cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COOL Approach to Petaflops Computing

This paper describes the design of a multiprocessor COOL system to be implemented with superconductor Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) technology that is being developed at SUNY (Stony Brook, USA) within the framework of the Hybrid Technology MultiThreaded architecture (HTMT) project. The objective of the current phase of the project is the proof-of-concept study of a computer that could be built with novel technologies such as RSFQ, optical networks, processors-in-memory, and holographic memory in order to achieve petaflops-level performance within a reasonable hardware and power budget by 2007. The COOL system design is based on a new multithreaded COOL-I architecture which supports two-level multithreading to hide latencies associated with memory and arithmetic operations in superconductor SPELL processors. Preliminary simulation results show that a COOL system with 4096 66-GHz processors can achieve petaflops-level performance on computationally-intensive parallel program kernels.
Nonenzymatic Galactosylation of Proteins and Galactosemia

Hereditary galactosemia due to galactose-l-phosphate uridyl transferase deficiency produces severe illness often leading to death in the neonate- Surviving infants, if dietary galactose is not restricted, develop cataracts, jaundice and irreversible mental retardation. Presently, in patients with galactosemia, the relationship between elevated tissue concentrations of galactose and pathological complications has remained obscure. We suggested that galactosemia pathophysiology may be related to the nonenzymatic galactosylation of proteins in vivo.
A Behavioral Interpretation of the Origins of African American Family Structure

1960 to 1980 doubling (21% to 41%) of black children in one-parent families emerged from 1940-to-1970 urbanization converging population toward urbanized blacks’ historically stable high rate, not post-1960 welfare liberalization or deindustrialization. Urban and rural child socializations structured diﬀerent Jim Crow Era black family formations. Agrarian economic enclaves socialized conformity to Jim Crow and two-parent families; urban enclaves rebellion, male joblessness, and destabilized families. Proxying urban/rural residence at age 16 for socialization location, logistic regressions on sixties census data conﬁrm the hypothesis. Racialized urban socialization negatively aﬀected two-parent family formation and poverty status of blacks but not whites.
Although optimal models are useful, optimality claims are not that common.

Rahnev & Denison (R&D) argue that human behavior is often described as "optimal," despite many previous findings of suboptimality. We address how the literature handles these concepts and discuss our own findings on suboptimality. Although we agree that the field should embrace the "systematic weirdness of human behavior" (sect. 6, para. 1), this does not detract from the value of the Bayesian approach.
Luminosity Functions of Planetary Nebulae

Luminosity functions of planetary nebulae contain information about the central star mass distributions, nebular, central star, and progenitor evolution, stellar death rates, and a galaxy’s star formation and chemical evolution histories. Appropriate observing strategies can be used in combination with various models to extract some of the parameters of these functions. The principal results from these studies are that the central star mass distribution is narrow (σ∼ 0.02 — 0.04M ⊙), the number of PN in a galaxy depends on galaxy color, and the number of PN in the Galaxy is ∼104.
Sustained envelope periodicity representations are associated with speech-in-noise performance in difficult listening conditions for younger and older adults

Failure to correctly understand speech in the presence of background noise is a significant problem for many normal-hearing adults and may impede healthy communication. The relationship between sus...
Awareness of "The Real Cost" Campaign Among US Middle and High School Students: National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2017.

Objectives:Monitoring awareness of a public education campaign can help to better understand the extent of sustained population-level exposure to the campaign. We examined unaided awareness (awaren...
Atf-6 regulates lifespan through ER-mitochondrial calcium homeostasis

Abstract Functional crosstalk between organelles is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Individually, dysfunction of both endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria have been linked to cellular and organismal aging, but little is known about how mechanisms of inter-organelle communication might be targeted to extended longevity. The metazoan unfolded protein response (UPR) maintains ER health through a variety of mechanisms beyond its canonical role in proteostasis, including calcium storage and lipid metabolism. Here we provide evidence that in C. elegans, inhibition of the conserved UPR mediator, activating transcription factor (atf)-6 increases lifespan via modulation of calcium homeostasis and signaling to the mitochondria. Loss of atf-6 confers long life via downregulation of the ER calcium buffering protein, calreticulin. Function of the ER calcium release channel, the inositol triphosphate receptor (IP3R/itr-1), is required for atf-6 mutant longevity while a gain-of-function IP3R/itr-1 mutation is sufficient to extend lifespan. IP3R dysfunction leads to altered mitochondrial behavior and hyperfused morphology, which is sufficient to suppress long life in atf-6 mutants. Highlighting a novel and direct role for this inter-organelle coordination of calcium in longevity, the mitochondrial calcium import channel, mcu-1, is also required for atf-6 mutant longevity. Altogether this study reveals the importance of organellar coordination of calcium handling in determining the quality of aging, and highlights calcium homeostasis as a critical output for the UPR and atf-6 in particular.
Neighborhood Income Inequality and Adolescent Relationship Aggression: Results of a Nationally Representative, Longitudinal Study:

