cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A chemically modified tetracycline inhibits streptozotocin-induced diabetic depression of skin collagen synthesis and steady-state type I procollagen mRNA

Abstract Wasting of connective tissues including skin, bone, and cartilage have been closely associated with elevated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and depressed collagen content in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, while tetracyclines have been reported to normalize total body weight, skin hydroxyproline and collagen content in this model, in part through inhibition of MMPs. In the present study, we report the effect of CMT-1, a chemically modified tetracycline that lacks antimicrobial properties but retains divalent cation binding and MMP inhibitory activity, on diabetic skin collagen synthesis and steady-state levels of procollagen α1(I) mRNA. Male, 4-month old Sprague–Dawley rats received a single injection of 75 mg/kg STZ or citrate vehicle alone and diabetic status was confirmed by positive glucosuria. Some diabetic animals received 10 mg/day of CMT-1 by oral gavage and, 28 days after STZ treatment, body weight, blood glucose values and the in vivo rates of skin collagen production were measured using the pool-expansion technique. Steady-state levels of procollagen α1(I) mRNA were analyzed 21 days after STZ treatment by hybridization of total RNA with a 32P labelled cDNA to rat type I procollagen α1(I) mRNA in a dot-blot assay. STZ treatment was found to significantly depress body weight, skin collagen hydroxyproline content, the in vivo rate of collagen production, and hybridizable levels of type I procollagen α1(I) mRNA. CMT-1 administered daily to STZ-treated rats inhibited the diabetic depression of these parameters but had little or no effect on non-diabetic controls or on STZ-induced hyperglycemia. Thus, in addition to the inhibition of MMP mediated extracellular collagen degradation, these results suggest CMT-1 also acts to inhibit diabetic connective tissue breakdown in STZ-induced diabetes by increasing both steady-state levels of type I procollagen mRNA and collagen synthesis through mechanism(s) that are independent of the antibacterial properties of tetracyclines.
Effect of advance organizers on learning medical surgical nursing content by baccalaureate nursing students.

The hypothesis for this study was that a verbal advance organizer would increase learning and retention of class content more in subjects with greater field independence and with higher scholastic aptitude. The sample was 43 junior baccalaureate nursing students, randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Sophomore cumulative grade point averages were used as a measure of scholastic aptitude and Group Embedded Figures Test scores as measures of field independence. An expository organizer was presented to experimental subjects and a passage of nonorganizing historical information to control subjects at the beginning of each of six classes. Class quizzes were used to measure initial learning, and end-of-unit and final examinations were used to measure intermediate and long range retention of class content. Increased initial learning occurred with exposure to a verbal advance organizer in subjects with above average scholastic ability and below average field independence (p less than .05), but intermediate and long-term retention were not significantly higher in these subjects.
Low-Thrust Guidance Scheme for Earth-Capture Trajectories

A new guidance scheme for the Earth-capture phase of a low-thrust spacecraft is developed. The objective of the guidance scheme is to provide the appropriate thrust steering program that will transfer the vehicle from hyperbolic conditions near the Earth's sphere of influence to a circular low-Earth orbit. Blending two control laws that reduce energy and eccentricity, respectively, generates the steering angle commands. The presented guidance design is predictive in nature and does not rely on a stored reference trajectory or reference controls. The guidance algorithm iterates on a single guidance parameter (a blending coefficient) such that a desired performance measure is minimized and boundary conditions are satisfied. Numerical simulations of three-dimensional guided capture trajectories are presented, and results show that the guidance successfully performs the high-energy Earth-capture maneuver. The simplicity of the guidance design makes it a viable candidate for onboard implementation.
Parallel-computing architecture for JWST wavefront-sensing and integrated modeling

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and will be NASA's premier observatory of the next decade. Image-based wavefront sensing (phase retrieval) is the primary method for ground testing and on-orbit commissioning. For ground tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Johnson Space Center (JSC), near-real-time analysis is critical for ensuring that pass/fail criteria are met before completion of a specific test. To address this need we have developed a computational architecture for image processing and phase retrieval. Using commercially available off-the-shelf hardware and software, we have designed, implemented, and tested a solution for high-speed parallel computing. The architecture is a hybrid solution utilizing both CPUs and GPUs and exploiting the unique advantages of each. Discussions are presented of the architecture, performance, and current limitations.
The larvae of the Madagascar genus Cheirogenesia Demoulin (Ephemeroptera: Palingeniidae)

Generic characteristics of the larval stage of Cheirogenesia Demoulin are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. Fontainica josettae McCafferty is shown to be a junior synonym of Cheirogenesia decaryi (Navas) syn.n., and a specific description of the larvae is given. Notes on the probable relationships of this Madagascar genus and on the biology and habitat of the larvae are included.
Corticotropin releasing factor decreases postburst hyperpolarizations and excites hippocampal neurons

