cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of crosslinked elastin by an endothelial cell culture

Summary Synthesis of crosslinked elastin by a major lung cell has not previously been reported. Elastin production by an established clone of rat lung endothelial cells was detected by two separate, highly sensitive methods. The first procedure involved isolation and identification of the labelled, elastin-specific crosslinking amino acids desmosine and isodesmosine by thin layer electrophoresis and radioautography. The second procedure involved detection of elastin by immunofluorescence, using anti-rat lung elastin peptide serum.
Time-lapse camera observations of gas piston activity at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i

Gas pistoning is a type of eruptive behavior described first at Kīlauea volcano and characterized by the (commonly) cyclic rise and fall of the lava surface within a volcanic vent or lava lake. Though recognized for decades, its cause continues to be debated, and determining why and when it occurs has important implications for understanding vesiculation and outgassing processes at basaltic volcanoes. Here, we describe gas piston activity that occurred at the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, in Kīlauea’s east rift zone, during June 2006. Direct, detailed measurements of lava level, made from time-lapse camera images captured at close range, show that the gas pistons during the study period lasted from 2 to 60 min, had volumes ranging from 14 to 104 m3, displayed a slowing rise rate of the lava surface, and had an average gas release duration of 49 s. Our data are inconsistent with gas pistoning models that invoke gas slug rise or a dynamic pressure balance but are compatible with models which appeal to gas accumulation and loss near the top of the lava column, possibly through the generation and collapse of a foam layer.
A convergence theory for a class of anti-jamming strategies

A convergence theory for a class of anti-jamming strategies for nonlinear programming algorithms is presented. This theory generalizes previous results in this area by Zoutendijk, Topkis and Veinott, Mangasarian, and others; it is applicable to algorithms in which the anti-jamming parameter is fixed at some positive value as well as to algorithms in which it tends to zero. In addition, under relatively weak hypotheses, convergence of the entire sequence of iterates is proved.
Voter concordance, simple majorities, and group decision methods

This paper examines the effect of the degree of agreement among voters' preferences, as measured by the Kendall-Smith coefficient of concordance, on (1) the likelihood that one decision alternative will have a simple majority over every other alternative and (2) the propensity of the Borda and Copeland selection methods to give common winners. The Borda method determines the winners by maximum point total when uniformly decreasing points are awarded to the alternatives in each voter's preference order. The Copeland method determines the winners by the maximum number of other alternatives that each alternative defeats by simple majority. The general trend for (1) is an increase in the probability of a simple majority winner with an increase in voter concordance. A similar trend is observed for (2) when agreement is measured by the percent of cases in which the Borda winners are identical to the Copeland winners. However, when agreement for (2) is measured by the percent of cases in which some Borda winner is also a Copeland winner, the best agreement is obtained when there is either extreme voter disagreement or extreme voter agreement.
Predicting humidity effect on adsorption capacity of activated carbon for water-immiscible organic vapors

Abstract This paper presents a simple numerical solution to the method of Manes (Proceedings of the Engineering Foundation Conference Bavaria, West Germany, 1984: 335) developed from the Polanyi adsorption potential theory to predict the effect of water humidity on the adsorption capacity of activated carbon for a water-immiscible organic vapor. The input parameters for the solution are the pure vapor adsorption isotherms quantified using the Qi, Hay and Rood (QHR) equation in Qi et al. (J. Environ. Eng., 124(11);1998:1130) for water, and the Dubinin–Radushkevich equation in Dubinin (Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, vol. 9, 1975, Academic Press) for the organic chemical. The solution employs a simple algorithm of decrement search and requires the least possible number of iterations in calculation. Predicted results compare favorably with the adsorption data for benzene in the relative humidity range 0–90%. This numerical approach is straightforward and better suited than the original graphical technique for use in dynamic simulation of activated carbon adsorbers.
The role of hydrogen-deuterium exchange reactions in the conversion of ethylene to ethylidyne on Pt(111)

Abstract Reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) have been used to study H/D scrambling reactions during the conversion of ethylene to ethylidyne in coadsorbed layers of C 2 H 4 and C 2 D 4 , C 2 H 4 and D 2 and C 2 D 4 and H 2 on Pt(111). The infrared spectra obtained after coadsorbing C 2 H 4 and C 2 D 4 at 330 K reveal the formation of partially deuterated ethylidyne. Extensive isotope scrambling was also observed when coadsorbing C 2 D 4 with H 2 , indicating that the exchange most likely involves surface hydrogen. Additional evidence points to the idea that the observed H/D exchange is not necessarily connected with the formation of ethylidyne, but due to other reactions occurring simultaneously on the surface. In particular, TPD experiments with C 2 H 4 coadsorbed with either D 2 or C 2 D 4 display significant desorption signals for partially substituted ethylenes; it is that exchanged ethylene the most likely source of the partially deuterated ethylidyne observed in the RAIRS experiments. Arguments are presented here in favor of a mechanism for the ethylene H/D exchange involving the formation of an ethyl intermediate. H/D exchange between ethylidyne and surface hydrogen or deuterium does occur too, but at a much slower rate than ethylidyne formation.
Localized Synaptic Potentiation by BDNF Requires Local Protein Synthesis in the Developing Axon

