cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P1-01-04: Uptake of trastuzumab targeted mesoporous silica-coated chitosan capped gold nanorods in breast cancer cell lines and ex vivo patient samples

Background: Approximately two-thirds of operative breast cancer cases are suitable for breast conserving surgery (BCS). In order for BCS to be successful, negative surgical margins should be obtained. Despite improvement in imaging techniques, the ability to achieve negative margins for BCS remains variable with positive margin rates ranging from 21 to 50%. Due to this high re-excision rate, there is an unmet need for a reliable technology to localize the tumor and assess excision margins in real time. Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) is an emerging imaging modality capable of real time imaging of numerous contrast agents with enhanced spatial resolution of 75µm at depths of 5 cm. This imaging modality has the ability to visualize tumor tissue in a standard operating room setting allowing for precise surgical excision with the potential of increasing rate of negative margins. We developed gold nanorods targeting Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) as a contrast agent to visualize the breast tumor tissue in cell line as well as in ex vivo patient samples using MSOT. Methods: Gold nanorods were created using hydrogen peroxide (GNR-H2O2) as a reducing agent to create an MSOT detectable contrast agent; the nanorods were stabilized via encapsulation with mesoporous silica together with subsequent chitosan capping. HER2+ breast cancer cells were specifically targeted by conjugating the mesoporous silica-coated chitosan capped gold nanorods (CMGs) to Trastuzumab resulting in TRA-CMG particles. The TRA-CMG particles were evaluated in HER2+ and HER2- breast cancer cell lines as well as fresh HER2+ (N=6) and HER2- freshly resected patient tumor tissues (N=6). All HER2- tumor samples were triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype. Tumor uptake was evaluated in tissue mimicking phantoms using MSOT. In vivo, TRA-CMG were IV injected into female mice with DY36T2Q tumors and imaged using MSOT imaging 6 hours post injection (N=5). Results: TRA-CMG particles were 8nm wide and 98nm in length. Treatment of HER2+ breast cancer cell lines, DY36T2Q and SKBR3, with TRA-CMG resulted in 2.5x and 3.1x enhanced signal, respectively, as compared to HER2- MDA-MD468 cells (p Conclusion: The significant uptake of TRA-CMG particles in HER2+ tumors suggests the potential of this particle to be used for diagnostic imaging as well as with intraoperative imaging using MSOT. Future clinical applications include improving the rate of negative margins for patients undergoing breast conservation. Citation Format: Akiko Chiba, Alexandra Thomas, Karl N. Thomas, Abhilash Samykutty, Molly McNally, Lacey McNally. Uptake of trastuzumab targeted mesoporous silica-coated chitosan capped gold nanorods in breast cancer cell lines and ex vivo patient samples [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-04.
Mastering Off-Pump, Total Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A step-by-step approach

Off-pump, total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a technically demanding myocardial revascularization strategy that combines the long-term benefits of multi-arterial CABG with a no-touch aortic technique. Dedicated training and mentoring are essential in order to learn how to successfully perform this challenging surgical procedure. In this video-tutorial, we present a complete step-by-step approach to safely reproduce this procedure. We will cover the harvesting techniques adopted for internal mammary arteries (ITAs) and for the radial artery (RA), and the several options to construct and deploy multi-arterial composite grafts ("T/Y", "K", and "I" grafts), with a focus on minimizing aortic manipulation.
A smart toilet for personalized health monitoring.

A mountable ‘smart’ toilet system has been developed to personalize health monitoring. The system uses excretion data, including urinalysis, urodynamics, stool form and defecation timing, stored in a cloud server. This smart toilet system has the potential to provide useful information to characterize symptoms of patients with bowel dysfunction or defecatory disorders.
What are Urban Planning Academics Talking About on Twitter

The purpose of this analysis is to report on the topics being discussed by urban planning academics on Twitter. Analyzing the content of the tweets helps to understand the topics of conversation and in some sense, the reasons why planning academics use the platform professionally. In many cases the topics identified reflect the research interests of planning academics, while others extend beyond scholarly activities.
Temperature-dependent Lowering of Coercive Field in 300 nm Sputtered Ferroelectric Al 0.70 Sc 0.30 N