Adolescent relationship aggression (ARA) is a prevalent public health issue with myriad adverse health outcomes. Experts suggest that a research focus on individual- and family-level risk factors f...
The phase-space structure of dark matter haloes

The phase space structure of dark matter halos can be used to measure the mass of the halo, infer mass accretion rates, and probe the effects of modified gravity. Previous studies showed that the splashback radius can be measured in position space using the slope of the density profile. Using N-body simulations, we show that the phase space structure of the dark matter halo does not end at this splashback radius. Instead, there exists a region where infalling, splashback, and virialized halos are mixed spatially. We model the distribution of the three kinematically distinct populations and show that there exists an "edge radius" beyond which a dark matter halo has no orbiting substructures. This radius is a fixed multiple of the splashback radius as defined in previous works, and can be interpreted as a radius which contains a fixed fraction of the apocenters of dark matter particles. Our results provide a firm theoretical foundation to the satellite galaxy model adopted in the companion paper by Tomooka et al., where we analyzed the phase space distribution of SDSS redMaPPer clusters.
Regenerative Medicine for the Shoulder

Musculoskeletal shoulder pathologies are a common cause of pain and dysfunction worldwide. Injuries significantly limit one’s ability to perform overhead tasks as well as activities of daily living. Lack of consistent resolution of shoulder pathologies with current surgical and nonsurgical management has led to exploration of regenerative therapies to treat shoulder dysfunction. In this chapter, we review the most common musculoskeletal shoulder pathologies, current standard of care treatments, and the regenerative therapies currently being studied in the treatment of each respective pathology.
2‐Deoxyglucose terminates pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus in neonatal rats

Objective Neonatal status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening medical emergency. Unfortunately, up to 50% of neonates with SE are resistant to current antiseizure drugs, highlighting the need for better treatments. This study aims to explore a novel metabolic approach as a potential alternative treatment to control neonatal SE, using the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). Methods SE was induced by pilocarpine (300 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [ip]) in neonatal Sprague Dawley rats (postnatal day 10 [P10]-P17) and was monitored by video-electroencephalography (V-EEG). After 30 minutes of SE, 2-DG or one of two conventional antiseizure drugs with different mechanisms of action, phenobarbital or levetiracetam, was administrated ip, and V-EEG recording was continued for ~60 additional minutes. The time to seizure cessation after drug injection, EEG scores, and power spectra before and after drug or saline treatment were used to assess drug effects. Results Once SE became sustained, administration of 2-DG (50, 100, or 500 mg/kg, ip) consistently stopped behavioral and electrographic seizures within 10-15 minutes; lower doses took longer (25-30 minutes) to stop SE, demonstrating a dose-dependent effect. Administration of phenobarbital (30 mg/kg, ip) or levetiracetam (100 mg/kg, ip) also stopped SE within 10-15 minutes in neonatal rats. Significance Our results suggest that the glycolysis inhibitor 2-DG acts quickly to reduce neuronal hyperexcitability and effectively suppress ongoing seizure activity, which may provide translational value in the treatment of neonatal SE.
Graduate medical education funding mechanisms, challenges, and solutions: A narrative review.

Abstract Background With increased attention on the federal budget deficit, graduate medical education (GME) funding has in particular been targeted as a potential source of cost reduction. Reduced GME funding can further deteriorate the compensation of physicians during their residency training. Methods In order to understand the GME funding mechanisms and current challenges, as well as the value of the work accomplished by residents, we searched peer-reviewed, English language studies published between 2000 and 2019. Results Direct and indirect GME funding is intended to support resident reimbursement and the higher costs associated with supporting a teaching program. However, policy efforts have aimed to reduce federal funding for GME. Furthermore, evidence suggests that residents are inadequately compensated because their salaries do not reflect the number of hours worked and are not comparable to those of other medical staff. Conclusions Our review suggests that creative solutions are needed to diversify GME funding and improve resident compensation.
The Association Between African American Father-Child Relationships and HIV Testing.

