cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ortega’s Philosophical Anthropology

This chapter begins with an analysis of Ortega’s topology of human soul, which is divided in three levels: the vital, the animated, and the spiritual. We will show that Ortega aims to show the insufficiency of the traditional distinction between the mind and body and to stress the fact that human beings are embodied spirits. Next, we will address two important dimensions of human life: the virtual reality and the need for security. They are a sound basis for establishing a distinction between human and animal ways of being. The chapter will highlight the deep relation between these three concepts and the Orteguian concept of circumstance and the tasks that a “circumstantial” life entails, i.e., the imperative of fidelity to one’s own vocation. We will show that for Ortega, man turns to himself because he needs to stop to think, since life is a permanent “having things to do,” on the basis of a radical insecurity that affects man’s being in the world and the contact with his fellow human beings. This turning to himself is what makes him the animal rationale. This is the reason why the task of “having to do” is not only inescapable but also untransferable.
MiR-23b targets GATA6 to down-regulate IGF-1 and promote the development of congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most universal congenital defect disease. This study explores the interrelationship between miR-23b and GTAT6 in the development of CHD.We collected clinical s...
25 A Eukaryotic Neighbor: Dictyostelium discoideum

The Dictyostelium cells that become stalk cells sacrifice themselves and die to help the spore cells get dispersed, and studies of how different strains either cooperate or cheat to become spore cells is helping to open this field. There are several human diseases or therapies for diseases that can be usefully studied using the simplicity of Dictyostelium to uncover molecular mechanisms. The cells accomplish this by secreting a glycoprotein called prestarvation factor (PSF). Insight into how such a quorum-sensing mechanism functions was gained when it was observed that D. discoideum cells starved at low cell densities differentiate only in buffer previously conditioned by a high density of starved cells. The cell-autonomous musical chairs cell-type choice mechanism causes prespore and prestalk cells to appear at random places within the mound. To maintain the proper ration of prestalk to prespore cells, prespore cells convert to anterior-like cells (ALC), which convert to PstO and then PstA cells. Differentiation-inducing factor (DIF)-1 induces the expression of prestalk genes and represses the expression of prespore genes. In addition to being an excellent organism to study chemotaxis, development, and differentiation, Dictyostelium is also used to understand the molecular basis of disease. One of the diseases under investigation is Legionnaires’ disease, which is caused by an infection by Legionella pneumophila bacteria. In humans, inhaled L. pneumophila is phagocytosed by macrophages present in the lungs. Dictyostelium uses both G-protein-coupled receptors and two-component receptors, while myxobacteria use two-component systems.
The Dynamic Gait Index in Evaluating Patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus for Cerebrospinal Fluid Diversion.

Background Diagnosing normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) remains challenging. Most clinical tests currently used to evaluate suspected NPH patients for shunt surgery are invasive, require inpatient admission, and are not without complications. An objective, noninvasive, and low-cost alternative would be ideal. Methods A retrospective review was performed of prospectively collected dynamic gait index (DGI) scores, obtained at baseline and on every day of a 3- to 5-day lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage trial on patients with suspected NPH at our institution. Results Between 2003 and 2014, 170 patients were suspected to have primary NPH (166, 97.6%) or secondary NPH (4, 2.4%). Using responsiveness to lumbar CSF drainage and subsequent shunting as the reference standard, we found that a baseline DGI ≥7 was found to have significant ability in selecting patients for permanent CSF diverting shunt surgery: sensitivity of 84.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 75.6%–90.2%), specificity of 80.6% (95% CI 70.0%–88.0%), and diagnostic odds ratio of 22.1 (95% CI 9.9–49.3). Conclusions A baseline DGI ≥7 appears to provide an objective, low-cost, noninvasive measure to select patients with suspected NPH for a positive response to CSF diversion with high sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio.
Selected vitamin D metabolic gene variants and risk for autism spectrum disorder in the CHARGE Study

Abstract Background Vitamin D is essential for proper neurodevelopment and cognitive and behavioral function. We examined associations between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and common, functional polymorphisms in vitamin D pathways. Methods Children aged 24–60months enrolled from 2003 to 2009 in the population-based CHARGE case–control study were evaluated clinically and confirmed to have ASD (n=474) or typical development (TD, n=281). Maternal, paternal, and child DNA samples for 384 (81%) families of children with ASD and 234 (83%) families of TD children were genotyped for: TaqI , BsmI , FokI , and Cdx2 in the vitamin D receptor ( VDR ) gene, and CYP27B1 rs4646536, GC rs4588, and CYP2R1 rs10741657. Case–control logistic regression, family-based log-linear, and hybrid log-linear analyses were conducted to produce risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each allelic variant. Results Paternal VDR TaqI homozygous variant genotype was significantly associated with ASD in case–control analysis (odds ratio [OR] [CI]: 6.3 [1.9–20.7]) and there was a trend towards increased risk associated with VDR BsmI (OR [CI]: 4.7 [1.6–13.4]). Log-linear triad analyses detected parental imprinting, with greater effects of paternally-derived VDR alleles. Child GC AA-genotype/A-allele was associated with ASD in log-linear and ETDT analyses. A significant association between decreased ASD risk and child CYP2R1 AA-genotype was found in hybrid log-linear analysis. There were limitations of low statistical power for less common alleles due to missing paternal genotypes. Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that paternal and child vitamin D metabolism could play a role in the etiology of ASD; further research in larger study populations is warranted.
Bitmap rotation, raster shear, and block diagram construction

