cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to Study Comparative Urban Development Politics: A Research Note

The article presents information on ways of studying comparative urban development and politics. Sociologist Emile Durkheim's dictum that science begins with comparison underscores the value of systematically, analyzing a large number of cities across different national cultures. As Durkheim (1982) suggests, only by comparing and measuring relationships can we achieve greater certainty. There are other reasons why comparison enables scholars to clarify and better explain phenomenon. Consistency of application improves clarity, enabling researchers to highlight similarities and differences. The study of urban politics needs to be systematic. By the term systematic it means that an explicit framework should govern the analysis, providing testable and deductible propositions for comparative examination; comparisons should be made through the use of common categories, concepts or variables that can be measured and comparisons should steadily run throughout the work.
Observed on-orbit background of the ACIS instrument on the Chandra X-ray Observatory

ABSTRACT We have analyzed data acquired during the Orbital Activation and Checkout (OAC) and Guest Observer (GO)phases of the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) mission in order to characterize the background of the AdvancedCCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACTS) instrument produced by energetic particles. The ACTS instrument contains 8 Front-Illuminated (Fl) CCDs and 2 Back-Illuminated (BI) CCDs. The FT and BI CCDs exhibit dramatically different responses to enhancements in the particle flux. The FT CCDs show relatively little increase in the overall count rate,typical increases are 1  5 cts above the quiescent level; the BI CCDs can show large excursions to as highas 100 cts s above the quiescent level. The durations of these intervals of enhanced background are also highly variable ranging from 500 s to iO' s. These periods of enhanced background are sometimes but not always associated with increased particle flux when Chandra is near the radiation belts. We see evidence for a weak correlation withthe low-energy electron channel of the Electron, Proton, Helium Instrument particle detector (EPHIN) instrumenton-board Chandra. We present some of the most extreme examples of these background enhancements identified tothis point in the mission.The spatial distribution of these enhanced background events is more intense in the middle of the detectorsand fainter towards the top and bottom, inconsistent with what one would expect for the vignetting pattern of thetelescope and more consistent with an isotropic illumination. The spectral distribution is a continuum across theentire bandpass from 0.3 to 10.0 keV and can not be characterized by a simple power-law plus constant model. Thetwo BI CCDs on Chandra respond similarly to these enhanced background rates, offering the possibility of usingdata from the off-axis BT CCD to understand the background of the on-axis BI CCD. The traditional techniques of
CHIMPNET: a network testbed

Abstract CHIMPNET is a testbed system; it is an inexpensive flexible interconnection of microprocessors to support experiments with distributed systems, including studies of distributed database management systems using various interconnection topologies and access protocols. This paper presents system hardware and software features including interface hardware and experiment control mechanisms.
Protein Phosphatase 2A Is a Negative Regulator of Transforming Growth Factor-β1-induced TAK1 Activation in Mesangial Cells

TAK1 (transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-activated kinase 1) is a serine/threonine kinase that is rapidly activated by TGF-β1 and plays a vital function in its signal transduction. Once TAK1 is activated, efficient down-regulation of TAK1 activity is important to prevent excessive TGF-β1 responses. The regulatory mechanism of TAK1 inactivation following TGF-β1 stimulation has not been elucidated. Here we demonstrate that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) plays a pivotal role as a negative regulator of TAK1 activation in response to TGF-β1 in mesangial cells. Treatment with okadaic acid (OA) induces autophosphorylation of Thr-187 in the activation loop of TAK1. In vitro dephosphorylation assay suggests that Thr-187 in TAK1 is a major dephosphorylation target of PP2A. TGF-β1 stimulation rapidly activates TAK1 in a biphasic manner, indicating that TGF-β1-induced TAK1 activation is tightly regulated. The association of PP2AC with TAK1 is enhanced in response to TGF-β1 stimulation and closely parallels TGF-β1-induced TAK1 activity. Attenuation of PP2A activity by OA treatment or targeted knockdown of PP2AC with small interfering RNA enhances TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of TAK1 at Thr-187 and MKK3 (MAPK kinase 3). Endogenous TAK1 co-precipitates with PP2AC but not PP6C, another OA-sensitive protein phosphatase, and knockdown of PP6C by small interfering RNA does not affect TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of TAK1 at Thr-187 and MKK3. Moreover, ectopic expression of phosphatase-deficient PP2AC enhances TAK1-mediated MKK3 phosphorylation by TGF-β1 stimulation, whereas the expression of wild-type PP2AC suppresses the MKK3 phosphorylation. Taken together, our data indicate that PP2A functions as a negative regulator in TGF-β1-induced TAK1 activation.
Comparative Penetration of Amikacin, Gentamicin, and Penicillin G into Exudate Fluid in Experimental Sterile Peritonitis

Using a rabbit sterile peritonitis model, we compared the penetration of intravenously administered amikacin, gentamicin, and penicillin G into peritoneal exudate. Peritonitis was induced with sterile normal saline, and the peritoneal exudate contained 23,751 +/- 3,039 granulocytes 8 h later. Antibiotics were administered intravenously 3 h after initiating peritonitis, and serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations were measured for 5 h. Peritoneal levels of each antibiotic exceeded simultaneous serum levels by 1 h after dose and remained above serum levels thereafter. The maximum peritoneal fluid concentration of amikacin reached 71.2% +/- 12.7 of the maximum serum concentration, whereas maximum gentamicin peritoneal concentration achieved 37.1% +/- 2.7, and penicillin achieved 23.2% +/- 4.5, of their respective maximum serum concentrations.
Hormonal control of osmoregulation in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus.

