cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translating Stem Cells to the Clinic: From Modeling Disease to Cellular Products

In this chapter the clinical implications of stem cell research will be discussed, with special emphasis placed on problems associated with the in vitro manipulation of these cells. The goal is to provide an historical overview of what has led to the current excitement in the field of stem cell research. In addition, the clinical expectations offered by the potential translation of stem cells into the clinic will be discussed, together with the various alternatives that are currently available. Keywords: Reprogramming; Lineage conversion; Pluripotency; induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells; Adult stem cells; Regeneration
Eigenvalue formulas for the uniform Timoshenko beam: the free-free problem

This announcement presents asymptotic formulas for the eigenvalues of a free-free uniform Timoshenko beam. Suppose a structural beam is driven by a laterally oscillating sinusoidal force. As the frequency of this applied force is varied, the response varies. Experimental frequencies for which the response is maximized are called natural frequencies of the beam. Our goal is to address the question: if a beam’s natural frequencies are known, what can be inferred about its bending stiffnesses or its mass density? To answer this question we need to know asymptotic formulas for the frequencies. Here we establish these formulas for a uniform beam. One widely used mathematical model for describing the transverse vibration of beams was developed by Stephen Timoshenko in the 1920s (see [5], [6]). In this model, two coupled partial differential equations arise, (EIψx)x + kAG(wx − ψ)− ρIψtt = 0, (kAG(wx − ψ))x − ρAwtt = P (x, t). The dependent variable w = w(x, t) represents the lateral displacement at time t of a cross-section located x units from one end of the beam. ψ = ψ(x, t) is the cross-sectional rotation due to bending. E is Young’s modulus, i.e., the modulus of elasticity in tension and compression, and G is the modulus of elasticity in shear. The nonuniform distribution of shear stress over a cross-section depends on cross-sectional shape. The coefficient k is introduced to account for this geometry dependent distribution of shearing stress. I and A represent cross-sectional inertia and area, ρ is the mass density of the beam per unit length, and P (x, t) is an applied force. If we suppose the beam is anchored so that the so-called “free-free” Received by the editors January 5, 1998. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 34Lxx; Secondary 73Dxx.
The Road to the Dollar Standard: Monetary Hegemony and Japan's Place in the International Order

This essay describes the evolution of Japan's modern currency standard, from its premodern origins, to the age of the classical gold standard, to the establishment of the classical dollar standard after World War II. Relatively little has been written in English describing this long-run evolution, and much of the existing work is relatively fragmentary; what follows is intended to provide a chronological framework and to provide some pointers to the literature on the subject.1
Difficulties in Assigning Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection and Seroreversion Status in a Cohort of HIV-Exposed in Children Using Serologic Criteria Established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In 1987, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a "Classification System for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in Children Under 13 Years of Age".1 The consensus of a panel of consultants was that passively acquired maternal HIV-1 antibody could sometimes persist in children for up to 15 months. The presence of detectable HIV-1 antibody in HIV-1-exposed children after 15 months of age was viewed as an indicator of infection. The absence (or loss) of HIV-1 antibody in a child
A Revisit to High-rate Mode-II Fracture Characterization of Composites with Kolsky Bar Techniques

Nowadays composite materials have been extensively utilized in many military and industrial applications. For example, the newest Boeing 787 uses 50% composite (mostly carbon fiber reinforced plastic) in production. However, the weak delamination strength of fiber reinforced composites, when subjected to external impact such as ballistic impact, has been always potential serious threats to the safety of passengers. Dynamic fracture toughness is a critical indicator of the performance from delamination in such impact events. Quasi-static experimental techniques for fracture toughness have been well developed. For example, end notched flexure (ENF) technique, which is illustrated in Fig. 1, has become a typical method to determined mode-II fracture toughness for composites under quasi-static loading conditions. However, dynamic fracture characterization of composites has been challenging. This has resulted in conflictive and confusing conclusions in regard to strain rate effects on fracture toughness of composites [1].
A level set method for materials with texturally equilibrated pores

Textural equilibrium controls the distribution of the liquid phase in many naturally occurring porous materials such as partially molten rocks and alloys, salt-brine and ice-water systems. In these materials, pore geometry evolves to minimize the solid-liquid interfacial energy while maintaining a constant dihedral angle, ?, at solid-liquid contact lines. We present a level set method to compute an implicit representation of the liquid-solid interface in textural equilibrium with space-filling tessellations of multiple solid grains in three dimensions. Each grain is represented by a separate level set function and interfacial energy minimization is achieved by evolving the solid-liquid interface under surface diffusion to constant mean curvature surface. The liquid volume and dihedral angle constraints are added to the formulation using virtual convective and normal velocity terms. This results in an initial value problem for a system of non-linear coupled PDEs governing the evolution of the level sets for each grain, using the implicit representation of the solid grains as initial condition. A domain decomposition scheme is devised to restrict the computational domain of each grain to few grid points around the grain. The coupling between the interfaces is achieved in a higher level on the original computational domain. The spatial resolution of the discretization is improved through high-order spatial differentiation schemes and localization of computations through domain composition. Examples of three-dimensional solutions are also obtained for different grain distributions networks that illustrate the geometric flexibility of the method.
When Developmental Education is Optional, What Will Students Do? A Preliminary Analysis of Survey Data on Student Course Enrollment Decisions in an Environment of Increased Choice