Abstract Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to promote neuronal survival, guide axonal pathfinding, and participate in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. In Xenopus nerve-muscle cultures, localized contact of a single BDNF-coated bead with the presynaptic axon resulted in potentiation of transmitter secretion at the developing synapses, but only when the bead was placed within 60 μm from the synapse. The localized potentiation induced by BDNF is accompanied by a persistent local elevation of [Ca 2+ ] i in the axon and requires constitutive presynaptic protein translation, even for axons severed from the cell body. Thus, presynaptic local TrkB signaling and protein synthesis allow a localized source of BDNF to potentiate transmitter secretion from nearby synapses, a property suited for spatially restricted synaptic modification by neurotrophins.
The Expression of Proinflammatory Genes in Epidermal Keratinocytes Is Regulated by Hydration Status

Mucosal wounds heal more rapidly, exhibit less inflammation, and are associated with minimal scarring when compared with equivalent cutaneous wounds. We previously demonstrated that cutaneous epithelium exhibits an exaggerated response to injury compared with mucosal epithelium. We hypothesized that treatment of injured skin with a semiocclusive dressing preserves the hydration of the skin and results in a wound healing phenotype that more closely resembles that of mucosa. Here we explored whether changes in hydration status alter epidermal gene expression patterns in rabbit partial-thickness incisional wounds. Using microarray studies on injured epidermis, we showed that global gene expression patterns in highly occluded versus non-occluded wounds are distinct. Many genes including IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase 2) are upregulated in non-occluded wounds compared with highly occluded wounds. In addition, decreased levels of hydration resulted in an increased expression of proinflammatory genes in human ex vivo skin culture (HESC) and stratified keratinocytes. Hierarchical analysis of genes using RNA interference showed that both TNF-α and IL-1β regulate the expression of IL-8 through independent pathways in response to reduced hydration. Furthermore, both gene knockdown and pharmacological inhibition studies showed that COX-2 mediates the TNF-α/IL-8 pathway by increasing the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). IL-8 in turn controls the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in keratinocytes. Our data show that hydration status directly affects the expression of inflammatory signaling in the epidermis. The identification of genes involved in the epithelial hydration pathway provides an opportunity to develop strategies to reduce scarring and optimize wound healing.
Effect of feed deprivation on hepatic membrane and lipoprotein fluidity and binding of lipoproteins to hepatic membranes in the chick (Gallus domesticus).

Abstract 1. 1. Male chicks were deprived of feed for 48 hr to study the effect of metabolics stress on hepatic membrane and lipoprotein fluidity and binding of radioiodinated lipoproteins to hepatic membranes. 2. 2. Plasma levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were markedly and slightly elevated, respectively. 3. 3. There was a reduction in lopoprotein and hepatic membrane fluidity. 4. 4. Binding of [125I]LDL, but not [125I]HDL, to hepatic membranes was decreased. 5. 5. It is suggested that a reduction in the fluidity of LDL and/or hepatic membranes impedes LDL catabolism in vivo
Symbolic dynamics for the modular surface and beyond

In this expository article we describe the two main methods of representing geodesics on surfaces of constant negative curvature by symbolic sequences and their development. A geometric method stems from a 1898 work of J. Hadamard and was developed by M. Morse in the 1920s. It consists of recording the successive sides of a given fundamental region cut by the geodesic and may be applied to all finitely generated Fuchsian groups. Another method, of arithmetic nature, uses continued fraction expansions of the end points of the geodesic at infinity and is even older—it comes from the Gauss reduction theory. Introduced to dynamics by E. Artin in a 1924 paper, this method was used to exhibit dense geodesics on the modular surface. For 80 years these classical works have provided inspiration for mathematicians and a testing ground for new methods in dynamics, geometry and combinatorial group theory. We present some of the ideas, results (old and recent), and interpretations that illustrate the multiple facets of the subject.
Effect of maximal medical therapy on refractoriness of unstable angina pectoris.

Abstract A group of 125 patients with unstable angina were studied over a 5-year period to define the incidence of refractory unstable angina in the current era of 5-drug medical therapy with intravenous heparin, aspirin, nitrates, calcium antagonists andβ blockers. All patients had >20 minutes of chest pain at rest with reversible electrocardiographic changes occurring in the absence of myocardial infarction. Patients were considered refractory only if chest pain continued despite treatment with maximal 5-drug therapy. At the time of transfer to the center, 65 patients continued to have ischemic chest pain at rest and were considered “medically refractory” by their referring physicians. A more aggressive medical regimen was used, and 54 patients (83%) were rendered chest pain-free. Of the 11 truly refractory patients (8.8%), coronary arteriography revealed an increased likelihood of left main or 3-vessel disease (7 of 11 vs 26 of 114; p = 0.01). Inhospital treatment strategies for the 114 patients stabilized with medical therapy included continued medical therapy (n = 37), coronary angioplasty (n = 46) and bypass grafting (n = 31). The rate of myocardial infarction or death in patients managed medically was 3%. Coronary angioplasty in medically stabilized patients was complicated by an abrupt closure rate of 26%, and a 17% rate of myocardial infarction, death or need for emergency bypass grafting. Medically stabilized patients undergoing bypass grafting had a 9% rate of myocardial infarction or death. Unstable angina truly refractory to current, maximal medical therapy is infrequent (8.8%). However, the refractory group is vulnerable to adverse angioplasty results and cardiac events.
Rats retain chromium in tissues following chronic ingestion of drinking water containing hexavalent chromium.

