cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consensus and Conflict in Indian Politics

Several hours before his assassination in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi submitted his proposal for revisions in the party constitution of the Indian National Congress. He suggested that the Congress dissolve, since partisanship appeared to him wrong, and convert itself into a Lok Sevak Sangh, an apolitical people's service association. The Congress did not in the event obey the testament, but no one thought the proposal funny or outrageous. More recently, a General Secretary of the Congress reiterated the non-partisan point of view underlying this proposal when he questioned whether the role of an opposition party was meaningful in India, and when he supported the idea of “a common national programme acceptable to all political parties, on the basis of which the administration of the country could be carried on.” “The Panchayat system in India,” the Secretary said, “was essentially based on this very principle of synthesis rather than antithesis. Economically underdeveloped countries like ours can hardly afford the luxury of opposition only for the sake of opposition.”
Thinking Outside the Medicine Cabinet: A Comparative Content Analysis of Direct-to-Consumer Advertisements for Prescription Drug Treatments

This study content analyzed online direct-to-consumer advertisements (DTCA) for prescription drug treatments to explore whether ads for prescription treatments for psychiatric conditions, which are commonly untreated, differ from other drug advertisements. Coded variables included the presence of interactive technological components, use of promotional incentives, and the social contexts portrayed in images shown on each site. Statistical analysis revealed ads for psychiatric medications contained fewer interactive website features, financial incentives, and calls to action than other types of prescription drug advertisements. Implications for health communication researchers are discussed.
Life-Cycle Emissions from Port Electrification: A Case Study of Cargo Handling Tractors at the Port of Los Angeles

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ports around the world are considering using electric cargo handling equipment. To assess the benefits of the strategy, this study provides a comparative life-cycle assessment between diesel and electric yard tractors in a case study of the Port of Los Angeles. Results indicate a significant reduction in life-cycle emissions as the port shifts to electric vehicles and as the port's electricity supplier increases its use of renewable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar). The results also demonstrate that even with aggressive electrification strategies, the port's legislated reduction targets are not achievable by the year 2030.
A design attribute framework for course planning and learning assessment

A new method for course planning and learning assessment in engineering design courses is presented. The method is based upon components of design activity that are organized into a design attribute framework. The learning objectives of design courses can be expressed within this framework by selecting from among these components. The framework can also be used to guide the development of survey instruments for use in assessment. These two uses of the design attribute framework are illustrated in the context of a freshman engineering design course.
Mutation of Glutamine to Arginine at Position 548 of IE2 86 in Human Cytomegalovirus Leads to Decreased Expression of IE2 40, IE2 60, UL83, and UL84 and Increased Transcription of US8-9 and US29-32

The IE2 86 protein of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is essential for productive infection. The mutation of glutamine to arginine at position 548 of IE2 86 causes the virus to grow both slowly and to very low titers, making it difficult to study this mutant via infection. In this study, Q548R IE2 86 HCMV was produced on the complementing cell line 86F/40HA, which allowed faster and higher-titer production of mutant virus. The main defects observed in this mutant were greatly decreased expression of IE2 40, IE2 60, UL83, and UL84. Genome replication and the induction of cell cycle arrest were found to proceed at or near wild-type levels, and there was no defect in transitioning to early or late protein expression. Q548R IE2 86 was still able to interact with UL84. Furthermore, Q548R IE2 40 maintained the ability to enhance UL84 expression in a cotransfection assay. Microarray analysis of Q548R IE2 HCMV revealed that the US8, US9, and US29-32 transcripts were all significantly upregulated. These results further confirm the importance of IE2 in UL83 and UL84 expression as well as pointing to several previously unknown regions of the HCMV genome that may be regulated by IE2.
Mayo clinic experience of lung transplantation in pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Abstract Objectives Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, cystic lung disease that generally results in progressive decline in lung function. Despite advancement of pharmacological therapy for LAM, lung transplantation remains an important option for women with end-stage LAM. Methods Patients with LAM undergoing lung transplantation at the Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville, Florida since 1995 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Overall, 12 women underwent lung transplantation. Nine of 12 (75%) underwent double lung transplant. The mean age was 42 ± 8 years at the time of transplant. One patient (8%) had a chylothorax and 7 (58%) had recurrent pneumothoraces, 4 (33%) of which required pleurodesis. All had diffuse, cystic lung disease on chest CT consistent with LAM which was confirmed in the explant of all patients. The average length of ICU and hospital stays were 5 ± 4 and 19 ± 19 days, respectively. Mild to moderate anastomotic ischemia was evident in all patients but resolved with time. No patient was treated with sirolimus pre-transplant. Seven patients received sirolimus post-transplant; however, clinical benefit was documented in only 2 patients, 1 of which was treated for large retroperitoneal cysts with ureteral obstruction and another with persistent chylothorax and retroperitoneal lymphangioleimyomas. Five patients are deceased. The median survival by Kaplan–Meier analysis was 119 months with a median follow-up of 68 months (range 2–225 months). Conclusions Lung transplant remains a viable treatment for patients with end-stage LAM. The role of sirolimus peri-transplantation remains ill-defined.
Faculty Development and Information Literacy: Establishing Campus Partnerships