This paper reports the temperature-dependent ferroelectric properties of sputtered ferroelectric Al 0.70 Sc 0.30 N. The coercive field is experimentally demonstrated to decrease by 1.5 MV/cm in 300 nm films in the temperature range of 20– 193 0C, corresponding to an average linear coefficient of decrease of 8.8 kV/0C. In the same range, the remnant polarization varies by 23.5% between 90-114 µC/cm2 without a significant drop-off at higher temperatures. Thermally cycling the chip between room temperature and the highest achievable temperature of 193 0C shows a reversible tuning of the coercive field, paving the path towards on-chip ovenization-based control of ferroelectric properties. The dielectric breakdown under AC and DC testing are driven by filamentary and thermally driven breakdown processes respectively. These breakdown processes suggest the potential for high frequency operation of sputtered Al 0.70 Sc 0.30 N as a ferroelectric thin film at elevated temperatures with low leakage.
A Rule-Based Inductor Current Estimator for dc/dc Converters under Large Perturbation

Along with the impressive developments on integration of power stages, the migration towards software driven control architecture is considered as an important next evolutionary step in power conversion. This paper offers a software implementation of a rule-based solution for the complete reconstruction of the inductor current, following an estimation using a State-Space based observer for the small-signal form of the inductor current. Results are reported for a dc/dc converter under heavy load current as perturbation.
Role of Phosphoinositides in the Response of Mammalian Cells to Heat Shock

All cellular organisms possess a profound response to temperature shock which consists of the expression of a group of phylogenetically well-preserved genes, the heat shock genes (Lindquist, 1986; Pelham, 1986). They are among the most highly conserved of all known genes. The response appears to be homeostatic in nature leading to heat resistance (Lindquist, 1986). In animal cells, the heat shock response leads to profound changes at the level of transcription (Parker and Topol, 1984; Pelham, 1986), RNA processing (Toot and Lindquist, 1986), translation (Duncanet al., 1987), and intracellular protein transport (Napolitanoet al., 1987). The biochemical regulation of these effects is not understood.
Utilizing the Social and Behavioral Sciences to Assess, Model, Forecast and Preemptively Respond to Terrorism

To stay ahead of the terrorist threat curve, we need to utilize leading edge and innovative conceptual methodologies and software-based systems that are grounded in the social and behavioral sciences. It is by means of theoretically grounded, conceptually precise, methodologically rigorous, and analytically oriented research that we can attain the capability to fully understand the underlying conditions that give rise to terrorist insurgencies and the measures required to contain such threats. Such a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach will enable us to understand how to assess, model, forecast and preemptively respond to current and future terrorist threats. Some of these leading edge methodologies and software systems may already be available – although not yet applied to the terrorism/combating terrorism discipline – while others may yet to be developed. To achieve the capability required to win the war on terrorism, we must first substantially improve and strengthen our social and behavioral scientific baseline understanding of all the root causes underlying the terrorist-based conflicts, as well as the organizational formations, nodes and linkages involved in how terrorists operate and conduct warfare.
Design and implementation of power-aware virtual memory

Despite constant improvements in fabrication technology, hardware components are consuming more power than ever. With the ever-increasing demand for higher performance in highly-integrated systems, and as battery technology falls further behind, managing energy is becoming critically important to various embedded and mobile systems. In this paper, we propose and implement power-aware virtual memory to reduce the energy consumed by the memory in response to workloads becoming increasingly data-centric. We can use the power management features in current memory technology to put individual memory devices into low power modes dynamically under software control to reduce the power dissipation. However, it is imperative that any techniques employed weigh memory energy savings against any potential energy increases in other system components due to performance degradation of the memory. Using a novel power-aware virtual memory implementation, we estimate a significant reduction in memory power dissipation, from 4.1 W to 0.5-2.7 W, based on Rambus memory specifications, while running various real-world applications in a working Linux system. Unfortunately, due to a hardware bug in the chipset, direct power measurement is currently not possible. Applying more advanced techniques, we can reduce power dissipation further to 0.2-1.7 W, depending on the actual workload, with negligible effects on performance. We also show this work is applicable to other memory architectures, and is orthogonal to previously-proposed hardware-controlled power-management techniques, so it can be applied simultaneously to further enhance energy conservation in a variety of platforms.
CD44 Influences Fibroblast Behaviors Via Modulation of Cell–Cell and Cell–Matrix Interactions, Affecting Survivin and Hippo Pathways

