cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral imaging as a diagnostic tool for assessing osseous changes

Practical use of images for diagnosis of osseous, abnormalities presumes cost-effective technology that targets known physiologic processes. The most obvious modalities for such applications are radiographic, and the newest are characterized by quantitative methods expressed both tomographically and by'means of digital subtraction registered in two and three dimensions. Quantitative nuclear medicine and possibly electron spin resonance spectroscopy also appear promising. New analytic techniques for interpreting osseous images include characterization of trabecular patterns by fractal descriptors and micromorphometry
The physics of continuous flow centrifugal cell separation.

: The governing equations defining the separation of blood in continuous flow centrifuges are derived using an empirical model for the viscosity of blood. The effects of fluid shear on the separation process are addressed and further models are developed to permit estimations of shear rate during centrifugation. Simplified predictive equations for species specific separations are developed. Contributions due to shear enhanced diffusion are addressed and found to be negligible at the discontinuous interface between cells and plasma. Experimental results from an investigational centrifuge are presented and compared with theoretical predictions. The role of rouleaux formation in conventional centrifuges is discussed and known centrifugal separation characteristics are explained. The viscosity of blood is related to that for suspensions of rigid particles and an equation for the hydraulic permeability of red blood cell suspensions is derived.
Tantalum- and titanium-based catalytic systems for the synthesis of hyperbranched polyethene

Hyperbranched polyethene was synthesized using a novel TaCl{sub 5}/alkylaluminum halide catalyst system. The polymers were viscous oils with a ratio of methyl hydrogens/total alkyl hydrogens of 0.25--0.40 and weight-average molecular weights of 600--4,000 daltons. Both branching and molecular weight can be varied by changing reaction conditions and catalyst composition. the system can also be modified to synthesize 1-alkenes (principally, 1-hexene). A second system, involving TiCl{sub 4}/alkylaluminum halide, also gave hyperbranched polyethene, with a ratio of methyl hydrogens/total alkyl hydrogens of 0.10--0.25. Weight-average molecular weights varied from 900 to 1,800 daltons. Higher selectivity to liquid product was achieved through the addition of dihydrogen. The mechanism of the formation of branched polyethene appears to involve, for the most part, oligomerization of ethene to 1-alkenes (principally 1-hexene) by a transition metal alkyl species followed by cationic oligomerization of the 1-alkenes by Lewis acidic species. The addition of tetraalkylammonium chloride to the TaCl{sub 5}/Et{sub 3}Al system resulted in a change in product selectivity from all polyethene to .65% 1-hexene. The highly selective trimerization of ethene by the tantalum system is unusual.
Distinct GABA and glutamate receptors may share a common channel in Aplysia neurons

Abstract Using a microperfusion technique for rapid application of agonists to single identified voltage-clamped neurons of the marine mollusc Aplysia , chloride conductances elicited by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and l -glutamate were found to differ in rates of activation and desensitization, voltage dependence and dose-response relations. In spite of these marked differences, the two responses showed strong interaction: previous application of GABA could completely block the responses to glutamate while previous application of glutamate decreased the response to GABA. This interaction was not due to transmembrane chloride redistribution, and is probably not cross receptor blockade. Cross-desensitization of GABA and glutamate responses suggest that distinct receptors activate a common ion channel.
Community preparedness and response model for addressing environmental risk and vulnerability

This paper investigates a community preparedness and response model for addressing environmental risk and vulnerability that will significantly lessen loss of human life and lower the cost of disaster recovery in a region. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 23: 126–134, 2004
Dynamic changes in meningeal inflammation correspond to clinical exacerbations in a murine model of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Abstract Inflammation in the meninges, tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord that enclose the cerebrospinal fluid, closely parallels clinical exacerbations in relapsing–remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In preclinical disease, an influx of innate immune cells precedes loss of blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity and large-scale inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). T cell infiltration into the meninges is observed in acute disease as well as during relapse, when neither BBB permeability nor significant increases in peripherally-derived immune cell numbers in the CNS are observed. These findings support the idea that the meninges are a gateway for immune cell access into the CNS, a finding that has important therapeutic implications.
A Novel Technique for Improving Hardware Trojan Detection and Reducing Trojan Activation Time

Fabless semiconductor industry and government agencies have raised serious concerns about tampering with inserting hardware Trojans in an integrated circuit supply chain in recent years. Most of the recently proposed Trojan detection methods are based on Trojan activation to observe either a faulty output or measurable abnormality on side-channel signals. Time to activate a hardware Trojan circuit is a major concern from the authentication standpoint. This paper analyzes time to generate a transition in functional Trojans. Transition is modeled by geometric distribution and the number of clock cycles required to generate a transition is estimated. Furthermore, a dummy scan flip-flop insertion procedure is proposed aiming at decreasing transition generation time. The procedure increases transition probabilities of nets beyond a specific threshold. The relation between circuit topology, authentication time, and the threshold is carefully studied. The simulation results on s38417 benchmark circuit demonstrate that, with a negligible area overhead, our proposed method can significantly increase Trojan activity and reduce Trojan activation time.
Gas phase generation of O2(+Δg) at atmospheric pressure by direct laser excitation

