cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex Differences in Response to Tadalafil in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Current therapies improve symptoms, functional capacity, and, in select cases, survival. Little is known about patient factors that may predict the likelihood of patient-important, clinically relevant responses to therapy such as the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS Data from the randomized clinical trial of tadalafil in PAH were used. Adjusted logistic regression models were created to examine the relationship between baseline characteristics and odds of achieving the minimal important difference (MID) in three parameters, defined as either a > 33-m increase in 6MWD, a > 5-unit increase in physical component summary score of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), or a > 5-unit increase in mental component summary score of the SF-36. RESULTS The study included 405 subjects. Younger age, male sex, lower baseline 6MWD, and disease etiology were associated with greater odds of achieving the MID for the 6-min walk test. Active treatment, younger age, and male sex were associated with greater odds of achieving the MID for the physical component summary score. Male sex was associated with greater odds of achieving the MID for the mental component summary score. CONCLUSIONS Age, sex, baseline functional capacity, and disease etiology are variably associated with the likelihood of achieving clinically relevant responses in patient-important outcomes to PAH-specific therapy such as 6MWD and HRQoL. The increased likelihood of response in men compared with women is a novel finding and may reflect pathophysiologic differences between sexes.
Vomiting in infancy and early childhood: Treatment with prochlorperazine

Summary Prochlorperazine was given as an antiemetic to 36 young children suffering from persistent vomiting associated with physical diseases, and to 8 children suffering from persistent vomiting associated with emotional disturbance. Of the children whose vomiting accompanied physical disease, 92 per cent were relieved of vomiting within twelve hours after the initial dose of prochlorperazine or after a total of three doses. Of the children whose vomiting was associated with emotional disturbance, 50 per cent were relieved of vomiting episodes in the twelve-hour period. Prochlorperazine also seemed to exert a tranquilizing effect on the patients, for they seemed less restless and apprehensive. There were no observable side effects. Prochlorperazine was found to be an effective and safe antiemetic for pediatric practice.
Hover kinematics and distributed pressure sensing for force control of biorobotic fins

A comprehensive understanding of the ways in which fish create and control forces is fundamental to engineering underwater vehicles that maneuver with the agility of fish. In this study the sunfish was selected as a biological model from which to understand pectoral fin motions and forces during hover. The kinematic patterns of the biological fin were identified and implemented on a biorobotic model of the fin. The effects of fin patterns and mechanical properties on force were evaluated. Pressure was measured at multiple points on the fin's surface and assessed for use in the closed loop control of fin force. The study revealed that a wide range of motions are used during hover, and that forces are significantly different from those found previously for steady swimming. However as fin speeds increase, the fin's dynamic motions, and the magnitude and direction of the forces become more similar to those of steady swimming. Collective measures of pressure over the fin's surface exhibited trends that correlated well with fin forces in relative magnitudes and directions. Results strongly suggest that distributed measures of pressure are useful for force prediction and control.
EC Detector at SciBooNE

SciBooNE is an experiment to measure neutrino and anti-neutrino cross-sections on the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermilab. The EC is an extruded lead sheets and scintillating fibers spaghetti calorimeter to provide longitudinal containment and energy measurement for electrons and photons.
Unfeeling knowledge: Emotion and objectivity in the history of sociology

The theoretical concern of this paper is with the relationship of gender, personal life, and emotion to the social construction of sicentific knowledge. I examine this question through biographical research into the life and work of William Fielding Ogburn (1886–1959), a major figure in the history of American sociology. Ogburn believed that emotion was inimical to science and that statistics could help control what he considered to be its distorting effects. My analysis suggests that there was a personal component, reflecting Ogburn's search for masculinity, to the development of his ideas about how scientific sociology should be defined and practiced. I also suggest that Ogburn's ideas were favorably received by his mostly male audience because they spoke to broad cultural and historical currents. My analysis shows the need for a view of scientific knowledge that takes into account the effects of gender relations and emotion on intellectual activity.
The molecular wedge in brittle cracks

Introduction d'un nouveau concept appele «callage moleculaire» supposant que la region cohesive de l'extremite des fissures est reduite en un point unique de contrainte. Importance de ce concept, car le mecanisme de propagation des fissures est determine par le transport moleculaire a travers cette region si l'extremite est emprisonnee, sinon ce sont des effets de piegeage qui determinent cette propagation. Presentation de resultats numeriques differents materiaux: oxyde, Fe, Zn
Applying the Case/Control Methodology to the Study of Weather-Related General Aviation Accidents

The case-control methodology is presented as an underused, yet versatile technique for studying risk factors in aviation accidents. By comparing information from accident flights and control flights conducted under similar circumstances, multiple hypotheses may be tested as they pertain to the accident outcome. This paper outlines practical methods for identifying and collecting aviation accident case-control data and presents examples in the context of an ongoing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) study of weather-related general aviation accidents. The paper includes a summary of study data collection from the point of initial accident notification, to identifying and gathering data from matching control pilots. Discussion of the specific difficulties and potential problems associated with the method is also included.
Development of a ‘universal’ rubric for assessing undergraduates' scientific reasoning skills using scientific writing