Corticotropin releasing factor in concentrations of 15 to 250 nanomoles per liter increased the spontaneous discharge frequency and decreased the size of hyperpolarizations after burst discharges in CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons of rat hippocampal slices. Concentrations greater than 250 nanomoles per liter also depolarized the cells. These excitatory actions of corticotropin releasing factor may involve a novel calcium-dependent process.
Postexercise Thermoregulatory Behavior and Recovery From Exercise in Desert Iguanas

Desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) undergo respiratory recovery more rapidly and incur lower energetic costs when they recover from 40 degrees C burst activity at 20 degrees C than when they recover at 40 degrees C. However, a body temperature of 20 degrees C falls well outside the preferred activity temperature range of this species, and imposes several physiological and behavioral liabilities. To determine if exhausted animals would favor a thermal regimen that allows for rapid and inexpensive respiratory recovery, we exercised lizards to exhaustion and allowed them to recover in a laboratory thermal gradient for 180 min. Recovering animals allowed their body temperatures to cool significantly to a mean temperature of 33.5 degrees C during the first 60 min of recovery, and subsequently rewarmed themselves to an average temperature of 38 degrees C for the remainder of their recovery period. Control animals maintained a constant body temperature of 37.7 degrees C throughout the 180-min recovery period. We then exercised animals to exhaustion at 40 degrees C and allowed them to recover for 180 min under a thermal regimen that mimicked that selected by exhausted animals in the previous experiment. Animals recovering under this thermal regimen returned to rates of O2 consumption, removed exercise-generated blood lactate, and incurred energetic costs that were more similar to data previously collected for animals recovering from exercise at a constant 40 degrees C than to data from animals recovering at 20 degrees C. These results suggested that the energetic benefits associated with recovery at 20 degrees C are not of sufficient biological importance to cause a major shift in thermoregulatory behavior.
Fidelity of implementation: bringing written curriculum materials into the equation

Fidelity of curriculum implementation (FOI) is an important area of research because of the critical role it plays in understanding how and why curriculum materials work and how they can be improved. This analysis explores written features within the Math Trailblazers curriculum that may influence the ways teachers implement mathematics curriculum materials. In particular, we examine FOI data from prior research in order to identify features within the materials themselves that may influence why teachers adhere to the intended curriculum to varying degrees. This paper reports on our analysis of examining five whole number lessons previously analysed for level of FOI alongside an analysis scale of written curriculum features. Our purpose in this analysis is to examine features of the written curriculum that potentially mediate teachers’ implementation of the materials in line with the intended curriculum. In doing so, our analysis further emphasises the critical role teachers play in curriculum implementat...
Sugar competition assays reveal high affinity receptors for Erythrina cristigalli lectin on feline monocytes.

Abstract An examination of fluorescein-labelled Erythrina cristigalli lectin (FITC-ECL) staining on feline mononuclear cells (MNC) using fluorescent microscopy and a novel sugar titration competition assay revealed that monocytes (MO) were stained brighter by FITC-ECL than were lymphocytes (LYM). When MNC were stained with FITC-ECL in the presence of 400 mM or greater d -galactose, analysis by flow cytometry revealed continued MO staining while LYM were negative. MO expressed a larger quantity of carbohydrate receptors (CHO-R) for ECL than did LYM. The CHO-R expressed on MO were mostly protease-insensitive and uncapped by sialic acid residues. All of the CHO-R on LYM were protease-sensitive and many were capped by sialic acid residues. A combined labelling of MNC for non-specific esterase staining, latex bead ingestion and FITC-ECL staining in the presence of 400 mM d -galactose confirmed that FITC-ECL specifically stains MO in the presence of high sugar competitor concentrations.
Inference channel detection in multilevel relational databases: a graph-based approach

In a multilevel relational (MLR) database, users are not allowed to access data classified at a level higher than their own security classification. However, it may be possible for a low‐level user to infer high‐level data. This article provides methods to detect and eliminate such inference channels. A graph‐based representation of the database schema developed provides a convenient method for inference channel detection by reducing the problem to one of connectivity in the network. Inference channels are eliminated while imposing minimum restrictions on legitimate access using an algorithm based on minimum cut set identification. This approach is then extended to address the problems of abductive and probabilistic inference channels. An abductive inference channel is said to exist when information external to the database is used in the inference process. By demonstrating that only arcs between nodes in different strongly connected components may lead to abductive inference channels, the complexity of t...
Novel microbiome-based therapeutics for chronic rhinosinusitis.

