cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term cultivation of canine keratinocytes.

The growth characteristics and morphology of canine keratinocytes grown in vitro were studied. Keratinocytes from canine oral mucosa, ear skin, and ventral abdominal skin were grown in culture either as explants or as dispase/trypsin-derived suspensions in the absence of a feeder cell layer. Cholera toxin and epidermal growth factor were essential to the cells during multiple passages. Keratinocytes from all tissue sources, either as primary cultures or sub-cultivated for up to 10 passages, had growth characteristics and morphology similar to that reported in other species. The use of cultured canine keratinocytes should provide a suitable model for comparative in vitro studies of the pathogenesis of dermatologic diseases.
Linear Free Energy Substituent Effect on Flavin Redox Chemistry

A systematic study on the effect of various substituents at the 7- and/or 8-position on the redox properties of isoalloxazines (flavins) is reported. The redox properties of these flavin derivative...
A BIOCHEMICAL BASIS FOR COPPER-NITROGEN BALANCE IN TUNG

Work on tung (5, 6) has clearly established that a close relationship exists between the severity of copper deficiency and the amount of nitrogen fertilizer supplied to the plant. Normal plants free from the symptoms of copper deficiency can be produced under conditions of low nitrogen supply when the copper supply is sufficiently high (fig. 1). When high rates of nitrogen fertilizers are supplied to plants on low copper levels, the plants usually show severe symptoms of copper deficiency, such as necrosis of the leaves and eventual dieback of the terminals (fig. 2). Such affected plants can be made to resume normal growth by application of copper sulphate either to the soil or as a spray to the leaves. Physiological studies (5) have shown that copper deficiency is characterized in tung by the formation of abnormal amounts of complex nitrogen compounds at the expense of the carbohydrate reserves of the plant. The result is a net increase in protein content of the copper-deficient material over that of the normal on the basis of either per plant part or percentage of dry weight. Lucas (10) has also reported an abnormally high protein percentage in copper-deficient plants in comparison with those of high copper content. In the previous work with tung (5) protein was determined as hot-waterinsoluble nitrogen content, and in the work of Lucas (10) as amino-N content. It is thus impossible to determine whether the high "protein" values obtained represent actual quantitative differences or a qualitative difference in protein composition such as would result from a high ratio of basic polyamino to monoamino acids. Studies were therefore made of the amino acid
The effects of soil fumigation and nitrogen fertilizers on nematodes and sugar beet in sandy soils

SUMMARY In fifteen experiments on light land infested with plant-parasitic nematodes, fumigating the soil during the previous winter with D-D increased the average yield of sugar-beet roots from 25 to 36 t/ha; this was more than that obtained with various forms of nitrogenous fertilizers used in amounts up to 250 kg N/ha. Application of 85 kg N/ha increased yields on fumigated plots by 7 t/ha, and there was little benefit from giving more. Fumigation killed 65 % of the Pratylenchus spp., 80% of the Trichodorus spp. and 90% of the Tylenchorhynchus spp. in the top 5 cm of the soil and, at 15–20 cm deep, 90, 93 and 95% of these three genera. The increased yield from fumigant at different sites was not correlated with the initial populations of nematodes. The average increase in yield from fumigation was only poorly correlated with rainfall during May. The increases in nematode populations between April and August depended on rainfall, and were 0positively correlated both with the accumulated rainfall for the 10 weeks before sampling the soil in August and with the rainfall during the week previous to sampling. Fumigation not only improved the health of roots, and so enabled them to use nitrogen more efficiently, but also increased the amount of available nitrogen in the soil and decreased the amount lost by leaching. Injected anhydrous ammonia did not affect the populations of nematodes.
Granulomatous inflammation and monstrous giant cells in response to intraperitoneal hormone implants in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Summary Plastic implants (2·7 mm maximum dimension) of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVAc) matrix, containing inulin, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), were covered with impervious EVAc and then surgically placed into the peritoneal cavity of 1-year-old channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. In fish kept in cold water (13°C), 10 per cent of the implants per month were encapsulated by granulation tissue. In fish kept in warm water (27°C), 20 per cent of the implants per month were encapsulated, with a total of 86 per cent encapsulated at 5 months. In addition to fibroblasts and capillaries, the granulation tissue included macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, multinucleated giant cells and a matrix of collagen fibres. The density of the fibrous capsule increased with time. In a separate investigation, it was found that the thickness of the capsule was directly proportional to the degree of exposure of the EVAc matrix to the fish (exposure influenced by the rate of dissolution of the capsule content). Monstrous giant ceils with up to 600 nuclei per 5 μm thick section were seen in capsules around implants. On intraperitoneally implanted cover glasses, whole giant cells contained up to 6000 nuclei and were interconnected by cytoplasmic bridges. Signs of neoplasia, implant expulsion or massive adhesions were not seen.
Serum caffeine levels after 24 hours of caffeine abstention: observations on clinical patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging with dipyridamole or adenosine

