cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Striatal tissue transplants attenuate apomorphine-induced rotational behavior in rats with unilateral kainic acid lesions.

Four to six weeks following unilateral striatal kainic acid (KA) lesions, challenge with apomorphine (0.5-0.75 mg/kg s.c.) elicited rotational behavior. Gestational day 17-19 rat fetal striatal tissue was implanted into the lesioned striatum, and rats were rechallenged with apomorphine 10 weeks post-transplant. There was a significant reduction in the maximal rate of rotations and an alteration in the topography of locomotor activity in response to apomorphine. These data indicate that the transplanted material may possess similar pharmacological properties as the original host tissue and is capable of functionally repairing damage to a complex neurochemical system.
L'Illusion comique: le voir et le savoir

(2006). L'Illusion comique: le voir et le savoir. Seventeenth-Century French Studies: Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 49-64.
Recognition of Digitally Distorted Words Pronounced by Native and Nonnative Speakers

University students listened to six words spoken either by a speaker originally from the Republic of Korea (ROK) or a native U.S. speaker. Listeners made significantly more correct identifications of words spoken by a U.S. speaker than by a ROK speaker at 100%, 75%, and 50% information. Listeners were more likely to correctly identify four words as spoken by the U.S. speaker at 75% information than the ROK speaker at 100% information because of substitutions or omissions by the ROK speaker. A correct sound analysis suggested listeners' misunderstandings might be a result of U.S. listeners' inability to discriminate phonemes.
Random fields and phase transitions in model magnetic systems

Abstract Random fields occur in a wide variety of physical systems varying from type II superconductors to two-component fluids in a random medium. However, only in model magnetic systems have systematic studies as a function of both temperature and random-field strength been possible. In this article we review recent neutron and magnetic X-ray scattering studies of the magnetic ordering processes in the antiferromagnets Mn 0.75 Zn 0.25 F 2 , Fe 0.5 Zn 0.5 F 2 and Fe 0.75 Co 0.25 TiO 3 in an applied magnetic field. These systems should all represent realizations of the three-dimensional random-field Ising model which is the simplest version of the random-field problem in models with discrete symmetry. In all cases on field cooling (FC) the systems evolve continuously from a high-temperature paramagnetic state to a low-temperature antiferromagnetic domain state. However, on cooling to low temperatures in zero field and then applying a field (ZFC) long-range order (LRO) is obtained. On subsequent heating in the three systems the LRO vanishes continuously with a rounded power-law behavior which has been labelled trompe l'oeil critical behavior. The width of the transition region scales as H 2 . Reconsideration of indirect ZFC specific-heat measurements shows that the observed peaks, previously attributed to equilibrium critical fluctuations, instead arise entirely from a LRO contribution, scaling like dM s 2 /dT , to the measured quantity. Here M s is the staggered magnetization. These results thus reconcile scattering and bulk property measurements of random-field Ising systems.
Radiation detection and diagnosis of breast cancer

The value of mammography in the symptomatic patient has been adequately documented, but its use as a detection procedure remains a question. Risk-benefit ratios, based primarily upon the study carried out by the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York, have suggested that the technique has little value in individuals under age 50. Emphasis has been placed upon the possible carcinogenic effects of radiation as compared with the efficacy of mammography and the questionable influence of early diagnosis upon end results. Although technical advances have substantially reduced the exposure of the patient to radiation, the possibility of significant information loss as the result of these developments has been considered a potential drawback to their routine use. All of these factors have served to diminish both public and professional acceptance of the examination. Although current data do not allow complete resolution of these problems, certain conclusions may be drawn and trends established. The sum of these may indicate that minimal dose mammography is an accurate, low-risk procedure, capable of significantly altering the natural history of breast cancer. Whether or not the examination should be routinely used in women under age 50 remains open to question since the lack of experimental controlsmore » prohibits validation of the technique in terms of reduced mortality rates. Documentation of increased survival rates may partially assist in the established of a reliable risk-benefit ratio, but will not satisfy the statistical requirements of eliminating lead-bias, and self-selection. These questions may be resolved by studies now underway.« less
The role of state-trait anxiety in insomnia and daytime restedness.

Abstract This study examined the relationships among anxiety, nocturnal sleep, and daytime restedness over a I-week period, using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and daily sleep logs. Among both insomniacs and controls, between-subjects correlations showed a significant negative relationship between state anxiety at bedtime and restedness during the day. Neither variable was related to nocturnal sleep variables. Within-subject correlations showed similar relationships between state anxiety and restedness the following day. For insomniacs, but not for normal sleepers, bedtime state anxiety was also significantly correlated with sleep latency. The authors hypothesize that anxiety, not sleep deprivation, may be responsible for the insomniac's complaint of daytime fatigue.
Predictions of the solid-parahydrogen phase diagram

