cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hospital-Based Perinatal Home-Care Program

In recent years, hospitals have established home-care programs to provide care on a continuum, meeting needs in the hospital and home setting, whichever is most appropriate and efficient in response to defined patient needs. Hospital-based home-care programs with specialization in perinatal nursing have been established to meet the care needs of patients and their families during antepartum, postpartum, and neonatal periods. One of the greatest advantages of a hospital-based program is the internal availability of highly knowledgeable and skilled nursing staff. Physicians are more likely to refer patients to a program that is staffed with nurses they know and trust from the hospital setting. More cost-effective and coordinated care is achieved through the appropriate use of resources across the continuum.
A note on the quantity (effective) perceived noisiness and units of perceived noise level

Abstract Terminology distinctions to be made between the subjective quantity of perceived noisiness and physical units of sound measurement are briefly discussed. Some recommendations concerning standardization of terminology and units of sound measurement are given. A new analysis of the results of two major experiments involving judgments of aircraft noise made in the field and in the laboratory suggests that the perceived noisiness of the occurrence of sounds of different spectral and temporal characteristics are best and reasonably well predicted from units of physical measurement called herein EPNdBN (based on 1 3 - octave band spectra) and EdBD2 (overall sound pressure levels weighted by a function D2).
A novel method to increase the growth rate in sublimation crystal growth of advanced materials

Sublimation crystal growth technique is widely used for the growth of optoelectronic materials, such as aluminum nitride (AlN). In this paper, an integrated model is developed to study the effects of powder geometry on crystal growth rate whereas induction heating, powder charge sublimation, vapor transport, and porosity evolution are considered. The mechanism of vapor transport is proposed by introducing a driving force arising from the temperature difference in AlN sublimation growth system. Powder porosity evolution and sublimation rate variation are predicted based on the vapor transport mechanism. In addition, a new method by optimizing the initial powder porosity and creating holes in the packed powder is proposed to increase the crystal growth rate. Simulation results for the sublimation of powder with and without central hole are presented. It is found that the powder sublimation rate is higher when hole is present. This is also validated experimentally. Effects of initial porosity, particle size and driving force on the sublimation rate are also studied. Finally, the powder geometry is optimized based on numerical simulations. The findings from this investigation can also be applied to SiC since SiC sublimation growth is similar to AlN.
Clonogenic methods in vitro for the enumeration of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) in human bone marrow and mouse bone marrow and spleen

Protocols and techniques are described for the in vitro enumeration of granulocyte and macrophage progenitors found in human bone marrow and mouse bone marrow and spleen. Study of the colony forming unitgranulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) in human bone marrow is usually first accomplished by density separation of whole bone marrow “buffy coats” through Ficoll-Paque into low- and high-density fractions. After collection of the low-density fraction (containing most or all of the CFU-GM), cells are washed and suspended, at a known cell concentration, in a mixture of culture medium, fetal bovine serum (or serum-supplements), agar or agarose, with a source of colony stimulating factor(s). Cultures are allowed to solidify and are then placed in a humidified 37°C incubator at 5% CO2 in lowered (5%) O2 tension for 7 to 14 d. Colonies (>40 cells/ aggregate) and clusters (3 to 40 cells/ aggregate) are then scored. Murine CFU-GM are cultured and characterized in a similar manner except tissues are separated into a single cell suspension without a density separation, and the culture time is reduced to 5 to 7 d. Colonies and clusters are scored as previously described. Purification of CFU-GM can be performed and these cells cultured as above.
Athens Insomnia Scale: validation of an instrument based on ICD-10 criteria

Abstract Objectives: To describe and validate the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Methods: The AIS is a self-assessment psychometric instrument designed for quantifying sleep difficulty based on the ICD-10 criteria. It consists of eight items: the first five pertain to sleep induction, awakenings during the night, final awakening, total sleep duration, and sleep quality; while the last three refer to well-being, functioning capacity, and sleepiness during the day. Either the entire eight-item scale (AIS-8) or the brief five-item version (AIS-5), which contains only the first five items, can be utilized. The validation of the AIS was based on its administration to 299 subjects: 105 primary insomniacs, 144 psychiatric patients and 50 non-patient controls. Results: Regarding internal consistency, for both versions of the scale, the Cronbach's α was around 0.90 and the mean item–total correlation coefficient was about 0.70. Moreover, in the factor analysis, the scale emerged as a sole component. The test–retest reliability correlation coefficient was found almost 0.90 at a 1-week interval. As far as external validity is concerned, the correlations of the AIS-8 and AIS-5 with the Sleep Problems Scale were 0.90 and 0.85, respectively. Conclusion: The high measures of consistency, reliability, and validity of the AIS make it an invaluable tool in sleep research and clinical practice.
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis following acute kidney injury and exposure to gadolinium