Although caffeine attenuates the vasodilatation produced by dipyridamole and adenosine, and is therefore contraindicated when these agents are used for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, caffeine levels in clinical patients undergoing standard imaging protocols have not been studied. Eighty-six patients undergoing clinically indicated intravenous dipyridamole (n=75) or adenosine (n=11) thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, all of whom reported abstention from products containing caffeine for 24 h, were studied prospectively. Blood samples were drawn prior to initiation of the pharmacologic infusion, and serum caffeine levels were determined using an enzyme immunoassay technique. Results of these determinations were correlated with maximum pulse and blood pressure changes measured during and immediately after the stressor infusion, and thallium imaging findings. Detectable caffeine levels were found in 34 patients (40%), ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/l. There was no significant difference in mean systolic blood pressure decrease or mean pulse increase between patients with caffeine levels > 1.0 mg/l (20.4 ± 18.2 mmHg, 11.0 ± 8.9 BPM; n=5) and those with lower (0.1 to 0.9 mg/1) (15.4 ± 9.5 mmHg, 14.4 ± 8.2 BPM; n=29) or no detectable caffeine levels (18.0 ± 11.5 mmHg, 16.6 ± 10.1 BPM; n=52). Redistribution on thallium imaging was also identified with a similar frequency in these three groups (2/5, 40%; 8/29, 28%; 22/52, 42% respectively).
College Campus Violence: Origins, Impacts, and Responses

The typical college campus community is potentially hazardous to the health and well-being of its members. In the interest of informing the process of intervention program planning, this article considers the etiology of violence in the college and university setting. Beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which may predispose, enable, and reinforce violence are explored. Particular attention is given to these factors as they pertain to the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of being the perpetrator as well as the victim of violence. In light of all these factors, suggestions for primary prevention and intervention efforts are made. A social-ecological model, inclusive of intrapersonal, situational, and environmental aspects of the dilemma is introduced, and recommendations are made about how to curb the irresponsible use of alcohol.
Subchronic Studies of Pyrilamine in Fischer 344 Rats

This study was designed to determine the subchronic effects of the antihistamine, pyrilamine maleate, and to establish dose levels for a 2-year chronic study. Six male and six female F344 rats received dietary pyrilamine concentrations of 0, 392, 783, 1563, 3122, or 6276 ppm (as the free base) for 14 days. Only weight gain suppression was noted, at 3122 and 6276 ppm, especially in males. When 12 male and 12 female F344 rats were fed pyrilamine for 90 days at 0, 750, 1500, 3000, 6000, or 12,000 ppm, weight gain was suppressed and organ/body weight ratios often were higher than in controls at 3000 ppm and above. Heart/brain and thymus/brain ratios were decreased at 3000 ppm and above in males and at 6000 or 12,000 ppm in females. All rats receiving 6000 or 12,000 ppm pyrilamine exhibited severe diffuse parenchymal cell cytomegaly in the parotid salivary glands with a dose-related decrease in severity and prevalence at lower concentrations. Hepatocellular vacuolization, present only in males, increased in se...
Is fair resource sharing responsible for spreading long delays

We show that mixing the statistically long jobs (subexponential) and short ones (exponentially bounded) using processor sharing service discipline causes long (subexponential) delays for all types of jobs in the system. Since processor sharing represents a baseline fair scheduling discipline used in designing Web servers, as well as the basic model of TCP bandwidth sharing, our finding suggests that even though fairness possesses many desirable attributes, it causes unnecessarily long delays for statistically short jobs. Hence, fairness comes with a price.We further quantify the preceding result when the long jobs follow the widely observed power law distribution x-α, α > 0, where we discover the criticality of the lognormal distribution for the delay characteristics of the lighter jobs. Specifically, we find that when the shorter jobs are heavier than lognormal, the sojourn time V and the service time distribution B of the shorter jobs are tail equivalent P[V > x] ~ P[B > (1 - ρ)x]. However, if P[B > x] is lighter than lognormal, the preceding tail equivalence does not hold.Furthermore, when the shorter jobs B have much lighter tails e-λxβ, λ > 0, β > 0, we show that the distribution of the delay V for these jobs satisfy, as x → ∞, -log P[V > x] ~ c(x log x) β / β+1, where c is explicitly computable. Note that β = 1 and β = 2 represent the exponential and Gaussian cases with the corresponding delay distributions approximately of the form e-√x log x and e-(x log x)2/3, respectively. Our results are different from the existing ones in the literature that focused on the delays which are of the same form (tail equivalent) as the jobs size distribution.
Three-dimensional Echocardiography: In Vitro Validation for Quantitative Measurement of Total and “Infarct” Surface Area

