cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Reflexivity in Participatory Action Research to Empower Culturally Diverse Communities in Pakistan

This article presents a real-world application of participatory action research (PAR) for effectively working with culturally diverse communities in Pakistan, based on a two-month project conducted with seven community-based organizations (CBOs) in one of the districts of the Punjab province in Pakistan. My process of transforming from a top-down approach to a PAR approach was grounded in critical self-reflection, observation, and reciprocal interaction. This transformation process increased my ability to understand community context and appreciate local knowledge, which in turn fostered collaboration, engagement, and collective learning. Although applying the PAR approach was not without challenges, complexities, and tension, it did result in local development. Hence, this paper explores the possibilities of PAR as an alternative approach to be considered by development agencies in their work with community partners. Keywords: reflexivity, participatory action research, culturally diverse communities, community empowerment
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Gender Identity.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy affecting 46XX individuals of reproductive age. Cardinal features of PCOS include hyperandrogenism, irregular periods, and insulin resistance. Pathogenesis is unclear but likely involves hypothalamic, pituitary, or ovarian abnormalities leading to increased androgen production. In addition, alternative insulin signaling pathways are activated to preserve ovarian sensitivity to insulin while other "classical" tissues (e.g. liver, adipose, muscle) are insulin resistant. Treatment targets specific symptoms and the most common regimens include weight loss, metformin, oral contraceptives, anti-androgen compounds, and fertility treatments. Observations of individuals with gene mutations affecting androgen metabolism suggest that androgens may influence the development of gender identity. We reviewed studies exploring the relationship between gender identity and PCOS to further elucidate this relationship. Rates of PCOS in hormone-naive transmasculine (TM) individuals appear to be higher than in the general population as cited by small, early studies using convenience samples and inconsistent criteria for PCOS. A more recent, larger study using established guidelines for PCOS did not show this to be true. Further, other studies show that although PCOS patients are less likely to identify with a traditional feminine gender scheme compared to age-matched peers, the prevalence of gender incongruence in PCOS patients is not higher than in the general population. Larger systematic studies with control groups using modern diagnostic criteria for both PCOS and gender incongruence are needed to clarify the relationship between PCOS and gender identity.
Integral molten salt reactor temperature sensitivities using Serpent target motion sampling

Abstract The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) concept has attracted several start-up companies due to the potential for reducing waste generation, realizing passive safety features, and seizing on the opportunity for cost effective economics. Terrestrial Energy, Inc (TEI), for example, has designed and is seeking regulator licensing for an Integral MSR (IMSR) design that contains all primary system components within a single reactor vessel containment. This study uses sensitivity analysis capabilities unique to Monte-Carlo particle transport code Serpent to determine and evaluate fuel salt Doppler and density temperature coefficients of reactivity for an IMSR over a range of normal or casualty temperature ranges. This study contrasts the temperature coefficients of three candidate molten salt fuels (FLiBe, FLiNaK, and NaF-RbF). The unique advantages and access to insightful neutron physics using Serpent code sensitivity methods are highlighted. An evaluation of the total reactor temperature coefficient and in particular the fuel salt temperature coefficients will show that an IMSR design can be self-limiting from a design basis accident perspective.
Accuracy of patient-reported versus real-time electronic postoperative opioid use outcomes.

Abstract Background Patient-reported opioid use is an important outcome for studies of postoperative pain and opioid use, however the accuracy of patient-reported opioid use is unknown. Objective To evaluate the accuracy of retrospective patient-reported analgesic use versus real-time analgesic use data obtained via electronic medication caps. Study Design This study used a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Data from 132 patients who underwent cesarean delivery at a metropolitan academic medical center were analyzed to compare 2 methods of measuring opioid consumption postoperatively. At discharge, patients received 30 5-mg hydrocodone/325-mg acetaminophen tablets in electronically enabled Smart Cap bottles that recorded medication bottle access. Patients were phoned 2 weeks post-discharge to assess patient-report of opioid use over the post-discharge period. Intra-class correlations (ICCs) were used to assess correspondence between retrospective patient-reported opioid use and Smart Cap data. Likelihood Chi-Square tests assessed differences between demographic and clinical characteristics in persons who accurately, over-, and under-reported opioid use as compared to Smart Cap data. Results Participants ranged from 18-41 years old (mean 30.6), and most (74% [92/124] were Caucasian with private or military insurance (66% [80/122]). Patient-reported opioid use corresponded highly with Smart Cap data (ICC = .85, 95% C.I.=.80-.90, p Conclusions Retrospective self-reporting is a reasonably accurate method to assess opioid use over a 2-week time period after cesarean delivery.
Epigenetic Age in Young African American Adults With Perinatally Acquired HIV.

