cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of shear-induced prostacyclin production in endothelial cells

Summary Human umbilical vein endothelial cells at confluence were subjected to steady shear flow. It was previously shown that flow induced a burst in prostacyclin production followed by a sustained stimulation of production several fold higher than basal levels (1). In the presence of EGTA, prostacyclin production was inhibited in the steady state phase by 74%. Preincubation of endothelial cells with quin2/AM, used here as an intracellular calcium chelator, also inhibited the production of prostacyclin (83%). Inhibition of intracellular calcium mobilization had no significant effect. Incubation of cells with nifedipine, a voltage operated channel blocker, had no effect on shear induced prostacyclin production, whereas ibuprofen decreased shear induced prostacyclin production. RHC-80267, a diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor, inhibited 66% of shear induced PGI2, production. Our results suggest that both extracellular and intracellular Ca2+ are necessary and the phospholipase C pathway may be the main source for liberating arachidonic acid in shear induced prostacyclin production.
A Poetics of Love and Rescue in the Collection of Chicana|[sol]|o Art

Using ethnographic information and archival research, the essay investigates the meaning of Chicana art collections. It uses two connotations of Chicana art collectors: the Mexican American woman who acquires art and the person whose collection emphasizes art by Chicanas. Drawing on Latino and US third-world feminist studies, the essay finds that private collectors fill the vacancy created by local and federal museums and establish a public repository of Chicana art and culture. Chicana art collectors have less in common with the scholarly image of the collector and more in common with US third-world feminist activists who generate movements for social change. It argues that collections of art enact a poetics of love and rescue for Mexican-origin communities in the United States.
Shape mixing and the shell-model description of the isotopes of neon

Abstract The shell-model spectra of 20 Ne and 21 Ne within (1d, 2s) n are reproduced to within 100 keV by angular-momentum projection from a few deformed Hartree-Fock intrinsic states. The prolate HF ground state, the lowest axially asymmetric state and the interaction between them play an essential role.
Operative Strategies for Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome by Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib Expansion Thoracoplasty

The 3-dimensional thoracic deformity responsible for thoracic insufficiency syndrome in children can be addressed by correcting the respective volume depletion deformity through vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) expansion thoracoplasty. These deformities include absent ribs, fused ribs and scoliosis, windswept deformity of the thorax in early onset scoliosis, and hypoplastic thorax. The core principle of this surgical technique is the early restoration of maximum volume and symmetry of the thorax with indirect correction of the scoliosis without the growth inhibition effects of spine surgery. Operative strategies of VEPTR expansion thoracoplasty include stabilization of flail chest, expansion of constricted chest walls, and control of spinal deformity. This approach, especially when performed in infancy, is postulated to provide stimulus for lung growth by making available additional thoracic volume for these patients. Most of these patients also have exotic scoliosis, a rare and possibly lethal subset of spinal deformity, which requires special care and treatment. Although VEPTR expansion thoracoplasty is a straightforward surgical technique, the preoperative selection of patients for VEPTR surgery is complex, and meticulous attention to postoperative management is critical for success. The long-term goal of VEPTR treatment is to have the largest and most functional thorax possible by skeletal maturity to provide optimal respiratory function for adulthood.
A Deterministic Model for Evaluating the Performance of a Multiple Processor System with a Shared Bus

The operation and performance of a multiple processor system with a shared bus is studied. The model developed is applicable to real time computations consisting of two pipelined tasks in which the first task is partitioned into a number of independent subtasks that are executed in parallel. It is proved that after a number of task executions the operation of the system becomes periodic. The speed of convergence to this periodic state is estimated and an expression for the cycle time is derived. The throughput is also evaluated and is proved to be independent of the order with which the processors transmit data through the bus.
Alterations in gene expression profiles and the DNA-damage response in ionizing radiation-exposed TK6 cells.

Identifying genes that are differentially expressed in response to DNA damage may help elucidate markers for genetic damage and provide insight into the cellular responses to specific genotoxic agents. We utilized cDNA microarrays to develop gene expression profiles for ionizing radiation-exposed human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells. In order to relate changes in the expression profiles to biological responses, the effects of ionizing radiation on cell viability, cloning efficiency, and micronucleus formation were measured. TK6 cells were exposed to 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 20 Gy ionizing radiation and cultured for 4 or 24 hr. A significant (P 1.5-fold) or downregulated (< 0.67-fold) at 4 hr were those primarily involved in the cessation of the cell cycle, cellular detoxification pathways, DNA repair, and apoptosis. At 24 hr, glutathione-associated genes were induced in addition to genes involved in apoptosis. Genes involved in cell cycle progression and mitosis were downregulated at 24 hr. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to confirm the microarray results and to evaluate expression levels of selected genes at the low doses (0.5 and 1.0 Gy). The expression profiles reflect the cellular and molecular responses to ionizing radiation related to the recognition of DNA damage, a halt in progression through the cell cycle, activation of DNA-repair pathways, and the promotion of apoptosis.
Conjunction-based Sorites: A Misguided Objection to Degree-Theoretic (Fuzzy) Solutions to Sorites Paradoxes

