cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural principles of insulin formulation and analog design: A century of innovation.

Abstract Background The discovery of insulin in 1921 and its near-immediate clinical use initiated a century of innovation. Advances extended across a broad front, from the stabilization of animal insulin formulations to the frontiers of synthetic peptide chemistry, and in turn, from the advent of recombinant DNA manufacturing to structure-based protein analog design. In each case, a creative interplay was observed between pharmaceutical applications and then-emerging principles of protein science; indeed, translational objectives contributed to a growing molecular understanding of protein structure, aggregation and misfolding. Scope of review Pioneering crystallographic analyses—beginning with Hodgkin's solving of the 2-Zn insulin hexamer—elucidated general features of protein self-assembly, including zinc coordination and the allosteric transmission of conformational change. Crystallization of insulin was exploited both as a step in manufacturing and as a means of obtaining protracted action. Forty years ago, the confluence of recombinant human insulin with techniques for site-directed mutagenesis initiated the present era of insulin analogs. Variant or modified insulins were developed that exhibit improved prandial or basal pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. Encouraged by clinical trials demonstrating the long-term importance of glycemic control, regimens based on such analogs sought to resemble daily patterns of endogenous β-cell secretion more closely, ideally with reduced risk of hypoglycemia. Major conclusions Next-generation insulin analog design seeks to explore new frontiers, including glucose-responsive insulins, organ-selective analogs and biased agonists tailored to address yet-unmet clinical needs. In the coming decade, we envision ever more powerful scientific synergies at the interface of structural biology, molecular physiology and therapeutics.
Prothrombin in the newborn infant: IV. Further observations on the prothrombin response to intravenous administration of water-soluble naphthoquinone

Summary The effect in hypoprothrombinemic newborn infants of intravenous administration of a large dosage of 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone in soluble form was studied. Of fifty-four normal newborn infants, ten who exhibited the various degrees of prothrombin deficiency, from moderate to severe, were chosen as subjects. Two milligrams of 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone in soluble form were administered intravenously to each of these ten infants. Prothrombin determinations, using Quick's method, were performed after one-half, one, one and one-half, two, and three hours. An additional determination was done after twenty-four hours or at a varying interval there-after. Within one and one-half hours all ten infants showed a definite prothrombin elevation. However, in the individual cases, variations, in the rapidity of response occurred. Three infants responded within one-half hour, four more within one-hour, and the remaining three within one and one-half hours. Within twenty-four hours the prothrombin concentration was within the normal range of 70 per cent to 100 per cent and was maintained thereafter for the several days studied. There appeared to be no relationship between the rapidity of the initial prothrombin response and the degree of severity of hypoprothrombinemia. Three hours after therapy the prothrombin concentration of those infants with an original moderate hypoprothrombinemia was at a higher level than in those who originally had a severe hypoprothrombinemia. A dosage of 2 mg. of 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone in soluble form administered intravenously produces a prothrombin response in hypoprothrombinemic infants no more rapidly than a dosage of 1 mg. The intravenous administration of from 1 to 2 mg. of 2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone in soluble form produces a prothrombin elevation within one and one-half hours in hypoprothrombinemic newborn infants. It would follow, therefore, that the intravenous route of naphthoquinone administration is the preferable procedure in the treatment of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. Preparations for transfusion should be made at the same time so that blood may be given without delay if the necessity should arise.
An Analysis of Main-Memory and Log Space Usage in Extended Ephemeral Logging

Extended Ephemeral Logging (XEL) is a database logging and recovery technique which manages a log of recovery data by partitioning it into a series of logically circular generations. XEL copies longer-lived log data from one generation to another in order to reclaim more quickly the space occupied by shorter-lived log data. As a result of copying, records in the log lose their original ordering; this leads to main-memory and log space overhead for obsolete recovery data. In this paper, we quantify the effects of reordering log records by introducing the notion of Garbage Removal Dependencies (GRDs). We develop a classification of log records based on GRDs and use it to characterize main-memory and log space allocation during normal system operation. Through simulation, we demonstrate how main-memory and log space allocation vary with changes in database and workload parameters.
Feminist Politics, Racialized Imagery, and Social Control: Reproductive Injustice in the Age of Obama

This article looks at how dominant feminist narratives regarding the expansion of women's political rights is limited by their inattention to issues of race, sexuality, class and other variables that limit women's freedom. The authors argue that rhetorical claims about "gender progress" mask very significant differences among various sub-groups of women with regard to their ability to exercise their rights to control many aspects of their lives; their work, their family, their relationships and the ways that their bodies are mistreated and unfairly represented. Using a Black feminist analytical argument, the article makes the case that legislative threats to reproductive freedom are deeply linked to hegemonic notions of racialized patriarchy.
Comparative Regulation of Isoenzymic 3-Deoxy-d-arabino-Heptulosonate 7-Phosphate Synthetases in Microorganisms

