrest in mammary tumor cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are members of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) superfamily of signaling molecules. BMPs can elicit a wide range of effects in many cell types and have previously been shown to induce growth arrest in cancers as well as normal epithelia. Recently, it has been demonstrated that BMP4 and BMP7 are overexpressed in human breast cancers. We sought to understand how a potential tumor suppressor could be overexpressed in human breast cancers. We analyzed several tumor cell lines and normal mammary epithelia and found that BMPs are sufficient to induce growth arrest in normal and transformed mammary epithelia. Surprisingly, when we treated cells derived from the PyVmT mouse model lacking the type II TGFβ receptor with BMP-4, these cells failed to undergo growth arrest. We determined by flow cytometry that BMP treated cells did not undergo apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that cells with functional TGFβ signaling were arrested in G1 and cells lacking TGFβ signaling capabilities remained in a typical distribution of the cell cycle. We also found that Smads which mediate both BMP and TGFβ signaling were not only still present, but also responsive to BMP stimulation resulting in BMP Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation. Furthermore, we assessed the ability for synergy between BMP-4 and TGFβ1 and found that BMP-4 could induce an increased growth response in the presence of maximal TGFβ inhibition. We conclude that the dual functions of TGFβ as a tumor suppressor and promoter are connected to a BMP mediated tumor suppressive mechanism that shares common and distinct pathways. 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 3840.
Tribes, festivals and processions; civic ceremonial and political manipulation in archaic Greece

In recent years classicists and ancient historians have devoted renewed attention to the Archaic Age in Greece, the period from approximately the eighth century to the fifth century BC. Important articles, excavation reports and monographs, as well as books by Moses Finley, L. H. Jeffery, Oswyn Murray, Chester Starr and others, not to mention a recent volume of the Cambridge Ancient History, bear witness to the vigor of recent scholarship in this area. Among many of these treatments of the period, moreover, is evident an increasing recognition of the close connection between social and economic developments and the political life of the Greek cities of the period. At the same time that this renewed interest in the Archaic Age has become so prominent in classical studies, a group of scholars working in more modern periods has developed a fresh approach to the role of ritual and ceremonial in civic life, especially during the European Middle Ages and Renaissance. Deeply influenced by cultural anthropology, they have found in the often surprisingly rich documentation about festivals, processions, charivaris etc. important insights into the societies in which these activities took place. Classicists looking upon this movement may be inclined to undervalue its originality and perhaps its controversiality, pointing out that a serious interest in ancient festivals has long been prominent in classical scholarship and is well represented in recent books such as those by Mikalson, Parke and Simon and such older works as Martin Nilsson's frequently cited Cults, myths, oracles and politics in ancient Greece (Lund 1951). Yet there is a great difference both in method and in results between the traditional approaches to ceremonial represented in the study of ancient Greece and those being developed in more recent fields.
Subcellular distribution of Plp-40, a lipoprotein in a serotype A strain of Pasteurella multocida.

A 40-kDa lipoprotein (Plp-40) is expressed by serotype A strains of Pasteurella multocida in amounts which correlate with the amount of capsular material present. We hypothesized that Plp-40 is exposed at the outer surface of the outer membrane (OM) of the cell and is associated with the serotype A exopolysaccharide material. The objectives of the present study were to confirm the lipoprotein nature of Plp-40 and to determine its subcellular location. Plp-40 maturation was shown to be sensitive to globomycin, thereby confirming it to be a bacterial lipoprotein. Plp-40 was shown to be present in the OM fractions of P. multocida obtained by both sarkosyl extraction and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, as well as in capsule fractions obtained by either hyaluronidase treatment or warm buffer extraction. [3H]palmitic acid-labeled Plp-40 could be removed from the surface of whole cells by exposure to proteinase K. Autoradiography of 125I-labeled cell surface proteins exhibited a 40-kDa band that was prominent in capsulated strains and greatly diminished in a noncapsulated strain. These results support the hypothesis that Plp-40 is a lipid-modified OM protein, which is exposed on the outer cell surface and is likely associated with serotype A extracellular polysaccharide.
Swimming in Spacetime: Motion by Cyclic Changes in Body Shape

