cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time response of carboplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Carboplatin, a second-generation platinum-containing anti-cancer drug, is currently being used against human cancers. High-dose carboplatin chemotherapy can cause renal tubular injury in cancer patients. We have shown a dose-dependent nephrotoxicity of carboplatin in a rat model. However, the time response of carboplatin-induced renal injury has not been explored. This study investigated the time response of carboplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat. Male Wistar rats (250-300 g) were divided into two groups of 30 animals each and treated as follows: (1) control (saline, intraperitoneally) and (2) carboplatin (256 mg kg(-1), intraperitoneally). The animals (n = 6) from each group were sacrificed 1-5 days after treatment. The blood and kidneys were isolated and analyzed. Plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and blood urea levels were increased significantly in response to carboplatin in a time-dependent manner, indicating potential nephrotoxicity. Carboplatin time-dependently increased the renal platinum concentration, renal xanthine oxidase activity, increased membrane lipid peroxidation (MDA) concentration, while ratio of reduced-to-oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) depleted significantly, indicating oxidative renal injury. Renal anti-oxidant enzymes, such as cytosolic copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) and mitochondrial manganese (Mn)-SOD, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were decreased significantly due to carboplatin 3-5 days post-treatment. The protein expressions of renal CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD significantly depleted 3-5 days after carboplatin administration, indicating decline in de novo synthesis of enzyme proteins. The data suggested that carboplatin caused time-dependent oxidative renal injury, as evidenced by renal anti-oxidant depletion, enhanced lipid peroxidation, platinum content, plasma creatinine BUN, and blood urea levels in rats.
Regionally Selective Effects of Gonadectomy on Cortical Catecholamine Innervation in Adult Male Rats Are Most Disruptive to Afferents in Prefrontal Cortex

Changes in gonadal hormones induced early in life produce substantial, seemingly permanent decreases in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive axon density in sensory, motor and prefrontal regions in the rat cerebral cortex. Less is known, however, about the responsiveness of cortical catecholamines to hormone stimulation during adulthood. In this study we expanded upon an earlier analysis of the effects of acute (4 day) and chronic (28 day) gonadectomy in adult male rats on TH innervation in right hemifield of the cingulate cortex to include assessment of sensorimotor areas previously examined following perinatal gonadectomy, the left cingulate hemifield, and one additional prefrontal area - the dorsal anterior insular cortex. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of immunoreactivity revealed modest, transient declines in innervation in sensorimotor areas 4 days after gonadectomy, and a return to normal innervation densities by 28 days after surgery. In cingulate and insular cortices, however, strikingly depleted axon densities observed following acute gonadectomy rebounded to significantly higher than normal levels of innervation 3 weeks later. All effects were attenuated in gonadectomized animals supplemented with testosterone. Thus, for cortical catecholamine innervation, as for other endpoints of hormone stimulation, gonadal steroid sensitivity appears to change dramatically with lifestage. In adult male rats, this sensitivity is also marked by a seemingly selective vulnerability of catecholamine innervation in prefrontal areas to changes in the hormone environment induced by gonadectomy.
Capillary-based fully integrated and automated system for nanoliter polymerase chain reaction analysis directly from cheek cells

A miniaturized, integrated and automated system based on capillary fluidics has been developed for nanoliter DNA analysis directly from cheek cells. All steps for DNA analysis, including injecting aqueous reagents and DNA samples, mixing the solutions together, thermal cell lysis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), transfer and injection of PCR product, separation, sizing and detection of those products are performed in a capillary-based integrated system. A small amount of cheek cells collected by a plastic toothpick is directly dissolved in the PCR cocktail in a plastic vial or mixed on-line with a small volume of PCR cocktail (125 nl) in the capillary. After thermal cell lysis and PCR in a microthermal cycler, the DNA fragments are mixed with DNA size standards and transferred to a micro-cross for injection and separation by capillary gel electrophoresis. Programmable syringe pumps, switching valves, multiposition and freeze-thaw valves are used for microfluidic control in the entire system. This work establishes the feasibility of performing all the steps of DNA analysis from real samples in a capillary-based nanoliter integrated system.
SU-E-T-510: Mathematical Analysis of Approximate Biological Effective Dose (BED) Calculation for Multi-Phase Radiotherapy Treatment Plans