The human microbiome, i.e. the collection of microbes that live on, in and interact with the human body, is extraordinarily diverse; microbiota have been detected in every tissue of the human body interrogated to date. Resident microbiota interact extensively with immune cells and epithelia at mucosal surfaces including the airways, and chronic inflammatory and allergic respiratory disorders are associated with dysbiosis of the airway microbiome. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous disease with a large socioeconomic impact, and recent studies have shown that sinus inflammation is associated with decreased sinus bacterial diversity and the concomitant enrichment of specific sinus pathogens. Here, we discuss the potential role for probiotic supplementation for CRS in light of this increasing understanding of the airway microbiome and microbial interactions with the host. We focus on the ecological significance of microbiome-based probiotic supplementation and potential interactions with the gastrointestinal tract and consider microbial administration methods for treatment of CRS.
Optimal branch exchange for feeder reconfiguration in distribution networks

The feeder reconfiguration problem chooses the on/off status of the switches in a distribution network in order to minimize a certain cost such as power loss. It is a mixed integer nonlinear program and hence hard to solve. A popular heuristic search consists of repeated application of branch exchange, where some loads are transferred from one feeder to another feeder while maintaining the radial structure of the network, until no load transfer can further reduce the cost. Optimizing each branch exchange step is itself a mixed integer nonlinear program. In this paper we propose an efficient algorithm for optimizing a branch exchange step. It uses an AC power flow model and is based on the recently developed convex relaxation of optimal power flow. We provide a bound on the gap between the optimal cost and that of our solution. We prove that our algorithm is optimal when the voltage magnitudes are the same at all buses. We illustrate the effectiveness of our algorithm through the simulation of real-world distribution feeders.
Passive air sampling for polychlorinated biphenyls in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Passive air samplers were deployed at 32 sites across the Philadelphia metropolitan area to investigate the types and locations of atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) sources in a typical U....
The Calibration Simplex: A Generalization of the Reliability Diagram for Three-Category Probability Forecasts

AbstractFull exposition of the performance of a set of forecasts requires examination of the joint frequency distribution of those forecasts and their corresponding observations. In settings involving probability forecasts, this joint distribution has a high dimensionality, and communication of its information content is often best achieved graphically. This paper describes an extension of the well-known reliability diagram, which displays the joint distribution for probability forecasts of dichotomous events, to the case of probability forecasts for three disjoint events, such as “below,” “near,” and “above normal.” The resulting diagram, called the calibration simplex, involves a discretization of the 2-simplex, which is an equilateral triangle. Characteristics and interpretation of the calibration simplex are illustrated using both idealized verification datasets, and the 6–10- and 8–14-day temperature and precipitation forecasts produced by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center.
A dengue outbreak among camp participants in a Caribbean island, 1995.

Background: Dengue, a mosquito‐transmitted viral disease, is a risk for visitors in tropical and subtropical areas. Several participants in a community‐assistance program in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, in August, 1995, reported dengue‐like symptoms either before or soon after leaving the island. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine the extent of the outbreak, risk factors for illness, and the proportion of inapparent infections. Program participants were interviewed by telephone or mail, and asked to submit a serum sample for dengue diagnosis. A clinically‐diagnosed case of dengue was defined as a person with fever and two or more of the following: headache, retro‐orbital pain, myalgia, arthralgia, rash, or hemorrhagic manifestations. Serum specimens were tested for virus isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), plaque‐reduction neutralization (PRNT) or anti‐dengue IgM and IgG antibody. Results: Thirty‐two (97%) of the 33 program participants responded; 21 of the 32 (66%) provided at least one serum sample for study. The median age was 17 years; 20 (62%) were women. Of 32 respondents, 22 (69%) met the clinical case definition for dengue: 15 of them (68%) had a positive IgM antibody response and 7 did not submit a serum sample. Dengue 1 virus (DEN‐1) was identified by PCR in one case and all 11 positive PRNT results. No asymptomatic infections were identified. No respondent used effective mosquito repellent, and only 2 (6%) used bednets. Conclusion: A DEN‐1 outbreak with a high attack rate (69%) occurred in a group of young short‐term community aid workers. There were no asymptomatic infections documented. Participants' rare use of bednets or effective mosquito repellent highlights the importance of providing travelers to tropical areas with information about dengue fever and the recommended precautions to protect against infection.
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Violations at Highway–Rail Grade Crossings

Each year numerous pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving high injury levels are reported at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) across the United States. Such crashes are invariably the result of errors on the part of the pedestrians and bicyclists. The focus of this paper is to investigate pedestrian and bicyclist violations at a dual-quadrant gated HRGC and to report on four types of gate violations, including factors associated with those violations. For both pedestrians and bicyclists, the violations studied were (a) passing under descending gates, (b) passing around fully lowered gates, (c) passing under ascending gates, and (d) passing around fully lowered gates between successive trains. Data on pedestrian and bicyclist violations were collected at a grade crossing in Nebraska through the use of video surveillance. Analysis indicated that there were no significant differences in the mean frequencies of pedestrian and bicyclist violations at HRGCs. When data for pedestrians and bicyclists were...
Expanding the Scales: The Multiple Roles of MCH in Regulating Energy Balance and Other Biological Functions