BACKGROUND Prior studies have measured accelerated aging in people with HIV using a DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarker of aging, "epigenetic age," but data are limited in African American (AA) young adults with perinatally acquired HIV infection (PHIV). METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of AA young adults aged 20-35 years with PHIV (N = 31) and seronegative controls (N = 30) using DNAm measured in whole blood and cognitive function measured by the NIH Toolbox. Illumina EPIC array was used to measure DNAm age and accelerated aging markers including epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), as well as extrinsic (EEAA) and intrinsic (IEAA) EAA. RESULTS PHIV and controls did not differ by sex (45 vs. 43% male), chronological age (26.2 vs. 28.0 years), or ethnicity. Chronological age and DNAm age were correlated (r = 0.56, P < 0.01). PHIV had a higher mean EAA (2.86 ± 6.5 vs. -2.96 ± 3.9, P < 0.01) and EEAA (4.57 ± 13.0 vs. -4.72 ± 6.0, P < 0.01) than controls; however, IEAA was not different between groups. Among PHIV, EAA and EEAA were higher in those with HIV viral load ≥50 copies/mL than <50 copies/mL (EEA: 8.1 ± 5.2 vs. 0.11 ± 5.5, P = 0 < 0.01 and EEAA: 16.1 ± 10.6 vs. -1.83 ± 9.7, P < 0.01). We observed negative correlations (r = -0.36 to -0.31) between EEAA and executive function, attention, and language scores. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, EAA in blood was observed in AA young adults with PHIV on ART using 2 measures, including EEAA which upweights the contribution of immunosenescent cell types. However, there was no evidence of age acceleration with a measure independent of cell type composition.
Chapter 1 – Commentary

Publisher Summary Social structural positions, cultural meanings of those positions, and interactional situations that evoke them, influence the personal experience of emotion. This chapter highlights the interactional imbeddedness of emotional experience and attempts to describe the structural patterning of the interactional environment. A commentary is made on the position of status and power in the sociology of emotions. Status and power are the core of the sociological study of emotion. These relational features affect emotional responses that lead individuals to support or change social structures. Encounters that occur in dyadic relationships or small groups evoke emotions that depend on the groups' status and power structures. Actors experience emotions that are typical of their structural positions. Those emotions vary when there is loss or gain in status or power. Even the most structured of interactions evokes emotional responses that complicate and enrich group processes. Emotions are also involved in maintaining social order when people occupy different positions within the stratification system.
The Penalty Default Canon

Lawmakers often have an incentive to avoid making important policy choices, shifting responsibility for the outcomes of those choices onto other governmental branches. Statutory incompleteness (that is, a statute containing a gap or ambiguity) provides a mechanism for accomplishing this transfer of responsibility. Drawing on the incomplete contracts literature, we argue that the reasons for statutory incompleteness should form an important consideration for courts faced with interpretive disputes regarding an incomplete statutory provision. Specifically, if lawmakers attempt to employ statutory incompleteness as a means to shift responsibility for difficult policy choices onto courts or agencies, courts should penalize lawmakers by holding that the provision in question is an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority. In contrast, when statutory incompleteness is inadvertent or attributable to a legislative desire to enhance public welfare - such as, for example, an attempt to reduce the transaction costs of lawmaking or harness the special expertise of courts or agencies - a penalty would be futile or overly costly and should not apply. This "Penalty Default Canon" sheds new light on the Chevron and non-delegation doctrines, as well as many theories of statutory interpretation. Indeed, we demonstrate that these theories and doctrines are flawed because they assume a single underlying cause of statutory incompleteness. The Penalty Default Canon, in contrast, is more nuanced, mimicking the approach taken by contract scholars and courts in the setting of contractual default rules. The article develops a three-part test for discerning the underlying source of statutory incompleteness through a careful examination of legislative history and interest group dynamics. We then apply this test to two statutory provisions that we argue Congress left intentionally incomplete: the "strong inference" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 6 of the Clayton Act.
The outcomes of "atypical" and "suspicious" bile duct brushings in the identification of pancreaticobiliary tumors: Follow-up analysis of surgical resection specimens.

Background Bile duct brushing cytology is frequently used to investigate suspected pancreaticobiliary tumors, but it is associated with low diagnostic sensitivity. As recently proposed by the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology in its new classification scheme for pancreaticobiliary cytology, the use of “atypical” and “suspicious (for malignancy)” categories may give a better prediction of malignancy and improve patient management. Methods A series of 65 “atypical” and “suspicious” results initially diagnosed at the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Centers between 2005 and 2012 were analyzed to determine outcomes based on the review of subsequent surgical resection specimens. Results Seven of 15 (47%) “atypical” cases demonstrated malignant outcomes, whereas 49 of 50 (98%) “suspicious” cases showed documented malignancy within a mean follow-up of 4 months (P < 0.0001 from Pearson's chi-squared test). The analysis of surgical resection specimens demonstrates that 59% of “atypical” and “suspicious” bile duct brushings with malignant outcomes were pancreatic adenocarcinoma (95% confidence interval (CI): 46–71%), 97% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas caused strictures in the head of the pancreas (95% CI: 86–100%), and that 86% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas were moderate to poorly differentiated (95% CI: 73–99%). Fifty-three of the 60 (88%) patients in the presence of prior stenting had a histologically confirmed malignancy. Conclusion The use of “atypical” and “suspicious” categories may allow more accurate surveillance and/or more rapid surgical exploration of pancreaticobiliary tumors. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:885–891. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cooperating Mobile Agents

