cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of GTP-binding proteins in the polyunsaturated fatty acid stimulated proliferation of mouse mammary epithelial cells

Abstract Polyunsaturated fatty acids enhance the proliferation of mouse mammary epithelial cells stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) by modulating the post-receptor signaling pathways. The growth stimulatory effect of these fatty acids is completely inhibited by pertussis toxin, whereas the inhibition of EGF and insulin stimulated growth is only partial. The treatment of cell cultures with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13 acetate (TPA) reverses the growth inhibitory effect of pertussis toxin and fully restores the growth as was in the control cultures untreated with the toxin suggesting a role for PKC in this reversal. It appears that the functions of Gi-proteins are required in the mediation of fatty acid effect on growth. The predominant types of Giα in mammary epithelial cells are Giα 1, Giα 2 and Giα 3. Among these, the levels of Giα 1 and 2 appears to be regulated by steroid hormones. Linoleic acid raises the level of GTP-bound Ras in the cells above the levels induced by EGF. Pertussis toxin reduces the level of Ras-GTP and inhibits phosphorylation of MAP kinase by EGF. It has been speculated that Gi-proteins interact with the receptor bound nucleotide exchange factor and the membrane anchored Raf kinase and constitute two sites for pertussis toxin action. The phosphorylation by PKC may uncouple Gi-protein interaction with these effectors and enable the agonist-induced signals to bypass the inhibitory action of PT on growth. It appears that the role of growth stimulatory fatty acids is to sustain a high level of Ras-GTP and amplify the signal passing through Raf-MAP kinase pathway in a Gi-protein dependent manner.
Three-phase numerical model of water migration in partially frozen geological media: model formulation, validation, and applications

Water in the subsurface of the Earth’s cold regions—and possibly the subsurface of Mars—resides in the liquid, vapor, and ice phases. However, relatively few simulations addressing full three-phase, nonisothermal water dynamics in below-freezing porous media have been undertaken. This paper presents a nonisothermal, three-phase approach to modeling water migration in partially frozen porous media. Conservation equations for water (as ice, liquid, and vapor) and a single gas species (in the gas phase and dissolved in water) are coupled to a heat transport equation and solved by a finite-volume method with fully implicit time stepping. Particular attention is given to the method of spatial differencing when the pore space is partially filled with ice. The numerical model is able to reproduce freezing-induced water redistribution observed in laboratory experiments. Simulations of Earth permafrost dynamics and of the formation and evolution of a planetary-scale cryosphere on Mars demonstrate the new capabilities.
Post traumatic brain perfusion SPECT analysis using reconstructed ROI maps of radioactive microsphere derived cerebral blood flow and statistical parametric mapping

Assessment of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by SPECT could be important in the management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) because changes in regional CBF can affect outcome by promoting edema formation and intracranial pressure elevation (with cerebral hyperemia), or by causing secondary ischemic injury including post-traumatic stroke. The purpose of this study was to establish an improved method for evaluating regional CBF changes after TBI in piglets. The focal effects of moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) by SPECT cerebral blood perfusion (CBP) imaging in an animal model were investigated by parallelized statistical techniques. Regional CBF was measured by radioactive microspheres and by SPECT 2 hours after injury in sham-operated piglets versus those receiving severe TBI by fluid-percussion injury to the left parietal lobe. Qualitative SPECT CBP accuracy was assessed against reference radioactive microsphere regional CBF measurements by map reconstruction, registration and smoothing. Cerebral hypoperfusion in the test group was identified at the voxel level using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). A significant area of hypoperfusion (P < 0.01) was found as a response to the TBI. Statistical mapping of the reference microsphere CBF data confirms a focal decrease found with SPECT and SPM. The suitability of SPM for application to the experimental model and ability to provide insight into CBF changes in response to traumatic injury was validated by the SPECT SPM result of a decrease in CBP at the left parietal region injury area of the test group. Further study and correlation of this characteristic lesion with long-term outcomes and auxiliary diagnostic modalities is critical to developing more effective critical care treatment guidelines and automated medical imaging processing techniques.
Micronutrient-Related Neurologic Complications Following Bariatric Surgery

Nearly two thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese. Accordingly, bariatric surgery experienced explosive growth during the past decade. Current estimates place the worldwide volume of bariatric procedures at greater than 300,000 cases annually. Micronutrient deficiencies are well-described following bariatric surgery, and they may present with devastating and sometimes irreversible neurologic manifestations. Clinical symptoms range from peripheral neuropathy to encephalopathy, and are most commonly caused by thiamine, copper, and B12 deficiencies.
A novel projection approximation algorithm for the fast and accurate computation of molecular collision cross sections (II). Model parameterization and definition of empirical shape factors for proteins