The hcp-fcc phase transition of parahydrogen is predicted on the basis of a quantum cell model, which was successful in matching experimental data on helium. The hcp-fcc-fluid triple point is estimated to occur near 23 K and 0.35 kbar. The phase line is then predicted to curve over and intercept the pressure axis at 0 K, at a pressure of about 11 kbar (1.1 GPa).
From impacts to embodied experiences: tracing political ecology in climate change research

Political ecology has long moved on from its initial skepticism of big science engagements and cursory critiques of simplistic vulnerability approaches. Its core strengths lie in understanding the contestation of inequalities, marginalization, and injustices in access to and control over resources, neoliberal politics of environmental change, and dominant environmental narratives, while incorporating new insights from development ethics, feminist social theory, and resilience thinking. Today’s theoretical lenses allow for an understanding of causal relations in climate debates that exceed narrowly defined impact studies. I focus on four areas that exemplify shifts in engagement with adaptation, stretch themes of inquiry, and delineate zones for analysis and action: (1) reconnecting scale: multiscalar interactions, scalar dimensions of practice, and traversing scales from embodied experiences to the global intimate; (2) destabilizing gender: from gendered vulnerability and adaptive capacity to fragmented i...
The effects of spontaneous strains at the Dhd-Drd phase transition in HAT series

Abstract Spontaneous strain effects at the Dhd-Drd phase transition in HAT columnar liquid crystal systems are taken into account. The transition is then treated as a paraelasticferroelastic transition, which is known in some crystal systems, but has never been discussed in liquid crystal systems. The anomaly of the elastic compliance near the transition is discussed. The critical exponents remain the same as our previous work, namely those of the three dimensional Heisenberg model with cubic anisotropy.
All Philosophers Go to Hell: Dante and the Problem of Infernal Punishment

We discuss the philosophical problems attendant to the justice of eternal punishments in Hell, particularly those portrayed in Dante’s Inferno. We conclude that, under Dante’s description, a unique version of the problem of Hell (and Heaven) can be posed.
A Blend of Phellodendron and Crape Myrtle Improves Glucose Tolerance in Exercise-Trained Men

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of a nutritional supplement containing a proprietary blend of Phellodendron and Crape Myrtle on serum glucose and insulin in response to a modified oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Methods: Using a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, 10 exercise-trained, non-diabetic men reported to the lab in a 10 hour fasted state, on two different mornings separated by 1–2 weeks, and were subjected to an OGTT by ingesting a 75 gram dextrose solution. Fifteen minutes prior to the OGTT subjects ingested either a dietary supplement containing a blend of Phellodendron and Crape Myrtle (SUPP) or a placebo (PLA). Blood samples were collected before ingestion of the SUPP or PLA and at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 minutes post-ingestion of the dextrose load. Samples were analyzed for serum glucose and insulin. Results: In relation to serum glucose, a condition effect was noted (P = 0.01), with values lower for SUPP compared to PLA. In relation to serum insulin, a trend for a condition effect was noted (P = 0.06), with values lower for SUPP compared to PLA. Conclusion: These findings indicate that acute ingestion of a dietary supplement containing a blend of Phellodendron and Crape Myrtle can lower the serum glucose response to a modified OGTT, while resulting in a non-significant attenuation in insulin response. These data are specific to a small sample of exercise-trained, non-diabetic men.
β-Cells with relative low HIMP1 overexpression levels in a transgenic mouse line enhance basal insulin production and hypoxia/hypoglycemia tolerance.

Rodent pancreatic β-cells that naturally lack hypoglycemia/hypoxia inducible mitochondrial protein 1 (HIMP1) are susceptible to hypoglycemia and hypoxia influences. A linkage between the hypoglycemia/hypoxia susceptibility and the lack of HIMP1 is suggested in a recent study using transformed β-cells lines. To further illuminate this linkage, we applied mouse insulin 1 gene promoter (MIP) to control HIMP1-a isoform cDNA and have generated three lines (L1 to L3) of heterozygous HIMP1 transgenic (Tg) mice by breeding of three founders with C57BL/6J mice. In HIMP1-Tg mice/islets, we performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoblot, histology, and physiology studies to investigate HIMP1 overexpression and its link to β-cell function/survival and body glucose homeostasis. We found that the HIMP1 level increased steadily in β-cells of L1 to L3 heterozygous HIMP1-Tg mice. HIMP1 overexpression at relatively lower levels in L1 heterozygotes results in a negligible decline in blood glucose concentrations and an insignificant elevation in blood insulin levels, while HIMP1 overexpression at higher levels are toxic, causing hyperglycemia in L2/3 heterozygotes. Follow-up studies in 5–30-week-old L1 heterozygous mice/islets found that HIMP1 overexpression at relatively lower levels in β-cells has enhanced basal insulin biosynthesis, basal insulin secretion, and tolerances to low oxygen/glucose influences. The findings enforced the linkage between the hypoglycemia/hypoxia susceptibility and the lack of HIMP1 in β-cells, and show a potential value of HIMP1 overexpression at relatively lower levels in modulating β-cell function and survival.
Modulation of nutrient metabolism and homeostasis by the immune system