This article discusses four different applications where mobile agents cooperate with one another to accomplish a task in a network of processes. These applications range from topology discovery and distributed data structure implementation to fault diagnosis and system stabilization.
Chlorostilbon bracei Lawrence, an extinct species of hummingbird from New Providence Island, Bahamas

ABSrRAcr.--Chlorostilbon bracei Lawrence, known from the unique holotype taken on New Providence Island, Bahamas, in 1877, is shown to be a valid species that is evidently now extinct. Compared with C. ricordii of Cuba and the Bahamas, C. bracei is smaller, has a longer bill, and has distinctly different plumage. Fossil evidence demonstrates that a small Chlorostilbon, tentatively referred to C. bracei, was present on New Providence in the Pleistocene. Populations of C. ricordii from Andros, Abaco, and Grand Bahama are indistinguishable from Cuban birds, and C. ricordii s therefore regarded as monotypic. Received 18 June 1986, accepted 25 November 1986.
Network motif discovery using subgraph enumeration and symmetry-breaking

The study of biological networks and network motifs can yield significant new insights into systems biology. Previous methods of discovering network motifs - network-centric subgraph enumeration and sampling - have been limited to motifs of 6 to 8 nodes, revealing only the smallest network components. New methods are necessary to identify larger network sub-structures and functional motifs. Here we present a novel algorithm for discovering large network motifs that achieves these goals, based on a novel symmetry-breaking technique, which eliminates repeated isomorphism testing, leading to an exponential speed-up over previous methods. This technique is made possible by reversing the traditional network-based search at the heart of the algorithm to a motif-based search, which also eliminates the need to store all motifs of a given size and enables parallelization and scaling. Additionally, our method enables us to study the clustering properties of discovered motifs, revealing even larger network elements. We apply this algorithm to the protein-protein interaction network and transcription regulatory network of S. cerevisiae, and discover several large network motifs, which were previously inaccessible to existing methods, including a 29-node cluster of 15-node motifs corresponding to the key transcription machinery of S. cerevisiae.
Physical-statistical modeling in geophysics

[1] Two powerful formulas have been available to scientists for more than two centuries: Newton's second law, providing a foundation for classical physics, and Bayes's theorem, prescribing probabilistic learning about unknown quantities based on observations. For the most part the use of these formulas has been separated, with Newton being the more dominant in geophysics. This separation is arguably surprising since numerous sources of uncertainty arise in the application of classical physics in complex situations. One explanation for the separation is the difficulty in implementing Bayesian analysis in complex settings. However, recent advances in both modeling strategies and computational tools have contributed to a significant change in the scope and feasibility of Bayesian analysis. This paradigm provides opportunities for the combination of physical reasoning and observational data in a coherent analysis framework but in a fashion which manages the uncertainties in both information sources. A key to the modeling is the hierarchical viewpoint, in which separate statistical models are developed for the process variables studied and for the observations conditional on those variables. Modeling process variables in this way enables the incorporation of physics across a spectrum of levels of intensity, ranging from a qualitative use of physical reasoning to a strong reliance on numerical models. Selected examples from this spectrum are reviewed. So far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain. And so far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.Albert Einstein (1921)
The Experiences Accompanying Olfactory Stimulation

The study reported in this paper reflects a concern that goes back a number of years; that concern is with the way in which imagery varies as a function of the state of the subject and environmental conditions. Wolpin and Hamlin (1958) briefly reviewed some literature which suggested that various states, e.g., falling asleep (hypnogogic), waking up (hypnopompic), and “regression in the service of the ego” (a concept from psychoanalysis), what we might now refer to as “altered states of consciousness,” may play a role in freeing up thinking and the imagination, thus enhancing one’s creative processes. There is considerable anecdotal evidence to support this, one of the most famous being Kekule’s discovery of the benzene ring while in a semi-awake state. In 1974, Wolpin and Kirsch reported on a study in which they found that certain dimensions of imagery may vary as a function of muscle state, e.g., when one’s muscles are relaxed, a calm ocean is visualized and when tensed, a stormy one. Other aspects of the images also changed, e.g., the speed with which things were seen as moving and the friendliness of the scene.
Does a positive response to spermatic cord block predict response to microdenervation of the spermatic cord for chronic scrotal content pain