In 1987, Crispin Wright argued that degree-theoretic (fuzzy) solutions to the Sorites paradox fail because the solutions do not work when the paradox is restated using a conjunctive major premise. I show that Wright is incorrect: degree-theoretic solutions also work when the paradox is stated with a conjunctive major premise.
Ethanol Oxidation on Carbon-Supported Pt, PtRu, and PtSn Catalysts Studied by Operando X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to study the adsorbates and structural changes and their dependence on potential, existing during the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) on carbon-supported Pt, PtRu, and PtSn anode catalysts. Conventional EXAFS was applied to identify nanoparticle structure and particle size. The Δμ-XANES technique was used to investigate adsorbed species with potential. On pure Pt, an overall increase in Δμ amplitude exists under EOR compared to that existing during the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). This increased amplitude was attributed mainly to the C1 species on the surface during the EOR; these C1 species and CO become oxidized when O(H) come down on the surface. On PtRu catalysts, the O(H) formation and C-species oxidation begins at lower potentials compared to Pt. The ligand effect from oxidized RuOx islands is operative in PtRu and responsible for the performance enhancement. On PtSn, we observe O(H) at nearly all potentials, which may be explained by...
Typing of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from live broilers and retail broiler meat by flaA-RFLP, MLST, PFGE and REP-PCR

We analyzed 100 Campylobacter spp. isolates (C. jejuni and C. coli) from Grenada, Puerto Rico and Alabama, which were collected from live broilers or retail broiler meat. We analyzed these isolates with four molecular typing methods: restriction fragment length polymorphism of the flaA gene (flaA-RFLP), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and automated repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) using the DiversiLab system. All methods performed similarly for the typing of C. jejuni and C. coli. The DNA extraction method appears to influence the results obtained with REP-PCR. This method was better for the typing of C. jejuni than C. coli, however both REP-PCR and flaA-RFLP generated types that were indistinguishable between C. jejuni and C. coli and appeared to be random, without any relationship to species, location, or source of isolates. PFGE and MLST generated typing results that had a better correlation with the geographic location of the isolates and showed higher concordance with the Wallace coefficient. The adjusted Rand coefficient did not show higher concordance among the methods, although the PFGE/MLST combination exhibited the highest concordance. PFGE and MLST revealed a better discriminatory power for C. coli isolates than REP-PCR or flaA-RFLP. The use of readily available online tools to calculate the confidence interval of the Simpson's index of diversity and the adjusted Rand and Wallace coefficients helped estimate the discriminatory power of typing methods. Further studies using different C. jejuni and C. coli strains may expand our understanding of the benefits and limitations of each of these typing methods for epidemiological studies of Campylobacter spp.
Information processing during saccadic eye movements

Abstract Saccadic eye movements are made at least 100,000 times each day. It is well known that sensitivity to visual input is suppressed during saccades; recent evidence suggests that some kinds of information processing are suppressed as well. Suppression during saccades implies that processing occurs discretely (during eye fixations only), rather than continuously (during both fixations and saccades). We examined this issue in the context of the Posner and Snyder (1975) primed letter-matching task. We found that a prime viewed in one fixation had a larger influence on targets viewed in a second fixation when a long rather than a short saccade separated the two fixations. This result demonstrates that at least some information processing occurs during saccades.
What Do We Really Know About Antibiotic Pharmacodynamics

Antibiotic pharmacodynamics is an evolving science that focuses on the relationship between drug concentration and pharmacologic effect, which is an antibiotic-induced bacterial death that also can manifest as an adverse drug reaction. The pharmacologic action of antibiotics usually can be described as concentration dependent or independent, although such classifications are highly reliant on the specific antibiotic and bacterial pathogen being studied. Quantitative pharmacodynamic parameters, such as ratio of the area under the concentration-time curve during a 24-hour dosing period to minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC0-24:MIC), ratio of maximum serum antibiotic concentration to MIC (Cmax:MIC), and duration of time that antibiotic concentrations exceed MIC (T>MIC), have been proposed as likely predictors of clinical and microbiologic success or failure for different pairings of antibiotic and bacteria. Thus far, most pharmacodynamic data reported have focused on fluoroquinolones, but work has been conducted on vancomycin, beta-lactams, macrolides, aminoglycosides, and other antibiotics. Despite the development of a number of different pharmacodynamic modeling systems, remarkable agreement exists between in vitro, animal, and limited human data. Although still somewhat premature and requiring additional clinical validation, antibiotic pharmacodynamics will likely advance on four fronts: the science should prove to be extremely useful and represent a cost-effective and efficient method to help develop new antibiotics; formulary committees will likely use pharmacodynamic parameters to assist in differentiating antibiotics of the same chemical class in making antibiotic formulary selections; pharmacodynamic principles will likely be used to design optimal antibiotic strategies for patients with severe infections; and limited data to date suggest that the application of pharmacodynamic concepts may limit or prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. The study of antibiotic pharmacodynamics appears to hold great promise and will likely become a routine part of our daily clinical practices.
Phlorizin-induced glycosuria does not prevent gentamicin nephrotoxicity in rats