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a scleroderma-like systemic fibrosing condition of unknown etiology described in patients with renal insufficiency. Gadolinium exposure has been strongly associated with the development of NSF though the mechanism of such injury is not known. There are only few reported cases of NSF in the setting of acute renal failure and fewer reported cases where skin lesions developed after kidney function had returned to normal. We report a case of NSF in a young Hispanic woman with lupus nephritis but normal creatinine, who received gadolinium during a brief episode of prerenal acute kidney injury not requiring dialysis, secondary to sepsis.
Determination of winter temperature patterns, fronts, and surface currents in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from satellite imagery

Abstract A detailed winter sea surface temperature (SST) pattern in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea is derived from meteorological satellite thermal infrared images. The isotherms in the pattern are calibrated by temperature measurements in situ. The features of SST patterns are analyzed using images taken from a variety of satellites (DMSP, NOAA-5,6, GMS-1, and TIROS-N) over the last 10 years. The winter SST pattern has a “sandwich” structure, which implies that two warm tongues sandwich one cold tongue. This pattern starts forming at the end of November, has formed by the end of January, begins to decline at the end of February, and disappears at the end of April. In the SST patterns strong coastal fronts can be discerned. They are the Shandong Peninsula coastal front, the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal front and the South Korean coastal front. Based on the features of SST patterns and these fronts, the winter surface currents are discussed.
A NOTE ON SOME ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR RESPONSE BIAS CHANGES DURING FORCED-CHOICE DETECTION EXPERIMENTS1

Several variants of a learning model for forced-choice detection experiments (Atkinson and Kinchla, 1965) may be produced by making various reasonable assumptions regarding which events are effective in producing response bias changes. Atkinson and Kinchla assumed the bias changed according to a single parameter stochastic learning mechanism; such changes occurring only when no signal was detected. An alternative formulation uses two learning parameters and postulates that the bias changes on every trial, but at different rates according to whether or not the signal is detected. This two-parameter model was applied to the data of Atkinson and Kinchla, and numerical estimates of the parameters were obtained which confirm the conjecture that the bias changes principally during non-detection trials. In addition, the parameter estimates indicate that the relative effectiveness of information feedback is determined by its relative frequency of occurrence, an inference which was not possible from the single-parameter model.
Discovery and investigation of misincorporation of serine at asparagine positions in recombinant proteins expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Misincorporation of amino acids in proteins expressed in Escherichia coli has been well documented but not in proteins expressed in mammalian cells under normal recombinant protein production conditions. Here we report for the first time that Ser can be incorporated at Asn positions in proteins expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. This misincorporation was discovered as a result of intact mass measurement, peptide mapping analysis, and tandem mass spectroscopy sequencing. Our analyses showed that the substitution was not related to specific protein molecules or DNA codons and was not site-specific. We believe that the incorporation of Ser at sites coded for Asn was due to mischarging of tRNAAsn rather than to codon misreading. The rationale for substitution of Asn by Ser and not by other amino acids is also discussed. Further investigation indicated that the substitution was due to the starvation for Asn in the cell culture medium and that the substitution could be limited by using the Asn-rich feed. These observations demonstrate that the quality of expressed proteins should be closely monitored when altering cell culture conditions.
Volume Distortion for Subsets of Euclidean Spaces

In Rao (Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium on Computational Geometry, pp. 300306, 1999), it is shown that every n-point Euclidean metric with polynomial aspect ratio admits a Euclidean embedding with k-dimensional distortion bounded by , a result which is tight for constant values of k. We show that this holds without any assumption on the aspect ratio and give an improved bound of . Our main result is an upper bound of independent of the value of k, nearly resolving the main open questions of Dunagan and Vempala (Randomization, Approximation, and Combinatorial Optimization, pp. 229240, 2001) and Krauthgamer et al. (Discrete Comput. Geom. 31(3):339356, 2004). The best previous bound was O(log n), and our bound is nearly tight, as even the two-dimensional volume distortion of an n-vertex path is .
Geometric calibration of line-scan camera using a planar pattern

We present an innovative calibration method for line-scan cameras to estimate the intrinsic parameters. The calibration involves using a stationary planar pattern that consists of repeated vertical and slanted lines, and constructing a two-dimensional (2-D) calibration framework with one-dimensional (1-D) data. A feature point reconstruction method is applied to transform the 1-D camera calibration problem into the 2-D scope. Camera parameters are then solved by using a 2-D camera model with constraints unique to 1-D geometry. In our tests over 12 calibrations with images of 2048×2048 pixels , the average of the reprojection errors is 0.46 pixels. As opposed to other line-scan camera calibration techniques, this method does not require the camera to progressively scan a pattern, thus eliminating the need for additional mechanical devices to assist the calibration. This method does not need a three-dimensional pattern as a calibration target, either. The stationary planar target makes the calibration more suitable for an application that has to be done in a nonlaboratory setting, such as highway pavement inspection.
Comparative studies on the hydrolysis of odd-chain and even-chain fatty acid cholesterol esters by rat liver sterol ester hydrolase.