Interactions between nutrition and immunity are diverse and have profound implications on animal growth and productivity. The innate immune system provides protection during the initial stages of i...
String Matching Over Compressed Text on Handheld Devices Using Tagged Sub-Optimal Code (TSC)

This paper presents Tagged Sub-optimal code (TSC), a new coding technique to speed up string matching over compressed databases on personal digital assistants (PDA). TSC is a variable-length sub-optimal code that supports minimal prefix property. It always determines its codeword boundary without traversing a tree or lookup table. TSC technique may be beneficial in many types of applications: speeding up string matching over compressed text, and speeding decoding process. This paper also presents two algorithms for string matching over compressed text using TSC (SCTT) and the Byte Pair Encoding (BPE) technique (SCTB). indent Several experiments were conducted to compare the performance of TSC, Byte Pair Encoding (BPE), and Huffman code. Several PDA databases with different record sizes were used: the well-known Calgary dataset and a set of small-sized PDA databases. Experimental results show that SCTT is almost twice as fast as the Huffman-based algorithm. SCTT has also the same performance in search time as the search in uncompressed databases and is faster than the SCTB algorithm. For frequently updated PDA databases such as phone books, to-do list, and memos, SCTT is the recommended method regardless of the size of the average record length, since the time required to compress the updated records using BPE poses significant delays compared to TSC.
Host-plant shifts and adult survival in the cactus breeding Drosophila mojavensis

. 1. In order to gain insight into how Drosophila mojavensis Patterson and Crow (which lives on the rotting tissue of cactus) successfully shifted host plants, from an Opuntia species to columnar cactus species, over evolutionary time, specific components of columnar cactus and Optunia tussue were examined for their effects on adult longevity. 2. The availability of free sugars affects the survival of adult D.mojavensis. The addition of a sugar to columnar cactus tissue significantly increased the longevity of adults that fed on those tissues. This increase in adult longevity was equal to the longevity observed on unsupplemented Opuntia tissue, which has free sugars present. 3. Live microorganisms added to Opuntia tissue had a slight detrimental effect on adult longevity (longevity was decreased by approximately 1 week). 4. Low concentrations of atmospheric ethanol (independent of diet) increased the longevity of adult D.mojavensis to levels comparable in magnitude to that provided by the addition of free sugars to the diet. 5. This information and the apparent lack of a year-round supply of free sugars for D.mojavensis in nature suggests that the ethanol (produced by fermentation) rather than free sugars per se is the most important component of rotting cactus tissue for the survival of this species and may explain its successful host-plant shift.
Differential expression of individual genes encoding the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in Lemna gibba.

The gene family encoding the small subunit (SSU) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in the monocot Lemna gibba contains approximately twelve members. We have isolated six of these genes from a genomic library, and sequenced five of the coding regions. The transit peptide nucleotide sequences are conserved, but less highly than the mature polypeptide coding sequence. The mature polypeptide amino acid sequences are identical to each other and to the sequence deduced from a cDNA clone derived from a seventh gene. Each of the five fully characterized genomic sequences contains a single intron in precisely the same position as the second intron of several dicots. The intron sequences differ in length and are less conserved than the coding sequences. The 3′-untranslated regions of the different genes have been sequenced and used to prepare gene-specific probes. These probes have been used to study the expression levels of individual rbcS sequences. Expression of six of the seven genes can be detected in total RNA isolated from plants grown in continuous light. The levels of RNA encoded by each expressed gene are regulated by the action of phytochrome, but there is variability in the amount of expression of each RNA.
The Density Spectrum of Extensive Air Showers of Cosmic Rays

The density spectrum of extensive showers has been measured both at 260 and at 3260 m above sea level. It has been found that the spectrum in both places is not a pure exponential.
Spectral invariance and non-invariance of light generated by partially coherent sources

A basic formula is derived for the spectrum of the field generated by a planar source of any state of spatial coherence. The formula shows clearly the contribution due to diffraction and due to source correlations. The distinction between these two contributions has not been appreciated in some previous publications. Examples are presented illustrating the effect of source correlations on the spectrum of the far field. A brief preliminary account is also presented of a recent investigation by H. Chen and E. Wolf which has shown that it is possible to produce a source whose degree of coherence will act on the spectrum of the source as a low-pass filter with a sharp frequency cut-off.
Free Fatty Acid Particles in Protein Formulations, Part 2: Contribution of Polysorbate Raw Material