The existing literature identifies parent communication as a protective mechanism in the reduction of sexual risk behaviors among youth; however, not much is known about father–child communication ...
Abstract PO023: Preliminary data on metformin therapy in DICER1-deleted endometrial cancer

We created and characterized the first genetically engineered mouse model of poorly-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma (dcKO, PgrCre; Ptenflox/flox; Dicer1flox/flox). As an additional novel model system, using CRISPR-Cas9, we created and characterized an isogenic cell line with the deletion of DICER1 (DICER1−/− Ishikawa cells). Transcriptomic profiling across mouse and human models revealed activated pathways, including AMP kinase and insulin signaling. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed metformin as a likely therapeutic target. Previous studies have suggested that metformin may be useful for preventing and treating endometrial cancer in women. However, recent clinical trials showed combined treatment of metformin with paclitaxel and carboplatin was not significantly associated with increased progression-free survival or overall survival for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. To test the effects of metformin in our mouse model, female mice received ad lib water containing metformin (5 mg/mL) or water beginning at weaning. Survival studies showed worse survival for well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma (Pten cKO, PgrCre; Ptenflox/flox; Dicer1+/+) with treatment with metformin (P=0.007), while there was no difference for dcKO mice treated with metformin. Similarly, in vitro studies showed that the treatment of DICER1−/− Ishikawa cells treated with metformin did not affect cellular proliferation. Our in vivo and in vitro model systems represent important tools to study metformin and other therapeutics for rare yet aggressive endometrial cancers. Citation Format: Xiyin Wang, Robert Emerson, Russell Broaddus, John Lydon, Francesco DeMayo, Shannon M. Hawkins. Preliminary data on metformin therapy in DICER1-deleted endometrial cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference: Endometrial Cancer: New Biology Driving Research and Treatment; 2020 Nov 9-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(3_Suppl):Abstract nr PO023.
Constraining the Milky Way's ultraviolet to infrared SED with Gaussian Process Regression

Improving our knowledge of the global properties of the Milky Way (MW) is critical for connecting the detailed measurements only possible within our own galaxy to our understanding of the broader galaxy population. To do this we utilise Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), a method for making predictions from sparsely-sampled, multi-dimensional datasets that can capture both local and large-scale trends. We train GPR models to map from galaxy properties that are well-measured for both the MW and external galaxies to broadband fluxes in a wide variety of photometric bands. The galaxy properties we use to predict photometric characteristics are stellar mass, apparent axis ratio, star formation rate, bulge-to-total ratio, disk scale length, and bar vote fraction. We use these models to estimate the global UV (GALEX $FUV/NUV$), optical (SDSS $ugriz$) and IR (2MASS $JHKs$ and WISE $W1/W2/W3/W4$) photometric properties for the MW as they would be measured from outside, resulting in a full UV-to-IR spectral energy distribution (SED). We show for the first time that the MW must lie in the star-forming regime in standard UV and IR diagnostic diagrams, in contrast to its position in the green valley in optical colour-mass diagrams. This is characteristic of the population of red spiral galaxies, suggesting that the MW may be a member of that class. Although each GPR model only predicts one band at a time, we find that the resulting MW UV-IR SED is in good agreement with SEDs of local spirals with characteristics broadly similar to the MW, suggesting that we can combine the individual band fluxes with confidence. Our MW UV-IR SED will serve as a valuable tool for reconstructing the Milky Way's star formation history via the same tools used for external galaxies, allowing for comparisons of results from $\textit{in situ}$ measurements to those from the methods used for extra-galactic objects.
Inside Information: Systematic within-node connectivity changes observed across tasks or groups

Mapping the human connectome and understanding its relationship to brain function holds tremendous clinical potential. The connectome has two fundamental components: the nodes and the connections between them. While much attention has been given to deriving atlases and measuring the connections between nodes, there have been no studies examining the networks within nodes. Here we demonstrate that each node contains significant connectivity information, that varies systematically across task-induced states and subjects, such that measures based on these variations can be used to classify tasks and identify subjects. The results are not specific for any particular atlas but hold across different atlas resolutions. To date, studies examining changes in connectivity have focused on edge changes and assumed there is no useful information within nodes. Our findings illustrate that for typical atlases, within-node changes can be significant and may account for a substantial fraction of the variance currently attributed to edge changes.
Glucosylceramide synthase, a modulator of drug resistance is overexpressed in metastatic breast cancer

1260 Chemotherapy resistance and its detection in breast cancer are major clinical problems. Knowing more about the tumor at diagnosis would enhance treatment options/outcomes and spare patients needless exposure to toxic anticancer agents. Markers to detect and or predict chemotherapy resistance early on and to gauge metastatic potential would enhance survival. Recent findings have shown that the efficacy of the front-line anticancer agent, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), is linked to the formation of ceramide (a lipid) in breast cancer cells and that rapid metabolic clearance of ceramide by the enzyme glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) renders cells insensitive to drug. To test our hypothesis that the levels of expression of ceramide-associated genes will be predictive of multidrug resistance, we used gene array analysis to measure gene expression in two models: i) cultured human breast cancer cells, and ii) clinical specimens. Our results show that GCS is overexpressed (>2-fold) in doxorubicin-, paclitaxel-(Taxol), and etoposide-resistant sublines of MCF-7cells (MCF-7-AdrR, MCF-7-PTX, MCF-7/VP) compared to MCF-7 wild-type, but not overexpressed in MCF-7/CP, cisplatin-resistant cells. Early results on gene profiling in clinical specimens showed that GCS was overexpressed in approximately 70% (7/9) of primary tumors from patients with metastatic disease. Although this is a relatively small study, these results provide early evidence that suggests GCS may serve as a valuable predictive marker for identifying patients at increased risk for treatment failure.
Accelerated Prediction of the Polar Ice and Global Ocean (APPIGO)

