cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buddhism and Economic Action in Burma1

The Buddhist world view, and especially its notions of rebirth and karma, provide a cognitive orientation within which religious spending is a much sounder and much more profitable investment than economic saving (in the usual sense of “saving“). This, at least, is the case in Burma, from which the materials for this paper are taken. Contrary, then, to the usual claims concerning Burmese improvidence, their consumption behavior, given this world view, is both provident and rational.
Three-dimensional imaging of aortic arch anomalies in infants and children with intravascular ultrasound catheters from a transesophageal approach * **

Abstract Aortic arch anomalies usually require surgical intervention preceded by precise anatomic definition. We studied 20 patients to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of using intravascular ultrasound catheters from a transesophageal approach with 3-dimensional image reconstruction for the diagnosis of aortic arch anomalies in infants and children. All patients had transthoracic echocardiograms and/or angiograms or magnetic resonance imaging. A 12.5-MHz intravascular ultrasound catheter was positioned in the esophagus and withdrawn by using an electrocardiogram and a respiratory gated pullback device to acquire the mediastinal images. All patients with arch anomalies underwent surgical repair. Reconstructed images were analyzed in the "anyplane" mode and with surface rendering. Intravascular ultrasound 3-dimensional imaging was successfully accomplished without complications. Anatomy was correctly identified in all patients by both blinded and unblinded observers, thus confirming the sensitivity and accuracy of the technique. We foresee this new technique to be useful as an adjunctive imaging modality applicable at the bedside or in the cardiac imaging laboratory. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2000; 13:924-31.)
Characteristics of clinically anxious versus non-anxious regular, heavy marijuana users.

Abstract Both the key mechanism of action for marijuana (the endocannabinoid system) and the symptoms associated with marijuana withdrawal suggest an important link to anxiety. Despite this link, there is a dearth of research on the characteristics of heavy marijuana users with clinical-level anxiety compared to those with heavy marijuana use alone. Over 10,000 participants (friends or affiliates of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) provided data via online survey. After careful, conservative screening, anxiety, other psychopathology, other drug use, and marijuana-related problems were examined in 2567 heavy marijuana users. Subsequently, 275 heavy users with clinical-level anxiety were compared to demographically-equivalent non-anxious heavy users on psychopathology, drug use, and cannabis-related problems. Among several psychological variables (including anxiety, depression, schizotypy, and impulsivity), anxiety was most strongly predictive of amount of marijuana used and marijuana-related problems. Group comparison ( n = 550 total) revealed that clinically anxious heavy users exhibited more use, more non-anxiety psychopathological symptoms, and a greater number and severity of marijuana-related problems than their non-anxious peers. The findings reveal that anxiety shows an important relation to marijuana use and related problems among regular, heavy users. Further examinations of common and unique factors predisposing individuals for anxiety and marijuana abuse appear warranted.
Current Estimate of Down Syndrome Population Prevalence in the United States

Objective To calculate a reliable estimate of the population prevalence of Down syndrome in the US. Study design The annual number of births of infants with Down syndrome were estimated by applying published birth prevalence rates of Down syndrome by maternal age to US data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the years for which births by maternal age were available (1940-2008). Death certificate data for persons with Down syndrome were available for the years 1968-2007. We estimated the number of people with Down syndrome on January 1, 2008, using a life table approach based on proportions of deaths by age. Monte Carlo sampling was used to create 90% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for our estimates. Results We estimated the January 1, 2008, population prevalence of Down syndrome as approximately 250 700 (90% UI, 185 900-321 700) based on proportions of deaths by age from the most recent 2 years (2006-2007) of death certificate data. This estimate corresponds to a prevalence of 8.27 people with Down syndrome per 10 000 population (90% UI, 6.14-10.62). Conclusion Our estimate of Down syndrome prevalence is roughly 25%-40% lower than estimates based solely on current birth prevalence. The results presented here can be considered a starting point for facilitating policy and services planning for persons with Down syndrome.
Poverty and palliative care in the US: issues facing the urban poor

Poverty is a significant public health and social problem in the US. The urban poor living with life-limiting illnesses are a particularly vulnerable population. The literature related to the experiences of the urban poor at the end of life is sparse. Most relates to the experiences of patients with cancer. The purpose of this literature review is to describe the problem of poverty in the US, to identify challenges in providing palliative care to the urban poor, and lastly, to articulate implications for nursing practice and nursing research.
Workshop on software engineering for high performance computing system (HPCS) applications

High performance computing systems are used to develop software for wide variety of domains including nuclear physics, crash simulation, satellite data processing, fluid dynamics, climate modelling, bioinformatics, and financial modelling. The TOP500 website (http://www.top500.org/) lists the top 500 high performance computing systems along with their specifications and owners. The diversity of government, scientific, and commercial organizations present on this list illustrates the growing prevalence and impact of HPCS applications on modern society.
Reactions of water vapor or molecular hydrogen with trichloroethylene in a microwave plasma reactor

