cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of dystrophin immunofluorescence in dystrophinopathy muscle specimens.

L. E. Taylor, Y. J. Kaminoh, C. K. Rodesch and K. M. Flanigan (2012) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology38, 591–601 Quantification of dystrophin immunofluorescence in dystrophinopathy muscle specimens Aims: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is usually associated with absent or nearly absent dystrophin expression at the sarcolemmal membrane. Quantification of very low levels of dystrophin signal in immunofluorescent studies of muscle biopsy sections presents a technical challenge. This is particularly true in the setting of proof-of-principle drug trials, in which the detection and quantification of what may be significant changes in levels of expression is important, even if absolute dystrophin levels remain low. Methods: We have developed a method of image analysis that allows reliable and semi-automated immunofluorescent quantification of low-level dystrophin expression in sections co-stained for spectrin. Using a custom Metamorph script to create a contiguous region spectrin mask, we quantify dystrophin signal intensity only at pixels within the spectrin mask that presumably represent the sarcolemmal membrane. Using this method, we analysed muscle biopsy tissue from a series of patients with DMD, Becker muscular dystrophy, intermediate muscular dystrophy and normal control tissue. Results: Analysis of serial sections on multiple days confirms reproducibility, and normalized dystrophin : spectrin intensity ratios (expressed as a percentage of normal control tissue) correlate well with the dystrophin expression levels as determined by Western blot analysis. Conclusion: This method offers a robust and reliable method of biomarker detection for trials of DMD therapies.
Obtaining the right orbitals is the first step to calculating accurate binding energies for Cu + ion

Abstract We investigate the previously reported poor performance of the G2 method for simple copper systems. We optimized CuH + , CuO + , and CuSi + using the HF, MP2, B3LYP, mPW1PW91, and MPW1K methods with three basis sets. We found multiple solutions to the Hartree–Fock equations, which are the cause for previously reported poor behavior of the G2 method. The orbitals of the lowest-energy unrestricted Hartree–Fock solution do not always generate the lowest-energy correlated wavefunction. Hybrid density functional theory methods are shown to be quite successful for obtaining orbitals and for predicting geometries and atomization energies.
Linear analysis of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in shock-flame interactions

Shock-flame interactions enhance supersonic mixing and detonation formation. Therefore, their analysis is important to explosion safety, internal combustion engine performance, and supersonic combustor design. The fundamental process at the basis of the interaction is the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability supported by the density difference between burnt and fresh mixtures. In the present study we analyze the effect of reactivity on the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability with particular emphasis on combustion lengths that typify the scaling between perturbation growth and induction. The results of the present linear analysis study show that reactivity changes the perturbation growth rate by developing a pressure gradient at the flame surface. The baroclinic torque based on the density gradient across the flame acts to slow down the instability growth of high wave-number perturbations. A gasdynamic flame representation leads to the definition of a Peclet number representing the scaling between perturbation and ther...
Stability of Varicella-Zoster Virus and Herpes Simplex Virus IgG Monoclonal Antibodies

Abstract The stability of 3 monoclonal antibodies was analyzed at various temperatures and freeze/thaw cycles. Two varicella-zoster virus (VZV) IgGs (mAb 4F9 and mAb g62) and 1 herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1 mAb 1D4) were selected for these studies. IgGs were either incubated at various temperatures (25°C, 37°C, 45°C, and 60°C) for different periods of time (0 to 9 weeks) or processed for several freeze/thaw cycles. The reactivities of mAbs 4F9 (IgG1), g62 (IgG1) and 1D4 (IgG2b) were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The results indicated that: (1) all three mAbs were stable at 25°C and 37°C for 9 weeks; (2) although the reactivities of mAbs g62 and 1D4 were diminished after 5 weeks, mAb 4F9 was stable at 45°C for 9 weeks; and (3) all 3 IgGs lost reactivity after overnight incubation at 60°C. In addition, the results showed that the reactivity of mAbs 4F9, g62 and 1D4 was not diminished after 12 freeze/thaw cycles.
Cloning, heterologous expression, and functional characterization of 5-epi-aristolochene-1,3-dihydroxylase from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