Abstract : Arctic change and reductions in sea ice are impacting Arctic communities and are leading to increased commercial activity in the Arctic. Improved forecasts will be needed at a variety of timescales to support Arctic operations and infrastructure decisions. Increased resolution and ensemble forecasts will require significant computational capability. At the same time, high performance computing architectures are changing in response to power and cooling limitations, adding more cores per chip and using Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as computational accelerators. This project will improve Arctic forecast capability by modifying component models to better utilize new computational architectures. Specifically, we will focus on the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE), the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and the Wavewatch III models and optimize each model on both GPU-accelerated and MIC-based architectures. These codes form the ocean and sea ice components of the Navy s Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS) and the Navy Global Ocean Forecasting System (GOFS), with the latter scheduled to include a coupled Wavewatch III by 2016. This work will contribute to improved Arctic forecasts and the Arctic ice prediction demonstration project for the Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC).
Molecular basis for the differential sensitivity of rat and human α9α10 nAChRs to α-conotoxin RgIA

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 1137–1144. Abstract The α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) may be a potential target in pathophysiology of the auditory system, chronic pain, and breast and lung cancers. Alpha-conotoxins, from the predatory marine snail Conus, are potent nicotinic antagonists, some of which are selective for the α9α10 nAChR. Here, we report a two order of magnitude species difference in the potency of α-conotoxin RgIA for the rat versus human α9α10 nAChR. We investigated the molecular mechanism of this difference. Heterologous expression of the rat α9 with the human α10 subunit in Xenopus oocytes resulted in a receptor that was blocked by RgIA with potency similar to that of the rat α9α10 nAChR. Conversely, expression of the human α9 with that of the rat α10 subunit resulted in a receptor that was blocked by RgIA with potency approaching that of the human α9α10 receptor. Systematic substitution of residues found in the human α9 subunit into the homologous position in the rat α9 subunit revealed that a single point mutation, Thr56 to Ile56, primarily accounts for this species difference. Remarkably, although the α9 nAChR subunit has previously been reported to provide the principal (+) binding face for binding of RgIA, Thr56 is located in the (−) complementary binding face.
Temporal inequality in catchment discharge and solute export

[1] A framework is developed for characterizing the temporal inequality of stream discharge and solute loads to receiving waters using Lorenz diagrams and the associated Gini coefficient, G. These descriptors are used to illustrate a broad range of observed flow variability with a synthesis of multidecadal flow data from 22 rivers in Florida. Multidecadal phosphorus load data from four of the primary tributaries to Lake Okeechobee, Florida, and sodium and nitrate load data from nine of the Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, long-term study site catchments are used to examine the relation between the inequality of flow and load. The intra-annual loads to Lake Okeechobee are shown to be highly unequal, such that 90% of the annual load is delivered in as little as 15% of the time. Analytic expressions are developed for measures of inequality in terms of parameters of the lognormal distribution under general conditions that include periods of zero flow. In cases where variability of concentrations is low compared to that of flows (chemostatic conditions), such as for phosphorus in the Lake Okeechobee basin and sodium in Hubbard Brook, the temporal inequality of flow is a strong surrogate for load inequality. However, in cases where variability of concentrations is high compared to that of flows (chemodynamic conditions), such as for nitrate in the Hubbard Brook catchments, load inequality is greater than flow inequality. The measured degree of correspondence between flow and load inequality for these data sets is shown to be well described using the general inequality framework introduced here.
Developing a Library School Course in Government Statistics

Statistical information is one of the most important forms of government publication. Librarians receive some training in how to locate and use government statistical information in reference or government documents classes, but the coverage is usually cursory and most librarians could use more education. This paper reviews the literature and available print and electronic statistical resources and outlines a course for librarians in government statistics, suggesting classroom or self-study instructional methods; identifying key information on search strategies, ready reference sources, and detailed topical statistical sources; and suggesting issues for librarians to be aware of in helping their patrons locate and use statistics.
Massive integration of diverse protein quality assessment methods to improve template based modeling in CASP11