The independent control of regulatory isoenzymes by different metabolites constitutes one well-known pattern of control in branched metabolic pathways. This pattern was previously found to be widely distributed in the aromatic amino acid pathway of microorganisms in the case of the first enzyme of the sequence, 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase. The comparative stability of the isoenzymes as well as the effect of aromatic amino acids in the growth medium upon the levels of the individual isoenzymes were shown for Salmonella typhimurium. Several lines of evidence are discussed to demonstrate the strong reliance of Escherichia coli upon the phenylalanine-sensitive isoenzyme for the ordinary biosynthetic needs of wild-type strains. The frequent occurrence of “dominant” isoenzyme species which resist repressive effects of the inhibitory end products was noted. The lack of an obligatory correlation of the level of an isoenzyme activity and the synthesis of the end product which specifically controls its activity is used to discount the possibility that each isoenzyme might feed a unique and separate metabolic pool of end-product precursor. An isoenzymic DAHP synthetase sensitive to feedback inhibition by low levels of tryptophan was fractionated from tyrosine- and phenylalanine-sensitive isoenzymes in cell-free extracts of Neurospora crassa.
SHARPER BOUNDS IN ADAPTIVE GROUP TESTING

Adaptive group testing in the presence of a large percentage of defectives is best done by individual testing rather than by pooling. The fraction of items which must be defective to make individual testing optimal remains unknown, and is conjectured to be 1/3. In this paper it is shown that when the number of items is sufficiently large, and the fraction of defective items is at least $1/\log_{3/2}3$, individual testing is optimal.
The Lambda F Mutants Belong to Two Cistrons

Amber mutants previously mapped at seven sites in head gene F exhibit two contrasting phenotypes. Mutant F423, located in the right half of gene F, makes defective head particles with normal size λDNA. These particles are complemented by crude lysates of mutants in other head genes. Mutants F785, F471 and F730 map in three adjacent sites in the left half of gene F. They are not complemented by lysates of other head mutants and do not produce headlike particles. Their lysates complement the incomplete heads present in F423. In vivo all three mutants are complemented by F423 but not by each other.
Energy and exergy performance assessments for latent heat thermal energy storage systems

Abstract Latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) can be an efficient option to cater to fluctuating energy demands and at the same time to obtain a higher performance from the energy and exergy aspects. Latent heat TES storage performance is usually influenced by various operating conditions and design parameters during the energy/exergy stored and retrieved. The scope of investigation is to comprehensively review various useful techniques adopted in detail for energy and exergy performance enhancements, and provide the perspectives for researchers and engineers to design more efficient latent TES systems. Various influencing factors can be enlarged to include the heat transfer fluid (HTF) mass flow rate and inlet temperature, phase change material (PCM) melting temperature and number, additives for PCMs, storage unit dimension, heat exchanger surface enhancement, and sensible heating and sub-cooling, etc. The main perspectives and directions including heat transfer mechanism and optimized multiple PCM melting point are provided to enable further research.
Opthalmic glass particularly photochromic glass

Abstract Photolysis of certain glasses containing minute silver halide droplets leads to visible absorption. The temperature dependence of the induced absorption is strongly correlated with the rate at which the glass reverts to its clear state upon the cessation of radiation. The factors which influence the compromises in fade rates and temperature dependence will be discussed.
Perceptions of an Organizing Vision for Electronic Medical Records by Independent Physician Practices

Adoption and usage rates of healthcare information technology (HIT) in general and electronic medical records (EMR) in particular are below expectations even though both show potential to help solve pressing problems plaguing the U.S. healthcare system. This research explores the role an organizing vision (OV) (Ramiller & Swanson, 2003) plays in shaping independent physician practicesâ€™ (IPP) perceptions of EMRs and hence their interest in adopting and using the technology. This paper reports on an OV for EMRs by using a mail survey of IPPs and uses factor analysis to examine structural properties and content of the OV among the practices. Contributions to theory include exploring the applicability of Ramiller and Swansonâ€™s (Ramiller & Swanson, 2003) OV on HIT innovations in healthcare research. Contributions to practice include empowering HIT decision makers with a model for addressing the introduction of a technology innovation (EMR) into an independent physician practice.
Familial temperature sensitive alpha 1 protease inhibitor (m1anaheim)

An alpha 1 protease inhibitor which is sensitive to increased temperatures and which migrates in the same position as the normal M1 phenotype, has been identified. The sensitivity of the trypsin inhibitory capacity is an inherited characteristic, which is enhanced by acid conditions, as well as conditions during isoelectric focusing. Loss of the serum trypsin inhibitory capacity is not parallel to that of the serum elastase capacity, suggesting that the inhibitory sites for these proteases are oriented differently within the alpha 1 protease inhibitor molecule.
Compressible flow in permeable capillaries under deformation