Polysorbate 20 (PS20) is a nonionic surfactant frequently used to stabilize protein biopharmaceuticals. During the development of mAb formulations containing PS20, small clouds of particles were observed in solutions stored in vials. The degree of particle formation was dependent on PS20 concentration. The particles were characterized by reversed-phase HPLC after dissolution and labeling with the fluorescent dye 1-pyrenyldiazomethane. The analysis showed that the particles consisted of free fatty acids (FFAs), with the distribution of types consistent with those found in the PS20 raw material. Protein solutions formulated with polysorbate 80, a chemically similar nonionic surfactant, showed a substantial delay in particle formation over time compared with PS20. Multiple lots of polysorbates were evaluated for FFA levels, each exhibiting differences based on polysorbate type and lot. Polysorbates purchased in more recent years show a greater distribution and quantity of FFA and also a greater propensity to form particles. This work shows that the quality control of polysorbate raw materials could play an important role in biopharmaceutical product quality.
The Origin of C1A-C2 Interdomain Interactions in Protein Kinase Cα

The regulatory domain of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) contains three membrane-targeting modules, two C1 domains (C1A and C1B) that bind diacylglycerol and phorbol ester, and the C2 domain that is responsible for the Ca2+-dependent membrane binding. Accumulating evidence suggests that C1A and C2 domains of PKCalpha are tethered in the resting state and that the tethering is released upon binding to the membrane containing phosphatidylserine. The homology modeling and the docking analysis of C1A and C2 domains of PKCalpha revealed a highly complementary interface that comprises Asp55-Arg252 and Arg42-Glu282 ion pairs and a Phe72-Phe255 aromatic pair. Mutations of these residues in the predicted C1A-C2 interface showed large effects on in vitro membrane binding, enzyme activity, phosphatidylserine selectivity, and cellular membrane translocation of PKCalpha, supporting their involvement in interdomain interactions. In particular, D55A (or D55K) and R252A (or R252E) mutants showed much higher basal membrane affinity and enzyme activity and faster subcellular translocation than wild type, whereas a double charge-reversal mutant (D55K/R252E) behaved analogously to wild type, indicating that a direct electrostatic interaction between the two residues is essential for the C1A-C2 tethering. Collectively, these studies provide new structural insight into PKCalpha C1A-C2 interdomain interactions and the mechanism of lipid-mediated PKCalpha activation.
Fabrication of LiD0.5T0.5 microspheres for use as laser fusion targets

Abstract We have developed a method to fabricate high-quality LiD0.5T0.5 microspheres having diameters from 40 to 125 μm. These can be provided with a uniform, several μm thick coating of nickel, if desired. Techniques have also been developed to mount the Li(D, T) microspheres on very thin plastic films to support them for irradiation in the laser beam and to provide them with disk-shaped absorber/ablator layers if desired.
An adaptive splitting approach for the quenching solution of reaction-diffusion equations over nonuniform grids

The numerical solution of a nonlinear degenerate reaction-diffusion equation of the quenching type is investigated. While spatial derivatives are discretized over symmetric nonuniform meshes, a Peaceman-Rachford splitting method is employed to advance solutions of the semidiscretized system. The temporal step is determined adaptively through a suitable arc-length monitor function. A criterion is derived to ensure that the numerical solution acquired preserves correctly the positivity and monotonicity of the analytical solution. Weak stability is proven in a von Neumann sense via the ~-norm. Computational examples are presented to illustrate our results.
Water in Earth's Mantle: The Role of Nominally Anhydrous Minerals

Most minerals of Earth's upper mantle contain small amounts of hydrogen, structurally bound as hydroxyl (OH). The OH concentration in each mineral species is variable, in some cases reflecting the geological environment of mineral formation. Of the major mantle minerals, pyroxenes are the most hydrous, typically containing ∼200 to 500 parts per million H_2O by weight, and probably dominate the water budget and hydrogen geochemistry of mantle rocks that do not contain a hydrous phase. Garnets and olivines commonly contain ∼1 to 50 parts per million. Nominally anhydrous minerals constitute a significant reservoir for mantle hydrogen, possibly accommodating all water in the depleted mantle and providing a possible mechanism to recycle water from Earth's surface into the deep mantle.
Catalysis by RNA.

Until the discovery of catalytic RNA, the notion that all enzymes are proteins had seemed incontrovertible. Now the existence of RNA enzymes has been confirmed in a variety of contexts. What is known about the chemistry of RNA-catalyzed reactions is reviewed below, with particular attention to the self-splicing rRNA intron of Tetrahymena thermophila and the processing of pre-tRNA molecules by RNase P.
Population dynamics of Euterpina acutifrons (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from North Inlet, South Carolina, with reference to Dimorphic Males