The rapid development of numerous therapeutic options for myocardial revascularization requires more advanced, quantitative echocardiography methods such as measurement of total endocardial and infarct surface area to evaluate myocardial infarction and assess the effects of therapy. Two-dimensional echocardiography is insufficiently quantitative for this purpose because it cannot directly measure three-dimensional relationships such as volume and surface area. To overcome this limitation we have developed a three-dimensional echocardiograph capable of measuring total and regional or "infarct" surface area. In vitro validation of this method has been carried out comparing computed areas with true areas of a pin model and fixed hearts. Infarcts were demarcated on the fixed hearts by placing pins in the myocardium. The pin heads on the epicardial surface defined infarct regions that could be imaged. True surface areas of the pin model were determined by physical measurement and calculation. True areas of the fixed hearts were determined by planimetry of surface casts made with plastic tape. Accuracies for total and infarct areas were 1.36% and 2.13% for the pin model and 1.61% and 3.48% for the fixed hearts. Interobserver variability for both phantoms was less than 2.5%. The standard error of the estimate predicting total and infarct surface area for the fixed hearts was 1.53 cm 2 and 0.71 cm 2 , respectively ( p
Acute effects of vecuronium on pulmonary function and hypoxemic episodes in preterm infants

Background: Varying effects of pancuronium on neonatal pulmonary mechanics have been documented, including a decrease in pulmonary compliance or no significant change in compliance; but measurements of respiratory mechanics or quantification of episodes of hypoxemia in preterm newborns receiving vecuronium (Norcuron, Bedford Labs, Bedford, OH, USA) have not been reported. The objective of the present study was to quantify the short-term effects of vecuronium on pulmonary mechanics and episodes of hypoxemia in preterm infants receiving mechanical ventilation. Methods: A total of 15 preterm infants (birthweight 610–1560 g, gestational age 25–32 weeks, postnatal age 0.2–22 days) was studied. The initial dose of vecuronium used for the study was 0.2 mg/kg i.v. Measurements of respiratory mechanics were obtained 1 h prior to and 1 h after the initial dose of vecuronium at comparable ventilator settings and fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FiO2). Dynamic respiratory compliance and respiratory resistance were calculated by two-factor least mean square analysis. Pulse oximeter oxygen saturation (SpO2) was measured during both 1 h intervals with the Nellcor N-200 oximeter, a computer, and a software program for quantification of episodes of hypoxemia. Heart rate and blood pressure were also monitored. Results: There were no significant differences in tidal volume, respiratory compliance, or respiratory resistance when comparing measurements obtained before and after vecuronium administration. However, fewer episodes of hypoxemia (SpO2 < 85%, P = 0.025; and SpO2 < 80%, P = 0.04) were observed during muscle relaxation. No significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure were noted. Conclusions: The preliminary data indicate: (i) a single dose of vecuronium does not significantly change respiratory compliance or respiratory resistance in preterm infants and (ii) during muscle relaxation fewer episodes of desaturation (hypoxemia) are observed.
Photovoltaic devices and characterization of a dodecyloxybenzothiadiazole-based copolymer.

A conjugated copolymer based on alternating benzo[1,2-b;3,4-b′]dithiophene (BDT) donor and dodecyloxy substituted benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (ABT) acceptor units was prepared for application in organic solar cells. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ∼3% with a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 7.63 mA cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.71 V and a fill-factor (FF) of 53.74% was obtained under the illumination of AM 1.5 solar irradiation (100 mW cm−2). Photovoltaic devices and their transient properties with a blend of the copolymer and the [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) at different ratios were studied using transient photovoltage (TPV), transient photocurrent (TPC) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. From the TPV and TPC measurements, the charge recombination times (τn) were found to be 21.1 μs, 12.6 μs and 10.5 μs, and the charge transport times (τd) were 1316 ns, 422 ns and 707 ns for the 1 : 0.5, 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 donor/acceptor (D/A) ratios, respectively. The 1 : 1 D/A ratio showed the shortest charge transport time (τd) and the longest charge diffusion length (Ln) according to , leading to the highest device performance among the three ratios.
Among-and-within-Family Selection in Eight Forage Grass Populations

Forage yields increased little during the twenti- eth century, despite intensive breeding efforts in many species. Half-sib family (HSF) and/ or among-and-within-family (AWF) selection methods may overcome this problem. The objective of this study was to compare HSF and AWF selection using forage yield of sward plots as the among-family selection criterion and natural selection of survivors within swards as the within-family selection criterion. Selec- tion for increased forage yield was practiced in eight populations of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), and hybrid wheatgrass (Elytri- gia × muctonata (Opiz ex Bercht.) Prokud.). Two methods of recombination were used: random plants from remnant seed (HSF) or sod cores from selected families four years after estab- lishment (AWF). There were no consistent dif- ferences between HSF and AWF selection for orchardgrass, a bunch grass. For the other two species, both highly rhizomatous, AWF selec- tion was two to four times more effective than HSF selection for increasing forage yield. Natu- ral selection within families of the two rhizoma- tous grasses favored genotypes capable of fi lling in open spaces left by plant and/or tiller mortality. The consistent differences in selec- tion responses between orchardgrass and the two rhizomatous species suggested that natu- ral selection acted on some characteristic of the rhizomatous trait of these two grasses.
The ASH/ASCO clinical guidelines on the use of erythropoietin