Historically, college students needing additional academic preparation have been assigned to developmental/remedial courses. In 2013 Florida took a drastic departure from this model by passing Senate Bill 1720, which prohibited institutions from requiring placement tests and made developmental education optional for many students, regardless of prior academic preparation. For this pilot study we conducted a survey at two colleges in the Florida College System to begin to understand the kinds of courses students will take now that developmental education is optional and the factors that students considered when making their course enrollment decisions.
Appearance of Rosette-Forming Macrophages in the Lungs of Influenza Virus-Infected Mice

Abstract Approximately one fifth of the macrophages obtained from the lungs of mice infected 2 to 5 days with influenza A/HK virus were found to rosette well with either unmodified human, chicken, or guinea pig erythrocytes, but not with erythrocytes from hamsters, sheep, or mice. Rosette-forming macrophages were seldom seen in suspensions from uninfected mice (3±3%) or mice infected 24 h previously (3±3%). Rosette formation was not due to virus hemadsorption, as indicated by the failure of specific antiserum to influenza virus to block rosette formation; by the induction of comparable levels of rosette-forming macrophages in the lungs of mice infected with herpes simplex virus type 2, a nonhemadsorbing virus; and by the inhibition of rosette formation at 4°C. Instead, rosette formation appeared to be directly related to macrophage elicitation or activation since nonstimulated macrophage populations such as peripheral blood monocytes, macrophages from uninfected lungs, or noninduced peritoneal macrophages were not observed to rosette to any significant extent. Furthermore, peritoneal macrophages induced with filter-sterilized normal horse serum rosetted at levels comparable to that observed with cells from infected lungs. These results indicate that hemadsorption alone can not be used as a criterion of virus infection of macrophages. However, rosette formation may serve to identify macrophage subpopulations which are active in host defense against viral infections.
Large cell stage in the genus Bacillus.

Johnson, Roy M. (Arizona State University, Tempe). Large cell stage in the genus Bacillus . J. Bacteriol. 82: 418–424. 1961.—Synchronous cultures of Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus cereus produced a transitory large cell stage with increased nuclear material concomitant with a drop in viable count during growth in a defined medium. A variant of B. cereus that required no organic nitrogen for growth and sporulation was inhibited by serine and this inhibition reversed by equimolar amounts of threonine. Serine inhibition occurred before the large cell stage but not after. The significance of this large cell stage as regards transformation studies, nucleic acid analysis, and sporulation was considered. Images
Pentacarbonyl(trimethylsilyl)manganese

[26500-16-3] C8H9MnO5Si (MW 268.20) InChI = 1S/C3H9Si.5CO.Mn/c1-4(2)3;5*1-2;/h1-3H3;;;;;; InChIKey = RXEMHMYWRVZKLL-UHFFFAOYSA-N (carbon–carbon bond formation with strained cyclic ethers by ring opening followed by CO insertion;1, 3 synthesis of enol ethers from acetals;2 can add to aldehydes and ketones2). Physical Data: white crystals; mp 26.5 °C;3 25.6–26.2 °C.4 Solubility: sol most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: not commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: IR (cyclohexane, cm−1) 2094 (w), 2000 (s), 1993 (vs); NMR (cyclohexane, δ) 0.49 ppm.4 Preparative Methods: 3-5 (a) a suspension of KMn(CO)5 in pentane is stirred with Bromotrimethylsilane for two days at rt to afford (CO)5MnSiMe3 in 60–80% yield after purification (eq 1);3 a similar reaction with Chlorotrimethylsilane gives a lower yield.4 (b) The desired product is obtained in 70% yield by heating Me3SiH and Decacarbonyldimanganese without solvent for 48 h at 132 °C.4 (c) Heating Me3SiH and HMn(CO)5 in similar fashion to method (b) provides (CO)5MnSiMe3 in 23% yield.4 (1) The related compound (CO)5MnSi(t-Bu)Me2 is obtained by treating ethereal solutions of NaMn(CO)5 with tert-Butyldimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate and is used in situ.6 Purification: by sublimation or vacuum line transfer at ambient temperature. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: the solid may be handled in air; upon prolonged exposure, it oxidizes to a brown material and should therefore be stored under inert atmosphere. Solutions of (CO)5MnSiMe3 react readily with water, giving HMn(CO)5 and Me3SiOSiMe3. While no information concerning the toxicity of this compound is available, one should assume that metal carbonyls are highly toxic; since this is a volatile solid, extra care should be taken to avoid exposure. Use in a fume hood.
Regulatory role of resveratrol on Th17 in autoimmune disease