Abstract An improved pressure loss model for viscous compressible flow through a long, permeable, polymeric capillary, a relevant problem in capillary gas permeator design, has been developed and confirmed experimentally. Experimental verification was obtained by measuring pressure losses over a silicone rubber capillary at various flow rates and applied inlet pressures using carbon dioxide, helium, oxygen and nitrogen. In particular, a first-order approximation to the axial pressure gradient for compressible flow in a permeable capillary has been formulated. Radial and axial displacement of the capillary have also been incorporated into the model for small deformations.
Behaviour genetic analysis of selective song learning in three inbred canary strains

Thirty-three male canaries were reared as isolates in acoustic chambers. Each male's sexchromosomes and autosomal background were known to strain. The research included two experiments. One tested the hypothesis that the low-pitched songs of waterslager canaries is due to a partial hearing deficit in the high frequency range of their hearing, limiting learning high-pitched syllables. That hypothesis was falsified and the apparent cause for the low-pitched songs was uncovered in the second experiment. That experiment tutored the males with a tutor tape that offered six different canary songs to learn from. The experimental subjects included roller, waterslager, and border canaries, their hybrids and backcrosses. The selective learning of each genetically different group was closely associated with their specific genetic background, and the results revealed that roller and waterslager canaries have very different genetic mechanisms affecting their song learning, and that a waterslager, recessive, autosomal factor, when homozygous, was associated with that strain's low-pitched songs. On the other hand, the low-pitched songs of roller canaries were primarily affected by a recessive sex-linked factor. Border canary selective learning was biased toward learning the higher-pitched syllables and tours characteristic of the songs of border and other type canary strains.
Chromosomes and causation of human cancer and leukemia. XLVII. Severe hypodiploidy and chromosome conglomerations in ALL

A case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of the L1 type with severe hypodiploidy in the marrow cells (modal chromosome number, 36) is described. In addition, most of the metaphases contained chromosome conglomerations which consisted of varying numbers of chromosomes and appeared similar to conglomerations previously observed by us in a case of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) in the blastic phase (BP), where some cells contained less than 20 chromosomes. The karyotype of the ALL cells of our case was similar to those of published near-haploid ALL cases, possibly indicative of a common pathway of cytogenetic evolution.
Coverage of autism spectrum disorder in the US television news: an analysis of framing

This study examined television news networks’ coverage of autism in terms of issues, sources, and personal (episodic) or social (thematic) responsibility from the framing perspective. A content analysis was conducted on television news transcripts about autism during the time period from 1990 to 2010. Results found that the top three key issues identified were personal story, child, and cause. Doctors were the most interviewed source, followed by family and autistic people. The personal responsibility frame outnumbered the social one. The correlations between frames and issues suggest that even though the personal responsibility frame is dominant, social responsibility is also emphasized in issues. Other study implications and suggestions are discussed.
Hollow Hopes and Other Aspirations: A Reply to Feeley and McCann

It has always seemed to me that at its best, academic life is about scholarly debate. When scholars publish their work, they are inviting others to join with them in furthering understanding. Books that fully and completely answer a question to everyone's satisfaction have asked too narrow a question; no book of any merit fully puts an important issue to rest. In writing The Hollow Hope it was my hope that I would stimulate debate about the role and function of the courts in furthering significant social reform. Thus, I am honored that Law and Social Inquiry devoted space to this symposium and that two scholars whose work I respect highly, Michael McCann and Malcolm Feeley, put considerable time into reviews. I agree with at least some of what they have written. Needless to say, however, there is much with which I disagree. And interestingly, the two of them disagree over several points. In the spirit of furthering our shared project of more fully understanding the role of courts in American society, I respond to what I believe are the most salient points of the two reviews. My hope is that this interchange, and the work on which it is based, makes a contribution to better understanding of the role of courts and social change.
Selective identification of Vα14i T cells using slide-immobilized, CD1d-antigen complexes

Abstract The ability to correlate changes in antigen‐reactive lymphocytes with disease will provide information needed to develop strategies for combating illness. One critical group of lymphocytes are the CD1‐restricted T cells. It is desirable to use CD1 molecules in an array format to query CD1‐restricted lymphocytes in humans. To investigate the feasibility of this technique, we employed mCD1d and α‐galactosylceramide to demonstrate that‐slide immobilized, CD1d‐α‐GalCer complexes capture an NKT cell hybridoma in the presence of a competitor. The success of this scheme represents the first step toward the development of CD1‐antigen arrays that could be used to profile biological samples.
Salt Rejection by a Porous Glass

Porous glass partly filters dissolved salt from aqueous solutions passed through it under pressure. Rejection of salt can be increased by increase in the pH of the solution or by addition of Th(IV). The filtration seems to accord with a mechanism of salt exclusion characteristic of ion exchangers.
The Nurturing of the Clinical Research Coordinator