The population dynamics of Euterpina acutifrons (Dana), a pelagic, harpacticoid copepod, are summarized in a life table based on field data. Highest mortality occurred in the last naupliar stage (NVI) and the first copepodite stage (CI). Overall survival in the field was 0.06% from the first naupliar stage (NI) to adult (CVI). The net reproductive rate (Ro=55.590) and intrinsic rate of increase (Im=0.28) were sufficiently high to maintain a population with such a low survival rate in nature. E. acutifrons was present and breeding in the field from April through December. Low temperatures limited breeding, which began when the temperature reached 16.5°C and ceased when it fell to 11°C. Optimum temperature for North Inlet E. acutifrons was 25°C, with a maximum laboratory survival of 15.3% and a generation time of 10.3 days. Generation time in the field (20°C) was 14 days. Temperature also affected the abundance of dimorphic males. Small males were always most abundant, but peaked during the coldest month; large males became equal in abundance only during the varmest months.
Non-premixed flame synthesis of hydrophobic carbon nanostructured surfaces

Abstract We synthesize and deposit carbon nanostructures through flame synthesis on stainless steel grids and foils, and on bare and ferrofluid-painted silicon wafers at different non-premixed flame locations to produce hydrophobic surfaces. The hydrophobicity is characterized through the contact angle for water droplets placed on the surface. The surface morphology of the nanoparticles is obtained from high-resolution FESEM images. The morphology and hydrophobicity of the nanostructured surfaces depends upon the deposition, which differs at different flame locations. We determine the optimum flame location for the synthesis and deposition of surface carbon nanostructures that lead to maximum hydrophobicity.
The generalization of vicarious extinction effects

Abstract Post-treatment tests for increases in snake approach behavior, shown by formerly snake phobic adults who had been treated with a participant modeling procedure or one of its derivatives, revealed a significantly greater degree of generalization of increases for S s in a purely modeling condition than was found for those who had participated directly. Extinction data collected during the treatment process revealed similar reductions from direct and vicarious extinction. A very strong relationship was found between vicarious extinction in observers and the degree of generalization of snake approach behavior increases.
A novel peptide inhibitor attenuates C-reactive protein's pro-inflammatory effects in-vivo

Abstract Background Higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) predict cardiovascular events and also portend a poorer prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Much in-vitro and in-vivo data support a role for CRP in atherogenesis. Methods Using the one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial library method we have successfully identified peptides against human CRP that inhibit its biological effects in-vitro . Hence we tested the effect of the best characterized inhibitor (CRP-i2) on the effects of CRP in an appropriate animal model, Wistar rats. Results Treatment with CRP resulted in significant increase in superoxide anion, nuclear factor kappaB (NFκb) activity and the release of biomarkers of inflammation from macrophages compared to Wistar rats treated with human albumin (HuSA). Pre-treatment with the inhibitor, CRP-i2, resulted in a significant reduction in CRP induced superoxide anion, NFκb activity and biomarkers of inflammation. Also, there were no observed clinical or laboratory related adverse effects. Conclusions We demonstrate that our novel peptide inhibitor attenuates the proinflammatory effects of CRP in-vivo . Future studies will examine the long-term effects of this inhibitor on vascular pathobiology.
Explaining the Accommodation of Muslim Religious Practices in France, Britain, and Germany

Over nine million Muslims currently live in Western Europe, which makes them the largest religious minority in the region. Especially since the end of the Cold War, vexing policy questions have emerged related to the religious and political rights of Muslim immigrants and refugees. This paper analyzes state accommodation of Muslim religious practices in France, Britain, and Germany, first examining three major explanations: resource mobilization, state structure, and ideology. We then propose an additional explanation based on the constitutional and policy legacy of church–state relations in each country.
Clinical Assessment and Treatment of the Dysfunctional Larynx after Radiation

ObjectiveTo review the pathophysiology of early and late radiation-related tissue changes, methods to differentiate these changes from disease recurrence, and treatment of these changes in the irradiated larynx.Data SourcesPeer-reviewed publications.Review MethodsPubMed database search.Conclusions/Implications for PracticeEarly and late radiation-related changes in the larynx manifest variably between individual patients. Severe radiation-related tissue changes in the larynx and recurrent malignancy share many clinical characteristics, and the presence of malignancy must be considered in these patients. Positron emission tomography may help select patients who need operative biopsy to rule out recurrence. In patients with a cancer-free but dysfunctional larynx, both surgical and nonsurgical treatment options, including hyperbaric oxygen, are available for attempted salvage. Further investigation is needed before hyperbaric oxygen can be considered standard-of-care treatment for these patients.
Angiopoietin-2 Stimulates Breast Cancer Metastasis through the α5β1 Integrin-Mediated Pathway