Prolactin (PRL) is an important hormone for freshwater adaptation in many teleost species. In some euryhaline fishes, growth hormone (GH) and cortisol are involved in seawater adaptation by stimulating ion extrusion. When channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were transferred from fresh water to dilute seawater (300-400 mOsm), their plasma osmolality was always higher than the environmental salinity. In correlation with the increase in plasma osmolality, significant increases in plasma cortisol were observed. However, no effect of ovine GH or cortisol was seen in plasma osmolality or gill Na, K-ATPase activity when the hormones were given during the course of acclimation to dilute seawater. When catfish in fresh water were hypophysectomized, plasma osmolality was significantly decreased by 24 h, reaching a minimum level after 2 days. When they were transferred to dilute seawater, the plasma osmolality of the sham-operated fish was consistently higher than that of environmental water, whereas the osmolality of the hypophysectomized fish was equivalent to the environmental salinity. Ovine PRL restored the plasma osmolality of the hypophysectomized fish in fresh water to the level of sham-operated fish. Cortisol was also effective, but the effect was less pronounced than the effect of PRL. Injection of PRL in combination with cortisol resulted in a marked additive increase in plasma osmolality to a level even above that of the sham-operated fish. Ovine GH was without effect. These treatments in hypophysectomized fish transferred to dilute seawater produced essentially the same results as those in fish in fresh water. Plasma osmolality was also increased after PRL treatment of the intact fish in fresh water. There was a synergistic effect between PRL and cortisol in hypophysectomized fish in dilute seawater as well as in intact fish in fresh water. PRL did not stimulate cortisol secretion either in hypophysectomized fish or in intact fish. In the stenohaline catfish, both PRL and cortisol seem to be involved importantly in ion uptake from the environment not only in fresh water but also in brackish water.
Web-controlled wireless network sensors for structural health monitoring

Wireless network sensors are being implemented for applications in transportation, manufacturing, security, and structural health monitoring. This paper describes an approach for data acquisition for damage detection in structures. The proposed Web-Controlled Wireless Network Sensors (WCWNS) is the integration of wireless network sensors and a web interface that allows easy remote access and operation from user-friendly HTML screens. The WCWNS is highly flexible in terms of functions and applications. Algorithms and tools for data analysis can be directly installed on and executed from the web server. This means WCWNS will have unlimited capabilities in performing data analysis. Data can be analyzed for damage detection either on site distributed amongst the intelligent sensors or off site either in the web server or at an end users location after downloading from the web server. This feature allows for a variety of health monitoring algorithms to be investigated by researchers of all backgrounds and abilities. In addition, both short-range and long-range communications devices handle data exchange and communications in WCWNS. The system can be setup to operate efficiently in any topological arrangement. Short-range communications devices facilitate fast and low-power local data transfer, while long-range communications devices support high quality long-distance data exchange. The proposed system is demonstrated on an experimental setup.
Identifying Appropriate Colorectal Cancer-Associated Antigens for the Clinical Trials

Clinical trials using immunotherapy as a targeted approach to the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) have limited clinical efficacy. Lack of proper identification of colorectal cancer-associated antigens and complexity of immunological functions could have hampered the proper therapeutic development. The review focuses on the tumor-associated antigens (TAA) that have been tested in clinical trial setting for treatment of advanced CRC. Since many of the tumor-associated antigens including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG), MUC1, guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C), epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), p53, and ras are highly expressed on colorectal cancer cells, these antigens have been used as targets for vaccination strategies. We will discuss the basic structural importance of different TAA and illustrate clinical studies showing benefits and limitations of each of the targets. Careful review and selection of the most appropriate CRC-associated antigens and better understanding of molecular biology-related immune modulation can lead to improved clinical outcome.
Leveraging Online Populations for Crowdsourcing [Guest editors' introduction]

Crowdsourcing involves outsourcing some job to a distributed group of people online, typically by breaking the job down into microtasks. Online markets offer human users payment for completing small tasks, or users can participate in nonpaid platforms such as games and volunteer sites. These platforms' general availability has enabled researchers to recruit large numbers of participants for user studies, generate third-party content and assessments, or even build novel user experiences. This special issue provides a snapshot of the most recent crowdsourcing research.
Is Peppermint an Ergogenic Aid to Athletic Performance