Abstract Capsidiol is a bicyclic, dihydroxylated sesquiterpene produced by several solanaceous species in response to a variety of environmental stimuli. It is the primary antimicrobial compound produced by Nicotiana tabacum in response to fungal elicitation, and it is formed via the isoprenoid pathway from 5-epi-aristolochene. Much of the biosynthetic pathway for the formation of this compound has been elucidated, except for the enzyme(s) responsible for the conversion of 5-epi-aristolochene to its dihydroxylated form, capsidiol. Biochemical evidence from previous studies with N. tabacum (Whitehead, I. M., Threlfall, D. R., and Ewing, D. F., 1989, Phytochemistry 28, 775–779) and Capsicum annuum Hoshino, T., Yamaura, T., Imaishi, H., Chida, M., Yoshizawa, Y., Higashi, K., Ohkawa, H., Mizutani, J., 1995, Phytochemistry 38, 609–613. suggested that the oxidation of 5-epi-aristolochene to capsidiol was mediated by at least one elicitor-inducible cytochrome P450 hydroxylase. In extending these observations, we developed an in vivo assay for 5-epi-aristolochene hydroxylase activity and used it to demonstrate a dose-dependent inhibition of activity by ancymidol and ketoconazole, two well characterized inhibitors of cytochrome P450 enzymes. Using degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed to the well conserved domains found within most P450 enzymes, including the heme binding domain, cDNA fragments representing four distinct P450 families (CYP71, CYP73, CYP82, and CYP92) were amplified from a cDNA library prepared against mRNA from elicitor-treated cells using PCR. The PCR fragments were subsequently used to isolate full-length cDNAs (CYP71D20 and D21, CYP73A27 and A28, CYP82E1 and CYP92A5), and these in turn were used to demonstrate that the corresponding mRNAs were all induced in elicitor-treated cells, albeit with different induction patterns. Representative, full-length cDNAs for each of the P450s were engineered into a yeast expression system, and the recombinant yeast assessed for functional expression of P450 protein by measuring the CO difference spectra of the yeast microsomes. Only microsomal preparations from yeast expressing the CYP71D20 and CYP92A5 cDNAs exhibited significant CO difference absorbance spectra at 450 nm and were thus tested for their ability to hydroxylate 5-epi-aristolochene and 1-deoxycapsidiol, a putative mono-hydroxylated intermediate in capsidiol biosynthesis. Interestingly, the CYP71D20-encoded enzyme activity was capable of converting both 5-epi-aristolochene and 1-deoxycapsidiol to capsidiol in vitro, consistent with the notion that this P450 enzyme catalyzes both hydroxylations of its hydrocarbon substrate.
Serologic methods for the early diagnosis of pneumocystis carinii infection in renal allograft recipients

Because of the nephrotoxic action of trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) in cyclosporine (CsA)-treated patients, combined with the (CsA)-treated patients, combined with the possibility of selecting resistant gram-negative or Nocardia asteroides organisms, a monitoring tool to detect early Pneumocystis carinii (PC) infection permitting a selective treatment approach is highly desirable. A review of 401 consecutive renal transplants revealed 26 cases (18 suspected and 8 histologically proved) of PC infection in 21 cadaver and 5 living-related renal recipients. The diagnosis was confirmed in 8/18 patients who were invasively studied by open-lung biopsy (1/2), bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy (4/9), bronchoscopy with brushing (1/2), bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (2/5), and transpleural needle biopsy (0/1)-yielding a confirmed incidence of 2% (8/401). All positive invasive studies had been performed prior to or within 24 hr of the inception of TMP-SMX therapy. Nine of ten negative invasive studies were performed after more than 24 hr of treatment. The mean time from transplantation to the onset of clinical symptoms was 2.5 +/- 1.5 months. The infection rate would be 6.5%, assuming all 18 suspected cases would be PC-positive if studied pretreatment. In order to assess the efficacy of a variety of serologic methods of PC detection, qualitative counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) for P carinii antigen (PC-Ag), IgG antibody reactive with PC (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]), and a latex particle agglutination test (LPA) were performed on 279 sera; 85 sera from the 26 suspected or proved cases, 100 sera from normal age-matched controls, and 94 sera from 78 asymptomatic allograft recipients followed as outpatients. In the eight histologically proven cases, CIE was positive in only 3/8 and turned positive late in the clinical course. LPA was positive in all histologically proved cases; however, it was also positive in 60% of asymptomatic renal recipients. In cases that developed clinical disease, LPA increased in titer weeks to months prior to the onset of symptoms. Additionally, LPA titers decreased or stabilized during successful TMP-SMX therapy, providing an early therapeutic index. Measurement of anti-PC IgG was not useful per se, as it was elevated in both controls and documented PC infection. The combination of very low antibody titer (less than or equal to 1:16) with a positive or increasing LPA PC-Ag titer appeared to be disease-predictive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Genetic variation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II β gene) in the threatened Gila trout, Oncorhynchus gilae gilae

Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae gilae) was federally protected in 1973 because of severe declines in abundance and geographic range size. At present, four relict genetic lineages of the species remain in mountain streams of New Mexico and Arizona, USA. Management actions aimed at species recovery, including hatchery production and restocking of formerly occupied streams, have been guided by information from non-functional genetic markers. In this study, we investigated genetic variation at exon 2 of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II β gene that is involved in pathogen resistance and thus presumably under natural selection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed trans-species polymorphism and a significantly high ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous amino acid changes consistent with the action of historical balancing selection that maintained diversity at this locus in the past. However, Gila trout exhibited low allelic diversity (five alleles from 142 individuals assayed) compared to some other salmonid fishes, and populations that originated exclusively from hatcheries possessed three or fewer MHC alleles. Comparative analysis of genetic variation at MHC and six presumably neutrally evolving microsatellite loci revealed that genetic drift cannot be rejected as a primary force governing evolution of MHC in contemporary populations of Gila trout. Maintenance of diversity at MHC will require careful implementation of hatchery breeding protocols and continued protection of wild populations to prevent loss of allelic diversity due to drift.
Christian Engagement with Islamic kalām in Late 14th-Century Egypt: The Case of al-Ḥāwī by al-Makīn Jirjis Ibn al-ʿAmīd ‘the Younger’