Abstract Parameters for the elements H, C, N, Na, and K for use in conjunction with the projected superposition approximation (PSA) method to compute collision cross sections are derived based on experimental collision cross sections in the temperature range from approximately 80 to 550 K. The application of the PSA method to proteins of up to approximately 300 kDa in weight is discussed based on a set of 396 protein structures downloaded from the protein data bank. The general method allows determination of cross sections with essentially the same accuracy as the trajectory method but at several orders of magnitude less computational cost. In addition, we define an empirical shape factor ρ ˜ for proteins that approximates the computationally intensive part of the PSA calculation and can be used to estimate the PSA cross section based on the classical projection approximation. This empirical method reproduces collision cross sections with an accuracy of approximately 10%.
Curve-based local surface geometry estimation in polyhedral surfaces

Accurate curvature estimation in mesh surfaces is an important problem with numerous applications. Curvature is a significant indicator of ridges and can be used in applications such as: recognition, adaptive smoothing, and compression. Common methods for curvature estimation are based on quadric surface fitting to local neighborhoods. While the use of quadric surface patches simplifies computations, due to its simplicity the quadric surface model is incapable of modeling accurately the local surface geometry and introduces a strong element of smoothing into the computations. Hence, reducing the accuracy of the curvature estimation. The method proposed in this paper models the local surface geometry by using a set of quadratic curves. Consequently, as the proposed model has a large number of degrees of freedom, it is capable of modeling the local surface geometry much more accurately compared to quadric surface fitting. The experimental setup for evaluating the proposed approach is composed of randomly generated Bezier surfaces for which the curvature is known with various levels of additive Gaussian noise. We compare the results obtained by the proposed approach to those obtained by other techniques. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach produces significantly improved estimation results which are less sensitive to noise.
Experimental Surface Heat Transfer and Flow Structure in a Curved Channel With Laminar, Transitional, and Turbulent Flows

Heat transfer and flow structure are described in a channel with a straight portion followed by a portion with mild curvature at Dean numbers from 100 to 1084. The channel aspect ratio is 40, radius ratio is 0.979, and the ratio of shear layer thickness to channel inner radius is 0.011. The data presented include flow visualizations, and spanwise-averaged Nusselt numbers. Also included are time-averaged turbulence structural data, time-averaged profiles of streamwise velocity, spectra of longitudinal velocity fluctuations, and a survey of the radial time-averaged vorticity component. Different flow events are observed including laminar two-dimensional flow, Dean vortex flow, wavy Dean vortex flow (in both undulating and twisting modes), splitting and merging of Dean vortex pairs, transitional flow with arrays of Dean vortex pairs, and fully turbulent flow with arrays of Dean vortex pairs. Transitional events generally first appear in the curved portion of the channel at Dean numbers less than 350 in the form of arrays of counter-rotating Dean vortex pairs. At Dean numbers greater than 350, transitional events occur in the upstream straight portion of the channel but then continue to cause important variations in the downstream curved portion. The resulting Nusselt number variations with curvature, streamwise development, and Dean number are described as they are affected by these different laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow phenomena.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Problems in estimating the prevalence of epilepsy in children: the yield from different sources of information.

Summary. A prevalence study of childhood epilepsy in central Oklahoma allowed a comparison of different sources of case-finding. The percentage of all epilepsy cases identified was lowest (9%) from physicians' office records. Higher rates were obtained from review of emergency room records (40%), hospital inpatient records (45%), electroencephalography (EEG) requisitions (68%) and outpatient clinic records (62%). Nearly one-third of the 1159 epilepsy cases were identified from only one source. EEG requisitions provided most of these cases. Although the percentage of all abstracts from one source that identified cases was lowest for EEG requisitions (43%), these abstracts were prepared with much less effort and time than were abstracts from hospital or clinic records, which had higher levels of efficiency (hospital=52%, clinic=73%). Hospital inpatient records identified a disproportionate number of children with newborn seizures, simple partial epilepsy, and partial seizures secondarily generalised, and children with multiple developmental handicaps. Fully 10% of all cases had an episode of status epilepticus and, as might be expected, emergency room and hospital inpatient records preferentially identified them. We conclude that case-finding for epidemiological studies of epilepsy in children in some communities is best done through review of EEG requisitions, supplemented by information from outpatient records.
Sharing and reuse of service-based geospatial processing through a Web Processing Service

A variety of free, open source GIS tools is now available for geo-related processing. The Web Processing Service (WPS) uses Web Service technology for spatial calculations or easy access to models on the Internet in contrast to traditional geospatial processing, which is standalone, inefficient and often requires purchase of expensive software. A number of standards-compliant geospatial Web services have been developed using Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) functions to manipulate rasters and vectors, and to process satellite image data. The paper adopts the WPS mechanism to expose the existing geospatial processing algorithms in the Web services as the interoperable WPS processes. A 52° North WPS following the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard is used supports the server. The key problem is that the version used with GRASS is incompatible with the version used with WPS. The way to address this challenge is to convert the data structure from WPS XML data input to an intermediate format compatible with GRASS. An open source GeoTools Feature Model would be a major undertaking. Two typical geospatial processes from the WPS would be invoked to handle geospatial data from Web Coverage Service (WCS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). These two cases illustrate that the WPS-enabled algorithm is easily accessed and easily integrated into scientific workflow systems in geospatial modeling. The biggest advantage of is its extremely high efficiency and low cost. (Abstract)
Possible Improvements to the Carnegie Institute of Technology Synchro-Cyclotron