Cyclic changes in the shape of a quasi-rigid body on a curved manifold can lead to net translation and/or rotation of the body. The amount of translation depends on the intrinsic curvature of the manifold. Presuming spacetime is a curved manifold as portrayed by general relativity, translation in space can be accomplished simply by cyclic changes in the shape of a body, without any external forces.
Positive modal logic

We give a set of postulates for the minimal normal modal logicK + without negation or any kind of implication. The connectives are simply ∧, ∨, □, ◊. The postulates (and theorems) are all deducibility statements ϕ ⊢ ψ. The only postulates that might not be obvious are $$\diamondsuit \varphi \wedge \square \psi \vdash \diamondsuit (\varphi \wedge \psi )\square (\varphi \vee \psi ) \vdash \square \varphi \vee \diamondsuit \psi $$ . It is shown thatK + is complete with respect to the usual Kripke-style semantics. The proof is by way of a Henkin-style construction, with “possible worlds” being taken to be prime theories. The construction has the somewhat unusual feature of using at an intermediate stage disjoint pairs consisting of a theory and a “counter-theory”, the counter-theory replacing the role of negation in the standard construction. Extension to other modal logics is discussed, as well as a representation theorem for the corresponding modal algebras. We also discuss proof-theoretic arguments.
Direct renin inhibition and the kidney

Direct renin inhibition is a novel strategy for the blockade of the renin–angiotensin system. In this Review, Hollenberg discusses the evidence indicating that direct renin inhibitors might block the renin–angiotensin system in the kidney more effectively than either angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. The author also discusses the therapeutic implications of this evidence and possible mechanisms that underlie the renal effects of direct renin inhibition. Direct renin inhibition is a new means for blocking the renin–angiotensin system at the rate-limiting step of the cascade of events triggered by renin release—the interaction of renin with its physiological substrate angiotensinogen. The remarkable success of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in the management of cardiovascular and renal disease has led to great interest in the potential of direct renin inhibitors. This Review focuses on the evidence that suggests that direct renin inhibitors might block the renin–angiotensin system in the kidney more completely than either angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. The therapeutic implications of this evidence are also reviewed, as well as the possible mechanistic routes by which direct renin inhibition might exert its influence on the kidney.
Profiling prostate cancer

Among men worldwide, prostate cancer has become the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death, accounting for 240,890 new diagnoses and 33,720 deaths in the United States alone in 2011 (1, 2). Fortunately, with wide use of prostate cancer screening, early detection, and definitive local therapy, prostate cancer mortality rates have been falling in the United States—as much as 39% or more since 1990 (2). Nonetheless, randomized clinical trials of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer screening have suggested that these gains have come at a significant cost: by one estimate, to save a single life from prostate cancer death, 1,410 men need to be screened, and 48 cases of prostate cancer need to be diagnosed and treated (3). On October 11, 2011, the US Preventive Services Task Force issued a draft report on PSA screening, assigning the practice a grade D recommendation and weighing in “against the service” because of “moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits.” The firestorm of controversy triggered by this report highlights (i) the need for individualized approaches to prostate cancer screening at a population scale, so that screening services can be targeted in such a way as to minimize overdiagnosis, and (ii) the need to personalize treatment decisions, so that options like the use of active surveillance in lieu of definitive local therapy can be rationally selected in such a way as to reduce overtreatment (4, 5). In PNAS, Markert et al. (6) attempt to address these needs through the discovery of new molecular biomarkers for aggressive prostate cancer.
Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Inhibits Inflammation by Preventing Oxidative Fragmentation of Hyaluronan