Abstract O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) was generated in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure by direct laser excitation. A Holobeam model 255 Nd—YAG laser with an output at 1065 nm was used to achieve the transition O 2 ( 3 Σ g − , v = 0) → O 2 ( 1 Δ g , v = 1) The mean lifetime τ of the resulting excited oxygen species in the gas phase at atmospheric pressure was measured to be 0.124 ± 0.012 s. This corresponds to a bimolecular rate constant k 2 for the overall reaction O 2 ( 1 Δ g , v = 1) + O 2 ( 3 Σ g − ) → 2O 2 ( 3 Σ g − ) of (3.3 ± 0.4) × 10 −19 molecule −1 cm 3 s −1 , a factor of 10 below the currently accepted value for ground state oxygen deactivation of singlet oxygen. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed.
An approximate method for prediction of transverse shear stresses in a laminated shell

Abstract A method has been presented wherein the surface-parallel stresses in a laminated shell are first computed using standard finite element formulation and then approximate transverse shear stress variation through the shell thickness is obtained utilizing the first two (stress) equations of equilibrium and divergence theorem. Numerical results have been presented for both homogeneous isotropic and laminated anisotropic cylindrical shells using the Cartesian-like Riemann coordinate approximation and compared to the corresponding analytical solutions.
Influenza Vaccine Supply and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Vaccination Among the Elderly

Background The impact of vaccine shortages on disparities in influenza vaccination is uncertain. Purpose The objective of this research was to examine the association between influenza vaccine supply and racial/ethnic disparities in vaccination rates among elderly Medicare beneficiaries. Methods Cross-sectional multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed in 2010 to examine whether racial/ethnic disparities in vaccination rates changed across two consecutive seasons: from (Period 1) 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 seasons through (Period 4) 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 seasons. Self-reported receipt of influenza vaccine across consecutive years was examined among community-dwelling non-Hispanic African-American (AA); non-Hispanic white (W); English-speaking Hispanic (EH); and Spanish-speaking Hispanic (SH) elderly enrolled in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (unweighted n=2306–2504, weighted n=8.23–8.99 million for Periods 1 through 4). Results During Periods 1 and 2, when vaccine supply increased nationally, adjusted racial/ethnic disparities in the influenza vaccination rate decreased by 1.8%–7.4% (W–AA disparity); 4.5%–6.6% (W–EH disparity); and 6.6%–11% (W–SH disparity) (all p Conclusions Improved vaccine supply was generally associated with reduced racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination rates, whereas worse supply was associated with increased disparities. To avoid future widening of racial health disparities, policy options include stabilizing the vaccine supply and preferential delivery of vaccines to safety-net providers serving AA and Hispanic populations during a shortage.
Preference for the Diels-Alder addition of dienes syn to the O atom in cross-conjugated spirocyclic cyclohexadienones.

In the Diels–Alder reaction, the preferred addition of dienes syn to the O atom in cross-conjugated cyclo­hexadienones containing an oxa-­spiro ring system is observed. The two structures reported here, namely rel-(1R,4aR,9S,9aS,10R)-4a,9,9a,10-tetra­hydro-9,10-di­phenyl­spiro­[9,10-epoxy­anthra­cene-1(4H),2′-oxiran]-4-one, C27H20O3, and rel-(1R,4aS,9R,9aS,10S)-4a,9,9a,10-tetra­hydro-9,10-di­phenyl­spiro­[9,10-epoxy­anthracene-1(4H),2′-oxetane]-4-one, C28H22O3, are the minor and sole products, respectively, of the reactions of di­phenyl­isobenzo­furan with two slightly different cyclo­hexadienones. These structures differ in the size of the oxa-­spiro ring, by one C atom, and in the relative configuration at the spiro­cyclic ring C atom, leading to some minor conformational differences between the two compounds.
Benzene on Au{111} at 4 K: Monolayer Growth and Tip-Induced Molecular Cascades

Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy has been used to characterize the various structures of submonolayer and near-monolayer coverages of benzene (C6H6) on Au{111} at 4 K. At low coverage, benzene is found to adsorb preferentially at the top of the Au monatomic steps and is weakly adsorbed on the terraces. At near-monolayer coverage, benzene was found to form several long-range commensurate overlayer structures that depend on the regions of the reconstructed Au{111} surface, namely a (√52 × √52)R13.9° structure over the hcp regions and a (√133 × √133)R17.5° “pinwheel” structure over the fcc regions. Time-lapse imaging revealed concerted cascade motion of the benzene molecules in the (√133 × √133)R17.5° pinwheel overlayer. We demonstrate that the observed cascade motion is a result of concerted molecular motion and not independent random motion.
Frequency-Spatial Beamformer for MEG Source Localization

