cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A HARMONIC-SINC SOLUTION OF THE LAPLACE EQUATION FOR PROBLEMS WITH SINGULARITIES AND SEMI-INFINITE DOMAINS

In this article, a recently derived harmonic sine approximation method is used to obtain approximate solutions to two-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problems with singularities and semi-infinite domains and Dirichlet boundary conditions. The first problem is conduction in a square geometry, and the second one involves a semi-infinite medium with a rectangular cavity. In the case of square geometry, results show that the harmonic sine approximation method performs better than the finite-difference and multigrid methods everywhere within the computational domain, especially at points close to the singularity at the upper left and right corners of the square. The results from the harmonic sine approximation method for the semi-infinite domain problem with a very shallow rectangular cavity agree well with the analytical solution for a semi-infinite domain without the cavity. The results obtained from the harmonic sine approximation also agree well with the results from the finite-element package ANS...
The Social Responsibilities of the Historian

T HE impelling force that brings us together tonight is a common interest in history. For some of us this interest is a professional one, for a large number of us it is a cultural one, for all of us it is what I shall call a pragmatical one. There is the history we disseminate, the history we absorb, the history we live by. I intend to consider tonight the first and the third of these categories and the relationships between them-that is to say the responsibilities of those who disseminate history, to those whose pattern of the past is one of the most important factors in their present behavior and in their future plans and hopes. It may be well at the outset to define history as I use the word. I take it to mean the memory, recorded or unrecorded, of past human experience. I call it a memory in order to include within its scope those past experiences, particularly our personal past experiences, which never do get written down though their influence upon our individual lives is often very profound. I do not differentiate between different kinds of experience. It often becomes nec-
Acclimating International Graduate Students to Professional Engineering Ethics

This article describes the education portion of an ongoing grant-sponsored education and research project designed to help graduate students in all engineering disciplines learn about the basic ethical principles, rules, and obligations associated with engineering practice in the United States. While the curriculum developed for this project is used for both domestic and international students, the educational materials were designed to be sensitive to the specific needs of international graduate students. In recent years, engineering programs in the United States have sought to develop a larger role for professional ethics education in the curriculum. Accreditation requirements, as well as pressures from the private sector, have helped facilitate this shift in focus. Almost half of all engineering graduate students in the U.S. are international students. Further, research indicates that the majority of these students will remain in the U.S. to work post-graduation. It is therefore in the interest of the profession that these students, coming from diverse backgrounds, receive some formal exposure to the professional and ethical expectations and norms of the engineering profession in the United States to help ensure that they have the knowledge and skills—non-technical as well as technical—required in today’s engineering profession. In becoming acculturated to professional norms in a host country, international students face challenges that domestic students do not encounter; such as cultural competency, language proficiency, and acculturation stress. Mitigating these challenges must be a consideration in the development of any effective education materials. The present article discusses the project rationale and describes the development of on-line instructional materials aimed at helping international engineering graduate students acclimate to professional engineering ethics standards in the United States. Finally, a brief data summary of students’ perceptions of the usefulness of the content and instructional interface is provided to demonstrate the initial effectiveness of the materials and to present a case for project sustainability.
A hospital-based rectal swab culture survey to detect vancomycin-resistant enterococci: Utility and application

Abstract Objectives : To assess the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal rectal colonization in a 750-bed hospital (including assessment of the impact of antibiotic use on prevalence) and to compare this method of surveillance to that of monitoring sterile body fluid cultures. Design : A rectal swab culture survey was conducted on a randomly chosen sample of 131 patients who were stratified by prior antibiotic use. Results : The rectal swab culture survey indicated that a minimum of 6.2% of patients were colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococcal, whereas monitoring sterile body fluid cultures indicated that 0.4% of patients were infected or colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Oral vancomycin therapy, parenteral vancomycin therapy, and cephalosporin therapy (cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, and ceftazidime) were associated with significantly increased risk of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal rectal colonization. Conclusions : Periodic rectal swab culture surveys are more sensitive in detecting the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization and can provide strategic information to guide infection control activities. Restriction of oral and parenteral vancomycin therapy as well as restriction of cephalosporin therapy (cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, and ceftazidime) may contribute significantly to reducing the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal colonization.
Direct Structure Refinement against Residual Dipolar Couplings in the Presence of Rhombicity of Unknown Magnitude

Abstract Residual dipolar couplings arising from small degrees of alignment of molecules in a magnetic field provide unique long-range structural information. The potential of this approach for structure refinement has recently been demonstrated for a protein–DNA complex in which the magnetic susceptibility tensor was axially symmetric. For most macromolecules and macromolecular complexes, however, axial symmetry cannot be assumed. Moreover, the presence of significant rhombicity will clearly affect the accuracy of the resulting coordinates. In this Communication we present a simple calculational strategy that makes use of simulated annealing refinement against the residual dipolar couplings in combination with a grid search, to simultaneously refine the structures and ascertain the magnitude of the axial and rhombic components of the tensor.
INACCURACY OF ESTIMATIONS OF S PHASE FRACTION BY REDUCTION IN CLONING EFFICIENCY WITH HYDROXYUREA OR TRITIATED THYMIDINE

