cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing bone marrow-derived mast cell interaction with electrospun bioresorbable vascular grafts (INM2P.436)

Upon implantation, the regenerative potential of a vascular graft will be dependent on the body’s innate immune response. Thus, it is imperative to evaluate and regulate how innate immune cells interact with a vascular graft’s structural architecture. Different pore-sizes and fiber diameters of electrospun grafts should modulate mast cell activation and secretion, thus dictating their innate ability for inflammation or angiogenesis and regeneration. Grafts were electrospun with two different polymer concentrations on a solid mandrel, an air-impedance mandrel (increasing scaffold porosity), and altered by compression (decreasing scaffold porosity). Murine bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) were seeded on scaffolds, and supernatants and cell lysates were collected after LPS and IL-33-mediated activation. ELISA analysis demonstrated that BMMC released TNFα and IL-6 at significantly greater concentrations on grafts with decreased fiber diameter and porosity. This was matched by greater NFκB activation, as measured by western blotting. In contrast, significantly greater VEGF secretion was observed on grafts with the largest fiber diameter and porosity. These results indicate that graft architecture regulates mast cell interactions and subsequent potential for healing, with increased fiber diameter and porosity promoting an anti-inflammatory and angiogenic response.
The Pathway of myo-Inositol Degradation in Aerobacter aerogenes CONVERSION OF 2-DEOXY-5-KETO-d-GLUCONIC ACID TO GLYCOLYTIC INTERMEDIATES

Abstract The pathway of myo-inositol catabolism in Aerobacter aerogenes has been studied, beginning with the first noncyclic intermediate, 2-deoxy-5-keto-d-gluconic acid. A kinase acts on 2-deoxy-5-keto-d-gluconic acid to yield a monophosphorylated product. The isolation of the kinase product was rendered difficult by the presence, in both crude and 20-fold purified extracts, of the next enzyme in the pathway, an aldolase which catalyzes the cleavage of the kinase product to yield dihydroxyacetone phosphate and malonic semialdehyde. However, accumulation of the kinase product was accomplished by specific inactivation of the aldolase by reduction with sodium borohydride in the presence of dihydroxyacetone phosphate. The kinase product was identified as 2-deoxy-5-keto-d-gluconic acid 6-phosphate. Malonic semialdehyde is further metabolized by the last enzyme in the pathway, malonic semialdehyde oxidative decarboxylase. This enzyme was also partially purified. It catalyzes the conversion of malonic semialdehyde, coenzyme A, and NAD+ to acetyl-CoA, CO2, and NADH + H+. All three of the enzymes that have been identified in this study are induced by growth on myo-inositol, and are constitutive in a mutant which is constitutive for the first three enzymes of the inositol pathway. The operation of the pathway thus results in the conversion of myo-inositol to an equimolar mixture of three known metabolites: dihydroxyacetone phosphate, acetyl-CoA, and CO2.
Calcium Phosphate Materials in Restorative Dentistry: a Review:

This report deals with some of the calcium phosphate materials which are currently used in preventive and restorative dentistry and other calcium phosphate materials which have potential for dental and medical applications. Such materials include those which form calcium phosphate in situ (e.g., Bioglass ceramics and calcium phosphate cements) and those originating from natural materials (such as corals and bones).The reports on the development and current status of the calcium phosphate ceramics and glass ceramics presented here were based on recent reviews and recent evaluations of clinical studies for the period 1975 to 1986 (Table 3) with humans and with animals when reports on human studies were not yet available. Methods of preparation and relevant physico-chemical properties of some of the calcium phosphate materials were based on data reported in the literature and on other studies by the author. New calcium phosphate materials, e.g., calcium phosphate cements, calcium phosphate-coated implants, c...
Host- and Phage-Mediated Repair of Radiation Damage in Bacteriophage T4

Abstract T4+ exhibits increased ultraviolet sensitivity on derivatives of Escherichia coli K12 or B lacking deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase I. However, the sensitivity of T4v is not affected by the absence of host DNA polymerase. T4x and T4y also show increased sensitivity on DNA polymerase-deficient strains, but to a lesser extent than observed with wild-type T4. When T4x or T4y, but not T4+, are plated on a double mutant lacking both DNA polymerase and the uvrA gene product, a partial suppression of the polymerase effect is observed. Host ligase appears to be able to suppress to some extent the T4y phenotype but has no effect on wild-type T4 or other T4 mutants. T4xv incubated in E. coli B or B(s-1) in the presence of chloramphenicol (50 mug/ml) shows increased resistance over directly plated irradiated phage. Increased survival under the same conditions was not observed with T4+ or other T4 mutants. The repair of X-ray-damaged T4 was investigated by examining survival curves of T4+, T4x, T4y, T4ts43, and T4ts30. The repair processes were further defined by observing the effects of plating irradiated phage on various hosts including strains lacking DNA polymerase I or polynucleotide ligase. Two classes of effects were observed. Firstly, the x and y gene products seem to be involved in a repair system utilizing host ligase. Secondly, in the absence of host DNA polymerase, phage sensitivity is increased in an unknown manner which is enhanced by the presence of host uvrA gene product.
A Model for Contextual Cooperative Query Answering in E-Commerce Applications