Our synchro-cyclotron is a 450 MeV machine. We want to increase the beam energy and intensity. The magnetic field will be increased by 6 almost radial high field regions. The steel will come within 2 inches of the midplane. A coil close to the gap will reduce the leakage flux. The acceleration electrodes will be confined to two opposite valleys and will be frequency modulated. The machine improvement is still in the talking stage. I wish to describe two computer programs which may help us to a more definite proposal.
Collaborative multi-target tracking using networked micro-robotic vehicles

This paper presents a collaborative target tracking framework, in which distributed mechanisms are developed for tracking multiple mobile targets using a team of networked micro robotic vehicles. Applications of such a framework would include detection of multi-agent intrusion, network-assisted attack localization, and other collaborative search scenarios. The key idea of the developed framework is to design distributed algorithms that can be executed by tracking entities using a mobile ad hoc network. The paper comprises the following components. First, the software and hardware architectural detail of a Swarm Capable Autonomous Vehicle (SCAV) system that is used as the mobile platform in our target tracking application is presented. Second, the details of an indoor self-localization and Kalman filter based navigation system for the SCAV are presented. Third, a formal definition of the collaborative multi-target tracking problem and a heuristic based networked solution are developed. Finally, the performance of the proposed tracking framework is evaluated on a laboratory test-bed of a fleet of SCAV vehicles. A detailed system characterization in terms localization, navigation, and collaborative tracking performance is performed on the SCAV test-bed. In addition to valuable implementation insights about the localization, navigation, filtering, and ad hoc networking processes, a number of interesting conclusions about the overall tracking system are presented.
The Power of Sentiment: Love, Hierarchy and the Jamaican Family Elite

The Power of Sentiment: Love, Hierarchy and the Jamaican Family Elite. Lisa Douglass. Boulder: Westview Press, 1992. 298 pp. $45.00 (cloth). ISBN 0–8133–1522–0.
Pine bark ‐ phosphorus relationships

Abstract Columns of milled pine bark were leached weekly with 576 ml of distilled water for 6 weeks and leachates collected. Leachate analysis indicated that significant amounts of indigenous P were leachable. When ‘Helleri’ holly were grown in pine bark with no P applied, 0.08 mg of indigenous P was absorbed. Studies were also conducted to determine if pine bark adsorbs P. The amount of P adsorbed by pine bark, as determined by equilibrium solution analysis, ranged from 0 to 9.7 μg per g of pine bark when solutions of P ranging from 0 to 15 ppm were equilibrated with pine bark for 24 hours. P adsorbed, as determined by analysis of the above ashed pine bark following distilled water leaching, ranged from 0 to 5.3 μg per g of pine bark for the 0 to 15 ppm P treatments, respectively.
RECENT AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN METEORITICS

This paper consists of (1) the opening remarks made on the occasion of the dedication of the new building for the Institute of Meteoritics of the University of New Mexico; (2) the answers received from a number of leading American meteoriticists to three questions pertaining to the subject of the address and propounded in the introduction; (3) a list of some fifty meteoritical problems currently awaiting solution or requiring further research; and (4) the closing statement.
Interactions between calcium and auxin during pollen androgenesis in anther cultures of Solanum carolinense L.

Abstract The effects of Ca 2+ on auxin-mediated pollen androgenesis in anther cultures of Solanum carolinense were examined. External Ca 2+ was required for pollen morphogenesis since reduced Ca 2+ concentrations in the medium limited the numbers of pollen embryoids or callus produced in culture. Lanthanum and verapamil also inhibited pollen androgenesis. The bivalent cations Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ and Mg 2+ could not substitute for Ca 2+ . Artificially increasing the concentration of intracellular free Ca 2+ with the ionophore A23187 more than doubled the number of androgenic pollen grains and could partially substituted for 2,4-D in inducing pollen callus formation. In the absence of auxin, calcium had no effect on ethylene production in treated anther cultures. The results suggest that Ca 2+ may play a role in signal transduction during pollen androgenesis in this plant.
Conductimetric study of the reactions between metal halides and lithium aluminium hydride—I aluminium chloride