The only combined effort between the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in practice guideline development was in studying the use of erythropoietin in chemotherapy-related anemia and in myelodysplasia. This process began with an application to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR, now called the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ) jointly from ASH and ASCO. As part of a competitive review process, the topic was selected by the Agency for funding. Subsequently, as part of the Agency's Evidence-based Practice program, funding to conduct the review was awarded to the Evidence-based Practice Center of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Technology Evaluation Center, which performed an extensive literature review using principals of evidence-based medicine and with input from representatives of ASH and ASCO. That evidence-based review was then shared with an ASH and ASCO guidelines committee funded by both organizations and made up of members from both organizations. The guideline was developed over a period of 21/2 years, culminating in simultaneous publication in both Blood and The Journal of Clinical Oncology in October 2002. This field is in flux and much of the guideline discussed potential future directions for research. Projected research topics include whether a hemoglobin level of 11g/dl as a clinical trigger point has clinical benefit; whether increasing hemoglobin levels greater than 12g/dL has clinical benefit; what role iron supplementation plays in erythropoietin treated patients; weekly versus more frequent dosing; and cost benefit analyses. Quality of life considerations are important, but the practice guideline committee felt that there was not enough data in this area to view it with the same importance as avoidance of transfusion or rises in hemoglobin value as therapeutic goals for patients being treated with erythropoietin.
Erratum: Temperature dependence of spin dynamics in the impurity-doped one-dimensional antiferromagnetic (CH3)4NM2+C13:Cd2+

We have studied the temperature dependence of linewidths and line shapes in the one-dimensional magnetic crystal (${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$${)}_{4}$${\mathrm{NMn}}^{2+}$${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$:Cd $^{2+}$ with different concentrations of diamagnetic impurity ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{2+}$ ions with the use of electron-spin resonance, between 4.2 and 293 K. We have measured the linewidths at the X-band microwave frequency at \ensuremath{\theta}=55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and \ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} where \ensuremath{\theta} is the angle between the magnetic field ${H}_{0}$ and the c axis of the crystal. We have attempted to interpret our results using present theories and have found that the observed temperature dependence of the linewidths at \ensuremath{\theta}=55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and at \ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} is not significantly affected by the presence of impurities. We have measured also the line shapes in three samples, two of which contain very low concentrations of the impurity ion and the third no impurity, at \ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and at different temperatures between 30 and 293 K. The decrease in temperature produces a significant effect on the line shapes in all three samples. The impurity effect on the line shapes seems to be small. With the decrease in temperature the line shapes were observed to deviate from their respective one-dimensional character at \ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and the Lorentzian character at \ensuremath{\theta}=55\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, towards the Gaussian line shape. Our results on the line shape in pure (${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$${)}_{4}$${\mathrm{NMnCl}}_{3}$ at \ensuremath{\theta}=0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 40 K are not in agreement with the results published by others where the line shape was observed to be more Lorentzian than Gaussian at very low temperatures.
Classifying and Predicting Errors of Inpatient Medication Reconciliation

Background Failure to reconcile medications across transitions in care is an important source of potential harm to patients. Little is known about the predictors of unintentional medication discrepancies and how, when, and where they occur.
18 Subventricular Zone Proliferation After Ampa Receptor-Mediated Neonatal Brain Injury

Background: The forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) contains oligodendroglial (OL) stem cells. Although some studies suggest acute loss of SVZ OL precursors after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) neonatal brain injury, recovery of myelin basic protein (MBP) immunostaining in the white matter 2 weeks after HI raises the possibility that OL stem cells in the SVZ might proliferate to repopulate injured white matter. As an alternative to using the HI model to study the SVZ response to neonatal brain injury, we developed a model of neonatal brain injury that focuses on a unique mechanism of increased vulnerability of immature OLs, AMPA-receptor mediated excitotoxicity. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of the synthetic glutamate analog AMPA in seven-day-old (P7) rats caused reduced expression of two OL-specific genes, proteolipid protein and MBP. We hypothesized that the immature SVZ would respond to injury with cellular proliferation; we used the AMPA icv injection model to test this.
Water immersion-induced skin wrinkling is related to heart rate variability

Water immersion-induced skin wrinkling (WISW) is dependent on intact peripheral sympathetic function. WISW was hypothesized to reflect autonomic function in subjects without peripheral neuropathy. We
Translating the Brain Transcriptome in NeuroAIDS: From Non-human Primates to Humans