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a cyclic peptide originally identified as a 17-amino-acid circulating hormone in teleost fish, where it is secreted by the pituitary in response to stress and environmental stimuli. In fish, MCH lightens skin color by stimulating aggregation of melanosomes, pigment-containing granules in melanophores, cells of neuroectodermal origin found in fish scales. Although the peptide structure between fish and mammals is highly conserved, in mammals, MCH has no demonstrable effects on pigmentation; instead, based on a series of pharmacological and genetic experiments, MCH has emerged as a critical hypothalamic regulator of energy homeostasis, having effects on both feeding behavior and energy expenditure.
The Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984 and Educational Attainment of Young Adults in the United States

: We compare changes in the effect of child support payments on the educational attainment of children age 16 to 19 before and after passage of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984, which strengthened enforcement of child support obligations in the United States. Using 1979, 1984, and 1988 Current Population Survey data, we hypothesize and find a decline in the positive effect of child support between 1984 and 1988 that exceeds any earlier decline. Instrumental variables estimates provide additional evidence consistent with the idea that child support serves as an indicator of unobservable characteristics of noncustodial fathers who pay support.
Recently described sinonasal tract lesions/neoplasms: considerations for the new world health organization book.

Since the publication of the World Health Organization Classification of Head and Neck Tumors (Barnes et al., World Health Organization classification of tumours. Pathology and genetics head and neck tumours, IARC Press, Lyon, pp 10–80, 2001), a number of sinonasal lesions have been more completely described. This manuscript will focus on three such “new” lesions including sero mucinous hamartoma, HPV-related carcinoma with adenoid cystic-like features and low-grade sinonasal sarcoma with neural and myogenic features.
Effects of iontophoresed opioids on physiologically characterized laminae I and II dorsal horn neurons in the cat spinal cord.

Abstract The objective of the present study was to determine in vivo the effects of opioids applied locally via microiontophoresis on physiologically characterized laminae I and II dorsal horn neurons in the cat spinal cord. Experiments were performed on pentobarbital-anesthetized or decerebrate, spinalized cats. The effects of morphine (MOR), [ D -Ala2,methyl-Phe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAGO) and naloxone (NALO) on spontaneous- and D, L -homocystic acid-evoked unit activity were examined for 94 laminae I and II dorsal horn neurons. MOR, DAGO and NALO produced mixed effects (i.e. excitation or inhibition) on unit activity; however, the majority of cells examined (67%) were inhibited. Whether MOR, DAGO or NALO exerted excitatory or inhibitory influences on unit activity did not depend on the modality of the neuron (66% of high threshold units, 56% of multireceptive units and 69% of low threshold units were inhibited; some cells of each modality also were excited). NALO also was found rarely to be neutral; 75% of the cells examined were inhibited and 16% excited by NALO. Since NALO was found to itself have significant effects on laminae I and II dorsal horn unit activity, the ability to use NALO as an opioid antagonist to MOR and DAGO was confounded.
Simulation of InSb devices using drift–diffusion equations

Abstract A methodology for simulation of InSb devices in commercial drift–diffusion simulators is presented. Material complexities, such as non-parabolicity, degeneracy, mobility and Auger recombination/generation are explained, and physics based models are developed. This methodology is then applied to the examination of low leakage, room temperature InSb photodiodes.
Electrical properties of cleaved germanium surfaces

Abstract The effects of oxygen on the electrical properties of a cleaved germanium surface have been studied by measuring the field effect, conductance, and photoconductance. Upon cleavage, the surface is morep-type than the bulk and remains unchanged in a vacuum of about 10−9 mm Hg or less. When initially exposed to oxygen, the conductance tends toward a more p-type surface; then the surface changes towards n-type continuously at a constant oxygen pressure. When the system is evacuated, the surface reversibly becomes more p-type, indicating that oxygen tends to make the surface more n-type. In addition, the slow relaxation of the field effect in oxygen almost disappears in vacuum. The surface eventually becomes n-type in oxygen at 15 mm Hg for all of the samples measured, an effect which has not apparently been observed on surfaces cleaned by argon bombardment. The results are interpreted in terms of acceptor states at the surface and donor states which depend on sorbed oxygen and produce a slow relaxation of the field effect.
The influence of venous pressure on filtration forces in the intestine.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of venous pressure upon capillary and tissue hydrostatic and oncotic pressures in the dog intestine. Tissue hydrostatic pressure was measured beneath the serosal surface of the intestine by a fine needle which was inserted while viewing the area under a dissecting microscope. When venous pressure was elevated in a stepwise fashion from 0 mmHg to 20 mmHg, needle pressure remained essentially at zero. In a second study protein concentration of intestinal lymph was measured and used to calculate lymph oncotic pressure. Lymph protein levels fell from 5.1% ± 0.8% when venous pressure was 0 mmHg, to 0.8% ± 0.3% after venous pressure was elevated to 25 mmHg. Plasma protein levels remained at approximately 6.2% during the experiment. The fall in lymph oncotic pressure with increasing venous pressure was quantitatively identical to the rise in capillary pressure. Assuming that lymph oncotic pressure variations reflect in a quantitative fashion the changes in the interstitium, these findings indicate that adjustments in tissue fluid oncotic pressure play a primary role in limiting blood-tissue fluid exchange. The changes in tissue oncotic pressure provide an explanation for the fact that the intestine will become isogravimetric over a sizable range of venous pressures.
Lung Transplantation and Donation After Cardiac Death: A Single Center Experience