In computer based internet services, queries are usually submitted in a context. Either the contexts are created, or are assumed - e.g., a purchase order, or an airline reservation. Unfortunately, there is little theoretical foundation for contexts, and systems usually do not use them formally. In this paper, we propose a model for context representation in the direction of aspect oriented programming and object-oriented systems, and show that contexts can be used to process queries better. We outline a brief model that we are pursuing based on the idea of constraint inheritance with exceptions in a query tree.
Critical Autoethnography: The Effects of the 'Global Media Debate' in the 21st Century on Transcultural Individuals of African Descent and its Potential Impact on the 'Brain Drain' of Africa

Globalization accounts for the migration of individuals, resulting in the emergence of transcultural individuals, or “Third Culture Kids (TCKs)” who reside in host countries as the Diaspora, ultimately, contribute towards the “brain drain” of many developing nations, particularly in Africa. These TCKs of African descent who may live abroad rely on Western mass media and news coverage of their African countries to connect to, and make informed decisions about their home countries. However, negative portrayals of Africa that continue to infiltrate the media may influence the education and decision-making process from the news. A critical autoethnography approach situated my personal experiences with the effects of unbalanced, distorted news coverage in a broader context that targets other groups that have been historically marginalized in mass media. This work highlighted the relevance of what has been named “the global media debate” (MacBride & Roach, 1993) in today’s information age and drew its connections to effects of journalism on audiences, as well as to its potential impact on the “brain drain” of a developing country, particularly in Africa. This critical scholarship seeks a collective advocacy to privilege the voices of indigenous Africans that remain silenced at the expense of media imperialism.
The Prevalence of Delinquency

One of the most basic questions surrounding the topic of juvenile delinquency concerns the proportion of youths at risk that have had official contact with the police or other official criminal justice agencies. At a minimum, delinquency research must measure the prevalence of the phenomenon by classifying the at-risk population at least in terms of the delinquent versus nondelinquent dichotomy. The accumulation of prevalence data thus provides information on the relative size of the delinquent population across demographic groups and regions and over time. These basic data are necessary for theory development and testing and are indispensable for informed social policy.
Workplace and leadership perceptions between men and women

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudinal differences between men and women with respect to work issues and leadership and the implications that these outlooks have in the US (USA) workforce. While studies have been conducted to show how men and women differ in the work and leadership styles, attitudes can affect how workers and leaders are treated and may explain why people behave the way that they do. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from the 2010-2012 World Values Survey (WVS-6), comparisons were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test to determine if there were significant differences in attitudes and perceptions of work and leadership between men and women in the USA based on five questions concerning attitudes toward men and women in the workforce. The sample consisted of 1,070 males and 1,139 females who responded to questions using a Likert scale-rating system. Findings – There were significant differences between males and females at the p < 0.01 level for four of the five questions. Men were more likely to believe that men have more rights to jobs when jobs are scarce. Women believed more than men that having a job was the best way for a woman to be independent. Men believed that they made better political leaders. Men also believed that they made better business executives. However, there was no significant difference in the question about women making more than men. Neither felt strongly that a woman earning more money than her husband would cause problems. Originality/value – The research provides insight into factors that might affect how men and women perceive both their own group and the other group. It is important to ensure that gender perceptions are evaluated to address issues that may still persist and contribute to gender inequality in the workplace and how behaviors and attitudes of each gender affect roles and norms.
Comparação entre a punção aspirativa transtorácica e a biópsia transtorácica realizada por pneumologistas e por radiologistas na prática clínica

Resumo A puncao aspirativa transtoracica (PATT) e biopsia transtoracica por agulha sao realizadas por pneumologistas e por radiologistas de intervencao. Actualmente, muito poucos internatos de pneumologia obrigam ao treino desta tecnica. Os autores decidiram comparar a rentabilidade e as complicacoes da tecnica quando realizadas por pneumologistas e por radiologistas de intervencao. Realizaram uma analise retrospectiva entre 2003 e 2007 de todos os exames realizados por internos de pneumologia supervisionados e por pneumologistas, comparando com os exames realizados por radiologistas de intervencao. Foram incluidos no estudo 35 doentes, 19 no grupo dos pneumologistas e 16 no grupo dos radiologistas de intervencao. Nao houve diferencas no campo das complicacoes entre os dois grupos; quanto a rentabilidade diagnostica, no grupo dos pneumologistas foi de 63% e no grupo dos radiologistas de intervencao de 69%. As doencas malignas foram o diagnostico mais frequente (70%). A biopsia transtoracica por agulha foi usada em 21% dos casos no grupo dos pneumologistas e em 50% dos casos do grupo dos radiologistas de intervencao. A rentabilidade diagnostica aumentou quando as duas tecnicas foram combinadas (75% para 61%, respectivamente). A presenca do patologista so se verificou no grupo dos exames realizados pelos pneumologistas. Neste grupo, os autores concluiram que as complicacoes eram sobreponiveis nos dois grupos de trabalho e que a combinacao das duas tecnicas aumentava a rentabilidade. A biopsia transtoracica por agulha foi considerada uma tecnica da maior importância porque aumenta o campo de diagnostico, evitando outros meios mais invasivos e com maior risco. Os autores propoem que o treino destas tecnicas continue ou seja reactivado em todos os internatos de pneumologia, desenvolvendo programas para manter a capacidade dos pneumologistas que a realizam a treinar os novos pneumologistas na realizacao das mesmas.
The development of an instrument to measure occupational stress in teachers: The Teacher Stress Inventory