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is expressed at high levels in lungs. EC-SOD has a polycationic matrix-binding domain that binds to polyanionic constituents in the matrix. Previous studies indicate that EC-SOD protects the lung in both bleomycin- and asbestos-induced models of pulmonary fibrosis. Although the mechanism of EC-SOD protection is not fully understood, these studies indicate that EC-SOD plays an important role in regulating inflammatory responses to pulmonary injury. Hyaluronan is a polyanionic high molecular mass polysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix that is sensitive to oxidant-mediated fragmentation. Recent studies found that elevated levels of low molecular mass hyaluronan are associated with inflammatory conditions. We hypothesize that EC-SOD may inhibit pulmonary inflammation in part by preventing superoxide-mediated fragmentation of hyaluronan to low molecular mass fragments. We found that EC-SOD directly binds to hyaluronan and significantly inhibits oxidant-induced degradation of this glycosaminoglycan. In vitro human polymorphic neutrophil chemotaxis studies indicate that oxidative fragmentation of hyaluronan results in polymorphic neutrophil chemotaxis and that EC-SOD can completely prevent this response. Intratracheal injection of crocidolite asbestos in mice leads to pulmonary inflammation and injury that is enhanced in EC-SOD knock-out mice. Notably, hyaluronan levels are increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after asbestos-induced pulmonary injury, and this response is markedly enhanced in EC-SOD knock-out mice. These data indicate that inhibition of oxidative hyaluronan fragmentation probably represents one mechanism by which EC-SOD inhibits inflammation in response to lung injury.
Cracking Silent Codes: Critical race theory and education organizing

Critical race theory (CRT) has moved beyond legal scholarship to critique the ways in which “colorblind” laws and policies perpetuate existing racial inequalities in education policy. While criticisms of CRT have focused on the pessimism and lack of remedies presented, CRT scholars have begun to address issues of praxis. Specifically, communities of color must challenge the dominant narratives of mainstream institutions with alternative visions of pedagogy and school reform, and community organizing plays an important role in helping communities of color to articulate these alternative counter-narratives. Yet, many in education organizing disagree with CRT's critique of colorblindness. Drawing on five case study organizations working towards school reform in the South Bronx neighborhoods of New York City, this article traces the difficulty of implementing anti-racist practices in education organizing groups. It also analyzes specific practices that may help such groups to transform race-consciousness into...
The Reification-Realism-Positivism Controversy in Macromarketing: A Philosopher's View

This article attempts to sort out the strands in the realism debate. Positivism is shown not to be realistic, and realism, properly understood, is defended. Overall, the standard empirical method i...
The subsidence of aseismic ridges

All available Deep Sea Drilling Project results from aseismic ridges have been compiled. These results indicate that at least five major aseismic ridges — the Ninetyeast Ridge, the Rio Grande Rise, the Walvis Ridge, the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge and the southeast Mascarene Plateau — have formed close to sea level and have since subsided at rates comparable to that of normal oceanic crust. Two other aseismic ridges, the Iceland-Faeroe Ridge and Broken Ridge, may have undergone a similar but more complicated subsidence history. This subsidence is attributed entirely to the cooling and contraction of the lithospheric plate on which these ridges are built. Some geological and geophysical implications of this model are discussed including its applicability to the subsidence of oceanic island chains.
Assessment and management of chronic otitis externa.

Purpose of reviewChronic otitis externa (COE) remains a frustrating problem for both patient and physician. The end stage of disease, medial fibrosing otitis externa, is very challenging to repair. New and old therapies and promising approaches to the treatment of this often recalcitrant problem are
Proposed triaxial atomic force microscope contact-free tweezers for nanoassembly