Background Lung donation after cardiac death (DCD) can enlarge the donor pool. Single-center reports have shown comparable outcomes after lung transplantation using conventional donors versus DCD in small numbers of patients. Methods We performed a retrospective review of DCD experience at a single lung transplant program using a prospective database. Results Between January 2003 and April 2008, 293 lung transplantations were performed, including 11 bilateral transplantations (3.7%) using DCD lungs. Similar criteria were used to assess donor quality. The hospital mortality for DCD recipients was 2 of 11 (18%) and overall mortality was 4 of 11 (36%) by 18 months of follow-up. Seven DCD patients (64%) are alive with a median follow-up of 32 months. The DCD group was comparable to the control group in age and ischemic times. The 4 deaths, when compared with 7 DCD survivors, had longer ischemic time (293 minutes versus 232 minutes) and a higher incidence of nonlocal donors (3 of 4 versus 1 of 7). Conclusions At our center, early outcomes after DCD lung transplantations are somewhat inferior to those of series from other centers but approach national averages for conventional lung transplantation. Thus, DCD lung transplantation has the potential to increase the donor pool but must be offered cautiously.
Sources of Agricultural Economic Growth and Productivity: Discussion

It is a pleasure for me to be at a joint AEAAAEA meeting again after almost 30 years, when I presented one of my last agricultural economics papers (1963a). The explanation of agricultural productivity growth that I offered then (see the reprinted papers in Griliches 1988) had two components: mismeasurement of inputs and nonconventional sources of growth. I claimed that quality change was not taken into account in the measurement of labor input, machinery was over-depreciated and over-deflated, and fertilizers were misweighted. Three types of nonconventional growth sources were identified and estimated: public and private agricultural research expenditures, economies of scale, and the closing of disequilibria in input use. Together, they accounted for all of,measured TFP growth in agriculture. Having succeeded in "explaining" the residual in agriculture, I left the field for larger residuals elsewhere. In the meantime there has been much progress. I applaud the USDA initiated revisions that take some of my and other colleagues' earlier criticisms seriously. I am especially glad to see the Huffman-Evenson paper, which pushes the topic significantly forward in the spirit of my earlier work. But while I am full of praise for the enterprise in all three papers, I cannot refrain from complaining about the absence of some of my pet hypotheses. Gollop and Jorgenson report on a significant revision of the official USDA numbers and
The South Asian Free Trade Area: an Analysis of Policy Options for Sri Lanka

South Asia was slow to adopt regional economic cooperation. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), established in 1985, and the creation of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) remain a widely discussed policy issue in this region. This study compares the impacts of different trade policy options on Sri Lanka using the Global Trading Analysis Project (GTAP) Model. The simulation results indicate that multilateral trade liberalisation is the best trade policy outcome for the Sri Lankan economy. The South Asian Customs Union ranks the next highest in terms of welfare for Sri Lanka, followed in order by the SAFTA and the Indo Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ILFTA). However, the proposed Sri Lanka-Bangladesh FTA did not suggest significant welfare gains to both trading partners. Furthermore, it was determined that the SAFTA can be formed without having significant trade diversion effects. Therefore, of the regional trade policy options considered in the study, Sri Lanka should focus on implementing the SAFTA. In addition, the ILFTA can continue to strengthen the SAFTA. The next stage of the SAFTA is transforming the SAFTA into the South Asian Customs Union, which is already a component of the agreement. However, this trade policy option is to be negotiated. Finally, it appears that the SAFTA still needs to find its linkages to multilateral trade liberalisation.
Observations of temperature microstructure in NATRE

Abstract A new autonomous instrument collected 76 profiles of temperature microstructure over a ten-day period in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic as part of the North Atlantic Tracer Release Experiment. The data between 200-m and 350-m depth was used to determine the mean rate of temperature variance dissipation 〈χ〉. The estimated diapycnal diffusivity is Ky = 1.4×10−5 m2 s−1. The distribution of χ is approximately lognormal, suggesting that the 95% confidence limits on 〈χ〉 are ±4%. This uncertainty is less than that caused by the imperfectly known probe response, possible noise spikes on the probes, and variability in the degree of microstructure anisotropy; the latter two effects were estimated from a pair of closely spaced probes. Each of these uncertainties is about ±15%. Statistically significant low-frequency variability of χ is observed with 〈χ〉 decreasing by a factor of 2 between the first and second half of the observation. This low-frequency variability is likely the largest cause of erro...
Bora and the Kinase Aurora A Cooperatively Activate the Kinase Plk1 and Control Mitotic Entry