Humans have sometimes been exposed to as much as 10 ppm Cr(VI) in drinking water from contaminated wells. The risks to these individuals are not well understood because the digestive tract reduces some of the Cr(VI) to the less bioavailable Cr(III) prior to absorption, and the disposition of the remaining Cr(VI) has not been well studied. We determined tissue Cr concentrations in rats after chronic ingestion of Cr(VI) in drinking water at concentrations relevant to human exposure levels. Adult male and female Fischer 344 rats consumed ad libitum 0, 0.5, 3, or 10 ppm Cr(VI) as K2CrO4 in drinking water for 44 wk. Rats then were given deionized water 4–6 d prior to sample collection. Females given 3 or 10 ppm Cr(VI) consumed more Cr(VI) per unit of body weight than did males. Bone Cr concentrations were significantly elevated in rats that drink 10 ppm Cr(VI). Renal Cr concentrations were significantly elevated in male rats that drink 3 or 10 ppm Cr(VI) and in female rats dosed with 10 ppm Cr(VI). Female rats had elevated liver Cr concentrations after drinking 3 or 10 ppm Cr(VI). Testicular Cr concentrations were slightly elevated in rats that drank 10 ppm Cr(VI). Brain, ovarian, and whole-blood Cr concentrations were below detection limits in all exposure groups. Although tissue Cr accumulation may have resulted from absorption of Cr(III), it is poorly absorbed. Therefore, the increased tissue retention may also have resulted, in part, from increased absorption of Cr(VI) and its subsequent uptake from the systemic circulation.
Aerosol particle transport and deaggregation phenomena in the mouth and throat.

Abstract The results of recent numerical simulations of aerosol particle transport and deaggregation phenomena in the mouth and throat are summarized. These results are used to comment upon the roles played by important factors influencing extrathoracic particle deposition and deaggregation phenomena. The results also provide a basis for comparing the performance of in vitro systems presently used for testing dry powder inhaler devices. Total deposition of aerosol particles in a `physiologically faithful' three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the human mouth and throat closely mimics in vivo deposition data. On the other hand, aerosol particle deposition in a 3D 90°-bend geometry does not accurately simulate aerosol filtration in the human mouth and throat. The numerically predicted regional deposition of aerosol particles closely matches that measured experimentally, in vitro, using the oropharyngeal cast from which the numerical reconstruction was made. A relatively weak dependence of particle deposition on flow-rate is observed with both 90°-bend and `real' oropharyngeal geometries, inconsistent with extrathoracic deposition in vivo. Two dimensional numerical simulations do not, in general, accurately simulate the conditions in the associated three-dimensional system. Quantitative differences between flow in the 90°-bend and `real' oropharyngeal geometries are especially significant in regards to the ability of the airstream to break apart particle agglomerates. For both geometries, it is observed that increasingly small particle agglomerates may be separated as the airflow rate increases from 30 to 200 l min −1 . At flow-rates exceeding 60 l min −1 , aggregated particles less than approximately 10-μm diameter may be separated by the airflow.
HYDRODYNAMICAL MODEL OF THE NUCLEUS WITH SURFACE EFFECTS.

An attempt is made to improve the predictions of the $A$ dependence of giant dipole energies of the two-fluid hydrodynamical models by the introduction of a more realistic surface behavior of the ground-state densities. The Euler-Lagrange equations of motion for the dipole oscillation are obtained by the expansion of the energy functional $\ensuremath{\epsilon}[\ensuremath{\rho}, {(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\nabla}}\ensuremath{\rho})}^{2}, \ensuremath{\alpha}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})]$, where minimization yields acceptable neutron and proton densities, in quadratic powers of the densities and their derivatives. The equations are solved under certain limiting conditions, but within these limitations a much better $A$ dependence is obtained.
Growth of relay intercropped soybean.