The immune system is balanced with cells that respond to microbes by developing into effector cells and cells that regulate the activity of effector cells. In many immune responses a subset of effector T cells termed Th17 are necessary for complete immunity because the cytokine IL-17 that they produce is critical to elimination of the pathogen. However, the activity of Th17 must be balance with development of regulatory T cells termed T(regs). Usually, when the activity of the effector cells is excessive and not balanced by regulatory cells of the immune system, there is the increased risk for development of autoimmune diseases. Therefore in many autoimmune diseases the activity of Th17 exceeds that of T(regs). Therapeutics for treatment of autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have focused upon immunosuppression, immunomodulation, or even immunoablation of effector cells such as Th17 followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Very few approaches have attempted to therapeutically increase immune regulatory cells such as T(regs) in the treatment of autoimmune disease. This review will focus upon the potential `or the use of resveratrol, a natural plant compound that has already been shown to be a potent anti-inflammatory compound, as a complementary therapeutic for MS that increases the activity of T(regs) even though it also increases development of Th17.
Recognizing shape features in solid models

A procedure for defining and recognizing shape features 3-D solid models is presented in which a shape feature is defined as a single face or a set of continuous faces possessing certain characteristic facts in topology and geometry. The system automatically extracts these facts from an example shape feature interactively indicated by the user. The resulting representation of the shape feature can be interactively edited and parameterized. Graph matching accomplishes feature recognition. The system searches the solid model for B-rep subgraphs with the same characteristic facts as the shape feature to be recognized. When the system recognizes a shape feature, it removes the geometry associated with the feature from the original solid model to produce a simpler solid model. It then examines the simpler solid model to determine whether additional features have been revealed. The process repeats until no additional features are found. >
Economic growth and obesity: findings of an Obesity Kuznets curve

Simon Kuznets’ (1955) hypothesis that as a country develops, a natural cycle develops where inequality first increases, then decreases, has become known as the Kuznets curve. This pattern has also been applied to the environment, an ‘Environmental Kuznets curve’, showing that as development occurs, pollution first increases; then decreases because people value clean air. We expand the Kuznets curve to an ‘Obesity Kuznets curve’; as incomes rise, resources become available to buy more food. As such, people consume more calories and obesity rates increase. However, as incomes continue to rise, personal health becomes a more valued asset and people decrease their obesity levels (increasing their health levels). We find evidence of an Obesity Kuznets curve for white females. In addition, we find that as income inequality increases, obesity rates fall.
A new syndrome of ketoacidosis in infancy

A Negro male infant, born to normal unrelated parents, died at 6 1/2 months of age after several episodes of severe ketoacidosis and persistent ketonuria. During the severe ketoacidosis, the blood sugar concentration and hemogram were normal. Clinical studies, laboratory data, and metabolic studies on tissues obtained at postmortem examination excluded methylmalonic acidemia and ketotic glycinemia as the cause of the ketoacidosis. The exact enzymatic and metabolic defect in this patient remains unknown but appears to be unique and is currently under investigation.
HIV/AIDS: Virus kept on a leash

Without its Vpu protein, the AIDS-associated virus HIV-1 becomes stuck to the surface of the human cell in which it has replicated. The mysterious factor that tethers HIV-1 is probably a cell-membrane protein.
Assessment of Subjective Client Agency in Psychotherapy: A Review

Theoretical accounts of psychotherapy, especially of a constructivist or humanistic sort, often assert the importance of the client's active efforts in “making therapy work.” Psychotherapy research also supports the importance of the client's contribution to therapy outcomes. Research on subjective client agency, defined as a client's expectations for taking an active role in psychotherapy, is limited, however. This review describes and evaluates the psychometric qualities of six measures of this construct and provides recommendations for future research. Three of these measures are particularly suitable for further work by constructivist investigators of therapy process and outcome, a topic too rarely studied in the literature to date. Those studies that exist suggest that agency is positively related to the therapeutic alliance but does not directly affect therapy outcome. Additional process-outcomes studies in this area are warranted and could benefit from placing client agency in a broader framework t...
Montserrat's Andesite Volcano

In the last quarter of the 20th century films and videos of volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, floods, and other extreme natural phenomena became relatively common and widely disseminated for the first time. The widespread availability of video cameras, the proliferation of news camera crews across the globe, and the dedication of a small number of professional cinematographers to these subject matters have spurred the proliferation of these films. Textbooks and still photographs had previously been the main sources of descriptive information about volcanic processes, although a few notable exceptions existed, such as the dramatic film about the Kilauea Iki eruption of 1959–1960. This was in wide circulation on U.S. college and university campuses by the mid-1960s.
Commutativity analysis: a new analysis framework for parallelizing compilers