Abstract This article introduces a unique and powerful new method for spatial localization of neuronal sources that exploit the high temporal resolution of magnetoencephalography (MEG) data to locate the originating sources within the brain. A traditional frequency beamforming algorithm was adapted from its conventional application to yield information on the spatial location of simulated neuronal signals. The concept is similar to that used in signal source localization in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in which spatial location is determined by the frequency of oscillation of the MR signal. Whereas a traditional frequency beamformer uses the time course values of all sensors in the dataset to assign a power value for each possible frequency in the signal, it provides no information on the spatial location of those frequencies. Our approach assigns a power value to each location in the three-dimensional head volume. To compute this power value, the time courses of a subset of sensors closest to that location in space are used rather than all the time courses in the dataset. Our novel technique incorporates actual MEG sensor locations of the closest sensors at each location in space. The approach is relatively simple to implement, yields good spatial resolution, and accurately spatially locates a simulated source in low signal-to-noise environments. In this work, its performance is compared to that of the synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) beamformer and shown to exhibit improved spatial resolution.
Modern endovascular treatments of occlusive pediatric acute ischemic strokes: case series and review of the literature

Purpose Literature on the endovascular treatment of occlusive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the pediatric population remains nebulous. Clinical trials evaluating the role of systemic and intra-arterial thrombolysis, and mechanical thrombectomy have been strictly isolated to the adult population and largely unknown in their safety and efficacy in the pediatric group.
A note on resultants

An explicit technique is developed for the calculation of the number of common zeros of a set of polynomials. The number of common zeros is determined by the vanishing of certain resultantlike polynomials.
Evaluation of Early Childhood Enrichment Programs

∗ Paper presented in a forum entitled: “Leadership in early childhood education from the 1960s to the 1990s and beyond” at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Atlanta, Georgia, December, 1994.” Leaders in the field of enrichment programs for young children and their families often have a difficult time when considering the pros and cons of program evaluation. Their major energies are focused on thinking through programmatic philosophy and implementation procedures to enhance children's lives. Yet when evaluation components are carefully built into the planning process, they can often serve as a powerful adjunct to enhance the quality of service provision. Decisions as to how much evaluation to do, how to choose instruments, and how to train testers, observers, and interviewers become crucial for establishing not only the technical dimensions of evaluation but also the valueof evaluation. When leaders are clear and convincing, then staff realizes how impor...
A comparison of the effect of three sedatives on esophageal sphincters in cats

Background/Aims: Children 5 years old and younger often require sedation for esophageal motility studies (EMS). At our institution, an intramuscular cocktail of meperidine, promethazine and chlorproma
Guidewire Reproducibilty and Modeling

The number of minimally invasive vascular interventions is increasing, and the device most frequently used is a guidewire, along which devices are delivered to the intervention site. Procedural failure can occur due to improper guidewire and∕or device selection. To facilitate guidewire and device guidance, we investigated the reproducibility of guidewire paths in vessel phantoms. Several trained users repeatedly passed guidewires of different flexibility through the phantoms under pulsatile flow conditions. Afterwards, the 3D paths were reconstructed and compared. In addition, the 3D paths were calculated using graph representation techniques. Points in the vessel lumen in planes perpendicular to the vessel centerline were generated. All points in adjacent planes were joined generating a vector set in a graph representation in which the edge weights were functions of the angle between contiguous vectors. The optimal path through this weighted directed graph was then determined using a Dijkstra’s (shortest path) algorithm. The guidewire paths appear reproducible across users but not across materials. The average RMS difference of repeated placements was 0.17±0.02mm (plastic-coated guidewire), 0.73±0.55mm (steel guidewire) and 1.15±0.65mm (steel vs plastic-coated). For the guidewire modeling, the average RMS distance between the actual and simulated guidewire path was 0.7mm; computation time was 3s. For a given guidewire, these results indicate that the guidewire path is relatively reproducible in shape and position. The ability to predict the guidewire path inside vessels may facilitate calculation of vessel-branch access and force estimation.
whom to betray? self-regulation of occupational misconduct at the United States Naval Academy

Sociological research on the control of elite crime has focused primarily on two groups: corporate whistle-blowers and informants within the criminal justice system. Few studies examine the internal social control of occupational misconduct, particularly in organizations that rely on the self-regulation of their members. This paper summarizes the findings of a case study of reactions to occupational misconduct within an elite military institution: the U.S. Naval Academy. Data from three sources are analyzed: official statistics on occupational misconduct, survey data collected from midshipmen attending the Academy, and semi-structured interviews with graduates. Findings reveal that few midshipmen are reported for occupational misconduct primarily because informal norms about peer loyalty typically override official norms that require midshipmen to control the misconduct of their peers. Furthermore, the Academy's system of mandatory self-regulation produces two marginalized groups: those reported for viola...
How to improve a neural network for early detection of hepatic cancer