Purpose: There is growing interest about biological effective dose (BED) and its application in treatment plan evaluation due to its stronger correlation with treatment outcome. An approximate biological effective dose (BEDA) equation was introduced to simplify BED calculations by treatment planning systems in multi-phase treatments. The purpose of this work is to reveal its mathematical properties relative to the true, multi-phase BED (BEDT) equation. Methods: The BEDT equation was derived and used to reveal the mathematical properties of BEDA. MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA) was used to simulate and analyze common and extreme clinical multi-phase cases. In those cases, percent error (Perror) and Bland-Altman analysis were used to study the significance of the inaccuracies of BEDA for different combinations of total doses, numbers of fractions, doses per fractions and α over β values. All the calculations were performed on a voxel-basis in order to study how dose distributions would affect the accuracy of BEDA. Results: When the voxel dose-per-fractions (DPF) delivered by both phases are equal, BEDA and BEDT are equal. In heterogeneous dose distributions, which significantly vary between the phases, there are fewer occurrences of equal DPFs and hence the imprecision of BEDA is greater. It was shown that as the α over β ratio increased the accuracy of BEDA would improve. Examining twenty-four cases, it was shown that the range of DPF ratios for a 3 Perror varied from 0.32 to 7.50Gy, whereas for Perror of 1 the range varied from 0.50 to 2.96Gy. Conclusion: The DPF between the different phases should be equal in order to render BEDA accurate. OARs typically receive heterogeneous dose distributions hence the probability of equal DPFs is low. Consequently, the BEDA equation should only be used for targets or OARs that receive uniform or very similar dose distributions by the different treatment phases.
Treatment of poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis with an extract of jewelweed☆

Abstract Background : Jewelweed ( Impatiens biflora ) is a plant which has been used for centuries for the treatment of poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis. Numerous claims for its effectiveness exist in the lay press, and over-the-counter medicaments containing jewelweed are reputed to be an effective remedy for poison ivy/oak dermatitis. Despite these claims, few scientific studies testing the effectiveness of jewelweed have been performed. Objective : Our objective in this pilot study was to test the efficacy of an extract of jewelweed in the treatment of experimentally induced allergic contact dermatitis to poison ivy/oak. Methods : A randomized, double-blinded, paired comparison investigation was performed. Ten adult volunteers were patch tested to urushiol, the allergenic resin in poison ivy/oak. For each volunteer, one patch test site was treated with an extract prepared from the fresh stems of jewelweed; the remaining site was treated with distilled water to serve as a control. Sites were examined on days 2, 3, 7, and 9 with reactions graded on a numerical scale. Results : All subjects developed dermatitis at each patch test site. There was no statistically significant difference in the objective scores at the sites treated with jewelweed extract versus the distilled water control sites. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that an extract of jewelweed was not effective in the treatment of poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis.
Ordered subset linkage analysis supports a susceptibility locus for age-related macular degeneration on chromosome 16p12.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disorder that is responsible for the majority of central vision loss in older adults living in developed countries. Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity complicate the analysis of genome-wide scans for AMD susceptibility loci. The ordered subset analysis (OSA) method is an approach for reducing heterogeneity, increasing statistical power for detecting linkage, and helping to define the most informative data set for follow-up analysis. OSA assesses the linkage evidence in subsets of potentially more homogeneous families by rank-ordering family-specific lod scores with respect to trait-associated covariates or phenotypic features. Here, we present results of incorporating five continuous covariates into our genome-wide linkage analysis of 389 microsatellite markers in 62 multiplex families: Body mass index (BMI), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, intraocular pressure (IOP), and pack-years of cigarette smoking. Chromosome-wide significance of increases in nonparametric multipoint lod scores in covariate-defined subsets relative to the overall sample was assessed by permutation. Using a correction for testing multiple covariates, statistically significant lod score increases were observed for two chromosomal regions: 14q13 with a lod score of 3.2 in 28 families with average IOP ≤ 15.5 (p = 0.002), and 6q14 with a lod score of 1.6 in eight families with average BMI ≥ 30.1 (p = 0.0004). On chromosome 16p12, nominally significant lod score increases (p ≤ 0.05), up to a lod score of 2.9 in 32 families, were observed with several covariate orderings. While less significant, this was the only region where linkage evidence was associated with multiple clinically meaningful covariates and the only nominally significant finding when analysis was restricted to advanced forms of AMD. Families with linkage to 16p12 had higher averages of SBP, IOP and BMI and were primarily affected with neovascular AMD. For all three regions, linkage signals at or very near the peak marker have previously been reported. Our results suggest that a susceptibility gene on chromosome 16p12 may predispose to AMD, particularly to the neovascular form, and that further research into the previously suggested association of neovascular AMD and systemic hypertension is warranted.
Boundary element methods for functionally graded materials

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) possess a smooth variation of material properties due to continuous change in microstructural details. For example, the material gradation may change gradually from a pure ceramic to a pure metal. This work focuses on potential (both steady state and transient) and elasticity problems for inhomogeneous materials. The Green’s function(GF) for these materials (e.g. exponentially graded) are expressed as the GF for the homogeneous material plus additional terms due to material gradation. The numerical implementations are performed using a Galerkin (rather than collocation) approximation. A number of examples have been carried out. The results of some speciflc test problems agree within plotting accuracy with available analytical solutions.
A paradigm for incorporating vision in the robot navigation function