Abstract Conductivity curves are reported for the conductimetric titration of aluminium chloride by lithium aluminium hydride, and vice versa, in anhydrous ether solution. The formation and destruction of the substance Al2Cl5+AlH4− and of ionized complex between lithium aluminium hydride and aluminium hydride are proposed to account for the maxima at intermediate stages in these curves. The titration of aluminium dichlorohydride, AlHCl2, by lithium aluminium hydride follows a similar pattern, and a similar explanation is proposed. The conductivity of ethereal lithium aluminium hydride alone is very low.
On the Plausibility of Superman's X-Ray Vision

Requirements that a vision system must meet to make Superman's x-ray vision possible are stated, and two solutions are proposed. In one, emitted x-rays carry the information to Superman's eyes; in the other, emitted rays make objects transparent to a second type of ray. Further subjects lending themselves to this type of research are superhearing, the biomechanics of leaping tall buildings, or being faster than a bullet.
The effects of impairments on employment and wages: estimates from the 1984 and 1990 SIPP.

Unlike the minority groups covered by civil rights laws in the past, the disabled population is a heterogeneous group. Because of differences in the nature and onset of health conditions, it is important to study the labor market experiences of different impairment groups separately, rather than treating "disabled workers" as a single group. This article uses data from the 1984 and the 1990 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to analyze trends in the employment and wages of six impairment groups in the years immediately preceding the ADA. The results confirm the diversity of labor market experiences within the disabled population and suggest that policies designed to improve labor market outcomes for workers with disabilities in response to the ADA should be targeted to the different needs of different impairment groups. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Strong Teens: A School-Based Small Group Experience for African American Males

This article describes the school-based, small group adaptation of the existing Strong Teens Curriculum (STC) for African American male adolescents in high schools. The STC was created to equip adolescents with skills that promote more effective social interaction and enhance personal emotional and psychological wellness. The authors present a twelve-session small group school counseling experience based on the STC for use with African American adolescent males in a high school. Within the small group sessions, attention was given to the unique African American male experience in adolescence and in schools. Based on African American cultural values, historical figures were used as role models in helping to illustrate session concepts, and activities were modified to better connect group members with one another for social support in and outside of the school environment.
Prevalence of palmar fibromatosis with and without contracture in asymptomatic patients

AbstractBackground: This retrospective study documents the proportion of hand clinic patients presenting with palmar fibromatosis with and without contracture. Methods: All “new” patients >18 years presenting to a single surgeon’s hand clinic over a 16-month period were included, and information was abstracted from chart review regarding patient demographics, reason for presentation, presence or absence of palmar fibromatosis, contracture, and prior known diagnosis of Dupuytren’s disease. The percentage of asymptomatic patients with palmar fibromatosis was calculated. Results: Of 827 patients, 306 had palmar fibromatosis. Among all patients, 33% of male and 40% of female patients had palmar fibromatosis. Only 8% had contractures, while 92% had palmar fibromatosis without contracture. Among those who had contractures, 81% presented with a primary complaint of Dupuytren’s disease (symptomatic contracture). Prevalence of palmar fibromatosis increased with increasing age. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate ...
Stereoelectronic Effects Dictate Mechanistic Dichotomy between Cu(II)-Catalyzed and Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions of Malonic Acid Half Thioesters

Previously we developed a Cu(II)-catalyzed, enantioselective aldol reaction between malonic acid half thioesters (MAHTs) and aldehydes based on the biosynthesis of polyketides and fatty acids in which MAHTs are decarboxylated enzymatically to afford ester enolates that condense with thioesters. We report evidence based on steric effects, kinetics, kinetic isotope effects, and crossover experiments in support of a different mechanism for the Cu(II)-catalyzed aldol reaction involving enolization of MAHTs by deprotonation, addition to the aldehyde, decarboxylation, and protonation of the β-hydroxy enolate. We also provide an explanation, based on stereoelectronic effects, for the mechanistic dichotomy between Cu(II)-catalyzed and enzyme-catalyzed reactions of MAHTs.
Identification of Vascular and Hematopoietic Genes Downstream of etsrp by Deep Sequencing in Zebrafish

The transcription factor etsrp/Er71/Etv2 is a master control gene for vasculogenesis in all species studied to date. It is also required for hematopoiesis in zebrafish and mice. Several novel genes expressed in vasculature have been identified through transcriptional profiling of zebrafish embryos overexpressing etsrp by microarrays. Here we re-examined this transcriptional profile by Illumina RNA-sequencing technology, revealing a substantially increased number of candidate genes regulated by etsrp. Expression studies of 50 selected candidate genes from this dataset resulted in the identification of 39 new genes that are expressed in vascular cells. Regulation of these genes by etsrp was confirmed by their ectopic induction in etsrp overexpressing and decreased expression in etsrp deficient embryos. Our studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the RNA-sequencing technology to identify biologically relevant genes in zebrfish and produced a comprehensive profile of genes previously unexplored in vascular endothelial cell biology.
Chronic pretreatment with American ginseng berry and its polyphenolic constituents attenuate oxidant stress in cardiomyocytes