The reaction of trichloroethylene (C2HCl3) with water vapor or molecular hydrogen has been studied in a low-pressure [ca. 5 Torr (0.67 kPa)] microwave plasma tubular flow reactor. The experimental apparatus included feed introduction systems, a microwave plasma reactor, and full product analysis by flame ionization and thermal-conductivity gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and specific ion or pH detection for hydrogen chloride [HCl]. Conversions of C2HCl3 in the range 50 to almost 100% are achieved. Product analyses indicate conversion to HCl, some light hydrocarbons, nonparent chlorocarbons, and soot C(s). For the H2O case, carbon monoxide and trace carbon dioxide were produced in place of some light hydrocarbons and C(s). At least 85 mole % of chlorine (Cl) from the converted parent C2HCl3 forms thermodynamically stable HCl at parent conversions of 80% or more. The remaining chlorine was present as nonparent chlorocarbons. Preliminary kinetic analyses were performed. The global reaction in the plasma was found to follow one-half-order kinetic dependence on each of C2HCl3 and H2O or H2. Elementary plasma reaction mechanisms are presented to account for C2HCl3 conversion and the observed product distribution.
Measurement of three K+-decay branching ratios

The following three K+-meson decay branching ratios have been measured:BKμ3=0.0277±0.0018,BKe3=0.0394±0.0017,BKπ2=0.216±0.009. Details of the experimental method are given. The form-factor ratio for Kμ3 decay, ξ=f+/f− is found, using our value ofBKμ3/BKe3=0.70±0.05, to have a real part Re ξ=±0.40±0.40. This number depends on μ-e universality and |Im ξ|<1. Recent measurements on the Kμ3 mode obtain Re ξ=0.34±0.30 and |Imξ| <1. The agreement of the real parts can be said to confirm μ-e universality or put quantitativelyf+(Kμ3)/f+(Ke3)=1.01±0.05.
Adenovirus Small e1a Alters Global Patterns of Histone Modification

Adenovirus small early region 1a (e1a) protein drives cells into S phase by binding RB family proteins and the closely related histone acetyl transferases p300 and CBP. The interaction with RB proteins displaces them from DNA-bound E2F transcription factors, reversing their repression of cell cycle genes. However, it has been unclear how the e1a interaction with p300 and CBP promotes passage through the cell cycle. We show that this interaction causes a threefold reduction in total cellular histone H3 lysine 18 acetylation (H3K18ac). CBP and p300 are required for acetylation at this site because their knockdown causes specific hypoacetylation at H3K18. SV40 T antigen also induces H3K18 hypoacetylation. Because global hypoacetylation at this site is observed in prostate carcinomas with poor prognosis, this suggests that processes resulting in global H3K18 hypoacetylation may be linked to oncogenic transformation.
Telescope guiding with a HyViSI H2RG used in guide mode

We report on long exposure results obtained with a Teledyne HyViSI H2RG detector operating in guide mode. The sensor simultaneously obtained nearly seeing-limited data while also guiding the Kitt Peak 2.1 m telescope. Results from unguided and guided operation are presented and used to place lower limits on flux/fluence values for accurate centroid measurements. We also report on significant noise reduction obtained in recent laboratory measurements that should further improve guiding capability with higher magnitude stars.
Fasting hyperinsulinemia and cardiovascular disease risk factors in nondiabetic adults : stronger associations in lean versus obese subjects

The association between hyperinsulinemia and atherogenic risk factors has not been well studied in blacks and may be different for obese versus lean individuals. To investigate this possibility and to confirm the associations of hyperinsulinemia with cardiovascular disease risk factors in blacks and whites, we analyzed the joint associations of fasting serum insulin and obesity with risk factors in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (1,293 black men, 4,797 white men, 2,033 black women, and 5,445 white women). Insulin values > or = 90th percentile (> or = 21 microU/mL) constituted hyperinsulinemia; body mass index (BMI) values > or = 27.3 kg/m2 for women and > or = 27.8 for men constituted obesity. Participants with hyperinsulinemia in all four race-sex groups had more atherogenic levels of most risk factors studied than those with normoinsulinemia. Among black men and women, mean levels of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (apo) B, glucose, and fibrinogen (men only) were higher in hyperinsulinemic lean participants as compared with the normoinsulinemic obese group. Furthermore, most associations between insulin level and risk factors were stronger among lean versus obese subjects. For example, among lean black men, the difference in mean triglyceride concentration between those with hyperinsulinemia and those with normoinsulinemia was 147 - 99 = 48 mg/dL; among obese black men, the difference was 155 - 121 = 34 mg/dL (P < .05 for the interaction). Generally, similar negative interactions between BMI and insulin concentration were also observed among whites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Tubular myelin assembly in type II alveolar cells: freeze-fracture studies.