The authors present a paradigm for combining vision with motion planning. It turns out that extensive modifications of so-called tactile algorithms are needed to take full advantage of the additional sensing capabilities, while not sacrificing the algorithm convergence. Different design principles can be introduced that result in algorithm versions exhibiting different styles of behavior and producing different paths, without, in general, being superior to each other. >
APPLICATION OF SINGING TECHNIQUES FOR THE TREATMENT OF DYSPHONIA

Management of voice disorders requires careful examination of vocal control and compensation, with exercises designed to improve efficient compensation while reducing effects of pathology on vocal production. Specific singing exercises have been proven to be beneficial in the resolution and compensation for pathology. Detailed assessment and intervention strategies are outlined from the perspective of the vocologist, who specializes in combining vocal arts with voice therapy.
Targeting Residential Energy Assistance

This paper describes a four-step method to analyze the utility bills and weather data from multiple residences to target buildings for specific energy conservation retrofits. The method is also useful for focusing energy assessments on the most promising opportunities. The first step of the method is to create a three-parameter changepoint regression model of energy use versus weather for each building and fuel type. The three model parameters represent weather independent energy use, the building heating or cooling coefficient and the building balance-point temperature. The second step is to drive the models using typical TMY2 weather data to determine Normalized Annual Consumption (NAC) for each fuel type. The third step is to create a sliding NAC with each set of 12 sequential months of utility data. The final step is to benchmark the NACs and coefficients of multiple buildings to identify average, best and worst energy performers, and how the performance of each building has changed over time. The method identifies billing errors, normalizes energy use for changing weather, prioritizes sites for specific energy-efficiency retrofits and tracks weather-normalized changes in energy use. The principle differences between this method and previously defined ones are that this method seeks to use inverse modeling proactively to identify energy saving opportunities rather than retroactively to measure energy savings, it tracks changes in building performance using sliding analysis, and it uses comparisons between multiple buildings to extract additional information. This paper describes the method, then demonstrates the method through a case study of about 300 low-income residences. After applying the method, targeted buildings were visited to determine the accuracy of the method at identifying energy efficiency opportunities. The case study shows that over 80% of the targeted buildings presented at least one of the expected problems from each type of retrofit.
Drosophila HNF4 Regulates Lipid Mobilization and β-Oxidation

SUMMARY DrosophilaHNF4(dHNF4)isthesingleancestralortholog of a highly conserved subfamily of nuclear receptors that includes two mammalian receptors, HNFa and HNFg, and 269 members in C. elegans .W e show here that dHNF4 null mutant larvae are sensitive to starvation. Starved mutant larvae consume glycogen normally but retain lipids in their midgut and fat body and have increased levels of long-chain fatty acids, suggesting that they are unable to efficiently mobilize stored fat for energy. Microarray studies support this model, indicating reduced expression of genes that control lipid catabolism and b-oxidation. A GAL4dHNF4;UAS-lacZ ligand sensor can be activated by starvation or exogenous long-chain fatty acids, suggesting that dHNF4 is responsive to dietary signals. Taken together, our results support a feed-forward model for dHNF4, in which fatty acids released from triglycerides activate the receptor, inducing enzymes that drive fatty acid oxidation for energy production.
Report of a strain of Staphylococcus caprae with the genes for enterotoxin A and enterotoxin-like toxin type P.

Staphylococcal enterotoxins have long been recognized as being responsible for staphylococcal food poisoning. Recently, attention has centered on their role as superantigens in exacerbating sepsis (4, 9, 12). Of the known enterotoxins, staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) is one of the most commonly identified in clinical isolates (5, 9, 10). The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is the species most frequently associated with SEA production, although other species of Staphylococcus occasionally carry the SEA gene (3). One strain of S. caprae has been shown immunologically to produce SEA (20); however, this was not confirmed with genetic analysis. This is the first report of a S. caprae strain simultaneously carrying both the SEA gene and the staphylococcal enterotoxin-like toxin type P (SElP) gene. SElP was recently described in a study reporting the whole-genome sequencing of S. aureus strain N315 (11). The toxin produces an emetic response in Suncus murinus (the house musk shrew), but the emetic activity of SElP has not yet been tested on a primate model (13).
Algorithms for string and graph layout

Many graph optimization problems can be viewed as graph layout problems. A layout of a graph is a geometric arrangement of the vertices subject to given constraints. For example, the vertices of a graph can be arranged on a line or a circle, on a two- or three-dimensional lattice, etc. The goal is usually to place all the vertices so as to optimize some specified objective function. We develop combinatorial methods as well as models based on linear and semidefinite programming for graph layout problems. We apply these techniques to some well-known optimization problems. In particular, we give improved approximation algorithms for the string folding problem on the two- and three-dimensional square lattices. This combinatorial graph problem is motivated by the protein folding problem, which is central in computational biology. We then present a new semidefinite programming formulation for the linear ordering problem (also known as the maximum acyclic subgraph problem) and show that it provides an improved bound on the value of an optimal solution for random graphs. This is the first relaxation that improves on the trivial “all edges” bound for random graphs. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Tailoring the dielectric properties of meta materials

This paper presents the experimental investigations on the effect of metallic inclusions on a dielectric substrate for tailoring the properties of meta material. Dielectric properties of samples are measured with different metallic inclusions and the results are compared with and without inclusions. The designs of several samples leading to negative permittivity are presented along with their experimental results.
Domains of Gln3p interacting with karyopherins, Ure2p, and the target of rapamycin protein.