Relay intercropping of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] allows for earlier soybean planting than in conventional doublecropping systems, but shading and other influences of the wheat crop may be detrimental to intercropped soybean development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of relay intercropping on soybean growth and yield. Intercropped soybean, planted 19 (1989) or 14 (1990) days before wheat harvest, was compared with a control treatment (same no-till planting pattern and date, but no wheat) on a Cecil sandy loam (clayey, kaolinic, thermic Typic Hapludults) soil []
Estimating the Effects of Interface Disorder on the Thermal Boundary Resistance Using a Virtual Crystal Approximation

An analytical method is presented to estimate the effects of structural disorder on the thermal boundary resistance (TBR) between 2 materials. The current method is an extension of the diffuse mismatch model (DMM) where the interface is modeled as a virtual crystal of finite thickness with properties derived from those of the constituent materials. Using this virtual crystal extension, the predictive capabilities of the diffuse mismatch method are greatly increased with added insight into the sensitivity of materials to interface quality.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Positive automaintenance does not produce sustained pecking to a tone

Pigeons were exposed to a compound of 5 sec of 2,000-Hz tone immediately followed by 5-sec access to food on a variable-time (VT) 1-min schedule. Little or no pecking at the speaker from which the tone came was observed in 15 birds. Six other birds were exposed to a compound of 5 sec of keylight immediately followed by 5 sec of food on a VT 1-min schedule. The keylight and food pairings generated large amounts of sustained keypecking by all six birds. These results favor a species-specific preparedness interpretation rather than a Pavlovian conditioning explanation of automaintenance.
Stable DNA heteroduplex formation catalyzed by the Escherichia coli RecA protein in the absence of ATP hydrolysis

Abstract A question remaining to be answered about RecA protein function concerns the role of ATP hydrolysis during the DNA-strand-exchange reaction. In this paper we describe the formation of joint molecules in the absence of ATP hydrolysis, using adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (ATP[gamma S]) as nucleotide cofactor. Upon the addition of double-stranded DNA, the ATP[gamma S]-RecA protein-single-stranded DNA presynaptic complexes can form homologously paired molecules that are stable after deproteinization. Formation of these joint molecules requires both homology and a free homologous end, suggesting that they are plectonemic in nature. This reaction is very sensitive to magnesium ion concentration, with a maximum rate and extent observed at 4-5 mM magnesium acetate. Under these conditions, the average length of heteroduplex DNA within the joint molecules is 2.4-3.4 kilobase pairs. Thus, RecA protein can form extensive regions of heteroduplex DNA in the presence of ATP[gamma S], suggesting that homologous pairing and the exchange of the DNA molecules can occur without ATP hydrolysis. A model for the RecA protein-catalyzed DNA-strand-exchange reaction that incorporates these results and its relevance to the mechanisms of eukaryotic recombinases are presented.
MICROSTRUCTURAL AND BULK CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO POLY(SILOXANE-IMIDE) MULTIBLOCK COPOLYMERS

Much of the unique thermomechanical behavior of microphase-separated block copolymers is well established for the diblock and triblock architectures, and most of the data base involves polymers with polystyrene and polydiene blocks. However, there have been few reports about phase-separated multiblocks composed of polysiloxane blocks and polyimide blocks. Here, using various facets of electron microscopy, we have characterized the domain sizes and elemental composition of these copolymers. In situ responses to both thermal annealing and tensile strain have been examined as well. To suggest possible structure-property relationships, differential scanning calorimetry and rheological tests have also been conducted. Measurements are reported for glass-transition and decomposition temperatures, linear viscoelastic properties (storage and loss moduli), and nonlinear stress-strain tensile properties.
Induction and peak gene expression of insulin-like growth factor II follow that of myogenin during differentiation of BC3H-1 muscle cells

Summary Acting through hormonal and/or autocrine/paracrine mechanisms, the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) stimulate the differentiation of muscle cells. Previous studies have suggested that one mechanism by which IGFs stimulate muscle cell differentiation is by increasing the expression of myogenin, a DNA binding protein that regulates the expression of muscle-specific genes. While exogenous IGF peptides increase myogenin mRNA, the role of endogenously produced IGF peptides in myogenin expression has not been established. In addition, the potential role of IGFs in regulating the expression of Id, a protein in myoblasts that can inhibit the action of myogenin-like peptides, is also unknown. In the present study, we have examined the kinetics of accumulation of myogenin and IGF-II mRNAs during differentiation of BC3H-1 mouse muscle cells and have explored the potential role of IGFs in regulating Id expression. During differentiation induced by serum withdrawal, induction of myogenin expression preceded that of IGF-II, the principal IGF peptide expressed by these cells. In addition, Id expression decreased within two hours in serum-free medium and was not affected by IGF treatment. Thus, these studies suggest that endogenously-produced IGF-II may stimulate muscle cell differentiation after both the decrease in Id and the induction of myogenin gene expression have occurred.
Genomic Analysis Reveals a Potential Role for Cell Cycle Perturbation in HCV-Mediated Apoptosis of Cultured Hepatocytes