‭Towards the end of the 14th century ce, a Coptic government-bureaucrat-turned-monk called al-Makīn Jirjis ibn al-ʿAmīd produced a theological/ecclesiastical encyclopedia known sometimes as Mukhtaṣar al-bayān fī taḥqīq al-īmān, and sometimes as al-Ḥāwī al-mustafād min badīhat al-ijtihād, or simply as al-Ḥāwī. Book I, Chapter 1, Part 3 of this work is an essay on al-qaḍāʾ wa-l-qadar, which is described in the present essay. In making his case for humanity’s capacity for freely willed action, Ibn al-ʿAmīd presents arguments from the Old Testament and the New; a story from the Kitāb al-Siyāsa fī tadbīr al-riʾāsa (better known as Sirr al-asrār or Secretum secretorum), purportedly a book written by Aristotle for Alexander the Great (which is interesting as a witness to the use of Alexander-material by the Copts); and a typology in which the Muslim mutakallimūn Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāʾīnī, al-Bāqillānī, al-Ashʿarī, Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Baṣrī, and the Muʿtazila in general serve as convenient labels for the positions described—and which turns out to be an epitome of a passage from masʾala 22 of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Kitāb al-Arbaʿīn. While the reproduction of al-Rāzī’s typology hardly amounts to a serious engagement with him or with the list of thinkers just mentioned, it is perhaps not insignificant that, in a time of sharp inter-communal tensions, Ibn al-ʿAmīd should claim the Muʿtazila as allies in his discourse on human freedom.‬
Progressive power lenses

Abstract With the rapidly increasing public awareness of progressive power lenses for the correction of presbyopia, there has been a corresponding proliferation of manufacturers and types of progressive lens designs. This paper discusses the various lens design philosophies, often grouped in “hard” and “soft” categories. In the absence of visible multifocal segment lines, problems arise in attempting to identify the various lens types, in neutralizing progressive lens powers and in dispensing. These problems are discussed from the viewpoint of the refractionist. The advantages and disadvantages of progressives are considered, together with their indications and contraindications.
Separating soil and leaf water 18O isotopic signals in plant stem cellulose

Abstract The oxygen-18 signal of soil and leaf water are both recorded in heterotrophically synthesized plant stem cellulose. Presently, these signals can only be teased apart with modeling and assumptions on the nature of the isotopic enrichment of leaf water. A method by which these two signals are chemically separated and analyzed is tested here. Heterotrophically synthesized cellulose from germinating seeds having a mixture of isotopic signals from the reserve carbohydrate (starch) and that of the water during cellulose synthesis was hydrolyzed and the resulting glucose converted to glucose phenylosazone. The analysis of the 18O/16O ratios of cellulose and of glucose phenylosazone were used to calculate the oxygen isotope ratio of the oxygen attached to the second carbon of the glucose moieties of the cellulose molecule. The calculated δ18O value of this oxygen was highly correlated with that of the water available for cellulose synthesis showing a nearly one-to-one relationship (slope = 1.027) and leading to the conclusion that it completely exchanges with water during heterotrophic cellulose synthesis. Once this method is refined so as to increase precision, it will be possible to derive the δ18O values of soil water available to plants from the oxygen isotope analysis of stem cellulose and its derivative.
Sepsis, Calcineurin, and Cardiac Dysfunction: The Saga of Life and Death

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is a multifactorial event that can be triggered by an array of pathophysiological conditions. The cellular mechanisms by which myocardial apoptosis occurs in response to stress-induced and/or neurocrine-mediated signaling pathways are quite complex. These have
Diffusion coefficient for the Compton Fokker-Planck equation☆

Abstract An exact analytical formula for the diffusion coefficient of the Compton Fokker-Planck equation is derived. The formula is valid for arbitrary values of the electron temperature and photon energy. For applications in production-level radiation transport codes, a fast numerical method to compute the coefficient is presented.
Molecular `` π Pulse'' for Total Inversion of Electronic State Population