Gln3p is a GATA-type transcription factor responsive to the quality of nitrogen and carbon. In preferred nitrogen such as glutamine, Gln3p is phosphorylated and sequestered in the cytoplasm in a manner that is dependent on the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein and Ure2p. In nonpreferred nitrogen or nitrogen starvation, Gln3p is dephosphorylated and imported into the nucleus via karyopherin α/Srp1p. Upon reintroduction of preferred nitrogen, Gln3p is exported from the nucleus by Crm1p/Xpo1p. Although recent work has provided insights into Gln3p, a more detailed understanding is needed to elucidate the mechanism of its localization and function. In this study, we show that Gln3p contains canonical nuclear localization signal and nuclear export signal sequences necessary for its localization and interaction with its relevant karyopherins. In addition, we identify an N-terminal domain of Gln3p interacting with Ure2p and a C-terminal region for binding to TOR. Finally, we find a lysine/arginine-rich domain essential for the rapamycin-sensitive function, but dispensable for its localization. Our results reveal key domains of Gln3p important for its function and regulation.
Covenant in the Old and New Testaments: Some Current Research (1994-2004)

The amount of biblical scholarship on covenant over the past decade is not great; however, significant work on the definition and taxonomy of covenant has helped to overcome certain reductionistic tendencies of older scholarship, which has contributed, in turn, to a better grasp of the canonical function of the term in the Old and New Testaments. In Old Testament scholarship, the idea that covenant simply means ‘obligation’ and is essentially one-sided (Kutsch, Perlitt) has been largely abandoned in favor of the view that covenants establish kinship bonds (relations and obligations) between covenanting parties (Cross, Hugenberger). There is also broad recognition that the richness of the concept cannot be exhausted merely by analyses of occurrences of berith or certain related phrases. In New Testament scholarship, some small strides have been made in assessing the significance of covenant in the Gospels; whereas discussion of covenant in Paul has been dominated by the ‘New Perspective’ debate over ‘coven...
Thermodynamics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions---a database for quantitative biochemistry

Summary: The Thermodynamics of Enzyme-catalyzed Reactions Database (TECRDB) is a comprehensive collection of thermodynamic data on enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The data, which consist of apparent equilibrium constants and calorimetrically determined molar enthalpies of reaction, are the primary experimental results obtained from thermodynamic studies of biochemical reactions. The results from 1000 published papers containing data on 400 different enzyme-catalyzed reactions constitute the essential information in the database. The information is managed using Oracle and is available on the Web. Availability: http://xpdb.nist.gov/enzyme_thermodynamics/
Centripetal Democratic Governance: A Theory and Global Inquiry

Why are some democratic governments more successful than others? What impact do various political institutions have on the quality of governance? This paper develops and tests a new theory of democratic governance. This theory, which we label centripetalism, stands in contrast to the dominant paradigm of decentralism. The centripetal theory of governance argues that democratic institutions work best when they are able to reconcile the twin goals of centralized authority and broad inclusion. At the constitutional level, our theory argues that unitary, parliamentary, and list-PR systems (as opposed to decentralized federal, presidential, and nonproportional ones) help promote both authority and inclusion, and therefore better governance outcomes. We test the theory by examining the impact of centripetalism on eight indicators of governance that range across the areas of state capacity, economic policy and performance, and human development. Results are consistent with the theory and robust to a variety of specifications.
HEAT, SPEED AND ERROR LIMITS OF MOORE'S LAW AT THE NANO SCALES

The evolution of microprocessor miniaturization and performance, often described by Moore's law [1, 2], is close to the saturation limit. This paper discusses the limitation of the evolution of performance and minimization process for high performance microprocessors related to noise and power dissipation. In particular, the predictions provided in a previous paper [3] are refined in order to take into account the increasing effect of leakage currents on power dissipation.
A Myosin V Inhibitor Based on Privileged Chemical Scaffolds

Small molecules that perturb the function of their targets on fast-time scales can be powerful probes of dynamic cellular processes, such as intracellular transport.[1] In the past decade, inhibitors for motor proteins, ATPases that drive movements of cellular cargoes, have been reported.[2] These chemical inhibitors (with μM potency) have served as valuable tools to dissect complex cellular mechanisms and have even provided an impetus for developing chemotherapeutics that target motor proteins.[3] However, chemical inhibitors are available for only ~ 6% of the motor proteins (over 100 in humans[4]) involved in a variety of biological processes, ranging from development, hearing, intracellular signaling, and muscle function.
Cardiovascular and sympathetic responses and reflex changes elicited by MDMA.

The recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has increased as have the number of clinical reports linking MDMA use with cardiovascular toxicity. Nonetheless, the cardiovascular and sympathetic nerve responses elicited by MDMA have not been well characterized. The purpose of this study was to characterize the mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve responses elicited by the acute administration of MDMA and to determine whether neurotoxic doses of MDMA change cardiovascular and/or cardiovascular reflex function. In conscious rats, MDMA or d-amphetamine elicited similar dose-dependent increases in MAP. MDMA elicited significant bradycardia at doses above 1.0 mg/kg. Pretreatment with phentolamine significantly reduced the duration but not the magnitude of the pressor response elicited by MDMA. In pentobarbital-anesthetized rats, MDMA (0.1 mg/kg) increased renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA; 33 +/- 10%), while larger doses significantly decreased RSNA (-91 +/- 3%, max). Neurotoxic doses of MDMA (20 mg/kg, s.c., b.i.d. for 4 days) significantly enhanced the bradycardic component of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex elicited by i.v. serotonin when tested either 2 days or 2 weeks after the last neurotoxic treatment. However, neurotoxic treatment did not significantly affect baroreceptor reflex function. These results indicate that the acute administration of MDMA and d-amphetamine produce similar cardiovascular and sympathetic responses. Neurotoxic doses of MDMA can also significantly alter cardiovascular reflex function. These findings raise the possibility that MDMA may have the potential to produce cardiovascular and/or cardiac toxicity similar to that elicited by other amphetamine analogs.
De estructuras, culturas y otros demonios: una revisión de las insurrecciones andinas de finales del siglo XVIII

This review essay visualizes eighteenth-century popular insurrections not as casual or isolated episodes, but rather as symptomatic expressions of social tensions and heightened conflict; feelings that increased in intensity during the latter half of the century and culminated in the Great Rebellion of 1780-1783 in the Southern Andes, the 1765 Quito uprising and the 1781 Comunero Revolt in Nueva Granada. The article examines journal articles and monographs that address these revolts, acknowledging that academic production on late eighteenth-century insurrections in the Spanish colonies is itself suspended within larger scholarly debates that address insurrections outside the Andean context and incorporate questions raised by scholars of peasant revolts and agrarian conflict in other fields and time periods.
Solid Freeform Fabrication of Aqueous Alumina–Poly(vinyl alcohol) Gelcasting Suspensions

Solid freeform fabrication of aqueous alumina–poly(vinyl alcohol) (Al2O3–PVA) gel-casting suspensions was conducted using a computer-controlled extrusion apparatus fitted with a two-nozzle delivery system. The impact of casting parameters on the shear rate profiles experienced during deposition was evaluated via conventional flow analysis and computer simulations. In addition, the influence of these parameters on line resolution/uniformity, printability, and as-cast component properties was studied using laser profilometry, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Continuous printablity was achieved for tip diameters ranging from 0.254 to 1.370 mm for all mixing rates and suspension compositions studied. Printed lines were uniform with good edge definition, and line dimensions were independent of mixing rate for these process conditions. The Al2O3 volume fraction (φAl2O3) in the as-deposited layers depended on casting conditions and cross-linking agent concentration, where (φAl2O3 increased with decreased tip diameter and increased cross-linking agent concentration. The free-formed Al2O3 components exhibited uniform particle packing, with minimal macrodefects (e.g., slumping or staircasing) and no discernable microdefects (e.g., bubbles or cracking).
Five Minute Oscillations in the Solar Magnetic Field

Evidence for the existence of 5 min oscillations in the photospheric and low chromospheric magnetic fields is presented, their properties discussed, and a possible production mechanism suggested.
Travel Stones

For the last decade, Jacquelyn Martino has focused her artistic practice on the design of a rule-based computational language to generate works in the visual design language of her evolving style. Travel Stones is an installation that applies this computational language to the creation of a collection of cultural artifacts from a fictitious ancient culture. Martino makes use of her rule system to generate a series of realistic cultural artifacts made plausible by the combination of their consistent design language and their grounding in a number of historical references. In the installation, the viewer reads a museum-style exhibition text detailing the origins of the artifacts. The imagined culture derives from an ancient people who carry their travel stones -- much as house keys -- as a way to access their home center, which is ultimately more spiritual than physical. The text leads the viewer to believe that the four accompanying paintings document a first-hand exposure to the stones by someone external to the culture. Passed from generation to generation, the stones further serve as resonant objects in the tracing of the people's history. Prompted by the drawings on the stones, the ancients recount tales of their origins to the next generations as well as to those they meet in travel. Through their stories, they maintain their sense of identity and place while simultaneously transferring fragments of their culture to others. In this piece, the enabling algorithmic production system is integral to Martino's process, but not particularly apparent to the viewer. The visual separation of high-tech process from pseudo-historic product calls into question any easy distinction between technology and culture in our own place and time.
An Isoperimetric Problem with an Inequality