The current hypothesis, that the fractional reduction of cloning efficiency in semi-solid culture systems induced by pretreatment of the cells with hydroxyurea (HU) or [3H]TdR equals the fraction of cells initially in S phase, is tested. A lymphoblastoid cell line, SK-L7, with known cell cycle kinetics was exposed to cytotoxic concentrations of HU or suicidal doses of [3H]TdR and then initiated in semi-solid and liquid culture. Although approximately 0.6 of the initial population was in S, 1-hr exposures of HU at concentrations of up to 10(-2) M failed to reduce subsequent cloning efficiency. The 1-hr exposure to HU did not reduce either the immediate cell number or the gross population doubling rate over 24 hr. A 24-hr exposure to 10(-3) M HU reduced the cloning efficiency by approximately 98%, confirming the drug's cytotoxic capability. [3H]TdR at doses of 100 microCi/ml for 20--40 min reduced the cloning efficiency by approximately 60 and 70%, respectively. Although no cytotoxicity immediately after exposure was observed in either case, gross population doubling rate in liquid culture was reduced. While HU failed to reduce subsequent cloning efficiency, [3H]TdR reduced cloning efficiency by approximately the fraction of initial cells in S. The above hypothesis, therefore, cannot be applied naively as a technique for quantitating the fraction of a clonogenic cell population in S phase.
Discover the power of social and hidden curriculum to decision making: experiments with enron email and movie newsgroups

The power of social values that helps to surreptitiously shape or formulate our behavior patterns is not only inevitable, but also influential as the directions of our decision making can never seem to escape the impact of this hidden agent. Therefore, the search of such power agent can be validated through a machine learning approach that enables us to discover the agent dynamics in which drives the evolution of the social groups in a community. By doing so, we set up the problem by introducing a parameterized probabilistic model for the agent dynamics: the acts of an agent are determined by micro-laws with unknown parameters. Our approach is to identify the appropriate parameters in the model. To solve the problem, we develop heuristic expectation-maximization style algorithms for determining the micro-laws of a community based on either observed communication links between actors, or the observed evolution of social groups. We present the learning results from the synthetic data as well as the findings on real communities, e.g., Enron email and movie newsgroups.
Is Erving Goffman a Phenomenologist

Phenomenology is a human science theory and methodology whose history runs from Edmund Husserl and Alfred Schutz to Maurice Merleau‐Ponty and his student, Michel Foucault. One applied form of this qualitative research tradition in the United States is the ethnomethodology of Erving Goffman. While many of his research practices are “phenomenological,” they are decidedly a‐theoretical, especially by comparison to the contemporary theory and methodology of semiotic phenomenology. Goffman's research on the experience of radio frames is critiqued by providing the results of a complete empirical phenomenological analysis of Goffman's report on data.
Flow behavior near an infinite droplet stream

This paper presents an experimental study examining the behavior of a single droplet displaced radially from an infinite droplet stream. The displaced droplet behaves as a tracking particle that responds to the velocity profile generated by the droplet stream. This profile changes with droplet spacing. The measurements show that the velocity field of the infinite stream extends more than 15 droplet diameters from the stream axis, with the largest gradients residing within 5 diameters. The effects of drag and electrostatic forces are quantified to demonstrate that lift forces contribute to the displaced droplets's motion.
Plasmonic waveguide coupling at terahertz frequencies

Two approaches for coupling terahertz radiation to surface plasmonic waveguides are proposed and simulated. The first approach utilizes a rectangular waveguide with a tapered plasmonic feed, which allows for the gradual confinement of terahertz waves into a plasmonic structure. The second method employs a ribbon dielectric waveguide, which edge couples terahertz radiation onto a surface plasmonic structure. Coupling designs are presented along with simulation results.
Excess molar Gibbs free energies for {xH2O + (1 - x)CO2} at temperatures from 673 K to 973 K at the pressure 50 MPa

Abstract Forty-three determinations of the activity a (H 2 O) for { x H 2 O + (1 - x )CO 2 } at the pressure p = 50 MPa and at temperatures T from 673.2 K to 973.2 K, are presented. The results were obtained by measuring x for samples quenched from conditions where a (H 2 O) was controlled with (metal + metal oxide) oxygen-fugacity buffers in conjunction with a hydrogen-permeable membrane. The experimental values for x and a (H 2 O) were regressed to a temperature-dependent two-parameter Margules equation. Excess molar enthalpies H E m calculated from these fitted equations are in good agreement with H E m S extrapolated from lower pressures by means of fitted equations that were developed on the basis of calorimetric measurements. Our results indicate that the excess molar Gibbs free energy G E m > O at all conditions studied, but decreases rapidly from T = 673.2 K to T = 873.2 K. Above T = 873.2 K, there is a gradual approach to ideal mixing with increasing temperature.
Height and diameter growth of dense Populus plantations in response to fertilization and irrigation