Abstract The complete series of even- and odd-chain straight chain saturated fatty acid cholesterol esters were synthesized. Their melting points alternated in a fashion resembling that of the corresponding fatty acids. Rat liver cholesterol ester hydrolase (sterol ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.13) exhibited rates which were markedly dependent on the chain length of the fatty acid constituent. Most important, they were alternating with each one of the even-chain fatty acid cholesterol ester hydrolyzed at a higher rate than did the odd-chain ester containing either one more or one less carbon atom. Alternations in physical properties and in hydrolyzability are discussed in terms of tilting of the hydrocarbon chain with respect to the carboxyl group. It is suggested, that tilting gives rise to geometric differences which influence hydrocarbon chain interactions. In crystals they are reflected in melting points. In reaction rates they manifest themselves during the formation of the substrate-enzyme complex.
Induction of genetic recombination: consequences and model systems.

Radiation and many chemicals have been found to induce homologous genetic recombination. Experimental systems that allow the detection and characterization of recombinagens exist in organisms as diverse as bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and mammals. Recombination plays an important role in many biological processes, and studies of recombinagens can provide insight into underlying mechanisms. Studies of recombinagens are also of applied interest in genetic toxicology, because recombinational events in somatic cells can contribute to human disease. Clear connections have been established between mitotic recombination and the etiology of some cancers. This article briefly reviews two aspects of the induction of genetic recombination by radiation and chemicals—the health implications of recombinagenic effects and assays for detecting recombinagens. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A sensitive and specific assay for histidine decarboxylase activity.

Abstract A method for assay of histidine decarboxylase activity is described; it is based upon using as substrate 14C-histidine labeled in the carboxyl carbon and trapping in hydroxide of hyamine the 14CO2 evolved during incubation. This procedure may be applied to assay of histidine decarboxylase activity in individual tissue specimens after gel-filtration chromatography of homogenates. For illustrative purposes assays of gastric tissue homogenates are presented. Among the advantages offered by this technique over those previously reported are simplicity, specificity, sensitivity, and the capability of expressing enzyme activity in terms of total histamine formed per unit of original tissue. Histidine decarboxylases from fetal rat tissue and from gastric tissue were found to be stereospecific for l -histidine and not inhibited by high concentrations of histamine. Data are presented that suggest the presence of an unidentified soluble inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase in gastric tissue.
In vitro Inhibition of Viral DNA Polymerase Activity by Litmomycin

Abstract Litmomycin, an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces litmogenes , is highly active against Gram‐positive bacteria and possesses antitumor activity. It inhibited viral DNA polymerase activity in vitro . The amount of litmomycin required to cause 50% inhibition of enzyme activity was 80–100 μ g (180–225 nmoles)/ml of reaction mixture. The enzyme inhibition was observed when polyriboade‐nylate‐oligodeoxythymidylate, polydeoxyadenylate‐oligode‐oxythymidylate, polyribocytidylate‐oligodeoxyguanylate, activated DNA and 70S RNA were used as templates. Reaction kinetics and the mechanism of enzyme inhibition are discussed. The results suggest that litmomycin interacts with the template primer and not with the enzyme protein to stop the polymerization process.
Expansion of human umbilical cord blood SCID-repopulating cells using chromatin-modifying agents

Objective We investigated whether the addition of two chromatin-modifying agents, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5azaD) and trichostatin A (TSA), to cord blood (CB) CD34 + cells in culture results in expansion of the numbers of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) repopulating cells (SRC). Materials and Methods Human CB CD34 + cells were cultured with cytokines in the presence or absence of 5azaD/TSA. After 9 days of culture, the fold expansion of CD34 + and CD34 + CD90 + cell numbers, colony-forming unit (CFU)-mix, cobblestone area-forming cell (CAFC), and SRC numbers were determined. Results A 12.5-fold expansion of CD34 + CD90 + cells was observed in the 5azaD/TSA-treated cultures in comparison to the input cell numbers. Expansion of CD34 + CD90 + cells was associated with a 9.8-fold increase in the numbers of CFU-mix and 11.5-fold increase in CAFC. 5azaD/TSA treatment of the CB CD34 + cells resulted in a 9.6-fold expansion of the absolute number of SRC following 9 days of culture as determined by limiting dilution analysis. Expansion of cells maintaining CD34 + CD90 + phenotype was not due to the retention of a quiescent population of cells because all of the CD34 + CD90 + cells in the culture had undergone cellular division. 5azaD/TSA-treated CD34 + CD90 + cells, but not CD34 + CD90 − cells were responsible for in vivo hematopoietic repopulation potential of nonobese diabetic/SCID mice. Conclusion Ex vivo expansion strategy using chromatin-modifying agents provides a potential avenue by which to expand the number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) with a single CB unit for use as an alternative source of HSC grafts for adult recipients.
An efficient bandwidth management scheme for real-time Internet applications

