cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Understanding and Predicting Monsoon Patterns

Much of the world's population lives in monsoon Asia and depends on monsoon rainfall for water and agricultural fertility. The monsoon also affects climate in other parts of the world ( 1 ). It results from an interplay between the ocean, atmosphere, and land surface (see the figure). Many factors thus affect its strength, including sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Indian and Pacific Oceans; variations in solar output; land snow cover and soil moisture over the Asian continent; and the position and strength of prevailing winds ( 1 ). The links between these factors and the monsoon appear to wax and wane over time, and the observational record is too short to explain this longer-term variability ( 2 ). This lack of information makes it difficult to forecast and plan for anomalous monsoon activity, and to predict how the Asian monsoon may be affected by global climate change. This situation is now changing: On page 486 of this issue, Cook et al. ( 3 ) report a Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas (MADA) that contains reconstructions of summer dryness and wetness for the region since 1300 C.E., based on tree-ring data.
UV Photodissociation of Matrix-Isolated Propionyl Chloride

We have investigated the photodecomposition of propionyl chloride, CH3CH2COCl, in an argon matrix at 10 K using FTIR absorption spectroscopy. The decomposition products formed following irradiation at 266, 254, or 248 nm are methyl ketene, CH3CHCO, and HCl; no other photoproducts are observed. We have carried out FTIR polarization studies to determine the relative orientation of the photoproducts and found that the HCl molecule is situated perpendicular to the carbonyl group in the methyl ketene. The orientation in the photoproducts and kinetic studies of the acid chloride dissociation point to a direct elimination mechanism for propionyl chloride decomposition. This is consistent with the direct mechanism proposed for acetyl chloride, CH3COCl, photodissociation in both an argon matrix and the solid crystalline form. We have calculated detailed thermodynamics for CH3COCl and CH3CH2COCl decomposition and found them consistent with the proposed elimination mechanism. We also assign the fundamental vibration...
The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory X-Ray Calibration Facility

An X-Ray Calibration and Standards Laboratory has been established at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to provide x-ray calibrations of various types of x-ray diagnostic equipment presently being utilized. This Laboratory is the outgrowth of many years of involvement in the development of x-ray generation and calibration equipment. X-ray calibrations in a steady state mode are available from 100 eV to 100 keV. Pulsed response and linearity studies as well as radiation damage studies can also be performed. A crystal fabrication, characterization and calibration facility is an integral part of the Laboratory. A general discussion of various equipment and capabilities within the Laboratory is presented.
Male discrimination of female Brachionus plicatilis Müller and Brachionus rotundiformis Tschugunoff (Rotifera)

An analysis of mating behavior of three Brachionus plicatilis O.F. Muller and three Brachionus rotundiformis Tschugunoff strains showed that reproductive isolation exists between strains of these sibling species. An atypical B. rotundiformis strain appears to share some characteristics with both B. plicatilis and B. rotundiformis strains. This strain is able to cross-mate with one B. plicatilis strain, although no cysts were produced. The results of the mating behavior are discussed with regard to recent data on a surface glycoprotein responsible for mate recognition in B. plicatilis. Mating behavior of brachionid rotifers has great potential for maintaining reproductive isolation among species.
Imaging features of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (Evans tumor)

Objective To determine common imaging features of low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS), a rare subtype of fibrosarcoma with a benign histological appearance but with a propensity for local recurrence and metastasis.
Effects of water restriction during growth and adulthood on renal function of bobwhite quail, Colinus virginianus.

Renal function and osmoregulation were studied in bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) raised with unrestricted water (chronically unrestricted group) or restricted water (chronically restricted group). There was no difference in urine concentrating ability between adult and juvenile (3.5 or 7.5 week-old) quail. A filtration marker (polyethylene glycol) was infused into adult quail via osmotic minipumps and responses to the following regimens studied: ad libitum water intake, short-term (4-day) water restriction, and acute (1-day) dehydration (withdrawal of all drinking water). Chronically restricted quail had higher urine-to-plasma ratios of polyethylene glycol and lower urine flow rates during short-term restriction. A greater proportion of the reduction in urine flow rate during dehydration was attributable to enhanced tubular reabsorption, rather than reduced rates of filtration, in chronically restricted than in chronically unrestricted birds. Chronically restricted birds also had higher maximum urine-to-plasma ratios of polyethylene glycol (but not higher urine osmolality). These differences occurred in the face of arginine vasotocin concentrations that were not different in the two groups of birds (approximately 15 pg·ml-1 during hydration, and 45 pg·ml-1 during water restriction or dehydration). These observations suggest that chronically restricted quail have an enhanced responsiveness of tubular reabsorption to dehydration, a finding consistent with previous observations of tubule hypertrophy and hyperplasia in these birds (Goldstein and Ellis 1991). Despite this, no difference was found in medullary cAMP levels, either basal or arginine vastotocin-or forskolin-stimulated, in the two groups. When given water ad libitum, chronically restricted quail drank copiously (more than two times the drinking rate of chronically unrestricted birds rehydrating from acute dehydration or short-term water restriction), but glomerular filtration rate, hematocrit, and plasma osmolality did not differ in the two groups under this condition; chronically restricted quail excreted the excess water consumed during rehydration in a copious urine accomplished by reduced tubular water reabsorption.
Effect of sulfur as a growth promoter for CNx nanostructures as PEM and DMFC ORR catalysts