The content validity, factorial validity, and internal consistency reliability of a scale developed to assess occupational stress in teachers were investigated. The content validity of the scale was determined from expert opinion and appraisal data collected from 92 teachers, stress researchers and practitioners. Data collected from two samples of special education teachers (n = 370; n = 371) and one sample of regular education teachers (n = 433) were then subjected to factor analyses followed by varimax and oblique rotations. Six factors resulted for each of two measures: stress strength and stress frequency. Additional analyses indicated that each subscale has moderate-to-high internal consistency reliabilities for both strength and frequency dimensions, moderate-to-high correlations between the strength and frequency measures of each subscale, and a large degree of agreement for the content validity of each subscale, for each of six subscales: Personal/Professional Stressors; Professional Distress; Discipline and Motivation; Emotional Manifestations; Biobehavioural Manifestations; and Physiological-Fatigue Manifestations.
A CARRIER-MEDIATED TRANSFER MODEL FOR THE ACCUMULATION OF 14-C-GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID BY SUBCELLULAR BRAIN PARTICLES

Abstract An analysis of the Na + -dependent accumulation of 14 C-γABA by subcellular brain particles indicates that the isotope moves sequentially from the suspending medium into a rapidly equilibrating pool and then into a slowly equilibrating pool. The total γABA content of the rapidly equilibrating pool increases with increasing Na + concentration. The larger the rapidly equilibrating pool the more rapidly isotope moves into and out of the slowly equilibrating pool. The total γABA content of the slowly equilibrating pool decreases as a function of time, and the rate of decrease is increased by increasing the size of the rapidly equilibrating pool. The above findings are interpreted as evidence for a carrier-mediated diffusion process in which Na + is required to activate the binding of γABA to the carrier. The sig-nificance of the Na + activation is discussed in terms of a model for active transport.
Bucket brigades with worker learning

Abstract The dynamics and throughput of a bucket brigade production system is studied when workers’ speeds increase due to learning. It is shown that, if the rules of the bucket brigade system allow a re-ordering of its workers then the bucket brigade production system is very robust and will typically rebalance to a self-organizing optimal production arrangement. As workers learn only those parts of the production line that they work on, the stationary velocity distribution for the workers of a stable bucket brigade is non-uniform over the production line. Hence, depending on the initial placement of the workers, there are many different stationary velocity distributions. It is shown that all the stationary distributions lead to the same throughput.
850 nm asymmetric cladding surface etched DBR lasers with narrow spectral linewidth

Narrow-linewidth (<100 kHz) 850 nm distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) three-section tunable laser diodes are reported. An asymmetric cladding ridge-waveguide structure was used for transverse and lateral mode control. Single longitudinal mode performance was achieved via first-order DBR surface-etched gratings fabricated using inductively-coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE). Epitaxial material with spontaneous emission peak values at 835 nm and 850 nm were used for device fabrication. Stable single-mode powers of up to 30-mW were achieved at 100 mA with spectral side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) values in excess of 35 dB. Laser tuning by DBR current injection in excess of 7 nm was measured. Narrow spectral linewidths were observed on both sets of devices, with linewidths below 40 kHz for devices with the 835 nm spontaneous emission peak. This is due to the reduced spontaneous emission contribution to the device linewidth. These results demonstrate that extremely narrow linewidths can be achieved using onestep epitaxial growth in an unstrained material system with surface etched first-order gratings on asymmetric cladding ridge-waveguide lasers.
A systematic review of quality of life associated with standard chemotherapy regimens for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose Systemic chemotherapy is accepted as a standard of care for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although survival outcomes are equivalent among standard chemotherapy regimens, it is unknown whether the quality of life (QOL) outcomes are also comparable. We evaluated available literatures to summarize the state of current knowledge and provide suggestions for future studies. Methods Using PUBMED/MEDLINE database, a systematic review of randomized controlled phase III trials of advanced NSCLC reporting QOL as one of the end points was conducted. Trials were included if standard chemotherapy regimens (as defined by The American Society of Clinical Oncology 2003 recommendations) were used in at least two arms of a trial. Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated the characteristics of QOL reporting, analyses, and results. Results The search criteria identified 14 trials (6665 patients). Of these, 13 trials used validated QOL instruments and were included for review. The QOL reporting/analysis techniques were heterogeneous. We included nine trials, which reported the rate of completed baseline assessment and compliance survivors at analysis greater than 50%, for data synthesis. Of these, only one trial found a significant difference in QOL between the comparator arms: paclitaxel plus cisplatin was better than teniposide plus cisplatin. Conclusion Based on our review, it seems unlikely that a major difference exists in the global QOL associated with standard chemotherapy regimens for advanced NSCLC. Although QOL reporting format is largely acceptable, a lack of uniformity in analysis and a poor compliance to QOL assessment made between-trial comparisons difficult.
Rostral ventrolateral medulla descending neurons excited by nucleus tractus solitarii inputs.