The emergence of the American College of Radiology certifications. Fewer than 40% of those surveyed believe that Imaging Network (ACRIN) as a premier vehicle for clinical trials involving medical imaging and the growth of imaging itself in clinical decision-making are not a coincidence.Medical imaging increasingly finds itself at the point of randomization in clinical trials, as evidence is demanded of its true value in influencing health outcomes. As a cooperative group founded by the National Cancer Institute in 1999, ACRIN now boasts of dissemination of $100 million toward clinical trials (1). The machinery for randomized controlled trials (RCT) comprises a multidisciplinary and multiinstitutional team. One of the most important cogs of this apparatus is the clinical research coordinator (CRC). The CRC is an important complement to the principal investigator in managing various aspects of clinical research. The center stage occupied by ACRIN in imaging-related clinical research and the importance of CRCs in conducting this work have conflated to create a committee that takes a proactive approach with the provision of education, training, and mentoring of CRCs: the ACRIN Research Associate Committee. This committee has endeavored to study the characteristics of the CRCs who are in any way involved in ACRIN-based activities in order to improve quality of research and better inform hiring decisions by institutes participating in clinical trials. The results of their timely survey are presented in the current issue of this journal (2). The diverse activities of theCRC in turn entail a broad skill set, while continuously requiring quality and uniformity. The need for uniformity deserves further emphasis. The generalizability of the results of RCT is, in a large part, determined by strict adherence to protocol by multiple investigators at disparate institutes across many different health systems or even countries. Local practices do vary, but there is some convergence of values stipulated by the institutional review board in the subject of human experimentation.Uniformityofpracticedictates that there should ideally be uniformity of training or, in the very least, a common pathway that is available to those involved in clinical research. There are options available to CRCs to demonstrate proficiency in human subject research and data management, although none of them is specific to research involvingmedical imaging. The survey showed that only 31%ofCRCs have such
PERMEABILITY OF THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER TO AMYLIN

Amylin is co-secreted with insulin from the pancreas of patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and its deposition may contribute to the central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of this disease. Amylin, but not its mRNA, is found in brain, suggesting that CNS amylin is derived from the circulation. This would require amylin to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We used multiple-time regression analysis to determine the unidirectional influx constant (Ki) of blood-borne, radioactively labeled amylin (I-Amy) into the brain of mice. The Ki was 8.99(10−4) ml/g-min and was not inhibited with doses up to 100 μg/kg, but it was inhibited by aluminum (A1). About 0.11 to 0.13 percent of the injected dose of IAmy entered each gram of brain. Radioactivity recovered from brain and analyzed by HPLC showed that the majority of radioactivity taken up by the brain represented intact I-Amy. Capillary depletion confirmed that blood-borne I-Amy completely crossed the BBB to enter the parenchymal/interstitial fluid space of the cerebral cortex. Taken together, these results show that blood-borne amylin has access to brain tissue and may be involved in some of the CNS manifestations of diabetes mellitus.
Keeping bots out of online games

We study the problem of restricting participation in online games to human players, so they can enjoy the game without interference from automated playing agents known as bots. We propose a range of techniques, both software and hardware based, to distinguish bots from human players in a wide variety of online games, from poker to "shoot'em ups."
Paranormal Encounters as Eyewitness Phenomena: Psychological Determinants of Atypical Perceptual Interpretations

Many people who report paranormal sightings (e.g., Bigfoot and UFO aliens) are apparently sincere. This places many such sightings in the category of eyewitness errors, rather than of deliberate deception. Recent research has supported this idea; in an earlier paper, we demonstrated that paranormal beliefs are facilitated by tendencies toward attention deficit hyperactive disorder, dissociation, and depression. These characteristics predicted specific patterns of beliefs in several paranormal phenomena. The present research addressed the question of whether such psychological tendencies would tend to create bias in perception and interpretation as well as in belief- in whether a person’s identification of a given stimulus as paranormal in nature would be influenced by the same factors previously demonstrated to influence paranormal beliefs. This hypothesis was supported. Specifically, those with dissociative tendencies were significantly more likely to identify given stimulus items as paranormal in nature than were those with lower dissociation scores. Dissociation was further shown to be related to paranormal beliefs, consistent with earlier findings. Results are discussed in terms of the reconfigurative dynamics known to operate in areas of human cognition such as eyewitness identification, and in terms of the generality of those effects to the realm of paranormal sightings.
It's time for clinicians to reconsider their proscription against the use of soyfoods by breast cancer patients.

Regional lymphadenectomy of inguinal and axillary nodes performed prior to the induction of rat mammary tumours with 7,12-dimethyl benz-(α)-anthracene did not significantly affect the incidence, size,
Apparent pharmacokinetics of PCB components in growing pigs and lambs when fed a ration containing Aroclor 1254.