Academic librarians can and should play a leadership role in faculty development efforts on their campuses. In this article, Iannuzzi addresses the connections between faculty development and information literacy and presents strategies for establishing campus partnerships. Specifically, she addresses five related topics: information literacy and campus culture, campus initiatives, strategies for partnerships, a faculty development model, and the Florida International University Model for Information Literacy.
Trading One Myth for Another?: With Apologies to Dr. Brabner

Six years ago I asserted in print, with some sense of daring, that it was time to admit that the term mental retardation was a myth, a “false and unhelpful categorization of people with very diverse needs and characteristics” (Smith, 2002, p. 64). I quoted from Thomas Ssasz's (1960) classic work, The Myth of Mental Illness, and described the term mental retardation as being “scientifically worthless and socially harmful” (Ssasz, 1960, p. xi). I argued that the term should become an historical artifact of our evolving thought about children and adults with developmental disabilities. In my opinion, the millions of people who have been misunderstood and, sometimes, maligned by the term were deserving of a change in the manner in which they were regarded and treated. A disassembling of the aggregation of human conditions gathered under the term mental retardation might provide an opportunity to enhance our vision of who these people are as individuals and our understanding of their rightful places in our communities (Smith, 2002).
The role of interneurons in controlling the tail-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia: a network model

1. The contributions of monosynaptic and polysynaptic circuitry to the tail-withdrawal reflex in the marine mollusk Aplysia californica were assessed by the use of physiologically based neural network models. Effects of monosynaptic circuitry were examined by the use of a two-layer network model with four sensory neurons in the input layer and one motor neuron in the output layer. Results of these simulations indicated that the monosynaptic circuit could not account fully for long-duration responses of tail motor neurons elicited by tail stimulation. 2. A three-layer network model was constructed by interposing a layer of two excitatory interneurons between the input and output layers of the two-layer network model. These interneurons had properties mimicking those of the recently described interneuron LP117, receiving excitatory input from pleural sensory neurons and evoking a biphasic excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in pedal motor neurons (Cleary and Byrne 1993). The three-layer model could account for long-duration responses in motor neurons. 3. Sensory neurons are a known site of plasticity in Aplysia. Synaptic plasticity was incorporated into the three-layer model by altering the magnitudes of conductance changes evoked in motor neurons and interneurons by presynaptic sensory neurons. In these simulations the excitatory interneurons converted an amplitude-coded input into an amplitude- and duration-coded output, allowing the three-layer network to support a large range of output amplitudes and durations. 4. Synaptic plasticity at more than one locus modified dramatically the input-output relationship of the three-layer network model. This feature gave the model redundancy in its plastic properties and points to the possibility of distributed memory in the circuitry mediating withdrawal reflexes in Aplysia. Multiple sites of control over the response of the network would likely allow a more diverse repertoire of responses.
A Push Toward Equality: Processes Among Dual‐Career Newlywed Couples in Collectivist Culture

This study examines gender construction among dual-career newlywed couples in a collectivist culture. A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 20 heterosexual Singaporean couples reveals aspects of the collectivist norms (e.g., doing family, we-consciousness, marrying one's equal) that are favorable toward the development of gender equality. Additionally, as couples respond to the political and social pulls of economic development, they begin to organize their relationship around both careers. Incorporating egalitarian values becomes a pragmatic move carried out through five direct processes: (a) career as central to the relationship, (b) flexible allocation of household duties, (c) open dialogue regarding conflict, (d) equal say in decision making, and (e) internal self-reflection. Implications for future research are addressed.
Accumulation of myosin, actin, tropomyosin, and α-actinin in cultured muscle cells

Abstract In an effort to understand the conditions that promote the assembly of myofibrillar proteins in muscle cells, the temporal sequence of accumulation of four myofibrillar proteins, actin, myosin, tropomyosin, and α-actinin, was monitored during the period of de novo assembly of myofibrils in differentiating muscle cells. Isotope dilution experiments indicated that all four proteins were accumulated simultaneously. Therefore, assembly of myofibrils may be occurring in the presence of a full complement of myofibrillar proteins.
The Independent Director in Chinese Corporate Governance