Abstract This paper describes the mathematical theory required to construct block diagrams on a personal computer and presents output of a working Macintosh program written by the author. As is common in graphics-intensive applications, efficiency of computation is more important than succinct solution of equations. When applied to thousands of pixels, traditional methods of calculation are much too slow to permit interactive control of bitmapped images. Instead, the images on the sides of a block must be obtained by deformation. Despite appearances, no orthogonal rotation tensors are employed; instead, images are manipulated by shear displacement of rows or columns of pixels. This process has implications for strain studies; oblique superposition of simple shear zones of the same sense may lead to highly rotational deformation states with very little distortion.
Path consistency in a network of non-convex intervals

Reasoning about time often involves incomplete information about periods and their relationships. Varieties of incompleteness include uncertainty about the number of objects involved, the distribution of a set of temporal relations among these objects, and what can be called the participation of a set of objects in a temporal relation. A solution to the problem of representing and reasoning about incomplete temporal information of these kinds is forthcoming if a restricted class of non-convex intervals (called n-tntervals) is added to the temporal domain of discourse. An n-interval corresponds to the common sense notion of a recurring period of time with a (possibly) unspecified number of occurrences. In this paper, we formalize a representation for temporal reasoning problems using n-intervals. The language of the framework is restricted in such a way that tractable techniques from constraint satisfaction can be applied. Specifically, it is demonstrated how the problem of determining path-consistency in a network of binary n-interval relations can be solved.
OTX2 and CRX rescue overlapping and photoreceptor-specific functions in the Drosophila eye.

Background—Otd-related transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved to control anterior patterning and neurogenesis. In humans, two such factors, OTX2 and CRX, are expressed in all photoreceptors from early specification through adulthood and associate with several photoreceptor-specific retinopathies. It is not well understood how these factors function independently vs. redundantly, or how specific mutations lead to different disease outcomes. It is also unclear how OTX1 and OTX2 functionally overlap during other aspects of neurogenesis and ocular development. Drosophila encodes a single Otd factor that has multiple functions during eye development. Using the Drosophila eye as a model, we tested the ability of the human OTX1, OTX2, and CRX genes, as well as several disease-associated CRX alleles, to rescue the different functions of Otd. Results—Our results indicate the following: OTX2 and CRX display overlapping, yet distinct subfunctions of Otd during photoreceptor differentiation; CRX disease alleles can be functionally distinguished based on their rescue properties; and all three factors are able to rescue rhabdomeric photoreceptor morphogenesis. Conclusions—Our findings have important implications for understanding how Otx proteins have subfunctionalized during evolution, and cement Drosophila as an effective tool to unravel the molecular bases of photoreceptor pathogenesis.
High-Tech Firm Clustering: Implications for Rural Areas

High-tech firms continue to receive widespread attention as potential engines of local economic development. These firms are not only expected to pay higher wages and demand greater skills of their workers, but also to grow more rapidly than other types of firms (Barkley, Dahlgran, and Smith; Glasmeier). It is also widely known that-although exceptions exist-high-tech firms tend to cluster or colocate, with Silicon Valley or Boston's Route 128 being among the better-known examples. This clustering, which is not unique to the high-tech industry, in turn raises doubts as to whether rural communities will be able to attract the critical mass of firms needed to create
The Big Picture: Symbolic Data Analysis

I went back to school this past spring semester. To be more precise, I sat in on a special topics course on symbolic data analysis offered by one of my colleagues who is a pioneer in this topic. I ...
Binary kernel matrices of maximum exponents of polar codes of dimensions up to sixteen

The pioneering work of Arikan on polar codes is based on a kernel matrix of dimension two and exponent 0.5. To achieve larger exponent in order to improve performance, kernel matrices of larger dimensions are considered. In this paper, constructions of binary kernel matrices of dimensions up to 16 with maximum exponents are presented. The results show that the minimum dimension for which there exists a kernel matrix with exponent greater than 0.5, i.e., exceeds the exponent of the kernel matrix proposed by Arikan, is 15.
The molecular genetics of post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders

The post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders represent a significant clinical and diagnostic problem. However, these disorders also represent an important biological model for studying the development and progression of lymphoid neoplasia in immune deficiency. Accurate diagnosis and classification of these disorders requires correlative multiparametric analysis of the clinical behavior of the patient with the histopathological features, immunophenotype, clonal composition, and genetic alterations of the lymphoproliferative disorder. Such analyses should also assist in furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Observations on the Transition Process of Two-Dimensional Supersonic Wakes

A detailed study has been made of the flow properties in the two-dimensional supersonic wake behind a heated slender flat plate. This wake exhibits a sequence of well-defined laminar, transitional, and turbulent regimes. The data included the mean (average) properties, the mod ally-resolved fluctuations and their spectra, and the fluctuation scales. The lateral wake profiles first depart from laminar similarity at the virtual origin of turbulence and reach turbulent similarity 500 thicknesses later; a large increase in kinematic viscosity and a small decrease in Prandtl number mark the transition zone. The wide-band fluctuations increase smoothly and the scales decrease greatly through transition towards magnitudes representative of turbulent wakes. However fluctuations as high as 10% of the deficits, as well as distinct scale sizes, were noted in the pretransitional wake. Spectrum analysis suggested that this is because of a laminar oscillation fitting in the predictions of laminar stability theory. Evidence was gathered that this oscillation triggers transition by spectral dispersion and remains visible in the turbulent wake, perhaps as a turbulence instability.
Laminar developing flow and heat transfer between a series of parallel plates with surface mounted discrete heat sources

Abstract Laminar developing flow (DF) and heat transfer between a series of conducting parallel plates (substrate) with surface mounted heat generating blocks were numerically studied with consideration given to flow of air (Pr = 0.7). These channels resemble cooling passages of electronic equipment. A single channel subjected to a repeated condition in the transverse direction was isolated as a computational domain. The governing equations were solved by a finite volume technique. The results of the DF problem were compared with the corresponding periodically fully developed flow (PDF) problem results and used to establish entry length. Thermal entry length decreased with an increase in substrate conductivity. Thermal performance of channels was characterized in terms of thermal resistance per unit length of the channel. To separate the effects of self heating and upstream heating for each module, thermal resistance based on the channel inlet temperature ( R o ) and module inlet bulk temperature ( R m ) was defined. These thermal resistances were correlated with the independent parameters such as the Reynolds number (Re), substrate thickness ( t w ), block height ( h w ), block spacing ( s w ), channel height ( d w ), and thermal conductivity ratio of the solid to fluid ( K s K f ). The thermal resistance was found to decrease with an increase in Reynolds number, block spacing and substrate conductivity. The thermal resistance increased with an increase in the area of bypass flow ( 1− h d ), substrate thickness ( t w ) and block height ( h w ).
Experts' Circumvention of Processing Limitations: An Example From the Sport of Orienteering

This article provides a discussion of how experts in the sport of orienteering are able to circumvent natural limits on information processing during performance and thus acquire a performance adva...
Separation of dipeptides by high-resolution gas chromatography on a fused silica capillary column after trimethylsilylation

Abstract Separation of trimethylsilyl derivatives of over 50 dipeptides was achieved by high-resolution gas chromatography using a fused silica capillary column coated with methyl silicone liquid phase. Excellent peak symmetry and reproducibility were obtained. Several pairs of sequence isomeric dipeptides could also be well separated. Application of this approach to peptide sequencing by means of the dipeptidyl aminopeptidase-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method is also discussed.
The relationship between international bond markets and international stock markets

Abstract This paper investigates interrelationships between international bond and international stock markets over the period November 1988 through December 1993. The analysis employs the Morgan Stanley Capital International World index as a proxy for international equity markets and the Salomon Brothers World Bond index as a proxy for international bond markets. Using cointegration and Granger causality methodology, the study finds that (1) bidirectional causality exists between stock market returns and bond market returns; and (2) international markets were more inefficient during the first half of the study period than during the second half.
Magnetostratigraphy, Late Devonian iridium anomaly, and impact hypotheses