In the post-human genome project era, high throughput techniques to detect and computational algorithms to analyze differentially expressed genes have proven to be powerful tools for studying pathogenesis of neuroAIDS. Concurrently, discovery of non-coding RNAs and their role in development and disease has underscored the importance of examining the entire transcriptome instead of protein coding genes alone. Herein, we review the documented changes in brain RNA expression profiles in the non-human primate model of neuroAIDS (SIV infected monkeys) and compare the findings to those resulting from studies in post-mortem human samples of neuroAIDS. Differential expression of mRNAs involved in inflammation and immune response are a common finding in both monkey and human samples – even in HIV infected people on combination antiretroviral therapy, a shared set of genes is upregulated in the brains of both infected monkeys and humans: B2M, IFI44, IFIT3, MX1, STAT1. Additionally, alterations in ion channel encoding genes have been observed in the human studies. Brain miRNA profiling has also been performed, and up-regulation of two miRNAs originating from the same transcript, miR-142-3p and miR-142-5p, is common to human and monkey neuroAIDS studies. With increases in knowledge about the genome and advances in technology, unraveling alterations in the transcriptome in the SIV/monkey model will continue to enrich our knowledge about the effects of HIV on the brain.
Foreign-protein-mediated immunodeficiency in hemophiliacs with and without HIV

Hemophilia-AIDS has been interpreted in terms of two hypotheses: the foreign-protein-AIDS hypothesis and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-AIDS hypothesis. The foreign-protein-AIDS hypothesis holds that proteins contaminating commercial clotting factor VIII cause immunosuppression. The foreign-protein hypothesis, but not the HIV hypothesis, correctly predicts seven characteristics of hemophilia-AIDS: 1) The increased life span of American hemophiliacs in the two decades before 1987, although 75% became infected by HIV —because factor VIII treatment, begun in the 1960s, extended their lives and simultaneously disseminated harmless HIV. After 1987 the life span of hemophiliacs appears to have decreased again, probably because of widespread treatment with the cytotoxic anti-HIV drug AZT. 2) The distinctly low, 1.3–2%, annual AIDS risk of hemophiliacs, compared to the higher 5–6% annual risk of intravenous drug users and male homosexual aphrodisiac drug users — because transfusion of foreign proteins is less immunosuppressive than recreational drug use. 3) The age bias of hemophilia-AIDS, i.e. that the annual AIDS risk increased 2-fold for each 10-year increase in age —because immunosuppression is a function of the lifetime dose of foreign proteins received from transfusions. 4) The restriction of hemophilia-AIDS to immunodeficiency diseases — because foreign proteins cannot cause non-immunodeficiency AIDS diseases, like Kaposi's sarcoma. 5) The absence of AIDS diseases above their normal background in sexual partners of hemophiliacs — because transfusion-mediated immunotoxicity is not contagious. 6) The occurrence of immunodeficiency in HIV-free hemophiliacs — because foreign proteins, not HIV, suppress their immune system. 7) Stabilization, even regeneration, of immunity of HIV-positive hemophiliacs by long-term treatment with pure factor VIII. This shows that neither HIV nor factor VIII plus HIV are immunosuppressive by themselves. Therefore, AIDS cannot be prevented by elimination of HIV from the blood supply and cannot be rationally treated with genotoxic antiviral drugs, like AZT. Instead, hemophilia-AIDS can be prevented and has even been reverted by treatment with pure factor VIII.
Spatial and Temporal Changes in Climatological Degree-Days in California

Analysis of 35 years observed trends in summertime daily maximum and minimum temperatures in two non attainment California air basins showed coastal cooling and inland warming. To study the impact of these results on the energy consumption we analyzed the cooling/heating degree days (CDD/HDD) of California long term observed temperatures. In this research historical surface 2-m air temperature data analyses consist of long-term data records, from 273 locations in California, and the primary sources of such data include the cooperative network, first order National Weather Service stations, and military weather stations. Data were used from 273 cooperative stations with more than 100 stations in the northern Central Valley (CV) of California, each with 40 to 60 years of monthly average, minimum, and maximum temperature data records. About 100 of the stations are in the San Francisco Bay (SFB) and 30 of the stations are on the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) of California. Analysis of the CDD/HDD has been undertaken for California in general and in the SFB and SoCAB in particular, under regional climate change conditions. Regional climate fluctuations have larger effects on surface temperatures, which in turn affect the CDD and HDD. A closer look to the CDD reflects an asymmetric increase between the coast and inland regions of California during the last 35 years. In general coastal areas experienced historical decrease of CDD while inland regions experienced increase in CDD. This is attributed to the sea breeze flows, which suggest an increase of the cold marine air intrusion due to the increase of the regional sea breeze potential, which naturally ventilates the coastal areas.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Design in Movement: The Prospects of Interdisciplinary Design

Abstract In what ways can architectural design define identity, or alternatively, challenge received identity? Based on a design pedagogy that experiments with both defamiliarization and dance, we distinguish two ways: (1) in the readymade space of the eye, as meanings other than the received ones can emerge, or (2) in the space-in-the-making of the body, as the reading of meaning in ready-made space alone is challenged, and meaning also emerges in the order of our mutual movement with one another. Our pedagogy represents a collaboration between an architect and a philosopher, both actively engaged in interdisciplinary education within and between their respective schools as well as with the School of Engineering. From the outset, we saw “design in movement” as a potential framework to foster side-by-side collaboration between disciplines (interdisciplinarity) rather than merely among disciplines (multidisciplinarity). Design in movement is a complement to traditional architectural design in space. Design...
Efficacy of aerobic exercise on coronary heart disease risk factors