This study investigated the effects of a claimed ergogenic aid, peppermint odor inhalation, on running performance, under different experimenter-induced odor expectancy conditions. Eighteen fit, young women subjects performed 3 × ¼-mile runs, under three randomly assigned treatments: peppermint-scented mask; unscented mask; and no mask. Each subject was also given either a positive, negative, or neutral expectancy information message regarding peppermint's influence on performance. Results showed that neither peppermint inhalation nor expectancy information had any significant effect on running time. However, expectancy information did slow the running times of high positive affect subjects. Subjects receiving negative information showed significantly slower heart rates during the running task.
Keppra a magical antiepileptic medication

A 42-yr-old previously healthy man is admitted to the ICU after sustaining a traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle crash. Patient lost awareness for several moments after the accident. MRI of the head showed an area of hemorrhagic contusion in the left frontal cortex with small amount of hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space. CT scan of the cervical spine showed a flexion “tear-drop” type fracture of C4 with mild posterior displacement of the vertebral body with minimal compression of the cord. Considering the risk of acute seizures in this case and the potential worsening of the spinal cord compression, is levetiracetam (brand name Keppra) an appropriate drug for this patient?
Effects of vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation on copper penetration into low-k dielectrics under bias-temperature stress

The effects of vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation on copper penetration into non-porous low-k dielectrics under bias-temperature stress (BTS) were investigated. By employing x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth-profile measurements on both as-deposited and VUV-irradiated SiCOH/Cu stacks, it was found that under the same BTS conditions, the diffusion depth of Cu into the VUV-irradiated SiCOH is higher than that of as-deposited SiCOH. On the other hand, under the same temperature-annealing stress (TS) without electric bias, the Cu distribution profiles in the VUV-irradiated SiCOH were same with that for the as-deposited SiCOH. The experiments suggest that in as-deposited SiCOH, the diffused Cu exists primarily in the atomic state, while in VUV-irradiated SiCOH, the diffused Cu is oxidized by the hydroxyl ions (OH−) generated from VUV irradiation and exists in the ionic state. The mechanisms for metal diffusion and ion injection in VUV irradiated low-k dielectrics are discussed.
Two simultaneous mechanisms causing glass transition temperature reductions in high molecular weight freestanding polymer films as measured by transmission ellipsometry.

We study the glass transition in confined polymer films and present the first experimental evidence indicating that two separate mechanisms can act simultaneously on the film to propagate enhanced mobility from the free surface into the material. Using transmission ellipsometry, we have measured the thermal expansion of ultrathin, high molecular-weight (MW), freestanding polystyrene films over an extended temperature range. For two different MWs, we observed two distinct reduced glass transition temperatures (${T}_{g}$'s), separated by up to 60 K, within single films with thicknesses $h$ less than 70 nm. The lower transition follows the expected MW dependent, linear ${T}_{g}(h)$ behavior previously seen in high MW freestanding films. We also observe a much stronger upper transition with no MW dependence that exhibits the same ${T}_{g}(h)$ dependence as supported and low MW freestanding polymer films.
Paediatric palliative care: a review of needs, obstacles and the future.

Aim This literature review offers a response to the current paediatric palliative care literature that will punctuate the need for a framework (i.e. the three world view) that can serve as an evaluative lens for nurse managers who are in the planning or evaluative stages of paediatric palliative care programmes. Background The complexities in providing paediatric palliative care extend beyond clinical practices to operational policies and financial barriers that exist in the continuum of services for patients. Evaluation This article offers a review of the literature and a framework in order to view best clinical practices, operational/policy standards and financial feasibility when considering the development and sustainability of paediatric palliative care programmes. Key aspects Fifty-four articles were selected as representative of the current state of the literature as it pertains to the three world view (i.e. clinical, operational and financial factors) involved in providing paediatric palliative care. Conclusion In developing efficient paediatric palliative care services, clinical, operational and financial resources and barriers need to be identified and addressed. Implications for nursing management Nursing management plays a crucial role in addressing the clinical, operational and financial needs and concerns that are grounded in paediatric palliative care literature.
Association of digitalis therapy with mortality in survivors of acute myocardial infarction: Observations in the beta-blocker heart attack trial

The influence of digitalis therapy on survivors of acute myocardial infarction was examined in the placebo-treated patients from the Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial (BHAT). Two hundred fifty (13%) of the 1,921 placebo-treated patients were receiving digitalis at the time of randomization. Patients receiving digitalis differed from those not receiving digitalis in such baseline characteristics as age, prior history of heart failure, prior myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. They also experienced a higher proportion of in-hospital complications including pulmonary edema, persistent hypotension, atrial fibrillation and heart failure in addition to a greater prevalence of complex ventricular premature beats. The total mortality rate over a mean 25 month followup period for digitalis-treated patients was 20.4% compared with 8.2% for patients not receiving digitalis; the odds ratio was 2.87 (p These data indicate that patients receiving digitalis had more extensive cardiovascular disease and greater morbidity than patients not receiving digitalis. Their subsequent higher mortality rate was probably related to these factors rather than to digitalis therapy.
A Wired-Side Approach to MAC Misbehavior Detection