Paleomagnetism, sedimentology, and fine-scale stratigraphy have been integrated to explain the origin of an iridium anomaly in the Late Devonian of Western Australia. Thermal demagnetization experiments were carried out on 93 specimens of marginal-slope limestone form the northern Canning Basin. Samples are from a condensed sequence of deep-water (> 100 m) Frutexites microstromatolites. Frutexites is a shrublike cyanobacterial organism that probably precipitated hematite, or a metastable precursor, from sea water. When plotted within the microstratigraphic framework for the study area, the observed characteristic directions from the sampled interval (14.5 cm thick) are in five discrete, layer-parallel, normal- and reversed-polarity zones. The measured northeast-southwest declinations and shallow inclinations probably record Late Devonian magnetostratigraphy on a centimetre scale. The Frutexites bed studied there occurs close to the Frasnian/Famennian (Late Devonian) boundary, a time of mass extinction of a wide variety of marine organisms throughout the world. Anomalously high iridium concentrations observed in the Frutexites bed have suggested to some authors that the mass extinction was caused by meteorite impact. This study concludes that iridium, which is present over the span of five layer-parallel magnetic reversals, was concentrated over a long period of time by biologic processes. Thus, the Canning Basin iridium anomalymore » may be unrelated to meteorite impact.« less
The U.S. Thrombosis and Hemostasis Centers pilot sites program

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite important advances in understanding the etiology of VTE, delivery of care to patients with thrombosis and thrombophilia is frequently incomplete and highly variable. A comprehensive model of health care has been used successfully to treat and prevent complications for people with hemophilia and other chronic disorders. The effectiveness of an integrated healthcare model for patients with all coagulation disorders has yet to be evaluated. The Division of Hereditary Blood Disorders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collaborating with eight Thrombosis and Hemostasis Centers (pilot sites) to provide health-related services and conduct research directed toward the reduction or prevention of complications of thrombosis and thrombophilia. The initial objectives of the collaboration are to (1) determine the efficacy of integrated multidisciplinary care and prevention services for people with hemostatic disorders, (2) assess unmet needs for service delivery and identify outreach strategies to improve access to care, (3) develop effective messages aimed at disease management and prevention, and (4) foster the development of training programs to enhance provider skills for the delivery of patient care. To address these objectives, the investigators and CDC have developed and implemented a web-based patient registry to follow prospectively service allocation and patient outcomes. Funding for the program began in October 2001. All eight funded centers are affiliated with U.S. medical schools. Principal investigators at the centers are hematologists (five adult, two pediatric) or cardiologists. Faculty in obstetrics-gynecology, surgery, and multiple other specialties are integral to the model of care at the centers. Other critical components at the centers are clinical laboratory services, training programs, research networks, and education and outreach programs. From August 2003 to March 2006, over 2,600 patients were enrolled in the registry, accounting for a total of more than 5,000 visits to the centers. Immediate goals of the data collection at the centers are to characterize patients receiving care at centers and document the state of health services provided. Long-term goals are to evaluate prospectively clinical outcomes for patients receiving multidisciplinary care and prevention services at centers. The network of data collection across centers will facilitate future collaborative clinical and epidemiologic investigations and enhance collective expertise in hemostasis and coagulation disorders.
A comparative study of protein synthesis in in vitro systems: from the prokaryotic reconstituted to the eukaryotic extract-based

Background Cell-free protein synthesis is not only a rapid and high throughput technology to obtain proteins from their genes, but also provides an in vitro platform to study protein translation and folding. A detailed comparison of in vitro protein synthesis in different cell-free systems may provide insights to their biological differences and guidelines for their applications.
A Solution to the Inverse Scattering Problem of Large Conducdting Objects

We describe two solutions to problems of electromagnetic wave scattering by large conducting objects. The solutions are equivalent to each other in the sense that they produce the same scattered field if no approximations are made. When we do make approximations these solutions give rise to the so-called physical-optics solution and the image-induction solution and do not yield the same calculated projection data. Nevertheless, our derivations show that, for the general bistatic case, the two solutions produce inverse scattering equations of the same form. Thus when experimental data are used for reconstructing image, it does not matter whether the reconstruction is based on the physical-optics solution or the image-induction solution. Both solutions give the same image.
Predictive simulations of the structural and adsorptive properties for PIM-1 variations

Despite the sizeable and growing body of research on polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), a greater understanding of the relationship between the monomer, polymer–polymer and polymer–gas int...
Structural integrity: safety in miniature technology

Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS) sensing and actuation devices are poised to reinvent the cyber-physical world by providing environmental connectivity in unprecedented ways. MEMS accelerometers and transducers open the door to sensor networks embedded in physical structures, armed with the ability to monitor structural integrity. Such applications are the hallmark of deeply embedded systems, where autonomy, communication, and cyber-physical interaction play pivotal roles in system effectiveness. Realization of these next-generation embedded systems will require expertise spanning a variety of domains, further exacerbating the already significant integration effort of modern design. To this end, we propose a system-level design methodology that promotes functional correctness through specification of latency-insensitive (or event-based) behavior.
Lymphomyeloid organs of amphibia. III. Antibody synthesis and lymph glands in larval bullfrogs