The authors examined the effects of aerobic exercise on selected coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors using data from previously published meta-analyses. Using a random effects model, the effects of aerobic exercise on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (mean, 95% confidence interval, -0.9%, -1.9% to 0.03%), resting systolic blood pressure (-6.9 mm Hg, -9.1 to -4.6 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-3.1 mg/dL, -6.1 to 0 mg/dL), and body mass index (-1.3 kg/m(2), -2.5 to -0.1 kg/m(2)) were either statistically significant or demonstrated a trend for statistical significance. Changes were equivalent to relative reductions of -8.5%, -4.7%, -2.0%, and -4.5%, respectively. Changes corresponded to estimated 5-year reductions in CHD mortality of 14%, 17%, 1.5%, and 5%, respectively. The results of this review reinforce the idea that aerobic exercise is an important nonpharmacologic intervention for improving selected CHD risk factors.
Family Occupations in Later Life

Literature on famiiy interactions of older adults suggests that famiiies vary widely, and that many families have reciprocai sodal, emotional, and instrumental exchanges. Research disproportionately emphasizes elders as redpients of care, and lacks darity abont the precise occupations in which elders and families engage together. This stndy reports on interviews with 26 well, commnnity-residing older adults to determine how they delineated occupations in which they engaged with their families, and their evaluations of family interactions. Family membership as described by participants differed greatly. Family occupations involved giving care, getting care, and enjoying pastimes. The majority of participants reported at !east two of these occupations, reflecting reciprocai relationships with spouses, adult children, and grandchildren. No participant was entirely dependent on other family members. Based on Connidis' (2001) categorization of family dynamics, elders assessed family occupations in terms of sol...
Dielectric elastomers: Stretching the capabilities of energy harvesting

Stretchable electronics can go beyond what might commonly be considered “electronics.” They can exploit their inherent elasticity to enable new types of transducers that convert between electrical energy and mechanical energy. Dielectric elastomer actuators are “stretchable capacitors” that can offer muscle-like strain and force response to an applied voltage. As generators, dielectric elastomers offer the promise of energy harvesting with few moving parts. Power can be produced simply by stretching and contracting a relatively low-cost rubbery material. This simplicity, combined with demonstrated high energy density and high efficiency, suggests that dielectric elastomers are promising for a wide range of energy-harvesting applications. Indeed, dielectric elastomers have been demonstrated to harvest energy from human walking, ocean waves, flowing water, blowing wind, pushing buttons, and heat engines. While the technology is promising and advances are being made, there are challenges that must be addressed if dielectric elastomers are to be a successful and economically viable energy-harvesting technology. These challenges include developing materials and packaging that sustain a long lifetime over a range of environmental conditions, designing the devices that stretch the elastomer material uniformly, and system issues such as practical and efficient energy-harvesting circuits.
Leaky Dikes and Fibrillating Swine

Interest in developing new antiarrhythmic drugs has vacillated between recession and eclipse since the CAST trial.1 This mind-set has been reinforced by additional studies of drugs (eg, SWORD2 ) and of drugs versus devices (eg, AVID3 ). A recent editorial4 and related publications5 6 focus on redefining the role of antiarrhythmic drugs, stressing a largely adjunctive strategy in which drugs are an accompaniment of nonpharmacological therapies for ventricular arrhythmias. It is suggested that first-line drug therapy be reserved for arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation.4 Is the future for pharmacological therapy of cardiac arrhythmias as bleak as it appears to be? Perhaps so, if we continue to define and develop antiarrhythmic drugs in a traditional sense as blockers of ion channels (Na, K, and Ca2+) and/or adrenergic receptors. In this setting, we may expect continued refinement of decades-old thinking, perhaps more selective, more effective, and safer drugs, but hardly the stuff of which breakthroughs are made. Recent publications7 have stressed the need for alternatives to ion channel blocking drugs in the prevention and therapy of cardiac arrhythmias. These needs have arisen because 1) although often effective, ion channel blocking agents have not yet achieved sufficient target selectivity or sufficient safety to provide optimal intra- and interpatient treatment over extended periods of time, 2) the ability to prolong life and improve quality of life when these drugs are administered alone has been marginal, and 3) the recognition, through molecular and biophysical technology, of increasing arrays of potential molecular targets has not yet identified those targets that might be most beneficially modified, as well as practicable strategies that might be used to modify them. Perhaps most importantly, even if all the above concerns regarding ion channel blocking drugs are dealt with, we still are beset by …
Propensity Score Analysis with Fallible Covariates: A Note on a Latent Variable Modeling Approach.