Abstract Neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were electrophysiologically characterized and anatomically identified using an intracellular recording technique in vivo. Of 49 neurons recorded, 7 were antidromically activated from the dorsalateral funiculus in the thoracic spinal cord, with axonal conduction velocities ranging from 16.6 to 55.0 m/s. The RVLM-spinal neurons were spontaneously active and non-bursing. Additionally, they demonstrated a flat post- R -wave histogram and a flat average of the neuronal membrane potential triggered by the pulsatile arterial pressure. Therefore their activity was not related to cardiac rhythm. Electrical stimulation of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) at the level of the obex evoked monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) on 3 RVLM-spinal neurons; median latency was 1.5 ms. The recorded neurons, intracellularly labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or biocytin, were located in the rostral pole of the RVLM, between 0.3 and 0.7 mm from the ventral medullary surface and in many cases close to the neurons containing phenylethanolanmine- N -methyltransferase (PNMT). These findings are discussed in relation to the physiological role in cardiovascular and nociceptive functional regulation played by the neurons analyzed in this study.
Neurotrophic Survival Molecules for Motoneurons: An Embarrassment of Riches

One obvious, albeit trivial, answer to this question is that the action of many of the factors in Table 1Table 1 reflect pharmacological rather than physiological effects. Other more interesting possibilities include the following: all or most motoneurons require multiple factors from diverse sources for optimal survival (Figure 1Figure 1); subpopulations of motoneurons, based on their function or connectivity, require different factors for survival; and motoneurons require distinct factors at different stages of development. At present, the available evidence does not appear to strongly favor any one of these alternatives over the others, and it remains possible that they are all correct. (It is nonetheless intriguing that no single putative motoneuron survival factor [including CT-1] has been shown to maintain more than 40%–50% of motoneurons either in vitro or in vivo [for references, see19xPennica, D, Arce, V, Swanson, T.A, Vejsada, R, Pollock, R.A, Armanini, M, Dudley, K, Phillips, H.S, Rosenthal, A, Kato, A.C, and Henderson, C.E. Neuron. 1996; 17: 63–74Abstract | Full Text | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (174)See all References, 16xOppenheim, R.W, Prevette, D, Haverkamp, L.J, Houenou, L, Qin-Wei, Y, and McManaman, J.L. J. Neurobiol. 1993; 24: 1065–1079Crossref | PubMedSee all References.) Perhaps by this “embarrassment of riches,” the embryo is trying to tell us something, but what? The hope, of course, is that future studies will reduce our ignorance on these matters and, in doing so, not only provide some final answers regarding the normal biology of motoneuron survival, but also suggest rational strategies as to how one might begin to use this information to treat human pathologies that involve the loss of motoneurons.Dedicated to Viktor Hamburger on the occasion of his 96th birthday.
Garland v. Torre and the Birth of Reporter's Privilege

In 1959, Marie Torre of the New York Herald Tribune went to jail rather than reveal who had told her that Judy Garland apparently thought herself to be “terribly fat.” Many reporters derided Torre as a gossip columnist (she was actually the TV columnist) who did not deserve support. But the libel suit that sent her to jail, Garland v. Torre, is more consequential than they imagined. Though Torre lost her appeal, the judge recognized a degree of constitutional protection for newsgathering. Elevated to the Supreme Court of the United States, that judge, Potter Stewart, reiterated his Garland reasoning in a dissenting opinion in Branzburg v. Hayes. Many federal courts then employed the Branzburg dissent or Garland itself to craft a conditional reporter's privilege. In this fashion, Marie Torre helped scores of later reporters avoid jail.
Effect of Adjustable Passive Constraint on the Failing Left Ventricle: A Finite-Element Model Study