This paper presents a new analysis technique, commutativity analysis, for automatically parallelizing computations that manipulate dynamic, pointer-based data structures. Commutativity analysis views the computation as composed of operations on objects. It then analyzes the program at this granularity to discover when operations commute (i.e. generate the same final result regardless of the order in which they execute). If all of the operations required to perform a given computation commute, the compiler can automatically generate parallel code.We have implemented a prototype compilation system that uses commutativity analysis as its primary analysis framework. We have used this system to automatically parallelize two complete scientific computations: the Barnes-Hut N-body solver and the Water code. This paper presents performance results for the generated parallel code running on the Stanford DASH machine. These results provide encouraging evidence that commutativity analysis can serve as the basis for a successful parallelizing compiler.
Allocation of attention for dissociated visual and motor goals

In daily life, selecting an object visually is closely intertwined with processing that object as a potential goal for action. Since visual and motor goals are typically identical, it remains unknown whether attention is primarily allocated to a visual target, a motor goal, or both. Here, we dissociated visual and motor goals using a visuomotor adaptation paradigm, in which participants reached toward a visual target using a computer mouse or a stylus pen, while the direction of the cursor was rotated 45° counter-clockwise from the direction of the hand movement. Thus, as visuomotor adaptation was accomplished, the visual target was dissociated from the movement goal. Then, we measured the locus of attention using an attention-demanding rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task, in which participants detected a pre-defined visual stimulus among the successive visual stimuli presented on either the visual target, the motor goal, or a neutral control location. We demonstrated that before visuomotor adaptation, participants performed better when the RSVP stream was presented at the visual target than at other locations. However, once visual and motor goals were dissociated following visuomotor adaptation, performance at the visual and motor goals was equated and better than performance at the control location. Therefore, we concluded that attentional resources are allocated both to visual target and motor goals during goal-directed reaching movements.
CHARACTERIZATION OF A PH-SENSITIVE SURFACTANT, DODECYL-2-(1'-IMIDAZOLYL) PROPIONATE (DIP), AND PRELIMINARY STUDIES IN LIPOSOME MEDIATED GENE TRANSFER

Abstract The inefficiency of non-viral gene delivery systems, relative to viral systems, is likely due, in part, to the failure of endosomes to release DNA before reaching degradative lysosomes. A solution is to incorporate compounds in a delivery vector that will selectively increase the release of endosomally encapsulated DNA. To meet the above criteria, we designed, synthesized, and characterized the physicochemical and biological properties of such a compound, dodecyl-2-(1′-imidazolyl) propionate (DIP) to enhance cationic liposome mediated gene delivery. Several surface active techniques were used to characterize DIP lysing membranes. The critical micelle concentration of DIP was between 0.10–0.18 mM and the effective release and solubilization ratios were 1.0 and 4.0, respectively. DIP facilitated membrane disruption in both a pH and concentration dependent manner. In the presence of esterase at pH 7.0, the hydrolysis rate increased 32-fold indicating DIP can be degraded in the biological milieu. Toxicity of DIP by MTT assay in the SKnSH cell line demonstrated an ID50 of 1.2 mM, which is 30-fold higher than the concentration of DIP used to enhance gene transfection. When incorporated into cationic-liposomes, DIP enhanced transgene expression in vitro by 5-fold. The results of the study indicate that DIP may be a useful adjuvant to increase non-viral gene delivery to cells.
Provenance of the Sirius Group and related Upper Cenozoic glacial deposits from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica: relation to landscape evolution and ice-sheet drainage

Abstract This study uses bulk X-ray diffraction (XRD), heavy mineral analysis and analysis of detrital modes of the Sirius Group and related Upper Cenozoic deposits to evaluate their provenance. The data suggest that deposition of the Sirius Group occurred as a result of long-term glacial denudation of the Transantarctic Mountains. Such a conclusion is in contrast with the traditional view of deposition on a pre-existing high relief glacial topography during one relatively short-term phase of glacial expansion by the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Two petrofacies are distinguished, which have different geomorphological settings and paleo-ice flow directions. One petrofacies includes much material from the higher elevated sedimentary sequences of the Transantarctic Mountains and represents overriding of the mountains and deposition of part of the Sirius Group during or after the late Oligocene to early Miocene. The second petrofacies is characterized by a large input from crystalline basement sources and represents active erosion and deposition in glacial troughs during the Neogene. The second petrofacies of the Sirius Group shows similarities to the record from Dry Valley Drilling Project core 11 (DVDP-11), which indicates that East Antarctic ice was last flowing through the Dry Valleys in the late Miocene to early Pliocene.
Predictive Assessment of Surface Resistances in Zeolite Membranes Using Atomically Detailed Models

The diffusive transport of molecules through nanoporous membranes is determined by both intracrystalline diffusion and mass transport resistances associated with entering and leaving the membrane material. We compare two methods for assessing the relative importance of these resistances based on atomically detailed descriptions of the membrane material. For extremely thin membranes, net transport can be assessed using dual control volume grand canonical molecular dynamics (DCV-GCMD). We show that previous implementations of this technique may have been influenced by nonisothermal effects in interfacial regions and suggest a simple remedy to this situation. We also introduce an approximate method that uses information only from equilibrium MD simulations, which avoids the significant computational expense associated with DCV-GCMD. This approximate method can be used to rapidly assess the importance of interface-related resistances to mass transport over broad ranges of membrane operating conditions. This method will be useful in allowing a rapid determination of whether these interface resistances are significant in practical experimental situations. These two methods are compared by considering the transport of CH(4) and CF(4) through defect-free silicalite membranes.
On the influx of small comets into the Earth's upper atmosphere I. Observations