Abstract Survival, height and diameter for the first four year rotation were measured on two intensively cultured Populus hybrid plantations in central Pennsylvania. Treatments of control, irrigation, fertilization and fertilization/irrigation were installed on two sites and in two establishment years. Overall treatment survival was not affected by site but values were lower for 1980 planted trees (83%) than 1981 planted trees (90%). Survival values among the treatments were similar until the later ages of the first rotation. Treatments with fertilizers had lower four-year-old survival (78%) than the treatments without fertilizers (86%). The four-year-old control trees averaged 5.3 and 6.8 m in height, and 3.4 and 4.2 cm in diameter for the 1980 and 1981 establishment years, respectively. Fertilization, with or without irrigation, consistently increased annual height and diameter over the control. Fertilization/irrigation did not result in tree size values that were greater than fertilization. In general, there were inconsistent increases in annual height and diameter from irrigation.
Tradeoff Between Processing Gain and Interference Immunity in Co-Site Multichannel Spread-Spectrum Communications

Multiple single channel spread-spectrum radio communications simultaneously transmitted and received at a small station, aircraft, or ship are subject to mutual interference. Wideband PN and/or FH radios which occupy a large fraction of the available frequency band are more difficult to protect from adjacent channel interference than conventional narrow-band radios. This paper describes the interference susceptibility of various spreadspectrum radios, identifies potential solutions, and determines the tradeoff of processing gain that must be made to achieve immunity from co-site interference.
Thick, Thin, and Becoming a Virtuous Arguer

A virtue account is focused on the character of those who argue. It is frequently assumed, however, that virtues are not action guiding, since they describe how to be and so fail to give us specific actions to take in a sticky situation. In terms of argumentation, we might say that being a charitable arguer is virtuous, but knowing so provides no details about how to argue successfully. To close this gap, I develop a parallel with the thick-thin distinction from ethics and use Hursthouse’s notion of “v-rules”. I also draw heavily from the work in argumentation by Daniel Cohen to develop Wayne Brockriede’s notion of arguing lovingly. But “argue lovingly” has a delicious ambiguity. For Brockriede it describes how we engage with others arguers. It can also mean, however, a loving attachment to knowledge, understanding, and truth. Applying the thick-thin distinction to argumentation in general and loving argumentation in particular shows that a virtue theoretic approach to argumentation is valuable for two reasons: it can provide one articulation of what it means to be a virtuous arguer and provide some insights into how to become one.
Interactions between root‐infecting fungi and plant density in an annual legume, Kummerowia stipulacea

Summary Population dynamics of an annual legume, Kummerowia stipulacea, were followed in permanent plots in a mown field for 4 years. There was a large reduction in the number of plants within seasons. Laboratory studies showed that biotic factors were responsible for seed death in the soil. Using soil from the field plot location, we isolated fungi pathogenic to K. stipulacea seeds and seedlings. Two pathogenic fungi (Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium irregulare) were used in a glasshouse study of the effects of pathogens and intraspecific competition on plant mortality and growth. Our null hypothesis was that death of individual plants due to disease would be balanced by increased growth of survivors. A factorial experiment was established with five soil treatments (three controls, P. irregulare and R. solani) and seven seed densities. Inoculation by both R. Solani and P. irregulare led to a reduction in final numbers of plants, with the reduction greatest for populations inoculated with R. solani. Average biomass per plant was reduced with increased sowing density in all treatments except the R. solani inoculation, where surviving plants in high-density pots may be larger because of the reduced density resulting from pathogen-induced death. No treatment differences in size hierarchies were evident. Surviving plants in both inoculation treatments could not take full advantage of the reduced density, and thus total biomass and number of trifoliate leaves per population (a surrogate for seed production) were reduced compared to controls, leading us to reject the null hypothesis. The reduction was more severe at high sowing densities. These results suggest that disease has the potential to reduce seed production and thus plant population numbers, if populations are seed limited. Shapes of yield-sowing density relationships were asymptotic for all treatments; thus, disease-induced ‘overcompensation’ leading to fluctuating population dynamics was not suggested.
The effects of heat treatment variables on the microstructure and properties of ultra-high strength steels differing in titanium content