Background Passive constraint is used to prevent left ventricular dilation and subsequent remodeling. However, there has been concern about the effect of passive constraint on diastolic left ventricular chamber stiffness and pump function. This study determined the relationship between constraint, diastolic wall stress, chamber stiffness, and pump function. We tested the hypothesis that passive constraint at 3 mm Hg reduces wall stress with minimal change in pump function. Methods A three-dimensional finite-element model of the globally dilated left ventricle based on left ventricular dimensions obtained in dogs that had undergone serial intracoronary microsphere injection was created. The model was adjusted to match experimentally observed end-diastolic left ventricular volume and midventricular wall thickness. The experimental results used to create the model were previously reported. A pressure of 3, 5, 7, and 9 mm Hg was applied to the epicardium. Fiber stress, end-diastolic pressure–volume relationship, end-systolic pressure–volume relationship, and the stroke volume–end-diastolic pressure (Starling) relationship were calculated. Results As epicardial constraint pressure increased, fiber stress decreased, the end-diastolic pressure–volume relationship shifted to the left, and the Starling relationship shifted down and to the right. The end-systolic pressure–volume relationship did not change. A constraining pressure of 2.3 mm Hg was associated with a 10% reduction in stroke volume, and mean end-diastolic fiber stress was reduced by 18.3% (inner wall), 15.3% (mid wall), and 14.2% (outer wall). Conclusions Both stress and cardiac output decrease in a linear fashion as the amount of passive constraint is increased. If the reduction in cardiac output is to be less than 10%, passive constraint should not exceed 2.3 mm Hg. On the other hand, this amount of constraint may be sufficient to reverse eccentric hypertrophy after myocardial infarction.
Surface Films Affecting Velocity Profiles of Slowly Moving Water in Open Channels

Rates of movement of surface films and underlying water were measured using observable solid and liquid tracers. Water flow rate, surface width, water depth, and channel length were varied in flumes in which the water was allowed to flow over a broad weir crest at the tail end. In some runs the surface was blocked 5 cm in front of the weir. When this was done, velocity of the surface film immediately upstream from the block decreased to a small fraction of its previous value and this area of slow surface velocity built upstream with time, extending to as far as several meters under steady state conditions. In this reach, the film at the air-water interface of the water causes drag on the moving water similar to that at a solid-water interface.
Systems pharmacology assessment of the 5-fluorouracil pathway.

Aim: To assess the impact of the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug-pathway genes on cytotoxicity, and determine whether loss-of-function analyses coupled with functional assays can help prioritize pharmacogenomic candidate genes. Materials & methods: Dose-response experiments were used to quantify the phenotype of sensitivity to 5-FU following the specific knockdown of genes selected from the 5-FU PharmGKB drug pathway in three human colorectal cell lines. Changes in sensitivity were considered significant if the IC50 for shRNA-exposed cells were three standard deviations outside the mean IC50 for control-treated cells. Results: Of the 24 genes analyzed, 13 produced significant changes on the phenotype of sensitivity to 5-FU (DHFR, DPYS, DTYMK, DUT, FPGS, GGH, NME1, NT5C, RRM1, TYMS, UCK2, UNG and UMPS). Conclusion: The RNAi screening strategy enabled prioritization of the genes from the 5-FU drug pathway. Further validation of the genes credentialed in this study should include gene activity or expression and m...
Anomalous axonal outgrowth at the retina caused by injury to the optic nerve or tectal ablation in adultXenopus

The retina and optic nerve head have been examined by light and electron microscopy in adultXenopus laeuis after injury to optic nerve fibres. Intraorbital resection, transection or crush of the optic nerve all resulted in the appearance at the retina of a mass of actively growing axons which formed a ring around the intraretinal and adjacent choroidal portions of the optic nerve head. Formation of this heterotopic axon population was first noted at two weeks after nerve injury and fibres persisted for at least six months. The ectopic fibres were seperated from the optic nerve head by astrocytes within the retina or by blood vessels and fibroblasts of the leptomeninges at extraretinal locations. In general, the orientation of the ectopic fibres was perpendicular to the fibres of the optic nerve. Bundles of axons were found between the ring of ectopic fibres and the pigment epithelial layer of the retina or among the blood sinuses of the choroid. Similar ectopic fibres were seen following transection of the optic nerve at the chiasm and after tectal ablation although the onset of these changes was slower than that seen after nerve resection. It is concluded that damage to visual pathways in the frog induces dramatic morphological alterations in the optic nerve and retina far proximal to the site of injury in this regenerating system.
The importance of biologically relevant microclimates in habitat suitability assessments.

Predicting habitat suitability under climate change is vital to conserving biodiversity. However, current species distribution models rely on coarse scale climate data, whereas fine scale microclimate data may be necessary to assess habitat suitability and generate predictive models. Here, we evaluate disparities between temperature data at the coarse scale from weather stations versus fine-scale data measured in microhabitats required for a climate-sensitive mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). We collected two years of temperature data in occupied talus habitats predicted to be suitable (high elevation) and unsuitable (low elevation) by the bioclimatic envelope approach. At low elevations, talus surface and interstitial microclimates drastically differed from ambient temperatures measured on-site and at a nearby weather station. Interstitial talus temperatures were frequently decoupled from high ambient temperatures, resulting in instantaneous disparities of over 30°C between these two measurements. Microhabitat temperatures were also highly heterogeneous, such that temperature measurements within the same patch of talus were not more correlated than measurements at distant patches. An experimental manipulation revealed that vegetation cover may cool the talus surface by up to 10°C during the summer, which may contribute to this spatial heterogeneity. Finally, low elevation microclimates were milder and less variable than typical alpine habitat, suggesting that, counter to species distribution model predictions, these seemingly unsuitable habitats may actually be better refugia for this species under climate change. These results highlight the importance of fine-scale microhabitat data in habitat assessments and underscore the notion that some critical refugia may be counterintuitive.
Post-CMOS Compatible Microfabrication of a Multi-Analyte Bioelectrochemical Sensor Array Microsystem