CD44 has been studied in a wide variety of cell types, in a diverse array of cell behaviors and in a diverse range of signaling pathways. We now document a role for CD44 in mediating fibroblast behaviors via regulation of N-cadherin, extracellular matrix expression, Survivin and the Hippo pathway. Here, we report our findings on the roles of CD44 in modulating proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of murine wild-type (WT-FB) and CD44 knockout dermal fibroblasts (CD44KO-FB). As we have documented in microvascular endothelial cells lacking CD44, we found persistent increased proliferation, reduced activation of cleaved caspase 3, increased initial attachment, but decreased strength of cell attachment in high cell density, post confluent CD44KO-FB cultures. Additionally, we found that siRNA knock-down of CD44 mimicked the behaviors of CD44KO-FB, restoring the decreases in N-cadherin, collagen type I, fibronectin, Survivin, nuclear fractions of YAP and phospho-YAP and decreased levels of cleaved caspase 3 to the levels observed in CD44KO-FB. Interestingly, plating CD44KO-FB on collagen type I or fibronectin resulted in significant decreases in secondary proliferation rates compared to plating cells on non-coated dishes, consistent with increased cell adhesion compared to their effects on WT-FB. Lastly, siRNA knockdown of CD44 in WT-FB resulted in increased fibroblast migration compared to WT-FB, albeit at reduced rates compared to CD44KO-FB. These results are consistent with CD44's pivotal role in modulating several diverse behaviors important for adhesion, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion during development, growth, repair, maintenance and regression of a wide variety of mesenchymal tissues.
Assessing impact of space launch and reentry operations on the National Airspace System (NAS) using historical traffic patterns

The demands on space access for civilian, commercial and military purposes are rising rapidly. Also, the types of operations are evolving with the introduction of commercial space operators and new launch vehicle concepts such as horizontal launches. For each launch and reentry operation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) typically blocks large volumes of airspace and activates a set of Special Use Airspaces (SUAs). The size, shape and time frames of these airspaces, known as Aircraft Hazard Areas (AHAs), are based on factors such as launch type and the risk profile of the launch vehicle. Exclusion of these airspaces from other NAS operations requires flights to route around these areas and hence experience delays and additional operating expenses. In this paper, an approach is proposed for estimating the impact of a future space launch or reentry operations by measuring the effect of delaying or routing flights around the blocked airspaces on a sample of historical days. There are two main steps in this method. The first step is the selection of a sample of historical days with traffic similar to the schedule launch day. The second step is the assessment of the effect of delaying or rerouting the affected flights around the airspaces in the selected historical days. The results of assessment for each historical day are aggregated and reported as the mean value with expected range (90% confidence around the mean) and likely highest (90th percentile of the distribution) value.
DIVERSIFICATION STRATEGIES: DO LIMITED DATA CONSTRAIN INVESTORS?

We demonstrate that the mean–variance optimal portfolio does not outperform (out of sample) the naive 1/N diversification strategy even if securities are grouped into indexes or broad asset classes. This finding is due to insufficient data on past returns, which limit investors' ability to accurately estimate the means and covariance structure of securities. The resulting high estimation errors eliminate the benefits of using the means and covariance matrix as compared to the naive strategy in portfolio optimization. Using value-weighted indexes, characteristic-sorted portfolios, or portfolios defined by principal components as underlying assets in mean–variance optimization does not help. At the same time, increasing data frequency or adding data on past earnings may in some cases make mean–variance optimization useful.
Solar forcing of Caribbean drought events during the last millennium