We have undertaken a study to coordinate examination of thin sections with that of freeze-etched material. Results suggest that (1) lamellar bodies have a much more regular structure than hitherto believed. (2) The leaflets of some lamellar bodies reveal a unique substructure of ribs and intramembranous particles displayed in form and spacing (400-500 A) like those of tubular myelin as seen in the airspace. (3) As in other membranes of high metabolic activity the fracture face is covered with particles 80-100 A in diameter. Our freeze-etch findings of the previously undetected organization and suborganization of lamellar bodies suggest an entirely new set of morphological criteria for evaluating the maturation of lamellar bodies and their role in the intracellular assembly of the reticular components of the airspace lining.
Hemolymph osmoregulation in several myriapods and arachnids

1. 1. Osmotic responses to dehydration and rehydration were examined in a millipede, Cylindroiulus londinensis (Leach), a centipede, Lithobius fotficatus L., a harvestman, Leiobunum vittatum (Say) and a spider, Argiope trifasciata (Forskal). 2. 2. Osmoregulatory responses to dehydration, assessed using a graphical method, differed considerably between species. Male millipedes regulated hemolymph osmolality better than females. 3. 3. Size and temperature influenced water content and hemolymph osmolality in millipedes. 4. 4. Rectal fluid became hyperosmotic to the hemolymph in dehydrated harvestmen.
Estrogen receptors in mammary gland primordia of fetal mouse.

Swiss albino mice were injected on day 16 of pregnancy with 3H diethylstilbestrol. Fetuses were sacrificed 3h afterwards, frozen, and processed for thaw-mount autoradiography. The serial sections from 4 fetuses were studied. Intense nuclear concentration of radioactivity was found in the mesenchymal cells directly surrounding the epithelial primordia of the mammary glands, but not in the epithelium itself. Localization was similar in male and female fetuses. These findings are discussed in relation to their developmental, teratological, and oncological implications.
Aspects of interphase boundary structure in diffusional phase transformations

Abstract Distinctions among fully coherent, partly coherent and incoherent interphase boundaries are presented. Introduction of a single linear misfit compensating defect is concluded to represent the most useful definition of the transition between fully and partly coherent interfaces. The limit between partly and fully incoherent interphase boundaries is taken operationally as the absence of detectable misfit accommodating defects (i.e., localization) at the interface by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. An answer to the question of whether or not a precipitate crystal can be fully or partly coherent at one or more boundary orientations and incoherent at others is developed.
Ways Decision Makers Can Use Evidence to Improve Patient Outcomes in Learning Health Systems: A Message from the Guest Editor

A learning health system is one in which clinical information and research are continually used to improve the processes, outcomes, and quality of care. No matter which definition of comparative effectiveness research (CER) or patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) is preferred, there is nearly universal agreement that a core feature of these research efforts is the need to engage decision makers, such as patients, providers, and policymakers, in prioritizing and defining research that addresses and resolves important evidence gaps to improve patient care and outcomes. In this set of eGEMs papers focused on decision-making, leaders in scientific fields with an interest in developing the next generation of CER, PCOR, and quality improvement (QI) studies share their perspectives on the potential applications, as well as the short-and longterm challenges, of using electronic clinical data (ECD) to address health care information needs within a learning health system. This commentary introduce eGEMs’ first special issue, which was developed through a series of conversations with leading experts, as well as an open call for papers in early summer 2013. The six papers presented represent a first set of papers on decision makers and decision-making using these new data, with other papers (to follow) being currently under development to add to the perspectives provided here.
Stuttering, Audience Size, and the Other-Total Ratio: A Self-Attention Perspective1

The effect of audience size on verbal disfluences in stutterers is considered from the perspective of self-attention theory. Two secondary analyses conducted using original data from studies (Hahn, 1940; Porter, 1939) which observed the effects of audience size on stuttering, reveal an increase in stuttering as a negatively accelerating function of audience size. These results confirm the utility of the self-attention theory Other-Total Ratio in characterizing the effect of the group on the individual.
Unique responses of limbic met-enkephalin systems to low and high doses of methamphetamine.