Abstract The impact of thiophene, a carbon growth promoter, was investigated when added to acetonitrile during pyrolysis over 2 wt%Fe/MgO to form nitrogen-containing carbon nanostructured (CNx) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. ORR activity and selectivity were studied using rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) electrochemical testing. Catalysts were characterized using XPS, TEM, hydrophobicity testing and BET surface area. It was found that thiophene did increase CNx yield, but did not affect the ORR activity of the resulting catalysts. Characterization results revealed that sulfur was incorporated into the CNx catalyst. Viability of catalysts for use in a PEM or direct methanol fuel cell environment was further investigated using temperature programmed oxidation and desorption (TPO, TPD) techniques to determine the stability of sulfur in CNx, catalyst. Post-synthesis treatment to prevent sulfur desorption during long-term use in a fuel cell was found to be feasible.
Effects of Otitis Media With Effusion on Hearing in the First 3 Years of Life

Hearing sensitivity was examined prospectively in young children as a function of otitis media with effusion (OME) status in Years 1, 2, and 3. Hearing and OME status were sampled bimonthly from 5 to 36 months of age. Behavioral thresholds were obtained at 4 test frequencies (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) using visual reinforcement audiometry and conditioned play audiometry techniques. The majority of children's audiograms were obtained using a computer-controlled test procedure. Thresholds for the test frequencies were averaged for each visit and then averaged across all visits in each year. Reference values were developed for infants and children in Years 1, 2, and 3 who were OME free. Results reveal that children who were classified as bilaterally OME positive in Years 1, 2, and 3 had significantly poorer hearing than children classified as bilaterally OME free in each of these time periods. There was no difference in hearing as a function of gender, socioeconomic status, or birth-risk status.
Solution structural studies of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TATA binding protein (TBP).

The intrinsic fluorescence of the six tyrosines located within the C-terminal domain of the Saccharomyces cereuisiae TATA binding protein (TBP) and the single tryptophan located in the N-terminal domain has been used to separately probe the structural changes associated with each domain upon DNA binding or oligomerization of the protein. The unusually short-wavelength maximum of TBP fluorescence is shown to reflect the unusually high quantum yield of the tyrosine residues in TBP and not to result from unusual tryptophan fluorescence. The anisotropy of the C-terminal tyrosines is very high in monomeric, octameric, and DNA-complexed TBP and comparable to that observed in much larger proteins. The tyrosines have low accessibility to an external fluorescence quencher. The anisotropy of the single tryptophan located within the N-terminal domain of TBP is much lower than that of the tyrosines and is accessible to an external fluorescence quencher. Tyrosine, but not tryptophan, fluorescence is quenched upon TBP-DNA complex formation. Only the tryptophan fluorescence is shifted to longer wavelengths in the protein-DNA complex. In addition, the accessibility of the tryptophan residue to the external quencher and the internal motion of the tryptophan residue increase upon DNA binding by TBP. These results show the following: (i) The structure of the C-terminal domain structure is unchanged upon TBP oligomerization, in contrast to the N-terminal domain [Daugherty, M. A., Brenowitz, M., and Fried, M. G. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 4869-4880]. (ii) The environment of the tyrosine residues within the C-terminal domain of TBP is structurally rigid and unaffected by oligomerization or DNA binding. (iii) The C-terminal domain of TBP is uniformly in close proximity to bound DNA. (iv) While the N-terminal domain unfolds upon DNA binding by TBP, its increased correlation time shows that the overall structure of the protein is more rigid when complexed to DNA. A model that reconciles these results is proposed.
Thermodynamic basis of site-specific cooperativity

Cooperative phenomena in biological macromolecules arise from the interaction of many distinct subsystems, such as structural domains or binding sites. Cooperative properties of the system as a whole, like protein folding or allosteric transitions, are subject to the restrictions imposed by thermodynamic stability. These restrictions, however, do not apply in the case of individual subsystems open to interactions with the rest of the macromolecule. The site-specific properties of such subsystems can be understood in general thermodynamic terms from those of a multicomponent system under particular conditions. The analogy provides a thermodynamic basis for site-specific cooperativity.
Laser light splits atom

Over the past century the power of artificial light sources has increased exponentially from a kilowatt to a petawatt (1015watts). As a result the world's most powerful lasers can now accelerate electrons to relativistic speeds, making laser-induced nuclear fission a reality.
A Research Note AIM APPARATUS FOR MEASUREMENT OF CONTRACTILE PROPERTIES OF PORCINE SKELETAL MUSCLE

Describes the design of apparatus and development of a test procedure to measure the contraction time, one-half relaxation time, net twitch tension/g wet weight muscle, net tetanus tension/g wet weight muscle and twitch-tetanus ratio in muscle of porcine animals weighing up to 100 kg.
Retrofitting technology to nursing: the case of electronic fetal monitoring.