Anthropogenic climate change is expected to increase the frequency of drought events in the earth's subtropical regions. However, the climate dynamics of these regions are not fully understood and debate surrounds how external forcing factors such as solar and volcanic forcing influence long-term rainfall patterns in the subtropics. Here, we present the first high-resolution reconstruction of Caribbean drought events over the last millennium based on analyses of sediment geochemical data from a continuous high-resolution coastal lake-sediment record in Jamaica. The record suggests extended episodes of drought occurred during the so-called Little Ice Age (1400–1850 CE), which were associated with El-Nino-like conditions in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and controlled by low natural radiative forcing. Comparison of the Jamaican drought record with previously published palaeoclimatic archives from within the circum-Caribbean region suggests that dry conditions were associated with the southward migration of the Hadley Cell, a stronger North Atlantic High and the concomitant intensification of the north-east trade winds and the Caribbean Low Level Jet. We conclude that pre-industrial climatic change in the region was probably controlled by solar forcing and modulated by the combined influence of El Nino Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.
Intergenerational Literacy Programs as Potential Sites for Social Change

Abstract Based on findings from research with intergenerational literacy program participants, the author explores the consequences of participation in these programs for adult learners, namely: (1) increased self-confidence, (2) social-efficacy, and, to a lesser degree, (3) critical social involvement. Using a Freirean framework, she argues that these sort of impacts point toward the potential for positive social change from program participation. Policy makers, who drive federal and state funding for adult literacy programs, view education for adults from a deficit perspective, with the learners perceived as lacking in skills or abilities that would help them to contribute more fully to the economy. Many publicly funded adult education programs consequently find themselves driven more by workforce development and employability goals, than by social change or personal empowerment agendas. The intergenerational programs studied here aim not so much at merely conforming to policy-driven employability agend...
Zinc-dependent structural stability of human Sonic hedgehog.

The role of the zinc site in the N-terminal fragment of human Sonic hedgehog (ShhN) was explored by comparing the biophysical and functional properties of wild-type ShhN with those of mutants in which the zinc-coordinating residues H140, D147, and H182, or E176 which interacts with the metal ion via a bridging water molecule, were mutated to alanine. The wild-type and E176A mutant proteins retained 1 mol of zinc/mol of protein after extensive dialysis, whereas the H140A and D147A mutants retained only 0.03 and 0.05 mol of zinc/mol of protein, respectively. Assay of the wild-type and mutant proteins in two activity assays indicated that the wild-type and E176A mutant proteins had similar activity, whereas the H140A and D147A mutants were significantly less active. These assays also indicated that the H140A and D147A mutants were susceptible to proteolysis. CD, fluorescence, and 1H NMR spectra of the H140A, D147A, and E176A mutants measured at 20 or 25 °C were very similar to those observed for wild-type Sh...
A DIRECT IMMUNOENZYME METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF SALMONELLAE IN FOODS

An immunoenzyme conjugate was prepared by labeling the immunoglobulin G fraction of Salmonella polyvalent flagella1 anti-serum with horseradish peroxidase. The immunoenzyme conjugate, when reacted with pure cultures of bacteria and stained with 3–3′diaminobenzidine was found to specifically stain the cell wall and flagellae of salmonellae. Cells of salmonellae were stained brown after the immunoenzyme reaction and could be differentiated from unstained organisms under a light microscope at 1000X magnification. The immunoenzyme technique was applied to the rapid detection of salmonellae in meats and poultry products and the specificity and sensitivity of the method was donipared to that of the fluorescent antibody technique and conventional cultural technique. The immunoenzyme procedure was found to give good correlation with the conventional cultural procedure. Its sensitivity was comparable to that of the fluorescent antibody technique.
A Tool to Aid in the Design, Implementation, and Understanding of Matrix Algorithms for Parallel Processors

Abstract This paper discusses a tool that aids in the design, development, and understanding of parallel algorithms for high-performance computers. The tool provides a vehicle for studying memory access patterns, different cache strategies, and the effects of multiprocessors on matrix algorithms in a Fortran setting. Such a tool puts the user in a better position to understand where performance problems may occur and enhances the likelihood of increasing the program's performance before actual execution on a high-performance computer.
Dextran Sulfate Inhibits IFN-γ-Induced Jak-Stat Pathway in Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