ABSTRACT Introduction Microdenervation of the spermatic cord (MDSC) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for men with intractable scrotal content pain. Aim This study evaluates the correlation between a positive response to a spermatic cord block with local anesthetic and the subsequent surgical outcome following MDSC. Main Outcome Measures Pre- and post-cord block pain and pre- and post-MDSC pain. Methods A retrospective review of 74 patients (77 testicular units) who underwent MDSC from 2006 to 2010 was performed. Pre- and post-spermatic cord block pain scores based on a 0–10 visual analog scale (VAS) were compared with pre- and post-MDSC pain scores. A positive response to the block was defined as greater than or equal to 50% temporary reduction of pain based on VAS. Results The average patient age was 42 years with a mean follow-up of 10 months. The mean duration of symptoms before surgery was 69 months. Mean pre-cord block pain score was 8 with an 89% average decrease in pain following the block. Mean post-MDSC pain score was 2 with an average decrease of 73%. The level of temporary improvement from the cord block appeared to be a useful predictor of sustained improvement with MDSC ( P = 0.05). Positive response to spermatic cord block was an independent predictor of MDSC response ( P = 0.03). Conclusions Men with chronic orchialgia who have a positive response to a spermatic cord block are likely to have durable and complete resolution of symptoms after undergoing MDSC. The amount of pain relief obtained after the cord block correlates with pain relief after undergoing a MDSC. Men with chronic orchialgia who desire surgical correction should undergo a preoperative spermatic cord block as part of their complete evaluation. The result of the cord block can help guide the practitioner and the patient toward definitive surgical management via MDSC. Benson JS, Abern MR, Larsen S, and Levine LA. Does a positive response to spermatic cord block predict response to microdenervation of the spermatic cord for chronic scrotal content pain? J Sex Med 2013;10:876–882.
Cardiovascular disease risk factors among women veterans at VA medical facilities.

BACKGROUND Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and obesity in middle adulthood each elevate the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The prevalence of these conditions among women veterans is incompletely described.
High-fidelity rapid prototyping of 300 mm fabs through discrete event system modeling ☆

Abstract Traditionally, the semiconductor manufacturing industry has been driven by continuous technological advancement of the underlying production processes. Yet, as the industry matures, mere technology development is no longer sufficient. The effective deployment and exploitation of the system production capacity and operational capability become critical for competitive success. Hence, currently, there is an increasing interest towards the development of a control paradigm/framework that will allow the effective and efficient deployment and operation of contemporary fabs, including the upcoming 300 mm fab. The research program presented in this paper seeks to define a detailed modeling and control framework for the real-time 300 mm fab operations, by exploiting and integrating emerging results in Discrete Event Systems theory. The proposed approach is demonstrated through a small-scale example, modeling the operation of a 300 mm fab bay. Furthermore, in addition to the development of the formal specification, the presented program will also implement the proposed fab modeling and control framework in a Web-based simulation platform, that will function as a fab (re-)configuration and control synthesis tool for the fab control engineer, and as an educational tool for manufacturing system modeling and control.
SOCIAL POLICIES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF GENDER GAPS ACROSS 24 COUNTRIES

Across industrialized countries, women are significantly less likely to be engaged in entrepreneurial activity than their male counterparts. Building on theories of entrepreneurship and institutional perspectives on gender inequality in the labor market, this paper develops and tests an institutional theory of gender inequality in entrepreneurship. It is proposed that in countries where social policies effectively integrate women into traditional employment, women are less likely to be “pushed” into entrepreneurship as a result of work/family conflict. As a result, contexts with such policies are likely to have larger gender gaps in the odds of being engaged in entrepreneurial activity, but smaller gender gaps among established business owners in their motivation for starting a business, orientation toward growth and propensity to innovate. Results from a multilevel analysis of survey data from 24 countries largely support this contention: generous public funding for childcare is associated with larger ge...
Shape-Resonance-Enhanced Nuclear-Motion Effects in Molecular Photoionization

Shape resonances in molecular photoionization are shown to induce strong coupling between vibrational and electronic motion over a spectral range several times broader than the resonances half-width. This coupling is manifested by large deviations from Franck-Condon intensity distributions and strong dependence of photoelectron angular distributions on the vibrational state of the residual ion. These effects are illustrated for the $3{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{g}$ photoionization channel of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$.
A Micro-mechanical Model for Multiaxial High Cycle Fatigue at Small Scales