Objectives: To describe how nurses put electronic fetal monitoring to use in the 1960s and 1970s and the dilemmas this caused. Design: Social history. Results: Nurses used electronic fetal monitoring to improve the watchful and comfort care of childbearing women, and they saw it as validating nursing. They retrofitted, or worked to reconcile machine monitoring with natural, prepared, and participative childbirth, and with attentive and embodied nursing. Conclusion: Electronic fetal monitoring was another in a long line of technological innovations that fell to nurses to put into use and to make work. The remarkably rapid way electronic fetal monitoring became routine in the United States depended, in large part, on the articulation work of nurses. However, like all such work, what nurses did to make electronic fetal monitoring work for patients, physicians, hospitals, and manufacturers was iargely invisible. Retrofitting efforts often entail unrecognized innovation and risks for nursing. JOGNN, 29, 316–324; 2000.
Aerobic formation of ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a computerized pHauxostat

Abstract A computerized pHauxostat was used for investigating oxidoreductive metabolism of yeast. Elevated glucose concentrations due to high dilution rates overloaded aerobic respiratory capacity and induced formation of ethanol. Although specific productivity of ethanol was excellent at low concentrations of glucose, ethanol toxicity caused diminished productivity and uneconomic concentrations of ethanol with industrial-strength substrate.
Sir2 Regulates Skeletal Muscle Differentiation as a Potential Sensor of the Redox State

Abstract Sir2 is a NAD + -dependent histone deacetylase that controls gene silencing, cell cycle, DNA damage repair, and life span. Prompted by the observation that the [NAD + ]/[NADH] ratio is subjected to dynamic fluctuations in skeletal muscle, we have tested whether Sir2 regulates muscle gene expression and differentiation. Sir2 forms a complex with the acetyltransferase PCAF and MyoD and, when overexpressed, retards muscle differentiation. Conversely, cells with decreased Sir2 differentiate prematurely. To inhibit myogenesis, Sir2 requires its NAD + -dependent deacetylase activity. The [NAD + ]/[NADH] ratio decreases as muscle cells differentiate, while an increased [NAD + ]/[NADH] ratio inhibits muscle gene expression. Cells with reduced Sir2 levels are less sensitive to the inhibition imposed by an elevated [NAD + ]/[NADH] ratio. These results indicate that Sir2 regulates muscle gene expression and differentiation by possibly functioning as a redox sensor. In response to exercise, food intake, and starvation, Sir2 may sense modifications of the redox state and promptly modulate gene expression.
Carbonic Anhydrase in the Accessory Boring Organ of the Gastropod, Urosalpinx

Carbonic anhydrase (CA), the enzyme which catalyzes the reaction CO2+H2O⇌H2CO3, was found in both active and resting accessory boring organs (ABO) of Urosalpinx , using a modification of the Waldeyer and Hausler (1959) technique in which the tissue section is floated on the substrate solution. The intense reactivity of this gland exceeded the activity of other pedal tissues of this muricid gastropod. The ventral pedal gland of the female also exhibited strong activity, but theconcentration in this tissue was not as intense as that observed in the ABO. No discernible differences between the microvilli of resting and boring ABOs were noted after fixation in acetone, formalin, or glutaraldehyde. However, notable nuances in reactivity of the pedal structures occurred when the comparative effect of fixatives was evaluated. All variations of the immersion technique, as opposed to flotation procedures, exhibited a strong stain only in the microvilli of active ABOs, and little or no activity in resting ABOs. This difference between active and resting ABOs (immersion technique only) appears to be due to the binding (chelation) of calcium with subsequent replacement of cobalt (probably as a carbonate complex) in the substrate. The markedly greater CA activity in the ABO, relative to other secretory tissues inthe snail, suggests a vital role for this enzyme in the process of penetrating shell. Thelow pH of the secretion from the active ABO during boring indicates that at least one phase of the boring process is a chemical reaction associated with production of acid.
Annual Summary of Vital Statistics—1978

This is one of a continuing series of analyses of U.S. vital statistics data (for a previous report see 44: Title 3140). Variations in infant mortality by state are illustrated and a brief comparison is made with data for other countries (ANNOTATION)
Shooting In The Dark: Estimating The Cost Of Firearm Injuries