Differentiated services (DiffServ) was recently proposed by the IETF as a scalable solution for the Internet QoS. Within the DiffServ architecture, premium services is a service class which is proposed for interactive real-time applications like Internet telephony or video conference. In order to ensure the service quality of premium services, each DiffServ domain needs to appropriately negotiate a service level agreement (SLA) with its customers and neighboring domains. Because the resources for premium service is usually a small part of the total network band-width, dynamic SLA negotiation is preferred to maximize the resource utilization. However, a completely dynamic SLA negotiation scheme introduces scalability problem for the bandwidth broker (BB). In this paper, we introduce the concept of 'pipe' as a viable solution for this scalability problem. We propose a simple threshold-based updating scheme for the pipe which incurs an acceptable updating overhead for the BB while maintaining a high utilization of the pipe. We study the performance of the threshold-based updating scheme and compare it with an ideal updating scheme. The ideal scheme is theoretically optimal as it uses future knowledge for periodically updating the pipe capacity. The performance of the threshold-based updating scheme is very close to the ideal updating scheme.
Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)-Based Next Generation Commercially Available Substrate: Physical Characterization and Biological Application

The development of a sensing platform capable of detecting and identifying hazards including biological, chemical, and energetic in nature is a long sought after goal of the Army and many other first responders. Surface enhanced Raman scatting (SERS) is one spectroscopic technique gaining popularity as a solution to many sensing needs due to its many advantages such as high sensitivity, little to no sample preparation required, and use in numerous environmental settings). Despite all the advantages of SERS, it still remains a marginalized sensing technique primarily due to the challenges in fabricating a reliable, highly sensitive and reproducible nanoscale surface. In this work, we show that many of these challenges have been overcome with a newly developed commercially available Klarite SERS substrate. These substrates are fabricated in a fashion similar to standard Klarite substrates, but due to changes in size and spacing of the inverted pyramidal structurethere is an overall increase of SERS sensing capabilities of up to 4 orders of magnitude. In this proceeding paper, the next generation Klarite (308 and 309) substrates are characterized, analyte sensitivity demonstrated at 633 nm and 785 nm, and a brief discussion of their biological sensing capabilities is presented.
Morphometric and volumetric analysis of the lateral masses of the lower cervical spine

STUDY DESIGN Morphometric and volumetric analysis. OBJECTIVE To define the morphometric and volumetric variance of the lateral masses of C5, C6, and C7. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Lateral mass screws are routinely placed throughout the subaxial cervical spine but the morphology of the C7 lateral mass is associated with greater difficulty in obtaining adequate purchase. Previous studies have suggested that modified techniques may be associated with better screw purchase in the C7 lateral mass and subsequent avoidance of complications such as foraminal intrusion and C7-T1 facet joint violation. It is necessary to systematically examine the morphometric and volumetric differences among lower cervical lateral masses in order to define the morphologic differences as this has implication with C7 lateral mass instrumentation. METHODS Morphometric and volumetric analysis was performed on computed tomography scans of the of the lateral masses of C5, C6, and C7 in 25 male and 25 female patients in the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. Volumetric analysis was conducted by tracing the lateral mass at progressive 1 mm axial slices and images were linked for complex volume calculation. RESULTS At all levels and for all measurements, men and women differed significantly (P < 0.05). Between C5 and C6, sagittal height differed in both men and women, whereas axial articular process (AP) diameter differed only in males (9.2 mm at C5 vs. 10.5 mm at C6). C7 differed statistically from C5 and C6 as measurements increased in sagittal height, sagittal diagonal height, coronal height (women only), and axial AP diameter (women only). C7 measurements decreased relative to the other levels in medial-to-lateral measurements in the axial plane (12.8 vs. 11.5 mm in men, 11.4 vs. 10.5 mm in women), sagittal thickness and axial AP diameter only differed in women. Importantly, the angulation of the lower cervical spine decreases by approximately 6 degrees moving toward C7. There was no statistical difference in lateral mass volume between any of the vertebrae. CONCLUSION The degree of cervical angulation represents a consistent and significant anatomic relationship in the lower cervical spine and may necessitate a modified surgical approach.
Biogenic amines in the antennal lobes and the initiation and maintenance of foraging behavior in honey bees.

Previous findings showed that high levels of octopamine and serotonin in the antennal lobes of adult worker honey bees are associated with foraging behavior, and octopamine treatment induces precocious foraging. To better characterize the relationship between amines and foraging behavior in honey bees, we performed a detailed correlative analysis of amine levels in the antennal lobes as a function of various aspects of foraging behavior. Flight activity was measured under controlled conditions in a large outdoor flight cage. Levels of octopamine in the antennal lobes were found to be elevated immediately subsequent to the onset of foraging, but they did not change as a consequence of preforaging orientation flight activity, diurnal pauses in foraging, or different amounts of foraging experience, suggesting that octopamine helps to trigger and maintain the foraging behavioral state. In contrast, levels of serotonin and dopamine did not show changes that would implicate them as either causal agents of foraging, or as neurochemical systems affected by the act of foraging. Serotonin treatment had no effect on the likelihood of foraging. These results provide further support for the hypothesis that an increase in octopamine levels in the antennal lobes plays a causal role in the initiation and maintenance of the behavioral state of foraging, and thus is involved in the regulation of division of labor in honey bees. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 54: 406–416, 2003
Abstract C47: Dual kinase inhibition of EGFR and HER2 can overcome resistance to an EGFR‐targeting agent