Bullfrog larvae with lymph glands removed failed to synthesize antibodies to BSA but they rejected skin allografts normally. Tadpoles with unilaterally removed lymph glands had antisera with detectable titers equivalent to unoperated animals. Lymph glands are composed of macrophages which line sinusoids interposed between cords of lymphoid cells.
Comment on ‘‘Optical carriage for laser‐induced fluorescence in a magnetized plasma’’ [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 59, 2306 (1988)]

Anderegg et al. use a multimode optical fiber to transport their laser beam to a plasma for laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) experiments. While this method of laser light transportation is convenient, it is not suitable for all experiments. Experimenters considering using a multimode fiber should be aware of two undesirable complications that result from interference between various guided modes. First, for the measurement of the Doppler broadened line shapes, interference patterns may introduce undesirable inhomogeneous saturation line broadening. Second, for broadband ion density measurements, bending the fiber varies the interference pattern which alters the effective observed volume yielding unpredictable changes in the measured signal strength, particularly when the experiment requires high spatial resolution.
The Role of Motility in Gastric Mucosal Injury and Protection

Several animal studies have helped to investigate the role of motility in gastric mucosal injury. The administration of solid food to rats receiving subcutaneous indomethacin (indometacin) 30 mgj kg reduced the incidence of lesions in the body of the stomach compared with that in rats receiving indomethacin alone; however, lesions in the antrum and intestine became more prominent, and it was proposed that increased antral activity was involved in this mechanism. Similarly, fasted rats who received indomethacin and then were fed developed antral ulcers. However, a low residue diet decreased the incidence and number of lesions, although it is not known whether such a diet affects gastric motility. To determine whether stomach lesions, induced by cold-restraint stress in rats, were a result of increased acid secretion or increased gastric motility, animals were given papaverine, a strong smooth muscle inhibitor. The antral lesions decreased and it was postulated that, at least in this model, antral ulcers were mainly a result . of increased gastric antral motility, with antral contractions in these animals being more prolonged and of higher amplitude. Although it is difficult to extrapolate these results to the human situation, information suggests that gastric emptying is accelerated in duodenal ulcer patients, presumably resulting in increased acid delivery to the duodenal bulb. Studies in animals with induced duodenal ulcers indicated that increased duodenal motility was associated with an increased clearance of bicarbonate, reducing the buffering capacity in the duodenal bulb. However, measurement of duodenal transit and duodenal bulb clearance in patients with active or inactive duodenal ulcer failed to demonstrate any differences from a control group, suggesting this may not be a mechanism in humans. In patients with gastric ulcers, antral contractions are decreased and this may be related to impaired or delayed gastric emptying. Additionally, decreased pyloric pressure has been demonstrated and there is some evidence for increased duodenalgastric reflux in these patients. However, it has not been demonstrated that increased duodenalgastric reflux produces gastritis or gastric ulcer, and, after gastric ulcer healing, abnormal antral motility, decreased pyloric pressure and increased duodenal-gastric reflux persist. Thus, the role of . duodenal-gastric reflux in the pathogenesis of gastric lesions, particularly of gastric ulcer, remains questionable. In animal studies, stress has been associated with a decrease in antral contractions. However, in general, the response depends on the type of stress used, and both humans and animals may adapt to repeated stress by producing a change in response. In conclusion, the role of motility in gastric mucosal injury and protection remains to be defined, and as yet there is no strong evidence that motility per se is an important predisposing factor in gastroduodenal mucosal lesions.
Tobacco mosaic virus, not just a single component virus anymore.

Summary Taxonomy: Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is the type species of the Tobamovirus genus and a member of the alphavirus-like supergroup. Historically, many tobamoviruses are incorrectly called strains of TMV, although they can differ considerably in sequence similarities and host range from each other and from TMV. Physical properties: TMV virions are 300 × 18 nm rods with a central hollow cavity (Fig. 1) and are composed of 95% capsid protein (CP), and 5% RNA. Each CP subunit interacts with 3-nts in a helical arrangement around the RNA. Virions are stable for decades; infectivity in sap survives heating to 90 °C. Figure 1. Electron micrograph of TMV virions stained with uranyl acetate. Courtesy of Dr J.N. Culver, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. Download figure to PowerPoint Hosts: The natural host range of TMV is limited; however, a broad range of weed and crop species, mostly Solanaceae that includes tobacco, pepper and tomato can be infected experimentally [Holmes, F.O. (1946) A comparison of the experimental host ranges of tobacco etch and tobacco mosaic viruses. Phytopathology, 36, 643–657]. TMV distribution is worldwide. No biological vectors are known. Useful website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/71010001.htm
High yield and high specific activity synthesis of [18F]fallypride in a batch microfluidic reactor for micro-PET imaging