Abstract The grain microstructure and damage mechanisms at the grain level are the key factors that influence fatigue of metals in small dimensions. This is addressed by establishing a micro-mechanical model for the prediction of multiaxial high cycle fatigue (HCF) at a length scale of about 100 μm, which is typical for micro-electro- mechanical systems (MEMS). The HCF model considers elasto-plastic behavior of metals at grain level and microstructural parameters, i.e. grain size and grain orientation. While for individual grains a deterministic failure prediction is obtained, the model serves as a failure criterion in probabilistic studies on aggregates of grains. For this, it is assumed that a fatigue crack initiates in a grain, if the accumulated plastic shear strain in the grain exceeds a critical limit. For model validation, the grain size and grain orientation on the surface of nickel micro-samples were measured with Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) analysis after fatigue testing. The overall predictive power of the HCF model - which grains will be damaged by fatigue- is validated. Nevertheless, some misclassifications occur as some grains are damaged, which were predicted to be safe. For some cases, post-fatigue investigations on individual grains reveal reasons for those misclassifications.
Potential effects of advanced technologies at commercial border crossings

Between 1991 and 1995, trade between the United States and Canada increased 55 percent, and trade between the United States and Mexico grew 68 percent. This growth in traffic has strained the available capacity and has led to frequent delays as vehicles pass through congested border-crossing facilities. Delays at the border may be reduced through the use of information technologies. A generic simulation model was developed of a border crossing that can be used to evaluate the benefit of information technologies to speed the processing of commercial vehicles at the border. This model is tested with input data that are reflective of the Peace Bridge, which links Buffalo, New York, with Fort Erie, Ontario, to develop general relationships between the penetration rate of advanced technology in the commercial vehicle traffic and the benefits to be achieved. This analysis indicates that the effective use of information technologies can significantly improve the services offered and reduce the amount of resource...
A discrete sampling inversion scheme for the heat equation

We present a simple and extremely accurate procedure for approximating initial temperature for the heat equation on the line using a discrete time and spatial sampling. The procedure is based on the "sinc expansion" which for functions in a particular class yields a uniform exponential error bound with exponent depending on the number of spatial sample locations chosen. Further the temperature need only be sampled at one and the same temporal value for each of the spatial sampling points. ForN spatial sample points, the approximation is reduced to solving a linear system with a (2N+1)×(2N+1) coefficient matrix. This matrix is a symmetric centrosymmetric Toeplitz matrix and hence can be determined by computing only 2N+1 values using quadratures.
Apparatus for rapid prototyping and evaluation of wide-field-of-view helmet-mounted display symbology

This paper documents an inexpensive apparatus intended for rapid prototyping and evaluation of alphanumeric and symbolic display formats. Emphasis is placed on symbology design for use in wide field of view (FOV) helmet-mounted displays (HMDs). The apparatus consists of a Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) computer with standard monitor and mouse, Virtual Applications Prototyping System (VAPS) software, a rapidly reconfigurable flight simulator program (FLSIM), and a Fresnel lens-based optical system affording an 85 degree(s) X 70 degree(s) field of view. A preliminary experiment was conducted to verify the suitability of the apparatus for objective measurement of pilot performance during flight simulation. Five test participants attempted to maintain specified altitude and airspeed parameters while maneuvering an aircraft around a simulated airfield. Necessary flight information was presented via symbols located to the left and right of display centerline. Lateral separation between these symbols was varied; values of total angular separation ranged from 30 degree(s) to 70 degree(s), in 10 degree(s) increments. Test results indicate that the apparatus is suitable for the purpose intended. It was also determined that pilot performance in a demanding flight task may not necessarily degrade with increasing lateral separation when a wide field of view format is employed. This surprising (though preliminary) finding suggests that further research is warranted. Recommendations are made to further refine the apparatus and experimental methodology.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A sensitive radiochemical enzyme assay for S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine and l-homocysteine

Abstract The reversibility of the S -adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase reaction allows both nonradiolabeled S -adenosyl- l -homocysteine and l -homocysteine to serve as l -homocysteine donors for the synthesis of radiolabeled S -adenosyl- l -homocysteine from radiolabeled adenosine. Using high specific activity, radiolabeled adenosine, and high-performance liquid chromatography to separate products and reactants, as little as 0.1 pmol of l -homocysteine donor can be detected by its ability to be converted to radiolabeled S -adenosyl- l -homocysteine. Reduction of samples with dithiothreitol during the enzymatic reaction allows l -homocystine and mixed disulfides of l -homocysteine to be assayed as well. S -Adenosyl- l -homocysteine can be distinguished from other l -homocysteine donors by assaying samples before and after degradation of the former with the nonspecific adenosine deaminase from Aspergillus oryzae . A less sensitive version of the assay employs thin-layer chromatography in place of high-performance liquid chromatography, and is useful for the assay of l -homocysteine and its disulfides in quantities of 25 pmol or more.
Structural analysis of PdAu dendrimer-encapsulated bimetallic nanoparticles.