Because rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) have a high solute diuresis (glycosuria of 10 to 12 g/day), we have suggested that this may in part be responsible for their resistance to gentamicin-induced acute renal failure (ARF). The protection from gentamicin nephrotoxicity was studied in non-diabetic rats with chronic solute diuresis induced by blockage of tubular glucose reabsorption with phlorizin (P). DM rats with mild glycosuria (similar in degree to that of the P treated animals) were also studied. Unanesthetized adult female, Sprague-Dawley rats were divided in four groups and studied for 15 days. Group 1 (P alone) received P, 360 mg/day, for 15 days; Group II (P + gentamicin); Group III (gentamicin alone) and Group IV (mild DM + gentamicin). Nephrotoxic doses (40 mg/kg body wt/day) of gentamicin were injected during the last nine days of study to the animals of groups II to IV. In Group I, P induced a moderate and stable glycosuria (3.9 +/- 0.1 g/day, SE), and no functional or morphologic evidence of renal dysfunction (baseline CCr 2.1 +/- 0.1 ml/min, undetectable lysozymuria) or damage (tubular necrosis score [maximum 4], zero). In Group II, P did not prevent gentamicin-ARF (maximal decrease in CCr at day 9.89%, P less than 0.001; peak lysozymuria, 1863 +/- 321 micrograms/day; and tubular necrosis score, 3.9 +/- 0.1). These values were not different from those of Group III: maximal decrease in CCr 73% (P less than 0.001); lysozymuria, 2147 +/- 701 micrograms/day; tubular necrosis score, 3.8 +/- 0.1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Do amino acids equilibrate in hydrothermal fluids

Abstract Analysis of data reported by Miller and Bada (1988) shows that three aqueous amino acids approached metastable equilibrium concentrations toward the end of hydrous pyrolysis experiments conducted at 250°C and 265 atm. The experiments were terminated before the system had stabilized completely, but these results indicate that amino acids equilibrate in aqueous solution at hydrothermal conditions. Although unintentional, this may be the first experimental confirmation that metastable equilibria characterize the interaction of organic compounds in hydrothermal fluids.
Approximate Solutions to the Three-Machine Scheduling Problem

This paper summarizes experimental results from applying several computational methods for solving the classic three-machine scheduling model. The basic mathematical problem is to select an optimal permutation of n items, where the objective function employed is the total amount of processing time elapsing for the completion of all n items on three machines. The methods tested are integer linear programming, ordinary linear programming with answers rounded to integers, a heuristic algorithm, and random sampling. Throughout the experimentation n = 6. A dual integer programming code is tested on six trial problems. Consideration is given to studying the phenomenon of input-form sensitivity. The results are not encouraging and confirm previous experimental evidence as to the strong effect of varying the input form. However, the addition of a powerful bound on the objective function has a significant beneficial effect on the convergence of the dual algorithm. A sampling study of the statistical characteristics of this model is made with 100 sets of data randomly generated. Frequency distributions of minimum and mean total processing time are tabulated and analyzed. On this same set of problems, a linear programming approach is examined for effectiveness in producing nearly optimal schedules. Such an approach tends to give answers that are better than would be obtained by a single permutation drawn at random, but the LP rounded solutions average about an 11 per cent increase over the optimal processing time. A heuristic algorithm based on Johnson's method is tested on 20 of the 100 cases and gives excellent results. Finally attention is turned to the method of randomly sampling the permutations, possibly applying a simple heuristic gradient method to improve each sampled schedule. A feature of this method is that elementary probability theory can be applied to yield corresponding statements about the accuracy guaranteed by the approach.
THE DECLINE OF ELITE HOMICIDE

Criminological research consistently shows that interpersonal homicide is largely confined to low-status people. Yet, anthropological and historical materials reveal that in earlier and simpler societies homicide was found throughout the status hierarchy. Using theory developed by Donald Black, I argue that a critical factor in the decline of lethal conflict among social elites is the increased availability of legal means of handling conflict. An implication is that since a focus on modern societies and their developed legal systems yields a limited and even distorted empirical picture of lethal violence, criminologists should strive to formulate theories that are cross-cultural and historical in scope.
Participation of bone marrow derived cells in cutaneous wound healing