Images of the earth's dayglow emissions at ultraviolet wavelengths, primarily those of atomic oxygen at 130.4 nm, reveal regions of transient intensity decreases to ∼ 5% to 20% of surrounding values over areas estimated to be ∼ 2,000 km². The duration of these transient decreases in intensities is ∼ several minutes. Approximately 10 of these events occur each minute in the dayside upper atmosphere. The diurnal variation of the rate of occurrence is qualitatively similar to that for radar meteors.
Perturbative limits of quadrupole evolution in QCD at high energy

We consider the perturbative (weak field) limit of the small $x$ QCD evolution equation for the quadrupole, the normalized trace of four Wilson lines in the fundamental representation, which appears in dihadron angular correlation in high-energy collisions. We linearize the quadrupole evolution equation and then expand the Wilson lines in powers of $g{A}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ where ${A}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ is the gauge field. The quadratic terms in the expansion ($\ensuremath{\sim}{g}^{2}{A}^{2}$) satisfy the Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov equation as has been recently shown. We then consider the quartic terms ($\ensuremath{\sim}{g}^{4}{A}^{4}$) in the expansion and show that the linearized quadrupole evolution equation, written in terms of color charge density $\ensuremath{\rho}$, reduces to the well-known Bartels-Jaroszewicz-Kwiecinski-Praszalowicz equation for the imaginary part of the four-Reggeized-gluon exchange amplitude. We comment on the possibility that the Bartels-Jaroszewicz-Kwiecinski-Praszalowicz equation for the evolution of an $n$-Reggeized-gluon state can be obtained from the Jalilian-Marian-Iancu-McLerran-Weigert-Leonidov-Kovner evolution equation for the normalized trace of $n$ fundamental Wilson lines when nonlinear (recombination) terms are neglected.
Preparation of staff for early childhood settings

A major issue in Early Childhood Education is staff preparation. The need for well prepared staff has been well documented but finding and keeping such personnel is extremely difficult. This article addresses the value of trained staff and what preparation staff need. Current staff training practices are discussed and recent initiatives are described.
Electroconvulsive therapy stimulus dose expressed as volume of seizure foci.

Background Electrical stimulus dose is typically stated as charge in millicoulombs (mC), representing the number of electrons. However, by overlooking the voltage threshold for neuronal depolarization, charge alone is inappropriate. Any charge can accumulate from subthreshold voltage over time. Stimulus energy represents heat content; without a delivery rate, it is not related to depolarization voltage. The objective was to formulate stimulus dose in accordance with seizure induction physiology. Method Stimulus dose was expressed as volume of generated seizure foci, a variable dependent on current and charge. A second more detailed model considers brain voltages as related to clinical deep brain stimulation. Results For the constant current stimuli characteristic of widely available American stimulators, stimulus dose is proportional to current cubed multiplied by charge. This relationship corresponds to the 3 dimensions of a voltage field in space, where the volume above a certain voltage increases with the cube of the voltage radius. As a consequence, any particular charge at 0.9 A (ampere) current has a seizure foci dose approximately 50% higher than the same charge at 0.8 A. Conclusions The modeling offers an explanation for published measurements comparing instruments of maximum current 0.8 and 0.9 A. The modeling also suggests compensation approaches to be applied to the age-based bilateral stimulus dosing method. An electrical dosing strategy based on "half-age" (2.5 mC/y) is reasonable for 0.9-A stimulation but a "three-quarters age" (3.7 mC/y) is more appropriate for 0.8-A stimulation. The present results can allow doses and seizure thresholds to be compared between different currents, as when substituting one electroconvulsive therapy instrument for another.
Morphine inhibits TRH-induced gastric contractile activity.

Abstract This study investigated the effect of centrally and peripherally administered thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) on gastric contractile activity of rats 14, 21, 28 and adult (≥50) days (D) of age, and the effect of morphine pretreatment on that response. Rats were anesthetized with urethane, then a tension transducer was implanted on the anterior gastric corpus. Following baseline recording, rats were pretreated with intraperitoneal morphine (2 mg/kg). TRH (5 μg) in saline or saline alone (0.6 μl) was then injected into the cisternum magnum. Additionally, dose response to TRH was examined in 14- and 50-day-old rats. Intracisternal TRH induced a dose-related increase in gastric contractile activity in both 14- and 50-day-old rats. Higher doses of TRH (10 and 30 μg) prolonged the response as compared to low doses. Peripheral morphine pretreatment blocked the TRH-induced increase in gastric contractile activity in all age groups although a higher morphine dose (10 mg/kg) was needed to block the effect in 28D rats. Intravenous TRH (5, 10, 30 μg) produced an increase in gastric contractile activity in 14D rats which was blocked by vagotomy.
Whole-field velocity measurements around an axisymmetric body with a Stratford-Smith pressure recovery