Abstract Human vascular endothelial cells can be induced by IFN-γ to express class II MHC proteins. Previously, dextran sulfate was shown to selectively inhibit expression of class II MHC by preventing transcription of the gene encoding CIITA, a transactivator protein required for IFN-γ-inducible expression of class II genes. In this study we characterized the effects of dextran sulfate on the intracellular events occurring prior to CIITA activation. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analyses indicated that IFN-γ-induced phosphorylation of Stat1 and Jak2 was blocked by dextran sulfate. In addition, electron micrographs showing the large accumulation of dextran sulfate particles in the cytoplasms of endothelial cells demonstrated that Stat and Jak proteins may directly interact with dextran sulfate. Binding of radiolabeled IFN-γ to cells indicated that dextran sulfate may also modulate IFN-γ interactions with the cell surface. Thus, dextran sulfate is capable of interfering with the IFN-γ-induced expression of class II MHC genes at multiple sites.
Nasal and paranasal sinus polyps ‐ A suspected new etiological co‐factor

Seventeen adult patients with nasal or paranasal sinus polyposis were studied in an attempt to determine whether there was any relationship between them and children with cystic fibrosis. The oyster gill cilia inhibition test, commonly used to detect the “C.F. factor” in the serum of cystic fibrosis patients (homozygous) and their parents (heterozygous), was applied to these 17 patients. Fourteen of the 17 patients had the “C.F. factor” in their serum. There would appear to be some relationship between cystic fibrosis and adult nasal and paranasal sinus polyposis; however, it is too early to draw any strong conclusions to this affect.
GENETIC AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON BACTERIAL FORMATION OF L-GLUTAMATE

1. One acetate kinase-negative, 53 phosphate acetyltransferase-negative, and seven isocitrate lyase-negative strains were found among 73 mutants of Brevibacterium flavum, which grew on glucose but not on acetate. The result indicates that these enzymes are essential for the utilization of acetate in B. flavum, and also that the participation of acetyl-CoA synthetase is absent in this strain.2. The genetic defect of any one of these three enzymes had no effect on the production of L-glutamate from glucose.3. Many mutants possessing a variety of isocitrate lyase activities were obtained by deriving revertants grown on acetate from four isocitrate lyase-negative strains. By an experiment using such revertants, it was concluded that isocitrate lyase had an important effect on the production of L-glutamate from acetate, which was shown as a positive correlation between the activity of this enzyme and L-glutamate productivity in the cells grown in an acetate medium. It was also shown that the change of this enzyme activity had no effect on the production of L-glutamate from glucose.4. Mutants possessing a variety of phosphate acetyltransferase activities were obtained by deriving revertants grown on acetate from four strains lacking this enzyme. In this case, too, a positive correlation was observed between the activity of this enzyme and L-glutamate productivity in the cells grown in an acetate medium.5. In connection with the present study, it was pointed out that genetic elevation of the levels of key enzymes was important for the improvement of microbial strains for industrial purposes.
The value of cine nuclear magnetic resonance imaging for assessing regional ventricular function

Previous nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging studies to assess left ventricular function have used multiple axial planes, which are compromised by partial volume effects and are time consuming to acquire and analyze. Accordingly, an imaging approach using cine NMR and planes aligned with the true cardiac axes of the left ventricle was developed in views comparable with left ventricular cineangiography. Cine NMR imaging was used to assess regional wall motion and was validated by comparison with biplane left ventricular cineangiography. Fifty-nine patients underwent cineangiographic and NMR studies within 72 h. A poor quality NMR study precluded analysis in 4. leaving a study group of 55 patients (mean age 58 +/- 12: 17 women). Cine NMR movie loops were acquired in two long-axis planes: 1) right anterior oblique plane, parallel to the septum, and 2) four chamber orthogonal plane, perpendicular to the septum (this view is comparable to the angiographic left anterior oblique view). To assess regional wall motion, the left ventricle in both cine NMR and cineangiographic images was divided into five segments and graded on a five point grading scale from 3 for normal through 0 for akinesia and -1 for dyskinesia. Regional wall thickening was used qualitatively to aid in the analysis of wall motion. For the 275 segments compared in the right anterior oblique view, agreement was within one grade in 263 (95.6%) of 275 segments, whereas absolute agreement was observed in 171 (62%) of 275 segments. In the left anterior oblique view, of 200 segments evaluated, agreement within one grade was achieved in 184 segments (92%) and agreement was complete in 132 (66%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synthesis, structures, and photoluminescence properties of novel lanthanide tetracyanoplatinates lacking Pt-Pt interactions