Bone marrow has long been known to be a source of stem cells capable of regeneration of the hematopoeitic system. Recent reports, however, have indicated that bone marrow might also contain early stem cells that can differentiate into other organ tissues such as skin. While these studies have illustrated that bone marrow stem cells could find their way to the skin, they have not addressed the dynamics of how bone marrow stem cells might participate in the homeostatis and regeneration of skin. In this report we followed green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled bone marrow transplanted into non-GFP mice in order to determine the participation of bone marrow stem cells in cutaneous wounds. Our results indicate that there are a significant number of bone marrow cells that traffic through both wounded and non-wounded skin. Wounding stimulated the engraftment of bone marrow cells to the skin and induced bone marrow derived cells to incorporate into and differentiate into non-hematopoietic skin structures. This report thus illustrates that bone marrow might be a valuable source of stem cells for the skin and possibly other organs. Wounding could be a stimulus for bone marrow derived stem cells to travel to organs and aid in the regeneration of damaged tissue.
Manufacturing and Testing of Active Composite Panels with Embedded Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators

This work presents the manufacturing and testing of active composite panels (ACPs) with embedded piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The composite material employed here is a plain weave carbon/epoxy prepreg fabric with 0.30 mm ply thickness. A cross-ply type stacking sequence is employed for the ACPs. The piezoelectric flexible patches employed here are Active Fiber Composite (AFC) piezoceramics with 0.33 mm thickness. Composite layers with openings are used to fill the space around the embedded piezo patches to minimize the problems associated with ply drops in composites. The AFC piezoceramic patches were embedded inside the composite laminate. High-temperature wires were soldered to the piezo leads, insulated from the carbon substructure by high-temperature materials, and were taken out of the composite laminates employing cutout hole, molded-in hole, and embedding techniques. The laminated ACPs with their embedded piezoelectric sensors and actuators were vacuum bagged and co-cured inside an autoclav...
Outpatient regulation of the insulin-requiring person with diabetes (an alternative to hospitalization).

Abstract One hundred and six insulin-requiring diabetic patients were randomly recruited to a pilot out-patient diabetes regulation and self-care program. The program was designed to offer an alternative to hospitalization. 89 patients completed the 5-day program. Fasting plasma glucose values at 5 days were significantly lower than initial levels (263 ± 73 mg/dl vs 156 ± 60 mg/dl; p-value
On the Application of a Viscoplastic Elastic Model To Uniaxial Elongational Flow

Uniaxial extension experimental data of several polymeric melt systems are compared with the predictions of a viscoplastic elastic model which was originally developed to be used in blown film process simulation. The systems include an extensively studied low density polyethylene melt (melt-1), two distinct polystyrene systems, and a series of blends of low density polyeth ylene and linear low density polyethylene. The systems cover a range of vari ables associated with the molecular characterization of the polymeric melts, i.e., the extent of branching, the molecular weight, and the molecular weight distribution. The prominent strain hardening behavior in the non-linear range is accounted for in the model by incorporation of the alignment strength as in troduced by Larson. Yield stress, hardening constant, and structure constant are the parameters of the model. The agreement of the predicted elongational viscosity and the measured values over the total strain history is quite good given the small number ...
Abstract A70: Ginger phytochemicals exhibit robust synergy to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation

An emerging notion accepts cancer as a preventable lifestyle disease. Fruits and vegetables offer non-toxic therapeutic options for prostate cancer in particular, since its slow growth offers a wide window for chemopreventive intervention. Fruits and vegetables contain various phytochemicals, including polyphenols and flavonoids that are well-known for their anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative roles. However, the failure of several single-agent clinical trials has fueled a paradigm shift to appreciate that health benefits of fruits and vegetables are not ascribable to individual phytochemicals but rather to synergistic interactions among them. We recently reported the growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing properties of whole ginger extract (GE) in in vitro and in vivo prostate cancer models. Nevertheless, the nature of interactions among the constituent ginger biophenolics, viz. 6-gingerol (6G), 8-gingerol (8G), 10-gingerol (10G), and 6-shogoal (6S), remains elusive. Here we show the antiproliferative efficacy of the most-active biophenolics present in GE as single-agents and in binary combinations, and investigate nature of their interactions using the Chou-Talalay combination-index (CI) method. Our data demonstrate that binary combinations of ginger phytochemicals synergistically inhibit cellular proliferation of human prostate cancer PC-3 cells with CI values ranging from 0.03 to 0.88. To appreciate synergy among ginger phytochemicals present in GE, the natural relative abundance of ginger biophenolics was quantitated using LC-UV/MS methods. Interestingly, combining GE with its constituents (in particular, 6G) resulted in significant augmentation of GE9s antiproliferative activity. These data generate compelling grounds for further preclinical evaluation of GE alone and in combination with individual ginger biophenols for prostate cancer management. Citation Format: Sushma Reddy Gundala, Meera Brahmbhatt, Ritu Aneja. Ginger phytochemicals exhibit robust synergy to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A70.
The adsorption of and reaction of NO2 on Ag(111)-p(4 × 4)-O and formation of surface nitrate

Abstract The adsorption and reaction of nitrogen dioxide on the Ag(1 1 1)-p(4 × 4)-O surface has been investigated with RAIRS, TPRS and STM. At 300 K NO2 initially reacts with the oxygen overlayer to form nitrate in p(3 × 3) and p(4 × 4) structures, which convert to a new p(3 × 3) at saturation coverage. Surface pitting during nitrate adsorption is suggestive of the incorporation of silver atoms into the NO3 structure. With heating NO3 decomposes into NO2 and O at 396 K and 497 K, and oxygen desorbs at 578 K.
Toxicity and action of fluenethyl acaricide and related compounds in the mouse, housefly and twospotted spider mite.