[(18)F]fallypride was synthesized in a batch microfluidic chip with a radiochemical yield of 65 ± 6% (n = 7) and an average specific activity of 730 GBq μmol(-1) (20 Ci μmol(-1)) (n = 4). Specific activity was ~2-fold higher than [(18)F]fallypride synthesized in a macroscale radiosynthesizer, despite starting with significantly less radioactivity, and thus safer conditions, in the microchip.
Matrilysin (matrix metalloproteinase 7) in parturition, premature rupture of membranes, and intrauterine infection

Abstract Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases are enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrix components. Matrilysin (matrix metalloproteinase 7), a novel member of this family, degrades fibronectin and proteoglycans. The objective of this study was to determine whether parturition (either term or preterm), premature rupture of the membranes, and microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity are associated with changes in the amniotic fluid concentration of matrilysin. Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 275 women in the following categories: (1) second trimester, (2) term not in labor, (3) term in labor, (4) term with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity, (5) preterm labor with intact membranes without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity who delivered at term, (6) preterm labor without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity who delivered preterm, (7) preterm labor with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity, (8) preterm premature rupture of membranes with and without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity, and (9) term premature rupture of membranes not in labor and without microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity. Matrilysin concentrations were measured with a sensitive specific immunoassay that was validated for amniotic fluid. Results: Matrilysin was detectable in 97.4% (268/275) of the samples. The concentration of matrilysin increased with advancing gestational age ( r = 0.8; P P P P Conclusion: Matrilysin is a physiologic constituent of amniotic fluid, and its concentration increases with advancing gestational age. Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity in preterm gestations was associated with a significant increase in amniotic fluid concentration of matrilysin. Matrilysin therefore may play a role in the host defense mechanism. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1545-53.)
Cell Cycle: Stressed Out of Mitosis

Cells in early stages of chromosome condensation are very vulnerable, and many stresses that do not damage DNA induce a transient return to late G2 phase. Such stresses include the drug-induced disassembly of microtubules, which triggers an ATM-independent G2 checkpoint pathway involving a novel ubiquitin ligase.
Numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in twin-screw extruders for non-Newtonian materials

A new simplified approach has been proposed for the numerical simulation of the thermal transport in corotating, tangential, and self-wiping twin-screw extruders. It is assumed that the flow domain in a twin-screw extruder can be divided into (i) the translation region (T-region), which represents a flow similar to that in a single-screw channel and (ii) the intermeshing region (I-region), which is located between the two screws. The two regions are simulated separately and then coupled for each screw section to model the overall transport in tangential and self-wiping twin-screw extruders. A finite difference method is employed for the developing flow and temperature fields in the T-region, in order to minimize the computing effort, while a finite element method is employed for determining the interchannel flow mixing and the thermal transport in the I-region. Results are obtained in terms of temperature, velocity, and pressure variations along the screw channels and mixing between the two screws.
Multi-tasking: the Pan-human rubicon

Abstract Chimpanzees (Pan) seem to be capable of cognitive skills previously presumed unique to Homo sapiens. Like young children they can learn human language by observing its use and they seem to have an understanding of both reference and simple syntax. Yet they lack the ability to coordinate their actions among one another with regard to past or future activities. It is suggested that the emergence of such planning capacities and the concomitant expanded comprehension of future and past is a function of the ability to monitor and shift attention between a large number of simultaneous tasks.
The state of the clerkship: a survey of emergency medicine clerkship directors.

Objectives: An emergency medicine (EM) clerkship can provide a medical student with a unique educational experience. The authors sought to describe the current experiential curriculum of the EM clerkship, along with methods of evaluation, feedback, and grading. Methods: A descriptive survey was utilized. Clerkship directors at EM residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education completed an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Ninety-two (70%) of 132 EM clerkship directors completed the survey. Sixty institutions (65%) accepted only fourth-year medical students, and 35% accepted both third- and fourth-year students. The median number of didactic lecture hours provided during each rotation block for students was ten (interquartile range [IQR], 6–16). The average length of a student’s clinical shift was eight hours, while the median number of clinical shifts reported per rotation was 15 (IQR, 14–16). The median number of hours worked weekly by a medical student was 40 (IQR, 35–43). Fifty-four EM clerkship directors (59%) incorporated the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education six core competencies into their evaluation process. Seventy-one clerkship directors (77%) used a shift evaluation card to evaluate the clinical performance of medical students. Fifty-four (59%) incorporated an end-of-rotation written examination to determine the final rotation grade for a medical student. Conclusions: Medical students are exposed to a variety of didactic lectures and procedure labs but have similar experiences regarding shift length and work hours. Methods of evaluation of clinical performance vary across clinical sites. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2007; 14:629–634 a 2007 by the Society for Academic Emergency
Multi-Block Copolymers for Opto-electronics