EGFR and HER2 expression are correlated with poor prognosis in several cancers including bladder cancer. The EGFR‐targeting agent cetuximab is currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of bladder cancer, but has only been modestly effective as a single agent in most solid tumor types. In colon cancer, lack of cetuximab efficacy has been attributed to compensatory activating mutations in Kras. The incidence of Kras mutations is rare in bladder carcinomas. There is a need for preclinical models with which to study resistance to EGFR‐targeting agents. Here, we generated four cetuximab‐resistant clones of a cetuximab‐sensitive transitional bladder cancer cell line in vivo by exposing cetuximab‐sensitive bladder cancer cell line xenografts to slowly increasing concentrations of cetuximab. We verified this resistance in vivo by demonstrating growth of cetuximab‐resistant xenografts in the presence of high doses of cetuximab, as well as establishing differential sensitivity to cetuximab between sensitive and resistant xenografts in vivo . We validated the cetuximab‐resistant phenotype of these cells in vitro by showing decreased response to cetuximab in an invasion assay. We examined the levels of total and phosphorylated EGFR, HER2, HER3, AKT, MAPK, and the total protein levels of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition markers E‐cadherin and Vimentin in the isogenic cetuximab‐sensitive and cetuximab‐resistant cells. Increased phosphorylation of the ERBB family members HER2 and HER3 was detected in cetuximab‐resistant clones compared with their cetuximab‐sensitive parental cell lines. Treatment of the cetuximab‐resistant cells with an irreversible dual kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR and HER2 (BIBW2992), successfully inhibited their growth. These data suggest that activation of HER2 and HER3 may contribute to cetuximab resistance where targeting these other HER family members may enhance the efficacy of EGFR blockade. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):C47.
Ornithophily among the Hawaiian Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae): evidence from floral nectar sugar compositions

Data on the sugar compositions of floral nectars were used to test the hypothesis that the Hawaiian Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae) were pollinated by nectarivorous passerine birds (Fringillidae subfam. Drepanidinae, Meliphagidae) prior to widespread extinctions among the native avifauna. Nectars from 24 individuals (representing different taxa [three genera, ten species, and three interspecific hybrids], different conspecific populations, and different individuals within a population) were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mean percentages (?one S.D.) and ranges (parenthetically) for each sugar were: fructose, 43.5 ? 2.8% (37.20/o-48.3%); glucose, 54.5 ? 3.1% (47.20/oe62.8%); and sucrose, 2.0 ? 1.6% (0.00/o-5.3%). These nectars are thus hexose-dominant (mean sucrose-hexose ratio of 0.019 ? 0.017), the type preferred by passerine birds.
Si monolithic microchannel-cooled diode array for high-brightness pumping

As laser-diode bars produce higher output power, complementary improvements in heat sink performance will be needed to avoid limiting the maximum available power.[1] Laser-diode arrays can be categorized into two groups: those in which many diode bars are bonded onto a single heat-sinking structure, and those that utilize an individual heat sink for each diode bar. which are then stacked together. The latter approach often exploits microchannels for water cooling to achieve the best thermal performance,[2] but this method suffers from the large number of components and gaskets. In contrast, the high thermal impedance of the single heat sink approach does not scale well to future needs, as the output/thermal power of diode bars are steadily increasing.
An experimental test of symmetry selection rules in inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS)

Abstract The inelastic electron tunneling spectrum of a highly symmetric molecule, anthracene, is presented. An analysis of the spectrum shows that the vibrational frequencies as measured by tunneling agree well with optical measurements. The high degree of symmetry of the molecule allows separation of the infrared, Raman, and optically inactive modes. The infrared and Raman active modes have comparable intensities; the optically inactive modes are much weaker. Analysis of these intensities within the framework of existing theories suggests that the coupling of tunneling electrons to the induced dipole moment of molecules is large and cannot be neglected.
Financing Local Roads: Current Problems and New Paradigm

Local governments are changing the ways that they finance streets and roads. As the motor fuel tax becomes less productive, the states and the federal government have been devolving the responsibility for financing these vital facilities to local governments, which in turn have relied on general fund revenue and have increasingly adopted local option taxes. Generally, these local taxes have no direct relationship to actual road use and thus tend to be inequitable and inefficient. Without policy innovations, the dependence on non-use-related financing of local roads will increase as new vehicle propulsion systems such as electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells penetrate the market. Several possible policy directions to increase the role of direct road user charges are evaluated. A mileage-based user charge is found to have considerable potential both as a financing mechanism and as a means for implementing road pricing. Among the policies that can be supported are congestion pricing, privately operated to...
Learning strategies for making sense out of expository text: The SOI model for guiding three cognitive processes in knowledge construction