Young growing lambs and pigs were fed a ration containing 200 ppm of Aroclor 1254 for 35 days and then switched to “clean” feed. Blood and fat samples were collected periodically throughout the experiment and analyzed for components of Aroclor 1254 and total PCB. Several components are apparently accumulated and eliminated at different rates within each species, as seen by comparing gas chromatograph tracings, accumulation ratios and apparent rate constants of elimination.
Ubiquitination of mammalian AP endonuclease (APE1) regulated by the p53-MDM2 signaling pathway

APE1/Ref-1 is an essential DNA repair/gene regulatory protein in mammals of which intracellular level significantly affects cellular sensitivity to genotoxicants. The apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) functions are altered by phosphorylation and acetylation. We here report that APE1 is also modified by ubiquitination. APE1 ubiquitination occurred specifically at Lys residues near the N-terminus, and was markedly enhanced by mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), the major intracellular p53 inhibitor. Moreover, DNA-damaging reagents and nutlin-3, an inhibitor of MDM2-p53 interaction, increased APE1 ubiquitination in the presence of p53. Downmodulation of MDM2 increased APE1 level, suggesting that MDM2-mediated ubiquitination can be a signal for APE1 degradation. In addition, unlike the wild-type APE1, ubiquitin-APE1 fusion proteins were predominantly present in the cytoplasm. Therefore, monoubiquitination not only is a prerequisite for degradation, but may also alter the APE1 activities in cells. These results reveal a novel regulation of APE1 through ubiquitination.
Religious involvement and humility

Although researchers are beginning to pay more attention to the virtue of humility, there are relatively few studies on the factors that make people more humble. The purpose of this study is to address this issue. A conceptual model is developed that contains the following hypotheses: (1) people who go to church more often will receive more spiritual support from fellow church members, (2) individuals who receive more spiritual support at church will develop greater trust in God, (3) those who trust God more will enter into a closer relationship with God, (4) as people develop a closer relationship with God they will experience a deeper sense of awe of God, and (5) individuals who are in awe of God will be more likely to feel more humble. Cross-sectional data from a recent nationwide survey of middle-aged and older adults (N = 1154) provide support for each of these relationships.
Cortical auditory systems: speech and other complex sounds.

The neural systems that mediate human perception of speech and other complex sounds are currently the focus of considerable research. Brain mapping studies have provided new insights into the cortical processing of complex sounds. Findings from three lines of brain mapping research—stroke-lesion, neuroimaging, and electrocortical mapping studies—are reviewed. Unresolved questions regarding the relative contributions of cortical and subcortical auditory processing and the existence of separate, functionally specialized, cortical auditory systems for processing speech and nonspeech sounds are discussed. An integrated approach is proposed for future research on the neural bases of complex sound processing.
Special Relativity in Refracting Media

A reformulation of the Lorentz transformations for an observer in a refracting but non-dispersive medium is suggested. In this statement of the transformations, the speed ($\mathbf{c}=\frac{c}{n}$) of light signals in the medium replaces the free space speed ($c$) which appears in the usual form. It is shown that the Fresnel drag coefficient takes the same form in the new formulation that it did in the old. Other consequences of this assumption are discussed and, in particular, the mechanics of the photon are shown to lead to correct expressions for Snell's law and for the pressure of radiation at the boundary of the medium.
Pathways of Food Uptake in Native (Unionidae) and Introduced (Corbiculidae and Dreissenidae) Freshwater Bivalves

Abstract Nineteen species of adult freshwater bivalves were able to use water currents generated from within the mantle cavity to move non-suspended algae into the shell through non-siphon areas such as the anterior shell valve edge and the mid-ventral point of the shell. This was in addition to, and not in replacement of, uptake of planktonic algae through the inhalant siphon. Algae obtained from both the non-inhalant siphon areas and the inhalant siphon were equally captured and transferred to the stomach. Pseudofecal release was also more complex than typically stated. Pseudofeces were released from the inhalant siphon (as expected), plus from the anterior shell margin, and at the mid-point along the ventral shell edge (non-dreissenids). Pseudofeces that settled near the ventral shell margin was accessible for future uptake back into the mantle cavity. There were no species or body size differences in ability to capture food from non-planktonic sources. The extent to which natural populations utilize benthic food resources remains to be determined. However, our study demonstrates that bivalve communities are very adaptable in accessing a variety of food resources from both suspended material in the water column, as well as organic material from the sediments.
General anesthesia and hepatic circulation.