Abstract A single administration of a low (0.5 mg/kg) or high (10 mg/kg) dose of methamphetamine (METH) significantly altered the met-enkephalin (M-Enk) systems associated with some, but not all, limbic structures examined. Neither treatment influenced M-Enk levels 3 h after drug exposure in any limbic region studied; however, 12 h after drug administration, 0.5 mg/kg of METH reduced the tissue content of this peptide in both the nucleus accumbens shell (NAs) and the frontal cortex (FrCx). This was similar to the effect of this treatment on the anterior striatal region. In contrast, the high dose of METH increased M-Enk content in the frontal cortex and anterior striatum (AS), but had no effect in the nucleus accumbens shell. By 24 h, the effects of METH in the anterior striatum subsided, but decreases in M-Enk levels were still observed after both the low- and the high-dose METH treatments in the nucleus accumbens shell. The levels of M-Enk were not changed at any of the time points examined in the core of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). In general, treatment with a low or high dose of METH causes distinct and regional selective changes in the tissue levels of M-Enk in the limbic system. These changes appear to be mediated by dopamine (DA) D2 and D1 receptor activation.
Use of heat labile UNG in an RT-PCR assay for enterovirus detection

A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to replace the Roche AMPLICOR Enterovirus Test used in our laboratory from 1996 to 1999. The new assay design was optimized to match or exceed the performance of the Roche AMPLICOR Enterovirus test kit with respect to analytical sensitivity and specificity, contamination control, ease of use and availability of reagents. This new assay uses a heat labile form of the enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) for amplicon contamination control and an RT-PCR enzyme mixture, enabling a one tube/one step amplification. RNA preparation was undertaken using a commercial extraction kit. End detection was accomplished using a probe-capture enzyme immuno assay (EIA) plate format. This EV RT-PCR assay exceeds the performance of the Roche AMPLICOR Enterovirus assay in a direct comparison. The combined enzymological approach has potential application to a wide variety of assays requiring sensitive RNA detection and stringent contamination control, including those utilizing real time detection methods.
A hybrid simulated annealing approach for single machine scheduling problems with non-regular penalty functions

Abstract An algorithm is presented for single machine scheduling problems which have V-shaped optimal schedules. The algorithm is a hybrid of a greedy approach, followed by a simulated annealing search of the V-shaped sequence solution space. A number of non-regular objective functions, both with and without a common due date, are considered. In all test problems, the algorithm gives better solutions than the heuristics previously presented in the literature.
Fabrication and evaluation of nanoporous alumina membranes for osteoblast culture

An understanding of osteoblast response to surface topography is essential for successful bone tissue engineering applications. Alumina has been extensively used as a substrate for bone tissue constructs. However, current techniques do not allow precise surface topography and orientation of the material. In this research, a two-step anodization process was optimized for the fabrication of nanoporous alumina membranes with uniform pore dimension and distribution. The anodization voltage can be varied to create nanoporous alumina membranes with pore sizes ranging from 30 to 80 nm in diameter. The impact of the nanoscale pores on osteoblast response was studied by evaluating cell adhesion, morphology, and matrix production. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the nanoporous alumina membranes. Osteoblast adhesion and morphology were investigated using scanning electron microscopy images and matrix production was characterized using energy dispersive spectroscopy. This research combined the advantages of using alumina, a material with proven biocompatibility and current orthopedic clinical applications, and incorporated porous features on the nanoscale which have been reported to improve osteoblast response.
Predictors of Career Choice in Academic Medicine Among Orthopaedic Surgery Residents

In 2013, 1038 applicants, 833 of whom were U.S. graduates, applied for 693 orthopaedic residency spots. Orthopaedic residency program directors thoroughly screen applicant data, selecting those applicants who will be most successful during the residency. Although the most important consideration for program directors is choosing residents who will obtain competence and will pass the orthopaedic board examinations, many applicants are chosen also for their ability to contribute to the field through leadership, research, and teaching. Previous studies have analyzed attitudes of orthopaedic residents toward research and university-based careers1. Primary authorship of a publication and past research experience were associated with a greater interest in future research1. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has been done to identify predictors of orthopaedic residents who actually obtain faculty positions in a university-based setting. We hypothesized that predictive factors exist for orthopaedic surgery residents who choose a university-based career. This study looked at both academic and socioeconomic criteria to identify factors that predict residents becoming assistant professors, associate professors, full professors, program directors, or program chairs. This study was approved by the institutional review board. It was performed in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. ### Identifying Career Outcomes Among Orthopaedic Residency Graduates The orthopaedic surgery department at our hospital compiled a complete and sequential database of sixty residents who graduated from 2001 to 2010 and their career choices. No residents were excluded. If career choice data were not available for a former resident, a Google search was performed to find out the highest academic rank achieved by the graduate. Former residents were contacted by e-mail if they could not be found on a Google search. The careers of orthopaedic surgeons were analyzed and were separated into a university or community-based career choice. University-based orthopaedic surgeons had a full-time faculty appointment …
EVALUATION OF A BRIEF MULTIPLE-STIMULUS PREFERENCE ASSESSMENT IN A NATURALISTIC CONTEXT

We evaluated a brief multiple-stimulus preference assessment within the context of an early intervention program for 3 children who had been diagnosed with autism. Subsequent curriculum-based reinforcer evaluations confirmed the predictions of the preference assessments. In addition, eight additional preference assessments that were conducted over a period of 1 month indicated generally stable preferences for 2 of the 3 participants.
Effect of cadmium on palmitic acid metabolism by rat liver homogenate.