Abstract: The cost of firearm injuries in the United States in 1990 was an estimated $20.4 billion. This includes $1.4 billion for direct expenditures for health care and related goods, $1.6 billion in lost productivity resulting from injury-related illness and disability, and $17.4 billion in lost productivity from premature death. While these are the best available national estimates, it is likely that they underestimate the economic impact of firearm injuries because they are based on relatively old data and on many assumptions necessitated by data gaps. The need for better data and improved estimates, and their policy relevance, are discussed.
“Corporation tools and time‐serving slaves”;: Class and gender in the rhetoric of antebellum labor reform

This article analyzes the rhetoric of the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association, one of the more radical examples of antebellum American women's public activism. Members of the group, among the first generation of workers, exhibited strong class and gender consciousness in their persuasion. Not only did they speak out as women during a period when such behavior was proscribed, but they spoke as workers, an identification that proved essential to their rhetoric. The workers created an identity in opposition to the middle‐class ideology of femininity, freeing them to engage in public activism. Analysis of extant texts demonstrates that the rhetoric reflects a strategic combination of early feminism infused with the working‐class language of “come‐outerism.”;
Connecting, Coordinating, Cataloguing: Communicative Practices on Mobile Social Networks

This article draws on Georg Simmel's sociological framework for social interaction in public space to situate socially mediated interactions within a historical and theoretical context. Based on 5 case studies of mobile interactions with social networks, this article explores how these mobile interactions with social networks are practiced and experienced in everyday life. Together these case studies suggest 3 kinds of communicative practices associated with mobile social networks: connecting, coordinating, and cataloguing. These practices are associated with the social, physical, and informational aspects of public social interaction respectively. The article concludes with implications of these practices for socially mediated interaction in public space.
Abstract A37: Activation of FGFR1 signaling in mammary tumors leads to STAT3 activation and chemoresistance

Recent studies have shown that the Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 ( FGFR1 ) gene locus is amplified in approximately 10% of human breast tumors. Breast cancer patients with an FGFR1 amplification have significantly shorter overall survival potentially due to their increased risk of distant metastasis. Using an inducible FGFR1 system (iFGFR1), we have been working to identify the mechanisms involved in FGFR-induced tumorigenesis. Published studies have shown increased survival and proliferation of cells containing the activated iFGFR1. Examining both mouse and human FGF-responsive cell lines, we found that FGFR activation leads to a decrease in apoptosis, both basally and after treatment with chemotherapy agents. Further studies indicated that activation of FGFR signaling leads to indirect activation of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) both in vitro and in vivo. STAT3 is commonly activated as a result of IL-6 family member signaling. In our in vitro system, iFGFR1 activation leads to production of cytokines such as LIF and IL-6, which in turn signal in an autocrine fashion to activate the STAT3 pathway. Inhibition of FGFR activity in vivo using the small molecule inhibitor PD173034 in combination with the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin resulted in significant reduction of mouse tumor burden. These results provide evidence for the involvement of FGF receptors in the induction of chemoresistance and the potential benefit of combination therapy. Future studies will pursue the mechanism which drives the resistance to drug-induced apoptosis. Citation Format: Pavlina Chuntova, Laura Bohrer, Lindsey Bade, Kathryn Schwertfeger. Activation of FGFR1 signaling in mammary tumors leads to STAT3 activation and chemoresistance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A37.
Calmodulin signals capacitation and triggers the agonist-induced acrosome reaction in mouse spermatozoa.

Capacitated acrosome-intact spermatozoa interact with specific sugar residues on neoglycoproteins (ngps) or solubilized zona pellucida (ZP), the egg's extracellular glycocalyx, prior to the initiation of a signal transduction cascade that results in the fenestration and fusion of the sperm plasma membrane and the outer acrosomal membrane at multiple sites and exocytosis of acrosomal contents (i.e., induction of the acrosome reaction (AR)). The AR releases acrosomal contents at the site of sperm-zona binding and is thought to be a prerequisite event that allows spermatozoa to penetrate the ZP and fertilize the egg. Since Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM) plays a significant role in several cell signaling pathways and membrane fusion events, we have used a pharmacological approach to examine the role of CaM, a calcium-binding protein, in sperm capacitation and agonist-induced AR. Inclusion of CaM antagonists (calmodulin binding domain, calmidazolium, compound 48/80, ophiobolin A, W5, W7, and W13), either in in vitro capacitation medium or after sperm capacitation blocked the npg-/ZP-induced AR. Purified CaM largely reversed the AR blocking effects of antagonists during capacitation. Our results demonstrate that CaM plays an important role in priming (i.e., capacitation) of mouse spermatozoa as well as in the agonist-induced AR. These data allow us to propose that CaM regulates these events by modulating sperm membrane component(s).
Use of a histochemical technique to demonstrate the cutaneous penetration of adrenalin and nor-adrenalin.