The mechanisms of liver injury associated with chronic HCV infection, as well as the individual roles of both viral and host factors, are not clearly defined. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that direct cytopathic effects, in addition to immune-mediated processes, play an important role in liver injury. Gene expression profiling during multiple time-points of acute HCV infection of cultured Huh-7.5 cells was performed to gain insight into the cellular mechanism of HCV-associated cytopathic effect. Maximal induction of cell-death–related genes and appearance of activated caspase-3 in HCV-infected cells coincided with peak viral replication, suggesting a link between viral load and apoptosis. Gene ontology analysis revealed that many of the cell-death genes function to induce apoptosis in response to cell cycle arrest. Labeling of dividing cells in culture followed by flow cytometry also demonstrated the presence of significantly fewer cells in S-phase in HCV-infected relative to mock cultures, suggesting HCV infection is associated with delayed cell cycle progression. Regulation of numerous genes involved in anti-oxidative stress response and TGF-β1 signaling suggest these as possible causes of delayed cell cycle progression. Significantly, a subset of cell-death genes regulated during in vitro HCV infection was similarly regulated specifically in liver tissue from a cohort of HCV-infected liver transplant patients with rapidly progressive fibrosis. Collectively, these data suggest that HCV mediates direct cytopathic effects through deregulation of the cell cycle and that this process may contribute to liver disease progression. This in vitro system could be utilized to further define the cellular mechanism of this perturbation.
Mammalian Liver β-Glucuronidase for Hydrolysis of Steroidal Conjugates

Although the rate of hydrolysis by mammalian β-glucuronidase appears to be inhibited by methylene chloride or carbon tetrachloride with the standard technique (phenolphthalein glucuronide as a substrate), the release of steroidal conjugates under conditions generally employed does not appear to be affected.
Reaction of Li with CO on Ru(001) and Ag/Ru(001) substrates

Abstract Lithium is found to behave quite differently from other alkali metals in its coadsorption with CO on transition metal substrates, and also in its multilayer interaction with CO. Coadsorbed CO and Li on Ru(001) interact or react to give several chemically different species, which depend on surface stoichiometry and surface temperature. At low Li coverage ( n (CO) 2 n is formed and produces an extremely narrow CO desorption peak at 730 K corresponding to the reaction Li n ( CO ) 2 n ( ad ) → Li n ( CO ) n ( ad ) + nCO ( g ). CO adsorbs readily on multilayer Li surfaces at 80 K and forms a compound which is tentatively assigned the stoichiometry Li 2 n (CO) n . Annealing to 500 K desorbs the Li multilayer and transforms this compound to Li n (CO) n . The Li n (CO) n compound decomposes on the surface with further heating to give a Li + CO codesorption TPD peak at 850 K, which is much higher than other alkali + CO codesorption peaks on Ru(001). The LiCO chemical interaction depends strongly on the substrate chemical activity. Li-CO compounds form at lower Li coverage on Ag than on Ru, due to the weaker interaction of Ag with the adsorbates. In addition, a more strongly bound compound with TPD codesorption peak at 1020 K and stoichiometry Li m (CO) n , where n > m , is observed on Ag but not on Ru.
Evaluation of contact precautions discharges in an acute care setting

The health care environment is increasingly discussed as a source of health care-associated infections. We evaluated patterns of discharges among patients on contact precautions (CP) and assessed correlation of CP discharges with health care acquisition of organisms requiring CP and evaluated the feasibility of targeting CP discharges for additional monitoring.
Influence of C60 Nanoparticles on the Stability and Morphology of Miscible Polymer Blend Films

We investigate the influence of fullerene (C60) nanoparticle (NP) additives on a thermodynamically miscible polymer blend thin film of polystyrene (PS) and polybutadiene (PB). In this system both h...
THE FROG TEST (XEHOPUS LAEVIS), AS A RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR EARLY PREGNANCY1

IN 1930, HOGBEN (1) published his report on the use of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis Daud, showing that extracts of the anterior lobe of the pituitary caused spontaneous ovulation in the mature female Xenopus. Following this original observation Shapiro and Zwarenstein (2) and Bellerby (3) working independently, simultaneously suggested the use of the Xenopus as an excellent animal for testing for pregnancy. Since the first reports of these early investigators many other substantiating results have been added to the literature (4,5,6). These observers used extracts of urine of pregnancy, injected the animals with concentrates of the anterior pituitarylike hormone (APL) derived from the urines and within 6 to 18 hours could establish the diagnosis of pregnancy. From a series of approximately 600 tests, an accuracy in diagnosis when checked with the Aschheim-Zondek test of 99% was obtained. Crew has become so enthusiastic with his results that in his pregnancy diagnosis laboratories in Edinb...
Persuasive argumentation in negotiation

This paper presents Persuasive Argumentation as a means of guiding the negotiation process to a settlement. Decision theoretic approaches construct prescriptive models of the negotiation process that make various assumptions about the behavior of the negotiation participants but do not model changes in behavior. On the other hand, models for decision support leave the actual decisions to human negotiators, again not modeling or automating the negotiating process. In contrast to both approaches, our work deals with automating the negotiation process. This paper focuses on modeling the process by which the beliefs and behavior of negotiators are changed via persuasive argumentation. We claim that persuasive argumentation lies at the heart of negotiation and embodies the dynamics of negotiation. We present a model of persuasive argumentation that integrates Artificial Intelligence and decision theoretic methods. The model has been implemented as part of the PERSUADER, a multi-agent computer program that operates in the domain of labor negotiations.
Interpolation of the Renewal Function