This article describes hepatic circulatory disturbances associated with anesthesia and surgical intervention. The material is presented in three parts: part 1 describes the effects of general anesthetics on the hepatic circulation; part 2 deals with different factors related to surgical procedures and anesthesia; and part 3 analyzes the role of hepatic circulatory disturbances and hepatic oxygen deprivation in anesthesia-induced hepatotoxicity. The analysis of available data suggests that general anesthesia affects the splanchnic and hepatic circulation in various directions and to different degrees. The majority of anesthetics decreases portal blood flow in association with a decrease in cardiac output. However, hepatic arterial blood flow can be preserved, decreased, or increased. The increase in hepatic arterial blood flow, when it occurs, is usually not enough to compensate for a decrease in portal blood flow and therefore total hepatic blood flow is usually decreased during anesthesia. This decrease ...
Improving performance and retention in computer science courses using a virtual game show

One of the many factors that contribute to the decline in Computer Science retention is poor performance in foundation programming courses. In the Introduction to Programming course here at UNC Charlotte, it has been observed that poor assessment performance is often attributed to students feeling they understand material when they often don't. This iteration of the Dr. Chestr Show seeks to overcome this disconnection by assisting in the guidance of review based on routine lecture quiz performance. The Dr. Chestr show presents users with questions about the C++ programming language based on topics covered during lecture. This paper describes the design and implementation of the Dr. Chestr virtual human and his game show environment.
Quantized vortex states of strongly interacting bosons in a rotating optical lattice

Bose gases in rotating optical lattices combine two important topics in quantum physics: superfluid rotation and strong correlations. In this paper, we examine square two-dimensional systems at zero temperature comprised of strongly repulsive bosons with filling factors of up to one atom per lattice site. The entry of vortices into the system is characterized by jumps of $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ in the phase winding of the condensate wave function. A lattice of size $L\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}L$ can have at most $L\ensuremath{-}1$ quantized vortices in the lowest Bloch band. In contrast to homogeneous systems, angular momentum is not a good quantum number since the continuous rotational symmetry is broken by the lattice. Instead, a quasiangular momentum captures the discrete rotational symmetry of the system. Energy level crossings indicative of quantum phase transitions are observed when the quasiangular momentum of the ground state changes.
Family Environment Scale Predictors of Academic Performance

Relationships between high school and college academic performance and Family Environment Scale scores were examined within a sample of 346 college students. Low high-school grade point averages (GPA<2.5) were two to four times as common among students with high Conflict, or low Expressiveness, Cohesion, or Recreation scores. Moral–Religious subscale scores were also associated with favorable high school academic performance as well as increased college classroom attendance. Control variables included the Beck Depression Inventory, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, and reports of parental divorce or bereavement histories. A primary objective was achieved in providing simple guidelines for the identification of students at high risk for psychosocial problems using the Family Environment Scale.
Effect of drinking-water temperature upon ruminant digestion, intraruminal temperature, and water consumption of nonlactating dairy cows.

Summary Two digestion trials of Latin-square design were conducted with four fistulated, nonlactating Holstein cows to determine the influence of 34, 57, 80, and 103F water at average environmental temperatures of 53 F±9.92 (Trial I) and 27 F±12.20 (Trial II). Animals were fed bromegrass-alfalfa hay twice daily and received water 2 hr after feeding. Rumen and rectal temperatures were measured with thermocouples. Ruminal temperature depression depended upon amount and temperature of ingested water. An average of 16 recordings indicated that 46.4±8.6lb of ingested 34F water depressed the lower, middle, and upper rumen temperature by 23.1±9.5, 10.3±5.4, and 2.3±1.6F, respectively, within 10min, while the rectal temperature was depressed 0.50F within 20min during Trial II. When water consumption data from both trials were combined, a significant treatment effect was observed (p ≤ 0.05). No significant differences were found between the coefficients of digestible dry matter (DDM), digestible energy (DE), digestible crude protein (DCP), or small-sample in vivo digestion values during Trials I or II (p ≤ 0.05).
The Maryland experience: angioplasty and valvuloplasty using percutaneous cardiopulmonary support.

Abstract Vessel closure during coronary angioplasty in patients with poor ventricular function or extensive distribution of the target vessel, or both, can result in hemodynamic collapse—a potentially fatal complication. A similar situation can develop as a result of problems arising during aortic valvuloplasty. In an attempt to extend the benefits of angioplasty and valvuloplasty to patients with more advanced coronary and valvular heart disease, semipercutaneous cardiopulmonary circulatory support has been used as an adjunct to these interventions. In our initial experience with supported angioplasty/ valvuloplasty, 11 vessels in 9 patients and 6 aortic valves were successfully dilated. Complete cardiopulmonary support was achieved in all cases, permitting prolonged balloon inflations; intraprocedural complications were limited to vessel injury and blood loss. One patient each died after angioplasty and valvuloplasty. Symptomatic improvement was observed in all surviving patients.
Investigations into the mechanism of paraquat toxicity utilizing a cell culture system.