We developed a rubric for measuring students' ability to reason and write scientifically. The Rubric for Science Writing (Rubric) was tested in a variety of undergraduate biology laboratory courses (total n = 142 laboratory reports) using science graduate students (teaching assistants) as raters. Generalisability analysis indicates that the Rubric provides a reliable measure of students' abilities (g = 0.85) in these conditions. Comparison of student performance in various biology classes indicated that some scientific skills are more challenging for students to develop than others and identified a number of previously unappreciated gaps in the curriculum. Our findings suggest that use of the Rubric provides three major benefits in higher education: (1) to increase substance and consistency of grading within a course, particularly those staffed by multiple instructors or graduate teaching assistants; (2) to assess student achievement of scientific reasoning and writing skills; and (3) when used in multipl...
Vibration rotation bands of 15N218O effects of Fermi resonance and l-type doubling

Abstract The rotational structure in twenty vibration rotation bands of 15 N 2 18 O observed between 1080 and 4910 cm −1 , has been measured and analyzed. In view of the improved resolution available, it has been possible to resolve many more l -type doublets than before. Three Fermi diads were measured, and from these data it was possible to establish an average value for the Fermi interaction parameter, k 122 = 32.3 cm −1 . Isotopic impurity bands due to 15 N 2 16 O, 15 N 14 N 18 O, 14 N 15 N 18 O, and 15 N 2 17 O were identified. An experimental value of the rotational constant for the ground vibrational state of 15 N 2 17 O as B 00 0 0 = 0.39276 ± 0.00003 cm −1 was determined.
Interdroplet heterogeneous nucleation of supercooled liquid droplets by solid droplets in oil-in-water emulsions

The crystallization of oil droplets inn-hexadecane oil-inwater emulsions was monitored by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The emulsions initially contained an equal mixture of solid droplets and supercooled liquid droplets at either 6 or 8°C. The degree of crystallization in the droplets was determined by measuring the NMR signal 30 μs after a 90o radio frequency pulse was applied to the sample. The signal from the solid droplets decayed rapidly after the radio frequency pulse, allowing the measured signal to be related to the fraction of liquid droplets. No crystallization was observed in a sample that contained only supercooled liquid droplets, but crystallization was observed when solid droplets of the same material were present. This indicated that crystallization was induced in the liquid droplets by the solid droplets and was most likely caused by interactions between solid and liquid droplets-that is, by interdroplet heterogeneous nucleation. The rate of induced crystallization decreased as the viscosity of the continuous phase was increased and the size of the droplets was increased, but was independent of droplet concentration (20–40%).
Involvement of cortical neurones in conditioned and unconditioned startle reflex

Abstract Postsynaptic potentials in the sensorimotor cortex of unanaesthetized rabbits were recorded simultaneously with electromyogram of the unconditioned startle reflex or the ‘local conditioned startle reflex’. The startle reflex was produced by a loud click in naive animals. The ‘local conditioned startle reflex’ was evoked by a click of a moderate intensity after a conditioning procedure (pairing of the formerly neutral click with direct cortical and hypothalamic stimulation). The latency of the startle reflex and the ‘local conditioned startle reflex’ was from 12 to 17 ms. Postsynaptic potentials or spike discharges after less than 7 ms latency were found in about 20% of neurones in the sensorimotor cortex during both the startle reflex and the ‘local conditioned startle reflex’. Stimulation of subcortical auditory structures evoked EMG responses after 4–8 ms latency. About 25% of sensorimotor cortical neurones responded with postsynaptic potentials and spike discharges within 4 ms after the stimulation of the colliculus inferior. The data support an idea of multiple level organization of the startle reflex and suggest that a pathway for the startle reflex and the ‘local conditioned startle reflex’ may pass through the sensorimotor cortex.
A Case–Control Study of Home Foreclosure, Health Conditions, and Health Care Utilization

Though rates of foreclosure are at a historic high, relatively little is known about the link between foreclosure and health. We performed a case–control study to examine health conditions and health care utilization in the time period prior to foreclosure. Homeowners who received a home foreclosure notice from 2005 to 2008 were matched (by name and address) to a university hospital system in Philadelphia and compared with controls who received care from the hospital system and who lived in the same zip code as cases. Outcome measures included prevalent health conditions and visit history in the 2 years prior to foreclosure. We found that people undergoing foreclosure were similar to controls with regard to age, gender, and insurance status but significantly more likely to be African American. Rates of hypertension and renal disease were significantly higher among cases after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics. In the 2 years prior to foreclosure, cases were more likely to visit the emergency department, have an outpatient visit, and have a no-show appointment. Cases were less likely to have a primary care physicians (PCP) visit in the 6 months immediately prior to the receipt of a foreclosure notice. The results suggest changes in health care utilization in the time period prior to foreclosure. Policies designed to decrease the incidence of home foreclosure and support people during the process should consider its association with poor health and changes in health care utilization.
Postsecondary vocational education and the sub-baccalaureate labor market: New evidence on economic returns