Theoretical analysis leads us to the intriguing conclusion that nearly complete electronic population inversion of molecules can be achieved with intense positively chirped broadband laser pulses, as a combined result of vibrational coherence and adiabatic inversion. Strong field quantum calculations demonstrate inversion probabilities of up to 99%. The results are robust with respect to changes in light field parameters as well as to thermal and condensed phase conditions, are supported by experimental evidence, and have many potential applications in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and physics. [S0031-9007(97)05267-8] PACS numbers: 42.50.Hz, 33.80. ‐ b Optimal inversion of the electronic population of a molecular system [1‐7] is an intriguing theoretical problem which has many potential experimental applications to a variety of fields such as (i) the suppression of ground state interference in many types of excited electronic state spectroscopy, scattering, and diffraction experiments, (ii) more effective impulsive photoinitiation of chemical and biochemical reactions as well as their quantum control, (iii) more effective pumping of molecular lasers, (iv) brighter short-pulse fluorescence microscopy of biological samples, and (v) induced transparency. In particular, for many biochemical and biophysical experiments, one would like to achieve maximal electronic excitation or initiation of chemical reactions without damaging the excited molecules or the delicate environment of living cells. In atoms [8] and in some spin systems (nuclear magnetic resonance), where two level approximations are reasonable, complete population inversion by pulses of electromagnetic radiation, where the entire population of one state is transferred to another state, is a long-established technique. The parallel solution for the electronic population of molecules, with their multiple rovibrational states, has not previously been found, although several theoretical calculations have been made [9 ‐ 12]. In this Letter, we demonstrate that such a solution does exist for molecular systems and can be understood with simple physical models. We show that this solution is robust with respect to variation of the parameters of the “pulses” as well as robust to the effects of temperature and of intermolecular interactions. Finally, we point to recent experimental evidence supporting these conclusions. For atoms and quasi-two-level systems, a resonant p pulse has a bandwidth broader than the transition line but narrow enough as to avoid overlap with neighboring absorption lines. A parallel argument for molecular systems suggests that the bandwidth of a possible molecular p pulse should be on the same order as the width of the corresponding molecular absorption spectrum, which is approximately 10 2 to 10 3 cm 21 at room temperature. Ac
Role of dobutamine stress echocardiography in predicting outcome in 860 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Background—Increasingly, dobutamine stress echocardiography has been used for detection of coronary artery disease. Less information exists regarding the incremental prognostic value of the test, including semiquantitative wall scoring, compared with clinical and rest echocardiographic variables. Methods and Results—Follow-up information was obtained from 860 patients who underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography over a 2-year period. To determine the value of dobutamine stress echocardiography in predicting cardiac events, including cardiac death and myocardial infarction, clinical and rest and stress echocardiographic data were considered in a stepwise Cox multivariate regression model. During follow-up of up to 52 months, 72 patients underwent coronary revascularization before any cardiac event and were censored. Eighty-six patients had cardiac events, including nonfatal myocardial infarction in 36 and cardiac death in 50. In a multivariate model, a history of congestive heart failure, the percentag...
Pulmonary Disposition of Tedizolid following Administration of Once-Daily Oral 200-Milligram Tedizolid Phosphate in Healthy Adult Volunteers

This study assessed the pulmonary disposition of tedizolid, an oxazolidinone, in adult volunteers receiving 200 mg of the prodrug tedizolid phosphate orally every 24 h for 3 days to steady state. Plasma samples were collected over the dosing interval, and participants were randomized to undergo bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) at 2, 6, 12, or 24 h after the last dose. Drug concentrations in plasma, BAL fluid, and alveolar macrophages (AM) were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and the urea correction method was used to calculate epithelial lining fluid (ELF) concentrations. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by noncompartmental methods followed by compartmental population pharmacokinetics. Penetration was calculated as the area under the concentration-time curve during the dosing interval (AUC(0-24)) for ELF and AM relative to the free AUC(0-24) (fAUC(0-24)) in plasma. The half-life and volume of distribution in plasma were 9.23 ± 2.04 h and 108.25 ± 20.53 liters (means ± standard deviations), respectively. Total AUC(0-24) in plasma was 25.13 ± 5.78 μg · h/ml. Protein binding was 89.44% ± 1.58%, resulting in a mean fAUC(0-24) of 2.65 ± 0.72 μg · h/ml in plasma. Mean concentrations (μg/ml) at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h were 9.05 ± 3.83, 4.45 ± 2.18, 5.62 ± 1.99, and 1.33 ± 0.59 in ELF and 3.67 ± 1.02, 4.38 ± 2.18, 1.42 ± 0.63, and 1.04 ± 0.52 in AM. ELF and AM penetration ratios were 41.2 and 20.0. The mean ELF penetration ratio after population analyses was 39.7. This study demonstrates that tedizolid penetrates into ELF and AM to levels approximately 40-fold and 20-fold, respectively, higher than free-drug exposures in plasma.
Information networks in the mammary gland

Unique developmental features during puberty, pregnancy, lactation and post-lactation make the mammary gland a prime object to explore genetic circuits that control the specification, proliferation, differentiation, survival and death of cells. Steroids and simple peptide hormones initiate and carry out complex developmental programmes, and reverse genetics has been used to define the underlying mechanistic connections.
How Much is a Healthy River Worth? The Value of Recreation-based Tourism in the Connecticut River Watershed