Abstract Paraquat (PQ) and diquat (DQ) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of cellular proliferation in the P388D1, “macrophage-like” cells in culture. DQ (IC50 = 1.92 × 10−5 m ) was not significantly more potent than PQ (IC50 = 1.05 × 10−4 m ). The dose-response lines did not deviate significantly from parallelism. Both herbicides had no effect on lipid peroxidation. Ferric pyrophosphate, a known stimulator of lipid peroxidation, produced a dose- and time-dependent stimulation. The effects produced by ferric pyrophosphate indicated that the absence of an effect due to PQ or DQ was not due to an insensitivity of the system. In addition, increasing the oxygen tension did not enhance the toxicity (as measured by cell growth) of PQ. There was no indication of PQ-induced membrane damage as indicated by the leakage of the cytoplasmic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase. The effect of PQ and DQ on macromolecular synthesis was evaluated as a possible mechanism by which cell growth may have been inhibited. Both herbicides produced a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis. DQ, but not PQ, inhibited RNA synthesis. Neither PQ nor DQ altered protein synthesis. The inhibition of DNA synthesis did not appear to be due to an alteration of the availability of the precursors. Mitochondrial function, as measured by oxygen consumption, was not affected, suggesting that the inhibition of DNA synthesis was not due to an alteration of energy metabolism. Cyclic nucleotide levels were also not affected, suggesting that the inhibition of cell growth and DNA synthesis was not due to an alteration of cellular control processes. These results suggest that inhibition of macromolecular synthesis may be involved in the molecular mechanism of toxicity of PQ.
Concepts of choice and motivation in the discourse on the globalization of higher education

This paper reviews the findings of a participatory research project conducted with Nepali high school and university students. It examines the feelings and motivations of those students who leave the country in pursuit of higher education, and those who intentionally, or due to circumstances, stay in Nepal. An analysis of the latter is particularly important to the shifting discourse on higher education to the global South. This study promotes the inclusion of those students, and institutions, of higher education in developing nations who have been excluded from the discourse on globalization.
Average arrival time of wave pulses through continuous random media.

Abstract : It is pointed out that a continuous random medium can cause an average advance of the arrival time of a pulse. This advance will occur for unsaturated and partially saturated propagation, but not in full saturation (which corresponds to the discrete-scatterer case). The effect, which is associated with Fermat's principle of least time, can be observed by measuring the difference between intensity-weighted and unweighted average arrival times. (Reprints)
Intellectual Function 14 Years After Frontal Lobe Surgery

Summary Preoperative measures of intelligence are compared with retests 8 and 14 years after frontal lobe surgery. All 5s were chronic psychotics at the time of the first tests. The long-term retests are reported for 33 nonoperated controls, for 16 patients with lower frontal lobe surgery (Orbital Topectomy) and for 18 patients with upper frontal lobe surgery (Superior Topectomy). Previous research showed that both groups of operated patients scored lower on intelligence tests shortly after surgery than they did before. The objectives of the long-term retests concerned: (1) the permanence of changes, and (2) the differential effects of lower and upper forebrain surgery. The lower forebrain patients obtain long-term scores remarkably comparable to those of the nonoperated controls. The Superior Topectomy patients show significant loss 8 years after surgery, and this loss persists 14 years after surgery. The loss is both permanent and appreciable, equivalent to some 10 points in I.Q. Verbal and numerical tests reflect the permanent loss more clearly than perceptual and construction tests. The loss associated with upper frontal lobe surgery involves sustained attention, problem solving, and other intellectual functions.
Formation and behavior of mechanoradicals in pulp cellulose

The mechanical degradation of pulp cellulose fiber was studied at ambient temperature and at 77°K. ESR findings reveal that mechanical degradation occurs via free-radical routes. Three types of mechanoradicals contributing singlet, doublet, and triplet ESR signals are identified. The singlet signals are derived from the alkoxy radicals at C4 positions as a consequence of the cleavage of glucosidic bonds, the radical pairs generated at C1 positions contributing the doublet signals. Triplet signals are derived from the C2 and C3 positions due to the cleavage of C2 and C3 bonds. Of these radicals, alkoxy radicals are the most stable at ambient temperature. Carbon radicals are capable of interacting rapidly with oxygen molecules to produce peroxy radical intermediates, where alkoxy radicals are inert toward oxygen molecules. ESR study also reveals that cellulose mechanoradicals are capable of initiating vinyl polymerization. MMA propagating radicals are identified when the monomers are in contact with cellulose mechanoradicals. The ability of mechanoradicals to initiate graft copolymerization from cellulose fiber is discussed.
Negative control of the helix-loop-helix family of myogenic regulators in the NFB mutant