Acquisition of a metastatic phenotype by breast cancer cells includes alternations of multigenic programs that permit tumor cells to metastasize to distant organs. Here, we report that angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), a known growth factor, is capable of promoting breast cancer cell invasion leading to metastasis. Analysis of 185 primary human breast cancer specimens that include 97 tumors showing lymph node and/or distant metastasis reveals a significant correlation between the expression of Ang2 and E-cadherin, Snail, metastatic potential, tumor grade, and lymph-vascular invasion during breast cancer progression. Using a xenograft model, we show that overexpression of Ang2 in poorly metastatic MCF-7 breast cancer cells suppresses expression of E-cadherin and induces Snail expression and phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) promoting metastasis to the lymph nodes and lung. In cell culture, Ang2 promotes cell migration and invasion in Tie2-deficient breast cancer cells through the alpha(5)beta(1) integrin/integrin-linked kinase (ILK)/Akt, GSK-3beta/Snail/E-cadherin signaling pathway. Inhibition of ILK and the alpha(5)beta(1) integrin abrogates Ang2 modulation of Akt, GSK-3beta, Snail, and E-cadherin and Ang2-stimulated breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Together, these results underscore the significant contribution of Ang2 in cancer progression, not only by stimulating angiogenesis but also by promoting metastasis, and provide a mechanism by which breast cancer cells acquire an enhanced invasive phenotype contributing to metastasis.
Sediment-associated contaminants and liver diseases in bottom-dwelling fish

High concentrations of chemicals have been found in sediments from urban areas of Puget Sound. Hundreds of organic chemicals (including certain aromatic hydrocarbons [AHs] and various chlorinated compounds) were identified. Statistical methods were used to evaluate possible relationships between the chemistry data and fish diseases. Positive correlations were found between the frequencies of liver neoplasms (e. g., hepatocellular carcinoma) and other liver lesions in English sole (Parophrys vetulus) and concentrations of AHs in sediment; such correlations were not found with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Strong evidence was also obtained to show that many organic chemicals in sediment are bioavailable to bottom-dwelling fish. Stomach contents (consisting mainly of benthic invertebrates) from English sole had concentrations of a number of AHs similar to those in the sediment from which the fish were taken. In these same fish, metabolites of many aromatic compounds were found in bile using a procedure combining HPLC with fluorescence detection. Further, the concentrations of certain xenobiotic metabolites in bile were correlated positively with the occurrence of liver neoplasms in English sole.
Recruiting and retaining physicians in very rural areas.

Context: Recruiting and retaining physicians is a challenge in rural areas. Growing up in a rural area and completing medical training in a rural area have been shown to predict decisions to practice in rural areas. Little is known, though, about factors that contribute to physicians’ decisions to locate in very sparsely populated areas. Purpose: In this study, we investigated whether variables associated with rural background and training predicted physicians’ decisions to practice in very rural areas. We also examined reasons given for plans to leave the study state. Methods: Physicians in the State of Wyoming (N = 693) completed a questionnaire assessing their background, current practice, and future practice plans. Findings: Being raised in a rural area and training in nearby states predicted practicing in very rural areas. High malpractice insurance rates predicted planning to move one's practice out of state rather than within state. Conclusions: Rural backgrounds and training independently predict practice location decisions, but high malpractice rates are the most crucial factor in future plans to leave the state.
Flagellin-independent regulation of chemokine host defense in Campylobacter jejuni-infected intestinal epithelium

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial food-borne diarrheal disease throughout the world and the most frequent antecedent of autoimmune neuropathy Guillain-Barre syndrome. While infection is associated with immune memory, little is known regarding the role of the epithelium in targeting dendritic cells (DC) for initiating the appropriate adaptive immune response to C. jejuni. The objective of this study was to define the role for the intestinal epithelium in the induction of the adaptive immune response in C. jejuni infection by assessing the production of DC and T-cell chemoattractants. Human T84 epithelial cells were used as model intestinal epithelia. Infection of T84 cells with C. jejuni dose- and time-dependently up-regulated DC and T-cell chemokine gene transcription and secretion. Induction required live bacteria and was in the physiologically relevant direction for attraction of mucosal immunocytes. C. jejuni-activated NF-κB signaling was shown to be essential for proinflammatory chemokine secretion. Notably, C. jejuni secretion occurred independently of flagellin identification by Toll-like receptor 5. Secretion of a DC chemoattractant by differing clinical C. jejuni isolates suggested adherence/invasion were key virulence determinants of epithelial chemokine secretion. The regulated epithelial expression of DC and T-cell chemoattractants suggests a mechanism for the directed trafficking of immune cells required for the initiation of adaptive immunity in campylobacteriosis. Chemokine secretion occurs despite Campylobacter evasion of the flagellin pattern recognition receptor, suggesting that alternate host defense strategies limit disease pathogenesis.
Parallelism in relational data base systems: architectural issues and design approaches