Abstract Community colleges, technical institutes and proprietary schools have grown faster than the rest of postsecondary education; for this reason and because of increasing dropout rates in postsecondary education, the group with “some college” has grown relative to other education groups. Nonetheless, very little analysis of the economic returns to credentials and coursework below the baccalaureate level has been completed. This paper examines the returns to sub-baccalaureate credentials and coursework, and particularly to postsecondary vocational education, by field of study and type of institution, using the postsecondary transcripts of the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972. The results indicate substantial variety in the returns to different types of sub-baccalaureate education, and suggest clear differences between the sub-baccalaureate labor market and that for individuals with baccalaureate degrees.
Endomembrane Trafficking Protein SEC24A Regulates Cell Size Patterning in Arabidopsis

Size is a critical property of a cell, but how it is determined is still not well understood. The sepal epidermis of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains cells with a diversity of sizes ranging from giant cells to small cells. Giant cells have undergone endoreduplication, a specialized cell cycle in which cells replicate their DNA but fail to divide, becoming polyploid and enlarged. Through forward genetics, we have identified a new mutant with ectopic giant cells covering the sepal epidermis. Surprisingly, the mutated gene, SEC24A, encodes a coat protein complex II vesicle coat subunit involved in endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi trafficking in the early secretory pathway. We show that the ectopic giant cells of sec24a-2 are highly endoreduplicated and that their formation requires the activity of giant cell pathway genes LOSS OF GIANT CELLS FROM ORGANS, DEFECTIVE KERNEL1, and Arabidopsis CRINKLY4. In contrast to other trafficking mutants, cytokinesis appears to occur normally in sec24a-2. Our study reveals an unexpected yet specific role of SEC24A in endoreduplication and cell size patterning in the Arabidopsis sepal.
Prognostic Implications of Mental Stress-Induced Silent Loft Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients With Stable Angina Pectoris

Thirty patients with stable angina pectoris and ischemia on stress perfusion imaging underwent continuous ambulatory left ventricular (LV) function monitoring. Mental stress was induced by mental arithmetic. Fifteen patients developed transient LV dysfunction during mental arithmetic. Patients were followed for 2 years for adverse cardiac events. Twelve patients had cardiac events over 1 year (myocardial infarction in 4, and unstable angina in 8). Nine of 15 patients (60%) with and only 3 of 15 (20%) without mental stress-induced LV dysfunction developed cardiac events (p = 0.025). A higher proportion of patients with cardiac events were taking beta blockers (p = 0.01) and had lower resting heart rates (p = 0.002) than those without cardiac events. There was no difference in the baseline characteristics between the groups of patients with and without cardiac events. At 2-year follow-up, 10 of 15 patients (67%) with mental stress-induced LV dysfunction had adverse events compared with only 4 of 15 (27%) with no mental stress-induced LV dysfunction (p = 0.025). Thus, in this cohort of patients with stable angina pectoris, mental stress-induced LV dysfunction was associated with higher cardiac events on follow-up. The exact mechanism of this association is not clear. Mental stress may be a trigger for adverse cardiac events in these patients. Transient LV dysfunction in response to mental stress may be a marker of abnormal cardiovascular reactivity to emotional and psychological stimuli in patients with coronary artery disease and may be useful for risk stratification.
Application Performance Management in Virtualized Server Environments

As businesses have grown, so has the need to deploy I/T applications rapidly to support the expanding business processes. Often, this growth was achieved in an unplanned way: each time a new application was needed a new server along with the application software was deployed and new storage elements were purchased. In many cases this has led to what is often referred to as "server sprawl", resulting in low server utilization and high system management costs. An architectural approach that is becoming increasingly popular to address this problem is known as server virtualization. In this paper we introduce the concept of server consolidation using virtualization and point out associated issues that arise in the area of application performance. We show how some of these problems can be solved by monitoring key performance metrics and using the data to trigger migration of Virtual Machines within physical servers. The algorithms we present attempt to minimize the cost of migration and maintain acceptable application performance levels.
Pseudo-interval graphs

We study a class of perfect graphs which, because they generalize interval graphs, we call pseudo-interval graphs. Like interval graphs, their vertices correspond to intervals of a linearly ordered set, but a modified definition of intersection is used in order to determine edges. The complements of pseudo-interval graphs are comparability graphs but unlike interval graphs, pseudo-interval graphs are only weakly triangulated. We characterize trees and complements of trees which are pseudo-interval graphs. Finally we determine all minimal non-pseudointerval graphs on eight or fewer vertices whose complements are comparability graphs and which are weakly triangulated. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons; Inc.
Seasonalities and the 1987 crash: The international evidence