We propose a simple scheme for detecting selfish behavior achieved by manipulating the 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol. Specifically, attacks that exploit the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) parameters and data rate adaption scheme to maximize individual throughput pose a denial of service threat against protocol abiding nodes. We detect this malicious behavior by employing a combination of supervised and unsupervised learning techniques that monitor for disparities in the delay patterns of protocol-abiding and illegitimate traffic. Unlike existing approaches, detection is done on the wired side. We apply an anomaly-based categorization, which obviates the need to train on traces from different network instances. Since the approach is holistic and does not rely on a feature selection using individual parameters, the technique is free of adaptive cheating. Additionally, the accuracy of classification is independent of the number of terminals in the network, the number of colluding attackers, protocol, rate adaptation and higher layer transmission behavior. Simulations and experiments are used to validate our scheme.
Computerized evaluation of sperm cell motility

Abstract A computer system has been developed for measuring sperm cell velocities and for classifying them as motile or nonmotile. Movies of the sperm cells (filmed through a microscope) are read into the computer using a video camera and a video compressor interface. Cells detected in the first frame are correlated with cells in subsequent frames by the criterion of minimum separation. The velocity for each cell is calculated by multiplying the average distance moved between frames by the movie frame rate. The equipment is commercially available at reasonable cost, and is capable of measuring the velocities of up to 30 cells within about 3 min.
Cell migration and the control of post-natal T-cell lymphopoiesis in the thymus

Similar to all haematopoietic lineages, T cells must be replenished throughout life — a process that is the main function of the thymus. New progenitors are recruited to leave the bloodstream and enter the thymus, then to migrate in a defined pattern within the thymus during differentiation, and finally to return to the blood after maturation. Thereby, directional migration is intrinsically linked to all stages of T-cell differentiation. This review focuses on what is known and what is unknown about the signals that support this migration process in the mouse model of post-natal thymocyte differentiation.
Calculation of theS1State of the Beryllium Atom in Hylleraas Coordinates

The $^{1}S$ state of the Be atom is calculated in Hylleraas coordinates using a 25-term single-determinant wave function having the proper spin-angular-momentum symmetry. A ground-state energy of -29.3158 Ry is obtained, as compared with the experimentally observed value of -29.337 Ry and the best Hartree-Fock value of -29.145 96 Ry, indicating that the application of the procedure to larger systems should be fruitful. Suggestions are given to improve the accuracy of the present method and to extend it to atoms of higher atomic number. Solutions of the integrals and procedures for manipulating them in storage are presented.
Preservation of intestinal motility after the serial transverse enteroplasty procedure in a large animal model of short bowel syndrome

Abstract Introduction Serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) has been shown to improve bowel function in short bowel syndrome. The effect of the STEP procedure on intestinal motility is not known, but some have hypothesized that it could disrupt bowel innervation and thus impair intestinal motility. Methods Growing Yorkshire pigs (n = 7) underwent 3 operations at 6-week intervals: (1) reversal of 50 cm of jejunum, (2) 90% bowel resection ± STEP to the proximal dilated bowel (4 STEP, 3 control), and (3) implantation of serosal strain gauges. At each operation, baseline and post-octreotide small intestinal motility was studied with continuously perfused manometry catheters using non-anticholinergic anesthesia. In addition, awake monitoring was performed using strain gauge analysis 1 week after the third operation. Characteristics of phase III of the migrating motor complex (MMC) were compared between and within groups using t test, χ 2 , and analysis of variance, with significance set at P Results Manometry data from the third surgery revealed no differences between groups or compared with baseline within groups for the presence and characteristics of phase III of the MMC. Specifically, the mean amplitude and frequency of phase III after octreotide, and both the mean baseline and mean octreotide-stimulated motility indices were equivalent. The duration of phase III after octreotide stimulation was significantly increased in the STEP animals, suggesting a potential benefit of the STEP procedure. Strain gauge analysis, performed in awake animals, confirmed no differences between the groups for basal and octreotide-stimulated characteristics of phase III of the MMC. Conclusions These preliminary data suggest that the STEP procedure in a porcine model of short bowel syndrome does not interfere with baseline or hormonally stimulated motility within the small bowel. These findings further support the STEP procedure as a safe option for the surgical management of short bowel syndrome.
Performance characterizations of dupont photopolymer based optoelectronic interconnects