A latent variable modeling approach that permits estimation of propensity scores in observational studies containing fallible independent variables is outlined, with subsequent examination of treat...
Heat-capacity measurements and thermodynamic functions of crystalline α-D-glucose at temperatures from 10 K to 340 K

The heat capacity of crystalline α-D-glucose has been measured at temperatures from 7 K to 347 K with an adiabatic calorimeter. Heat capacity, entropy, enthalpy increments, and values of (TΔT0Som − ΔT298.15 K Hom)/RT are reported at smoother temperatures from 10 K to 340 K. Comparisons are made with previously reported values for the heat capacity of crystalline glucose; the agreement is generally within ±2 per cent. Our value for the standard molar entropy at 298.15 K is (209.2±0.4) J·K−1·mol−1; the only other value in the literature is 211.3 J·K−1·mol−1.
A comparison of normal submaxillary gland proteins with proteins obtained from a transplantable murine salivary gland carcinoma (myoepithelioma)

Abstract A new transplantable murine salivary gland carcinoma (myoepithelioma) was further characterized by comparing total protein patterns with normal submaxillary qland proteins. Analysis by isoelectric focussing or by labelling studies with radioactive leucine showed considerable differences between tumour and normal proteins. In contrast, analysis of staining patterns after electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate containing gels revealed a striking similarity between normal proteins, tumour proteins and proteins obtained from metastatic growths. It thus appears that tumour proteins closely resemble the normal proteins from the tissue of origin with respect to molecular size as determined by electrophoretic mobility, while significant differences occur in charge and labelling kinetics.
Solvable cases of the flow-shop problem without interruptions in job processing

This article examines solvable cases of the flow‐shop problem without interruptions in job processing where the completion time is being minimized. All those cases utilize Gilmore‐Gomory's algorithm. A lower completion time bound is also provided.
Public Administration's Multiple Institutionalized Frameworks

Using a neo-institutional perspective, this article describes seven different, yet related, institutionalized frameworks that form the practice world of public administration. Created and maintained in the broader environment, they provide interpretive lenses that public servants experience during the workday. The frameworks include: (1) organizations/agencies; (2) bureaucratic and program routinization; (3) politics; (4) law; (5) professions; (6) management; and (7) markets. The analysis was drawn from over fifty informal conversations with practitioners in different settings and levels of government. The author concludes that effective public administrations require an institutional literacy that allows them to recognize and respond appropriately to diverse situations.
Tailoring of GaAs/GaAsSb core-shell structured nanowires for IR photodetector applications

Ga assisted GaAs/GaAsSb core-shell structured nanowires were successfully grown on chemically etched p-type Si(111) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The morphology, structural and optical properties of the nanowires are found to be strongly influenced by the shell growth temperature and Sb% in the nanowires. The nanowires exhibit planar defects like twins and stacking faults, with more stacking faults and micro-twins found at the top section. Optical characteristics of the nanowires as measured by 4K photoluminescence (PL) exhibit a red shift to 1.2 eV with increasing Sb incorporation up to 12%. The Raman spectra of reference GaAs nanowires show TO and LO modes representative of the zinc blende structure at 291 cm -1 and 267.8 cm -1 , respectively. Red shifts of both modes in conjunction with corresponding asymmetrical peak broadening observed in X-ray diffraction with increasing Sb incorporation are attributed to enhanced strain and disorder within the nanostructures. Nanowires of similar Sb composition but grown at different shell temperatures reveal straight nanowires with better microstructural and optical quality when grown at higher growth temperatures. The presence of GaAs passivation layer significantly enhanced the PL intensity such that PL was observed even at room temperature.
Escape from the State of Nature: Authority and Hierarchy in World Politics

Despite increasing attention, scholars lack the analytic tools necessary to understand international hierarchy and its consequences for politics and policy. This is especially true for the informal hierarchies now found in world affairs. Rooted in a formal-legal tradition, international relations scholars almost universally assume that the international system is a realm of anarchy. Although the fact of anarchy remains a truism for the system as a whole, it is a fallacy of division to infer that all relationships within that system are anarchic. Building on an alternative view of relational authority and recent research on the practice of sovereignty, a new conception of international hierarchy is developed that varies along two continua defined by security and economic relations. This construct is operationalized and validated, and then tested in a large-nstudy of the effects of international hierarchy on the defense effort of countries. The principal finding is that states in hierarchical relationships ...
Response of rabbit ear microvasculature to total body cooling as observed through a new implantable window

Abstract A new implantable window was developed in order to study the native microcirculation of the rabbit ear. The responses of the ear microvasculature to total body cooling were studied before and after implantation of the window. No differences were found between arteriolar and venular vasoconstriction with cooling before and after implantation of the window. Arteriolar constriction was significantly greater than the venular response both before and after placement of the window ( P = 0.014). Surface skin temperature of the instrumented and control ears was similar at room temperature (35.2 ± 2.6 versus 36.1 ± 1.0°, respectively; P = 0.280); however, the instrumented ear was slightly warmer during cooling (17.9 ± 1.9 versus 15.2 ± 3.1°; P = 0.024), suggesting increased blood flow in the instrumented ear. Details of construction and implantation of the window are described.
The interaction of formant frequency and pitch in the perception of voice category and jaw opening in female singers