1. The toxicity and action of fluenethyl or 2-fluoroethyl(4-biphenylyl) acetate, several other monofluoroethyl esters, monofluoroethanol, monofluoroacetic acid and fluoroacetamide were studied in mice, houseflies (Musca domestica L.) and twospotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch). 2. Toxicity varied markedly with the test compound, method of application and biological species. Generally, monofluoroacetic acid, monofluoroethanol and fluenethyl were the most active materials examined. Intoxicated mice and houseflies exhibited classic symptoms of organofluorine poisoning; spider mites exhibited a brief period of hyperactivity. 3. Ethanol, isoniazid, triazole, acetamide, sodium acetate and monoacetin afforded some protection against the toxicity of fluenethyl and monofluoroethanol to mice, suggesting that metabolic transformation of these two fluorine-containing compounds was essential for toxicity. 4. Mice, houseflies and spider mites poisoned with fluenethyl and other fluorine-containing compounds accumulated high levels of citrate as compared to controls, providing evidence that aconitase or citrate (isocitrate) hydrolyase (E.C. 4.2.1.3) was attacked. 5. It was concluded that the monofluoroethanol released upon esteratic cleavage of fluenethyl was oxidized to monofluoroacetic acid which, after conversion to fluorocitrate, inhibited aconitase. This appeared to be the mechanism for the toxic action of fluenethyl and the other monofluoroethyl esters in the mouse, housefly, and twospotted spider mite.
RAS oncogene suppression induces apoptosis followed by more differentiated and less myelosuppressive disease upon relapse of acute myeloid leukemia.

To study the oncogenic role of the NRAS oncogene (NRASG12V) in the context of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we used a Vav promoter–tetracycline transactivator (Vav-tTA)–driven repressible TRE-NRASG12V transgene system in Mll-AF9 knock-in mice developing AML. Conditional repression of NRASG12V expression greatly reduced peripheral white blood cell (WBC) counts in leukemia recipient mice and induced apoptosis in the transplanted AML cells correlated with reduced Ras/Erk signaling. After marked decrease of AML blast cells, myeloproliferative disease (MPD)–like AML relapsed characterized by cells that did not express NRASG12V. In comparison with primary AML, the MPD-like AML showed significantly reduced aggressiveness, reduced myelosuppression, and a more differentiated phenotype. We conclude that, in AML induced by an Mll-AF9 transgene, NRASG12V expression contributes to acute leukemia maintenance by suppressing apoptosis and reducing differentiation of leukemia cells. Moreover, NRASG12V oncogene has a cell nonautonomous role in suppressing erythropoiesis that results in the MPD-like AML show significantly reduced ability to induce anemia. Our results imply that targeting NRAS or RAS oncogene-activated pathways is a good therapeutic strategy for AML and attenuating aggressiveness of relapsed AML.
Prospective blinded evaluation of computed tomographic colonography for screen detection of colorectal polyps.

Abstract Background & Aims: This study used a low lesion prevalence population reflective of the screening setting to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of computerized tomographic (CT) colonography for detection of colorectal polyps. Methods: This prospective, blinded study comprised 703 asymptomatic persons at higher-than-average risk for colorectal cancer who underwent CT colonography followed by same-day colonoscopy. Two of 3 experienced readers interpreted each CT colonography examination. Results: Overall lesion prevalence for adenomas ≥1 cm in diameter was 5%. Seventy percent of all lesions were proximal to the descending colon. With colonoscopy serving as the gold standard, CT colonography detected 34%, 32%, 73%, and 63% of the 59 polyps ≥1 cm for readers 1, 2, 3, and double-reading, respectively; and 35%, 29%, 57%, and 54% of the 94 polyps 5–9 mm for readers 1, 2, 3, and double-reading, respectively. Specificity for CT colonography ranged from 95% to 98% and 86% to 95% for >1 cm and 5–9-mm polyps, respectively. Interobserver variability was high for CT colonography with κ statistic values ranging from −0.67 to 0.89. Conclusions: In a low prevalence setting, polyp detection rates at CT colonography are well below those at colonoscopy. These rates are less than previous reports based largely on high lesion prevalence cohorts. High interobserver variability warrants further investigation but may be due to the low prevalence of polyps in this cohort and the high impact on total sensitivity of each missed polyp. Specificity, based on large numbers, is high and exhibits excellent agreement among observers.
Perioperative Assessment of Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices

Worldwide, nearly 4 million patients currently have cardiac implantable electronic devices. Due to the increasing number of candidates to receive either pacemakers or implantable cardiac defibrillators, there is no doubt that primary care physicians or anesthesiologists are very likely to interact and deal with this particular patient population. However, besides technologic advancements, several factors have been frequently reported to cause confusion regarding their perioperative care. Therefore, it has become extremely valuable to understand the basic functions and operation of these devices, as well as their functional limitations, to prevent iatrogenic complications and detect potential failure in an early stage. Mt Sinai J Med 79:25–33, 2012.© 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Household exposure models

Abstract Human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in tap water is often assumed to be dominated by ingestion of drinking water. This paper addresses the relative importance of inhalation and dermal exposure in a typical household. A three-compartment model is used to simulate the 24-h concentration history of VOCs in the shower, bathroom, and remaining household volumes as a result of tap water use. Mass transfers from water to air are derived from measured data for radon and used to estimate masstransfer properties for VOCs. The model is used to calculate a range of concentrations and human exposures in U.S. dwellings. The estimated ratio of household-inhalation uptake to ingestion uptake is in the range of 1–6 for VOCs. A dermal absorption model is used to assess exposure across the skin boundary during baths and showers. The ratio of dermal exposure to ingestion exposure is in the range 0.6–1.
Percolation with a threshold at zero: A new universality class.

We propose a new continuum percolation model that has a percolation threshold at zero: The network conducts no matter how small the volume fraction of conductor. The model is in a different universality class from ordinary percolation, despite the fact that it is defined by a potential with only short-range correlations. The conductivity exponent ${t}_{0}$ in two dimensions is calculated in terms of static percolation critical exponents, including a nonstandard exponent x. Static critical exponents are also given in general dimensions. The model may provide a useful description of the pore space of some rocks, which appear to have a percolation threshold at or near zero.
But... Can the Subaltern Sing

In her paper, "But... Can the Subaltern Sing?," Rebecca Romanow discusses the dominance of the English language in rock music and the cultural values and global power that are exerted through the exportation of rock by American and British bands. Further, she explores the question of the ways in which this music represents an area of popular culture where the voices of the non-English speaking and the non-Western are silenced. Salman Rushdie, in The Ground Beneath Her Feet, complains that rock music "is precisely one of those viruses with which the almighty West has infected the East, one of the great weapons of cultural imperialism." The business of rock music production insures that rock remains a global conduit of Western culture, and, emphasizing Edward Said's exhortation to "think of the affiliation ... between music and nation," Romanow argues that the social and cultural power of rock creates a silencing of the non-Western voice. Reading the global proliferation of Western rock through Deleuzian and postcolonial thought, as well as exploring the notion of "world music," Romanow shows the ways in which imperialistic and neo-colonialist hegemonies are embodied within this silencing, creating not a model for hybridity, but rather a deployment of Bhabha's notion of the colonial "mimic man." Rebecca Romanow, "But... Can the Subaltern Sing?" page 2 of 11 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 7.2 (2005):
Acute experimental neuronal injury in the newborn lamb: US characterization and demonstration of hemodynamic effects

Background and purpose: Microinjection into the brain with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), a synthetic analogue of glutamate, has been used as a chemical model of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic injury. Little is known about the sonographic characteristics and hemodynamic consequences of these cytotoxic lesions. An understanding of these features may be useful in the early sonographic identification of stroke in newborns.Methods: Twenty newborn lambs were anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated. Between 0.5 and 5 μ mole NMDA in 0.2 ml phosphate buffered salinen=18), or buffered saline only (n=2) was injected into the right putamen under sonographic guidance. Serial grey-scale and color Doppler images of the brain, Doppler spectra of the middle cerebral and thalamostriate arteries, cerebral blood flow (CBF) determinations using radiolabeled microspheres (n=9), and cerebral oxygen extraction (n=4) were obtained before, and at 15, 60, and 120 min after NMDA injection. Pathologic examination was obtained in 11 animals.Results: Homogeneous, well defined, moderately echogenic lesions surrounded by marked focal hyperemia on color Doppler were identified in every animal injected with 5 μ mole NMDA within minutes of injection. Lesions were characterized by focal areas of chromatolysis and cytoplasmic shrinkage, with scattered petechial hemorrhage. No lesions or hyperemia were observed in the animals injected with normal saline. Mean supratentorial CBF increased from 64±9 ml/min/100 g (control) to 152±30, 115±19, and 102±8 ml/min/100 g at 15, 60, and 120 min after injection respectively. The most marked increases occurred in right midbrain (467% of control), diencephalon (388%), and temporal lobe (282%), but were also observed in homotopic regions of the left hemisphere, and in pons, medulla, and cerebellum. Mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery, and thalmoperforator artery correlated well with changes in hemispheric and midbrain CBF respectively. (r=0.57–0.74,p=0.0001, andr=0.65–0.67,p=0.0001 respectively).Conclusions: Focal brain lesions may be identified by sonography within minutes after experimentally induced neuronal injury. Alterations in echotexture are primarily due to intracellular cytoplasmic changes and microscopic hemorrhage. Local intracerebral injection of NMDA in newborn lambs increases both local and global CBF.
Site-specific antibodies against hydrophilic domains of subunit III of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase affect enzyme function