Abstract This paper examines several seasonal regularities in stock returns before and after the international crash of October 1987. The analysis investigates the day of the week, pre- and post-holiday, turn of the year, turn of the month, and month of the year effects in Pacific Rim and U.S. equity markets. The incidence of return regularities decreases significantly in the period following the crash. We posit that an alteration of the returns generating process in these markets is the most likely cause of the change in the trading patterns.
Toward a Unified Parameterization of the Boundary Layer and Moist Convection. Part III: Simulations of Clear and Cloudy Convection.

A model that employs a new form of mass-flux closure (described in Part I of this paper) is applied to a variety of clear and cloudy planetary boundary layers (PBLs) including dry convection from the Wangara Experiment, trade wind cumulus from the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological Experiment (BOMEX), and marine stratocumulus from the Atlantic Stratocumulus Experiment (ASTEX). For Wangara, the simulated variances and fluxes match that expected from similarity arguments, while the mean state is a little less mixed than the observations. In the BOMEX simulation, the shape and magnitude of the fluxes and the turbulence kinetic energy budget agree with LES results and observations. However, the liquid water mixing ratio is too large. This is attributed to an underprediction of the skewness. In agreement with observations from the ASTEX experiment, many of the model-simulated fields distinctly reflect a regime in transition between the trade wind cumulus and the classic stratocumulus-topped boundary layers. In general, the simulated entrainment rate tends to be a little underpredicted in regimes where there is little cloud-top radiative cooling (Wangara and BOMEX), while it is overpredicted in regimes where this process is more critical (e.g., ASTEX). Prior work suggests that this may be related to the manner in which the pressure terms are parameterized in the model. Overall, the model is able to capture some key physical features of these PBL regimes, and appears to have the potential to represent both cloud and boundary layer processes. Thus, this approach is a first step toward unifying these processes in large-scale models.
Bounds on the moments of codeword lengths using Arikan's inequality

Arikan's (see IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.42, p.99-105, 1996) guessing inequality is seen to be of broader applicability and can be used to lower bound the moments of sequences other than the guessing sequence, for example the sequence of Huffman codeword lengths, the guessing sequence for variable costs, and the sequence of Varn (1971) codeword lengths.
Conversion of Glutamic Acid to Proline in the Chick

Abstract An investigation was undertaken to study the possibility of conversion of glutamic acid to proline in the chick both in vivo and in vitro. In in vivo studies, uniformly labeled C14-glutamic acid (5 μci./100 gm. body weight) was administered to 14-day-old chicks by stomach tube. Blood and livers were collected at 2, 4, 6 and 12 hours after the administration of C14. The results show that proline in the plasma, in liver supernatant and in liver protein were labeled with C14 regardless of sampling time. In in vitro studies, livers from chicks (ages 17 to 21 days) were excised and homogenized in isotonic sucrose solution. An aliquot of 20% liver homogenate was then incubated for 30 minutes in a potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) incubation mixture with potassium glutamate as substrate. O-aminobenzaldehyde was used to react with the intermediate compound, Δ′-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid. The end product, proline, was determined colorimetrically. The results indicate that glutamic acid was first converted to Δ′-pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, and then to proline. The system for in vitro studies required coenzyme NADH.
Behaviorally Conditioned Modulation of Natural Killer Cell Activity: Enhancement of Baseline and Activated Natural Killer Cell Activity

Natural killer (NK) cells comprise a sub-population of lymphocytes functionally defined by their ability to spontaneously lyse select tumor and virally infected cells. NK cell lytic function is sensitive to modulation by cytokines and neuroendocrine mediators. Behavioral conditioning trains an animal to cognitively associate a novel environmental cue (i.e. odor) with a physiologically active agent (i.e. Polylnosinic:PolyCytidilic acid, Poly I:C). Poly I:C induces interferon production resulting in activation of NK cells and enhanced NK cell lytic activity. Subsequent to behavioral conditioning, independent presentation of the odor should elicit similar responses (enhanced NK cell activity). We have shown that animals pre-exposed to the conditioning apparatus or manual restraint prior to behavioral conditioning demonstrate enhanced baseline NK cell activity or no effects respectively. To assess the influence of NK cell activation in conjunction with behavioral conditioning, we have re-presented the odor to animals with activated or baseline NK activity. Lymphocytes were then incubated for five days with IL-2 and cellular cytotoxic activity re-assessed. Behavioral conditioning significantly enhanced baseline and activated NK cell activity in animals previously exposed to the conditioning apparatus. No differences in lytic activity versus NK sensitive targets were observed following IL-2 activation. In contrast, animals manually restrained prior to conditioning showed no differences in baseline or in vivo activated NK activity, but previously non-activated lymphocytes stimulated with IL-2 demonstrated significantly higher lytic activity in conditioned animals re-presented with the odor. These results demonstrate central nervous system (CNS) modulation of NK cell activity and the presence of an interplay between cytokine activation and responsiveness to CNS immunoregulatory signals.
Cardiac progenitor cells from adult myocardium: Homing, differentiation, and fusion after infarction