The influences of different austenitizing and tempering temperatures on the microstructure and properties of three experimental ultra-high strength steels (UHS) have been investigated. The steels had different Ti content and were subjected to austenitizing treatment at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1200°C followed by oil quench and tempering at 200, 300, 450 and 600 °C. It has been found that the high temperature (1100 and 1200 °C) austenitizing treatments, alter both microstructure and properties, and depending on the subsequent tempering temperature, may have a beneficial or detrimental influence upon the mechanical properties. Addition of up to 0.011 wt% Ti to the steel composition improves hardness, toughness and tensile strength. This improvement in mechanical properties is obtainable with any subsequent heat treatment. For higher Ti content (0.089 wt%), although some further improvement in hardness and tensile strength was obtained, significant degradation in toughness was achieved, particularly when the steel was subjected to high temperature austenitizing and tempering treatment.
Normal forms of deterministic grammars

It is shown that every strict deterministic language may be given a strict deterministic grammar which is also in Greibach normal form. There are LR(0) languages which cannot be given LR(0) grammars in Greibach form. Every LR( k ) grammar may be given an LR(1) grammar in Greibach form.
Field Experience With Code Case N-659: Ultrasonic Examination in Lieu of Radiography

Code Case N-659 Revision 0 was approved in 2002 to allow ultrasonic examination (UT) an alternative to radiography (RT) for nuclear power plant components and transport containers under Section III of the ASME Code. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not approved N-659 and its subsequent revisions (currently N-659-2) for general use, but they have been used on a case-by-case basis mainly where logistic problems or component configuration have prevented the use of radiography. Like the parallel Code Case 2235 for non-nuclear applications under Section I and Section VIII, Code Case N-659 requires automated, computerized ultrasonic systems and capability demonstration on a flawed sample as a prerequisite for using UT in lieu of RT. Automated ultrasonic examination can be significantly more expensive than radiography, so a cost-benefit evaluation is a key factor in the decision to use the Code Case. In addition, the flaw sample set has recently become an issue and a topic of negotiation with the NRC for application of the Case. A flaw sample set for a recent radioactive material transport cask fabrication project was successfully negotiated with the NRC. The Code Case N-659 approach has been used effectively to overcome barriers to Code required radiography. Examples are examination of welds in an assembled heat exchanger and in a radioactive material transport cask assembly where internal shielding prevented radiography of the weld. Future development of Code Case N-659 will address sample set considerations and application-specific Code Cases, such as for storage and transport containers, will be developed where NRC concerns have been fully addressed and regulatory approval can be obtained on a generic basis.
Longitudinal Urban-Rural Discrepancies in the US Orthopaedic Surgeon Workforce

Background It is unclear whether the supply of orthopaedic surgeons can meet the needs of a growing and aging population. This may be especially concerning in rural areas where there are known disparities in overall healthcare provision.
Inheritance of straw-protein content and its association with other traits in interspecific oat crosses

Ten interspecific crosses of Avena sativa L. x A. sterilis L. were used to study inheritance of protein content in oat straw and its associations with selected seed and agronomic traits. Each cross was grown in a replicated experiment, and the materials for each cross consisted of parents and F2-derived lines in the F4 generation. Straw-protein percentages were transformed to square roots to normalize the data before statistical analyses were carried out.
The Lifetime of Optical Phonons in Graphite

Femtosecond pump-probe Raman spectroscopy has been applied to monitor the decay of non-equilibrium optical phonons in graphite. A lifetime of 2.2 ps is found.
New directions for economics

Abstract Three new areas of investigation by economists are reviewed which involve interdisciplinary work with other social scientists: extending economic theory to noneconomic problems, taking into account the effect of human nature in human decision making, and exploring the impact of economic variables on noneconomic behavior. It is pointed out that this latter area has been neglected by economists and that economics ought to include the impact of the economy on society as part of its domain.
Larval development during the nomadic phase of a nearctic army ant, Neivamyrmex nigrescens (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract A histological and histochemical study of larval development during the nomadic phase shows that the integument, tracheal system, alimentary canal, labial gland and the fat body were rich in nucleic acids, protein, glycogen, phospholipid, esterase and phosphatases. Pronounced changes in the labial gland suggest an important function of the gland during the nomadic phase as a source of stimulating substances; the tracheal system and the hindgut are other possible sources of stimulatory substances. It is concluded that results from this study are consistent with Schneirla's brood stimulation hypothesis.
Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory with variable returns to scale

Abstract The propositions of the Heckscher-Ohlin trade model that assume perfect competition and constant returns to scale are extended to technologies that yield determinate outcomes under perfect competition with free entry. Countries then respond to commodity price changes as if their aggregate production sets were convex.
Discussion of the diffusion mechanism in graphite with particular reference to irradiated material