Radiologists perform differential diagnoses of hepatic (liver) masses using ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and laboratory tests, but interpretation is often difficult. In our earlier research, a backpropagation neural network was designed to diagnose five classifications of hepatic masses: metastatic carcinoma, hepatoma, cavernous hemangioma, abscess, and cirrhosis. After being trained using ultrasonographic data and laboratory tests, the network classified hepatic masses correctly in 51 of 72 cases. That accuracy of 71% is higher than the 50% scored by the average radiology resident in training but lower than the 90% scored by the typical board-certified radiologist. What do we need to do to increase that accuracy and make the network friendly enough that radiologists will use it in their diagnoses? We have reviewed the literature, discussed alternatives and developed a plan to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the networks. That plan consists of: (i) get many more patient cases and more data variables, including MRI and CT data, so the network can be more highly trained. A shortage of enough patient cases to properly train the network is the key problem; (ii) use genetic algorithms and other techniques to preprocess the data; (iii) the network should have an optical interface to read images directly; and (iv) build a user-friendly interface using the C programming language on a 486 microcomputer. Continued research along the guidelines in this study should provide a sophisticated neural network for early detection of hepatic cancer that hopefully will exceed the diagnostic abilities of most radiologists.
Supporting superpages in non-contiguous physical memory

For memory-intensiv e workloads with large memory footprints, superpages are effective to avoid address translation overhead, which can be a critical performance bottleneck. A superpage is a large virtual memory page that is mapped to an equivalently-sized amount of contiguous physical memory pages. Superpage mapping assumes physical memory does not contain retired pages, which is an important technique to improve memory resilience: the OS avoids allocating physical pages that have detected errors. Retired pages create unusable "holes" in the physical memory. We show that even a small percentage of retired pages makes it very difficult to find enough contiguous memory to form superpages. To address this problem, we propose GTSM, or gap-tolerant sequential mapping, that allows superpages to be formed even in the presence of retired physical pages. A new page table format is also proposed to support GTSM. This format has similar storage efficiency as traditional superpaging to hold address translations in the last-level cache. To further compress the page table and improve cache hit rates for address translation in large memory footprint workloads, we also propose an extended format that reduces the page table size by 50%. In comparison to an ideal memory without any retired physical pages, we show that our technique, with retired pages, achieves nearly 96.8% of the performance of traditional 2MB superpaging.
Effect of Thyroid Hormone on the Abundance of Na, K-Adenosine Triphosphatase α-Subunit Messenger Ribonucleic Acid*

The effects of thyroid hormone on Na,K-ATPase alpha-subunit mRNA (mRNA alpha) content and Na,K-ATPase activity were measured in renal cortex, heart, and cerebrum of hypothyroid rats 24 and 72 h after injection of diluent or T3. Use of a cDNA probe complementary to rat brain mRNA alpha in Northern blot analysis revealed a single 26-27 S band in RNA isolated from these three tissues regardless of thyroid status. Tissue mRNA alpha content was estimated by dot blot analysis of whole cell extracts and isolated total RNA. Injection of T3 augmented mRNA alpha content by 2.1- to 2.5-fold in kidney cortex and myocardium at 24 h. After three daily injections of T3, the increases in mRNA alpha were evident despite a global increase in RNA content associated with hypertrophy of these target tissues. Furthermore, the increases in abundance of mRNA alpha after 72 h of T3 treatment correlated with enhancement of Na,K-ATPase activity. In contrast, both mRNA alpha and enzyme activity were invariant in the cerebrum. These data suggest that T3-induced augmentation of Na,K-ATPase activity is mediated, at least in part, by increased mRNA alpha content in target tissues.
Performance evaluation of QAM and QPRS systems with interfering channels in frequency selective fading

An analytical technique is developed to evaluate the error rate performance of M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and quadrature partial response signalling (QPRS) in the presence of adjacent channel and cochannel interference with frequency selective fading. Error probability expressions are derived and evaluated numerically using the method of saddle-point integration. In addition to the above impairments, the system model also incorporates other disturbances, namely stationary white gaussian noise, quadrature channel interference, random timing misalignments and carrier phases of interfering signals. An extensive set of results and comparisons are presented.
Tea in chemoprevention of cancer