A multi-analyte electrochemical sensor array platform has been developed for protein-based biosensors utilizing post-CMOS compatible fabrication procedures that enables formation of single-chip biosensor array microsystems. The process was developed on a glass substrate to emulate the surface of a CMOS chip. A three-electrode system, including an array of gold working electrodes (WE) and an on-chip Ag/AgCl reference electrode (RE), was formed to facilitate electrochemical analysis protein-based interfaces. SU-8 epoxy resin was subsequently applied and patterned as an insulation and planerization layer before application of microfluidic channels used to self-assemble novel bio-interfaces on individual working electrodes. The protein-based bio-interfaces provide selectivity, and the electrode floorplan maximizes sensitivity and minimizes solution resistance errors. The electrodes on the prototype platform can be easily scaled to form ~100 electrodes on the surface of a 10 mm2 CMOS chip.
Identifying malicious behavior in MANET through data path information

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks are increasingly deployed in military networks as well as special kinds of civil law enforcement and emergency operation domains. Compared to wired and other types of wireless networks, MANETs are particularly vulnerable to a wide range of attacks and require high security and privacy guarantees due to their critical mission. Research efforts have focused on developing secure routing protocols for MANETs but very little attention has been given to the data plane and the information we can extract about the actual communication links. Wireless networks that require high levels of security may use data path information to validate routing information. In this paper, we develop a scheme that allows us to track and validate mobile node connectivity in order to identify potential malicious behavior. We propose a novel algorithm to accomplish connectivity tracking based on a space-efficient Bloom filter data structure and the use of aggregate signatures. We present simulation results on a real network trace that show the effectiveness of our design.
Scheduling of Wireless Metering for Power Market Pricing in Smart Grid

Remote metering is a key task in smart grid to collect the power load information for the pricing in power market. A wireless communication infrastructure is assumed for the smart meter network. The dynamics of the power market are assumed to be a Markov decision process (MDP) by modeling the power load evolution as a two-state Markov chain. The fundamental elements of the MDP are discussed and the optimal strategy is obtained from dynamic programming. Due to the curse of dimensions, the myopic strategy is proposed to significantly simplify the algorithm. The validity of the proposed scheduling algorithm is demonstrated using numerical simulations. For example, for price insensitive power users, the average price and power generation errors are reduced by 60% and 40% using the myopic approach, compared with the simple round robin schedule, in certain circumstances.
Amide-Modified Prenylcysteine based Icmt Inhibitors: Structure Activity Relationships, Kinetic Analysis and Cellular Characterization

Human protein isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (hIcmt) is the enzyme responsible for the α-carboxyl methylation of the C-terminal isoprenylated cysteine of CaaX proteins, including Ras proteins. This specific posttranslational methylation event has been shown to be important for cellular transformation by oncogenic Ras isoforms. This finding led to interest in hIcmt inhibitors as potential anti-cancer agents. Previous analog studies based on N-acetyl-S-farnesylcysteine identified two prenylcysteine-based low micromolar inhibitors (1a and 1b) of hIcmt, each bearing a phenoxyphenyl amide modification. In this study, a focused library of analogs of 1a and 1b was synthesized and screened versus hIcmt, delineating structural features important for inhibition. Kinetic characterization of the most potent analogs 1a and 1b established that both inhibitors exhibited mixed-mode inhibition and that the competitive component predominated. Using the Cheng-Prusoff method, the K(i) values were determined from the IC(50) values. Analog 1a has a K(IC) of 1.4±0.2μM and a K(IU) of 4.8±0.5μM while 1b has a K(IC) of 0.5±0.07μM and a K(IU) of 1.9±0.2μM. Cellular evaluation of 1b revealed that it alters the subcellular localization of GFP-KRas, and also inhibits both Ras activation and Erk phosphorylation in Jurkat cells.
A general equilibrium framework for the divvy economy