We propose a triaxial atomic force microscope contact-free tweezer (TACT) for the controlled assembly of nanoparticles suspended in a liquid. The TACT overcomes four major challenges faced in nanoassembly, as follows. (1) The TACT can hold and position a single nanoparticle with spatial accuracy smaller than the nanoparticle size (~5 nm). (2) The nanoparticle is held away from the surface of the TACT by negative dielectrophoresis to prevent van der Waals forces from making it stick to the TACT. (3) The TACT holds nanoparticles in a trap that is size-matched to the particle and surrounded by a repulsive region so that it will only trap a single particle at a time. (4) The trap can hold a semiconductor nanoparticle in water with a trapping energy greater than the thermal energy. For example, a 5 nm radius silicon nanoparticle is held with 10 kBT at room temperature. We propose methods for using the TACT as a nanoscale pick-and-place tool to assemble semiconductor quantum dots, biological molecules, semiconductor nanowires, and carbon nanotubes.
Implantable SiC based RF antenna biosensor for continuous glucose monitoring

A continuous glucose sensor employing radio frequency (RF) signals has been developed using the biocompatible material Silicon Carbide (SiC). Unlike biosensors that require direct contact with interstitial fluids to trigger chemical reactions to operate, this biocompatible SiC sensor doesn't require a direct interface. The sensing mechanism is based upon a shift in resonant frequency as a function of change in glucose levels which electrically manifests itself as a change in blood permittivity and conductivity. For invivo applications the antenna sensor needs to operate inside the body environment, and it has been determined that the best operational location of this biocompatible SiC biosensor is within fatty tissue in close proximity to blood vessels. To test the sensor as a function of glucose level, measurements using synthetic body fluid (SBF), which is electrically equivalent to blood plasma, and pig blood were performed. Changes in sensor performance to varying glucose levels were measured and a shift in resonant frequency to lower values observed with increasing glucose level. In-vitro sensor performance demonstrated that the sensor showed a dose dependent response to glucose concentration from 120 mg/dl to 530 mg/dl. A shift of 40 MHz and 26 MHz for blood mimicking liquid and pig blood was observed corresponding to 97 KHz and 67 KHz shift per 1 mg/dl change in blood glucose.
Performance evaluation of bound diamond ring tools

LLNL is collaborating with the Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM) and the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association (APOMA) to optimize bound diamond ring tools for the spherical generation of high quality optical surfaces. An important element of this work is establishing an experimentally-verified link between tooling properties and workpiece quality indicators such as roughness, subsurface damage and removal rate. In this paper, we report on a standardized methodology for assessing ring tool performance and its preliminary application to a set of commercially-available wheels. Our goals are to (1) assist optics manufacturers (users of the ring tools) in evaluating tools and in assessing their applicability for a given operation, and (2) provide performance feedback to wheel manufacturers to help optimize tooling for the optics industry. Our paper includes measurements of wheel performance for three 2-4 micron diamond bronze-bond wheels that were supplied by different manufacturers to nominally- identical specifications. Preliminary data suggests that the difference in performance levels among the wheels were small.
Chiral model of the nucleon: Projecting the hedgehog as a coherent state.

The construction of baryon states with good spin and isospin is studied in a chiral model. This is a linear \ensuremath{\sigma} model, describing quarks interacting with pions and \ensuremath{\sigma} mesons. It has previously been investigated in the mean-field approximation (MFA), using the hedgehog ansatz. The ansatz corresponds to a mixture of spin-isospin eigenstates. A coherent state is used to provide a quantum description for the mesonic part of the wave function. The hedgehog baryon is projected onto states with good spin and isospin. The Peierls-Yoccoz projection is used, in analogy with the treatment of deformed nuclei. As well as N and \ensuremath{\Delta}, a J=T=(5/2) baryon state is obtained. The wave functions are varied after projection. For the N and \ensuremath{\Delta}, the resulting field distributions are fairly similar to those from the MFA. Various nucleon properties are calculated. These include proton and neutron charge radii, for which reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained. Results for other properties are similar to those obtained with an approximate projection method, and indicate the need to extend the present approach to include vector mesons and the effects of vacuum polarization. Comparisons are made with wave functions used in the cloudy bag and Skyrme models.
Aladdin: Assembly Language Assertion Driven Debugging Interpreter