Corporate governance (gongsi zhili) is a concept whose time has come in China, and the institution of the independent director is a major part of this concept. Policymakers in several countries such as the United Kingdom and Japan have turned to independent directors as an important element of legal and policy reform in the field of corporate governance. In August 2001, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued its Guidance Opinion on the Establishment of an Independent Director System in Listed Companies. Covering all companies listed on Chinese stock exchanges (but not Chinese companies listed overseas), it constitutes the most comprehensive measure taken to date by the CSRC - or indeed by any Chinese governmental authority - to regulate internal corporate governance through the institution of the independent director.This article discusses the institution of independent directors, and the Independent Director Opinion specifically, as a potential solution to Chinese corporate governance problems. It begins by discussing special features of the Chinese corporate landscape and the most prominent problems in the area of corporate governance. It then proceeds to identify differing conceptions of what is broadly termed the independent director - the outside director, the disinterested director, and the (more narrowly defined) independent director - and discusses the approaches taken in several different jurisdictions.The article canvasses empirical research on the relationship between independent directors and corporate performance in the United States, as well as in China, and finds that the research yields similar conclusions: there is no strong link. The article concludes by arguing that proponents of the institution of independent directors misconceive the nature of the corporate governance problem in China, as well as the functioning of independent directors in the United States, and have not taken into account specific features of the Chinese institutional environment - particularly the legal environment - that affect the viability of any proposed solution.
A low-loss circularly polarized dichroic plate

Dichroic plate has orthogonally-disposed, loaded dipole apertures with their orientations arranged so as to cancel cross-coupling effects which would otherwise result in power loss to circularly polarized signal.
A petrological and chemical reexamination of Main Group pallasite formation

Abstract The large number of pallasite parent bodies suggests that their formation was a common event in asteroid evolution. New microprobe data has been generated for pallasite olivines and chromites that indicate subsolidus redox processes, while literature data has been collated and correlated to form new results and interpretations. The new data include information on metal compositions; the metal cooling rates; the formation of round and fragmental olivine; the close-packing of olivine; the crystallization of the phosphates, phosphoran olivine and orthopyroxene; and the bulk pallasite P and S contents. A model for Main Group pallasites has been developed using fractional melting of a chondritic precursor to make a multi-layered parent body. One portion of this contains a gradational metal–olivine (pallasite) texture. Concentric downward crystallization of the molten metal is indicated, based on cooling rates and metal compositions. Fractional crystallization of the residual silicate and metallic melts produces the minor phases on cooling. Comparisons to and a brief review of past models, particularly those utilizing mixing, have been made.
Systemic Pulmonary Toxicity - A Puzzler

(1996). Systemic Pulmonary Toxicity – A Puzzler. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 13-14.
Global Corporate Governance: Implications For A Functionally Harmonized Legal Infrastructure

As developing and centrally planned economies shift toward decentralized market economies, they will revise their corporate governance rules to attract foreign investors and foster economic growth. However, the expansion of firms internationally creates the immediate problem of cross-border bankruptcy and policy makers will eventually have to turn to functional harmonization of national bankruptcy laws as well as other means of corporate governance to maintain fairness and to facilitate a freer flow of cross-border investment. We propose three major changes to global governance: (1) a functionally harmonized system of bankruptcy laws that supersede national bankruptcy laws (2) contractual corporate governance via securities exchange listing and (3) arbitration as a means to enforce global recourse.
Cross Talks Among Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog Signaling Pathways Regulate Stem Cell Characteristics

The use of stem cells as medicines is a promising area of research as they may help the body to replace damaged or lost tissue in a host of diseases including cancer. The integration of intrinsic and extrinsic signals is required to preserve the self-renewal and tissue regenerative capacity of adult stem cells, while protecting them from malignant conversion or loss of proliferative potential by death, differentiation or senescence. It is now clear that malignant tumors are heterogeneous and contain diverse subpopulations of cells with unique characteristics including the ability to initiate a tumor and metastasize. This phenomenon might be explained by the so-called cancer stem cell (CSC) theory. Recent technological developments have allowed a deeper understanding and characterization of CSCs. The CSCs share some of the common signaling pathways of self-renewal with that of normal stem cells or progenitor cells. Signaling pathways such as Notch, Sonic hedgehog and Wnt play major roles in stem cell self-renewal and metastasis. These pathways cross-talk and allow stem cells to balance their regenerative potential and the initiation of terminal differentiation programs, ensuring appropriate tissue homeostasis. Understanding the signaling circuitries regulating stem cell fate decisions might provide insights into cancer initiation and progression that involve the progressive loss of tissue-specific adult stem cells. Efficacious therapeutic approaches targeting the CSC population should be explored to overcome therapeutic failure and improve patient outcomes. This review will focus on the signaling pathways required for regulation of CSCs, and development of therapeutic approaches to target specifically CSCs.
Neuropsychological differences between sons of active alcoholic and non-alcoholic fathers.