Abstract Antibodies were raised against conserved amino acid sequences in four extramembranous portions of subunit III (sIII) from beef cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and the role of these domains in the functional activities of the enzyme was investigated. The binding of one antipeptide antibody corresponding to an externally exposed (facing the intermembrane space) domain of COX sIII (amino acids 180–189 in the primary sequence) exhibited a 30–50% stimulation of electron transfer activity in both detergent-dispersed COX and COX incorporated into phospholipid vesicles (COV). Antibody binding to two different matrix-faced domains (amino acids 57–66 and 148–159 in the sequence) resulted in small stimulations (10–25%) of COX electron transfer activity. The remaining antipeptide antibody (against amino acids 119–128) had no effect on electron transfer activity of COX in detergent solution, but exhibited a slight inhibition of activity (15%) in COV. The mechanism of antibody-induced stimulation of COX electron transfer activity was determined to be an increase in the maximum velocity of the enzyme and not due to a change in the apparent Km of cytochrome c interaction with COX as determined by steady state kinetic assays. Antibody binding to COX in COV increased the respiratory control ratio (an indicator of endogenous proton permeability) of COV, but had no effect on the vectorial proton pumping activity of COV. These results suggest that these conserved, hydrophilic domains of COX sIII are conformationally linked to the electron transfer function of the enzyme in subunits I and II and that sIII may serve as a regulatory subunit for COX electron transfer and proton pumping activities.
Predictors of sustained abstinence during psychosocial treatments for cocaine dependence

Abstract Using data from the National Institute of Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study, the authors examined 24 patient pretreatment variables as predictors of outcome. The most clinically meaningful outcome in the treatment of substance dependence—degree of sustained abstinence—was used. Predictor variables included demographic features, aspects of the disorder and the recovery environment, expectations about treatment, and beliefs about addiction, relapse, and the 12-step philosophy. Four of the 24 examined variables—craving, acuity of biomedical problems, belief in the 12-step philosophy, and expectations for improvement—were significantly predictive of degree of sustained abstinence using a Bonferroni-corrected alpha level. No significant interactions with treatment condition were noted. The joint effect of the 4 predictor variables had a clinically meaningful impact on outcome.
Omnidirectional Vision Navigation Integrating Bancon Recognition With Positioning

This paper presents a recent development of the dynamic omnidirectional vision navigation technique which uses a fish-eye lens to map an entire scene of the surroundings. A beacon recognition approach based on the omni-vision characteristics is described. The navigation software integrating the beacon recognition with robot positioning is provided for practical application. The results of preliminary experiments are presented in this paper. The development of the method will lead to practical navigation module for mobile robots.
Delta: automatic identification of unknown web-based infection campaigns

Identifying malicious web sites has become a major challenge in today's Internet. Previous work focused on detecting if a web site is malicious by dynamically executing JavaScript in instrumented environments or by rendering web sites in client honeypots. Both techniques bear a significant evaluation overhead, since the analysis can take up to tens of seconds or even minutes per sample. In this paper, we introduce a novel, purely static analysis approach, the Delta-system, that (i) extracts change-related features between two versions of the same website, (ii) uses a machine-learning algorithm to derive a model of web site changes, (iii) detects if a change was malicious or benign, (iv) identifies the underlying infection vector campaign based on clustering, and (iv) generates an identifying signature.We demonstrate the effectiveness of the Delta-system by evaluating it on a dataset of over 26 million pairs of web sites by running next to a web crawler for a period of four months. Over this time span, the Delta-system successfully identified previously unknown infection campaigns. Including a campaign that targeted installations of the Discuz!X Internet forum software, injected infection vectors into these forums, and redirected to an installation of the Cool Exploit Kit.
Family Policy in Sweden

Sweden has a well-developed family policy, organized around the goals of family economic security and physical well-being, voluntary parenthood, gender equality, and children's rights. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of family policy in Sweden, beginning with a brief history of the development of family policy goals and a consideration of the reasons for the consensus on family policy goals that has arisen. Details are provided on programs designed to reach goals, and the success of these programs is evaluated. The impact of recent economic and political developments on the future of family policy making in Sweden is also discussed.
Cloning of the zebra finch androgen synthetic enzyme CYP17: a study of its neural expression throughout posthatch development.