ALTHOUGH histochemical techniques are commonly used for demonstrating substances in their normal situations in tissues they may also be used for demonstrating such substances in more unusual sites.
Toxin-induced movement disorders.

The term movement disorder includes a vast array of conditions exemplified by abnormalities of volitional motor control or by the presence of excessive involuntary movements. Typically, disorders of the spinal cord, motor neuron, peripheral nerve, muscle, or impairment of the execution of learned sequences of movement are excluded from this group of disorders. Movement disorders have traditionally been divided into two classes: hypokinetic and hyperkinetic. Hypokinetic disorders are characterized by a delay in the initiation of movement, and when the movement occurs, it is slow and low in amplitude. Hyperkinetic disorders, characterized by spontaneous, involuntary movements, include dystonia, chorea, myoclonus, tic, and tremor. Often, however, hypokinetic and hyperkinetic components are present in the same disorder. Movement disorders occur as part of idiopathic or genetic diseases, but may also present in the setting of metabolic, vascular, infectious, and endocrinologic abnormalities. The use of certain classes of prescription drugs, including antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and antiepileptics, may also result in certain abnormalities of movement. Comprehensive reviews of this subject have previously been published [1–3] and are not considered further. Movement disorders have also occurred following exposure to neurotoxins (Table 1). These compounds have been classified as heavy metals, gases, pesticides, organic solvents, and other chemicals. Although the neurologic manifestations of poisoning by certain toxins have been attributed to cellular hypoxia due to mitochondrial dysfunction or to the generation of free radicals, some agents are relatively selective in their toxicity to lenticular or striatal neurons and produce signs and symptoms related to these structures [4,5]. This article reviews the movement disorders that may occur following exposure to various environmental and industrial toxins.
Exercise in behavioral medicine.

Abstract Research on the preventive and rehabilitative applications of exercise and literature on exercise adherence from the past 10 years are briefly reviewed. Although there is now substantial evidence that a low level of physical activity is associated with decreased life expectancy for both men and women and contributes independently to the development of many prevalent chronic diseases, most adults and children lead sedentary lives. Recent intervention studies suggest exercise adherence can be improved in a variety of populations. Researchers in the next decade should continue to elaborate the population- and disease-specific effects of physical activity and exercise and give priority to the problem of exercise adherence, which limits the effectiveness of exercise interventions and remains a significant challenge to behavioral medicine.
Current Treatment of Osteosarcoma

A comprehensive multidisciplinary approach has transformed osteosarcoma from a disease with a modest long-term survival to one in which at least two-thirds of patients will be cured. Surgery remains the vital modality for treating the primary tumor, whereas adjuvant chemotherapy plays an essential role in the control of subclinical metastatic disease. Complete surgical excision of the primary tumor remains an essential element of treatment. For many patients, a combination of advances in surgical technique, improved imaging modalities to accurately document tumor extent, and the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has made limb salvage procedures a safe alternative to amputation. In some patients for whom complete surgical excision is impossible, the addition of radiation therapy may allow local tumor control. The most effective chemotherapy agents currently in use include high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide/etoposide. The optimal schedule of therapy is still being investigated, as is the role of dose intensification. Unfortunately, some groups of patients remain at high risk of eventual relapse. Those whose tumors show relatively low degrees of necrosis after administration of chemotherapy have poorer survival than patients with more chemotherapy-responsive tumors. Similarly, patients who present with overt metastatic disease (particularly bone metastases), as well as patients with tumors that recur after treatment, continue to have an unsatisfactory outcome. These groups, in particular, may benefit from future investigations into novel agents, such as biological response modifiers, antiangiogenesis factors, and growth receptor modulation.
Deconstructing the Outreach Experience: Renegotiating Queer and Latino Masculinities in the Distribution of Safe Sex Materials

This study explores the dynamics of outreach activities, specifically the renegotiation of Latino and queer identities, in the distribution of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention materials. By way of participant observation over the course of 9 months, the underlying discourse of creating and fostering a queer identity along with shifting masculinities by host organizations and sponsoring programs to discuss, arrange, evaluate, and disperse safe sex materials was assessed. The organizational imposition of queer identity was common for outreach workers when dealing with Latino men who have sex with men, whose acceptance or rejection of prophylactics conflicts with the existing “tacit subject,” or the Latino male who operates from both “in and out” of the closet. In doing so, I examine how the ways that we think about identity, or multiple identities, must be reformulated to be more inclusive of variation, recognizing queer Latinidad, homo-thugs, and simply Latino MSM.
Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide modulate leukocyte adhesion molecule expression and leukocyte endothelial adhesion