This article examines learning strategies that promote meaningful learning from expository text as evidenced by problem-solving transfer. The teaching of learning strategies involves decisions concerning what to teach, how to teach, where to teach, and when to teach. The teaching of learning strategies also depends on the teacher's conception of learners as response strengtheners, information processors, or sense makers. Three cognitive processes involved in meaningful learning are selecting relevant information from what is presented, organizing selected information into a coherent representation, and integrating presented information with existing knowledge. Finally, exemplary programs for teaching of learning strategies are presented. The most effective method for teaching students how to make sense out of expository text is for students to participate in selecting, organizing, and integrating information within the context of authentic academic tasks.
GPU-Enabled Macromolecular Simulation: Challenges and Opportunities

GPU-enabled simulation of fully atomistic macromolecular systems is rapidly gaining momentum, enabled by massive parallelism and the parallelizability of various components of the underlying algorithms and methodologies. Here, we consider key aspects required for obtaining realistic macromolecular systems specifically adapted to GPUs; these aspects include realistic mathematical models and valid simulations.
Discrimination and Classification of Thermophilic and Mesophilic Proteins

There has been considerable interest in the physical basis for the increased thermostability of thermophilic proteins with respect to their mesophilic counterparts since the discovery of highly heat tolerant organisms. We have systematically studied several large sets of protein structures in order to find those properties with the most power to discriminate mesophilic proteins from their thermophilic orthologs and then to classify proteins based on sequence and structural properties. Most of the structure-based descriptors used in our discrimination and classification experiments were derived from the Delaunay tessellations of the protein structures.
Differential effects of aging on limb blood flow in humans

Aging appears to attenuate leg blood flow during exercise; in contrast, such data are scant and do not support this contention in the arm. Therefore, to determine whether aging has differing effect...
Heme Is a Carbon Monoxide Receptor for Large-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous paracrine and autocrine gaseous messenger that regulates physiological functions in a wide variety of tissues. CO induces vasodilation by activating arterial smooth muscle large-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (BKCa) channels. However, the mechanism by which CO activates BKCa channels remains unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that CO activates BKCa channels by binding to channel-bound heme, a BKCa channel inhibitor, and altering the interaction between heme and the conserved heme-binding domain (HBD) of the channel α subunit C terminus. Data obtained using thin-layer chromatography, spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry (MS), and MS-MS indicate that CO modifies the binding of reduced heme to the α subunit HBD. In contrast, CO does not alter the interaction between the HBD and oxidized heme (hemin), to which CO cannot bind. Consistent with these findings, electrophysiological measurements of native and cloned (cbv) cerebral artery smooth muscle BKCa channels ...
Combinning linear vestibulo-ocular and opto-kinetic reflex in a humanoid robot

The angular vestibulo-ocular and opto-kinetic reflexes (aVOR and OKR) combine to provide compensation for head rotations in space to help maintain a steady image on the retina. We previously implemented an artificial angular vestibulo-ocular reflex with a fully articulated binocular control system in a quadruped robot head. In this paper, we describe the implementation of artificial opto-kinetic and linear vestibular ocular reflexes (OKR and lVOR) that use inputs from an artificial vestibular sensor and a binocular camera system to compensate for linear movements of the head and visual motion to stabilize images on the cameras. The object tracking algorithm was able to fixate a steady object in the camera's field of view during linear perturbations of the robot's head in space at low frequencies of movement (0.2-0.6 Hz), simulating the linear VOR. We implemented an algorithm that combines the linear VOR and OKR model and computes changes in relative pose of the cameras with respect to the object being tracked. The system provides compensatory angular movements of the Ocular Servo Module (OSM) to stabilize images as the robot is moved laterally.
Molecular weights of vesicular stomatitis virus and its defective particles by laser light-scattering spectroscopy.

Laser light-scattering spectroscopy has been used to determine the diffusion coefficients of vesicular stomatitis virus and three of its defective particles in order to calculate their molecular weights. Images
Reduction of water surface tension significantly impacts gecko adhesion underwater.

Synopsis The gecko adhesive system is dependent on weak van der Waals interactions that are multiplied across thousands of fine hair-like structures (setae) on geckos’ toe pads. Due to the requirements of van der Waals forces, we expect that any interruption between the setae and substrate, such as a water layer, will compromise adhesion. Our recent results suggest, however, that the air layer (plastron) surrounding the superhydrophobic toe pads aid in expelling water at the contact interface and create strong shear adhesion in water when in contact with hydrophobic surfaces. To test the function of the air plastron, we reduced the surface tension of water using two surfactants, a charged anionic surfactant and a neutral nonionic surfactant. We tested geckos on three substrates: hydrophilic glass and two hydrophobic surfaces, glass with a octadecyl trichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer (OTS-SAM) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). We found that the anionic surfactant inhibited the formation of the air plastron layer and significantly reduced shear adhesion to all three substrates. Interestingly, the air plastron was more stable in the nonionic surfactant treatments than the anionic surfactant treatments and we found that geckos adhered better in the nonionic surfactant than in the anionic surfactant on OTS-SAM and PTFE but not on glass. Our results have implications for the evolution of a superhydrophobic toe pad and highlight some of the challenges faced in designing synthetic adhesives that mimic geckos’ toes.
Influence of bolt tightening torque, wire size, and component reuse on wire fixation in circular external fixation.