Model evaluation and selection is an important step and a big challenge in template-based protein structure prediction. Individual model quality assessment methods designed for recognizing some specific properties of protein structures often fail to consistently select good models from a model pool because of their limitations. Therefore, combining multiple complimentary quality assessment methods is useful for improving model ranking and consequently tertiary structure prediction. Here, we report the performance and analysis of our human tertiary structure predictor (MULTICOM) based on the massive integration of 14 diverse complementary quality assessment methods that was successfully benchmarked in the 11th Critical Assessment of Techniques of Protein Structure prediction (CASP11). The predictions of MULTICOM for 39 template-based domains were rigorously assessed by six scoring metrics covering global topology of Cα trace, local all-atom fitness, side chain quality, and physical reasonableness of the model. The results show that the massive integration of complementary, diverse single-model and multi-model quality assessment methods can effectively leverage the strength of single-model methods in distinguishing quality variation among similar good models and the advantage of multi-model quality assessment methods of identifying reasonable average-quality models. The overall excellent performance of the MULTICOM predictor demonstrates that integrating a large number of model quality assessment methods in conjunction with model clustering is a useful approach to improve the accuracy, diversity, and consequently robustness of template-based protein structure prediction. Proteins 2016; 84(Suppl 1):247-259. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multiyear Arctic Sea Ice Classification Using OSCAT and QuikSCAT

Arctic sea ice can be classified as first-year (FY) or multiyear (MY) based on data collected by satellite microwave scatterometers. The Oceansat-2 Ku-band Scatterometer (OSCAT) was operational from 2009 to 2014 and is here used to classify ice as FY or MY during these years. Due to similarities in backscatter measurements from sea ice and open water, a NASA Team ice concentration product derived from passive microwave brightness temperatures is used to restrict the classification area to within the sea ice extent. Classification of FY and MY ice is completed with OSCAT by applying a temporally adjusted threshold on backscatter values. The classification method is also applied to the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) data set, and ice age classifications are processed using QuikSCAT for 1999–2009. The combined QuikSCAT and OSCAT classifications represent a 15-year record, which extends from 1999 to 2014. The classifications show a decrease in MY ice, while the total area of the ice cover remains consistent throughout winter seasons over the time series.
Cheek Pouch of the Syrian Hamster and Immunity to Heterotransplantation of a Murine Leukæmia

Cheek Pouch of the Syrian Hamster and Immunity to Heterotransplantation of a Murine Leukaemia
Advances in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Selected advances in radiotherapy for treatment of head and neck cancer are reviewed. These include the role of postoperative radiotherapy, planned postirradiation neck dissection, altered fractiona-tion, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for laryngeal preservation, three-dimensional conformal treatment planning, charged particle irradiation for skull base tumors, and stereotactic radiosur-gery. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bonding Configurations for Nickelocene on Ag(100) and Steric Effects in Thermal Desorption

The molecular adsorption and desorption of nickelocene, Ni(C5H5)2, on Ag(100) has been studied by coverage dependent angle-resolved thermal desorption. The angle-resolved thermal desorption of nick...
TESTICULAR METASTASIS OF TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE

Testicular metastasis of transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate and bladder is rare. We report on a patient who underwent surgery and radiation for infilterating transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate and distal bladder, and 9 years later returned with a solitary testicular metastasis. CASE REPORT A 70-year-old white man presented elsewhere with symptoms of obstructive uropathy and underwent transurethral resection of the prostate for presumed benign disease in 1990. Medical history was significant for diabetes mellitus. The patient had undergone prior appendectomy, right hemicolectomy for cecal adenocarcinoma, percutaneous drainage of infected right renal cyst and cholecystectomy. Pathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed transitional cell carcinoma of the prostatic urethra with involvement of prostatic stroma, ducts and acini. Metastatic evaluation, including bone scan and computerized tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, was negative. Excretory urography was negative for concurrent upper urinary tract disease. The patient underwent radical cystoprostatectomy and ileal conduit urinary diversion, and subsequent total urethrectomy and radiation therapy for infiltrating transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate and distal bladder. All surgical margins and pelvic lymph nodes were negative for tumor. Nine years later a new, painless right testicular mass was noted during an annual followup for transitional cell carcinoma. Scrotal ultrasonography revealed a large, heterogeneous mass of the right testis. Computerized tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis was negative for metastasis. Serum markers for primary germ cell neoplasms were negative as well. The patient underwent right radical orchiectomy and pathological examination revealed poorly differentiated metastatic transitional cell carcinoma involving the testis and spermatic cord (see figure). Extensive vascular invasion was identified, although the spermatic cord margin was negative for tumor. The tumor stained intensely for cytokeratin 7, which supports urothelial origin. DISCUSSION
Glass Hydration: A Method of Dating Glass Objects

A new nondestructive method for dating or authenticating man-made glass is proposed, and the initial results of an exploration of the potential of this method are presented. The method is based on a relation between the age of a glass object and the thickness of the layer of hydrated glass on its surface, with the thickness of this hydrated surface layer being measured by means of the 15 N nuclear resonance depth profiling technique. A qualitative age scale is established for some common 19th- and 20th-century American glass.
Analytical simulation of strength size effect in composite materials