PdAu dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) were prepared via sequential reduction of the component metals. When Au is reduced onto 55-atom, preformed Pd DEN cores, analysis by UV−vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy leads to a model consistent with inversion of the two metals. That is, Au migrates into the core and Pd resides on the surface. However, when Pd is reduced onto a 55-atom Au core, the expected Au core−Pd shell structure results. In this latter case, the EXAFS analysis suggests partial oxidation of the relatively thick Pd shell. When the DENs are extracted from their protective dendrimer stabilizers by alkylthiols, the resulting monolayer-protected clusters retain their original Au core−Pd shell structures. The structural analysis is consistent with a study of nanoparticle-catalyzed conversion of resazurin to resorufin. The key conclusion from this work is that correlation of structure to catalytic function for very small...
Photocatalytic and Conductive MWCNT/TiO2 Nanocomposite Thin Films

A conductive and photocatalytic nanocomposite thin film comprising multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and TiO2 nanoparticles is fabricated based on layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly in a nonpolar solvent, toluene. An amphiphilic surfactant, aerosol OT (AOT), is used to impart opposite surface charge onto MWCNTs and TiO2 in toluene. Our fabrication technique enables the incorporation of unoxidized MWCNTs into the nanocomposite thin films, and at the same time, provides a versatile method of fabricating conformal thin films over a large area. The physicochemical properties of MWCNT/TiO2 nanocomposite thin films, including composition and photocatalytic activity, can be varied by changing the concentration of AOT during assembly. The electrical properties of the nanocomposite film, specifically its sheet resistance and conductivity, can also be tuned through changing the assembly conditions. In addition, we demonstrate that the incorporation of MWCNTs within our films leads to a significant enhancement of the...
Flow Structure and Particle Transport in a Triple Bifurcation Airway Model

Considering steady laminar incompressible flow in a triple bifurcation, which represents generations three to six of the human respiratory system, air flow fields and micron-particle transport have been simulated for several combinations of relatively high and low inlet Reynolds and Stokes numbers. While the upstream bifurcations are hardly affected by the third bifurcation, complex air and particle flow fields occur in the daughter tubes leading to the third dividers. Variations in Reynolds number, 500≤Re≤2000, and Stokes number, 0.04≤St≤0.12, cause locally changing vortical air flows as well as irregular particle motions. Preferential concentration of particles can be induced by the secondary vortical flow in the tubes when the inlet Reynolds number is high enough. The air and particle velocity profiles in the third daughter tubes are still quite different from those in the upstream tubes, which indicates that additional downstream effects are possible. This work may contribute to respiratory dose estimation in health risk assessment studies, as well as the analyses of drug aerosol delivery.
Roles of tyrosine kinase-, 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-, and mitogen-activated protein kinase-signaling pathways in ethanol-induced contractions of rat aortic smooth muscle: possible relation to alcohol-induced hypertension.

Abstract Insights into the relations between and among ethanol-induced contractions in rat aorta, tyrosine kinases (including src family of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases), 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI-3Ks), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and regulation of intracellular free Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+ ] i ) were investigated in the present study. Ethanol-induced concentration-dependent contractions in isolated rat aortic rings were attenuated greatly by pretreatment of the arteries with low concentrations of an antagonist of protein tyrosine kinases (genistein), an src homology domain 2 (SH2) inhibitor peptide, a highly specific antagonist of p38 MAPK (SB-203580), a potent, selective antagonist of two specific MAPK kinases—MEK1/MEK2 (U0126)—and a selective antagonist of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) (PD-98059), as well as by treatment with wortmannin or LY-294002 (both are selective antagonists of PI-3Ks). Inhibitory concentration 50 (IC 50 ) levels obtained for these seven antagonists were consistent with reported inhibition constant (Ki) values for these tyrosine kinase, MAPK, and MAPKK antagonists. Ethanol-induced transient and sustained increases in [Ca 2+ ] i in primary single smooth muscle cells from rat aorta were markedly attenuated in the presence of genistein, an SH2 domain inhibitor peptide, SB-203580, U0126, PD-98059, wortmannin, and LY-294002. A variety of specific antagonists of known endogenously formed vasoconstrictors did not inhibit or attenuate either the ethanol-induced contractions or the elevations of [Ca 2+ ] i . Results of the present study support the suggestion that activation of tyrosine kinases (including the src family of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases), PI-3Ks, and MAPK seems to play an important role in ethanol-induced contractions and the elevation of [Ca 2+ ] i in smooth muscle cells from rat aorta. These signaling pathways thus may be important in hypertension in human beings associated with chronic alcohol consumption.
Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of 2-amino-3-carboxy-4-phenylthiophenes as novel atypical protein kinase C inhibitors