The acute anti-oxidant and protective effect of American ginseng berry extract (AGBE) has been demonstrated in cultured cardiomyocytes in our previous study. In the current study we evaluated if a chronic pretreatment of cultured cardiomyocytes with AGBE can alter the cellular antioxidant potential. Chick embryo cardiomyocytes were treated with AGBE (0.5-2.5 mg/ml) for up to 72 h. The treated cells were then exposed to exogenously added hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2); 500 microM). The oxidant-mediated injury was measured using a fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH/DA) while cell death was measured using propidium iodide (PI) staining. The non-treated (control) cells exposed to H(2)O(2) showed significant increase in DCF- and PI-mediated fluorescence suggesting significant oxidative injury and cell death. Pretreatment with AGBE demonstrated a significant attenuation of DCF fluorescence (p<0.005) with AGBE 0.5 mg/ml showing a 17% decrease, AGBE 1.0 mg/ml showing a 26% decrease, and AGBE 2.5 mg/ml showing a 49% decrease from control DCF fluorescence following a 72 h pretreatment. Cell death caused by H(2)O(2) was also significantly attenuated in AGBE-pretreated cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (p<0.005). We also demonstrated that active polyphenolic constituents in AGBE, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, appear to contribute significantly to AGBE's protective effects. Finally, catalase inhibition resulted in a significantly increased fluorescence in AGBE-treated cells compared to the control. The results suggest that pretreatment with AGBE upregulates peroxide detoxifying mechanisms, which could affect intracellular oxidant dynamics in cardiomyocytes.
Charles Darwin on human evolution

Abstract In the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin says little about human evolution, other than to assert firmly that we humans did evolve and are part of the interrelated natural world along with all other organisms. However this should not conceal Darwin's great interest in the topic, a matter to which he turned in his Descent of Man (published 12 years after the Origin), where he made very clear the natural processes leading to Homo sapiens, dwelling at length on the special role of the secondary mechanism of sexual selection. In the Descent, Darwin makes it very clear that he thinks human thinking and actions, especially in the moral realm, have an evolutionary origin just as much as our physical nature.
Prehistoric exploitation of the manatee in the Maya and circum‐Caribbean areas

Abstract The prehistoric exploitation of the large sea‐cow, manatee, in the Maya and circum‐Caribbean areas is examined in terms of the factors that may have contributed to the selection of animal resources for human consumption. Ecological, historic, and ethnographic information on the Caribbean manatee contribute to an understanding of its prehistoric exploitation. A model of animal resource selection is discussed, whereby the reliable recovery of significant quantities of meat and/or fish is the primary aim. Major factors that would have contributed to such a recovery are discussed.
Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising of the Renal Pelvis

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon and highly aggressive variant that can occur anywhere squamous cancers occur. It is most often seen in the head and neck, the perianal region, and the female genital tract. It is extremely rare in the urinary system. In this article, we report the first known case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma arising in the renal pelvis. Given the aggressive nature of this neoplasm, it should not be omitted from the differential diagnosis of neoplasms arising from the urothelium.
The effect of motivating operations on the transfer from tacts to mands for children diagnosed with autism

Abstract This study examined the effect of motivating operations (MO) on the emergence of a mand following tact training. Two children with autism were taught to tact a high-preferred (HP) edible identified through a preference assessment. The children were then tested to see if a mand for the HP edible emerged under deprivation (24+ h) and pre-session exposure (immediately prior to the mand test) test conditions. Following tact training, both participants manded for the HP edible in the deprivation condition but little to no responding occurred in the pre-session exposure condition. The results from this study suggest that a tact-to-mand transfer may occur under certain conditions.
Pairing heterocyclic cations with closo-icosahedral borane and carborane anions. i. benchtop aqueous synthesis of binary triazolium and imidazolium salts with limited water solubility.

Ten new salts that pair triazolium and imidazolium cations with closo-icosahedral anions [B12H12]2− and [CB11H12]− were synthesized in water solvent using an open-air, benchtop method. These unreported [Heterocyclium]2[B12H12] and [Heterocyclium][CB11H12] salts extend reports of [Imidazolium][CB11H12] and [Pyridinium][CB11H12] salts that were synthesized in anhydrous organic solvents under an inert atmosphere with glovebox or Schlenk techniques. Spectroscopic data, melting points, and densities are reported for each salt. Single-crystal X-ray structures are provided for the five new [B12H12]2− salts.
Effects of dielectric structure of HfO2 on carrier generation rate in Si substrate and channel mobility

This letter presents the effects of surface preparation for hafnium-based dielectrics on the bulk carrier generation rates and the carrier mobility. Different surface preparations result in different interfacial layers. Nitrogen-incorporated layers effectively block impurity penetration from hafnium oxide, and lead to the increase of bulk carrier generation lifetime. However, nitrogen-incorporated interface layers increase interface state density and degrade channel mobility, even though bulk carrier generation lifetime is increased. Thus, mobility degradation is preliminarily caused by fixed charge and interface states of the high-k dielectrics.
Control of Na+ and K+ transport in Spergularia marina I. Transpiration effects