Abstract The synthesis of a series of lanthanide tetracyanoplatinates all incorporating 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (terpy) have been carried out by reaction of Ln3+ nitrate salts with terpy and potassium tetracyanoplatinate. The incorporation of different Ln3+ cations results in the isolation of [Ln(DMF)2(C15H11N3)(H2O)2(NO3)]Pt(CN)4 (Ln=La–Nd, Sm–Yb) under otherwise identical reaction conditions. These compounds have been isolated as single crystals and X-ray diffraction has been used to investigate their structural features. All of the reported compounds are isostructural. Crystallographic data for the representative Eu3+ compound (EuPt) are (MoKα, λ=0.71073 A): monoclinic, space group P21/c, a=10.1234(4) A, b=18.7060(7) A, c=17.1642(5) A, β=97.249(3)°, V=3224.4(2), Z=4, R(F)=2.78% for 426 parameters with 7724 reflections with I>2σ(I). The structure consists of a zero-dimensional, ionic salt containing complex [Eu(DMF)2(C15H11N3)(H2O)2(NO3)]2+ cations and Pt ( CN ) 4 2 − anions. The complex cations contain the Eu3+ ions in a tri-capped trigonal prismatic coordination environment with one terdentate 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine molecule, one bidentate nitrate anion, two O-bound dimethylformamide molecules, and two coordinated water molecules. Photoluminescence data illustrate that EuPt displays intramolecular energy transfer from the coordinated terpy molecule to the Eu3+ cation. The uncoordinated tetracyanoplatinate anion also exhibits visible emission.
The choices in the next energy and social revolution

Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide a context for choosing the energy system that will replace fossil fuels. It does not pretend to answer all of the difficult problems that will be encountered in reaching equilibrium. It argues the case on physical and social grounds why solar energy, not nuclear fusion, the other possible ultimate source, provides the best alternative. Two events of unparalleled importance stand out in the long course of human history: the introduction of agriculture, and industrialization. They were profound energy and social revolutions: energy revolutions in that each vastly increased energy availability over the former period; social revolutions in that each increased the scale of society and rearranged the social order around new technologies, institutions, and values. As fossil fuels, the energy source of industrialization, are depleted, the world enters into the third most important energy and social revolution in the development of civilization. Natural and social systems operate under the same principles of energy management. Growth, stability, or decline is determined by the interdependent relationship between energy and structure (Energy in Natural and Social Systems). The evolution of civilization over more than a million years can be seen as a successful quest to control greater amounts of energy through social organization in three different energy and social systems: hunting and gathering, agriculture, and fossil fuels (Two Energy and Social Revolutions). Many nations based on different energy and social structures have flourished and disappeared throughtout history. The cases of Egypt, Rome, and Britain are used to illustrate the dynamic forces that affect the rise and fall of empires, dependence on foreign resources and the changing purposes of social organization (The Influence of Energy on Nations). The energy perspective of the paper suggests the relationship between continuous growth and social discontinuity in the United States (Continuous Growth and Social Discontinuity in the United States). The physical and social consequences of future energy alternatives are discussed in terms of an Orwellian-, Jeffersonian-, and Malthusian-type future (The Third Revolution: Orwell, Jefferson, or Malthus). The paper concludes with an endorsement of solar energy as the alternative most likely to afford a stable future in a humanly organized environment (Conclusion).
CaV1.1: The atypical prototypical voltage-gated Ca2+ channel