While endothelial oxidant generation and subsequent leukocyte chemotaxis and activation are important mechanisms of tissue damage ischemic organs, it is not known if oxidant generation may be involved in triggering the subsequent leukocyte-mediated injury which occurs. Questions remain whether particular oxidants and oxygen-free radicals are capable of modulating the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules and effecting leukocyte endothelial adhesion. Studies were performed to determine the effect of different biologically occurring oxidant molecules and oxygen free radicals including: ·O 2−, ·OH, and H2O2 on the expression of integrin and selectin adhesion molecules on the surface of human PMNs and to determine the effect of these alterations on PMN adhesion to the endothelium. Adhesion molecule expression on the surface of human PMNs was measured by immunofluorescence flow cytometry. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to characterize the presence of exogenous free radical generation as well as that from activated PMNs. It was observed that these oxidants can cause up-regulation of CD11b and CD18 expression with shedding of l-selectin. The kinetics and dose-response of these effects were analyzed and their functional significance determined by measuring PMN adhesion to cultured human aortic endothelial monolayers. These studies demonstrate that oxygen free radicals and non-radical oxidants can directly trigger PMN activation and adhesion to vascular endothelium.
Role of blood shear stress in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell migration

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration from the media to the intima of blood vessels contributes to neointimal formation and atherogenesis. Here, the authors demonstrate how blood shear stress regulates vascular SMC migration in the encapsulating tissue of a micro-cylinder implanted in the center of the rat vena cava with the micro-cylinder perpendicular to blood flow, in this model, the micro-cylinder was exposed to a laminar flow with a known shear stress field in the leading region and a vortex flow in the trailing region. After surgery, the micro-cylinder was encapsulated by a thrombus-like tissue within one day, followed by SMC migration from the vena cava to the encapsulating tissue from day 3 to 20. SMC migration was time-dependent with a peak migration speed at day 5. At each given time (excluding day 1), blood shear stress exerts an inhibitory effect on SMC migration with significantly suppressed SMC migration in the laminar flow region than in the stagnation, separation, and vortex flow regions. SMCs were relatively parallel to the shear stress direction in high shear stress regions, whereas perpendicular to the shear stress direction in low shear stress regions. These results suggest that blood shear stress plays a role in regulating SMC migration and orientation in this model.
Open Standards, Open Source, and Open Innovation: Harnessing the Benefits of Openness

public policy, one of the most important of those changes has been in the treatment of intellectual property, and the ways we view both the process of innovation and the process of deriving value from creative acts. As the Internet grew, and as all forms of information increasingly became digitized, the sale of digital information in its many forms has been replaced by various licensing agreements between the rights holder and the consumer. These changes have led to what the National Academy of Sciences labels the “digital dilemma”: A digital information product, unlike a physical good, can be created, modified, perfectly duplicated in innumerable quantities, and distributed to millions of people around the world at little or no cost. But its creator, or those who owned the rights to it, could control it completely, lock it down or make it inaccessible, at least temporarily. This paradox is visible in two different and contradictory phenomena. The rise of Napster, and other file-sharing networks using the Internet, allowed millions of users to download billions of digital audio and video files, many of which they were sharing without the authorization of the rights holders. At the same time, rights holders were using licenses and digital rights management systems to
New Approach to Bounding Effective Properties of Random Heterogeneous Materials

A new approach to bounding effective properties of random heterogeneous materials is developed in this paper. The expectation material properties are computed for a stochastic unit cell to represent the random heterogeneous materials. This stochastic unit cell is then used to compute the upper bound and lower bound of effective properties using the variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization, a recently developed general-purpose micromechanics code. In comparison with other approaches, the present approach has two main advantages. 1) The numerical implementation is not restricted to statically homogeneous and isotropic microstructures. 2) Both the lower bound and upper bound converge to the effective properties of a deterministic unit cell with decreasing randomness of the stochastic unit cell. To illustrate the application of this new approach, various examples are analyzed and compared with existing theories.
A Genetic Algorithm for Computing Class Integration Test Orders for Aspect-Oriented Systems

In this paper we present an approach for the class integration test order problem in aspect-oriented programs. Several approaches have been proposed for aspect-oriented systems, but the proposed approach is the first, to our best knowledge, to consider the indirect impact of aspects. This approach relies on a genetic algorithm and can reduce the testing efforts when many methods are indirectly impacted by aspects. We detail the algorithm and then discuss its parameters. The approach has been implemented for Aspect J systems, and to validate it, has been applied to a motivating example.
Elections and civil violence in new multiparty regimes Evidence from Africa

The introduction of multiparty competition around the world following the Cold War raises the specter of rising civil violence during election periods in emerging democracies and hybrid regimes. Yet there are also plausible theoretical reasons to expect dropping civil violence around elections in these states or, alternatively, no significant change in the level of such conflict. This article tests these hypotheses in Africa with the aid of event data on the daily rate of civil violence incidents (1997–2013). It asks if civil violence in that region is more frequent, less frequent or constant during election cycles compared to other times. To guard against definitional and data selection problems encountered in some prior cross-national studies of elections and use of force, the research design emphasizes the relative risk of social conflict at the national level. The analysis suggests three distinct patterns in Africa. Given countrywide norms, election periods in most countries run the same relative risk...
The scattering of light from thin polymer films.† IV. Scattering from oriented polymers