Potential repair by cell grafting or mobilizing endogenous cells holds particular attraction in heart disease, where the meager capacity for cardiomyocyte proliferation likely contributes to the irreversibility of heart failure. Whether cardiac progenitors exist in adult myocardium itself is unanswered, as is the question whether undifferentiated cardiac precursor cells merely fuse with preexisting myocytes. Here we report the existence of adult heart-derived cardiac progenitor cells expressing stem cell antigen-1. Initially, the cells express neither cardiac structural genes nor Nkx2.5 but differentiate in vitro in response to 5′-azacytidine, in part depending on Bmpr1a, a receptor for bone morphogenetic proteins. Given intravenously after ischemia/reperfusion, cardiac stem cell antigen 1 cells home to injured myocardium. By using a Cre/Lox donor/recipient pair (αMHC-Cre/R26R), differentiation was shown to occur roughly equally, with and without fusion to host cells.
Mobile gaming a new platform for edutainment in India.

With more than 811 million mobile subscribers as of March 2011 (Sohoni 2011), India not only ranks as the second largest mobile phone customer base in the world after China with 900 million mobile ...
Parallel hybrid electric vehicle torque distribution method

The paper deals with the supervisory control used in a Vehicle System Controller (VSC) of a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). A description of the torque distribution algorithm that determines the prorated amount of torque demanded of each of the tractive devices to meet the driver's demand and the energy management scheme is given. The PHEV hybrid operating modes and PHEV dynamic model are presented and simulation results are shown depicting the seamless transitions from one hybrid mode to another as coordinated by this supervisory controller.
Synchronization of a network element for optical packet switching using optical correlators and wavelength shifting

The authors demonstrate packet and bit synchronization of an optical switching node to an incoming packet stream. Their module synchronizes to packets with only four preamble bits and employs fiber Bragg gratings as continuous optical correlators and cross-gain modulation of an semiconductor optical amplifier as a wavelength shifter to determine the start of a packet. They use this optical technique to recognize the arrival of 2.5-Gb/s data packets and to route them to one of two outputs of an optical switch in a reconfigurable network. Penalty-free switching with a 1.6-ns guard time is achieved.
Review article: Kinematic evaluation of the spine: a kinetic magnetic resonance imaging study

Kinetic magnetic resonance images (kMRIs) of 587 lumbar and 459 cervical spines of symptomatic patients in axially loaded, upright neutral (0 degrees), flexion (40 degrees), and extension (-20 degrees) positions were evaluated. Imaging took 10 to 12 minutes to complete in each position. Cervical kinematics were significantly affected by intervertebral disc degeneration, cervical cord compression, and sagittal alignment of the cervical spine. kMRI was effective in diagnosing lumbar disc herniations that are often missed using conventional MRI. kMRI is effective for diagnosing, evaluating, and managing degenerative disease or injury within the spine.
Patterns of comb row development in young and adult stages of the ctenophores Mnemiopsis leidyi and Pleurobrachia pileus.

The development of comb rows in larval and adult Mnemiopsis leidyi and adult Pleurobrachia pileus is compared to regeneration of comb plates in these ctenophores. Late gastrula embryos and recently hatched cydippid larvae of Mnemiopsis have five comb plates in subsagittal rows and six comb plates in subtentacular rows. Subsagittal rows develop a new (sixth) comb plate and both types of rows add plates at similar rates until larvae reach the transition to the lobate form at ∼5 mm size. New plate formation then accelerates in subsagittal rows that later extend on the growing oral lobes to become twice the length of subtentacular rows. Interplate ciliated grooves (ICGs) develop in an aboral-oral direction along comb rows, but ICG formation itself proceeds from oral to aboral between plates. New comb plates in Mnemiopsis larvae are added at both aboral and oral ends of rows. At aboral ends, new plates arise as during regeneration: local widening of a ciliated groove followed by formation of a short split plate that grows longer and wider and joins into a common plate. At oral ends, new plates arise as a single tuft of cilia before an ICG appears. Adult Mnemiopsis continue to make new plates at both ends of rows. The frequency of new aboral plate formation varies in the eight rows of an animal and seems unrelated to body size. In Pleurobrachia that lack ICGs, new comb plates at aboral ends arise between the first and second plates as a single small nonsplit plate, located either on the row midline or off-axis toward the subtentacular plane. As the new (now second) plate grows larger, its distance from the first and third plates increases. Size of the new second plate varies within the eight rows of the same animal, indicating asynchronous formation of plates as in Mnemiopsis. New oral plates arise as in Mnemiopsis. The different modes of comb plate formation in Mnemiopsis versus Pleurobrachia are accounted for by differences in mesogleal firmness and mechanisms of ciliary coordination. In both cases, the body of a growing ctenophore is supplied with additional comb plates centripetally from opposite ends of the comb rows. J. Morphol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Silk Fibroin Dispergation