In a recent paper, G. Dantzig has formulated a model for resource allocation in the so called "Divvy Institutional Economy." The author proves the existence of a general equilibrium solution to the economic problem (in terms of prices and quantities of input factors and final goods) which at the same time satisfies agreed upon shares of monetary flows allocated to input resource groups and to output consumer groups. The agreement upon the share values is carried out by a political process, while the market mechanisms adjust the prices of primary resource inputs and the relative sizes of the consumer groups until those shares are satisfied. The inputs and outputs and the production and transformation technology are presented in an Input-Output format. The formalization of the resource allocation problem takes into account the presence of institutionalized forces together with the market mechanism. Examples can be taken from empirical observation (collective bargaining, Congressional Budget Approval, indexed prices of raw material) is per se a major innovation with respect to more classical results. In the following sections we we will try to view the Divvy results in relation to the classic economic formulation of the problem and study possible implications of it.
Public definitions and endorsement of the criminalization of elder abuse

A longitudinal cross sectional ten-year study was conducted measuring public attitudes toward the definition and criminalization of elder abuse. The study found that the public endorsed a fairly broad definition of elder abuse and that this definition of elder abuse was fairly stable over time. Subjects also strongly endorsed the creation of misdemeanor and felony statutes and strongly endorsed the use of prison to punish elder abusers. The subjects also believed that the criminalization of elder abuse would be effective in reducing elder abuse.
Magnetic field shimming by Fourier analysis.

The homogeneity of the magnetic field of an Oxford 85/310HR magnet was optimized with the use of passive shims (i.e., pieces of steel) and room-temperature electronic shims. Both the characteristics of the passive shims and the current settings for the room-temperature electronic shims were calculated with the goal of minimizing field inhomogeneities as assessed by Fourier analysis of data from circular field plots. The measurement techniques, the methods of data analysis, and the techniques employed in correcting the magnetic field are presented. Difficulties and constructive approaches are suggested in these descriptions. The final results show a field of excellent homogeneity over a 10-cm-diameter spherical volume, with a peak-to-peak variation of 3.2 ppm, which is better than the manufacturer's expected specification of 5 ppm. A water-filled sphere of 10 cm diameter gave a half-height linewidth of 0.14 ppm after a small amount of additional touch-up shimming. The field homogeneity as corrected is much improved over its original state, allowing the acquisition of improved spectra from samples of a size several centimeters in each linear dimension. Thus the field homogeneity is more useful for in vivo spectroscopy, the purpose for which the magnet was intended. © 1988 Academic Press, Inc.
HIV/AIDS fatalism, beliefs and prevention indicators in Gabon:comparisons between Gabonese and Malians

HIV/AIDS fatalism may impact on individuals' health-seeking behaviour and HIV-prevention efforts. This descriptive study measured levels of HIV/AIDS fatalism and documented HIV/AIDS beliefs and practices among a sample of Gabonese and Malians living in Gabon, West Africa. The Powe Fatalism Inventory-HIV/AIDS version was used to measure levels of fatalism, while a short-answer survey was used to document personal beliefs and behaviours related to HIV and AIDS among 160 people in Gabon. The mean score of HIV/AIDS fatalism for the total sample was 6.8 on a 15-point scale. Malians had a more fatalistic outlook than Gabonese (mean scores 9.4 versus 5.3), Muslims were more fatalistic than persons of other religions (mean scores 9.2 versus 5.3), while healthcare providers were less fatalistic than non-providers (mean scores 3.8 versus 7.4). People that did not believe that HIV/AIDS is a punishment from God had a lower mean score of fatalism than those who did. Most of the sample believed that AIDS is a real disease, and most did not think that only immoral people discuss HIV and AIDS. The HIV-prevention indicators that related to lower scores of fatalism included knowing HIV-positive people, having had more years of formal education, a willingness to disclose one's HIV status (if known), and experience of HIV/AIDS education. Respondents who had tested for HIV were no less fatalistic than those who had never tested. The findings provide data from a part of the world where HIV/AIDS beliefs have rarely been documented. The results indicate a need for additional studies on correlations between HIV/ AIDS fatalism, HIV-prevention behaviours, and religious belief systems.
Pediatricians' Knowledge and Attitudes About Clinical Practice Guidelines† 621

Background: The increasing complexity of medical care as well as a desire to increase quality and control costs have led to growing use of clinical practice guidelines (CPG's).
Correlation of Near-Surface Sedimentary Strata by Electric Logging: ABSTRACT

Instruments and techniques to measure the electrical resistivity of unconsolidated marine sediments have been developed at Texas A&M University. Electrical logging can be performed in situ and upon extruded cores. The in-situ device using several electrodes makes point resistivity measurements while stationary within the bottom sediments and is thus independent of ship's motion. A minimum number of cores is required to establish the stratigraphy and to calibrate the probe resistivity measurements. The shipboard or laboratory logging system can be used to take continuous readings along a core and also can be used to measure the resistivity of discrete sample units. The comparison of electrical resistivities of sediments, in particular the formation resistivity factor, with the geotechnical properties of the sediments reveals correlations which indicate that some of these geotechnical properties may be predicted from future resistivity measurements. A series of rapid in-situ measurements then can be made, greatly reducing the number of cores necessary to complete the survey. End_of_Article - Last_Page 605------------
Cone pigments in a North American marsupial, the opossum ( Didelphis virginiana )