Data about flow rate, fishing intensity, and expenditures made by anglers can be used to capture some of the recreational value of waterways in economic terms in a way that avoids a number of the weaknesses of the most commonly used tools such as the contingent valuation method. Furthermore, recreational fishing may spur more economic activity than competing uses of riverine flows such as agriculture. This suggests that potential opportunity cost in regards to recreation ought to be a factor considered in management decisions.
Parental disconnect between perceived and actual weight status of children: A metasynthesis of the current research

Purpose: Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Many studies offer a variety of explanations for the alarming increase in childhood obesity; however, none discuss why an apparent disconnect exists in parental perceptions of their child’s weight status. The purpose of this article was to review the current research literature on parental perceptions about their children’s weight. Data source: The articles included in this review were retrieved through a literature search using PubMed. Key words used to obtain relevant articles include childhood obesity, childhood overweight, and parental perception. Conclusions: Several studies looked at parental perceptions of childhood obesity generated from the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, and the United States. Universally, parents were more likely to misperceive their child’s weight. This was especially true for parents who were themselves overweight. Implications for practice: If parents do not recognize their child as at risk for overweight or overweight, they cannot intervene to diminish the risk factors for pediatric obesity and its related complications. More research is needed to identify why this phenomenon occurs. Only then can effective interventions be initiated.
Dynamics of electron solvation in I(-)(CH3OH)n clusters (4 ≤ n ≤ 11).

The dynamics of electron solvation following excitation of the charge-transfer-to-solvent precursor state in iodide-doped methanol clusters, I−(CH3OH)n=4–11, are studied with time-resolved photoelectron imaging. This excitation produces a I…(CH3OH)n− cluster that is unstable with respect to electron autodetachment and whose autodetachment lifetime increases monotonically from ∼800 fs to 85 ps as n increases from 4 to 11. The vertical detachment energy (VDE) and width of the excited state feature in the photoelectron spectrum show complex time dependence during the lifetime of this state. The VDE decreases over the first 100–400 fs, then rises exponentially to a maximum with a ∼1 ps time constant, and finally decreases by as much as 180 meV with timescales of 3–20 ps. The early dynamics are associated with electron transfer from the iodide to the methanol cluster, while the longer-time changes in VDE are attributed to solvent reordering, possibly in conjunction with ejection of neutral iodine from the clus...
Spheroidal particles produced by cavitation erosion

SMOOTH spherical particles have been observed during the microscopic analysis of wear surfaces (ref. 1 and R. S. Miller, personal communication) and of wear particles2 using a new technique called ferrogram developed by Westcott2. These investigators speculated that the spherical particles were produced by cavitation bubbles occurring at the contact surfaces of the bearing. The possibility of cavitation in bearings is well known3; however, it was difficult to understand how these bubbles could produce such perfect microspheres (in the range of 1 to 10 µm in diameter). To verify that cavitation erosion could indeed produce such spheres, we conducted careful experiments with the help of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard vibratory cavitation erosion apparatus; this communication reports the results of this investigation.
Hegel and the extended mind

We examine the theory of the extended mind, and especially the concept of the “parity principle” (Clark and Chalmers in Analysis 58.1:7–19, 1998), in light of Hegel’s notion of objective spirit. This unusual combination of theories raises the question of how far one can extend the notion of extended mind and whether cognitive processing can supervene on the operations of social practices and institutions. We raise some questions about putting this research to critical use.
Prolonged production of hydroxyl radical in rat hippocampus after brain ischemia-reperfusion is decreased by 21-aminosteroids

Abstract Transient global ischemia may lead to persistent production of reactive oxygen species in selected brain regions thereby contributing to selective vulnerability to ischemia. Using cerebral microdialysis, we assessed the production of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH·) in rat hippocampus during global ischemia and reperfusion (IR). During IR, perfusate containing salicylic acid was collected and analyzed for non-enzymatic hydroxylation of salicylate to 2,3-DHBA. Since 21-aminosteroids can attenuate excitatory amino acid-mediated OH· production in the brain, we repeated the experiments after administration of the 21-aminosteroid, U-74389G. The data indicate that 2,3-DHBA level increased progressively between 15 and 60 min after reperfusion, reaching values nearly three times the baseline value at 60 min. U-74389G, given 30 min before ischemia, greatly attenuated the increase in 2,3-DHBA during reperfusion. This is the first evidence for prolonged OH· production in the hippocampus after reperfusion in vivo which can be prevented by 21-aminosteroids.
Error recovery in digital microfluidics for personalized medicine

Due to its emergence as an efficient platform for point-of-care clinical diagnostics, design optimization of digital-microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) has received considerable attention in recent years. In particular, error recoverability is of key interest in medical applications due to the need for system reliability. Errors are likely during droplet manipulation due to defects, chip degradation, and the lack of precision inherent in biochemical experiments. We present an illustrative survey on recently proposed techniques for error recovery. The parameters of the error-recovery design space are shown and evaluated for these schemes. Next, we make use of these evaluations to describe how they can guide error recovery in DMFBs. Finally, an experimental case study is presented to demonstrate how an error-recovery scheme can be applied to real-life biochips.
Observed Relationships between Oceanic Kelvin Waves and Atmospheric Forcing