ALADDIN is an interactive facility for debugging and testing of assembly language programs. ALADDIN differs from traditional debuggers by allowing the user to specify breakpoint assertions, rather than breakpoint locations. Assertions are logical relations among various components of the program state. If an assertion becomes false during execution of the object program a breakpoint is executed and control is passed to the user's terminal. ALADDIN can also be used as a testing tool to verify that asserted behavior matches actual behavior under various sets of input data and test conditions.
Measurement of MnSOD and CuZnSOD Activity in Mammalian Tissue Homogenates

Three basic forms of mammalian SODs exist and they are distinguished by their sizes and locations. SOD enzyme activity is not easily monitored by direct measurement because the substrate disappearance is very rapid at physiological pH. Activity can be measured as described in this unit by a number of indirect competitive inhibition assays based on the principle that the superoxide anion radical will reduce an inhibitory substrate [such as nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) or cytochrome c] and SOD activity will reduce the rate of reduction in a competitive fashion. The SOD-mediated inhibition of the indicator substrate reduction can then be quantitated and plotted as a function of the quantity of protein added to the reaction to construct an inhibition curve.
Preparation and Purification of Desethylamiodarone Hydrochloride

Abstract Reaction of the free base of amiodarone with 1‐chloroethyl chloroformate in toluene gives desethylamiodarone, which can be easily purified and converted to the hydrochloride salt.
Conceptual Clustering Categorical Data with Uncertainty

Many real datasets have uncertain categorical attribute values that are only approximately measured or imputed. Uncertainty in categorical data is commonplace in many applications, including biological annotation, medial diagnosis and automatic error detection. In such domains, the exact value of an attribute is often unknown, but may be estimated from a number of reasonable alternatives. Current conceptual clustering algorithms do not provide a convenient means for handling this type of uncertainty. In this paper we extend traditional conceptual clustering algorithm to explicitly handle uncertainty in data values. In this paper we propose new total utility (TU) index for measuring the quality of the clustering. And we develop improved algorithms for efficiently clustering uncertain categorical data, based on the COBWEB conceptual clustering algorithm. Experimental results using real datasets demonstrate how these algorithms and new TU measure can effectively improve the performance of clustering through the use of internal probabilistic information.
The Political Economy of Global Finance: A Network Model

Although the subprime crisis regenerated interest in and stimulated debate about how to study the politics of global finance, it has not sparked the development of new approaches to International Political Economy (IPE), which remains firmly rooted in actor-centered models. We develop an alternative network-based approach that shifts the analytical focus to the relations between actors. We first depict the contemporary global financial system as a network, with a particular focus on its hierarchical structure. We then explore key characteristics of this global financial network, including how the hierarchic network structure shapes the dynamics of financial contagion and the source and persistence of power. Throughout, we strive to relate existing research to our network approach in order to highlight exactly where this approach accommodates, where it extends, and where it challenges existing knowledge generated by actor-centered models. We conclude by suggesting that a network approach enables us to construct a systemic IPE that is theoretically and empirically pluralist.
Drinking history is related to persistent blood pressure dysregulation in postwithdrawal alcoholics.

We have previously demonstrated that alcoholics with transitory ( 160/95 mm Hg), transitory borderline hypertensives (tBHs; 140/90 < or = BP < 160/95), and normotensives (NTs; all BPs < 140/90). All patients had normal resting pressures after 72 hr of withdrawal. At 3-4 weeks postadmission, the alcoholics and 14 nonalcoholic controls (CONTs) were tested at rest and during a 5-min handgrip task. The tHTs showed an exaggerated systolic and diastolic BP response to handgrip compared with NTs and CONTs, with tBHs intermediate (ps < 0.05). Drinking history showed the tHTs had the highest reported level of alcohol consumption and severity of withdrawal symptoms (ps < 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that consumption of hard liquor was the variable most predictive of admission BPs; further, parental history of hypertension potentiated this relationship for systolic BP. Age and consumption of nicotine and caffeine were not significant predictors of admission BP. The results suggest a persistent cardiovascular dysregulation in alcoholics showing transient hypertensive withdrawal BPs. These alcoholics may be at increased risk for future alcohol-related cardiovascular disorder.
Development and Current Status of Home-Delivered Meals Programs in the United States: Who Is Served?