Ten- to fourteen-year-old sons of active alcoholic fathers ( n = 59) with a positive family history of alcoholism (AFH+) and sons of social drinker fathers ( n = 58) with a negative family history of alcoholism (NFH−) were administered a battery of neuropsychological tasks. Areas of cognitive function which were assessed were memory, visuospatial and attentional abilities and, in addition, motor skills and general intellectual functioning. MANOV As conducted on these measures showed that sons of active alcoholic fathers' performance on the more difficult visuospatial and memory tasks as well as on an attentional test was reduced relative to sons of non-alcoholic fathers.
Full-day kindergarten and children's later reading: The role of early word reading

Abstract Full-day kindergarten is one means to improve the academic skills of children, particularly those at risk for academic difficulties. Full-day children generally earn higher end-of-kindergarten reading scores than those in half-day. Unfortunately, the benefit of full-day programs fades shortly after kindergarten. Research, however, has not considered whether the specific reading skills children attain in kindergarten help sustain the full-day kindergarten benefit. This study examined full- and half-day kindergarten children's early word reading attainment (composite of letter knowledge, beginning sounds, ending sounds, and sight words) and its association with reading in elementary school. Full-day children were more likely to attain early word reading by the end of kindergarten which, in turn, predicted higher reading scores in first, third, and fifth grades. Early word reading attainment was associated with decreased SES–related reading gaps in elementary school.
Identification of TGF-β receptor-1 as a key regulator of carbon nanotube-induced fibrogenesis

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) induce rapid interstitial lung fibrosis, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Previous studies indicated that the ability of CNTs to penetrate lung epithelium, enter interstitial tissue, and stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen matrix is important to lung fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the activation of transforming growth factor-β receptor-1 [TGF-β R1; i.e., activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK5) receptor] and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in CNT-induced collagen production in human lung fibroblasts. Human lung fibroblasts and epithelial cells were exposed to low, physiologically relevant concentrations (0.02-0.6 μg/cm(2)) of single-walled CNTs (SWCNT) and multiwalled CNTs (MWCNT) in culture and analyzed for collagen, TGF-β1, TGF-β R1, and SMAD proteins by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Chemical inhibition of ALK5 and short-hairpin (sh) RNA targeting of TGF-β R1 and Smad2 were used to probe the fibrogenic mechanism of CNTs. Both SWCNT and MWCNT induced an overexpression of TGF-β1, TGF-β R1 and Smad2/3 proteins in lung fibroblasts compared with vehicle or ultrafine carbon black-exposed controls. SWCNT- and MWCNT-induced collagen production was blocked by ALK5 inhibitor or shRNA knockdown of TGF-β R1 and Smad2. Our results indicate the critical role of TGF-β R1/Smad2/3 signaling in CNT-induced fibrogenesis by upregulating collagen production in lung fibroblasts. This novel finding may aid in the design of mechanism-based risk assessment and development of rapid screening tests for nanomaterial fibrogenicity.
Day-ahead forecasting of solar power output from photovoltaic plants in the American Southwest

A forecasting method for hourly-averaged, day-ahead power output (PO) from photovoltaic (PV) power plants based on least-squares optimization of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) is presented. Three variations of the forecasting method are evaluated against PO data from two non-tracking, 1 MWp PV plants in California for 2011–2014. The method performance, including the inter-annual performance variability and the spatial smoothing of pairing the two plants, is evaluated in terms of standard error metrics, as well as in terms of the occurrence of severe forecasting error events. Results validate the performance of the proposed methodology as compared with previous studies. We also show that the bias errors in the irradiance inputs only have a limited impact on the PO forecast performance, since the method corrects for systematic errors in the irradiance forecast. The relative root mean square error (RMSE) for PO is in the range of 10.3%–14.0% of the nameplate capacity, and the forecast skill ranges from 13% to 23% over a persistence model. Over three years, an over-prediction of the daily PO exceeding 40% only occurs twice at one of the two plants under study, while the spatially averaged PO of the paired plants never exceeds this threshold.
PWR and BWR Anticipated and Abnormal Plant Transient Research Sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Increased attention is being given to the analysis of anticipated plant transients and abnormal plant operating conditions. This is in contrast to past regulatory activities devoted primarily to the analysis of design basis accidents (DBA), such as the large-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), which were designed to represent worst or bounding cases. This change has come about due to the realization that anticipated transients with multiple failures (including operator actions) are the major contributors to risk from reactor operations and that the low probability DBAs are relatively small contributors to risk. The accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) has shown that anticipated transients, combined with multiple equipment and/or operator failures, can result in significant core damage.
Joint Seasonal/Annual Hydrologic Frequency Analysis

Hydrologic frequency analysis, as commonly practiced, focuses on estimation of return periods associated with annual maxima or minima of str eamflow magnitudes, precipitation depths, etc. However, in some applications, it is desirable to perform joint (i.e., simultaneous) frequency analyses for seasonal as well as annual events. This paper presents arguments for performing joint seasonal/annual frequency analyses and highlights problems that are encountered in such analyses. Methods for coping with the estimation problems that are encountered in such analyses are also proposed. Introduction Hydrologic frequency analysis is the generic term given to statistical methods directed to estimation of the return period or exceedance probability associated with a hydrologic variable of a fixed magnitude. Such analyses also may be applied to estimate the magnitude of a hydrologic variable associated with a fixed exceedance probability. Traditionally, frequency analyses have focused mainly on annual maximum streamflows (either instantaneous or averaged over a fixed duration), annual minimum streamflows (usually averaged over a duration of 7 days), and annual maximum precipitation depths (accumulated depths over various durations). Fundamental assumptions underlying frequency analyses are that the data are independent and identically-distributed (iid). In other words, the data should be representative of a stochastically stationary process (no time trends, as might be caused by drainage basin urbanization or gradual climatic change), and the data should be homogeneous (all data should arise as a result of a common causative mechanism). Heterogeneous annual streamflow maxima could arise due to floods in some years being caused by precipitation events, and in other years being caused by snowmelt runoff. Heterogeneous precipitation data could be caused by annual
Maternal antenatal treatments influence initial oral microbial acquisition in preterm infants.