This review summarizes available information on epidemiological and experimental data showing an association of tea consumption with cancer prevention. Studies showing cancer risk associated with tea consumption are also summarized. Tea is grown in about 30 countries and, next to water, is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Experimental studies demonstrating the chemopreventive effects of tea have been conducted principally with green tea; limited studies have also assessed the usefulness of black tea. Majority of these studies have been carried out in skin tumor model system where consumption through drinking water of water extracts of tea or a polyphenolic fraction isolated from tea has been shown to afford protection against chemical carcinogen- or ultraviolet radiation-induced skin tumorigenesis. Tea consumption has also been shown to afford protection against chemical carcinogen-induced lung, forestomach, esophagus, duodenum, pancreas, liver, breast and colon carcinogenesis in specific bioassay models. Evidence has also accumulated showing that tea polyphenols prevent tumor promoter- and ultraviolet B-induced inflammatory responses in murine skin. The species and strains of animals, dose, route, frequency and duration of carcinogen administration, as well as types, route of administration and duration of tea or its polyphenolic component(s) treatment are described in detail. A brief description regarding mechanism(s) responsible for the broad chemopreventive effects of tea is provided. Epidemiologic studies, though inconclusive, in general suggest a possible preventive effect of tea consumption on human cancer. On the basis of available information, epidemiologic and experimental studies are ongoing to draw the possible relationship between tea consumption and cancer causation and prevention. Appropriate strategies for future clinical chemoprevention trials to translate animal data to human cancer risk are warranted.
Performance Evaluation of Experimental Rim-Drive Wind Turbine

The current paper discusses an on-going research effort in the performance evaluation and optimization of rim-drive wind turbines (RDWT). Unlike conventional aerofoil wind turbines, the RDWTs are designed to extract power directly from the outer rim instead of central hub. A RDWT with 25ft rotor diameter is tested for performance evaluation and maximum power extracted. The experiment is conducted at Wind Science and Engineering research center, located in Lubbock, Texas. The wind turbine is coupled to a variable speed direct drive electric generator. The induction current in the generator is optimized for different wind speeds in order to extract maximum power from the wind turbine. The experimental results are compared with two commercial aerofoil wind turbines of similar design specifications using performance evaluation data published by National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It is observed that RDWT can extract comparable and often higher amount of energy when compared with aerofoil wind turbines. The results also show that RDWT has an average power coefficient of 0.3 and can operate in wider spectrum of wind speeds than aerofoil wind turbines.© 2012 ASME
Technical Note-Cost/Completion-Date Tradeoffs in the Transportation Problem

The transportation problem is reconsidered to include the objective of minimizing the date at which all shipments are completed, in addition to the usual objective of minimizing total shipping cost. After proposing an algorithm requiring reoptimization of the previously determined solution to obtain the next one, we offer an illustration and address the question of tradeoffs between the two objectives.
Id4 suppresses MMP2-mediated invasion of glioblastoma-derived cells by direct inactivation of Twist1 function

Tumor cell invasion is a major contributor to cancer morbidity, and is of particular importance in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the highest grade and most aggressive primary brain tumor. Tumor cell invasion and the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are required for GBM invasion, are enhanced by inhibitor of DNA binding (Id) gene family members, Id1, Id2 and Id3, which can be highly expressed in glioma. Id4 is expressed in GBM at more variable levels than these other family members and we sought to determine its role in invasion. We found, unexpectedly, that invasion was dramatically inhibited in cells expressing Id4 as a result of decreased MMP2, a secreted proteinase key for brain tumor invasion. We demonstrate that Id4 decreased MMP2 expression by a direct inhibitory interaction with Twist1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor known to increase MMP2 expression. Importantly, using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we show that Id4 expression correlates with survival of glioblastoma patients and inversely correlates with MMP2 expression. These data suggest that the upregulation of MMP2 resulting from decreased Id4 expression in GBM may contribute to the morbidity and mortality of GBM patients.
Facile one-pot synthesis of triphenylbismuth (V) bis(carboxylate) complexes

Triphenylbismuth(V) bis(carboxylates), Ph3Bi(O2CR)2 (R = 5-Br-2-OH-C6H3 (1), 2-OH-C6H4 (2), 2,6-(OH)2-C6H3 (3), 3-Me-2-NH2-C6H3 (4), Ph (5), Me (6)), were obtained from the reaction of triphenylbismuth with hydrogen peroxide and excess carboxylic acid in wet 2-propanol. The synthesis avoids the use of halogens as oxidants, and the products crystallize directly from the solution as pure compounds. They crystallize from solution without further need for purification. The structures of 1–5 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 2 and 5 exhibit a polymorph different from that previously reported in the literature. While all of the Bi(V) compounds adopt a trans-axial trigonal-bipyramidal configuration with the carboxylates in axial positions, there is considerable variation in the coordination of the carboxylate that ranges from simple η1 to a mixture of mono- and bidentate chelating bonding modes.
CD44v10 interaction with Rho-kinase (ROK) activates inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) receptor-mediated Ca2+ signaling during hyaluronan (HA)-induced endothelial cell migration