Principally due to doubt concerning the activation energy of interstitial formation, Efi, it has been difficult to differentiate between an interstitial and vacancy mechanism for self-diffusion in graphite. However, the recent studies of Turnbull and Stagg, which have been verified by Thrower, yield a value of 8.3 ± 0.3 eV for the activation energy of diffusion occurring both in pyrolytic and naturally occurring graphites. This value was identified with Ef + 12(Ema + Emc). By considering the structural perfection of the graphites employed by the above authors, it has been concluded here that there is no necessity to assume a discrete value describing Emc. Rather the observed activation energy, E∗, is interpreted as the summation of 12(Efi + Efv) + Emai, which implies that self diffusion occurs via a dynamic interchange mechanism. It is implicit for the operation of this mechanism that the matrix should contain sites of high vacancy concentrations, such as intercrystallite boundaries. If the value of Efv is assumed to be 7.0 ± 0.5 eV, the values of 8.8 ± 0.6 and 9.4 ± 0.6 eV are derived for Efi, when the experimental and theoretical values of Emai are substituted, respectively. The latter number is in fairly close agreement with both Coulson's theoretical value and that determined experimentally by Murty 9.6 ± 0.8 eV.
Adipose-derived adult stem cells: isolation, characterization, and differentiation potential

Adipose tissue is an abundant, accessible, and replenishable source of adult stem cells that can be isolated from liposuction waste tissue by collagenase digestion and differential centrifugation. These adipose-derived adult stem (ADAS) cells are multipotent, differentiating along the adipocyte, chondrocyte, myocyte, neuronal, and osteoblast lineages, and can serve in other capacities, such as providing hematopoietic support and gene transfer. ADAS cells have potential applications for the repair and regeneration of acute and chronically damaged tissues. Additional pre-clinical safety and efficacy studies will be needed before the promise of these cells can be fully realized.
Implementations of some classical fundamental algorithms based on actor-oriented data structures and actors in the Easel programming language

The paper presents implementations of some classical fundamental algorithms such as sum/product, minimum/maximum, search/sort of an array of numbers based on actor-oriented data structures and actors. The algorithms are written in the Easel programming language. The results are important contributions to the theory and practice of data structures, concurrent algorithms, and actor-oriented programming. The use of actors can revolutionize current approaches to the mentioned disciplines.
Gamification as a paradigm for the evaluation of visual analytics systems

The widespread web-based connectivity of people all over the world has yielded new opportunities to recruit humans for visual analytics evaluation and for an abundance of other tasks. Known as crowdsourcing, humans typically receive monetary incentives to participate. However, while these payments are small per evaluation, the cost can add up for realistically-sized studies. Furthermore, since the reward is money, the quality of the evaluation can suffer. Our approach uses radically different incentives, namely entertainment, pleasure, and the feeling of success. We propose a theory, methodology and framework that can allow any visual analytics researcher to turn his/her evaluation task into an entertaining online game. First experiences with a prototype have shown that such an approach allows ten-thousands of evaluations to be done in a matter of days at no cost which is completely unthinkable with conventional methods.
Bayesian robust inference for differential gene expression in microarrays with multiple samples.

Summary. We consider the problem of identifying differentially expressed genes under different conditions using gene expression microarrays. Because of the many steps involved in the experimental process, from hybridization to image analysis, cDNA microarray data often contain outliers. For example, an outlying data value could occur because of scratches or dust on the surface, imperfections in the glass, or imperfections in the array production. We develop a robust Bayesian hierarchical model for testing for differential expression. Errors are modeled explicitly using a t-distribution, which accounts for outliers. The model includes an exchangeable prior for the variances, which allows different variances for the genes but still shrinks extreme empirical variances. Our model can be used for testing for differentially expressed genes among multiple samples, and it can distinguish between the different possible patterns of differential expression when there are three or more samples. Parameter estimation is carried out using a novel version of Markov chain Monte Carlo that is appropriate when the model puts mass on subspaces of the full parameter space. The method is illustrated using two publicly available gene expression data sets. We compare our method to six other baseline and commonly used techniques, namely the t-test, the Bonferroni-adjusted t-test, significance analysis of microarrays (SAM), Efron’s empirical Bayes, and EBarrays in both its lognormal– normal and gamma–gamma forms. In an experiment with HIV data, our method performed better than these alternatives, on the basis of between-replicate agreement and disagreement.
Human immune response to a plague vaccine comprising recombinant F1 and V antigens

The human immune response to a new recombinant plague vaccine, comprising recombinant F1 (rF1) and rV antigens, has been assessed during a phase 1 safety and immunogenicity trial in healthy volunteers. All the subjects produced specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum after the priming dose, which peaked in value after the booster dose (day 21), with the exception of one individual in the lowest dose level group, who responded to rF1 only. Three subjects, found to have an anti-rV titer at screening, were excluded from the overall analysis. Human antibody functionality has been assessed by quantification of antibody competing for binding to rV in vitro and also by the transfer of protective immunity in human serum into the naive mouse. Human and macaque IgG competed for binding to rV in vitro with a mouse monoclonal antibody, previously shown to protect mice against challenge with plague, suggesting that this protective B-cell epitope on rV is conserved between these three species. Total IgG to rV in individuals and the titer of IgG competing for binding to rV correlated significantly at days 21 (r = 0.72; P < 0.001) and 28 (r = 0.82; P < 0.001). Passive transfer of protective immunity into mice also correlated significantly with total IgG titer to rF1 plus rV at days 21 (r(2) = 98.6%; P < 0.001) and 28 (r(2) = 76.8%; P < 0.03). However, no significant vaccination-related change in activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected at any time. Potential serological immune correlates of protection have been investigated, but no trends specific to vaccination could be detected in cellular markers.
Structural Differences in the DNA Binding Domains of Human p53 and Its C. elegans Ortholog Cep-1