In this paper we begin our study of factors controlling Na* and K* uptake in the halophyte Spergularia marina (L.) Griseb., with emphasis on plants growing at moderate salinity (0.2x sea water). The involvement of transpiration was considered first because of its potential to account for much or all of the transport of ions, and particularly of Na*, to the shoot under these growth conditions. Transpiration was constant with time through most of the light period, quickly dropping to 6% of the day time rate at night. ^Na* uptake, on the other hand, showed much less day/night variation, and relative transport to the shoot was constant. After establishing that transpiration was linearly related to leaf weight, possible transpiration effects were further considered as correlations between leaf weight and transport to the shoot. Under constant, day-time conditions, with linear effects of time and plant size removed, total transport of ^Na* to the shoot (per plant) was not correlated to leaf weight. A similar result was found when transport was expressed per gram of root, and when partitioning of total label to the shoot was considered. Finally, the correlation was considered between leaf weight and a Na*/K* enrichment factor defined as the Na*/ K* ratio in the leaves divided by that in the roots. This correlation was also insignificant. The results indicate that analysis of control of Na* and K* uptake and transport in this experimental system need not consider effects of transpiration .
Step-Monitored Home Exercise Improves Ambulation, Vascular Function, and Inflammation in Symptomatic Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundThis prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial compared changes in primary outcome measures of claudication onset time (COT) and peak walking time (PWT), and secondary outcomes o...
What Happens When The ROI Model Does Not Fit

The literature provides numerous case studies and detailed descriptions of the return-on-investment (ROI) process for determining the effectiveness of a training initiative vis-a-vis the organization's strategic plan for performance improvement. However, there are situations where distinct peculiarities hinder an industrial facility's data collection for a ROI process. To overcome these barriers to data collection, I employed the scientific method of hypothetical deductive reasoning to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs at Georgia Pacific West in Bellingham, Washington. My objective was to customize the Phillips (1997a, 1997b) ROI model to use for a template that Georgia Pacific could adapt as needed for different training courses. In this paper, I will explain the methodology I used to determine the program costs and to measure the effects of the training initiatives that may be used by organizations with similar issues. Moreover, I will describe the development of the data collection methodology through the five performance steps in the ROI model.
The "sources" of plasma physics

This paper is the text of the Plasma Science and Applications Committee Prize address given in Santa Fe, NM, on June 7, 1994. The principal thesis is that major advances in the development of the science of plasmas have frequently been triggered by the invention of a new plasma source. Examples are given from the work of many colleagues in basic plasma research. A retrospective of the author's experiments on basic plasma physics, magnetic fusion, and inertial fusion is given, many of these sharing the common theme of transverse electric fields. The author's present and future work concern new plasma sources that are needed for the application of plasma technology to materials processing. >
Absent Parents Are More Than Money The Joint Effect of Activities and Financial Support on Youths' Educational Attainment

Numerous studies have failed to detect any long-term consequences of involvement by absent parents on their children's well-being beyond the effects of financial transfers. However, many of these studies often narrowly define involvement as parent-child contact and do not address possible joint effects between parental involvement and other variables. In this study, the author used a sample of 269 cases from two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to explore the possible effects of (a) levels of child-absent parent activity and (b) interactions between child-absent parent activity and financial transfers from absent parents on children's educational attainment. The author found that although activities by themselves have no significant effect, combining activities with financial support increases the probability both that youths will graduate from high school and that they will go on to college. The author discusses the theoretical and policy-oriented implications of these findings.
The insider: the web site that brought Mesa's williams campus together

Many campuses have central points of information dissemination, but few have an Insider (http://insider.east.asu.edu) like system [1]. The Insider is Arizona State University East's and the Williams Campus's central point of communication for day to day campus happenings and events. It is a web-based application that was developed mostly by student workers and graduate assistants. It was the result of the idea for an intranet that kept snowballing into something wonderful. The Insider is an ASP based web application with many channels that is very easy to maintain. Self-maintenance is one beauty of it, but its power for being the central point of information dissemination for students is another. It contains: 1) a headlines section that points out current campus events or neat things happening around the community. 2) a calendar of campus events that's just a click away. 3) the daily weather forecast. 4) a page that lists campus outages. 5) a Cheers & Jeers section that allows everyone on campus to give feedback about situations and services. 6) a summary/snapshot page that is the Active Desktop page for our 300+ Commons/Site/Classroom computers. 7) an advertisement section to search for a roommate or try to sell a car, bike, TV, etc.This paper will examine The Insider, how it works, how it is administered, the development/planning process, and how it benefits the campus community.
Determination of the refractive index of highly scattering human tissue by optical coherence tomography.