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of maternal antenatal therapy on initial preterm infant oral microbial acquisition of gut metabolically important bacteria: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides species. Study Design Infant oral samples were collected prefeeding at 24 hours and analyzed using group-specific primers by real-time 16S rRNA quantitative polymerase chain reaction with analysis of variance and logistic regression to evaluate effect of antenatal exposure. Results Sixty-five infants Conclusion Preterm infant exposure to routine maternal antenatal treatments influence early oral microbial acquisition during the primary hours related to establishment of gut commensal bacteria.
Prevalence of Borrelia (Spirochaetaceae) Spirochetes in Texas Ticks

Between 1990 and 1992, ticks from eight Texas parks were collected and analyzed to determine the prevalence of spirochete-infected ticks. Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 1.03% of 5,141 Amblyomma americanum (L.) adults examined, a species Texas residents often encounter. No spirochetes were observed in the other tick species tested.
Mitigating bias blind spot via a serious video game

We employed a serious video game to train participants on bias blind spot (BBS), capturing training effects on BBS mitigation and knowledge at three points in time. Experiment 1 (Nź=ź703) compared the effects of hybrid training (a combination of implicit and explicit training) to implicit training; Experiment 2 (Nź=ź620) tested the effects of just-in-time versus delayed feedback; and Experiment 3 (Nź=ź626) examined the effects of singleplayer versus multiplayer learning environments. We also tested differences in game duration (30 vs. 60źmin play) and repetition (single vs. repeated play). Overall, the video game decreased BBS linearly over time and increased BBS knowledge at posttest, but knowledge decayed at 8-week posttest. These and other results are discussed, along with the implications, limitations, and future research directions. We developed a serious videogame to train participants on bias blind spot (BBS).In three experiments, playing the game decreased BBS linearly over time.The game also consistently increased BBS knowledge at the first posttest.However, the effects on knowledge decayed at the 8-week posttest.We also found that repeated exposure to the game increased BBS knowledge.
Analysis of microbial contamination of public utensils in cosmetology shops in Zhongshan

Objective:To analyze the hygienic condition of the cosmetology industry of Zhongshan City and provide supports for relevant managerial supervising.Methods:Public utensils were randomly sampled among 494 hair salons and 131 beauty salons during 2008 within Zhongshan City.Testing and analyzing were implemented.Results:The passing rate of the total number of bacteria in towels sampled from hair salons was 84.87%,which was lower than that of beauty salons(91.02%).The passing rate of the total number of hair salon public utensils′ colibacillus was 89.00%,which was lower than that of beauty salons(98.10%) as well.What′s more,there were differences among seasons and the contamination is more serious during springtime.Last but not least,the passing rate of total number of bacteria and colibacillus is significant higher after washing with disinfector when compared to simple machine wash.Conclusion:There are hidden problems in the public utensils hygienic condition of Zhongshan city′s cosmetology industry that calls for attentions.Regulations and disinfection measures should be taken as well.
Treatment of severe cardiogenic shock by diastolic augmentation after ligation and division of the left circumflex coronary artery in dogs.

Summary Fifteen dogs underwent ligation and division of the left circumflex coronary artery and received no treatment. Of these, 13 (86.6 per cent) died within 21 minutes after ligation. Diastolic augmentation was applied for a maximum of 2 hours immediately following ligation and division of the left circumflex coronary artery in 15 other dogs. Of these, 13 (86.6 per cent) survived at least 1 hour and 45 min. after ligation. Such clear separation of survival between these 2 groups demonstrated the effectiveness of diastolic augmentation in the treatment of severe cardiogenic shock and left ventricular failure. S-T segment elevation occurred shortly following coronary arterial ligation in 12 dogs that received diastolic augmentation. In 9 (75 per cent) of these dogs, the S-T segments returned to or toward the isoelectric base line from 15 to 120 min. after ligation. The S-T segments in 8 of 12 experiments then became elevated or depressed following the discontinuation of diastolic augmentation. Such evidence thus supports the concept that raising the arterial pressure during diastole reduced myocardial ischemia. Physiologic mechanisms have been proposed in order to explain the better survival of those animals which received diastolic augmentation. Briefly, it is believed that diastolic augmentation enabled improved performance from ischemic left ventricular myocardium by increasing the coronary perfusion and decreasing the energy requirement in this myocardium. The authors wish to thank Mr. Floyd S. Barnett for his technical assistance.
Elevated levels of TRF2 induce telomeric ultrafine anaphase bridges and rapid telomere deletions