The scattering of both unpolarized and polarized light by a series of stretched polyethylene films has been studied. The radiation envelope of the scattered light loses its cylindrical symmetry upon stretching. The dissymmetry depends upon the orientation of the stretching direction of the film as does the intensity of scattered light. The results imply a scattering unit which is anisotropic both in shape and in polarizability. The largest dimension and highest polarizability lie in the stretching direction. The Debye-Bueche theory has been generalized to describe oriented anisotropic systems. The single parameter, a, describing the size of the heterogeneity is replaced by two parameters, a and c. The mean-square dielectric constant fluctuation η2 depends upon the principal polarizabilities of the scattering unit and upon its orientation. The parameters are evaluated for the series of polyethylene samples. A model is proposed which accounts for the variation of the parameters as well as the changes occuring during melting and crystallizing the polymer.
Defectivity Performance of Full Field Immersion Photolithography Tool

In this paper, we report results of comprehensive studies of defects originating in immersion photolithography clusters comprising immersion volume production tool (S609B, NA=1.07) and engineering evaluation tool (EET NA = 0.85). Defectivity S609B was very low, 0.013 cm2 it attained dry exposure level successfully. Defectivity results using EET were also very promising in all three major resist processes including solvent soluble topcoat, developer soluble topcoat and topcoat-less resist. Defectivity did not show any scan speed dependency and target size dependency, showing the extendibility of our immersion technology in future mass production phase. In particular, we found that for 50 ml water droplets, weeding angle larger than about 70 degree provides immersion process free of immersion-specific defects. We successfully demonstrated very effective defect analysis technique named DSA (defect source analysis) to show what defects are immersion-specific. We also revealed the defect generation mechanism of each defect types. Deep understanding of defectivity behavior leads to a conclusion that immersion lithography is viable for IC manufacture at 45 nm node
Correlating Catalytic Methanol Oxidation with the Structure and Oxidation State of Size-Selected Pt Nanoparticles

We have investigated the structure and chemical state of size-selected platinum nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by micelle encapsulation and supported on γ-Al2O3 during the oxidation of methanol under oxygen-rich reaction conditions following both oxidative and reductive pretreat- ments. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectros- copy measurements reveal that in both cases, the catalyst is substantially oxidized under reaction conditions at room temperature and becomes partially reduced when the reactor temperature is raised to 50 °C. Reactivity tests show that at low temperatures, the preoxidized catalyst, in which a larger degree of oxidation was observed, is more active than the prereduced catalyst. We conclude that the differences in reactivity can be linked to the formation and stabilization of distinct active oxide species during the pretreatment.
Physiological, biochemical, and microscopic analyses of weakened walls of conidia in Colletotrichum graminicola with a disrupted class V chitin synthase gene, chsA

Colletotrichum graminicola (teleomorph, Glomerella graminicola) mutant T30 has a disruption in chsA, which is a class V or a class VI chitin synthase (class VI if recognized). The mutant conidia were significantly easier to fracture with glass beads than conidia of the wild type and two T30-derived strains that were complemented with chsA. Similarly, after extraction in alkali, the walls of significantly more mutant conidia collapsed in comparison to the wild type and the two chsA-complemented strains. These data provide genetic evidence that the chitin synthesized by ChsA is critical for conidial wall strength and rigidity. The conidial wall compositions of the wild type and the T30 strains were compared. The chsA-disrupted conidia had a significantly lower percentage of chitin and an alkali- and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)-insoluble glucan (30 and 15% less, respectively). The mutant had a correspondingly higher content of a TFA-hydrolyzable glucan than the wild type. Both strains had similar percentages of covalently bound protein and alkali-insoluble polysaccharide(s) containing TFA-hydrolyzable mannose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, and rhamnose. The significant reduction in both chitin and the TFA-insoluble glucan supports the hypothesis that chitin is present in walls as a chitin-glucan complex and that the glucan's insolubility is due to its linkage to chitin.
Formal and informal support: The great divide

As we approach the next century, it is clear that neither formal services nor informal family caregivers can meet the needs of a growing population. It is therefore pertinent to reconceptualize the linkages between formal and informal care and move towards an integrative model. This paper explores several models of such an interface that exist in the literature and proposes that many of these overlap. Various predictors of formal service use are also explored, with an emphasis on the outcomes of both the informal caregiver and the care recipient. Implications for future research include further exploring and understanding the link between formal and informal support and the need to increase receipt of formal care among family caregivers.
Diagnosis and Management of Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Diagnosis and management of Acanthamoeba chronic ulcerative keratitis is difficult. Two cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis at Wills Eye Hospital were diagnosed within several months of each other during 1983. Corneal transplantation was necessary for diagnosis and therapy in these cases. Another two cases were diagnosed when histopathologic specimens from penetrating keratoplasties done between 1974 and 1983 were reviewed retrospectively. There has been no evidence of recurrent disease in any of our cases during follow-up periods averaging two years (range, 12 to 40 months). The diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis must be considered in cases of chronic progressive corneal ulceration unresponsive to medical therapy.
A psychosocial taxonomy of patients with diabetes: validation in a primary care setting.