This study represents a first step toward understanding the contribution formant frequency makes to the perception of female voice categories. The effects of formant frequency and pitch on the perception of voice category were examined by constructing a perceptual study that used two sets of synthetic stimuli at various pitches throughout the female singing range. The first set was designed to test the effects of systematically varying formants 1 through 4. The second set was designed to test the relative effects of lower frequency formants (F1 and F2) versus higher frequency formants (F3 and F4) through construction of mixed stimuli. Generally, as the frequencies of all four formants decreased, perception of soprano voice category decreased at all but the highest pitch, A5. However, perception of soprano voice category also increased as a function of pitch. Listeners appeared to need agreement between all four formants to perceive voice categories. When upper and lower formants are inconsistent in frequency, listeners were unable to judge voice category, but they could use the inconsistent patterns to form perceptions about degree of jaw opening.
Intratumoral 5-Fluorouracil Produced by Cytosine Deaminase/5-Fluorocytosine Gene Therapy Is Effective for Experimental Human Glioblastomas

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a potent antimetabolite used for chemotherapy of gastrointestinal (GI), breast, and head and neck malignancies. Although clinical trials have been conducted, the poor therapeutic index of 5-FU has precluded its clinical use for a number of other tumor types. It is unclear whether this lack of utility is due to problems with drug delivery or inherent insensitivity. Adenovirus (Ad) vector-mediated cytosine deaminase (CD)/5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) gene therapy has the potential to overcome pharmacokinetic issues associated with systemic 5-FU and is particularly well suited to use with tumors in which local control is paramount, such as recurrent, localized prostate cancer and malignant gliomas. In this study, the in vitro response by a panel of human tumor cell lines derived from both GI (colon, pancreas) and non-GI (prostate, glioma) tumors to 5-FU and to AdCMVCD (an Ad encoding Escherichia coli CD)/5-FC was examined. Whereas the sensitivity (IC(50)) of individual cell lines to these agents varied, no significant difference in median IC(50) for either 5-FU or AdCMVCD/5-FC was evident for the four tumor types tested (P > 0.1). The relevant contributions of Ad gene transfer efficiency and inherent 5-FU sensitivity in determining response to AdCMVCD/5-FC were then assessed. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that whereas both factors significantly contribute to the response, inherent 5-FU sensitivity was substantially more important (beta= 0.78 versus 0.48; P < 0.001). Finally, the therapeutic efficacy of a single intratumoral injection of AdCMVCD followed by systemic 5-FC was assessed in three intracranial C.B17 severe combined immunodeficient mouse models of human glioma. AdCMVCD/5-FC efficacy was specific, virus dose-dependent, and closely paralleled in vitro 5-FU and CD/5-FC sensitivity in two of three models tested. These results reveal that glioma cells are as sensitive as GI tumor cells to the antineoplastic effects of 5-FU, identify inherent 5-FU sensitivity as an important factor in determining CD/5-FC efficacy, and confirm previous findings in rat models that demonstrate the potential clinical utility of AdCMVCD/5-FC gene therapy for gliomas.
ABA prevents the second cytokinin-mediated event during the induction of shoot buds in the moss Funaria hygrometrica.

The induction of shoot buds in the moss Funaria hygrometricais a classic and quantitative bioassay for cytokinin. This cytokininstimulated response can be inhibited by the plant hormone abscisic acid, ABA; the inhibition is concentration dependent and was proposed for use as a bioassay for ABA. This paper characterizes the ABA inhibition of the cytokinin-stimulated formation of shoot buds. Experiments transferring protonema between cytokinin and cytokinin plus ABA show that ABA does not interfere with the initial perception of cytokinin. Other experiments compare the results of transferring protonema from cytokinin to cytokinin-free medium or to medium with cytokinin plus ABA and reveal that ABA acts by blocking the cytokinin-mediated stable commitment of nascent buds. Extension of the technique of double-reciprocal plots to this whole-organism bioassay finds that ABA is not a competitive inhibitor of cytokinin. Analysis of the ABA inhibition of bud formation identifies a new regulatory step in the developmental process of bud formation in mosses.
The Finite Element Method on the Sierpinski Gasket

For certain classes of fractal differential equations on the Sierpinski gas- ket, built using the Kigami Laplacian, we describe how to approximate solutions us- ing the finite element method based on piecewise harmonic or piecewise biharmonic splines. We give theoretical error estimates, and compare these with experimental data obtained using a computer implementation of the method (available at the web site http://mathlab.cit.cornell.edu/ ∼gibbons). We also explain some interesting structure concerning the spectrum of the Laplacian that became apparent from the experimental data.
Endangered Species and Uncertainty: The Economics of a Safe Minimum Standard

Species extinction irreversibly narrows the reservoir of potential resources. The future repercussions of this narrowing are uncertain. This paper develops the safe minimum standard (SMS) approach to public decisions involving endangered species. The SMS approach is based on game theory and calls for avoidance of extinction unless the social costs are unacceptably large. The level at which costs become excessive is a matter of intergenerational distribution. The paper also explores important linkages between the SMS approach and recent literature on preservation of natural environments.