Ca(V)1.1 is the prototype for the other nine known Ca(V) channel isoforms, yet it has functional properties that make it truly atypical of this group. Specifically, Ca(V)1.1 is expressed solely in skeletal muscle where it serves multiple purposes; it is the voltage sensor for excitation-contraction coupling and it is an L-type Ca²⁺ channel which contributes to a form of activity-dependent Ca²⁺ entry that has been termed Excitation-coupled Ca²⁺ entry. The ability of Ca(V)1.1 to serve as voltage-sensor for excitation-contraction coupling appears to be unique among Ca(V) channels, whereas the physiological role of its more conventional function as a Ca²⁺ channel has been a matter of uncertainty for nearly 50 years. In this chapter, we discuss how Ca(V)1.1 supports excitation-contraction coupling, the possible relevance of Ca²⁺ entry through Ca(V)1.1 and how alterations of Ca(V)1.1 function can have pathophysiological consequences. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium channels.
Correlates of female juvenile delinquency

This study examines the relationships between the age at which female juvenile offenders receive their first sentencing and individual risk factors, family risk factors, and race. The individual risk factors include dropping out of school, physical abuse, sexual abuse, prostitution, substance abuse, gang involvement, poverty, pregnancy, and the existence of co‐defendants. The family risk factors include parents’ marital status, familial criminal activity, education level of parents, and receipt of public assistance. The results showed individual risk factors to have a statistically significant relationship with the dependent variable, age at first sentencing. Family risk factors did not have a statistically significant relationship to the dependent variable. Socio‐demographic risk factors were found to be statistically significant only indirectly, through the individual risk factor scale.
The temperature rise on neck formation of polymers: polypropylene and polyethylene

Abstract Polymeric materials drawn in different surrounding media show different drawing stresses. Based on these differences in drawing stress, drawn under water as against drawing in air, a simple approximate method is proposed for the measurement of temperature rise of polypropylene and polyethylene during drawing.
Safety Effects of Using Short Left-Turn Lanes at Unsignalized Median Openings

The AASHTO Green Book specifically encourages the use of left-turn lanes at median openings on divided roadways to eliminate stopping in through-traffic lanes. However, the lengths for median left-turn lanes recommended by the Green Book are often impractical in urban areas, where the available distance between two adjacent openings is inadequate, and particularly where the volume of left-turning traffic is heavy. Thus, left-turn lanes shorter than the lengths recommended by the Green Book (referred to as short left-turn lanes) are in wide use on urban divided roadways. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety performance of short left-turn lanes at unsignalized median openings. To this end, 6 years of crash data were collected in Houston, Texas, from 52 median left-turn lanes (40 short lanes and 12 lanes with lengths in compliance with Green Book recommendations). A Poisson regression model was developed to relate traffic and geometric attributes to the total number of rear-end, sideswip...
Virus replication and ultrastructural changes after induction of encephalitis in mice by measles virus.

Abstract Suckling mice developed encephalitis after intracerebral inoculation of a mouse-adapted strain of human measles virus. Histologically, the necrotic foci originated around the site of inoculation, but later widespread involvement of the brain was noted. Assays for cell-associated infectious virus yielded evidence of viral replication in the brain: an initial disappearance of infectivity was followed by a logarithmic rise in virus titer. Neither cell-free infectious virus nor mature virus particles in infected brain cells were detected. Cytoplasmic tubular structures were observed by electron microscopy, usually within severely damaged brain cells. These tubular structures (110–150 A in diameter) were probably viral nucleocapsids. Further support of this was the ease with which the nucleocapsids could be detected by negative staining procedures in grossly obvious brain lesions. The results indicate that measles encephalitis in the mouse results from direct viral invasion and multiplication of the virus in brain cells.
Simultaneous localization and mobile robot navigation in a hybrid sensor network