Multi-block copolymers containing certain rigid conjugated donor blocks, rigid conjugated acceptor blocks, and flexible non-conjugated bridge blocks have been designed, synthesized and characterized. In comparison to blends of the corresponding conjugated donor and acceptor blocks, the synthesized multi-block copolymers exhibited better morphology, increased photoluminescence quenching, and improved charge mobility.
Evaluation of the U.S. Air Force HEART program demonstration

Abstract The HEART program is being demonstrated on four Air Force bases to provide experience that will aid in making plans to extend the program Air Force-wide. Much of the experience will be preserved in the form of two major types of data. One type is the medical and biographical data from the participants, some of which is used in conducting the HEART program activities. The other type of data, relating to the performance of these activities, includes office records and results of some studies designed to furnish detailed information about some of the program activities. We outline plans for summarizing the data and presenting it in a form that will be useful to those who will plan the Air Force-wide program.
Cyclic strain and interstitial flow modulate cardiac fibroblast phenotype through angiotensin II and TGF-β pathways

A fibrotic scar in the myocardium is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition, loss of functioning cardiomyocytes, and the transition of healthy cardiac fibroblasts to a myofibroblast phenotype. Previous research has suggested that the myofibroblast transition is mediated by mechanical stimuli including cyclic strain [1–2] and interstitial fluid flow [3–5].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Acquiring in situ training data for context-aware ubiquitous computing applications

Ubiquitous, context-aware computer systems may ultimately enable computer applications that naturally and usefully respond to a user's everyday activity. Although new algorithms that can automatically detect context from wearable and environmental sensor systems show promise, many of the most flexible and robust systems use probabilistic detection algorithms that require extensive libraries of training data with labeled examples. In this paper, we describe the need for such training data and some challenges we have identified when trying to collect it while testing three context-detection systems for ubiquitous computing and mobile applications.
The importance of ligand kinetic basicity on the preparation of surface-supported zirconium complexes by proton transfer from hydroxylated aluminum or silicon

Surface hydroxylation of Al or Si powders or thin films was readily accomplished under various conditions of oxidation vigor. In the first, the metal was exposed to ambient water; in the second, it was immersed in liquid water; in the third, it was treated with steam. Hydroxylation using D 2 O steam was also accomplished. Metal surfaces thus activated were examined using various spectroscopic techniques including IR and Auger spectroscopies. The reaction between tetraneopentylzirconium or tetra-terg-butoxyzirconium was studied with variously hydroxylated Si or Al. Rates for reaction between the organometallic and surface hydroxyls were studied gravimetrically using the quartz crystal microbalance
Molecular structure of acid-proteases

At long last, the three-dimensional architecture of pepsin-like enzymes — the acid proteases — is no longer a mystery. X-ray crystallographic determinations of the molecular structures of three fungal acid proteases are note available, and should aid the biochemists in their efforts to understand the structure and function of an important and ubiquitous class of enzymes.
Neuroradiologic evaluation of craniocerebral trauma

Modern imaging techniques have greatly aided our ability to diagnose the effects of craniocerebral trauma. Computed tomography (CT), introduced in 1973, revolutionized the evaluation of changes related to trauma, allowing accurate diagnosis of intracerebral and extracerebral areas of blood accumulation. It became readily apparent that in most cases CT was the only exam necessary prior to surgical treatment. CT also accurately evaluates facial bone trauma. Magnetic resonance (MR), widely introduced in 1983, has also aided in diagnosis and is most accurate in cases of subacute and chronic injury, particularly cases involving shearing injuries. Skull films continue to be useful for linear skull fractures.
On the mechanism of enzyme action. XLV. The role of certain dicarboxylic acids in the formation of oxalic acid by wood-destroying molds

Abstract Alkalinity of the medium was shown to be the chief factor involved in the accumulation of oxalate by T. cinnabarina . Glutamate and aspartate are shown to lead to oxalate with this organism and with L. lepideus by dehydrogenation to α-ketoglutarate and oxaloacetate, respectively. Malate was also shown to be dehydrogenated. It is proposed that oxaloacetate may either undergo β-decarboxylation to yield CO 2 and pyruvate, or splitting by coenzyme A to yield oxalate and acetylated coenzyme A. The reversal of this latter reaction is suggested as the explanation of the disappearance of oxalate from culture media. The reduction of resazurin by the dehydrogenase systems of the molds is inhibited by cyanide, indicating the participation of metal systems, such as the cytochromes.
Experimental Evidence from X-Ray Diffraction for Phase Excitations in Solids