Aortic endothelial cells (GM7372A) express a major cell adhesion molecule, CD44v10, which binds the extracellular matrix component, hyaluronan (HA), at its external domain and interacts with various signaling molecules at its cytoplasmic domain. In this study, we have determined that CD44v10 and Rho-Kinase (ROK) are physically associated as a complex in vivo. Using a recombinant fragment of ROK (in particular, the pleckstrin homology [PH] domain) and in vitro binding assays, we have detected a specific binding interaction between the PH domain of ROK and the cytoplasmic domain of CD44. Scatchard plot analysis indicates that there is a single high-affinity CD44 binding site in the PH domain of ROK with an apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.76 nM, which is comparable to CD44 binding (Kd ∼1.56 nM) to intact ROK. These findings suggest that the PH domain is the primary ROK binding region for CD44. Furthermore, HA binding to GM7372A cells promotes RhoA-mediated ROK activity, which, in turn, increases phosphorylation of three different inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) [in particular, subtype 1 (IP3R1), and to a lesser extent subtype 2 (IP3R2) and subtype 3 (IP3R3)] all known as IP3-gated Ca2+ channels. The phosphorylated IP3R1 (but not IP3R2 or IP3R3) is enhanced in its binding to IP3 which subsequently stimulates IP3-mediated Ca2+ flux. Transfection of the endothelial cells with ROK's PH cDNA significantly reduces ROK association with CD44v10, and effectively inhibits ROK-mediated phosphorylation of IP3Rs and IP3R-mediated Ca2+ flux in vitro. The PH domain of ROK also functions as a dominant-negative mutant in vivo to block HA-dependent, CD44v10-specific intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and endothelial cell migration. Taken together, we believe that CD44v10 interaction with ROK plays a pivotal role in IP3R-mediated Ca2+ signaling during HA-mediated endothelial cell migration. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 53:293–316, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantitation of plasma levels of 8-methoxypsoralen by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Abstract An immunologic method for the quantitation of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) levels in human plasma has been developed. A monoclonal antibody recognizing 8-MOP was prepared by immunizing mice with an 8-MOP derivative conjugated to bovine serum albumin with 1-ethyl-3-(3-di-methylamino-propyl)-carbodiimide-HCI. The antibody was characterized by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and recognizes 8-MOP (50% inhibition at 2 pmol) as well as structurally related psoralen derivatives including 4′-aminomethyl-4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen (50% inhibition at 50 pmol), 5-methoxypsoralen (50% inhibition at 150 pmole), and 6,4, 4′-trimethylangelicin (50% inhibition at 360 pmol). The assay has a limit of sensitivity of 1 ng/ml plasma. For analysis of 8-MOP levels in plasma, samples were first extracted using SepPak C18 cartridges. The extracts were analyzed for 8-MOP levels both by ELISA and high-pressure liquid chromatography. There was a good correlation between the values determined by both methods (r = 0.92, p
Physical model of burst noise in thick-film resistors

Abstract A physical model for burst-noise generation in thick-film resistors is presented. The noise is attributed to fluctuations of tunneling current flowing through a conductive metal particle chain containing a marginally conductive insulation layer located in a high-field region of the resistor. The fluctuation of the tunneling current is controlled by a change in the charge state of a single generation-recombination center located in the marginally conductive insulation layer. This model is used to explain the observed dependence of the burst-noise pulse amplitude on the biasing current and the dependence of the pulse widths on temperature.
Adolescent and Young Adult Women's Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Etonogestrel Implants

Abstract Study Objective Long acting reversible contraceptives, including etonogestrel implants, are top tier contraceptives for adolescents, yet they remained underutilized. This study aimed to assess awareness of and attitudes toward etonogestrel implants among adolescent and young adult women. Design, Main Outcome Measures This is a cross sectional study. We distributed an original, self-administered survey to a convenience sample of anonymous subjects. The survey assessed demographic information, pregnancy and sexual history, general contraceptive preferences, and awareness of implants. Subjects then read a brief description of implants before completing the section assessing attitudes toward them. We used chi-square and t-test analyses to identify factors associated with awareness of and positive attitudes toward implants. Setting, Participants Women aged 10-24 attending a birth control education group at an adolescent health center in New York City. Results Of the 129 participants, only 40% had heard of etonogestrel implants. Some (33%) reported positive attitudes toward implants. Positive attitudes were associated with preferences for birth control convenience (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.1- 9.5) and privacy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0- 4.8). Neutral or negative attitudes were associated with a preference for birth control that maintained menstrual regularity (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2- 0.8) and with having experienced at least 1 unintended pregnancy (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2- 0.9). Age, race, and education were not associated with participants' attitudes toward implants. Conclusions Women who value convenience and privacy are more likely to report positive attitudes toward implants, and thus may represent especially receptive candidates for them.
Rac and Cdc42 team up for platelets.