Abstract The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) has been implicated as a major source of the wind stress variability that generates basin-scale Kelvin waves in the equatorial Pacific. One source of debate concerning this relationship is the apparent difference in the frequencies of the two processes. This work utilizes data from the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array of moored buoys along with outgoing longwave radiation data to show by means of a multiple linear regression model and case studies that the frequency discrepancy is due to a systematic decrease in the phase speeds of the Kelvin waves and an increase in the period of the waves toward the east as conditions adjust toward El Nino. Among the potential contributing factors to this phase speed decrease is an apparent air–sea interaction that enhances the wind forcing of some of the Kelvin waves, allowing them to continue to amplify because the propagating wind stress anomaly decelerates to the speed of the developing Kelvin wave instead of the sig...
The PKC inhibitor Ro31-8220 blocks acute amphetamine-induced dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens

Abstract Acute administration of the psychostimulant amphetamine increases extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) by reversing the DA transporter on ascending midbrain DA neurons. In vitro studies using striatal synaptosomal, slice and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) tissue preparations have implicated protein kinase C (PKC) in this effect. The present study further examined this effect in vivo by assessing the ability of the PKC inhibitor, Ro31-8220 (10 μM), to inhibit acute amphetamine-induced DA overflow when applied with this drug to the NAcc via reverse dialysis. Amphetamine was applied at a concentration of 30 μM, and the core and shell subregions of the NAcc were assayed separately in freely moving rats. These brain regions play a role in the acute locomotor-activating and motivational effects of amphetamine. Consistent with the findings of previous in vitro experiments, reverse dialysis of Ro31-8220 with amphetamine robustly attenuated the ability of this drug to increase extracellular levels of dopamine in both the core and shell subregions of the NAcc. These results confirm that amphetamine stimulates dopamine overflow via a PKC-dependent mechanism.
The Effects of Watching Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 on Voting Intentions, Mood, and Beliefs About Why President Bush and His Administration Initiated War in Iraq

This study evaluated the effects of viewing Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 with a survey conducted in 4 California theaters. Seventy-three prefilm participants completed surveys as they were about to see the film, and 127 postfilm participants completed surveys as they exited the theater (N = 200). Compared to prefilm participants, postfilm participants were more likely to attribute the war to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, oil companies, defense contractors, and the Saudi leaders. Also, postfilm participants were more likely to see a desire for oil and global domination as motivations behind the Bush administration's initiation of the war and less likely to endorse the Bush Administration's rationales. Furthermore, postfilm participants viewed President Bush more negatively, reported less likelihood that they would vote for Bush for President, and they felt angrier, more fearful, and sadder. These results indicate that a documentary film can have significant immediate effects in the direction inten...
Density of phonon states in amorphous germanium and silicon

Abstract The density of phonon states in amorphous germanium and silicon is calculated by statistically averaging the crystalline phonon density of states according to the radial distribution function. A simple rigid ion model is used to calculate the density of phonon states at various lattice spacings. The appropriate model parameters are obtained from the pressure dependent elastic constants and the Raman frequency. The calculated results compare favorably to experimental data obtained by infrared and Raman scattering and the results of other theoretical calculations.
Capacity measurements on platinum-gold alloys in sulphuric acid solution

Abstract The impedance of heterogeneous platinum-gold alloys was measured at frequencies between 100 and 10,000 c/sec in the potential range between hydrogen and oxygen evolution by voltammetry with superimposed alternating voltage. The shape of the capacity-potential curves of the alloys with gold contents below 40 atomic % is largely determined by the platinum-rich phase of the alloys. Above 40 atomic % the gold-rich phase becomes increasingly predominant with gold content. Small amounts of the platinum-rich phase at the surface are recognizable up to 60 atomic % Au by the pseudocapacity of the Volmer reaction in the hydrogen region. The frequency dispersion of the double-layer impedance is attributed to the heterogeneity of the surface of the alloys.
The emergence of representation in search: Understanding the hider as an independent agent

Abstract Corrigan's results point the way toward a reconceptualization of how the development of representation affects search. The child does not cognitively recreate the invisible displacements of the object. Instead she seems to understand that the hider is an independent agent who can use simple hiding strategies that the child does not directly perceive. This representational skill for search, we propose, is one realization of a general representational capacity that emerges late in the second year. The general capacity is defined structurally as the ability to coordinate two sensorimotor systems into a single skill. Although there seem to be some discontinuities in the emergence of the representational capacity, its development is mostly gradual and continuous.
Pneumoperitoneum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema after colonoscopy in a patient with Crohn's disease