Wind tunnel experiments are performed on a body of revolution with aft-section designed to be an axisymmetric Stratford ramp (i.e. the flow over the 'ramp' experiences an adverse pressure gradient that causes it to be continuously on the verge of separation). Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measurements over the ramp reveal a thick boundary layer that is characterized by self-similar velocity profiles with a large wake component and organized vorticity structures. The mean skin friction quickly drops to a value near zero. The sensitivity of the boundary layer to the degree of severity of the adverse pressure gradient is investigated by testing two additional ramps; one is slightly more conservative (i.e. less steep) than the Stratford ramp while the other is slightly more radical (i.e. steeper). In comparison to the Stratford ramp, the conservative ramp is characterized by a thinner boundary layer, with velocity profiles that start attached and gradually develop a large wake component, a much more gradual drop in the skin friction, and vorticity that is concentrated very close to the wall. On the other hand, the boundary layer over the radical ramp is unsteady and separates intermittently
Multinuclear MR investigation of the metabolic response of the murine RIF‐1 tumor to 5‐fluorouracil chemotherapy

The metabolic response of the RIF-1 tumor to 5-fluorouracil (a single dose of 260 mg 5FU/kg, ip) was monitored in 10 mice using 19F and 31P MR spectroscopy. 19F MRS revealed a continuous drop in tumor 5FU level and an increase in the fluoronucleotide (Fnuc) signal to a plateau value of 50% of the initial 5FU level, during the first 2 h after chemotherapy. Although the 31P MR spectra of the tumors showed no significant initial changes, the total level of MR visible tumor phosphate decreased and tumor pH increased during the subsequent days. The changes in phosphate metabolism and tumor pH did not correlate with the detected fluorine levels or tumor response. However, the pretreatment Pi level, the plateau Fnuc level, and the 5FU induced decrease in tumor volume showed significant correlation. The indicates that both 19F and 31P MR spectroscopy have potential for predicting reponse to 5FU chemotherapy. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Exercise challenge in Gulf War Illness reveals two subgroups with altered brain structure and function.

Nearly 30% of the approximately 700,000 military personnel who served in Operation Desert Storm (1990–1991) have developed Gulf War Illness, a condition that presents with symptoms such as cognitive impairment, autonomic dysfunction, debilitating fatigue and chronic widespread pain that implicate the central nervous system. A hallmark complaint of subjects with Gulf War Illness is post-exertional malaise; defined as an exacerbation of symptoms following physical and/or mental effort. To study the causal relationship between exercise, the brain, and changes in symptoms, 28 Gulf War veterans and 10 controls completed an fMRI scan before and after two exercise stress tests to investigate serial changes in pain, autonomic function, and working memory. Exercise induced two clinical Gulf War Illness subgroups. One subgroup presented with orthostatic tachycardia (n = 10). This phenotype correlated with brainstem atrophy, baseline working memory compensation in the cerebellar vermis, and subsequent loss of compensation after exercise. The other subgroup developed exercise induced hyperalgesia (n = 18) that was associated with cortical atrophy and baseline working memory compensation in the basal ganglia. Alterations in cognition, brain structure, and symptoms were absent in controls. Our novel findings may provide an understanding of the relationship between the brain and post-exertional malaise in Gulf War Illness.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP): discovery and current status of research

For last 2 years since PACAP was first discovered, many important findings on PACAP have been reported. cDNAs encoding the precursor proteins of PACAP in sheep, human and rat were cloned, and the precursor proteins characterized. PACAP was found in a high concentration in the central nervous system, adrenal medulla and testis. Immunohistochemical study indicated that PACAP containing neural fibers are present throughout the brain, including both internal and external zones of the median eminence. In the hypothalamus many PACAP positive cell bodies were demonstrated in the supraoptic nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus in various species. Four types of high affinity PACAP receptor were demonstrated. PACAP receptors in the central nervous system, pituitary, adrenal medulla and germ cells of the testis are highly specific for PACAP, and not shared with VIP. The PACAP receptor was solubilized and cross-linking of 125I-PACAP27 with the binding protein suggest that the molecular weight of the receptor is around 57,000. Various biological actions of PACAP were reported, but the physiological cellular events linked with PACAP-induced activation of adenylate cyclase remain to be investigated.
Prediction and Classification with Neural Network Models

This article compares neural network models to the logit and probit models, the most widely used choice models in current empirical research, and explores the application of neural network models to social science choice/classification problems. Social and political relationships are generally characterized by nonlinearity and complexity and are usually of unknown functional forms. The logit and probit models assume exact and, in general, linear functional forms for the utility functions underlying the observed categorical data. Neural network models, on the other hand, are capable of approximating arbitrary functional forms under general conditions and can handle rich patterns of nonlinearity in the utility functions. They are therefore potentially better suited to typical social science data than the logit and probit models, which are shown to be special cases of the neural network class. Simulation results show that the neural network models perform significantly better than the logit models and are in...
Quantitative photoabsorption and fluorescence study of H2O and D2O at 50-190 nm