Some useful conditions are explored for determining a renewal process from knowledge of the renewal function Ht at values Hh, H2h, ' for some h > 0. Furthermore, these conditions are used for expressing Ht as an infinite interpolation series involving Hh, H2h, '. The results are useful for estimation problems in replacement and reliability involving attribute observations of renewal processes.
Direct Observation of Stress-Induced Shifts in Contact Potentials

The effect of stress on contact potential has been measured semiquantitatively in Al, Cu, Au, steel, and brass using a high-sensitivity version of the Kelvin method. The observed shifts are in all samples positive (i.e., the electric field outside the sample is more positive when pressure is applied) and the magnitude is a few microvolts per kg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ applied stress. Both sign and magnitude agree with the theories of Dessler, Michel, Rorschach, and Trammell, and of Herring, provided one assumes that gravitationally produced stress is equivalent to hydraulically produced stress.
Mutagenic activities of selected nitrofluoranthene derivatives in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6

The mutagenic activities of novel nitrofluoranthene derivatives in Salmonella strains TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6 (with and without S9 addition) are given. These derivatives were produced from the reactions of fluoranthene (FL) and its directly mutagenic 2- and 3-nitro derivatives with covalent dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) in CCl4 solution at ambient temperature. The influence of the addition of a nitro group on the observed activity of the resulting di- and tri-nitrofluoranthenes is discussed.
The Limits of Social Framework Evidence

An important debate is brewing over the proper scope of expert witness testimony that purports to summarize general social science evidence to provide context for the factfinder to decide case-specific questions. In a recent article, we argued that experts who provide this 'social framework' testimony should be restricted from making any linkages between general social science research findings and specific case questions unless such linkages are supported by scientifically reliable methods and principles. A response to our article by Professors Hart and Secunda argued that experts should be given much more latitude to match the facts of a particular case to findings from social science research. In the present paper, we show that Hart and Secunda mischaracterized our arguments for restricting the scope of social framework evidence, ignored the actual practices of experts who are providing the expert opinions that we question, and misconstrued the motivations behind and likely implications of our arguments. We encourage courts to reject the approach that Hart and Secunda advocate, which would permit both plaintiff and defense experts to link general research to specific cases through nothing other than the expert’s subjective judgments and intuition.
Reconstructing Chromosomal Evolution

Chromosomes evolve through genome rearrangement events, including inversions, transpositions, and inverted transpositions, that change the order and strandedness of genes within chromosomes. In this paper we present a method for estimating evolutionary histories for chromosomes based upon such events. The fundamental mathematical challenge of our approach is to estimate the true evolutionary distance between every pair of chromosomes, where the true evolutionary distance is the number of rearrangement events that took place in the evolutionary history between the chromosomes. We present two techniques, Exact- and Approx-IEBP, for estimating true evolutionary distances and prove guarantees about the accuracy of these techniques under a very general stochastic model of chromosomal evolution. We then show how we can use these estimated distances to obtain highly accurate estimates of chromosomal evolutionary history, significantly improving upon the previous best techniques.
Muscle fiber and satellite cell apoptosis in the aging human thyroarytenoid muscle: a stereological study with confocal laser scanning microscopy.

OBJECTIVE: This study determines the role of changes in numerical densities of apoptotic myonuclei and satellite cells in age-related remodeling of the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA).DESIGN: Changes in numerical densities of apoptotic myonuclei and satellite cells were estimated for the entire TA by using stereological techniques.RESULTS: There was an increase in NV apoptotic myonucleus, fiber type (P < 0.05) and in the percentage of apoptotic myonuclei (P < 0.05) in type 1 but not in type 2 muscle fibers. There was also an increase in NV apoptotic satellite cell, fiber type (P < 0.05) and in the percentage of apoptotic satellite cells (P < 0.05) in type 1 fibers but not in type 2 fibers.CONCLUSION: Apoptosis may contribute to age-related fiber loss and atrophy in the TA.SIGNIFICANCE: Therapeutic techniques based on decreasing the frequency of apoptosis may block age-related fiber loss and atrophy in the TA.
Does majoring in criminal justice affect perceptions of criminal justice

Research continues to show that the public holds misperceptions about crime and criminal justice. The media influences the public in many of these misperceptions, often shaping beliefs and ideologies. Higher education gives criminal justice majors the opportunity to gain much more accurate knowledge than the general public. Nonetheless, it is the public that heavily influences the development of the criminal justice system. It is important, therefore, to examine the influence of criminal justice education. Criminal justice majors and non-majors in a Midwestern university were surveyed with regard to demographics and perceptions of crime and criminal justice. Results indicate that criminal justice majors have significantly different perceptions about criminal justice issues than non-majors. Implications for educating the public are discussed.
ELISA assays and alcohol: increasing carbon chain length can interfere with detection of cytokines