Pneumoperitoneum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema after colonoscopy in a patient with Crohn's disease
Outcome predictors and spectrum of treatment eligibility with prospective protocolized management of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective Risk predictors, spectrum of treatment eligibility, and range of expected outcomes have not been validated in consecutive series including all cases of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) subjected to a prospective management protocol based on current guidelines. Methods Eighty-six cases of ICH were prospectively identified in conjunction with screening for a clinical trial during an 18-month period. All patients were subjected to protocolized management based on published "best practice" guidelines for ICH. Medical records were reviewed by trained researchers, and outcomes were assessed at various time points including latest follow-up (range, 0-24 months; mean, 3.97 months). Initial assessment parameters, treatment eligibility, and outcomes were based on standardized criteria. Results In accordance with past literature, mortality and functional outcomes were significantly worse in older patients, those with a larger ICH volume, and worse Glasgow Coma Scale scores, in univariate and multivariate models. The presence and severity of associated intraventricular hemorrhage also correlated with mortality and outcome. Significantly lower mortality (P = 0.024) and better functional outcomes (P = 0.018) were achieved at 30 days in patients with an ICH volume of less than 30 cm in this series than in previously published community-based historical controls without protocolized care. A tight correspondence between treatment eligibility and treatment administered was found. Conclusion Previous estimates of poorer outcome in patients with ICH might not apply to contemporary management protocols, especially in patients with a smaller ICH volume. Outcome ranges in various risk categories and modeling of treatment eligibility will help project more realistic prognostication and assist with the design of future trials.
Abstract 499: NFATc1 is a novel invasion promoter in colorectal cancer

Colorectal carcinoma is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. In order to understand the mechanism/signaling pathways responsible for invasion, migration and metastasis in colorectal cancer, our lab successfully modeled human cancer invasion/metastasis using mouse colon cancer cells. We have developed an integrative and comparative computational approach to reveal transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying colon cancer progression. Applying this approach to fourteen human colorectal cancer (CRC) microarray data sets and to one microarray dataset from an immunocompetent mouse model of metastasis, we identified known and novel transcriptional regulators in CRC. Among these transcriptional regulators, the Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells (NFAT) family of transcription factors play a central role in inducible gene transcription in various signaling pathways including regulation of cell differentiation, development, adaption, immune system response, inflammation, adipocyte metabolism, and lipolysis, and carcinogenesis. We found that an NFAT-driven transcriptional program significantly correlates with disease-free survival in multiple CRC Stage II patients. Using quantitative real time RT-PCR, we validated high NFATc1 expression in a subgroup of stage II colorectal cancer patients and differential expression of predicted NFATc1 targets in the same patients. The tumor-associated NFATc1 co-regulated gene signature was associated with worse clinical survival outcomes in stage II colorectal cancer patients. In comparison with parental MC38 mouse colon cancer cells, NFATc1 expression is increased in MC38 met cells selected for invasive and metastatic ability, RNAi-based inhibition of NFATc1 expression in the MC38 met cells resulted in decreased invasiveness in a transendothelial invasion model. Our studies suggest a role for NFATc1 as a tumor promoting transcription factor that contributes to invasion in colon cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 499. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-499
Selecting oversized donor cardiac allografts for patients with pulmonary hypertension may be unnecessary.

Abstract Introduction There is a tendency to favor oversized donor hearts for heart transplant candidates affected by mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension (PHTN). We hypothesize that both undersized and oversized donor hearts fare equally well in this setting. Methods A total of 107 cases from 2003 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed and subsequently divided into those receiving organs from undersized donors (group 1: donor weight/recipient weight ≤0.90, n = 37) and oversized donors (group 2: donor weight/recipient weight ≥1.2, n = 70). PHTN was identified in the perioperative period in those patients with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) ≥40 mm Hg. Endpoints of mortality and hemodynamic data were investigated. Results Of 107 patients, 37 received undersized donor allografts, with a mean donor-to-recipient weight ratio of 0.8, and 70 received oversized donors allografts, with a mean donor-to-recipient ratio of 1.4. Perioperative PAH was diagnosed in 20 of the 37 (54%) patients from the undersized group (mean SPAP = 45.9 mm Hg) and 41 of 70 (59%) patients from the oversized group (mean SPAP = 46.5 mm Hg). There was no significant difference in right ventricular function at 1 week, 1 month, or 6 months. Left ventricular function was similar between both groups at 6 months (P = .22). The mean SPAP in the undersized group was 45.9, 33.4, 31.8, and 23.1 mm Hg at the perioperative, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 month time points, respectively. Corresponding mean SPAP for the oversized group was 46.5, 35.0, 29.4, and 26.1 mm Hg. The 1 month, 1 year, and 3 year survivals were similar in both groups. Conclusions Oversized and undersized donor hearts fared equally well in the setting of mild to moderate perioperative PAH. This in addition to the propensity for resolution of pulmonary hypertension over time suggests that the current practice of favoring oversized donor hearts for patients with pre-transplantation PAH may be unwarranted.
THE PANCREAS AND TUBERCULOSIS