We describe two new techniques, based on optical coherence tomography (OCT), for determining the refractive index of highly scattering human tissue. We obtained refractive indices of in vitro human tissue, using OCT to measure the physical and optical path lengths of the sample. We obtained measurements of the refractive index of in vitro and in vivo human tissue, using OCT to track the focal length shift that results from translating the focus along the optic axis within the tissue. The refractive indices of human skin, adipose, and muscle were measured and compared with previously published estimates.
Human sewage identified as likely source of white pox disease of the threatened Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata

Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, has been decimated in recent years, resulting in the listing of this species as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act. A major contributing factor in the decline of this iconic species is white pox disease. In 2002, we identified the faecal enterobacterium, Serratia marcescens, as an etiological agent for white pox. During outbreaks in 2003 a unique strain of S. marcescens was identified in both human sewage and white pox lesions. This strain (PDR60) was also identified from corallivorious snails (Coralliophila abbreviata), reef water, and two non-acroporid coral species, Siderastrea siderea and Solenastrea bournoni. Identification of PDR60 in sewage, diseased Acropora palmata and other reef invertebrates within a discrete time frame suggests a causal link between white pox and sewage contamination on reefs and supports the conclusion that humans are a likely source of this disease.
Electronic cigarette sales to minors via the internet.

Importance Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) entered the US market in 2007 and, with little regulatory oversight, grew into a $2-billion-a-year industry by 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a trend of increasing e-cigarette use among teens, with use rates doubling from 2011 to 2012. While several studies have documented that teens can and do buy cigarettes online, to our knowledge, no studies have yet examined age verification among Internet tobacco vendors selling e-cigarettes. Objective To estimate the extent to which minors can successfully purchase e-cigarettes online and assess compliance with North Carolina’s 2013 e-cigarette age-verification law. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study conducted from February 2014 to June 2014, 11 nonsmoking minors aged 14 to 17 years made supervised e-cigarette purchase attempts from 98 Internet e-cigarette vendors. Purchase attempts were made at the University of North Carolina Internet Tobacco Vendors Study project offices using credit cards. Main Outcome and Measure Rate at which minors can successfully purchase e-cigarettes on the Internet. Results Minors successfully received deliveries of e-cigarettes from 76.5% of purchase attempts, with no attempts by delivery companies to verify their ages at delivery and 95% of delivered orders simply left at the door. All delivered packages came from shipping companies that, according to company policy or federal regulation, do not ship cigarettes to consumers. Of the total orders, 18 failed for reasons unrelated to age verification. Only 5 of the remaining 80 youth purchase attempts were rejected owing to age verification, resulting in a youth buy rate of 93.7%. None of the vendors complied with North Carolina’s e-cigarette age-verification law. Conclusions and Relevance Minors are easily able to purchase e-cigarettes from the Internet because of an absence of age-verification measures used by Internet e-cigarette vendors. Federal law should require and enforce rigorous age verification for all e-cigarette sales as with the federal PACT (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking) Act’s requirements for age verification in Internet cigarette sales.
Intracellularly generated amyloid‐β peptide counteracts the antiapoptotic function of its precursor protein and primes proapoptotic pathways for activation by other insults in neuroblastoma cells

Most mutations in amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) linked to early onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) increase the production of amyloid-β peptides ending at residue 42 (Aβ42), which are released from APP by β- and γ-secretase cleavage. Stably transfected cells expressing wild-type human APP (APPWT) were more resistant to apoptosis-inducing treatments than cells expressing FAD-mutant human APP (APPFAD). Preventing Aβ42 production with an M596I mutation (β–), which blocks β-secretase cleavage of APP, or by treatment with a γ-secretase inhibitor increased the resistance of APPFAD-expressing cells to apoptosis. Exposing hAPPFAD/β– cells to exogenous Aβ42 or conditioned medium from Aβ42-producing APPFAD cells did not diminish their resistance to apoptosis. Preventing APP from entering the distal secretory pathway, where most Aβ peptides are generated, by retaining APP in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/intermediate compartment (IC) increased the resistance of APPFAD-expressing cells to apoptosis and did not alter the resistance of APPWT-expressing cells. p53-mediated gene transactivation after apoptosis-inducing treatments was much stronger in APPFAD cells than in hAPPWT or hAPPFAD/β– cells. In contrast, upon induction of ER stress, cells expressing APPFAD, hAPPFAD/β–, or APPWT had comparable levels of glucose-regulated protein-78 mRNA, an unfolded protein response indicator. We conclude that Aβ, especially intracellular Aβ, counteracts the antiapoptotic function of its precursor protein and predisposes cells to p53-mediated, and possibly other, proapoptotic pathways.
Finite element methods in probabilistic mechanics