Abstract Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are frequently used in studies on cytokine production in response to treatment of cell cultures or laboratory animals. When an ELISA assay is performed on cell culture supernatants, samples often contain the treatment agents. The purpose of the present study was to determine if some of the agents evaluated might inhibit cytokine detection by interfering with the ELISA, leaving the question of whether cytokine production was inhibited unanswered. Mouse and human cytokine ELISA kits from BD Biosciences were used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cytokine proteins were subjected to one to five carbon alcohols at 86.8 mM (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol). After treating cell cultures with alcohols of different carbon chain lengths, we found that some of the alcohols interfered with measurement of some cytokines by ELISA, thus making their effects on cytokine production by cells in culture unclear. Increasing carbon chain length of straight chain alcohols positively correlated with their ability to inhibit detection of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 10 (IL-10), but not with the detection of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8, (IL-8), and interleukin 12 (IL-12). To avoid misinterpretation of treatment effects, ELISA assays should be tested with the reference protein and the treatment agent first, before testing biological samples. These results along with other recent results we obtained using circular dichroism indicate that alcohols with two or more carbons can directly alter protein conformation enough to disrupt binding in an ELISA (shown in the present study) or to inhibit ligand-induced conformational changes (results not shown). Such direct effects have not been given enough consideration as a mechanism of ethanol action in the immune system.
Spectrum-Based Network Visualization for Topology Analysis

Network visualization techniques have been widely used to explore social networks, which are crucial to many application domains. A proposed visual-analytics approach provides functions that were previously hard to obtain. Based on recent achievements in spectrum-based analysis, it uses the features of node distribution and coordinates in the high-dimensional spectral space. Specifically, three-stage node projection and dispersion on a k-dimensional sphere in the spectral space determines the network layout. To assist interactive exploration of network topologies, network visualization and interactive analysis let users filter nodes and edges in a way that's meaningful to the global topology structure.
Intestinal perforation due to minor blunt abdominal trauma–a harbinger of underlying disease pathology

Abstract When a patient suffers a blunt intestinal injury after a low-energy mechanism, be prepared to find a pathologic area in the bowel. We present the case of a previously healthy 13-year-old female who presented complaining of abdominal pain hours after impact with the safety bar of an amusement park ride. Upon operative exploration, she was found to have extensive inflammation of the distal ileum including the ileocecal valve with creeping mesenteric fat and a full-thickness perforation of the inflamed segment. An ileocecectomy and primary anastomosis were performed. Pathology confirmed the presence of Crohn's disease. This case is the first reported incidence of a traumatic perforation leading to a diagnosis of pediatric Crohn's disease. Blunt perforation of the bowel following a low-impact mechanism should heighten the suspicion of an underlying disease process.
Genetic responses to dietary phosphorus deprivation: lessons learned from the rainbow trout.

phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient necessary for several key physiological processes in vertebrates, and P is also a structural component of several biological molecules. Thus an intimate knowledge of the regulation of body P homeostasis is important. Nutritional P deficiency occurs primarily in
Why Do Anxiety Sensitive Smokers Perceive Quitting as Difficult? The Role of Expecting “Interoceptive Threat” During Acute Abstinence

There is a growing literature that documents the direct and indirect effects of anxiety sensitivity in terms of the maintenance of cigarette smoking and cessation problems, as maintained, at least in part, by affective-regulatory expectancies effects and motives for smoking. Yet, the role of expectancies about the interoceptive-specific consequences of smoking abstinence has yet to be empirically examined. Participants (N = 110) were daily tobacco smokers recruited as part of a self-guided tobacco cessation study. Baseline (pre-treatment) data were utilized. A structural equation model was constructed to examine the relations between anxiety sensitivity in terms of interoceptively-relevant smoking abstinence expectancies (somatic symptoms and harmful consequences) in regard to perceived barriers to smoking cessation, number of problematic symptoms experienced during past quit attempts, and the number of prior quit attempts. Anxiety sensitivity was significantly related to interoceptive threat abstinence expectancies (β = .56, p < .001). Expectancies were directly related to perceived barriers to smoking cessation (β = .39, p < .001) and number of problematic symptoms experienced during past quit attempts (β = .41, p < .001), but not the number of prior quit attempts. Mediational results indicated indirect (but not direct) effects of anxiety sensitivity on perceived barriers to smoking cessation and problems during prior quit attempts; effects that occurred through interoceptive threat smoking abstinence expectancies. The present findings suggest that one’s expectancies about the negative interoceptive consequences of smoking abstinence may be an explanatory mechanism between anxiety sensitivity and certain quit-relevant smoking processes.
Improving data cache performance with integrated use of split caches, victim cache and stream buffers