Abstract Recent evidence suggests atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) isoforms are required for both TNF- and VEGF-induced breakdown of the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) and endothelial permeability to 70 kDa dextran or albumin. A chemical library screen revealed a series of novel small molecule phenylthiophene based inhibitors of aPKC isoforms that effectively block permeability in cell culture and in vivo. In an effort to further elucidate the structural requirements of this series of inhibitors, we detail in this study a structure–activity relationship (SAR) built on screening hit 1 , which expands on our initial pharmacophore model. The biological activity of our analogues was evaluated in models of bona fide aPKC-dependent signaling including NFκB driven-gene transcription as a marker for an inflammatory response and VEGF/TNF-induced vascular endothelial permeability. The EC 50 for the most efficacious inhibitors ( 6 , 32 ) was in the low nanomolar range in these two cellular assays. Our study demonstrates the key structural elements that confer inhibitory activity and highlights the requirement for electron-donating moieties off the C-4 aryl moiety of the 2-amino-3-carboxy-4-phenylthiophene backbone. These studies suggest that this class has potential for further development into small molecule aPKC inhibitors with therapeutic efficacy in a host of diseases involving increased vascular permeability and inflammation.
Arthritis patients' perceptions of rheumatologists' participatory decision-making style and communication about complementary and alternative medicine.

Objective To examine if patients with arthritis who reported using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) were more likely to tell their physicians about their CAM use if they rated their rheumatologist as using a more participatory decision-making style and what reasons patients gave for telling or not telling their rheumatologist about their CAM use. Methods A survey that asked about CAM use, health status, demographics, physician use of a participatory decision-making style, and medical skepticism was sent to individuals with arthritis who saw 23 rheumatologists at universities and private practice clinics in North Carolina. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 92% of patients reported using CAM for their arthritis and 54% of these patients discussed their CAM use with their rheumatologist. Women, patients who used more types of CAM, and patients who rated their rheumatologist as using a more participatory decision-making style were significantly more likely to tell their physicians about their CAM use. Conclusion Our findings suggest that if rheumatologists use more participatory styles of decision making with patients and involve them when making treatment decisions, patients are more likely to tell them about their CAM use.
A poetic formula inBeowulf and seven other old English poems: A computer study

Studies of literary formulism in Old English poetry continue apace. Sometimes, because a "formula" is a repeated pattern within a voluminous corpus, the studies call on computer assistance.' And however they implement it, the studies commonly use either an extrinsic approach, applying to Old English practice what they can learn from other practitioners, or an intrinsic approach, deducing from the Old English product what they can discern about the poetic process behind it. This paper uses an inductive approach and computer assistance so as to supplement the results obtained by the other approaches. The paper studies a literary formula that, though well-assimilated and widely practiced in Old English poetry, has apparently received no study hitherto. The formula is the three-word a-verse (X Y Z) in which the first and last words (X, Z) are alliterating content-words and the second word (Y) is a preposition. Niles, studying the "formulas and formulaic systems" of Beowulf lines 1-25, identified weox under wolcnum (8) as formulaic because it has affinities with 651, 714, 1119, 1374, 1631, and 1770, but he did not notice that all seven half-lines are a-verses, an oversight he repeated when he came to geong in geardum (13; cf. 265, 1138, 2459). Of folce tofrofre (14), consequently, he commented only "non-formulaic, but cf. haelerum to helpe 1709a, 1961a."2 As this paper will show, however, folce to frofre is indeed formulaic.
Effects of a Cardiotoxin From Naja Naja Kaouthia Venom on Skeletal Muscle: Involvement of Calcium-Induced Calcium Release, Sodium Ion Currents and Phospholipases A2 and C

Snake venom cardiotoxin (CTX) fractions induce contractures of skeletal muscle and hemolysis of red blood cells. The fractions also contain trace amounts of venom-derived phospholipase A2 (PLA2) contamination and activate tissue phospholipase C (PLC) activity. The present study examines the mechanisms of action of a CTX fraction from Naja naja kaouthia venom in skeletal muscle. Sphingosine competitively antagonized CTX-induced red blood cell hemolysis, but not skeletal muscle contractures. CTX rapidly lowered the threshold for Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release in heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions, as monitored with arsenazo III. There was also a slower time-dependent reduction of Na+ currents, as assessed by whole cell patch-clamp techniques. The CTX fractions elevated levels of free fatty acids and diacylglycerol for 2 hr in primary cultures of human skeletal muscle by a combined action of venom-derived PLA2 contamination in the fraction and activation of endogenous PLC activity. The activation of tissue PLC activity could be readily distinguished from the contribution of the venom PLA2 by p-bromophenacyl bromide treatment of CTX fractions. The mechanism of action involved in contractures of skeletal muscle appears to be related to the immediate and specific effect of CTX (Ca2+ release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum), while the mechanisms involved in hemolysis of red blood cells and decreased Na+ currents in skeletal muscle most likely relate to long-term effects on lipid metabolism.
The effects of increasing doses of 2 preparations of long-acting insulin on short-term plasma profiles of glucose and insulin in lactating dairy cows.