The shelterin protein TRF2 is essential for chromosome-end protection. Depletion of TRF2 causes chromosome end-to-end fusions, initiating genomic instability that can be cancer promoting. Paradoxically, significant increased levels of TRF2 are observed in a subset of human cancers. Experimental overexpression of TRF2 has also been shown to induce telomere shortening, through an unknown mechanism. Here we report that TRF2 overexpression results in replication stalling in duplex telomeric repeat tracts and the subsequent formation of telomeric ultrafine anaphase bridges (UFBs), ultimately leading to stochastic loss of telomeric sequences. These TRF2 overexpression-induced telomere deletions generate chromosome fusions resembling those detected in human cancers and in mammalian cells containing critically shortened telomeres. Therefore, our findings have uncovered a second pathway by which altered TRF2 protein levels can induce end-to-end fusions. The observations also provide mechanistic insight into the molecular basis of genomic instability in tumour cells containing significantly increased TRF2 levels.
Impact of Coordination Geometry, Bite Angle, and Trans Influence on Metal-Ligand Covalency in Phenyl-Substituted Phosphine Complexes of Ni and Pd.

Despite the long-standing use of phosphine and diphosphine ligands in coordination chemistry and catalysis, questions remain as to their effects on metal–ligand bonding in transition metal complexes. Here we report ligand K-edge XAS, DFT, and TDDFT studies aimed at quantifying the impact of coordination geometry, diphosphine bite angle, and phosphine trans influence on covalency in M–P and M–Cl bonds. A series of four-coordinate NiCl2 and PdCl2 complexes containing PPh3 or Ph2P(CH2)nPPh2, where n = 1 (dppm), 2 (dppe), 3 (dppp), and 4 (dppb), was analyzed. The XAS data revealed that changing the coordination geometry from tetrahedral in Ni(PPh3)2Cl2 (1) to square planar in Ni(dppe)Cl2 (2) more than doubles the intensity of pre-edge features assigned to Ni–P and Ni–Cl 1s → σ* transitions. By way of comparison, varying the diphosphine in Pd(dppm)Cl2 (4), Pd(dppp)Cl2 (6), and Pd(dppb)Cl2 (7) yielded Pd–P 1s → σ* transitions with identical intensities, but a 10% increase was observed in the P K-edge XAS spectr...
Ethical and Social Issues Linked to Using Nanomaterials in Skin Regeneration

Starting with and staying within a concise definition of nanotechnology as an interdisciplinary field focusing on producing and applying functional materials and devices at the nanometer scale, the discussion promises to be clear and easy to sort out. Materials at the nanoscale have unique properties, different from those in bulk, which can be characterized and applications can be sought and found. However, the interdisciplinarity of the field, the complexity of the findings, and the practically infinite number of possibilities have yielded a promise that is difficult to fulfill and have opened a myriad of questions. Those are much more numerous than the answers we already have. Some of them pertain to ethics or bioethics, some others arise from societal understanding of recent discoveries and of emerging fields, and from debates around those. How acceptable is incorporation of artificial materials into humans for society? It is, after all, modification of living organisms. And is it a cure or enhancement? Regulatory issues are emerging as well at each step forward nanotechnology takes and new mechanisms to address them are needed. In this respect, skin care products containing nanomaterials, although discovered at roughly the same pace as those for biomedical applications, but having fewer regulatory hurdles to overcome, reach users much faster (see Chap. 1). And, not the least, some applications of nanomaterials/nanotechnology, like those in regenerative medicine, raise legal issues which need to be considered as well.
Ichthyosiform sarcoidosis: Report of two cases and a review of the literature

Although acquired ichthyosis has been associated with a number of systemic illnesses, an association with sarcoidosis has rarely been reported. We report two patients with acquired ichthyosis of the lower extremities whose diagnosis of cutaneous sarcoidosis was established by histologic examination. Systemic involvement in both patients included ocular and pulmonary disease. A diagnosis of sarcoidosis must be considered when a patient presents with acquired ichthyosis.
Lettuce Salad as a Carrier of Microorganisms of Public Health Significance 1.