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the strength size effect associated with the length, width and thickness of laminated composites. The presented expressions for prediction of the reliability, use the Equal Load Sharing Rule (ELS Rule) which are determined by sequential multi-step failure of single lamina or sublaminate. The developed equations are validated using two sets of experimental data obtained from published data. The influence of the length, width, and thickness on the ultimate strength of laminated composites is demonstrated. Strength size effect is analyzed for the in-plane strength parameters. The developed size effect equations are implemented in a user-defined subroutine UMAT in the finite element code ABAQUS to demonstrate their applicability in numerical analysis.
Protein-free human-human hybridoma cultures in an intercalated-spiral alternate-dead-ended hollow fiber bioreactor.

Batch cell cultures of a human-human hybridoma line in a convective flow dominant intercalated-spiral altetnate-dead-ended hollow fiber are compared with those using conventional axial-flow hollow fiber bioreactors and a stirred-tank bioreactor. Relatively short-term fed-batch and perfusion cell cultures were also employed for the intercalated-spiral bioreactor. When operating conditions of a batch intercalated-spiral bioreactor were properly chosen, the cell growth and substrate consumption paralleled that of a batch stirred-tank culture. The results verified the premise of the intercalated-spiral hollow fiber bioreactor that nutrient transport limitations can be eliminated when the convective flux through the extracapillary space is sufficiently high.© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Poor maternal nutrition during gestation in sheep reduces circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in offspring

To determine if poor maternal nutrition alters growth, body composition, circulating growth factors, and expression of genes involved in the development of muscle and adipose of offspring, 24 Dorset and Shropshire ewes were fed either 100% (control fed), 60% (restricted fed), or 126% (over fed) of National Research Council requirements. Diets began at day 116 ± 6 of gestation until parturition. At parturition, 1 lamb from each control fed (CON), restricted fed (RES), and over fed (OVER) ewe was necropsied within 24 h of birth (1 d; n = 3/treatment) or reared on a control diet for 3 mo (CON = 5, RES = 5, and OVER = 3/treatment) and then euthanized. Body weights and blood samples were collected from lambs from 1 d to 3 mo. Organ weights, back fat thickness, loin eye area, and tissue samples (quadriceps, adipose, and liver) were collected at 1 d and 3 mo of age. The RES lambs weighed 16% less than CON (P = 0.01) between 1 d and 3 mo of age. In RES, there was a tendency for reduced heart girth at 1 d and 3 mo (P < 0.07) and back fat was reduced 36% at 3 mo (P = 0.03). Heart weight was 30% greater in OVER at 1 d when compared with RES lambs (P = 0.02). Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were reduced in RES and OVER lambs (P < 0.05). Leptin tended to be greater in OVER lambs compared with CON at 1 d and 3 mo (P ≤ 0.08). Triiodothyronine was reduced in RES at 1 d (P = 0.05) and triglycerides tended to be greater in OVER at 3 mo (P = 0.07). In liver, there was a tendency for increased expression of IGF-I in OVER (P = 0.06) and decreased IGFBP-3 in RES (P = 0.09) compared with CON lambs at 1 d. In adipose tissue, adiponectin expression was decreased in RES (P = 0.05) at 3 mo. At 1 d of age, muscle expression of IGF-I tended to increase in RES (P = 0.06). In conclusion, poor maternal nutrition during gestation reduced growth rate in offspring which may be because of reduced circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 and decreased expression of IGFBP-3 in the liver.
Mesocorticolimbic monoamine correlates of methamphetamine sensitization and motivation

Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive psychomotor stimulant, with life-time prevalence rates of abuse ranging from 5-10% world-wide. Yet, a paucity of research exists regarding MA addiction vulnerability/resiliency and neurobiological mediators of the transition to addiction that might occur upon repeated low-dose MA exposure, more characteristic of early drug use. As stimulant-elicited neuroplasticity within dopamine neurons innervating the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) is theorized as central for addiction-related behavioral anomalies, we used a multi-disciplinary research approach in mice to examine the interactions between sub-toxic MA dosing, motivation for MA and mesocorticolimbic monoamines. Biochemical studies of C57BL/6J (B6) mice revealed short- (1 day), as well as longer-term (21 days), changes in extracellular dopamine, DAT and/or D2 receptors during withdrawal from 10, once daily, 2 mg/kg MA injections. Follow-up biochemical studies conducted in mice selectively bred for high vs. low MA drinking (respectively, MAHDR vs. MALDR mice), provided novel support for anomalies in mesocorticolimbic dopamine as a correlate of genetic vulnerability to high MA intake. Finally, neuropharmacological targeting of NAC dopamine in MA-treated B6 mice demonstrated a bi-directional regulation of MA-induced place-conditioning. These results extend extant literature for MA neurotoxicity by demonstrating that even subchronic exposure to relatively low MA doses are sufficient to elicit relatively long-lasting changes in mesocorticolimbic dopamine and that drug-induced or idiopathic anomalies in mesocorticolimbic dopamine may underpin vulnerability/resiliency to MA addiction.
Vital Matters and Generative Materiality: Between Bennett and Irigaray