A central question in the study of cell proliferation is, what controls cell-cycle transitions? Although the accumulation of mitotic cyclins drives the transition from the G2 phase to the M phase in embryonic cells, the trigger for mitotic entry in somatic cells remains unknown. We report that the synergistic action of Bora and the kinase Aurora A (Aur-A) controls the G2-M transition. Bora accumulates in the G2 phase and promotes Aur-A-mediated activation of Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), leading to the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 and mitotic entry. Mechanistically, Bora interacts with Plk1 and controls the accessibility of its activation loop for phosphorylation and activation by Aur-A. Thus, Bora and Aur-A control mitotic entry, which provides a mechanism for one of the most important yet ill-defined events in the cell cycle.
Load-History Effects on Deformation Capacity of Flexural Members Limited by Bar Buckling

Buckling of reinforcement is one of the possible phenomena that limit the deformation capacity of reinforced concrete members under reversed cyclic loading. Previous experimental research suggests that occurrence of buckling is linked to displacement history, a parameter that is not explicitly accounted for in the available expressions for ultimate drift or curvature ductility capacities. This problem is explored in the present paper, by following through analytical expressions that relate the critical buckling strain as defined by the hysteretic stress-strain model of the reinforcement and the imposed cyclic history in terms of displacement. The analytical expressions thus derived are evaluated parametrically in order to establish behavioral trends. It is shown that when controlled by bar buckling, deformation capacity cannot be defined uniquely as it varies with the path of applied load. A primary conclusion of the research is that any quantifiable indices of deformation capacity referred to in the framework of displacement-based design using deterministic approaches need be adjusted to represent conservative lower bounds rather than approximations to the actual values of nominal failure.
Assessment tools for the evaluation of pain in the oncology patient.

The control of cancer pain is an essential goal in the care of patients with cancer. Inadequate pain assessment by health care providers is a major risk factor for undertreatment of pain. Repeated and accurate pain assessment is required for optimal pain management. Pain assessment tools such as simple rating scales and short pain questionnaires can facilitate routine measurement of cancer-related pain in clinical and research settings. In addition to measuring pain intensity, it is important to determine the impact of pain on patients’ function, mood, and quality of life. Developmental issues must be considered when assessing the pain of children and elderly individuals with cancer. Novel technologies may be used to improve accurate and timely pain measurement.
Fire Induced Spalling in High Strength Concrete Beams

A macroscopic finite element model is extended to account for fire induced spalling in high strength concrete (HSC) beams. The model is based on the principles of mechanics and thermodynamics and utilizes pore pressure calculations to predict fire induced spalling in concrete. For validating the model, spalling measurements were made by conducting fire resistance experiments on four normal strength and high strength concrete beams. Spalling predictions from the model are compared with the measured values of spalling at various stages of fire exposure. The validated model is applied to investigate the influence of fire scenario, concrete strength (permeability) and axial restraint on the fire induced spalling and fire response of RC beams. Results from the analysis show that fire scenario, and concrete permeability largely influence the extent of fire induced spalling in concrete beams. Further, it is also shown that the extent of spalling has significant influence on the fire resistance of RC beams.
Levothyroxine dosage and the limitations of current bioequivalence standards.

FDA regulation of levothyroxine formulations aims to ensure consistent drug content and bioavailability of brand name and generic products. This Viewpoint suggests that the pharmacokinetic measure of therapeutic equivalence in current use—measurement of total T4levels in the blood—might not be sufficiently reliable to achieve these goals.
Dissimilar behavior of technetium and rhenium in borosilicate waste glass as determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Technetium-99 is an abundant, long-lived (τ1/2 = 213 000 years) fission product that creates challenges for the safe, long-term disposal of nuclear waste. Although 99Tc receives attention largely because of its high environmental mobility, it also causes problems during its incorporation into nuclear waste glass because of the volatility of Tc(VII) compounds. This volatility decreases the amount of 99Tc stabilized in the waste glass and causes contamination of the waste glass melter and off-gas system. The approach to decreasing the volatility of 99Tc that has received the most attention is the reduction of the volatile Tc(VII) species to less volatile Tc(IV) species in the glass melt. On engineering scale experiments, rhenium is often used as a non-radioactive surrogate for 99Tc to avoid the radioactive contamination problems caused by volatile 99Tc compounds. However, Re(VII) is more stable toward reduction than Tc(VII), so more reducing conditions would be required in the glass melt to produce Re(IV). ...
Resistance to Endocrine Therapy in Estrogen Receptor-Positive (ER+) Breast Cancer Is Dependent upon Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase (PI3K) Signaling.