Culture, distribution, and preparation of lettuce for salad offers opportunities for contamination with and growth of microorganisms. Protection and preservation methods, even when appropriate, may likewise be favorable for the contaminants. Fresh lettuce, as commercially available, was studied to determine the magnitude of contamination and the nature of representative contaminants. Specific contaminants of public health interest were added to test portions to determine their fate during storage of lettuce as a salad at room temperature. Storage of lettuce in bowls on ice resulted in very little cooling of most of the lettuce. Microbial plate counts on fresh lettuce commonly were over 105/g and the diversity of the microflora indicated a generally favorable microenvironment for many types of bacteria. Inocula of Salmonella typhimurium , Escherichia coli , and Staphylococcus aureus fared well on lettuce salad and were able to grow at room temperature storage. Commmercial "whitener" added to lettuce to preserve freshness reduced the total microflora and indicator organisms of public health significance.
Computational Thinking App Design Mat: Supporting the Development of Students' Computational Thinking Skills (Abstract Only)

Tools like MIT App Inventor and Scratch are designed to help students develop programming and computational thinking skills by allowing them to use their interest and personal experiences to create meaningful artifacts. However, students often need additional help in translating their ideas into functional programs because they lack understanding of how to map the visual aspects of their projects to programming constructs and understanding of how to develop appropriate algorithms that bring their ideas to life. To address this issue, we created a Computational Thinking App Design Mat (App Design Mat) to scaffolds students' CT skill development in the context of creating a mobile application with MIT APP Inventor 2. The App Design Mat fosters student engagement in computational thinking through four areas of the mat: Problem Decomposition, Pattern Abstraction, Pattern Recognition, and Algorithm Design. In this poster will describe the design and results from the use of the App Design Mat with 80 eighth grade students. Our results suggest that most students understood the purpose of using the App Design Mat, used the App Design Mat effectively, and used some aspects of the App Design Mat in developing their final mobile app project.
Essentiality and Standards-Essential Patents

Most standards-development organizations (SDOs) have adopted policies requiring that participants either disclose and/or license patents that are essential to the implementation of the SDO’s standards. Licenses of these standards-essential patents (SEPs) must generally be royalty-free or royalty-bearing on terms that are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND). Conversely, patents that are not essential to such standards need not be licensed on reasonable terms, and in theory may be withheld entirely from the market. Accordingly, a key element of SDO disclosure and licensing polices is how patents (or patent claims) are classified as “essential” to a standard, and what essentiality entails in practice. This chapter addresses the interpretation of the term “essential” within SDO patent policies, focusing both on policy language and variants, as well as regulatory and judicial rulings that have considered this question. A number of common themes emerge in the interpretation of essentiality requirements. One such theme is the economic equation of essentiality with non-substitutability that has arisen in the context of patent pools. Another is the blurred divide between commercial and technical essentiality. A third is the practical necessity of assessing essentiality when hundreds of potentially essential patent claims are at issue. These issues, coupled with the recognized phenomenon of over-declaration, suggests that more efficient, rapid and cost-effective methods for assessing essentiality may be called for. Moreover, when strict legal interpretation of policy language is likely to yield undesirable results - as when a patent is deemed non-essential because a theoretically equivalent, but impractically costly, alternative exists - the norms and expectations of the relevant SDO participants should be taken into account.
Abstract 051: The Role of Immunological Memory in Hypertension

Immunological memory provides protection to repeated antigen challenges and is a cardinal feature of adaptive immunity. We have previously shown that adaptive immunity contributes to hypertension and have observed memory T cells in several models. We hypothesized that memory T cells contribute to long-term renal damage in response to repeated hypertensive challenges. To impose repeated episodes of hypertension, we treated C57BL/6 mice with L-NAME (0.5mg/ml) in drinking water for two weeks, allowed a two-week normotensive interval and then fed high salt (4% NaCl) for three weeks. L-NAME followed by high salt increased SBP to 151 ± 14 mmHg and caused a two-fold increase in CD4 + and CD8 + memory T cells in the kidney and bone marrow, as identified by the surface marker CD44hi. Intracellular staining showed that memory T cells were predominant sources of the inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and IFN-γ. Development and reactivation of memory T cells require the interaction of CD27 on T cells with CD70 on antigen presenting cells. Flow cytometry revealed that L-NAME/High salt increased expression of CD70 on splenic macrophages by 5-fold and dendritic cells by 3-fold. Because memory T cells are a major source of IFN-γ, we examined the hypertensive response to the L-NAME/high salt protocol in IFN-γ -/- mice. The hypertension caused by L-NAME was identical between WT, CD70 -/- and IFN-γ -/- mice. In contrast, the hypertension induced by subsequent salt administration was markedly attenuated in CD70 -/- mice (123 ± 1.3 mmHg, p -/- and IFN-γ -/- mice failed to develop memory T cell formation in the kidney. The L-NAME/high salt caused striking albuminuria and increased urinary N-gal in WT mice, and these were absent in CD70 -/- and IFN-γ -/- mice. In contrast, L-NAME/high salt had no effect on renal angiotensinogen levels. Thus, repeated hypertensive stimuli lead to accumulation of long-lived effector memory T cells that are major sources of inflammatory cytokines, which in turn promote renal dysfunction, salt sensitivity and hypertension. These studies provide further insight into how the adaptive immune system promotes hypertension.
Emergency Medical Services Perspectives on Identifying and Reporting Victims of Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Self-Neglect