By means of specially developed techniques for using the glass clectrode, the ninhydrin test and the method for the determination of amide nitrogen, several properties, including the isoelectric points, the acid-base titration curves, the amide nitrogen, amino nitrogen, and the specific rotations of a number of samples of regenerated fibroin were compared. The samples which had been dispersed in lithium bromide solution, resorcinol, hydrochloric acid or alkaline glycerol copper sulfate solution, representing the various types advocated in, practice, were compared with untreated samples under exactly the same conditions. The following conclusions were reached:1. Regenerated fibroin, obtained from the solutions mentioned, had essentially the same chemical characteristics as undispergated fibroin. This result was in agreement with that of Abderhalden and Brackman.23These investigators reported no change in the particle size of fibroin exposed to lithium bromide solutions various lengths of time and at variou...
Structural and Functional Impact of the Transgenic Expression of Cytokines in the CNSa

Cytokines are powerful mediators of biologic responses in the CNS and may contribute to cellular injury in pathophysiologic states. In order to better understand the actions of cytokines in the intact mammalian CNS, a transgenic approach was employed that targeted the expression of different cytokines to astrocytes in mice. Fusion gene constructs consisting of a GFAP expression vector into which was inserted the DNA encoding the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-3, or TNF-alpha were used to generate transgenic mice. Expression of the transgene-encoded cytokines in astrocytes was confirmed at both the RNA and protein levels. Transgenic mice were subject to multilevel analysis to determine the extent of structural and functional CNS alterations. Transgenic mice exhibited distinct adult-onset, chronic-progressive neurological disorders that correlated with the level and anatomic distribution of transgene-encoded cytokine expression. The principal findings were neurodegeneration and cognitive decline due to IL-6 expression, macrophage/microglial-mediated primary demyelination with motor disease resulting from IL-3 expression, and lymphocytic meningoencephalomyelitis with paralysis induced by TNF-alpha expression. These transgenic models (1) indicate that expression of cytokines per se in the intact CNS is pathogenic, with cytokine-specific neural cell injury leading to unique functional deficits; (2) recapitulate many of the structural and functional changes seen in human inflammatory neurological disorders; (3) provide a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of the CNS pathobiology of cytokines; and (4) offer a unique resource for the development and testing of therapies aimed at abrogating the harmful actions of these important mediators.
Poisson regression with a surrogate X: an analysis of vitamin A and Indonesian children's mortality.

A Poisson regression model with a surrogate X variable is proposed to help to assess the efficacy of vitamin A in reducing child mortality in Indonesia. In a recent community trial the mortality rate in villages receiving vitamin A supplementation was 35% less than in control villages. However at base-line control villages were found to have slightly higher rates of xerophthalmia an ocular disease caused by vitamin A deficiency. It was therefore desirable to adjust the mortality comparison for base-line vitamin A levels as indicated by xerophthalmia prevalence. This paper presents a parametric errors-in-X regression model developed for this purpose. Likelihood methods for fitting and inference are discussed. The model is illustrated on the Indonesian data set. (EXCERPT)
Empirical Tests for Midnight Regulations and Their Effect on OIRA Review Time

The midnight regulations phenomenon - an increase in the rate of regulation promulgation during the final months of an outgoing president's term - is empirically tested using data on the number of economically significant regulations reviewed each month. Submissions of economically significant regulations to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) are found to increase by seven percent during midnight periods. Spikes in regulatory activity, such as those of midnight periods, are shown to decrease the amount of time regulations are reviewed at OIRA, perhaps because of budget and staff limitations. Evaluated at the mean, one additional economically significant regulation submitted to OIRA decreases the mean review time for all regulations by about half a day. If OIRA review improves the quality of regulations, then any phenomenon such as midnight regulations that leads to spikes in regulatory activity and decreases review time could result in the proliferation of low quality regulations.
Development of Non-Thrombogenic Materials

The development of non-thrombogenic materials and surface treatments are ongoing needs in the biomaterials area. Also, the need for improved test procedures for evaluating new materials in terms of thrombogenicity continues to be a requirement.1,2 In the current context, results of surface treatments for improved non-thrombogenicity along with a description of the test method employed will be discussed. Also, results will be presented to substantiate the validity of the Dudley Blood Clotting3 for directly measuring surface thrombogenicity.
Efficient synthesis of (−)- and (+)-tricyclic compounds with enone functionalities in rings A and C. A novel class of orally active anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive agents