Abstract The DNA binding domains of human p53 and Cep-1, its C. elegans ortholog, recognize essentially identical DNA sequences despite poor sequence similarity. We solved the three-dimensional structure of the Cep-1 DNA binding domain in the absence of DNA and compared it to that of human p53. The two domains have similar overall folds. However, three loops, involved in DNA and Zn binding in human p53, contain small α helices in Cep-1. The α helix in loop L3 of Cep-1 orients the side chains of two conserved arginines toward DNA; in human p53, both arginines are mutation hotspots, but only one contacts DNA. The α helix in loop L1 of Cep-1 repositions the entire loop, making it unlikely for residues of this loop to contact bases in the major groove of DNA, as occurs in human p53. Thus, during evolution there have been considerable changes in the structure of the p53 DNA binding domain.
Cx43 CT domain influences infarct size and susceptibility to ventricular tachyarrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction.

Aims Hearts of mice expressing K258stop in place of connexin43 (Cx43) protein were subjected to acute myocardial infarction in order to assess the importance of Cx43 regulation on infarct size and arrhythmia susceptibility. This mutation K258stop prevents chemical regulation of Cx43 channels, including by low intracellular pH. Methods and results Langendorff-perfused hearts of mice harbouring one Cx43 knockout (KO) allele and one K258stop or Cx43 allele (K258stop/KO; Cx43/KO as control) were subjected to 1 h of ischaemia and 4 h of reperfusion by reversibly occluding the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Inducibility of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) was tested by applying an endocardial burst-pacing protocol during LAD occlusion. Separately, time course and the extent of acidification-induced closure of gap junction channels were tested by dual-voltage clamp. Infarct volume (as per cent of area at risk) was significantly larger in K258stop/KO hearts compared with Cx43/KO controls (42.2 ± 3 vs. 30.4 ± 1.7%, P = 0.004, n = 8 each). During LAD occlusion, K258stop/KO hearts had a higher incidence of pacing-induced VT and a higher frequency of occurrence of spontaneous premature ventricular beats. The occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias was also significantly larger in the K258stop/KO hearts during reperfusion. In separate experiments, we demonstrated reduced sensitivity to acidification-induced uncoupling in cell pairs obtained from K258stop/KO hearts. Conclusion Loss of the regulatory domain of Cx43 leads to an increase in infarct size and increased susceptibility to arrhythmias following acute coronary occlusion.
Inositol trisphosphate receptor calcium release is required for cerebral artery smooth muscle cell proliferation

Vascular damage signals smooth muscle cells to proliferate, often exacerbating existing pathologies. Although the role of changes in "global" Ca2+ in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell dedifferentiation has been studied, the role of specific Ca2+ signals in determining VSM phenotype remains relatively unexplored. Earlier work with cultured VSM cells suggests that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) expression and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release may be linked to VSM cell proliferation in native tissue. Thus we hypothesized that SR Ca2+ release through IP3Rs in the form of discrete transient signals is necessary for VSM cell proliferation. To investigate this hypothesis, we used mouse cerebral arteries to design an organ culture system that permitted examination of Ca2+ dynamics in native tissue. Explanted arteries were cultured in normal medium with 10% FBS, and appearance of individual VSM cells migrating from explanted arteries (outgrowth cells) was tracked daily. Initial exposure to 10% FBS increased Ca2+ waves in myocytes in the arteries that were blocked by the IP3R antagonist 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2-APB). Inhibition of IP3R opening (via 100 microM 2-APB, 10 microM xestospongin C, or 25 microM U-73122) dramatically reduced outgrowth cell number compared with untreated or ryanodine-treated (10 microM) arteries. Consistent with this finding, 2-APB inhibited cell proliferation, as measured by reduced proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining within 48 h of culture but did not inhibit cell migration. These results indicate that activation of IP3R Ca2+ release is required for VSM cell proliferation in these arteries.
Rehabilitative functional outcome of patients with neoplastic spinal cord compression