Abstract We have characterized a nondifferentiating mouse muscle cell line, NFB, that represses the activity of the helix-loop-helix (HLH) family of myogenic regulators, yet expresses sarcomeric actins. The NFB MyoD gene is silent, but can be activated upon transfection of a long terminal region-controlled chicken MyoD cDNA, resulting in myogenesis. When NFB cells are fused with H9c2 rat muscle cells in heterokaryons, the level of rat MyoD transcripts declines. Thus, the stoichiometry of MyoD and the putative repressor controls myogenesis. Although NFB cells express myogenin and Myf-5 transcripts, the activity of these regulators is also repressed: myogenesis is not induced in 10T12 fibroblasts and is repressed in L6 muscle cells upon fusion with NFB cells. We conclude that the myogenic HLH regulators are not required for sarcomeric actin gene activation and that myogenesis is subject to dominant-negative control.
Transportation energy: When muddling through is not enough

This issue of transportation Research is an attempt to enhance the level of knowledge about transportation energy systems and stimulate the cration of broader and more robust analytical frameworks; the objective is to evaluate the attractiveness of alternative fuel options, and to design an effective and efficient transition path
Cystic teratoma of the ovary mimicking a bladder stone.

A 42-year-old healthy woman presented with symptoms of lower abdominal pain and leftsided pyelonephritis. Diffuse lower abdominal and left flank discomfort was the only significant finding on physical examination. The patient refused a pelvic examination. The patient was hydrated with intravenous fluids ( 1.5 L normal saline), and an ultrasonogram of the kidneys and bladder was obtained. Renal ultrasonography revealed no evidence of hydronephrosis, but a 3.5cm mobile mass was visualized on the ultrasonogram, in what appeared to be the urinary bladder (Fig. 1) and it was interpreted as a vesical calculus (arrows). Urinalysis was unremarkable and urine culture showed no growth. An abdominal computed tomographic scan was obtained because of persistent lower abdominal pain; it revealed a lo-cm fatand sebum-filled, septated, cystic mass arising from the left ovary (Fig. 2). A mural (Rokitansky) plug
A Comparison of Nine Confidence Intervals for a Poisson Parameter When the Expected Number of Events is ≤ 5

Let be a collection of independent, identically distributed Poisson θ random variables. Confidence intervals for θ can be constructed by the Wald method, by exact inference, from a variance stabilizing transformation, or by many other techniques. When nθ is small, actual and nominal coverage can differ substantially. We compare nine confidence intervals for a Poisson mean with respect to coverage and expected width of confidence limits. We show that, for small nθ: of the confidence intervals considered, only the exact interval maintains coverage probabilities; while the scores interval approximately maintains coverage probability, its expected width exceeds the exact interval's; and a modified version of the confidence interval based on the variance stabilized confidence interval has coverage properties near the nominal and an expected width that is not particularly large. Thus, we recommend that investigators desiring true cover not less than nominal use the exact interval and those willing to accept app...
Addressing reported pro-apoptotic functions of NF-κB: Targeted inhibition of canonical NF-κB enhances the apoptotic effects of doxorubicin

The ability of the transcription factor NF-κB to upregulate anti-apoptotic proteins has been linked to the chemoresistance of solid tumors to standard chemotherapy. In contrast, recent studies have proposed that, in response to doxorubicin, NF-κB can be pro-apoptotic through repression of anti-apoptotic target genes. However, there is little evidence analyzing the outcome of NF-κB inhibition on the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in studies describing pro-apoptotic NF-κB activity. In this study, we further characterize the activation of NF-κB in response to doxorubicin and evaluate its role in chemotherapy-induced cell death in sarcoma cells where NF-κB is reported to be pro-apoptotic. Doxorubicin treatment in U2OS cells induced canonical NF-κB activity as evidenced by increased nuclear accumulation of phosphorylated p65 at serine 536 and increased DNA–binding activity. Co-treatment with a small molecule IKKβ inhibitor, Compound A, abrogated this response. RT–PCR evaluation of anti-apoptotic gene expression revealed that doxorubicin-induced transcription of cIAP2 was inhibited by Compound A, while doxorubicin-induced repression of other anti-apoptotic genes was unaffected by Compound A or siRNA to p65. Furthermore, the combination of doxorubicin and canonical NF-κB inhibition with Compound A or siRNA to p65 resulted in decreased cell viability measured by trypan blue staining and MTS assay and increased apoptosis measured by cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and cleaved caspase 3 when compared to doxorubicin alone. Our results demonstrate that doxorubicin-induced canonical NF-κB activity associated with phosphorylated p65 is anti-apoptotic in its function and that doxorubicin-induced repression of anti-apoptotic genes occurs independent of p65. Therefore, combination therapies incorporating NF-κB inhibitors together with standard chemotherapies remains a viable method to improve the clinical outcomes in patients with advanced stage malignancies.