In this issue of Blood, Pleines et al demonstrate that the Rho GTPase family members Rac1 and Cdc42 work together to mediate cytoskeletal activities that underlie the normal production of functional platelets by megakaryocytes.[1][1] ![Figure][2] Pleines and colleagues describe alterations
n-Propanol production during ethanol degradation using anaerobic granules

Abstract n-Propanol formation and consumption during ethanol oxidation by anaerobic brewery granules was investigated. The granules were taken from an UASB reactor fed with a synthetic brewery waste water. Ethanol degradation assays and an isotopic assay using 13 C-labeled ethanol and bicarbonate were performed. Intermediate products propionate, n-propanol, acetate, hydrogen, formate and carbon monoxide were observed. Results have shown a consistent and reproducible trend of ethanol being converted to, primarily intermediates propionate and acetate with some accumulation of n-propanol. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide concentration accumulated to 1120 and 50 ppm in the gas phase, respectively. Methane and carbon dioxide were the terminal products. Bicarbonate was not a significant contributor of carbon for n-propanol production based on 13 C assay results. From reaction energetics analysis and ethanol degradation assays, reactions of hydroformylation of ethanol with carbon monoxide and hydrogen, ethanol condensation, propionate reduction, and, ethanol oxidation coupled with propionate reduction are potentially responsible for the formation of propanol during anaerobic ethanol oxidation. Carbon monoxide is likely an additional carbon to ethanol during the formation of n-propanol. Hydrogen appeared to play a strong role as a driving force governing reactions involving propionate.
Education and productivity growth in a market economy

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of investment in education on U.S. economic growth. Education is treated as an investment in human capital, since benefits accrue to an educated individual over a lifetime of activities. One of the most important benefits is higher income from participation in the labor market. This is the key to understanding the link between investment in education and economic growth. The most important finding is that investment in human and nonhuman capital accounts for an overwhelming proportion of the growth of the U.S. economy during the postwar period. Educational investment will continue to predominate in the investment requirements for more rapid growth.
Non-reflecting boundary conditions for atomistic, continuum and coupled atomistic/continuum simulations

SUMMARY We present a method to numerically calculate a non-reflecting boundary condition which is applicable to atomistic, continuum and coupled multiscale atomistic/continuum simulations. The method is based on the assumption that the forces near the domain boundary can be well represented as a linear function of the displacements, and utilizes standard Laplace and Fourier transform techniques to eliminate the unnecessary degrees of freedom. The eliminated degrees of freedom are accounted for in a time-history kernel that can be calculated for arbitrary crystal lattices and interatomic potentials, or regular finite element meshes using an automated numerical procedure. The new theoretical developments presented in this work allow the application of the method to non-nearest neighbour atomic interactions; it is also demonstrated that the identical procedure can be used for finite element and mesh-free simulations. We illustrate the effectiveness of the method on a one-dimensional model problem, and calculate the time-history kernel for FCC gold using the embedded atom method (EAM). Copyright ! 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The mechanistic influence of aligned nanofibers on cell shape, migration and blebbing dynamics of glioma cells

Investigating the mechanistic influence of the tumor microenvironment on cancer cell migration and membrane blebbing is crucial in the understanding and eventual arrest of cancer metastasis. In this study, we investigate the effect of suspended and aligned nanofibers on the glioma cytoskeleton, cell shape, migration and plasma membrane blebbing dynamics using a non-electrospinning fiber-manufacturing platform. Cells attached in repeatable shapes of spindle on single fibers, rectangular on two parallel fibers and polygonal on intersecting fibers. Structural stiffness (N m(-1)) of aligned and suspended nanofibers (average diameter: 400 nm, length: 4, 6, and 10 mm) was found to significantly alter the migration speed with higher migration on lower stiffness fibers. For cells attached to fibers and exhibiting blebbing, an increase in cellular spread area resulted in both reduced bleb count and bleb size with an overall increase in cell migration speed. Blebs no longer appeared past a critical cellular spread area of approximately 1400 μm(2). Our results highlighting the influence of the mechanistic environment on the invasion dynamics of glioma cells add to the understanding of how biophysical components influence glioma cell migration and blebbing dynamics.
Spontaneous Movement of Transmembrane Segments from SecY into the Membrane