The existance of phase excitations (phasons) in a solid with charge-density waves is clearly demonstrated in a diffraction experiment. It is found that a phason temperature factor, analogous to the usual Debye-Waller factor for phonons, must be introduced in interpreting diffraction data. At 90 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, this factor attenuates all first-order satellites by a factor of 4.
A study of 22Mg by the 20Ne(3He, n) reaction

Abstract The reaction 20 Ne( 3 He, n) 22 Mg has been studied at incident energies between 3.4 and 9.4 MeV using a pulsed-beam neutron time-of-flight spectrometer. The ground state mass excess of 22 Mg was determined to be −0.391 ± 0.011 MeV. Thirteen excited states of 22 Mg were observed below an excitation energy of 7.3 MeV. Angular distributions were obtained at incident energies of 9.35, 8.83 and 7.83 MeV and spins and parities were deduced for some of the levels on the basis of DWBA double-stripping calculations.
Large deflections of an inclined cantilever with an end load

Abstract An elastica is weighted on one end and hinged on the other end. The hinged end is then turned by a torque. The solutions depend on the angle turned and a non-dimensional parameter K which represents the relative importance between the end load and flexural rigidity. Approximate solutions for small and large K . and perturbations about the almost vertical cases are found. The results compare well with exact numerical integration. For given K the torque is an extremely non-linear function of the angle turned. Non-uniqueness and hysteresis loops occur when K #62;π/2. The slightly inclined column is also studied.
Pulmonary vasodilator responses to RP 52891 are mediated by activation of a glibenclamide-sensitive KATP+ channel

Abstract Pulmonary vasodilator responses to the K + ATP channel opener, RP 52891, were investigated in the intact-chest cat under constant flow conditions. When pulmonary vascular tone was increased with U46619, intralobar injections of RP 52891 caused dose-related decreases in lobar arterial and systemic arterial pressures without altering left atrial pressure. RP 52891 was more potent than pinacidil but less potent than cromakalim in dilating the pulmonary vascular bed. Pulmonary vasodilator responses to RP 52891, cromakalim and pinacidil, but not to acetylcholine, nitroprusside or isoproterenol, were blocked by glibenclamide. These data demonstrate that RP 52891 has potent pulmonary vasodilator activity in the cat and suggest that responses are due to opening of a glibenclamide-sensitive + ATP channel.
The Estimation of Penicillin K in Commercial Penicillin

A method for the estimation of penicillin K in commercial penicillin together with its development, calculations, and results obtained on commercial samples is presented.
Behavioral and neurochemical alterations in the offspring of rats after maternal or paternal inhalation exposure to the industrial solvent 2-methoxyethanol

The industrial solvent 2-methoxyethanol (2ME) has antifertility effects in male rats at 300 ppm and is teratogenic in rats and rabbits at 50 ppm. The present research investigated if exposure of paternal or maternal animals to 25 ppm 2ME, the current U.S. permissible occupational exposure limit, would produce detectable effects in the offspring. Eighteen male young-adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 25 ppm 2ME 7 hr/day, 7 days/week for 6 weeks; they were then mated with untreated females which were allowed to deliver and rear their young. In addition, groups of 15 pregnant rats were exposed 7 hr/day on gestation days 7-13 or 14-20 and allowed to deliver and rear their young. At birth, litters were culled to 4 females and 4 males for behavioral testing of neuromotor function, activity, and simple learning ability on days 10 through 90. In addition, brains from newborn and 21-day-old offspring were analyzed for neurochemical deviations from controls. No effects on paternal or maternal animals, nor on the number or weight of live offspring, were noted. Behavioral testing revealed significant differences from controls only in avoidance conditioning of offspring of mothers exposed on days 7-13. In contrast, neurochemical deviations were observed in brains from 21-day-old offspring from the paternally exposed group as well as from both maternally exposed groups; changes were numerous in the brainstem and cerebrum but were fewer in the cerebellum and midbrain. Thus it appears that both paternal and maternal inhalation of 25 ppm 2ME produces some effect which is reflected in neurochemical deviations in the offspring.
Post-compiler software optimization for reducing energy

Modern compilers typically optimize for executable size and speed, rarely exploring non-functional properties such as power efficiency. These properties are often hardware-specific, time-intensive to optimize, and may not be amenable to standard dataflow optimizations. We present a general post-compilation approach called Genetic Optimization Algorithm (GOA), which targets measurable non-functional aspects of software execution in programs that compile to x86 assembly. GOA combines insights from profile-guided optimization, superoptimization, evolutionary computation and mutational robustness. GOA searches for program variants that retain required functional behavior while improving non-functional behavior, using characteristic workloads and predictive modeling to guide the search. The resulting optimizations are validated using physical performance measurements and a larger held-out test suite. Our experimental results on PARSEC benchmark programs show average energy reductions of 20%, both for a large AMD system and a small Intel system, while maintaining program functionality on target workloads.