Performance of polarization dependence of photopolymer-based substrate-guided-wave optical interconnects with surface-normal configuration is characterized. Energy optimization, and trade- off between energy equalization and polarization insensitivity of 1-to-many cascaded interconnects are discussed. DuPont photopolymer film HRF 600X001-20 is employed in our experiment. A 1-to-9 fanout device with +/- 5% energy fluctuation for a randomly-polarized input optical wave at 632.8 nm is fabricated for evaluating the trade-off under p- and s-waves. As the Myler substrate of the photopolymer films has strong effects on changing incident linearly polarized light into elliptically polarized light, the energy uniformity of a practical device can be improved significantly. The developed theory is applicable for any volume hologram.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of Bile Acids in Liver Injury and Regeneration following Acetaminophen Overdose

Bile acids play a critical role in liver injury and regeneration, but their role in acetaminophen (APAP)–induced liver injury is not known. We tested the effect of bile acid modulation on APAP hepatotoxicity using C57BL/6 mice, which were fed a normal diet, a 2% cholestyramine (CSA)–containing diet for bile acid depletion, or a 0.2% cholic acid (CA)–containing diet for 1 week before treatment with 400 mg/kg APAP. CSA-mediated bile acid depletion resulted in significantly higher liver injury and delayed regeneration after APAP treatment. In contrast, 0.2% CA supplementation in the diet resulted in a moderate delay in progression of liver injury and significantly higher liver regeneration after APAP treatment. Either CSA-mediated bile acid depletion or CA supplementation did not affect hepatic CYP2E1 levels or glutathione depletion after APAP treatment. CSA-fed mice exhibited significantly higher activation of c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases and a significant decrease in intestinal fibroblast growth factor 15 mRNA after APAP treatment. In contrast, mice fed a 0.2% CA diet had significantly lower c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase activation and 12-fold higher fibroblast growth factor 15 mRNA in the intestines. Liver regeneration after APAP treatment was significantly faster in CA diet–fed mice after APAP administration secondary to rapid cyclin D1 induction. Taken together, these data indicate that bile acids play a critical role in both initiation and recovery of APAP-induced liver injury.
Effects of testosterone administration and gonadectomy on nuptial pad morphology in overwintering male leopard frogs, Rana pipiens

Overwintering Rana pipiens were studied to clarify physiological control of the nuptial pad, a digital specialization of male frogs that is used in mating. Testosterone cypionate implants stimulated nuptial pad growth in both castrated and sham-operated males relative to placebo-treated controls. Androgen-induced changes in the nuptial pad simulated seasonal recrudescence, and included significant increases in thickness of both the epidermis and dermis, formation of keratinized epidermal papillae, hypertrophy of the gland epithelium, enlargement of the gland lumina, and cytoplasmic accumulation of secretory product. Castration did not influence the response to testosterone, nor did it markedly affect nuptial pad morphology, probably because the pads were in maximal regression. These findings, in conjunction with previous work, implicate testicular androgens in seasonal cyclicity of the nuptial pad.
Propranolol pretreatment reduces cardiorespiratory toxicity due to plain, but not epinephrine-containing, intravenous bupivacaine in rats.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pretreatment with propranolol on the cardio-respiratory toxicity of bupivacaine, either plain or with epinephrine 1:200,000 (5 μg · ml− 1) added. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats, anaesthetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital, were divided into four groups. Groups I and III were pretreated with iv propranolol 150 μg · kg− 1, and Groups II and IV recei ved iv NS as a placebo. Three minutes later, rats in Groups I and II received plain 0.5% bupivacaine, 4 mg · kg− 1, and Groups III and IV received 4 mg· kg− 1 of 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine, 5 μg · ml− 1 iv. Five of eight rats pretreated with propranolol survived (Group I), compared with uniform fatality with NS pretreatment (Group II) (P < 0.05). Addition of epinephrine to the bupivacaine eliminated the protective effect of propranolol. All rats pretreated with propranolol (Group III) or NS (Group IV) died when given bupivacaine with epinephrine. In conclusion, acute propranolol pretreatment reduced the fatal cardiotoxicity due to iv bupivacaine in male Sprague Dawley rats, but the addition of epinephrine 5 μg · ml− 1 to bupivacaine eliminated the protective effect of propranolol.
Research Note: Headspace Volatiles of Heated Chicken-Frying Shortening

Abstract Chicken frying shortening samples were collected from a commercial fast food outlet daily for 11 days. The headspace volatiles of these samples were analyzed with a gas chromatograph. At 160 C, the quantity of headspace volatiles of chicken frying shortening increased as the number of times the frying operation increased. The increase in total headspace volatiles of used shortening was due to increased quantities of primary volatile components rather than an increasing number of individual volatile compounds detected.
Bioengineering human microvascular networks in immunodeficient mice.