An in vitro study was conducted to determine the effect of cadmium on the metabolism of sodium palmitate-1-14C by rat liver homogenate through the collection of 14CO2. Concentrations of cadmium ion ranged from 8.9 to 115.7 μM. The results indicated a significant inhibitory effect of cadmium on palmitate metabolism. Increased cadmium concentrations caused a corresponding decrease in 14CO2 production in a linear relationship.
Serotonergic activity and disinhibitory psychopathy in alooholism

Evidence exists of an increased risk for alcoholism in those individuals with some form of disinhibitory behavioral disturbance such as impulsivity, low frustration tolerance, attention span deficits, impersistance, sociopathy, hyperactivity and stimulus-seeking behavior. Studies have also linked alcohol abuse with aggression and criminality. Aggressive and impulsive individuals have been shown to have low levels of the major CSF metabolite of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. Interestingly, abstinent alcoholic men, and non-alcoholic first-degree relatives have been shown to have similar decrement. Alcoholism may therefore be part of a spectrum of disinhibitory psychopathy which is characterized by reduced central serotonergic activity, and has a familial or genetic component.
Positron two-photon annihilation coincidence technique: Difference mode☆☆☆

Abstract A difference (or comparative) mode in the measurement of two-photon coincidences from positron or positronium annihilation has been developed. The method can be used to advantage, particularly in gases, in determining annihilation parameters such as quenching cross sections for low concentration strongly quenching chemical species in a reference medium which is relatively non-quenching.
Teleradiology support via narrow band ISDN and the JPEG still image compression standard

The importance of remote access to both radiological images and medical information has stimulated many demonstration projects utilizing a variety of telecommunications providers'' offerings. Teleradiology over modest cost channels can achieve adequate response times using a combination of narrow-band ISDN and data compression. A demonstration project, developed in collaboration with Southwestern Bell Technology Resources, Inc., utilizes the aggregate bandwidth of two B channels (achieving a rate of 120 kb/s) and a compression/ decompression implementation based on the JPEG block-oriented DCT approach. System response measurements for an Inquiry and Display Station accessing the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology''s (MIR) Radiology Image and Information Management (RIM) Testbed via the N-ISDN connection shows response times to be within 20 seconds. Viewing applications have been demonstrated at sites within St. Louis and at RSNA-90 in Chicago. Image quality metrics and observations are presented for a sample digitized film chest radiograph and computed radiographs of portable x-ray examinations vis a demonstration at the poster session.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computed results for the deposition rates and transport phenomena for an MOCVD system with a conical rotating substrate

Abstract A mathematical representation has been developed for a CVD reactor, involving a rotating substrate, in which gallium arsenide wafers are being produced by the thermal decomposition of arsene and trimethyl gallium. In the model axial symmetry has been assumed, but an allowance has been made for forced and thermal natural convection, for thermal diffusion, homogeneous gas phase kinetics and for a realistically complex geometry. The principal finding of the work is that the uniformity of the deposition in this system can be achieved only by the careful balancing of forced and natural convection and the depletion of the reactant. By a parametric study of the key process parameters, including the reactor geometry, the gas flow rate, the reactant concentration, the reactor pressure and the cooling arrangements for the side walls, directions may be obtained regarding this optimization process.
Anonymous Group Implicit Certificate Scheme

We propose an anonymous identity-based public key group implicit certificate scheme to preserve the anonymity of mobile users in a communication network. The use of a standard public key certificate in a wireless communication network will allow unauthorized entities, who are listening to the communication channel, to identify and trace movements and locations of a mobile user using the user's unique public key in the certificate. The disclosure of such information may raise privacy concerns. In our proposed anonymous identity-based public key group implicit certificate scheme, recipients of a broadcasted message can authenticate the transmitter and validate the integrity of the message without identifying the transmitter. In case of a dispute and malicious activities, the identity of the mobile user who broadcasted the disputed message can be revealed only by a trusted authority.
A carbamate herbicide causes microtubule and microfilament disruption and nuclear fragmentation in fibroblasts.