Male zebra finches develop a robust neural song system that supports singing, but females have a minimal song circuit and do not sing. Estrogens masculinize the song circuit and are especially potent during the first 3 weeks of posthatch development. The gonads do not seem to supply the masculinizing steroids, implying that another tissue synthesizes steroids. Evidence suggests that the brain is capable of synthesizing neurosteroids, which in developing zebra finches may be required for song system differentiation. Aromatase, the enzyme that synthesizes estrogen from androgen, is equally abundant in male and female brains. To investigate further the potential for neurosteroidogenesis in the zebra finch brain, we cloned and examined the expression of 17α-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (CYP17), the enzyme that synthesizes the androgenic substrate for aromatase. We used Northern blots, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and in situ hybridization to show that CYP17 is transcribed in developing and adult brains. CYP17 is transcribed at developmental stages and in brain areas potentially important to aspects of the developing song system, although no sex difference was detected in mRNA levels. Our results support the hypothesis that neurosteroids may act to influence brain organization and function in the zebra finch. J. Comp. Neurol. 467:496–508, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Plasmonic nanoprobes: from chemical sensing to medical diagnostics and therapy

This article provides an overview of the development and applications of plasmonics-active nanoprobes in our laboratory for chemical sensing, medical diagnostics and therapy. Molecular Sentinel nanoprobes provide a unique tool for DNA/RNA biomarker detection both in a homogeneous solution or on a chip platform for medical diagnostics. The possibility of combining spectral selectivity and high sensitivity of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) process with the inherent molecular specificity of nanoprobes provides an important multiplex diagnostic modality. Gold nanostars can provide an excellent multi-modality platform, combining two-photon luminescence with photothermal therapy as well as Raman imaging with photodynamic therapy. Several examples of optical detection using SERS and photonics-based treatments are presented to illustrate the usefulness and potential of the plasmonic nanoprobes for theranostics, which seamlessly combines diagnostics and therapy.
On the Ideographic Element in Ancient Chinese

Some two years ago the writer published a paper calling attention to the curious fact that whereas almost no one has denied the existence of a large ideographic element in Chinese writing, the technical study of Chinese by Western experts has been directed almost exclusively toward phonetic phenomena 1). It was suggested that, especially in view of the great accretion of new materials in the form of recently excavated and recently deciphered inscriptions, the important and largely neglected field of Chinese ideography should receive more careful study. A few more or less tentative principles for such study were posited. Propositions which, if demonstrable, give valuable support to the major theses of my earlier paper have been published by Professor Peter A. Boodberg of the University of California in a recent article in the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 2). It is generally recognized that, due to the phonetic poverty of contemporary Chinese, literary texts are unintelligible if read aloud. Even of literary pai hua Professor Karlgren has written that 'If we transcribe a few passages with ordinary letters, and then try to
Search for Hawking radiation in heavy ion collisions

The creation of “white holes” that decay by Hawking radiation has been proposed as one way to achieve the very early thermalization observed in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. The charartistic temperature of the radiations depends only on the ratio of the baryon number to the transverse energy. The yields of pions, kaons, protons and antiprotons measured by BRAHMS in central Au+Au collisions can be described within a thermal model where T drops with rapidity, and beam energy. We find that the chemical freeze-out temperature drops as the ratio of baryon number to energy increases but much more rapidly than predicted by the model.
THE INITIATION OF DEVELOPMENT BY THE EARLY AND LATE EMERGING MORPHS OF HYALOPHORA CECROPIA

The bimodal emergence of Hyalophora cecropia moths is due to a 2-month delay in initiation of adult development by the late group. The early group takes twice as long to develop as the late group because of lower temperatures experienced during development. Resume LE DEBUT DU DEVELOPPEMENT CHEZ LES FORMES A EMERGENCE PRECOCE OU TARDIVE DE HYALOPHORA CECROPIA L'emergence bimodale des adultes de Hyalophora cecropia est due a ce que le developpement de l'adulte debute avec un retard de 2 mois chez les individus a emergence tardive. Le developpement prend deux fois plus de temps chez les individus a emergence precede, en raison de temperatures plus basses subies au cours du developpement.
Methane reductions : implications for global warming and atmospheric chemical change

Atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations have more than doubled over the last two centuries. These increases may contribute to global warming, enhance formation of tropospheric ozone, suppress OH and affect stratospheric ozone. Calculations show that stabilization of CH4 could reduce projected temperature increases and possibly mitigate background tropospheric O3 increases due to increasing levels of CH4.
Improving standardised university exam scores through problem-based learning

The researcher designed a quasi-experiment at a public university to evaluate how problem-based learning, prior ability and demographic factors influenced student scores on the standardised exam major field test for business. The participants were 135 senior students graduating from a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration programme. Descriptive statistics, validity tests, correlation, chi square goodness of fit, best subsets regression, general linear model regression, and analysis of covariance were applied to test the hypotheses that SAT, GPA, gender and pedagogy influenced exam score. A new finding was that applying problem-based learning improved standardised exam scores.