Abstract Background Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, who perform initial assessments of ill and injured patients, often in a patient's home, are uniquely positioned to identify potential victims of elder abuse, neglect, or self-neglect. Despite this, few organized programs exist to ensure that EMS concerns are communicated to or further investigated by other health care providers, social workers, or the authorities. Objective To explore attitudes and self-reported practices of EMS providers surrounding identification and reporting of elder mistreatment. Methods Five semi-structured focus groups with 27 EMS providers. Results Participants reported believing they frequently encountered and were able to identify potential elder mistreatment victims. Many reported infrequently discussing their concerns with other health care providers or social workers and not reporting them to the authorities due to barriers: 1) lack of EMS protocols or training specific to vulnerable elders; 2) challenges in communication with emergency department providers, including social workers, who are often unavailable or not receptive; 3) time limitations; and 4) lack of follow-up when EMS providers do report concerns. Many participants reported interest in adopting protocols to assist in elder protection. Additional strategies included photographically documenting the home environment, additional training, improved direct communication with social workers, a dedicated location on existing forms or new form to document concerns, a reporting hotline, a system to provide feedback to EMS, and community paramedicine. Conclusions EMS providers frequently identify potential victims of elder abuse, neglect, and self-neglect, but significant barriers to reporting exist. Strategies to empower EMS providers and improve reporting were identified.
Effects of Decreased Response Effort and Task Clarification on Proper Tire Pressure

Maintaining proper tire pressure can decrease fuel costs and increase the longevity of tires. The current study examined the effects of decreasing response effort and receiving task clarification on appropriate tire pressure with 22 participants across 3 work groups. Treatment consisted of receiving tire pressure gauges, task clarification about appropriate tire pressure, and weekly opportunities at their site for participants to fill up tires . Results suggest that the treatment package was effective in increasing tire pressure for most participants.
The inhibition of radiation repair by ranpirnase ± l-buthionine sulfoximide on lung cancer

433 Purpose: We recently reported that the cytotoxic RNase, ranpirnase (ONCONASE ® , ONC), significantly retarded the radiation-induced tumor growth of A549 NSCLC xenografts. One of physiological mechanisms was related to significant increases in K trans values, monitored non-invasively by a dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging method, and tumor blood flow & SO 2 , by a near-infrared spectroscopy method (IN VIVO 21:721-728, 2007). We hypothesized that l-buthionine sulfoximide (l-BSO) facilitates the radiation sensitizing effect of ONC, mainly due to the l-BSO-induced reduction in GSH levels. The possible mechanisms of the radiation sensitizing effect of ONC ± l-BSO were studied on lung cancer. Materials and methods: Cell culture; 3 human NSCLC cells (A549, HOP-62 & NCI-H1975) and 2 fibroblast cells (HLF-1 human lung fibroblast & 3T3) were cultured. Clonogenic assays for sub-lethal damage repair (SLDR) and potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR); SLDR by split dose assay and PLDR by assay of the delayed trypsin treatment post-irradiation were studied after l-BSO ± ONC on 3 NSCLC cell lines. Apoptosis in vitro analysis; Tumor cells were plated on chamber slides and incubated for 3 days prior to ONC ± l-BSO treatment. Apoptosis was measured by using the fluorescein in situ cell death detection kit with fluorescence/ phase contrast microscopy. Apoptosis in vivo analysis; 10-week-old, female athymic nude mice bearing human NSCLC xenografts were utilized. 2-5 x 10 6 viable cells suspended in 50 µl of RPMI1640 medium were injected into the right thighs of mice prior to treatment with ONC ± l-BSO. H. & E. staining, TUNEL labeling, and caspase-3-antibody labeling were used for in vivo apoptosis detection. Results: All 3 NSCLC cells were sensitive to ONC. NCI-H1975 & HOP-62 cells were sensitive to l-BSO, but not A549 cells. ONC or l-BSO alone significantly enhanced radio-sensitivity on the x-irradiated A549 & NCI-H1975 cells. However, PLDR was expressed when x-irradiated A549 cells were delayed trypsinization for 4 h with or without l-BSO. Recovery factor was ~ 2.4 for the control and ~ 2.9 for the l-BSO treated group when the cell dissociation was delayed in the x-irradiated A549 tumor cells (p=0.08). l-BSO alone did not inhibit PLDR in A549 cells. In contrast, ONC alone and ONC + l-BSO significantly inhibited PLDR in the x-irradiated A549 cells. To obtain insight into the cellular mechanisms of radiation sensitization by ONC, l-BSO, and/or ONC + l-BSO, we determined the induction of apoptosis in 3 NSCLC cells. ONC significantly increased apoptosis in all 3 NSCLC cell lines. However, l-BSO did not increase occurrence of apoptosis in A549 cells. Our preliminary results showed enhanced apoptosis in NCI-H1975 & HOP-62 (needed for confirmation). We will provide detailed data in our upcoming AACR meeting. Conclusion: This study suggests important potential clinical uses of ONC ± l-BSO for the treatment of NSCLC cancer patients.