The future of tissue engineering and cell-based therapies for tissue regeneration will likely rely on our ability to generate functional vascular networks in vivo. In this regard, the search for experimental models to build blood vessel networks in vivo is of utmost importance 1. The feasibility of bioengineering microvascular networks in vivo was first shown using human tissue-derived mature endothelial cells (ECs) 2-4; however, such autologous endothelial cells present problems for wide clinical use, because they are difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities and require harvesting from existing vasculature. These limitations have instigated the search for other sources of ECs. The identification of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) in blood presented an opportunity to non-invasively obtain ECs 5-7. We and other authors have shown that adult and cord blood-derived ECFCs have the capacity to form functional vascular networks in vivo 7-11. Importantly, these studies have also shown that to obtain stable and durable vascular networks, ECFCs require co-implantation with perivascular cells. The assay we describe here illustrates this concept: we show how human cord blood-derived ECFCs can be combined with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a single cell suspension in a collagen/fibronectin/fibrinogen gel to form a functional human vascular network within 7 days after implantation into an immunodeficient mouse. The presence of human ECFC-lined lumens containing host erythrocytes can be seen throughout the implants indicating not only the formation (de novo) of a vascular network, but also the development of functional anastomoses with the host circulatory system. This murine model of bioengineered human vascular network is ideally suited for studies on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of human vascular network formation and for the development of strategies to vascularize engineered tissues.
The mediators of acquired resistance to Listeria monocytogenes are contained within a population of cytotoxic T cells

T cells from peritoneal exudates induced in rats convalescing from a recent infection of Listeria monocytogenes were fractionated into two subsets based on their ability to bind monoclonal antibodies to cell-surface determinants that are expressed on some but not all peripheral T cells. Two phenotypically distinct subsets, one recognized by the antibody MRC OX8 and the other by W3/25, were assayed for their protective capacity in Listeria-challenged recipients, and for their ability to kill unmodified syngeneic fibroblasts in vitro. The two activities were mediated by the OX8+ subset which comprised approximately half the T cells in the exudates.
Comparative radiosensitivity of forelimb and hindlimb primordia in Amblystoma punctatum.

Embryos at stage 34, the earliest at which hindlimb rudiments can be located, were irradiated with 240-kv x rays at a rate of 152 r/min. The exposure dose was 1000 r and the absorbed dose estimated to be 950 rad. Within 10 to 90 min after irradiation, forelimb and hindlimb primordia were transplanted orthotopically to nonirradiated embryos of the same age. Both the irradiated and nonirradiated control grafts were examined daily for a period of 40 days. Development of the irradiated forelimb grafts was normal through stage 39. From this time until well past stage 46 all of the grafts were retarded in their differentiation and a large number of them became abnormally differentiated as early as stage 45. Development of the irradiated hindlimb grafts was normal in almost 1/4 of the cases from the earliest appearance of the limb bud. About 3/4 were either retarded or not yet formed during the earliest stages of development. At the same embryonic age the more mature forelimb rudiment is more radiosensitive than is the less mature hindlimb rudiment. The results suggest that radiosensitivity of an embryonic structure is not necessarily a function of chronological age but of respective levels of differentiation. (TCO)
Writing the BoK: designing for the networked learning environment of college students

Some believe that the fundamental pedagogy of foreign language instruction has existed for hundreds of years. [40] That said, converting a class from a traditional course to an online solution cannot be as simple as posting a textbook online and offering periodic subject tests because it does not correctly model the traditional language learning experience. It removes the community-driven interactions of a classroom.Language is acquired through a combination of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students need a variety of individual and community-based activities in all of these categories to internalize the subject matter. Course material must be parsed using these categories and distributed in ways that support the active, collaborative lifestyles of today's students. This will enable students to learn from wherever they are whenever time is available. On the other end, instructors should be able to monitor all student activity that pertains to the learning experience to assess student performance.These are some of the key principles for BoK, a subscription-based, community-maintained model for second-language learning and instruction.
Benchmarking performance indices: pitfalls and solutions

Many organizations include benchmarking as a component of their performance management system. Often, a performance index is used to quantify the ability of an organizational entity to operate successfully. Benchmarking a performance index is done inappropriately when statistical methods are employed that ignore sample size effects or use aggregate performance data over a period during which changes occurred within the organization. Benchmarking will also be ineffective when invalid targets are employed. When benchmarking is done incorrectly, customer satisfaction may actually decline due to gaming and poor morale among employees. Based on the philosophy of W. Edwards Deming, the techniques of statistical process control (SPC), and basic undergraduate statistics, a system is described for effectively benchmarking a performance index. Examples are presented to illustrate the pitfalls that exist in many performance management systems and to explain the system presented for effective benchmarking.
Environment, development, crisis, and crusade: Ukambani, Kenya, 1890–1990