This paper puts Jane Bennett’s vital materialism into dialogue with Luce Irigaray’s ontology of sexuate difference. Together these thinkers challenge the image of dead or intrinsically inanimate matter that is bound up with both the instrumentalization of the earth and the disavowal of sexual difference and the maternal. In its place they seek to affirm a vital, generative materiality: an ‘active matter’ whose differential becomings no longer oppose activity to passivity, subject to object, or one body, self or entity to its (excluded but constitutive) ‘other’. For both thinkers, displacing the hylomorphic conceptual structures that have tended to dominate western metaphysical thought is inseparable from critiquing the model of the individual subject as bounded, autonomous and self-identical. Such individualism is countered by the relational ontologies figured in Bennett’s ‘distributed agencies’ and Irigaray’s ‘placental economy’, and by a shared attentiveness to the capacities of the human body to bear o...
Administration of exogenous adenosine triphosphate to ischemic skeletal muscle induces an energy-sparing effect: role of adenosine receptors.

Abstract Background Ischemia–reperfusion injury is a devastating complication that occurs in allotransplantation and replantation of limbs. Over the years, several preservation strategies have been used to conserve the critical levels of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) during ischemia to sustain the ion gradients across the membranes and thus the tissue viability. The administration of exogenous ATP to ischemic tissues is known to provide beneficial effects during reperfusion, but it is unclear whether it provides protection during ischemia. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of ATP administration on high-energy phosphate levels in ischemic skeletal muscle and to examine the role of purinergic and adenosine receptors in mediating the response to exogenous ATP. Methods The extensor digitorum longus muscles of Fischer rats were subjected to ischemia and treated with different concentrations of ATP with or without purinergic and adenosine receptor blockers. Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the rate of decay of ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), and the formation of adenosine monophosphate and acidification. Phosphorylated compounds were analyzed using a simple model of energy metabolism, and the PCr half-life was used as an index of internal depletion of ATP to distinguish between intracellular and extracellular ATP. Results PCr decay was rapid in all muscle groups and was followed by gradual ATP decay. The half-life of PCr was significantly longer in the ATP-treated muscles than in the vehicle controls and was maximally prolonged by treating with slow hydrolyzing adenosine 5′-O-(3-thio)triphosphate. Purinoceptor (P2X) blockade with ATP treatment significantly increased the half-life of PCr, and adenosine receptor blockers blunted the response. Administration of adenosine to ischemic muscles significantly increased the half-life of PCr compared with that in the vehicle controls. Conclusions Exogenous ATP administration to ischemic skeletal muscles appears to spare intracellular energy by acting primarily through adenosine receptors.
Quality assessment and structural change in universities

L'augmentation du nombre d'etudiants et de la complexite des universites rendrait necessaire l'autonomie de ces dernieres et donc leur evaluation pour maintenir la qualite de l'enseignement et de la recherche
Constructing visual images from verbal descriptions

Subjects were given written descriptions of simple open geometric forms and made decisions about the location of the point at which each constructed form terminated. Their reaction time increased approximately 1 sec for each segment in the constructed figure. Reaction time for a comparable decision did not vary as a function of the number of segments in actually presented figures. It appeared that subjects took approximately 1 sec to encode a symbol as a line segment and add it to a mental image. In another part of the experiment, intended to measure the time taken to name a line segment, subjects made decisions about the presence of a target item in a list of visual symbols or in a geometric form. Visual search through a list of symbols seemed to be self-terminating, while search through the segments of a geometric form seemed to be largely exhaustive. However, no clear conclusions were possible about the visual-to-verbal transformations which had been expected to occur in this part of the experiment.
Controlling the Position of Magnetic Particles Using Adaptive Q-Parameterization

Controlling the position of magnetic particles with magnetic traps for single molecule manipulation is difficult due to the complexity of the instrument. Currently, users are spending an immense amount of time designing compensators to satisfy their experimental conditions, yielding them minimal time to concentrate on their experiment. This paper discusses using adaptive Q-parametrized compensator methods to control the position of the particle. Incorporating adaptive control methods into the magnetic trap design can eliminate this issue by adjusting the controller parameters to ensure the performance of the instrument meets specific requirements. The adaptive Q-parametrized compensator structure has been incorporated into the design of the magnetic trap, resulting in the displacement of the particle being stabilized and the effects of the Brownian disturbances being reduced as the number of filter weight coefficients are increased.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Helical glassy alloy ribbons: Fabrication and Magnetic properties