(1945). An Isoperimetric Problem with an Inequality. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 59-69.
Securing the human to protect the system: Human factors in cyber security

Analysis of the publications of the Information Commissioner's Office relating to prosecutions or monetary penalties for data breaches shows that many of these breaches involved human error. The most common such errors in these reports are well meaning insiders making slips in routine operations. Technical correction strategies to mitigate against the error were either absent or ineffective in preventing harm from being incurred. This paper considers the failure modes of human operators of information systems within reports issued by the Information Commissioner's Office. These demonstrate where additional technological assistance may be better directed to reduce probability of occurrence and to reduce the impact of information security failures. (5 pages)
Enhanced germination of primed mericarps of parsley (Petroselinum crispum Mill. Nyman ex A.W. Hill) limited by Alternaria alternata proliferation

SummaryOsmotic priming (–1.5 or –1.0 MPa for 7, 14 or 21 d at 20°C) increased germination rates of ‘Italian Dark Green’ and ‘Moss Curled’ mericarps of parsley, but increasing the duration of priming caused a linear decrease in germination percentage. Fungal colonisation, predominantly by Alternaria alternata, was associated with decreased germination percentage and reduced hypocotyl and radicle lengths. The extent of pericarp damage and fungal colonisation during priming were rated visually from scanning electron micrographs. Pericarp degradation increased from “slight” with some cuticular damage after 7 d priming, to “moderate” with some mesocarp visible, after 21 d priming. Distribution of spores and hyphae of A. alternata increased from “covering less than 1% of the surface” on non-primed mericarps, to “light and uniform” after 7 or 21 d priming. A combination pre-priming (30 min) and post-priming (5 min) mericarp soak in 0.6% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite containing 0.015% (w/v) Tween-20 surfactant contro...
Wall Shear Stress Measurements on the NASA Hump Model for CFD Validation

The skin friction distribution on a wall-mounted hump model has been obtained using oil-fllm interferometry. Several important modiflcations to the typical analysis of oil-fllm interferograms are made to account for high shear gradients, close camera proximity, and high model curvature. In addition, the oil used to obtain the fringes has been calibrated and the oil temperature during testing is carefully monitored. As a result, high quality skin friction values in the reverse ∞ow region downstream of separation and in the recovery region downstream of attachment have been obtained. Comparison with computational predictions indicate that the computations accurately predict the skin friction ahead of separation, but fail to predict the attachment point correctly and thus the skin friction in the separated and recovery regions of the ∞ow is not captured.
Abstract 1538: Inhibition of adenosine-mediated stabilization of intercellular adhesions promotes hypoxia-stressed endometrial carcinoma cell metastasis

Hypoxic microenvironments are commonly encountered in multiple epithelial malignancies. Epithelial cells classically up-regulate cellular adhesive mechanisms to counter the noxious effects of hypoxia. Inhibiting these tissue protective mechanisms is necessary for carcinoma cell invasion and metastasis. Our previous studies utilizing a transgenic model deficient for 5’nucleotidase (CD73), an enzyme responsible for adenosine biosynthesis, demonstrated that adenosine is required to circumvent hypoxia-mediated disruption of cellular adhesiveness in the normal endometrium. In endometrial carcinoma (EC), CD73 is down-regulated in poorly-differentiated, invasive, and metastatic ECs, but is expressed and functional in well-differentiated and non-metastatic disease. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the malignant progression of EC is dependant on the loss of adenosine-mediated regulation of intercellular adhesions. Modified and unmodified Boyden chambers were used to assess migration and invasion of endometrial adenocarcinoma cells HEC-1A and HEC-1B. Hypoxia (5% or 1.5% O 2 ) significantly reduced HEC-1A and HEC-1B migration and invasion in vitro; this effect was abrogated by CD73 RNA interference and the CD73 enzymatic inhibitor, α, β- methylenediphosphate (AoPCP). The inhibitory effect of CD73 on EC cell migration and invasion was restored by the stable, receptor-targeting adenosine analog, 5’-N-ethylcarboxamido adenosine (NECA). Quantitative RT-PCR identified two adenosine receptors, A 1 R and A 2B R, to be expressed in HEC-1A and HEC-1B. Inhibition of the A 2B R by MRS1754 significantly increased HEC-1B migration and invasion, while A 1 R antagonism (DPCPX) had no effect. A 2B R inhibition in HEC-1A monolayers also resulted in increased paracellular permeability to FITC-labeled dextrans. Moreover, A 2B R antagonism lowered cellular levels of junctional adhesion proteins claudin-1 and claudin-2, and resulted in increased accumulation of β-catenin within the cytoplasm. Intracellular pools of β-catenin re-organized to the cell membrane with NECA application. In summary, we have shown that CD73-generated adenosine is necessary to maintain normal protective epithelial barrier function in the uterus. Our results demonstrate for the first time that inhibition of adenosine-mediated stabilization of intercellular adhesions promotes cancer cell invasion and metastasis in a hypoxic microenvironment. (NIH TL1RR024147 and NIH 1P50CA098258-01) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1538. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1538
Production and Environmental Resources: A Prelude to an Evolutionary Framework