Probabilistic methods, synthesizing the power of finite element methods with second-order perturbation techniques, are formulated for linear and nonlinear problems. Random material, geometric properties and loads can be incorporated in these methods, in terms of their fundamental statistics. By construction, these methods are applicable when the scale of randomness is not too large and when the probabilistic density functions have decaying tails. By incorporating certain computational techniques, these methods are shown to be capable of handling large systems with many sources of uncertainties. Applications showing the effects of combined random fields and cyclic loading/stress reversal are studied and compared with Monte Carlo simulation results.
25-Year-Old Woman With Increasing Abdominal Girth and Shortness of Breath

© 2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research A 25-year-old woman presented to her local emergency department with symptoms of increasing abdominal girth and shortness of breath during the previous week. Her clothes no longer fit at her waist and she had gained 4.5 kg within the past week. In addition to feeling bloated, the patient had abdominal pain, nausea, and subjective fevers. The pain in her abdomen and back, which she rated as an 8 on a 10-point scale, became worse with movement. She had a complicated medical history, having been diagnosed as having neuroblastoma at the age of 6 months. She had been treated with a laminectomy of several thoracic vertebrae, chemotherapy, and radiation. She had resultant kyphoscoliosis, T4 paraplegia, and asymptomatic chronic hypoxia with a baseline hemoglobin saturation of around 80%. Alcohol use consisted of 12 to 16 drinks per week up until 1 year previously, with only minimal alcohol use since that time. She did not use tobacco or recreational drugs. On physical examination, the patient had severe kyphoscoliosis with a scoliotic angle of 116° and T4 paraplegia. Cardiac examination revealed a grade 2/6 systolic murmur at the base with a faint diastolic component and a prominent pulmonic valve component (P2). Lung examination was difficult secondary to her anatomy, but no wheezes or rhonchi were auscultated bilaterally. Her abdomen was distended with shifting dullness and was nontender. She had pitting edema of both legs to the level of her knees. Her vital signs were as follows: respiratory rate, 20 breaths/min; hemoglobin saturation, 80% on blow by face mask supplemental oxygenation; heart rate, 86 beats/min; blood pressure, 99/58 mm Hg; and no fever. Laboratory studies yielded the following results (reference ranges shown parenthetically): B-type natriuretic peptide level, 606 pg/mL (<64 pg/mL); bicarbonate level, 35 mmol/L (22-29 mmol/L); and normal white blood cell and platelet counts and hemoglobin, sodium, potassium, and creatinine levels. An arterial blood gas study revealed a pH of 7.39 (7.35-7.45), a PO2 of 41 torr (70-100 torr), and a PCO2 of 54 torr (35-45 torr). Urinalysis showed nitrates with 3+ proteins, 1+ bilirubin, and a negative Gram stain. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis performed at the local hospital revealed ascites with small bilateral pleural effusions, a small pericardial effusion, and normal spleen size, with no hepatic masses or bile duct dilatation. The patient was subsequently transferred to Saint Marys Hospital emergency department.
Thirty-Five-Year Creep Rates for the Creeping Segment of the San Andreas Fault and the Effects of the 2004 Parkfield Earthquake: Constraints from Alignment Arrays, Continuous Global Positioning System, and Creepmeters

We present results from differential Global Positioning System (gps) surveys of seven alignment arrays and four continuous gps sites along the creeping segment of the San Andreas fault. Surveys of four alignment arrays from the central creeping segment yield 33- to 36-year average minimum slip rates of 21–26 mm/yr. These rates are consistent with previous alignment array surveys spanning a 10-year period and with rates determined by creepmeters, indicating approximate steady- state creep along the central creeping segment for at least 35 years. Motion between continuous gps sites that span the central creeping segment is 28.2 ± 0.5 mm/yr for two sites that are 1 km apart and 33.6 ± 1 mm/yr for two sites that are 70 km apart. Slip rates therefore increase with distance from the creeping segment of the San Andreas fault. All rates reported here are significantly slower than the 39 ± 2 mm/yr rate predicted for motion between the Sierra Nevada–Great Valley block and the Pacific plate. Repeat surveys of three alignment arrays following the 2004 Parkfield earthquake demonstrate that its coseismic and short-term postseismic offsets decrease rapidly with distance from the epicenter, from 150 mm to 15 mm to <5 mm at respective distances of 9, 36, and 54 km to the northwest. Continuous gps data confirm that little coseismic and postseismic slip occurred along the central creeping segment. Geodetic and geologic slip rates are compared and different models for the accommodation of transcurrent deformation across the creeping segment are discussed.
Video Game-Based Education in Mechanical Engineering: A Look at Student Engagement*

One of the core courses in the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum has been completely redesigned. In the new numerical methods course, all assignments and learning experiences are built around a video/computer game. Students are given the task of writing computer programs to race a simulated car around a track. In doing so, students learn and implement numerical methods content. The paper describes a preliminary study to measure student engagement. Results show that students `playing' the video game in their homework are significantly more engaged than when working on homework in other engineering courses.