Abstract Metallic glasses may be produced in continuous ribbon or tape form by flowing molten alloy onto a rapidly moving substrate surface. In the present investigation a variation of conventional chill block melt spinning is described. The process is used to fabricate samples with a helical appearance (constant in-plane curvature). Helical ribbon samples were cast using a wide range of process conditions and the dependence of sample cross section on process parameters was found to be well described by empirical equations already established for the fabrication of straight ribbons. Magnetic coercivity measurements of helical ribbons and of straight ribbons wound into toroids revealed a greater as-cast sample coercivity for the helical sample, while retesting after magnetic annealing showed that the helical sample had lower coercivity than toroids assembled using straight ribbon samples. This has been attributed to the increased quenched-in stress level resulting from the greater ribbon-substrate sticking distance to define the in-plane curvature of the helical ribbon. The coercivity of the straight ribbon tested in the form of toroids was found to be highly dependent on stresses induced during the preparation of the sample assembly for magnetic testing.
Chamomile, a novel and selective COX-2 inhibitor with anti-inflammatory activity.

Aims Inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) has been implicated in the process of inflammation and carcinogenesis. Chamomile has long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this study we aimed to investigate whether chamomile interferes with the COX-2 pathway.
Chimeric influenza virus hemagglutinin containing either the NH2 terminus or the COOH terminus of G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus is defective in transport to the cell surface

Chimeric cDNA clones of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) were constructed in which the DNA encoding either the NH2 terminus or the COOH terminus of HA was replaced with that of a vesicular stomatitis virus G protein. The chimeric cDNAs (GHA or HAG) were expressed in CV1 cells using the simian virus 40 late replacement promoter. Both chimeric proteins are synthesized, glycosylated, and transported to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. These results show that the NH2-terminal sequences of vesicular stomatitis virus G protein can provide a signal function for translocation and the COOH-terminal sequences can provide the anchor function for the influenza virus HA, when substituted for similar sequences. However, the chimeric glycoproteins were not transported to the Golgi complex or the plasma membrane. The implication of these results in translocation, sorting, and transport processes is discussed.
A study of reporting probabilistic accounting figures

Abstract A laboratory experiment using a Group X Task X Treatments factorial design was conducted to investigate the effects on decision makers when accounting data were prepared in probabilistic forms instead of the conventional deterministic form. Subjects were grouped according to four measures of personality traits in order to increase the power of the result by reducing the error mean square term in the ANOV. These traits were: attitude toward accounting data, risk-taking tendency, cognitive complexity, and a description of general personality characteristics as obtained by the California Personality Inventory. In the experiment, subjects were asked to respond to eight different situations: two types of decision task with four treatments each. Four aspects of effects were investigated: (1) decisions made, (2) post-decision feelings toward the decisions made, (3) perceived decision task, and (4) attitudes toward accounting data provided. Significant differences on all four aspects investigated were found in analyses of variance. Some of the measures in these four aspects failed to show significant differences, however.
Developmental pathways during in vitro progression of human islet neogenesis.

Abstract Islet neogenesis, or the differentiation of islet cells from precursor cells, is seen in vitro and in vivo both embryonically and after birth. However, little is known about the differentiation pathways during embryonic development for human pancreas. Our previously reported in vitro generation of islets from human pancreatic tissue provides a unique system to identify potential markers of neogenesis and to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. To this end, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of three different stages during in vitro islet generation: the Initially Adherent, Expanded, and Differentiated stages. Samples from four human pancreases were hybridized to Affymetrix U95A GeneChips, and data analyzed using GeneSpring 7.0/9.0 software. Using scatter plots we selected genes with a 2-fold or greater differential expression. Of the 12,000 genes/ESTs present on these arrays, 295 genes including 38 acinar-enriched genes were selectively lost during the progression from the Initially Adherent stage to the Expanded stage; 468 genes were increased in this progression to Expanded tissue; and 529 genes had a two-fold greater expression in the Differentiated stage than in the Expanded tissue. Besides the expected increases in insulin, glucagon, and duct markers (mucin 6, aquaporin 1 and 5), the beta cell auto-antigen IA-2/phogrin was increased 5-fold in Differentiated. In addition, developmentally important pathways, including notch/jagged, Wnt/frizzled, TGFβ superfamily (follistatin, BMPs, and SMADs), and retinoic acid (COUP-TFI, CRABP1, 2, and RAIG1) were differentially regulated during the expansion/differentiation. Two putative markers for islet precursor cells, UCHL1/PGP9.5 and DMBT1, were enhanced during the progression to differentiated cells, but only the latter could be a marker of islet precursor cells. We suggest that appropriate manipulation of these differentiation-associated pathways will enhance the efficiency of differentiation of insulin-producing β-cells in this in vitro model.