The paper advances a framework to study the evolution of technology and institutions. It is based on two simple tenets. First, the quality and quantity of environmental resources are defined and constrained by the regime of technology and institutions. Second, the character and extent of innovations are informed and limited by the regime as well. The framework is contrasted with neoclassical and ecological economics. While the framework assimilates ideas from both paradigms, it departs from them by stressing the importance of the "technological/institutional regime" (TIR). The two views ignore, in different ways, the significance of TIR [46]: The neoclassical program conceives the flow of innovations as TIR-independent, while the ecological agenda regards the fund of resources as TIR-independent.1 Consequently, both camps fail to provide an endogenous account of the observed punctuated character of the evolution of TIR. Neoclassical economists maintain that as a resource depletes, its price rises which induces switching to a cheaper one, encourages exploration, or spurs invention. Harold Barnett and Chandler Morse [7, 11] state that nature "imposes particular scarcities, not an inescapable general scarcity." The responses to environmental resource limitation are supposedly singular activities, stripped from any underpinning regime. The neoclassical disregard of TIR heuristically resembles the fable of Marie Antoinette's folly. In response to the scarcity of bread at the eve of the French Revolution, she advised-according to legend-buying cake instead. Ecological economists offer a different view of resource limits [48]. For Herman Daly [21, 8], "nature really does impose 'an inescapable [general] scarcity'." While neoclassical economists emphasize relative limitation (scarcity pricing), ecological economists stress Malthusian, general limitation. For ecological economists, substitution can solve relative allocation but cannot solve general limitation. General limitation can be avoided only if economic activity proceeded within certain boundaries or, as put by Martin O'Connor [69], within appropriate cyclical structure of resource transformations. Under the motto "sustainable development," a low-pace production activity supposedly enables a population to replicate indefinitely. Ecological economists conceive
Discussion of: Boon, J.D. and Mitchell, M., 2015. Nonlinear Change in Sea Level Observed at North American Tide Stations. Journal of Coastal Research, 31(6), 1295–1305.

ABSTRACT Houston, J.R., 2016. Discussion of: Boon, J.D. and Mitchell, M., 2015. Nonlinear change in sea level observed at North American tide stations. Journal of Coastal Research, 31(6), 1295–1305. Boon and Mitchell determined sea-level acceleration using monthly averaged relative mean sea-level data from 45 U.S. tide stations and 1 Canadian station for 1969–2014. Their methods of analyzing tide gauge data are interesting and useful. However, they then projected sea-level change for 58 years from 1992–2050 based on constant accelerations calculated from these 46-year records. Calculations of acceleration based on records as short as 40–50 years are well known to be heavily corrupted by decadal variations in sea level. For example, Boon and Mitchell showed that 3–6 year variations in record length or time period resulted in what they said were “dramatic change” in calculated acceleration. Therefore, the accelerations they calculated did not even remain constant for a few years, making long-term projection...
Affective values in international relations: Theorizing emotional actions and the value of resilience

This article critically examines the interrelationship of values and emotions in international relations. It focuses on the different meaning of affects and emotions, and theorizes about the affect...
China Health reform and rebuilding after earthquake at same pace

Many decision-makers thought Wenchuan earthquake would cumber China health reform progress. While emergency reaction and rebuilding after earthquake in fact provided a good chance to accelerate health reform, furthermore, local government could build better health system at Sichuan and neighbor provinces. However, recent rebuilding plans paid more attention to infrastructure rebuilding. We thought more wise way was to solve effectively main problems in health industry. That included policies cooperation and implementation, regulations establishment and implementation, and financing and governance. Health system rebuilding plans at least included health insurance for all people, primary health care and public health service improvement and basic health service provide system reform.
Electromagnetism technology for disposing polluted water in oil field

Polluted water contained many hydronium from oil field polluted environment seriously and had an effect in producing crude oil in safe.For this reality,This paper brings forward a way of Electromagnetism Technology for Disposing Polluted Water In Oil Field and introduces the mechanism and development of it.Summarize the advantage and wild prospect in disposing polluted water of electromagnetism technology.
Implications for clinical monitoring of intra-arterial blood pressure based on the frequency content of worst-case pressure waveforms.