Abstract Isopropyl( N -(3-chlorophenyl)carbamate (CIPC) is a widely used herbicide thought to inhibit mitosis by selectively perturbing either the microtubules or microtubule organizing centers of susceptible plant species. Its effects on microtubule and microfilament organization in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts are analyzed here by immunofluorescence techniques using anti-tubulin and anti-actin antibodies. We report that relatively high levels of CIPC (but not higher than the usual levels employed in plant studies) inhibit fibroblast growth, cause the disappearance of cytoplasmic microtubules and also lead to disorientation of microfilament bundles. These responses develop within 24 h of exposure of 3T3 cells to CIPC and persist as long as the herbicide is present in the culture medium. More importantly, cells returned to drug-free medium following 5–7 days exposure to CIPC resume rapid division but show several remarkable morphological responses. In particular they develop multipolar spindles during mitosis and show an unequal partitioning of nuclei between daughter cells. Consequently a high proportion of interphase cells contains multiple and multilobed nuclei. Such fibroblast cultures exposed to CIPC and then returned to drug-free medium may provide chromosome-deficient cells of value for genetic mapping and recombinant studies. On the other hand if similar responses to CIPC exposure and withdrawal occur in vivo then the herbicide may pose a genetic risk to man that is not revealed by usual testing procedures. The mechanism(s) by which CIPC produces these responses remains unclear. Fibroblasts cultured in the continued presence of the known microtubule-specific drugs colchicine and nocodazole (10 −6 M) show microtubule disassembly within 30 min followed by cell rounding and detachment. By contrast CIPC-treated cells lose microtubule integrity more slowly and remain highly elongated and firmly glass adherent even with prolonged treatment. These dissimilar morphological responses, as well as the failure of CIPC to affect microtubule assembly in vitro, indicate that tubulin is not the exclusive target of CIPC in animal cells. The distribution of assembled microtubules into the arms of multipolar mitotic spindles is clearly observed following withdrawal of CIPC. The abnormality could reflect an irreversible effect of CIPC on microtubule organizing centers. However, the redistribution of cytoplasmic microfilaments into dense, discontinuous submembranous bundles in the presence of CIPC and the failure of microfilaments to resume an entirely normal distribution following herbicide withdrawal suggests that microfilaments are additional targets of herbicide action.
Bacteroides fragilis toxin stimulates intestinal epithelial cell shedding and γ-secretase-dependent E-cadherin cleavage

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis – organisms that live in the colon – secrete a metalloprotease toxin, B. fragilis toxin. This toxin binds to a specific intestinal epithelial cell receptor and stimulates cell proliferation, which is dependent, in part, on E-cadherin degradation and β-catenin–T-cell-factor nuclear signaling. γ-Secretase (or presenilin-1) is an intramembrane cleaving protease and is a positive regulator of E-cadherin cleavage and a negative regulator of β-catenin signaling. Here we examine the mechanistic details of toxin-initiated E-cadherin cleavage. B. fragilis toxin stimulated shedding of cell membrane proteins, including the 80 kDa E-cadherin ectodomain. Shedding of this domain required biologically active toxin and was not mediated by MMP-7, ADAM10 or ADAM17. Inhibition of γ-secretase blocked toxin-induced proteolysis of the 33 kDa intracellular E-cadherin domain causing cell membrane retention of a distinct β-catenin pool without diminishing toxin-induced cell proliferation. Unexpectedly, γ-secretase positively regulated basal cell proliferation dependent on the β-catenin–T-cell-factor complex. We conclude that toxin induces step-wise cleavage of E-cadherin, which is dependent on toxin metalloprotease and γ-secretase. Our results suggest that differentially regulated β-catenin pools associate with the E-cadherin–γ-secretase adherens junction complex; one pool regulated by γ-secretase is important to intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis.
2-[18F]Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose and Glucose Uptake in Malignant Gliomas before and after Radiotherapy: Correlation with Outcome

Purpose: To examine whether quantitative 1-[ 11 C]glucose- or 2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography performed before and/or after radiotherapy (RT) of malignant gliomas correlates with treatment outcome. Changes in metabolism between the start and finish of RT, and immediate post-RT studies have received little attention. Experimental Design: Adults with malignant gliomas were imaged within 2 weeks before and/or 2 weeks after RT. Four patients were imaged only before RT, 12 only after RT, and 14 both before and after RT. Each 1-[ 11 C]glucose and FDG study included arterial plasma sampling. Kinetic parameters, glucose metabolic rate (MRGlc), and FDG metabolic rate (MRFDG) were estimated by an optimization program based on a three compartment, four rate constant model. Changes in MRGlc or MRFDG from pre-RT to post-RT were calculated for the 14 patients studied at both times. Overall survival was examined, and survival was computed relative to historical controls in matched prognostic classes. Results: Low pre-RT MRGlc ( P P P P n = 26) showed no correlation between MRGlc or MRFDG and survival ( P = 0.73 and P = 0.46 respectively). Conclusions: Low MRGlc or MRFDG before RT probably indicates less aggressive disease. An increase in MRGlc or MRFDG from pre- to post-RT in the tumors of patients with longer survival could be because of one or more of the following or other reasons: ( a ) apoptosis of tumor cells in response to RT requires energy; ( b ) decreased tumor cell density by the RT leaving normal cells with higher metabolism; or ( c ) inflammatory cells infiltrate and take up glucose or FDG where tumor cells are dying. Quantitative 1-[ 11 C]glucose or FDG uptake in the early weeks post-RT correlates poorly with survival.
Preparation and Electrical Properties of the MWNT/Polymer Nanocomposite Fibers