ER+ breast cancers typically respond to treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AIs), but a significant fraction exhibit de novo or acquired resistance. To model AI resistance, we cultured four ER+, hormone-dependent human breast cancer cell lines under hormone-depleted conditions for several months until hormone-independent populations emerged (termed long-term estrogen-deprived, LTED). LTED cells outgrew parental counterparts under hormone-depleted conditions. While two LTED lines showed increased ER levels and response to estradiol, two LTED lines showed the opposite. Therefore, ER+ breast cancer cells did not consistently overcome hormone deprivation by increasing sensitivity to low estrogen levels.We analyzed protein lysate arrays with 625 antibodies against signaling proteins to discover common mechanisms of hormone-independent growth. All LTED lines showed increased phosphorylation of p70S6K, an mTOR substrate, compared to parental controls. An siRNA library screen targeting 779 kinases revealed that downregulation of kinases linked to the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway (serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1; insulin receptor; p110α/PI3K) inhibited the growth of MCF-7/LTED but not parental MCF-7 cells under hormone-depleted conditions. Immunoblot analysis for P-AKT and P-p70S6K showed that PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling was increased in all LTED lines. Pathway analysis of gene expression microarray data showed significant alteration of genes involved in insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) signaling in 3/4 LTED lines. Receptor tyrosine kinase array analysis revealed increased activation of receptors for IGF-I (IGF-IR) and/or insulin (InsR) in 3/4 LTED lines. These receptors transduce signals to potently activate PI3K. Treatment with the IGF-IR/InsR kinase inhibitor AEW541 decreased P-AKT in 3/4 LTED lines. Treatment with inhibitors of IGF-IR/InsR (AEW541), PI3K/mTOR (BEZ235), or mTOR (RAD001) suppressed the monolayer and anchorage-independent growth of 3/4, 4/4, and 4/4 LTED lines, respectively, and prevented the emergence of hormone-independent cells. Treatment with PI3K and mTOR inhibitors induced apoptosis in 3/4 LTED lines. Finally, we analyzed levels of PI3K pathway markers (P-AKT, P-S6, P-GSK3α/β) in primary tumor lysates from 65 ER+ breast cancer patients using reverse-phase protein arrays. Hierarchical clustering yielded two groups of tumors with high or low PI3K activation. Following adjuvant anastrozole therapy, PI3K-high patients had significantly shorter disease-free survival compared to PI3K-low patients. With a median follow-up of 9.4 months, recurrence rates were 16% and 0%, respectively ( p Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 403.
Who Are Our Future Surgeons? Characteristics of Medical School Graduates Planning Surgical Careers: Analysis of the 1997 to 2004 Association of American Medical Colleges’ Graduation Questionnaire National Database

Background Identification of correlates of contemporary US medical graduates' surgical career plans can provide insights about the emerging surgical workforce composition and inform future recruitment efforts. Study Design We analyzed individualized records of 95,176 graduates who completed the 1997 to 2004 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire for associations between planning a general-surgery or a surgical-specialty (orthopaedic surgery, neurologic surgery, plastic surgery, urology, or otolaryngology) career and a set of medical-school experience, professional-setting preference, and demographic variables. Results Graduates who reported better quality of their surgery clerkship experience and career-setting preference of "university faculty" compared with "nonuniversity clinical practice" were more likely to plan general-surgery or surgical-specialty careers compared with nonsurgical careers (each p Conclusions Contemporary graduates planning surgical careers represent a relatively narrow spectrum of US medical graduates, and those planning general-surgery careers differ in numerous ways from those planning surgical-specialty careers. Targeted efforts are warranted to recruit US medical graduates qualified to meet the nation's future health-care needs and advance the profession of surgery.
String field theory in the Siegel gauge

We specialize the gauge-fixing procedure for the Witten action of the open bosonic string, given in a preceding paper, choosing the Siegel gauge. We find that the BRST-invariant gauge-fixed action is the gauge invariant one with ghost number unrestricted plus a gauge-fixing term. The BRST invariance of the measure in the functional integral is briefly discussed. As a technical tool the Hodge dual of a string functional is defined.
The role of cognitive factors in the pathogenesis of obsessive–compulsive symptoms: A prospective study

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that specific kinds of dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., pertaining to responsibility and the significance of intrusive thoughts) underlie the development of this disorder. The present study was designed to prospectively evaluate whether dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD act as a specific vulnerability factor in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Eighty-five individuals were prospectively followed over a period of time thought to be associated with an increased onset of OCD symptoms -- childbirth and the postpartum. The majority of these new mothers and fathers experienced intrusive infant-related thoughts and performed neutralizing behaviors similar to, but less severe than, those observed in OCD. Scores on a measure of dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD predicted the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms after controlling for pre-existing OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Dysfunctional beliefs also predicted the severity of checking, washing, and obsessional OCD symptom dimensions, but not neutralizing, ordering, or hoarding symptom dimensions. These data provide evidence for specific dysfunctional beliefs as risk factors in the development of some types of OCD symptoms.
Response to remarks regarding the optimal design and operation of helium refrigeration systems