There is no consensus regarding the minimum acceptable frequency response for a system intended for routine monitoring of invasive blood pressure in the operating rooms or intensive care units. Part of the problem stems from the diverse criteria used to validate faithful reproduction of the pressure waveform and waveform parameters. Another part of the problem is related to the site of pressure measurement: some anatomic sites have waveforms that are more difficult to reproduce than others. The most often quoted criteria, around which many clinical blood pressure monitoring systems have been constructed, are based on reproduction of all details of the pressure waveform from the most demanding anatomic sites. However, the routine clinical setting is primarily concerned with obtaining accurate values for systolic and diastolic blood pressures as recorded from peripheral arterial sites. This study was designed to obtain worst-case, in the sense of most difficult to measure, blood pressure waveforms from the femoral artery and the left ventricle using a canine model. The purpose of worst-case analysis was to create pressure waveforms that were at both extremes of frequency content, i.e., a rapidly beating heart with extraordinary contractility and a more slowly beating heart with little contractility. The premise of this type of analysis is that all naturally occurring pressure waveforms within a very broad physiologic range would fall within these extremes; therefore, the ability to measure the extreme waveforms would imply the ability to measure all those in between. Worst-case waveforms chosen from among 360 pressure waveforms were analyzed to determine the minimum frequency content of each waveform that would be required for faithful reproduction of systolic and diastolic pressures and the dP/dt. The criterion for faithful reproduction was chosen to be +/- 5% or 1 mmHg, whichever is greater. Data from the worst-case canine study, with supporting data collected intraoperatively from three patients, demonstrate that systolic and diastolic pressures can be obtained from a peripheral measurement site within 5%, requiring only two harmonics in conjunction with an appropriately low-pass-filtered catheter manometer system. Left ventricular pressure waveforms require five harmonics to reproduce the systolic and diastolic pressures within 5% or 1.0 mmHg, whichever is greater. Determination of the maximum dP/dt within +/- 5% from the worst-case peripheral and left ventricular waveforms required 20 and 22 harmonics, respectively.
Effect of Incorporation of Calcium into Iron Carbonate Protective Layers in CO2 Corrosion of Mild Steel

The two dominant cationic species in reservoir brine are sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+). Calcite (CaCO3) and siderite (FeCO3) are isostructural, thus Ca2+ incorporates readily into the hexagonal FeCO3 lattice, and vice versa. In aqueous carbon dioxide (CO2) solutions where both Ca2+ and ferrous iron (Fe2+) are present (such as downhole gas reservoirs or deep saline aquifers after CO2 injection), inhomogeneous mixed metal carbonates with the formula FexCayCO3 (x + y = 1) can form; their presence on steel has been hypothesized to lead to localized corrosion. During carbon steel corrosion experiments conducted in electrolytes containing high Ca2+ concentrations, inhomogeneous corrosion product layers with the composition FexCayCO3 (x + y = 1) were indeed observed, along with non-uniform corrosion. Determining relative molar fractions of Ca2+ and Fe2+ in FexCayCO3 is paramount to predicting the relative properties and stability of such mixed metal carbonates. Using Bragg’s law and equations to relate interpl...
Searching objects of interest in large scale data

The research on object detection/tracking and large scale visual search/recognition has recently gained substantial progress and has started to contribute to improving the quality of life worldwide: real-time face detectors have been integrated into point-and-shoot cameras, smart phones, and tablets; content-based image search is available at Google and Snaptell of Amazon; vision-based gesture recognition has been an indispensable component of the popular Kinect game console. In this dissertation, we investigate computer vision problems related to object detection, adaptation, tracking and content based image retrieval, all of which are indispensable components of a video surveillance system or a robot system. Our contribution involves feature development, exploration of detection correlations, object modeling, local context information of descriptors. More specifically, we designed a feature set for object detection with occlusion handling. To improve the detection performance on a video, we proposed a non-parametric detector adaptation algorithm to improve the performance of state of the art detectors for each specific video. To effectively track the detected object, we introduce a metric learning framework to unify the appearance modeling and visual matching. Taking advantage of image descriptor appearance context as well as local spatial context, we achieved state of the art retrieval performance based on the vocabulary tree based image retrieval framework. All the proposed algorithms are validated by throughout experiments.
Clinical Research: International Collaboration to Execute High-Powered Clinical Trials

The closing session at the May 2015 International Conference on Dupuytren Disease and Related Diseases in Groningen, The Netherlands, was on the topic of clinical research. The distinguished panel members of this session were Joseph Dias, M.D., Leicester General Hospital, United Kingdom; Charles Eaton, M.D., Palm Springs, Florida, USA, and founder of the Dupuytren Foundation; and Steven Coleman, M.D., Brisbane Hand and Upper Limb Clinic, Brisbane, Australia. The session was chaired by Marie A. Badalamente, Ph.D., Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, New York, USA.