With current systems, some important complex queries may take days to complete because of: (1) the volume of data to be processed, (2) limited aggregate resources. Introducing parallelism addresses the first problem. Cheaper, but powerful computing resources solve the second problem. According to a survey by Brodie,1 only 10% of computerized data is in data bases. This is an argument for both more variety and volume of data to be moved into data base systems. We conjecture that the primary reasons for this low percentage are that data base management systems (DBMSs) still need to provide far greater functionality and improved performance compared to a combination of application programs and file systems. This paper addresses the issues and solutions relating to intraquery parallelism in a relational DBMS supporting SQL. Instead of focussing only on a few algorithms for a subset of the problems, we provide a broad framework for the study of the numerous issues that need to be addressed in supporting parallelism efficiently and flexibly. We also discuss the impact that parallelization of complex queries has on short transactions which have stringent response time constraints. The pros and cons of the shared nothing, shared disks and shared everything architectures for parallelism are enumerated. The impact of parallelism on a number of components of an industrial-strength DBMS are pointed out. The different stages of query processing during which parallelism may be gainfully employed are identified. The interactions between parallelism and the traditional systems' pipelining technique are analyzed. Finally, the performance implications of parallelizing a specific complex query are studied. This gives us a range of sample points for different parameters of a parallel system architecture, namely, I/O and communication bandwidth as a function of aggregate MIPS.
Personal Assistance Services: A Review of the Literature and Analysis of Policy Implications

Affordable, attainable, high-quality personal assistance services could enable millions of people with severe physical disabilities to lead productive and independent lives. Indeed, the degree to w...
Oncologists' Experiences and Attitudes About Their Role in Philanthropy and Soliciting Donations From Grateful Patients

Purpose Physician participation in philanthropy is important to marshal resources that allow hospitals to pursue their missions, but little is known about how physicians participate and their attitudes toward participation. Methods To characterize philanthropic roles physicians play and their attitudes about participation and its ethical acceptability, medical oncologists affiliated with the 40 National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer centers were randomly sampled and surveyed to evaluate experiences and attitudes regarding participation in philanthropy at their institutions. Responses were tabulated; significant associations by physicians' characteristics were explored. Results A total of 405 (52%) physicians responded; 62% were men, and 72% were white. Most (71%) had been exposed to their institution's fundraising/development staff; 48% of those were taught how to identify patients who would be good donors; 26% received information about ethical guidelines for soliciting donations from ...
GREGOR: Evaluating global enrichment of trait-associated variants in epigenomic features using a systematic, data-driven approach

Motivation: The majority of variation identified by genome wide association studies falls in non-coding genomic regions and is hypothesized to impact regulatory elements that modulate gene expression. Here we present a statistically rigorous software tool GREGOR (Genomic Regulatory Elements and Gwas Overlap algoRithm) for evaluating enrichment of any set of genetic variants with any set of regulatory features. Using variants from five phenotypes, we describe a data-driven approach to determine the tissue and cell types most relevant to a trait of interest and to identify the subset of regulatory features likely impacted by these variants. Last, we experimentally evaluate six predicted functional variants at six lipid-associated loci and demonstrate significant evidence for allele-specific impact on expression levels. GREGOR systematically evaluates enrichment of genetic variation with the vast collection of regulatory data available to explore novel biological mechanisms of disease and guide us toward the functional variant at trait-associated loci. Availability and implementation: GREGOR, including source code, documentation, examples, and executables, is available at http://genome.sph.umich.edu/wiki/GREGOR. Contact: ude.hcimu@netsirc Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effects of conducting peer behavioral observations on the observer's correct use of discrete trial teaching procedures.

Abstract A procedure consisting of peer observation and evaluation termed behavioral observations was used to improve educational staff's correct use of discrete trial teaching procedures (DTT). All participants had been previously trained and proficient in using DTT procedures; however, during baseline, showed a low level of correct demonstration of DTT procedures (mean scores: 38.3%, 43.3%, and 35.0%). Participants were then taught use a checklist to observe and score a peer's performance during DTT sessions in a classroom setting. After conducting behavioral observations, staff increased their correct usage of DTT procedures to 85.1%, 88.3%, and 81.1% respectively. These data indicate that conducting behavioral observations can lead to large and rapid improvements in educational staff's correct use of DTT procedures with a large effect size ( d = 4.19).
Enhancing sensitivity of biconical tapered fiber sensors with multiple passes through the taper

A single biconical fiber taper is a simple and low-cost yet powerful sensor. With a distinct strength in refractive index RI sensing, biconical tapered fiber sensors can find their place in handheld sensor platforms, especially as biosensors that are greatly needed in health care, environmental protection, food safety, and biodefense. We report doubling of sensitivity for these sensors with two passes through the tapered region, which becomes possible through the use of sensitive and high-dynamic-range photodetectors. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we measured transmission through the taper when it was immersed in isopropyl alcohol-water mixtures of varying concentrations, in which a thin gold layer at the tip of the fiber acted as a mirror enabling two passes through the tapered region. This improved the sensitivity from 0.43 dB/vol % in the single-pass case to 0.78 dB/vol % with two passes through the taper. The refractive index detection limit was estimated to be 1.210 5 RI units RIU and 0.610 5 RIU in the single- and double-pass schemes, respectively. We predict that further enhance- ment of sensitivity may be achieved with a higher number of passes through the taper. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation
A scalable 2 V, 20 GHz FPGA using SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology

This paper presents a new power saving, high speed FPGA design enhancing a previous SiGe CML FPGA based on the Xilinx 6200 FPGA. The design aims at having a higher performance but minimizing power consumption. The new SiGe process has traded off the circuit's performance for reduced power consumption. The power supply voltage has been reduced from 3.4 V to 2.0 V. The structure of the Basic Cell, including the Configurable Logic Block (CLB) and routing multiplexers (MUXs), has been modified so that the supply voltage reduction can be attained. Simulations have shown that the gate delay of the new Basic Cell is reduced from 130 ps in the prior design to 51 ps. The total power consumption for each Basic Cell has been reduced 94% from 71 mW to 4.2 mW, making a large scale FPGA feasible. This design is currently under fabrication for testing.
Height and incidence of cardiovascular disease in male physicians.

BACKGROUND An inverse association between height and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) has been reported in several case-control and cohort studies, but the reasons for the association remain uncertain. We evaluated this association among 22,071 male physicians, a population homogeneous for high educational attainment and socioeconomic status in adulthood. METHODS AND RESULTS The study population was comprised of participants in the Physicians9 Health Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin and beta-carotene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer among US male physicians, aged 40 to 84 years, in 1982. Participants were classified into five height categories at study entry, from shortest to tallest, and were followed an average of 60.2 months to determine the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease. Men in the tallest (> or = 73 in. or 185.4 cm) compared with the shortest ( CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that height is inversely associated with subsequent risk of MI. At this time, a few mechanisms are plausible, but none are convincing. Other epidemiological and basic research efforts are needed to explore a variety of physiological correlates of height that may be responsible for mediating the height-MI association. In the meantime, while height is not modifiable, it is easy to measure and may be useful to evaluate CHD disease risk profiles and target lifestyle interventions.
Excmier Laser Keratectomy for Astigmatism Occurring after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Purpose: To review the results of photorefractive keratectomy used to treat astigmatism occurring after penetrating keratoplasty. Methods: Seven patients who had undergone corneal transplantation previously and had significant postoperative astigmatism were included. All these patients were intolerant of spectacle and contact lens correction. Excimer laser keratectomy was performed to reduce the astigmatic error. Minimum follow-up of 12 months was necessary for study inclusion. Results: The average refractive cylinder decreased from 5.32 diopters (D) preoperatively to 2.79 D postoperatively. The refractive cylinder was reduced in six of the seven eyes attempted. The average preoperative keratometric cylinder decreased from 5.54 D (range, 1.50–10.00 D) to 4.00 D (range, 1.00–7.50 D) postoperatively. The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was unchanged (within 1 line) in three eyes, improved in two, and decreased in two. The complications included a loss of at least two lines in spectacle-corrected visual acuity in two eyes and scarring in one. Conclusions: Excimer laser keratectomy can reduce the astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty. The excellent results in some eyes offer promise for this technique in the future.
Using Family Health History for Chronic Disease Prevention in the Age of Genomics: Translation to Health Education Practice

Abstract Advances in the field of human genomics have important implications for the prevention of chronic disease. In response to these advancements, public health professionals-including health educators-must become competent in the principles underlying the interface between genomics and the use of family health history. Family health history captures the familial nature and incidence of chronic diseases and provides valuable insights on the risk for chronic diseases within the context of shared genes, environments, and behavior. The purpose of this article is to review family health history research as an important tool for assessing chronic disease risk; to provide information regarding its use in health education practice as a potential preventive tool; and to discuss the ethical, legal, and social implications of such use.
A pipelined 45 MHz 24-bit digital signal processing ASIC

A pipelined DSP gate array that can operate at over 45 MHz and performs 24-b fixed-point arithmetic operations on arrays of complex valued inputs is described. This high performance is achieved by using a 0.8- mu m three-level CMOS fabrication process, and by implementing a pipelined FFT butterfly. The partitioning of a Baugh-Wooley two's complement multiplier is discussed, and testability solutions are developed. It is shown that allowing the ability to bypass segments of the pipe improves testability and adds flexibility over control. >
Association of TCF7L2 Gene Polymorphisms with Reduced Acute Insulin Response in Hispanic Americans

Context: Genetic variation at the transcription factor 7-like 2 locus has been linked to type 2 diabetes in predominantly European-derived populations. The biological basis of these associations remains to be determined. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate previously associated variants for association with measures of glucose homeostasis in Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans and determine the biological mechanism(s) through which these variants exert their effect. Design: This study was the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study (IRAS-FS). Setting: The IRAS-FS is a community-based study of Hispanic-Americans (San Antonio, TX, and San Luis Valley, CO) and African-Americans (Los Angeles, CA). Participants: A total of 1040 Hispanic-American and 500 African-American individuals from the IRAS-FS formed the basis of this study. Main Outcomes Measures(s): The primary glucose homeostasis phenotypes of interest in this study were derived from the frequently sampled iv glucose tol...