This paper is offered as a response to the remarks regarding [1], as given in [2].This paper is offered as a response to the remarks regarding [1], as given in [2].
Dangerous flirtations: politics, the parlor, and the nineteenth-century victorian amateur actress

Parlor drama has been largely ignored by existing theatre history scholarship—a remarkable fact given that this genre had its own scripts, both published and non-published, its own theatre architecture, its own acting styles, its own evolution, an entrenched culture specific to parlor drama, a vast following (at least among those of a particular class and social status), and the ability to convey ideological concerns that forced ruptures in the social fabric of Victorian female social norms. A likely reason for this glaring absence is rooted in the fact that unlike other forms of nineteenth-century American theatre, parlor drama was both ideologically and physically situated within the domestic sphere, a historically under-valued, feminine space. For the most part, parlor drama focused on the experience of middle-class white Victorian women and conveyed reflections on that experience to mixed-gender audiences. While parlor drama limited its purview to the privacy of the home, the act of middle-class, whit...
Discrete Bimodal Probes for Thrombus Imaging

Here we report a generalizable solid/solution-phase strategy for the synthesis of discrete bimodal fibrin-targeted imaging probes. A fibrin-specific peptide was conjugated with two distinct imaging reporters at the C- and N-termini. In vitro studies demonstrated retention of fibrin affinity and specificity. Imaging studies showed that these probes could detect fibrin over a wide range of probe concentrations by optical, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography imaging.
Surface study of hexagonal boron nitride powder by diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The surface chemistry of hexagonal boron nitride powder is examined. Surface functional groups are found to consist of a mixture of primary and secondary amine groups as well as hydroxyl groups. The surface has a net basic character indicating that the amine contribution to the overall surface chemistry is greater than that of the acidic hydroxyl contribution. A chemical surface treatment also is performed to modify the surface chemistry of hexagonal boron nitride powder. Copyright  2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Remedial strategies for brushless DC drive failures

The possibly of developing failure diagnostics and remedial operating strategies that together will enable adaptive fault tolerant operation is investigated for a brushless DC drive with a fan load. It is shown that the correlations between the predictions of a simulation program and test measurements provide confidence that the development of fault-tolerant drives can be undertaken with this tool. Methods by which a certain performance level can be re-attained, following some simple faults to a motor winding and an inverter transistor, are examined for their relative effectiveness. >
Securing dynamic spectrum use

We consider the problem of securely utilizing dynamic temporal and spatial "holes" in the communications spectrum. Given a model of spectral availability, we consider the problems of secure link establishment, authentication, and a secure method to employ the holes. In a tactical environment, evading interception and detection (LPI/LPD) is critical; hence coding techniques are applied. A simulation study shows that our approach can interoperate within an existing architecture.
Five Year Retrospective Evaluation of Sulfonylurea Ingestion in Children

Background: Oral hypoglycemic medications are frequently used for Type II diabetes and accidental ingestions by children may occur. There are no comprehensive pediatric studies documenting poison center experiences. Study Objective: To evaluate the toxicity of oral sulfonylurea ingestion in children and the efficacy of treatments instituted in these cases. Method: Retrospective review of all ingestions of oral sulfonylureas reported to a single regional poison control center 1987-1991. Results: Ninety-three cases were identified, one to 16 years old (mean of 3.5 years). Eighty cases (86%) were less than six years of age. Of the six medications used, three, chlorpropamide, glipizide and gtyburide made up 88 (95%) cases. Twenty-five patients (27%) became hypoglycemic (glucose < 60 mg/dL). The mean minimum blood glucose in these patients was 46.5 mg/dL (minimum 20 mg/dL). Time of onset of hypoglycemia ranged from 0.5 to 16 h (mean 4.3 h; median 2 h). Only four patients had the onset of chemical hypoglycemia ...
A study of lubricants on silver flakes for microelectronics conductive adhesives

Conductive adhesives are composites of polymer matrixes and metal fillers (conductive elements). Silver (Ag) flakes are widely used as fillers for electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs). Generally, there is a thin layer of organic lubricant coated on the commercial Ag flake surface. This lubricant layer is needed for eliminating the Ag particle agglomeration while dispersing the Ag filler into the polymeric resin. Therefore the lubricant influences rheology, conductivity, and other properties of ECA's. The nature of the lubricant on a Ag flake and the interaction between the lubricant and the Ag flake surface were studied by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIR). Thermal decomposition of the lubricant was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, the effects of some chemical compounds on lubricant removal and the enhancement of conductivity of the ECA were also investigated. It was found that 1) a chemical bonding was formed on the Ag flake surface between the lubricant and Ag; 2) the short chain acids replaced the long chain lubricants; 3) an ether and a poly(ethylene glycol) enhanced electrical conductivity by partially removing the Ag flake lubricants.