In our prior work we explored a cache organization providing architectural support for distinguishing between memory references that exhibit spatial and temporal locality and mapping them to separate caches.That work showed that using separate (data) caches for indexed or stream data and scalar data items could lead to substantial improvements in terms of cache misses. In addition, such a separation allowed for the design of caches that could be tailored to meet the properties exhibited by different data items.In this paper, we investigate the interaction between three established methods: split cache, victim cache and stream buffer. Since significant amounts of compulsory and conflict misses are avoided, the size of each cache (i.e., array and scalar), as well as the combined cache capacity can be reduced. Our results show that on average 55% reduction in miss rates over the base configuration.
A new approach to evaluating the intelligibility and naturalness of shadowed speech

Verbal shadowing refers to a task whereby a person, while listening to a continuous message, repeats the message aloud word for word. Some research suggested that shadowed speech is distorted and unnatural, while others have reported shadowed speech as clearly intelligible and containing prosodic contour. This research used a different approach to investigate the naturalness and intelligibility of shadowed speech. Another goal of this research was to determine whether shadowed speech is sufficiently similar to read speech, regarding intelligibility and naturalness, such that it might be acceptable for training speech recognition systems. This paper focuses on the subjective evaluation of shadowed and read speech to quantifiably measure the perceived differences. The results indicated that humans can detect statistically significant differences between read and shadowed speech; however, the magnitude of the differences may not be sufficient to deter its use for training speech recognition systems. Language: en
Stress transmitted through mouth protectors

Brittle lacquer coatings on maxillary models were used to evaluate the effectiveness of mouth protectors in protecting the teeth from strain as a result of impact blows. Among the mouth protectors found to be most effective are the mouth-formed ones.
Effect of endothelium mimicking self-assembled nanomatrices on cell adhesion and spreading of human endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells

Abstract The goal of this study is to develop unique native endothelium mimicking nanomatrices and evaluate their effects on adhesion and spreading of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs). These nanomatrices were developed by self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles (PAs) through a solvent evaporation technique. Three PAs, one containing the Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg (YIGSR) ligand, the second containing the Val-Ala-Pro-Gly (VAPG) ligand, and a third without cell adhesive ligands, were developed. Cell adhesion and spreading were evaluated by a PicoGreen-DNA assay and live/dead assay, respectively. Our results show that PA-YIGSR significantly enhances HUVEC adhesion (26,704 ± 2708), spreading (84 ± 8%), and proliferation (50 ± 2%) compared with that of other PAs. PA-VAPG and PA-YIGSR showed significantly greater AoSMC adhesion compared with that of PA-S. PA-VAPG also showed significantly greater spreading of AoSMCs (63 ± 11%) compared with that of other PAs. Also, all the PAs showed significantly reduced platelet adhesion compared with that of collagen I (control). These findings would facilitate the development of novel vascular grafts, heart valves, and cell-based therapies for cardiovascular diseases. From the Clinical Editor The goal of this study was to develop unique native endothelium mimicking nanomatrices and evaluate their effects on adhesion and spreading of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs). These nanomatrices were developed by self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles through a solvent evaporation technique. The findings are expected to facilitate the development of novel vascular grafts, heart valves, and cell based therapies for cardiovascular diseases.
Noblesse oblige? Social status and economic inequality maintenance among politicians.

Economic inequality is at historically high levels in the United States and is among the most pressing issues facing society. And yet, predicting the behavior of politicians with respect to their support of economic inequality remains a significant challenge. Given that high status individuals tend to conceive of the current structure of society as fair and just, we expected that high status members of the U.S. House of Representatives would be more likely to support economic inequality in their legislative behavior than would their low status counterparts. Results supported this prediction particularly among Democratic members of Congress: Whereas Republicans tended to support legislation increasing economic inequality regardless of their social status, the social status of Democrats – measured in terms of average wealth, race, or gender – was a significant predictor of support for economic inequality. Policy implications of the observed relationship between social status and support for economic inequality are considered.
Distribution of coccolithophores in marginal seas along the western Pacific Ocean and in the Red Sea

The distribution of coccolithophores was studied in the neritic environment along the western margin of the Pacific Ocean: the Inland Sea of Seto, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Java Sea, Timor Sea, Arafura Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria. The coccolithophore community in the Red Sea was also studied for comparison with the Pacific marginal seas. With minor exceptions, the coccolithophore communities were very similar throughout the neritic areas investigated, but differed completely from the pelagic community in three aspects. Firstly, almost all neritic coccolithophores, regardless of species, suffered various degrees and forms of malformation with relation to the morphology of their coccoliths, while such malformation was rare in the pelagic population. Nitrogen deficiency may cause such malformation. Secondly, the diversity of species in these marginal seas was much lower than in the pelagic environment, although no species was found to be exclusively neritic. Emiliania huxleyi, usually ubiquitous in oceanic areas and in various neritic environments of higher latitudes, was scarce, while Gephyrocapsa oceanica dominated the flora throughout the studied areas. Finally, the horizontal and vertical distributions of the neritic populations were sporadic compared to those of the rather uniform pelagic environments.