Objectives— To evaluate the effects of bolt torque, wire size, and component reuse on the ability to maintain wire tension in 3 external skeletal fixation systems. Study— Design Biomechanical study. Methods— Yield strength in tension of 1.0-, 1.2-, 1.5-, and 1.6-mm-diameter wires, and yield strength in torque of Hofmann Small Bone Fixation (SBF) cannulated and slotted bolts and IMEX regular and miniature bolts were determined on a testing machine. The minimum bolt tightening torque needed to prevent wire slippage at clinically recommended wire tensions was determined. Components were tested 10 times, and loads at slippage were recorded. Results— The IMEX system required a mean of 8 Nm of bolt tightening torque to maintain 900 N (1.6-mm wires). The SBF system required a mean of 3 Nm bolt torque to maintain 300 N (1.0-mm wires) and 5 Nm to maintain 600 N (1.2-mm wires). The SBF cannulated bolt required 9 Nm of torque to maintain 900 N (1.5-mm wires). The SBF slotted bolts could only maintain 800 N before yield. The IMEX miniature system required a mean bolt torque of 1.1 Nm to maintain 300 N. The cannulated and slotted bolts from both manufacturers failed to maintain 70% of initial wire tension after 7 and 4 uses, respectively. Conclusions— The IMEX systems and the SBF system using 1.0- and 1.2-mm wires could maintain clinically recommended wire tension safely. Only the IMEX system could maintain clinically recommended wire tension safely using 1.5- or 1.6-mm wires. Clinical Relevance— The SBF system using 1.0- and 1.2-mm wires and the IMEX system using all wire sizes can maintain clinically relevant wire tension. The SBF system using 1.5-mm wires could not. Cannulated and slotted bolts should not be used more than 6 and 3 times, respectively. Nuts should not be reused.
A standards-Based Inventory of Foundation Competencies in Social Work with Groups

Objective: This article describes the development of a measure of foundation competencies in group work derived from the Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups. Developed by the Association...
Distinct Roles for Sodium, Chloride, and Calcium in Excitotoxic Dendritic Injury and Recovery

The postsynaptic neuronal dendrite is selectively vulnerable to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and glutamate receptor overactivation. We explored the glutamate receptor pharmacology and ionic basis of rapid, reversible alterations in dendritic shape which occur in cultured neurons exposed to glutamate. Dendrite morphology was assessed with the fluorescent membrane tracer, DiI, or immunofluorescence labeling of the somatodendritic protein, MAP2. Cortical cultures derived from 15-day-old mouse embryos underwent segmental dendritic beading when exposed to NMDA, AMPA, or kainate, but not to metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists. Varicosity formation in response to NMDA or kainate application was substantially attenuated in reduced sodium buffer (substituted with N-methyl-D-glucamine). Furthermore, veratridine-induced sodium entry mimicked excitotoxic alterations in dendrites and additionally caused varicosity formation in axons. Solutions deficient in chloride (substituted with Na methylsulfate) and antagonists of chloride-permeable GABA/glycine receptors reduced NMDA- or kainate-induced varicosity formation. An increase in dendrite volume was observed as varicosities formed, and varicosity formation was attenuated in sucrose-supplemented hypertonic media. Despite marked structural changes affecting virtually all neurons, dendrite shape returned to normal within 2 h of terminating glutamate receptor agonist application. Neurons exposed to kainate recovered more rapidly than those exposed to NMDA, and neurons exposed to NMDA in calcium-free buffer recovered more rapidly than cells treated with NMDA in normal buffer. While sodium, chloride, and water entry contribute to excitotoxic dendritic injury acutely, calcium entry through NMDA receptors results in lasting structural changes in damaged dendrites.
Three Images of Interdisciplinary Team Meetings