An oxidation method has been applied to functionalize multiwalled carbon nanotubes with carboxylic acid (-COOH) group. Functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-MWNT) were used for the fabrication of conducting nanocomposite fibers by electrospinning, in comparison with the composite nanofibers made of un-functionalized carbon nanotubes (u-MWNT). Our results showed that the addition of f-MWNTs into polymer solution could increase the compatibility of MWNTs with the polymer matrix, and thus result in composite nanofibers with uniform diameters. Alignment of the composite nanofibers was achieved by using a rotating drum as the collector. F-MWNTs were found to align parallel to the axis direction of the nanofibers. Temperature-dependent DC electrical properties of a single composite fiber were investigated by a two-probe method. It was shown that the conductivity of the material could be significantly improved above a percolation threshold. The conductivity could be of ten orders of magnitude higher than the pure PVAc.
Inventing Irish America: Generation, Class, and Ethnic Identity in a New England City, 1880–1928 . By Timothy J. Meagher. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001. Pp. 523. $22.00.

Irish-Americans, by which we mean immigrants to the United States from Ireland, the descendants of those people, and perhaps some who found it convenient to assume an Irish identity even without any Irish ancestry, have a large and rich historiography. Like most mature historiographies this literature now has its models, its orthodoxies, and its gadflies. Many recent useful contributions to this literature have taken one of two approaches. One is to set the Irish in a comparative perspective, and think about how Irish-Americans differed from other overseas Irish groups; how Ireland differed from other relatively poor European economies in the nineteenth century; and how the Irish in the United States differed from other â€œethnicâ€ groups in the country. Studies taking this comparative approach have accomplished a great deal in undermining old myths and have at the same time sharpened the aspects of the Irish-American experience that were distinctive and require further study. Another approach has been to choose a particular Irish-American community and to study that community in as much detail as possible. This tactic has been especially effective in understanding how particular locations or circumstances affected Irish-American communities and has helped scholars of this group to be more careful about generalizations.
Role of caveolae in signal-transducing function of cardiac Na+/K+-ATPase.

Ouabain binding to Na+/K+-ATPase activates Src/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to initiate multiple signal pathways that regulate growth. In cardiac myocytes and the intact heart, the early...
No clicks, no problem: using cursor movements to understand and improve search

Understanding how people interact with search engines is important in improving search quality. Web search engines typically analyze queries and clicked results, but these actions provide limited signals regarding search interaction. Laboratory studies often use richer methods such as gaze tracking, but this is impractical at Web scale. In this paper, we examine mouse cursor behavior on search engine results pages (SERPs), including not only clicks but also cursor movements and hovers over different page regions. We: (i) report an eye-tracking study showing that cursor position is closely related to eye gaze, especially on SERPs; (ii) present a scalable approach to capture cursor movements, and an analysis of search result examination behavior evident in these large-scale cursor data; and (iii) describe two applications (estimating search result relevance and distinguishing good from bad abandonment) that demonstrate the value of capturing cursor data. Our findings help us better understand how searchers use cursors on SERPs and can help design more effective search systems. Our scalable cursor tracking method may also be useful in non-search settings.
Radiation reaction in nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics

We derive the Heisenberg operator equation of motion for a nonrelativistic point electron coupled to the quantized electromagnetic field, including radiation reaction. The derivation proceeds in close analogy with the classical theory of extended charges (with the Compton wavelength formally playing the role of a size parameter), and we give a systematic treatment of the classical problem, showing explicitly from the equation of motion that the classical theory shows no runaway solutions or preacceleration when the electron size exceeds the classical electron radius. In the quantum-mechanical case, we show that the electrostatic self-energy of a point electron is zero and that, for values of the fine-structure constant $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\lesssim}1$, the equation of motion admits neither runaway solutions nor noncausal motion. Furthermore, the correspondence limit of the solutions to the quantum-mechanical equation of motion agrees with that of the Lorentz-Dirac theory in the classical regime, but without the imposition of additional conditions and with no possibility of observable noncausality. Thus, a consistent picture of a classical point electron emerges in the correspondence limit of the quantum-mechanical theory.
Rapamycin Reverses Elevated mTORC1 Signaling in Lamin A/C–Deficient Mice, Rescues Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Function, and Extends Survival