The photoabsorption cross sections and the fluorescence quantum yields of H2O and D2O were measured in the 50-190 nm region using synchrotron radiation as a light source. The oscillator strengths for the Rydberg states of H2O and D2O were determined from the absorption cross sections measured. The processes for the production of fluorescence from the excited species H(asterisk) (n greater than 2), D(asterisk) (n greater than 2), OH(asterisk) (A) and OD(asterisk) (A) are discussed. The upper limit for the dissociation energy of D(D-OD) was determined, from the threshold of the OD(A-X) fluorescence, to be 5.14 + or - 0.01 eV. The upper limit for the cross section of visible fluorescence from the excited H2O(+) ions was determined to be 2 x 10 to the -19th sq cm. A comparison between the photoexcitation spectra of H2O and D2O is made.
Risk factors for falling in a psychogeriatric unit

Objective To identify risk factors associated with falls in a psychogeriatric inpatient population. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A psychogeriatric inpatient unit in a Brown University affiliated psychiatric hospital. Participants A total of 1834 men and women who represented all admissions to the psychogeriatric inpatient unit between January 1992 and December 1995. Results Over the study period a total of 175 falls were recorded, giving a fall rate of 9.5%. Using a logistic regression model, six variables were found to be independently associated with an increased risk of falling: female gender, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), mood stabilizers, cardiac arrhythmias, Parkinson's syndrome and dementias. Falls and ECT were associated with longer hospital stay, when adjusted for confounders including ECT. Conclusions These findings support previous results and identify ECT as a possible risk factor for falling in a hospital setting. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decreased dynorphin levels and increased kappa opioid receptor binding in male rats with isolation-induced hypertension

The role of hippocampal dynorphin A (1-8) (Dyn A (1-8)) and kappa opioid receptors was investigated in the isolation-induced hypertensive rat (IHR). Male Sprague Dawley rats were either isolated (1 per cage) or grouped (3 per cage) for 7 days. Isolated rats exhibited increased blood pressure (systolic blood pressure 159.7 +/- 6.6 mmHg) whereas the grouped rats remained normotensive (systolic blood pressure 137 +/- 6.3 mmHg). Using radioligand binding techniques we observed a significant increase in kappa opioid receptor binding in the hippocampus of isolated rats (56% increase) and this further increased when the length of isolation was increased to 2 weeks (72% increase). Radioimmunoassay showed that isolation decreased the hippocampal content of Dyn A (1-8) from 12.7 +/- 0.4 to 11.6 +/- 0.2 pg Dyn A (1-8) per 10 mg tissue (rats weighing approximately 100 g) and from 13.3 +/- 0.8 to 9.7 +/- 1 pg Dyn A (1-8) per 10 mg tissue (approximately 200 g rats). These data suggest that functional alterations in the hippocampal dynorphin system may be involved in the maintenance of isolation induced hypertension.
Causation and Responsibility

In this article I examine the relation between causation and moral responsibility. I distinguish four possible views about that relation. One is the standard view: the view that an agent’s moral responsibility for an outcome requires, and is grounded in, the agent’s causal responsibility for it. I discuss several challenges to the standard view, which motivate the three remaining views. The final view ‐ the view I argue for ‐ is that causation is the vehicle of transmission of moral responsibility. According to this view, although moral responsibility does not require causation, causation still grounds moral responsibility.
Blind reconstruction of sparse images with unknown point spread function

We consider the image reconstruction problem when the original image is assumed to be sparse and when partial knowledge of the point spread function (PSF) is available. In particular, we are interested in recovering the magnetization density given magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) data, and we present an iterative alternating minimization algorithm (AM) to solve this problem. A smoothing penalty is introduced on allowable PSFs to improve the reconstruction. Simulations demonstrate its performance in reconstructing both the image and unknown point spread function. In addition, we develop an optimization transfer approach to solving a total variation (TV) blind deconvolution algorithm presented in a paper by Chan and Wong. We compare the performance of the AM algorithm to the blind TV algorithm as well as to a TV based majorization-minimization algorithm developed by Figueiredo et al.
Thermal Conductivity of Some Alkali Halides Containing Divalent Impurities. I. Phonon Resonances

Thermal-conductivity measurements have been made on KCl, KBr, and NaCl containing divalent impurities. In all cases dips in the plots of thermal conductivity versus temperature are observed in the temperature range 25-50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The data are understood in terms of a model due to Krumhansl, in which resonant phonon scattering due to changed force constants is considered. Within the framework of this model, resonant frequencies of the order of 40-90 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, depending on the host lattice, are deduced. For crystals where the divalent impurity is the same size as the host ion, the scattering is postulated as being caused largely by the accompanying positive-ion vacancy. When the divalent ion has a size different from the host, the situation is more complicated and cannot be simply understood.
Reactivity-selectivity properties of reactions of carcinogenic electrophiles and nucleosides: Influence of pH on site selectivity