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of administering increasing doses of 2 different preparations of long-acting insulin on the 24-h profiles of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in mid lactation dairy cows. The 2 separately analyzed experiments investigated the effects administering either Humulin N (H), a neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin, or insulin glargine (Lantus, L), an insulin analog, at doses of 0 (control), 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4IU/kg of body weight in a randomized complete block design. Sixteen cows (237±11 d in milk for H; 213±10 d in milk for L; mean ± SD) were used for each insulin preparation, resulting in n=4 for each dose within insulin preparation. Cows were fitted with a single jugular catheter on the day before the study. On the day of the study, cows were given treatments by subcutaneous injection of either sterile water or the designated insulin type and dose. Blood samples were taken hourly from the jugular catheter. Subcutaneous injection of both H and L resulted in linear decreases in plasma glucose concentrations, increased area under the curve, and decreased nadir for plasma glucose following administration of the insulin preparations. Plasma insulin concentration linearly increased with increasing dose of H. Though elevated concentrations of insulin were measurable in cows treated with H, they were not measurable in cows treated with L. Attempts to measure overall insulin concentrations and metabolites of L by a commercially available ELISA and a commercially available RIA kit were not successful and did not retrieve values that we felt truly represented the amount of insulin activity exhibited during this treatment. Both long-acting insulin preparations elicited insulin-like activity in lactating dairy cows, as evidenced by reduced plasma glucose concentrations. Given these results, the potential exists to use both H and L to study the effects of insulin in mid lactation dairy cows without the confounding effect of severe hypoglycemia (
Secretion of intrinsic factor from dispersed mucosal cells isolated from guinea pig and rabbit stomach

Abstract In dispersed mucosal cells prepared from rabbit and guinea pig stomach, the secretion of intrinsic factor was constant (0.3–0.4%/min) for at least 30 min incubation at 37°C. Histamine or isobutyl methylxanthine increased cyclic AMP and intrinsic factor secretion in both cell preparations. Isobutyl methylxanthine potentiated and cimetidine competitively inhibited ( K i =5·10 −7 M) both effects of histamine. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1.0 mM), also caused a 3-fold increase in intrinsic factor secretion. These results suggest that in rabbit and guinea pig histamine interacts with H 2 -receptors to increase cyclic AMP which mediates the rise in the rate of intrinsic factor secretion.
Reply to: Explaining the X-linkage bias of placentally expressed genes

In our earlier work1, we found that genes with sex-biased expression profiles are enriched on the X chromosome in mouse. Moore et al. suggest an alternative interpretation for a part of our data. In their correspondence, Moore et al. note correctly that, in essence, the genetic composition of placenta is not maternal but fetal. The main constituent of a mature placenta is extraembryonic trophoblasts of fetal origin2. Based on this genetic inhomogeneity of the placenta, Moore and coauthors claim that the placentally expressed genes cannot be considered 'female' and suggest an alternative explanation for the overrepresentation of these genes on the X chromosome based on the conflict theory of imprinting3.
Orbital presentation of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder: a small case series.

Abstract Objective To describe a small series of patients with orbital presentation of posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Participants Three patients with orbital presentation of histologically diagnosed PTLD. Methods Review of medical records. Main outcome measures Measured parameters included vision, proptosis, and tumor extent. Results Three cases of orbital PTLD are described. In two of the cases, the tumor initially demonstrated orbital signs and symptoms, whereas in the third case, orbital and systemic signs were synchronous. Two of three patients had disseminated disease discovered at the time of presentation. One adult patient had synchronous presentation of PTLD in the orbit and prostate. One pediatric patient had tumor dissemination to the liver at the time of presentation. The PTLD tumors were classified histologically as diffuse large cell lymphoma of monomorphic or immunoblastic type in all three cases. Treatment included local irradiation, decreased immunosuppression, and antilymphocyte monoclonal antibodies. Conclusions Orbital presentation is a rare manifestation of PTLD. However, ophthalmologists must consider this diagnosis carefully in organ transplant recipients with subtle orbital signs and symptoms at presentation. Early detection may alter prognosis. In each case presented, the diagnosis was established via lesion biopsy and subsequent histologic or flow cytometric evaluation, or both.
Self‐directed learning and prostate cancer: a thematic analysis of the experiences of twelve patients

Although self‐directed learning is a common response for many of the 232,090 US men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, very little is known about the nature of the experience for them. Four themes emerged from interviews with 12 prostate cancer patients describing their self‐education efforts in regard to their disease. A qualitative paradigm was used for this study with data collected using a semi‐structured interview protocol. Purposeful sampling technique was employed to identify information‐rich subjects who were within five years of diagnosis and who had used self‐directed learning extensively in coping with their prostate cancer. Using the constant comparative method, four common themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: Men don’t talk. The participants indicated that men are reluctant to talk about health problems, including prostate cancer. Living with the reality of my situation and my choices. These prostate cancer patients found that they had difficult choices to make i...