Only two of the four cone opsin gene families found in vertebrates are represented in contemporary eutherian and marsupial species. Recent genetic studies of two species of South American marsupial detected the presence of representatives from two of the classes of cone opsin genes and the structures of these genes predicted cone pigments with respective peaks in the ultraviolet and long-wavelength portions of the spectrum. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), a profoundly nocturnal animal, is the only marsupial species found in North America. The prospects for cone-based vision in this species were examined through recordings of the electroretinogram (ERG), a commonly examined retinal response to photic stimulation. Recorded under flickering-light conditions that elicit signals from cone photoreceptors, the spectral sensitivity of the opossum eye is well accounted for by contributions from the presence of a single cone pigment having peak absorption at 561–562 nm. A series of additional experiments that employed various chromatic adaptation paradigms were conducted in a search for possible contributions from a second (short-wavelength sensitive) cone pigment. We found no evidence that such a mechanism contributes to the ERG in this marsupial.
Computer programs for resolving overlapped and skewed peaks.

Abstract This paper offers two programs which resolve an experimental envelope curve into its component overlapping peaks. One program fits symmetrical gaussian peaks and the other fits skewed or tailing peaks having the functional form of the Su frequency distribution. Both require an initial set of crude estimates of the functional parameters and then iteratively seek a least-squares fit of the calculated and experimental envelopes. The programs must be operated from teletypewriter consoles and are well suited to use on time sharing computer facilities. This method finds application to such biochemical techniques as chromatography, electrophoresis and gel filtration.
Computed tomography of the brain in asphyxiated infants

Perinatal hypoxic-ischemic injury is an important cause of neurological deficit in infants. The hypoxic-ischemic process causes symmetrical periventricular and subcortical hypodense lesions which represent ischemic infarcts. It is important to be able to differentiate these hypodense lesions which represent ischemic infarcts from white matter which is not well myelinated. The temporal pattern of the change in the CT findings may be helpful in differentiating hypodensities due to ischemic infarct from immature myelination.
Witchcraft-explained childhood tragedies in Tlaxcala, and their medical sequelae

This paper describes results of a study in Tlaxcala, Mexico, involving the sudden death of infants and children that culturally are explained as resulting from the attack of blood-sucking witches. The attacks of the supernaturals are relatively common occurrences and an elaborate ideology has evolved to explain them. Such an ideology serves to explain what constitutes a major trauma of loss and supernatural assault. Data on a total of 47 cases were collected prospectively. The illness experiences of the parents following these traumas were recorded and their nature and consequences analyzed. The results of the study provide a 'folk medical' epidemiology of sudden infant death, a well identified cultural-ecological stressor. Ideas from cultural, psychological and medical anthropology as well as general medicine and psychiatry are used in the interpretation of the results.
Practical limitations on the use of diurnal temperature signals to quantify groundwater upwelling

Groundwater upwelling to streams creates unique habitat by influencing stream water quality and temperature; upwelling zones also serve as vectors for contamination when groundwater is degraded. Temperature time series data acquired along vertical profiles in the streambed have been applied to simple analytical models to determine rates of vertical fluid flux. These models are based on the downward propagation characteristics (amplitude attenuation and phase-lag) of the surface diurnal signal. Despite the popularity of these models, there are few published characterizations of moderate-to-strong upwelling. We attribute this limitation to the thermodynamics of upwelling, under which the downward conductive signal transport from the streambed interface occurs opposite the upward advective fluid flux. Governing equations describing the advection–diffusion of heat within the streambed predict that under upwelling conditions, signal amplitude attenuation will increase, but, counterintuitively, phase-lag will decrease. Therefore the extinction (measurable) depth of the diurnal signal is very shallow, but phase lag is also short, yielding low signal to noise ratio and poor model sensitivity. Conversely, amplitude attenuation over similar sensor spacing is strong, yielding greater potential model sensitivity. Here we present streambed thermal time series over a range of moderate to strong upwelling sites in the Quashnet River, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The predicted inverse relationship between phase-lag and rate of upwelling was observed in the field data over a range of conditions, but the observed phase-lags were consistently shorter than predicted. Analytical solutions for fluid flux based on signal amplitude attenuation return results consistent with numerical models and physical seepage meters, but the phase-lag analytical model results are generally unreasonable. Through numerical modeling we explore reasons why phase-lag may have been over-predicted by the analytical models, and develop guiding relations of diurnal temperature signal extinction depth based on stream diurnal signal amplitude, upwelling magnitude, and streambed thermal properties that will be useful in designing future experiments.
An algorithm for region filling using two-dimensional grammars

Interior-defined regions, flood-fill algorithms, and a simple 4-connected region filling algorithm are presented together with their properties. an algorithm for region filling using two-dimensional grammars is also presented together with illustrative examples. the results obtained in this article may have useful application in intelligent systems, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, expert systems, knowledge engineering, pattern recognition, pictorial databases, and related areas.