Abstract 6-Chloromethylbenzo[a]pyrene (6-CMBP) labeled with 13C in the chloromethyl group was used as a model for those carcinogens which form essentially free carbocations. Using 13C-NMR to identify products, the selectivity with which this electrophile modifies nucleosides was investigated. At pH 7, guanosine and deoxyguanosine are the most nucleophilic nucleosides toward the carbocation generated by solvolysis of 6-CMBP. Attack at N-7 predominates over attack at N-2. At higher pH, the nucleophilicity of guanosine and deoxyguanosines increases markedly. In addition, the site of modification changes to N-1 with secondary modification at O-6. The pH dependence of the rate of this reaction implicates a group with pK-value approx. 8.7 which was assigned to the hydrogen on N-1. The presence of a methyl group on the N-7 position of guanosine lowers this pK-value to approx. 7.2. Consequently, N7-methylguanosine shows the high nucleophilicity at physiological pH that guanosine has at high pH. These observations lead to the suggestion of a one base: two-site model for chemical carcinogenesis.
Contemporary management of acute lower extremity ischemia following percutaneous coronary and cardiac interventional procedures using femoral access--a case series and discussion.

New onset of acute lower extremity ischemia following percutaneous coronary and cardiac interventional procedures using femoral access is an important clinical entity that requires emergent assessment to determine the precise etiology and institute appropriate therapy. We report four cases of this clinical event from our catheterization laboratories that serve to highlight the most frequent etiologies, the importance of immediate diagnostic angiography, and the potential for endovascular techniques to effectively manage this complication. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of a primary care-oriented brief counselling intervention for obesity with and without orlistat

. Objective. There is a significant need for an obesity treatment model suitable for the primary care environment. We examined the effectiveness of a brief counselling intervention alone, in combination with orlistat, and drug-alone in a 12-month randomized-clinical trial at a medical school obesity centre. Methods. Participants (N = 250) with body mass index (BMI) ≥27 were randomized. Changes in body weight, lipids, blood pressure and serum glucose were examined. Drug adherence and attendance were also evaluated. Results. Completers analysis was conducted on 136 participants with data at baseline, 6 and 12 months and intention-to-treat analyses (ITT) for the total sample. Amongst completers, participants in the drug only (P = 0.012) and drug + brief counselling (P = 0.001) groups lost more weight (mean ± SD: −3.8 ± 5.8 kg and −4.8 ± 4.4 kg, respectively) than participants in the brief counselling only group at 6 months (−1.7 ± 3.3 kg), but there were no significant group differences at 12 months. ITT model results were similar to completers at 6 months and remained significant at 12 months, but the weight losses were more modest (<3 kg) for both groups receiving orlistat. For brief counselling alone, participants gained weight (1.7 ± 4.2 kg). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) parameter changes were negligible. Conclusions. Pharmacotherapy alone or combined with brief counselling resulted in modest weight losses that had minimal impact on cardiovascular parameters, but were greater than brief counselling alone. Whilst brief interventions and primary pharmacotherapy have been suggested as viable treatments for implementation in primary care settings, our study suggests that such minimal interventions provide minimal benefits.
In vivo stability and photodynamic efficacy of fluorinated bacteriopurpurinimides derived from bacteriochlorophyll-a.

The stable bacteriopurpurinimide (788 nm, e: 38 600 in CH2Cl2), obtained by reducing the corresponding unstable Schiff base (803 nm, e: 50 900 in CH2Cl2) that was isolated by reacting bacteriopurpurin methyl ester with 3,5-bis-(trifluoromethyl)benzylamine, produced promising photosensitizing efficacy. 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, and HPLC analyses confirmed the structures of new bacteriopurpurinimides and the metabolic product. The preliminary in vivo photosensitizing efficacy of this stable bacteriopurpurinimide was determined in C3H mice bearing radiation induced fibrosarcoma tumors as a function of variable drug doses. A drug dose of 1.0 μmol/kg and light exposure of 135 J/cm2 (75 mW/cm2; 24 h postinjection) at 796 nm for 30 min produced a 60% long-term tumor cure (3/5 mice were tumor-free on day 90). Colocalization study of the stable bacteriopurpurinimide with MitoTracker Green confirmed some mitochondrial localization. The fluorescein-exclusion assay and histological staining of CD31 confirmed vascu...
Influence of Team Communication and Coordination on the Performance of Teams at the iCTF Competition

Effective team process is critical for the performance of cyber security teams. To examine this, we observed two comparably skilled cyber security teams participating in the International Capture the Flag (iCTF) competition held in December 2011. At the conclusion of the competition, we followed up with a focus group discussion with six members from the two teams. In this paper, we present our findings from the focus group interviews, on the relationship between team level factors and team performance. Findings from the focus group discussion indicate that team level factors such as team communication, coordination, team structure, and leadership play important roles in team performance.