Abstract For over a century Ukambani, the home of the Akamba people, has been the object of intense scrutiny and repeated interventions by international and national “experts.” Outsider narratives have portrayed the region as a crucible for a series of crises, including human and livestock epidemics, “overgrazing,” soil erosion, low productivity, underdevelopment, fuelwood shortage, biodiversity loss, and threatened wildlife. Akamba farmers and herders recount a very different story in which land alienation, land hunger, and limits on mobility of people and their herds have restructured the ecological and spatial order of their homeland, to the benefit of some and the detriment of many. The history of crisis construction and resolution by outsiders, juxtaposed with the diverse experience of people within the region suggests that simple solutions to single problems may actually create new crisis, in Ukambani and elsewhere.
Trends in multiprocessor and distributed operating systems designs

This paper presents an overview of the developments in operating systems technology for distributed computing systems and multiprocessor machines. We focus on those design principles that are now widely accepted as useful design paradigms. Approaches common to distributed and multiprocessor operating systems are identified. Issues discussed include process scheduling and synchronization, load balancing, virtual and shared-memory management and parallel file systems. The task-thread model and the object model of computing are also discussed.
Children’s teaching skills: The role of theory of mind and executive function.

— Teaching others effectively may rely on knowledge about the mind as well as self-control processes. The goal of this investigation was to explore the role of theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF) in children’s developing teaching skills. Children 3.5–5.5 years of age (N = 82) were asked to teach a confederate learner how to play a board game and were administered multitask batteries of ToM and EF with mental age, sex, and memory capacity as controls. There was a developmental increase in children’s teaching skills (e.g., older children taught longer, explained more rules, and used more strategies when teaching). Examined separately, both ToM and EF explained unique variance in teaching skills over and above controls. Taken together, EF was a significant predictor of teaching efficacy over and above ToM and controls, whereas the same did not hold true for ToM. These results suggest that ToM may be a necessary prerequisite for teaching to occur; however, EF skills appear to play a vital role in children’s teaching efficacy.
Negative salience in impressions of character: effects of unequal proportions of positive and negative information.

Summary Subjects were presented with varying amounts of favorable and unfavorable information describing behaviors of an unknown person and were asked to rate his character after each type of information and again a week later. Where the amount of positive information was greater than the negative, results indicated that a single negative behavior neutralized five positive behaviors, yielding an impression only insignificantly better than that based on five negative and five positive actions. Final ratings were compared with values predicted by a simple averaging theory. Empirical ratings were significantly lower than theoretical values except for two cases where an averaging theory would also predict negative impressions.
Computer-integrated quality information system

The author describes the design and implementation of a quality information system in the computer-integrated manufacturing environment. Various data elements related to quality functions an be integrated through a closed-loop quality information system. It is suggested that an emerging generation of computer workstations, communication protocols, and database management systems will make the computer-integrated quality information system a reality at affordable prices. A systems development methodology for designing and implementing quality information systems is discussed. >
Dynamics of water in the amphiphilic pore of amyloid β fibrils

Abstract Alzheimers disease related amyloid peptide, Aβ, forms a fibrillar structure through aggregation. The aggregate is stabilized by a salt bridge that is responsible for the formation of an amphiphilic pore that can accommodate water molecules. None of the reported structures of Aβ, however, contain water. We present results from molecular dynamics simulations on dimeric Aβ fibrils solvated in water. Water penetrates and fills the amphiphilic pore increasing its volume. We observe a thick wire of water that is translationally and rotationally stiff in comparison to bulk water and may be essential for the stabilization of the amyloid Aβ protein.
Discriminant Validity of Career Maturity Inventory Scales in Grade 9 Students

An aspect of construct validity of the six scales of the Career Maturity Inventory was investigated with 127 ninth-grade students. The scales were found to be more highly intercorrelated than is desirable. Coupled with their modest reliabilities, this outcome was interpreted as a major limitation of the instrument.
Low noise digital logic techniques

Low-noise digital logic circuits designed to complement conventional static logic in high-speed high-precision mixed-signal applications are reviewed in this paper. By steering constant currents to realize the logic functions, it has been shown that digital switching noise is reduced by about two orders or magnitude which will allow much higher accuracy in mixed-mode ICs. >
Effects of Quiz Distribution on Web-Based Instruction in an Industrial Training Environment

Although Web-based training has experienced significant increase in popularity recently, there is a paucity of empirical information on how these programs should be designed. Fundamental questions about basic design elements (e.g., user interface, quizzing strategies) are still to be answered. This study evaluated quiz distribution in a Web-based training program for a manufacturing organization. Results indicated that the trainees—shop supervisors with little to no prior computer experience—had a very positive reaction to the course and performed well on the final test. Furthermore, frequency of pop-up quizzes during the course had no effect on the test scores, time needed to take the course, or the trainees' reaction to the course. These results are discussed in terms of their implication for Web-based instructional design.
Immunophilin ligands and GDNF enhance neurite branching or elongation from developing dopamine neurons in culture