During the years 1921–1925, while autopsying guinea pigs that had died of tuberculosis, the senior author noticed that the pancreas remained free of the diseace, macroscopically, even when the lungs, liver and spleen were severely degenerated by the tubercle bacilli; occasionally there seemed to be an enlarged lymphatic gland along the margin of the pancreas, but no serious tuberculous lesion seemed to exist in the glandular tissue itself. All these autopsies, over two hundred in number, were made in the U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry, Denver, Colorado. Dr. Robinovitch asked Dr. Stiles to add his observation to hers when her tuberculous guinea pigs were being autopsied. Dr. Stiles checked up these findings and failed to observe any tuberculous lesions of the pancreas of the guinea pigs that had died of tuberculosis. Dr. Robinovitch then asked the Inspector in charge of Field Work, Dr. W. E. Howe, U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry, Denver. Colorado, to make inquiry at the U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry, Wa...
Experimental investigation of a fast catamaran in head waves

Abstract The present work is about the seakeeping behavior of a fast catamaran advancing in head sea. To this aim seakeeping tests with transient, regular and irregular waves are performed in the rectilinear water tank of CNR-INSEAN. Seakeeping transient tests are used to provide the response amplitude operator for a wide range of wave lengths and several speeds of advancement. These tests allow identifying the Froude number at which the maximum vertical response occurs and an analysis of natural heave and pitch frequencies. A comparison with theoretical predictions is provided. Regular wave tests are used to assess nonlinear effects on the hull motions, as well as the added resistance generated by the increasing steepness and dependency on both the Froude number and wave lengths: therefore several ship speeds, several steepness and wave lengths of the incident wave system are considered. For a similar Froude number range, irregular wave tests are also pursued to investigate the seakeeping properties of the vessel in real scenarios. The estimation of added resistance in wave, its dependency on the Froude number, the investigation of nonlinear effects and the analysis of increased resistance in a real scenario are addressed as well. To make sure the present experimental campaign is valid, it is checked with repeatability analysis and matched with ad hoc experimental data collected at TU Delft. The whole set of measurements is a valuable database for both hydrodynamic studies of high speed catamarans and CFD validation.
How cognitive modeling can benefit from hierarchical Bayesian models.

Abstract Hierarchical Bayesian modeling provides a flexible and interpretable way of extending simple models of cognitive processes. To introduce this special issue, we discuss four of the most important potential hierarchical Bayesian contributions. The first involves the development of more complete theories, including accounting for variation coming from sources like individual differences in cognition. The second involves the capability to account for observed behavior in terms of the combination of multiple different cognitive processes. The third involves using a few key psychological variables to explain behavior on a wide range of cognitive tasks. The fourth involves the conceptual unification and integration of disparate cognitive models. For all of these potential contributions, we outline an appropriate general hierarchical Bayesian modeling structure. We also highlight current models that already use the hierarchical Bayesian approach, as well as identifying research areas that could benefit from its adoption.
Perpendicular ion heating by velocity-shear-driven waves

Perpendicular ion heating resulting from velocity-shear-driven ion-cyclotron waves has been measured for the first time. The experiment was performed in the Naval Research Laboratory's Space Physics Simulation Chamber (SPSC) under plasma conditions approaching those in the natural space environment. Sheared cross-field flow is induced by a controllable, inhomogeneous, transverse, DC electric field (LE ∼ (1–2)ρi) created without drawing significant levels of magnetic-field aligned current. Mode frequency data suggest that the most efficient heating occurs when the Doppler shifted frequency in the ion frame is located near a harmonic of the ion-cyclotron frequency.
Exact classical solution for a Dirac field coupled to a pseudoscalar phi4 field theory.

New, exact, analytic, closed-form, nonperturbative solutions are found for the classical field equations of a spin-(1/2 Dirac field coupled to a spin-0 pseudoscalar field. The pseudoscalar field also is self-coupled via a ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ interaction. The results are generalized to arbitrary rest frames.
Spontaneous degradation of hemoglobin and egg albumin

Abstract Hemolysates of red cells of the horse, after removal of stroma and prolonged dialysis, released free amino acids on standing. A similar release of amino acids was not found when a solution of purified hemoglobin A was allowed to age, but a small number of peptides were found. Crude and purified egg albumin, when allowed to stand in solution, released free amino acids in a manner similar to that of the hemolysate of red cells. Quantitative data on the release of free amino acids are reported in this communication. The variety and distribution of the amino acids make it unlikely that this hydrolytic process is solely the result of contamination by proteolytic enzymes. The proposal is made that this property results from an intrinsic enzyme-like activity associated with the sulfhydryl groups of these proteins.
A Brief History of the Fact Book as an Institutional Research Report.

The early development of the campus fact book parallels the development of institutional research; the fact book, perhaps the most visible of all institutional research reports, reflects much of the accomplishment and status of institutional research as an integral part and essential function of higher education.