Aims The aims of this study were (i) to extend a psychosocial taxonomy of patients with diabetes to a primary care setting, and (ii) to validate the taxonomy using more sophisticated clustering methods across an array of psychological dimensions independent of demographic and medical variables. Methods In a cross-sectional study, 111 adults with Type 2 diabetes seen in a primary care setting completed the Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). They also provided diabetes-specific self-report measures along with HbA1c. Results Four psychosocial patient profiles were identified using model-based cluster analysis in a US primary care setting. The four profiles represent a replication of two and refinement of a third profile found previously in French-speaking patients at diabetes education centres. Validation of the profiles using the BSI was replicated for depression and extended to other psychological dimensions. The validity and distinctiveness of the four psychosocial profiles were independent of demographic and diabetes-specific medical variables. Conclusion Replication and extended validation of the psychosocial taxonomy into primary care may allow healthcare workers to supplement medical treatments with psychosocial interventions that can improve outcomes for patients with diabetes that are practical, individually tailored, and cost-effective.
The herbaceous landlord: integrating the effects of symbiont consortia within a single host.

Plants are typically infected by a consortium of internal fungal associates, including endophytes in their leaves, as well as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE) in their roots. It is logical that these organisms will interact with each other and the abiotic environment in addition to their host, but there has been little work to date examining the interactions of multiple symbionts within single plant hosts, or how the relationships among symbionts and their host change across environmental conditions. We examined the grass Agrostis capillaris in the context of a climate manipulation experiment in prairies in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Each plant was tested for presence of foliar endophytes in the genus Epichloe, and we measured percent root length colonized (PRLC) by AMF and DSE. We hypothesized that the symbionts in our system would be in competition for host resources, that the outcome of that competition could be driven by the benefit to the host, and that the host plants would be able to allocate carbon to the symbionts in such a way as to maximize fitness benefit within a particular environmental context. We found a correlation between DSE and AMF PRLC across climatic conditions; we also found a fitness cost to increasing DSE colonization, which was negated by presence of Epichloe endophytes. These results suggest that selective pressure on the host is likely to favor host/symbiont relationships that structure the community of symbionts in the most beneficial way possible for the host, not necessarily favoring the individual symbiont that is most beneficial to the host in isolation. These results highlight the need for a more integrative, systems approach to the study of host/symbiont consortia.
Natural-mode Representation for the Field Reflected by an Inhomogeneous Conductor-backed Material Layer – TM Case

The reflection of a TM-polarized plane wave by a conductor-backed, inhomogeneous, planar material layer is considered. The field within the layer is found either by solving a differential equation, or by solving an equivalent integral equation. The transient field reflected by the layer is determined by performing a natural-mode expansion, where the natural resonance frequencies of the layer are found by solving a homogeneous integral equation for the field within the layer. The resulting waveform is verified by comparison to the fast Fourier transform of the frequency-domain reflection coefficient.
Development of a Wireless MEMS Inertial System for Health Monitoring of Structures

Advancements in microelectromechanical technologies have lead to progressive design of small footprint, low dynamic mass and actuation power, and high-resolution MEMS inertial sensors. In this paper, development of instrumentation and methodologies for wireless health monitoring of structures using MEMS inertial sensors is presented. A dedicated experimental setup is developed to characterize specific MEMS inertial sensors and structures. Studies presented in this paper include development and characterization of a prototype wireless data acquisition system to transmit analog and digital signals. Results show that the frequency response of the prototype wireless data acquisition system is compatible with the frequency response of the MEMS inertial sensors utilized. The prototype wireless MEMS inertial system is applied to perform tilt and rotation measurements. It is shown that with the wireless MEMS system it is possible to achieve an angular resolution of 1.8 mrad.
Interanimation Repositioning Possibilities in Educational Contexts

Changing discursive practices is necessary for educational social justice and is made possible through the interanimation of diverse ways of knowing that create dynamic tensions and challenge reliance on narrow views of what counts as legitimate knowledge. In this article, we accept the challenge that Reid and Valle put forth in creating new discourses of possibility through the animation of sociocultural and critical theory as they might apply to the interrogation of two aspects of the meaning-making process: (a) the interanimation of voices across systems as a condition of reculturing institutions and communities of practice, and (b) instructional activity settings in educational contexts (e.g., disciplinary apprenticeships). We conclude this article by examining possibilities for collaborative research activity.