Neurotrophic effects of immunophilin ligands have been shown in animal models of peripheral and central nervous system insult. To investigate the specific growth-promoting effects of these compounds, we examined the effects of various immunophilin ligands on primary dopamine (DA) neurons in culture and compared these with a well-known DA trophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). In neuronal cultures from Embryonic Day 14 ventral mesencephalon, enhanced elongation of DA neurites was observed with immunophilin ligands, which inhibited the phosphatase activity of calcineurin (FK506 and cyclosporin A) when compared to vehicle-treated cultures. This elongation was also observed with GDNF, known to exert its trophic effects through phosphorylation-dependent pathways. In contrast, immunophilin ligands that do not inhibit calcineurin (rapamycin and V-10,367) increased branching of DA neurites, suggesting that elongation is dependent upon maintained phosphorylation while branching is not. In addition, both V-10,367 and rapamycin antagonized the elongation effects of FK506 and induced branching. The antagonism of elongation (and reappearance of branching) illustrates the intrinsic abilities of developing DA neurons to either elongate or branch, but not both. We show that the immunophilin FKBP12 (12-kDa FK506-binding protein) is expressed in ventral mesencephalic neuronal cultures and colocalizes with DA neurons. This work elucidates the specific growth-promoting effects by which GDNF and immunophilin ligands modify developmental growth processes of DA neurons, via their interactions with intracellular targets.
Review: erythropoiesis-stimulating agents increase mortality and venous thromboembolism in cancer-associated anaemia.

Source Citation Bennett CL, Silver SM, Djulbegovic B, et al. Venous thromboembolism and mortality associated with recombinant erythropoietin and darbepoetin administration for the treatment of canc...
Blood platelets activate the classical pathway of human complement

Summary. Objective: Activation of the complement system plays a key role in inflammation associated with vascular injury. Recently, platelet P-selectin was shown to activate C3 via the alternative pathway of human complement. As platelets also posses binding sites for C1q, the recognition unit of the classical complement pathway, the present study examined classical pathway activation on platelets. Methods: Complement activation was assessed by either a solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or flow cytometry. Results: Using the ELISA approach, 2- to 10-fold increases (P <0 .001) in C1q and C4d deposition were demonstrated on adherent platelets following exposure (60 min 37 � C) to diluted (1/10) human plasma or serum. Similar results were obtained by flow cytometry using activated platelets in suspension. C1q and C4d deposition on platelets was accompanied by an approximately 4-fold increase in fluid phase C4d and C3a generation. Consistent with activation of the classical complement pathway, C4 cleavage failed to occur in serum depleted of C1q but was unchanged in factor B deficient serum. C4 activation was enhanced by platelet stimulation using chemical (SFLLRN peptide) or mechanical (shear) means, and decreased following platelet exposure to plasmin. These treatments were accompanied by changes in platelet surface gC1qR/p33 expression, a cellular C1q binding protein. In purified systems, recombinant gC1qR/p33 supported C4 activation, in a C1q dependent manner. Conclusion: These data provide the first evidence for C1q dependent classical complement pathway activation on platelets, and support a role for gC1qR/p33 in this process. However, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to gC1qR/p33 produced only modest (20% ± 8%, mean ± SD, n ¼ 5) reductions in C4 activation on platelets. Thus, further studies are required to investigate the involvement of additional platelet membrane constituents in classical complement pathway activation.
Molecular Bilateral Symmetry of Natural Products: Prediction of Selectivity of Dimeric Molecules by Density Functional Theory and Semiempirical Calculations

A literature survey and theoretical calculations have been applied to explore bilateral symmetry in natural product systems. Molecular bilateral symmetry is defined to include C(2) (sigma plane or axis), C(s)(), and C(2)(v)() point groups in molecules. Natural products that possess chirality in the form of C(2)-axes or sigma planes of symmetry are present in higher proportions (69%) compared to molecules bearing achiral C(s)() or C(2)(v)() point groups (14% and 16%, respectively). Density functional theoretical and semiempirical calculations indicate that the dimers 3,3'-dibromo-5,5'-[N-(2-(3-bromo-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl)-2-hydroxyiminoacetamide]biphenyl-2,2'-diol (1), (S,S)-1,2-bis(2-amino-3H-imidazol-4-yl)-(R,R)-3,4-bis(1H-pyrrole-2-amido)cyclobutane (2), 2-oxo-dimethyl-1,3-bis(3,4-dibromobenzene-1,2-diol) (11), 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione (12), and bis(5-isopropyl-8-methylazulene)methane (13) evolve more energy per connecting bond than the corresponding trimers or tetramers would. This we propose is a guiding parameter that may adjust molecule growth. The corresponding trimers, tetramers, or higher oligomers of 1, 2, and 11-13 appear to represent "missing" compounds in nature. Natural products 1, 2, and 11-13, having 3-fold and higher levels of symmetry, would founder on the lack of a facile method of synthesis and on the prohibitively high-energy costs caused by steric crowding at their core.