At an early stage of synthesis, nearly all membrane proteins are targeted to a protein-conducting channel in the membrane, the SecY/Sec61 complex. Access of the nascent protein to the membrane occurs via a lateral gate, located at the interface of the two halves of the channel. Recently, we structurally resolved a membrane-protein insertion intermediate state of SecY bound to a translating ribosome with a transmembrane (TM) segment at the lateral gate, between channel and membrane. Beginning from that state, we have now carried out multi-microsecond simulations of different putative TM segments at SecY's lateral gate using Anton, a special-purpose molecular dynamics computer from DE Shaw Research. The simulations reveal spontaneous motion of the TM segment, either toward membrane or toward the channel interior, depending on its sequence. Diffusion of the TM segment into the membrane is generated through interactions with individual lipid molecules, which rapidly envelop a hydrophobic TM segment but reject a hydrophilic one. Subsequent free-energy calculations quantify and support the generality of the spontaneous motions observed in individual simulations. Thus, we suggest that the discrimination step between membrane-inserted and secreted states of a nascent protein occurs primarily in the SecY channel.
A Comparison Between Chemical Determination for Xanthophylls and Yolk Pigmentation Scores for Yellow Corn, Alfalfa, Algae, Lake Weed, and Marigold Petals

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE importance of being able to predict the yolk color that will be obtained with different combinations of pigments cannot be overemphasized. Earlier work on this subject has been reviewed by Madiedo and Sunde (1964). Computers now can change the formula for the laying feed frequently. If the chemical assays for xanthophyll in different feed ingredients can be modified in such a way that the chemical results obtained would agree with the biological values found with laying hens, then this procedure would be simplitied and made more reliable. The data in the experiments to be reported point out that this is possible and that generally the highest chemical values one obtains will agree with the biological values determined using the laying hen. Jenson (1963) has reported on the chemical analysis of sea weed and its effect on certain pigments in the egg yolk. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The experimental methods used…
Clotrimazole/betamethasone diproprionate: a review of costs and complications in the treatment of common cutaneous fungal infections.

The use of antifungal/corticosteroid combinations as topical therapy for dermatophytoses has been criticized as being less effective, more expensive, and the cause of more adverse cutaneous reactions than antifungal monotherapy. The combination of clotrimazole and betamethasone diproprionate (Lotrisone) is a mix of an azole antifungal and a high-potency corticosteroid, and is one of the most widely prescribed of these combinations. Our objective was to describe the beneficial and deleterious effects of Lotrisone in the treatment of common cutaneous fungal infections and its relative cost-effectiveness. We did a literature review documenting clinical trial data and adverse reactions to Lotrisone and collected a cost analysis of topical antifungal prescribing data over a 2-month period from a large midwestern staff-model health maintenance organization (HMO). Lotrisone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis in adults and children more than 12 years of age. Treatment is limited to 2 weeks in the groin area and 4 weeks on the feet. The most concerning adverse effects of Lotrisone were reported in children and included treatment failure, striae distensae, hirsuitism, and growth retardation. This combination was also reported to have decreased efficacy in clearing candidal and Trichophyton infections as compared to single-agent antifungals. Lotrisone was considerably more expensive than clotrimazole alone and was found to account for more than 50% of topical antifungal expenditures as prescribed by primary care physicians, but only 7% of topical antifungals prescribed by dermatologists. We found that Lotrisone was shown to have the potential to induce many steroid-related side effects and to be less cost effective than antifungal monotherapy. This combination should be used judiciously in the treatment of cutaneous fungal infections and may not be appropriate for use in children.
The islands of calleja: Organization and connections

The islands of Calleja (IC) in the rate are composed of seven small groups of granule cells in the polymorph layer of the olfactory tubercle and one large group, the insula magna, which lies along the border between septum, nucleus accumbens and nucleus of the diagonal band. The cytoarchitecture and neuronal morphology of the IC and surrounding cells, studied using Nissl-stained and Golgi-Kopsch material, are described. In addition, the afferent and efferent connections of the IC were analyzed using fluorescence histochemistry, the autoradiographic tracing method, and the anterograde and retrograde horseradish peroxidase methods. Topographically organized projections to the IC from the dopamine-containing cells of the substantia nigra-ventral tegmental area are demonstrated by the glyoxylic acid fluorescence histochemical method and the autoradiographic tracing technique. Anterograde and retrograde horseradish peroxidase studies provide evidence for reciprocal, topographically organized interconnections between the IC and the septum, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and piriform cortex. These observations indicate that the IC constitute a unique population of granule cells, located in the olfactory tubercle, innervated by dopamine neurons of the mesencephalon and interconnected with olfactory and non-olfactory components of the basal forebrain.
Conduction in quantized silicon inversion layers with many occupied electric subbands

A simple model of the inversion layer is used to compute the electron mobility in quantized silicon surface channels for the case of many occupied electric subbands. Interband scattering is included. Important approximations in the calculation are a triangular surface potential well and a $\ensuremath{\delta}$-function form for the scattering potential. The results are presented over a broad range of gate voltage and temperature, and the effects of interband scattering are examined. In general, the theoretical predictions are in fairly good agreement with the experimental behavior.