Federal home-delivered meals programs for the frail elderly began in the United States in the 1970s. During the 1980s the provision of meals to the homebound elderly was expanded through development of state-funded meals programs. The time has come to pose two questions relative to coverage and impact of these programs. These questions are whether the program serves those who are most needy, and whether the meals programs reduce the need for more costly care. Information available suggests that the elderly most often served are those with socioeconomic problems reducing their ability to obtain regular meals. Medical disability is less often used as a criterion for program eligibility or priority. The recent finding that provision of home-delivered meals reduces hospitalization rates should be reexamined to answer the question of whether the medically needy are actually kept out of the hospital by provision of home-delivered meals.
Citizenship, Social Equality and Government Reform: Changes in the Household Registration System in Korea, 1894-1910

For over a millennium before the 20th century, the Korean state had maintained a system of household registration, or hojok . In the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), these registers, through their specification of each household head's status either as a tax-paying commoner or tax-exempt aristocrat or low-born, reinforced the hereditary status delineation of each locality and in turn determined everything from tax and service obligations to the courtesies and behaviors of social interaction. Within the span of a few years at the turn of the 20th century, however, this stalwart institution of household registration, which proved so central to both the strengths and problems of the Choson government, was thoroughly reorganized, revealing the myriad facets of the state's changing relationship with the populace.
The unstable iliac fracture: A biomechanical evaluation of internal fixation

Neither plating nor lag screw fixation of a displaced iliac wing fracture as part of an unstable pelvic ring disruption has been studied biomechanically. The purpose of this study was to compare the stability of various combinations of fixation, specifically contrasting lag screws placed between the tables of the ilium with plating in different locations across the fracture line. Various combinations of these fixation implants were evaluated for an unstable iliac fracture. A longitudinal iliac fracture was created in each of six hemi-pelvic specimens prior to testing. Compressive force, up to 500 N or to the magnitude necessary to displace the fracture 2 mm, was applied to the fracture line through the hemi-pelvis for each of the plate and lag screw combinations tested. There was no statistical difference between any of the implants or combinations tested. A single 3.5-mm reconstruction (cephalad) plate placed along the cephalad internal aspect of the iliac crest provided the least stability allowing 2 mm of displacement with a mean load of 80 N. The two combinations of fixation that required the greatest loads for 2 mm of displacement were a single 3.5-mm lag (cephalad) screw inserted into the iliac crest between the tables of the ilium coupled with either a 3.5-mm reconstruction (brim) plate placed along the internal aspect of the inferior iliac fossa at the pelvic brim (239 N) or a 4.5-mm lag (brim) screw between the inner and outer tables at the inferior aspect of the fracture just above the greater sciatic notch (225 N).
Early Open and Endovascular Thoracic Aortic Repair for Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection

Background Aortic repair for acute ( Methods Seventy-three patients with type B dissection (1995 to 2012) underwent early open descending aortic repair (n = 24) or TEVAR (n = 49). Mean age was 66.3 years. Intervention occurred in the acute (n = 53) or subacute (n = 20) period for malperfusion (n = 8), rupture (n = 22), or factors portending rupture, including rapid expansion (n = 26), uncontrolled pain (n = 18), aortic size greater than 5.0 cm (n = 26), or refractory hypertension (n = 2). Twenty-six had multiple indications. Patients undergoing TEVAR were older and had an increased incidence of coronary artery disease and renal impairment (all p Results Thirty-day mortality was 12% (n = 9). Morbidity included stroke (n = 7), dialysis (n = 6), paralysis (n = 4), and tracheostomy (n = 7). A composite outcome of mortality and these morbidities independently correlated with presentation with frank rupture ( p p = 0.03), but not treatment strategy ( p = 0.3). Ten-year Kaplan-Meier survival was 57.5% and similar between groups ( p = 0.74). Independent predictors of late mortality included perioperative stroke and presentation with rupture during late follow-up (both p p = 0.45). Conclusions Early aortic repair for complicated type B dissection is associated with high rates of morbidity, late mortality, and reintervention. Despite its use in a higher risk group, outcomes seen with TEVAR were similar to open repair, thus supporting the recent paradigm shift toward an endovascular approach.
Endothelin-Dependent and -Independent Components of Strain-Activated Brain Natriuretic Peptide Gene Transcription Require Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