Novel tricyclic compounds with enone functionalities in rings A and C [tricyclic-bis-enone (TBE) compounds] were designed on the basis of the structure of a synthetic triterpenoid, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) (1), which is a promising drug candidate for prevention and/or treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases whose pathogenesis may involve excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) and/or prostaglandins. A series of TBE compounds in racemic form shows high inhibitory activity against production of NO induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in mouse macrophages. One of these compounds, (±)-(4aβ,8aβ,10aα)-1,2,4a,6,8a,9,10,10a-octahydro-1,1,4a,8a-tetramethyl-2,6-dioxophenanthrene-3,7-dicarbonitrile ((±)-3), is orally active at 15 mg kg−1 (single administration) in a preliminary in vivo study using mouse peritoneal inflammation induced by thioglycollate and IFN-γ. Therefore, we desired to synthesize optically active TBE compounds for a comparison of the biological potency of both enantiomers. We now describe the synthesis of both enantiomers of (4aβ,8aβ,10aα)-1,2,4a,6,8a,9,10,10a-octahydro-1,1,4a,8a-tetramethyl-2,6-dioxophenanthrene-3-carbonitrile (2) and 3 from commercially available simple compounds. Interestingly, (+)-3 having the same configuration as the CDDO antipode shows about 10 times higher inhibitory activity than (−)-3 on NO production in mouse macrophages. In contrast, (−)-3 inhibits proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, whereas (+)-3 does not.
Sensory experiences in man evoked by intraneural electrical stimulation of intact cutaneous afferent fibers

The response of slowly conducting myelinated and unmyelinated afferent units to natural types of cutaneous stimuli was recorded extracellularly with tungsten microelectrodes from intact human skin nerves. Seven fibers had characteristics of C-polymodal units (conduction velocity: 0.75–1.2 m/s) and two fit descriptions of myelinated high-threshold mechanoreceptors (conduction velocity of one: 19 m/s).
Towards Competitive Web Service Market

By fully exploiting service oriented architecture (SOA), Web service provides an efficient way to connect the existing on-line assets to support business enterprises. Most of the current Web service research inherently assumes that there exists only one service provider that can invoke those element services and compose them in a specific solution scenario. This paper aims to extend Web services research beyond the current limitations, allowing the existence of parallel and competitive service providers that compete for serving the customers. This paper intends to formally describe the concept of competitive Web service market, or CWSM in short. Web service composition problems pertinent to CWSM are also discussed. Two different models for CWSM are investigated, and the heuristics to be considered for the design of revenue oriented composition approaches are also proposed
Repression of Pax-2 by WT1 during normal kidney development

The developmental, regulatory gene Pax-2 is activated during early kidney morphogenesis and repressed in mature renal epithelium. Persistent Pax-2 expression is also observed in a variety of kidney tumors. Yet, little is known about the signals regulating this transient expression pattern in the developing kidney. We have examined the spatial and temporal expression patterns of Pax-2 and the Wilm9s tumor suppresser protein WT1 with specific antibodies in developing mouse kidneys. A marked increase in WT1 protein levels coincided precisely with down-regulation of the Pax-2 gene in the individual precursor cells of the visceral glomerular epithelium, suggesting a direct effect of the WT1 repressor protein on Pax-2 regulatory elements. To examine whether WT1 could directly repress Pax-2 transcription, binding of WT1 to three high affinity sites in the 5′ untranslated Pax-2 leader sequence was demonstrated by DNAseI footprinting analysis. Furthermore, co-transfection assays using CAT reporter constructs under the control of Pax-2 regulatory sequences demonstrated WT1-dependent transcriptional repression. These three WT1 binding sites were also able to repress transcription, in a WT1-dependent manner, when inserted between a heterologous promoter and the reporter gene. The data indicate that Pax-2 is a likely target gene for WT1 and suggest a direct link, at the level of transcriptional regulation, between a developmental control gene, active in undifferentiated and proliferating cells, and a known tumor suppressor gene.
IL-27: a potential biomarker for responders to glatiramer acetate therapy

Glatiramer acetate (GA) is an FDA-approved efficacious drug for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). However, this treatment is not effective for all RRMS patients. Therefore, it is important to identify reliable biomarkers that can predict a beneficial clinical response to GA therapy. Since an increase in IL-27 has been demonstrated to suppress autoimmune and allergic diseases of inflammatory origin, we examined the effect of GA on the production of IL-27. We observed that IL-27 production in PBMCs cultured with GA was heterogeneous amongst MS patients and healthy donors (HD), and thus, defined these MS patients as either efficient, weak, or non-IL-27 producers. Interestingly, GA could induce the expression of the IL-27p28 subunit more efficiently than the IL-27 EBI3 subunit, and the production of IL-27 depended on MHC class II binding by GA. In addition, we found that GA could augment Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated IL-27 production. Importantly, serum production of IL-27 and IL-10 was significantly increased at 6months during GA therapy in clinical responders to GA, but not in GA non-responders. Altogether, our data suggest that GA-induced IL-27 may represent a therapeutic mechanism of GA-mediated immunomodulation and that GA-mediated IL-27 production in PBMCs is worth exploring as a biomarker to screen for GA responders prior to the initiation of GA treatment.
A New Photo-Multiplier Tube and Collimator