Abstract Objective: To examine functional outcome and descriptive data of individuals with neoplastic spinal cord compression admitted to a rehabilitation unit. Design: A 5-year review of consecutive patients admitted to a spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit with a diagnosis of neoplastic spinal cord compression. Setting: A tertiary university medical center. Patients: Thirty-two consecutive patients with neoplastic spinal cord compression who met standard rehabilitation admission criteria and had a prognosis of no less than 3 months' survival. Main Outcome Measures: Functional data, including length of stay, functional outcomes (utilizing Functional Independent Measurement scores in mobility and self-care), bladder management, and disposition. Results: Lung (28%) and prostate (17%) were the most common tumor types, and upper thoracic (40%) was the most common level of spinal cord involvement. Functional Independent Measure improvements were found in all areas, with significant improvements (paired t test, p Conclusions: These data suggest that in individuals with spinal cord compression caused by neoplastic invasion, functional improvements in mobility and self-care can be achieved and maintained for at least 3 months after discharge.
Necropsy in Suspension

The position of an implanted artificial heart inside a calf was evaluated using a new and innovative method of necropsy. In the past the conventional method of necropsy with the calf on its back or side has failed to reveal the significance of these problems concerning positioning of the artificial heart. Using a new method introduced here, with the calf suspended as if it were standing on its four legs, a better understanding and evaluation of the artificial heart inside the thoracic cavity is possible.It was found that the major cause of distortion of the Kwan-Gett artificial heart from the desired position was the lack of space available due to its large ventro-dorso dimension. A new Jarvik artificial heart with a shorter ventro-dorso diameter was shown, by the new method of autopsy, to solve the problem of distortion (impingement on the great veins).
Molecular Inversion Probe Technology Generates High-Quality HER2 Copy Number Data in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Breast Cancer Tissue

Background: Molecular inversion probe (MIP) technology has proven successful in overcoming the challenges of generating high-quality copy number (CN) data from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, requiring a minimal amount of DNA. HER2 status is currently assessed by a variety of qualitative and semi-quantitative methods, including immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). We hypothesized that MIP technology can provide accurate and quantitative HER2 assessment, which is especially important with emerging novel anti-HER2 therapies. Applying MIP technology on FFPE breast cancer (BC) tissue, we generated HER2 and pericentromeric 17 CN data by MIP and correlated them with HER2 and chromosome 17 centromere (CEP17) CN data by FISH. Methods: We selected 27 tumor blocks from 26 female patients with invasive BCs (17 with, 8 without and 2 equivocal for HER2 amplification by FISH). For each tumor, we had cut 5-μm sections from a representative FFPE tissue block for IHC, FISH, and MIP array studies. We performed IHC with monoclonal HER2/neu Ab-8 antibody and FISH with PathVysion HER2/CEP17 dual-probe. After manual microdissection, we extracted genomic DNA and subjected DNA samples to genome-wide CN analysis with focus on HER2 and chromosome 17's pericentromeric region. Data were analyzed by Nexus Express for OncoScan. Results: With a designated cut-off of 4.0 for CN gains, 15 of 17 HER2+ BC by FISH had HER2 CN gains (4.0-28.0) on MIP analysis. Two of 17 HER2+ BC by FISH had a HER2 CN of 2.5 and 2.3 by MIP, likely due to tumor heterogeneity. All 8 HER2- BC by FISH also had a HER2 CN <4.0 by MIP. All 27 samples displayed excellent correlation between CEP17 CN by FISH and pericentromeric 17 CN by MIP. Conclusion: Our findings show a robust correlation between MIP and FISH results, with 25 of 27 samples showing similar CN data by both methods. With minimal DNA requirements using FFPE tissue, MIP array technology shows promise as a quantitative measure of HER2 CN. A larger prospective study is required to assess whether MIP array is a more accurate representation of the tumor’s HER2 status than FISH. By allowing genome-wide CN profiling, MIP technology may improve our understanding of BC biology and behavior and potentially be critical in guiding clinical decisions regarding targeted therapy.
From protecting a system to protecting a global ecosystem

The area of security used to be classified by technologies: authentication, access control, monitoring, firewalls, cryptography, etc., or by systems: web security, application security, database security, operating systems security, communication security, etc. However, nowadays, in order to operate a service over the Internet, facing customers, one needs to manage a complex infrastructure. This infrastructure hosts many components, numerous technologies, and various devices and computers. The infrastructures and their supported systems are dynamically evolving and can be characterized as ecosystems. On the other hand, attackers over the global Internet exploit weaknesses in one component to attack other parts of the system, taking advantage of lack of global security view. The trend will only increase in the future as more computers are embedded in the infrastructure and more demanding applications are to be developed, and as bigger parts of the global economy move to cyberspace. Given the state of the art and future developments, it seems mandatory to develop a holistic yet practical approach to protect the computing infrastructure, and to embed it in the ecosystem development process. This infrastructure will be a collection of inter related ecosystems, with providers at the center of each ecosystem. In addition, the ecosystemhas to be dynamically evolving. The position stated here is that approaches and methodologies for security will need to change and evolve as well. The view of security as a process rather than as a component is becoming clearer, given the global trend, and the integration of security with the various other steps of the ecosystem evolution is becoming a must as well.
Mitochondrial dysfunction accompanies diastolic dysfunction in diabetic rat heart