The application of mechanical strain to cultured cardiac myocytes in vitro leads to activation of the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) gene promoter, a marker of cardiac hypertrophy. We have previously shown that this activation results from both a direct mechanostimulatory event and an indirect autocrine/paracrine stimulation involving the sequential production of angiotensin II and endothelin (ET). In the present study, we examined the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in signaling the increase in promoter activity trafficking through each of these pathways. ET was shown to stimulate both p38 MAPK and ERK activity in these cultures and to activate human BNP (hBNP) promoter activity. Activation of the promoter was inhibited approximately 45% by SB-203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, and approximately 70% by PD98059, an inhibitor of the ERK-activating kinase MAPK kinase. The ET-independent (ie, direct) stimulation of the hBNP promoter by mechanical strain was inhibited approximately 70% by SB-203580 and approximately 60% by PD98059, implying that similar signaling circuitry is used, albeit to different degrees, by the direct and indirect pathways. The p38 MAPK component of both the ET-dependent and the ET-independent responses to strain appears to operate through a series of nuclear factor-kappaB binding, shear stress response element-like structures in the hBNP gene promoter. Collectively, these data suggest that activation of the BNP promoter by hypertrophic stimuli involves the participation of several independent signaling pathways. Such redundancy would help to guarantee generation of the full hypertrophic phenotype independently of the nature of the hypertrophic stimulus.
Nickel and cadmium ions inhibit quorum sensing and biofilm formation without affecting viability in Burkholderia multivorans

Abstract Microbial influenced corrosion (MIC) and biofouling are multi-billion dollar challenges typically associated with bacterial biofilms. Using microtiter plate and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) assays, we show that sub-millimolar concentrations of nickel (Ni2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) inhibit biofilm formation by the bacterium Burkholderia multivorans through the inhibition (at the transcriptional level) of acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing (QS). These results advance the understanding of environmental factors influencing the establishment and subsequent development of biofilms, as this is the first paper linking heavy metals with quorum sensing and biofilm inhibition, and may guide strategies to mitigate MIC and biofouling of infrastructure surfaces.
Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor Activators Target Human Endothelial Cells to Inhibit Leukocyte–Endothelial Cell Interaction

Abstract —An early event in acute and chronic inflammation and associated diseases such as atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis is the induced expression of specific adhesion molecules on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs), which subsequently bind leukocytes. Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptors (PPARs), members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors, are activated by fatty acid metabolites, peroxisome proliferators, and thiazolidinediones and are now recognized as important mediators in the inflammatory response. Whether PPAR activators influence the inflammatory responses of ECs is unknown. We show that the PPAR activators 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), Wyeth 14643, ciglitazone, and troglitazone, but not BRL 49653, partially inhibit the induced expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), as measured by ELISA, and monocyte binding to human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) activated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or lipopolysaccharide. The “natural” PPAR activator 15d-PGJ2 had the greatest potency and was the only tested molecule capable of partially inhibiting the induced expression of E-selectin and neutrophil-like HL60 cell binding to PMA-activated HAECs. Intracellular adhesion molecule-1 induction by PMA was unaffected by any of the molecules tested. Both PPAR-α and PPAR-γ mRNAs were detected in HAECs by using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and a ribonuclease protection assay; however, we have yet to determine which, if any, of the PPARs are mediating this process. These results suggest that certain PPAR activators may help limit chronic inflammation mediated by VCAM-1 and monocytes without affecting acute inflammation mediated by E-selectin and neutrophil binding.