The author has developed and fabricated a new collimator coupled to a tube containing a Photomultiplier tube and capped by a 1 inch Sodium Iodide Crystal. This 6“xl” tube is coupled to our ophthalmic “B” scan crystal such that by administering chloroquin I125 * patients we can measure uptakes of probable melanomas by using the sweep of the scanner to localize the suspected tumor and then zero in with a scaler counter to determine uptakes.
The Scott Legacy

The originality of Sir Walter Scott may be defined in any number of ways. For one thing, he dignified the Scots language; after him, the use of Scots for farce and low comedy was seen for what it was, a cheap patronizing of those who spoke it. He believed that Scots was, or could be, ‘responsive to every sentiment of sublimity, or awe, or error which the author may be disposed to excite.’ He thus helped to create a national language. ‘It is in the dialogue of the Scots-speaking characters that his greatest passages are to be found’, Ian Jack has written.1
How Widespread Is Food Addiction in Our Culture

Addiction is a term that has shock value. As Michael Moss indicates, the word conjures up visions of tragic celebrity deaths, street crime, crack houses, and abandoned children. Although the quote above and the subtitle of his book, , are as close as Moss gets to accusing Big Food of addicting us to junk foods, the book and associated tour brought national attention to the topic. Other authors have not been as careful in using the term. Some, like Moss, suggest that the linkage of food addiction to drug addiction is either coincidental or unfortunate, others indicate that the two forms of addiction are of equal consequence. Use of a term out of place to induce shock can be a clever tool to force us to rethink an idea or position, but continued use of the same term as stated fact distorts a conversation.
Enhancing nurses’ emotional intelligence: Are tenure prolongation, education and in-service training applicable methods even when not specialized?

AbstractBackground/objective: Many health care institutions and employers have begun to realize the need for health professionals’ emotional intelligence to be improved continuously. Education, in-service training and tenure prolongation have been the traditional methods for developing and enhancing competencies in the literature. This study attempts to ascertain whether or not these three traditional methods are applicable for enhancing the emotional intelligence of nurses if not specialized. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used in this study. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data from 532 nurses in Accra North, who were selected using the simple random sampling method. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to test hypotheses. Findings: The resulting model is of good fit at 5% significance level [χ2 = 0.805, p = 0.369]. None of the three methods was found to serve as an effective method when not specialized, though each pair of them is posi...
Globally convergent nonlinear 3D inverse model for smart materials with Hessian-based optimization

Abstract A globally convergent and fully coupled 3D inverse model for smart materials is presented. In practice, stress and field (electric, magnetic, or temperature) are applied to smart materials whereas strain and flux density (electric, magnetic, or temperature) are measured. We refer to constitutive models that follow this scheme as direct models. In certain design and control situations, however, inverse models are necessary in which the field and stress are found from specified flux density and strain. This inversion typically involves an iterative procedure, which may be prone to convergence issues. An inverse model approach is proposed for arbitrary smart materials. The inversion requirement is a continuous and second order differentiable direct model for any chosen smart material. The approach is globally convergent, which makes it ideal for use in finite element frameworks. The premise of the proposed iterative system model is to constitute a recursive correction formula based on second order approximations of a novel scalar error function which offers a faster convergence rate. A continuation approach is then used to achieve global convergence for arbitrary input parameters. Magnetostrictive Galfenol is chosen to illustrate the effectiveness of the inverse model, and compact analytical derivations of the Jacobian and Hessian matrices are presented. The convergence rate of the proposed approach is superior to that of an existing inverse model. Finally, the inverse model’s robustness is demonstrated through integration of the model into a finite-element framework to simulate a magnetostrictive composite plate actuator in full 3D.
Tricks of the Trade: Treating Your Patient with Mild to Moderate Inflammatory Bowel Disease

It is common to write a chapter describing medications for treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); it is unique to write a chapter on tricks of the trade. A trick of the trade is an idiomatic expression that relates to the special skills and knowledge that professional workers learn from experience. These skills and knowledge result in effective and even clever methods for doing a job better or faster. This chapter is not meant to be exhaustive or the final word, but rather practical and useful. This approach, in fact, is a trick of the trade for writing a chapter. Similar to the other “tricks” or “tips” described in this chapter, it is based on lessons learned from observing effective mentors, teachers, friends, and peers who provide outstanding care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.