Teams are an essential aspect of health care today, especially in rehabilitation or chronic illness where the course of care is frequently long, complex, and unpredictable. The coordinative function of teams and their interdisciplinary aspects are thought to improve patient care because team members bring their unique professional skills together to address patient problems. This coordination is enacted through the team meeting, which typically results in an integrated care plan. This professional image of team meetings is explicit and addresses the description and provision of care as objective and rational activities. In contrast, the constructed and ritualistic images of health care team meetings are implicit and concern the less objective and rational aspects of planning care. The constructed image pertains to the definitional activity of team members as they try to understand patient troubles and achieve consensus. This process involves the individual clinical reasoning of team members and the collective reasoning of the group. The ritualistic image is that aspect of team meetings in which the team affirms and reaffirms its collective identity. Drawing from field research of geropsychiatric team meetings, this article defines and explicates these images, focusing on the constructed and ritualistic aspects of team meetings and the influence of these images on group function.
Selection for increased pheromone titre in the pink boll worm moth, Pectinophora gossypiella Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The genetic basis of pheromone titre in the pink bollworm moth, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), was examined through artifi- cial selection for females that produce greater amounts of the sex pheromone (a mixture of (Z,E)- and (Z,Z)-7,ll-hexadecadienyl acetates). Mean (+SD) pheromone titre increased by 91%, from 24.0k8.1 to 45.8k7.9 ng per female, in six generations of selection. No change in com- ponent ratio was observed within the selected line. The duration of male wing fanning, measured in a still-air bioassay, did not change in the female- selected line.
Alcohol dehydrogenase-negative mutants in Drosophila: defects at the structural locus?

Sixteen Adh-negative mutants (induced by ethyl methanesulfonate) were examined for the presence of inactive alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) protein. Four techniques were utilized in an effort to detect this protein: hybrid enzyme formation, intra-cistronic complementation, sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis and antibody precipitation. Eleven of the sixteen negative strains showed evidence of inactive ADH protein and are presumably mutations in the structural element. These results are discussed in light of some recent models of gene organization in higher organisms.
Cut Elimination for a Simple Formulation of PAε

The goal is to simplify epsilon substitution method to make possible its extension to much stronger systems than ones treated up to now.
Reply to T. Grenader et al

As discussed in our original article, metformin has pleiotropic cellular and physiologic effects, one or more of which presumably mediate its antitumor activity. We agree with Grenader et al that an anti-inflammatory action of metformin is a potential candidate for this list. However, the current clinical data for such an effect in patients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is conflicting. The largest study, derived from the Diabetes Prevention Program trial, involved patients with IGT and showed a statistically significant decrease in serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in the metformin-treated group versus the control group. This is supported by other smaller studies showing a decrease in CRP levels with metformin treatment. In contrast, an interim analysis of the Hyperinsulinemia: The Outcome of its Metabolic Effects (HOME) trial, which compared insulin with or without metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes, showed no significant change in CRP. Several other small studies provided similar results. Although the different study populations, treatment regimens, and trial designs make comparisons challenging, it is evident that a consistent clinical anti-inflammatory action of metformin, on the basis of biomarker assessment, has yet to be established in patients with diabetes or IGT. As an added complication, insulin itself appears to have contextdependent effects that may be either antior proinflammatory. As metformin acts physiologically to lower insulin levels, the final outcome on inflammation within a tumor is difficult to predict. Therefore, the effect of metformin on tumor-associated inflammation is an area that requires further study. Finally, in addition to diabetes, we note that obesity has also been linked to inflammation. Thus, if confirmed as an anti-inflammatory agent, metformin may also be useful in the treatment of tumor-associated inflammation in this related and overlapping patient subset.
Mars Technology Program communications and tracking technologies for Mars exploration

The future of the exploration of Mars see an unprecedented increase in the volume of data generated by an increasingly capable host of science instruments on various rovers, aerobots, orbiters and eventually humans on Mars. To return these large volumes of data to Earth, communication links with data-rate capabilities in the multiple megabits-per-second are required. The Mars Technology Program (MTP) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology, has invested in a technology development portfolio, the Communications and Tracking Technology Development Program, the aim of which is to develop critical enabling technology components and products that make these future high-capacity communications links from Mars possible. The MTP Communications and Tracking Technology Development Program comprise the following ten technology development tasks: (1) reprogrammable transceiver modem for the Electra radio. (2) Mars proximity microtransceiver. (3) X-band applique for the Electra radio. (4) X-band agile beam transmitter. (5) Combined UHF/X-band proximity link antennas. (6) Large Fresnel lenses for optical ground receivers. (7) Coding system for high data-rate Mars links. (8) Fast and accurate electromagnetic (EM) modeling. (9) Adaptive data-Rates for Electra. (10) Autonomous radios for proximity links. In this paper we briefly describe each task and give a summary of progress to-date, and future plans and recommendations.
The thermochemical characterization of sodium dithionite, flavin mononucleotide, flavin-adenine dinucleotide and methyl and benzyl viologens as low-potential reductants for biological systems.

Abstract The heat of reaction (deltaH) of Fe(CN)63-, Methyl Viologen, FMN and FAD with S2O42- in aqueous buffer solutions was measured calorimetrically. In addition deltaH values for reduction of Fe(CN)63-, FMN and FAD by reduced Methyl Viologen were determined. The resulting calorimetric data and corresponding E0 values were combined to yield thermodynamic data for these simple reducing agents in a form useful for applications to biological reactions. Thermodynamic data for the reduction of spinach ferredoxin are also presented.