Mutations in LMNA, the gene that encodes A-type lamins, cause multiple diseases including dystrophies of the skeletal muscle and fat, dilated cardiomyopathy, and progeria-like syndromes (collectively termed laminopathies). Reduced A-type lamin function, however, is most commonly associated with skeletal muscle dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy rather than lipodystrophy or progeria. The mechanisms underlying these diseases are only beginning to be unraveled. We report that mice deficient in Lmna, which corresponds to the human gene LMNA, have enhanced mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) signaling specifically in tissues linked to pathology, namely, cardiac and skeletal muscle. Pharmacologic reversal of elevated mTORC1 signaling by rapamycin improves cardiac and skeletal muscle function and enhances survival in mice lacking A-type lamins. At the cellular level, rapamycin decreases the number of myocytes with abnormal desmin accumulation and decreases the amount of desmin in both muscle and cardiac tissue of Lmna �/� mice. In addition, inhibition of mTORC1 signaling with rapamycin improves defective autophagic-mediated degradation in Lmna �/� mice. Together, these findings point to aberrant mTORC1 signaling as a mechanistic component of laminopathies associated with reduced A-type lamin function and offer a potential therapeutic approach, namely, the use of rapamycin-related mTORC1 inhibitors.
Fas ligand: a sensor for DNA damage critical in skin cancer etiology.

DNA-damaged cells can either repair the DNA or be eliminated through a homeostatic control mechanism termed “cellular proofreading.” Elimination of DNA-damaged cells after ultraviolet radiation (UVR) through sunburn cell (apoptotic keratinocyte) formation is thought to be pivotal for the removal of precancerous skin cells. Sunburn cell formation was found to be dependent on Fas ligand (FasL), a pro-apoptotic protein induced by DNA damage. Chronic exposure to UVR caused 14 of 20 (70 percent) FasL-deficient mice and 1 of 20 (5 percent) wild-type mice to accumulate p53 mutations in the epidermis. Thus, FasL-mediated apoptosis is important for skin homeostasis, suggesting that the dysregulation of Fas-FasL interactions may be central to the development of skin cancer.
African-Centered Reality Therapy Parenting: An Alternative Paradigm

African-centered reality therapy provides a foundation for restructuring parenting. It has as its foundation an African worldview connected to reality therapy. The components of this paradigm are the task environment and the procedures that lead to change as defined by its epistemological and axiological systems. This parenting style teaches the basic needs as the key to empowerment. These needs are essential for making a shift to African-centered reality therapy parenting. This foundation connects African-centered reality therapy with parenting intervention and treatment.
FVision: A Declarative Language for Visual Tracking

Functional programming languages are not generally associated with computationally intensive tasks such as computer vision. We show that a declarative programming language like Haskell is effective for describing complex visual tracking systems. We have taken an existing C++ library for computer vision, called XVision, and used it to build FVision (pronounced "fission"), a library of Haskell types and functions that provides a high-level interface to the lower-level XVision code. Using functional abstractions, users of FVision can build and test new visual tracking systems rapidly and reliably. The use of Haskell does not degrade system performance: computations are dominated by low-level calculations expressed in C++ while the Haskell "glue code" has a negligible impact on performance. FVision is built using functional reactive programming (FRP) to express interaction in a purely functional manner. The resulting system demonstrates the viability of mixed-language programming: visual tracking programs continue to spend most of their time executing low-level image-processing code, while Haskell's advanced features allow us to develop and test systems quickly and with confidence. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of Haskell and FRP to express many basic abstractions of visual tracking.
Linear pre-compensation of SPM-induced pulse distortions with a deformable mirror

Summary form only given. We have implemented a demonstration on the linear pre-compensation of self phase modulation (SPM), using a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser and a pulse shaper using a linear deformable mirror in the Fourier plane of the pulse shaper. The pulses were first stretched in 3.2 cm of glass, sent through the pulse shaper, and injected into 38 cm of single-mode fiber as the nonlinear element. The pulses were then recompressed using a grating pair (400 l/mm), and measured using interferometric autocorrelation.
A reconfigurable memory management core for Java applications

Shortly after the introduction of Java technology, numerous research efforts went into overcoming the performance shortcomings of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) by mapping it onto hardware. It seems that most works addressing the implementation of a JVM in hardware often excludes the mapping of compute-intensive tasks such as memory allocation, garbage collection, and exception handling. In this paper, we propose a hardware architecture to support dynamic memory allocation and de-allocation operations in a JVM. Such hardware architectures are becoming attractive alternatives when compared to their software implementation counterparts. This architecture, called Memory Management Core (MMC): (i) supports a memory map that is independent of the physical memory size; (ii) allocates blocks with exact size to minimize fragmentation; (iii) performs in-place coalescing and splitting of the memory blocks; (iv) services concurrent multiple allocation and de-allocation requests to achieve maximum performance; and (v) attempts to achieve a high utilization of all its hardware components. A prototype of this architecture is implemented and mapped on a suitable FPGA device to analyze its performance. The obtained results show that the FPGA implementation of this architecture can service memory allocation and de-allocation of many order of magnitude faster than software implementations for memory-intensive applications.