The objective of this study was to determine whether a defect in mitochondrial respiratory function accompanies the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The hypothesis tested in this study is that a decrease in Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria may prevent the stimulation of Ca(2+)-sensitive matrix dehydrogenases and the rate of ATP synthesis. Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg)-induced diabetic rats were used as a model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Hearts from 4-wk diabetic rats had basal heart rates and rates of contraction and relaxation similar to control. Isoproterenol caused a similar increase in the rate of contraction in diabetic and control hearts, whereas the peak rate of relaxation was reduced in diabetic hearts. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake was reduced in mitochondria from diabetic hearts after 2 wk of diabetes. Na(+)-induced Ca2+ release was unchanged. State 3 respiration rate was depressed in mitochondria from diabetic rats only when the respiration was supported by the substrate of a Ca(2+)-regulated matrix enzyme. The pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was reduced in diabetic mitochondria compared with that of control. It was concluded that mitochondria from diabetic hearts had a decreased capacity to upregulate ATP synthesis via stimulation of Ca(2+)-sensitive matrix dehydrogenases. The impairment in the augmentation of ATP synthesis rate accompanies a decreased rate of relaxation during increased work load.
Family (and School) Matters: The Effect of Schools and Family on the Political Socialization of Latinos

Family (and School) Matters: The effect of schools and family on the political socialization of Latinos. Growing immigrant populations pose a unique strain on current political socialization practices in American society. This paper analyzes the effect of family and schools on the political socialization of Latinos, both foreign and native born. I ask specifically what role family plays in exposing immigrants to socialization practices via exposure to shared experiences, as well as how direct and indirect exposure to the educational system of the US can affect this socialization. I argue that these two institutions compliment and often enhance the effect of the other by connecting people to valuable resources needed for political socialization. Access to schools, a primary socialization source for many native born Americans, will impact family dynamics in ways not measured by previous studies. Utilizing the Latino National Survey and probit analysis, I establish that not only are immigrants socialized differently, but their racialized status and immigrant experience complicates their political socialization in ways that even native born Latinos do no encounter. In this paper, I thus argue and find that the conditions for political socialization that immigrants face are affected by exposure to schools and family structures.
Effects of Pyrethroids on Respiration in the Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

The influence of eight pyrethroids on Tetranychus urticae Koch respiration and mortality was examined. The more potent pyrethroids caused a more rapid rate of oxygen consumption initially, compared to controls. However, at 72h the compounds correlated with the highest oxygen consumption at 0 h were correlated with the lowest rate of oxygen consumption compared to controls. This phenomenon was reflected in the slopes of the respiration curves versus time. The potency rank for the pyrethroids as determined by respiration was FMC-54800 [1,1′-biphenyl-3ylmethyl- cis -3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate] > fenpropathrin > fluvalinate > flucythrinate > cypermethrin > fenvalerate > permethrin > deltamethrin, whereas the potency ranking using the FAO slide-dip technique to measure mortality was FMC-54800 > cypermethrin > fluvalinate > fenvalerate > fenpropathrin > deltamethrin > permethrin > flucythrinate. Thus, the potency rankings as determined by respiration and mortality were similar, with the exception of flucythrinate and fenpropathrin, which were much more effective by the criterion of respiration. These results demonstrated that pyrethroids can affect respiration in the twospotted spider mite; however, the ability of pyrethroids to affect respiration is not strictly correlated with their potency as determined by mortality in slide-dip studies. A relationship between pyrethroid-stimulated respiration and mite outbreaks is suggested.
Effects of Pruning and Ground Treatments on Populations of the Pine Root Collar Weevil

Adults of pine root collar weevils, Hylobius radicis Buchanan, usually spend the daylight hours beneath the duff on the soil or in crevices near the base of the host. Adults are both thermophobic and photophobic. In an attempt to utilize these facts to cause a population reduction. the following treatments were assigned to 4 plots in 4 red pine, pinus resinosa Aiton, plantations: (1) undisturbed trees (checks), (2) branches pruned (up to 3 feet). (3) branches pruned plus duff removed around the base, and (4) branches pruned plus duff removed and ground scraped to bare mineral soil. Samples revealed that both egg and larval populations were inversely related to intensity of treatment, suggesting that the greater exposure to light or heat, or both, at the tree base, the less favorable was the habitat to the insect. At the end of the season, larval counts averaged 6.8, 4.1, 2.6, and 1.2 per tree, respectively, for the 4 treatments. Using a larval damage index, it was concluded that the branch-duff and branch-duff-soil treatments reduced larval populations, at least for the 1st year, below an economic level.