This paper discusses a range free localization algorithm for the wireless sensors in a hybrid sensor network, which consists of a large number of static sensors and relatively small number of mobile robots. The mobile robots are equipped with either global positioning systems (GPS) or other localization devices. By moving the mobile robots and broadcasting their locations in the sensor network, the static sensors are able to estimate their position based on the messages received. A mobile robot navigation in a un-localized sensor network is further developed. As and when an event occurs in the sensor network, a mobile robot can be navigated by the un-localized sensor nodes to the event location, which in turn are finely localized by the mobile robot. The mobile robot, equipped with advanced sensing and communication capabilities, can enhance the sensing in the area of event location. This algorithm works well in an event driven network wherein both the localization of the sensor nodes and navigation of the mobile robot to the event is done simultaneously. As the frequency of the event increases the nodes are better localized and the precision of the node's location becomes finer. Simulation results have been used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Fate and transport of copper applied in channel catfish ponds

A pilot-scale study and field measurements at commercial ponds were conducted to investigate the environmental fate of copper (Cu) applied as an algaecide in commercial catfish ponds. In the pilot study, a total of 774 g Cu(II) was applied to an experimental catfish pond over a period of 16 summer weeks. More than 90% of Cu applied became associated with suspended sediment particles within a few minutes of addition, and then nearly all Cu applied was transferred to the sediment phase within about 2 days. At the end of the study, the peak Cu content in the sediment increased from an initial concentration of 25∼35 mg kg−1 to about 200 mg kg−1, and the applied Cu was able to reach a sediment depth of about 16 cm. Meanwhile, Cu concentration in the catfish body decreased from 12.7 ± 2.81 mg kg−1 to 6.15 ± 2.54 mg kg−1. Copper mass balance indicated that virtually all Cu applied was retained in the sediment. Only 0.01% of the total Cu applied was taken up by fish and 0.1% remained in pond water. Data from 3 commercial fishponds of different ages (1–25 years) and with different sediment types (acidic, neutral and calcareous) supported the pilot-scale observation. Both pilot-testing results and field measurements revealed that Cu is predominantly accumulated within the top sediment layer and barely reached the bottom soil regardless of the pond age and the type of the sediments. Field monitoring of groundwater quality suggested that the copper leaching into the groundwater surrounding the ponds was insignificant.
On a class of optimum aperture distributions for pattern shaping

A class of optimum aperture distributions that gives the best mean-square approximation with weight factor ( 1 - \eta^{2})^\alpha to any given pattern space factor for an arbitrarily prescribed value of a generalized superdirectivity ratio \gamma_{\alpha} is derived for all \alpha > -1 . For \alpha = 0 the parameter \gamma_{\alpha} becomes Taylor's superdirectivity ratio \gamma and the \gamma_{\alpha} -constrained solution reduces simply to a \gamma - constrained solution published earlier. But for \alpha = -\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{2} , or 1 the solution becomes the best, or near best, Q -constrained solution in the sense of least radiated power in the error pattern for the case of E -plane strip source antennas or of H -plane strip or line-source antennas, respectively. Thus, for strip or line source antennas the new solution possesses an important physical interpretation that the earlier solution did not.
Density Within the Moon and Implications for Lunar Composition

A number of simple density models for the moon are discussed. The considered models are consistent with the lunar mass and moment of inertia, the latest information on the seismic velocity of the lunar crust and mantle, and assorted estimates of temperature in the lunar interior. New material presented includes the implications for density models of recent seismic evidence for a thin, high velocity layer beneath the lunar crust and for a zone of partial melting below 1000 km depth. The consequences of a dense, iron-rich central core are also explored.
Computer-assisted graph-theoretical construction of 13C NMR signal and intensity patterns

Abstract An efficient algorithm and computer code are developed to generate the automorphism partitioning of nuclei set V of a given molecular graph. Various graphs of chemical interests are considered, including isospectral graphs. The developed computer code is used to generate 13 C NMR signals and intensity ratios of different organic compounds simply from the neighborhood table of the compounds. The code developed would thus be valuable as an integral part of artificial intelligence methods for computer-assisted structure elucidation.
Hospice Care: What Services Do Patients and Their Families Receive?

Three-quarters of individuals who die in the United States do so from chronic illnesses (Minino et al. 2002), often after suffering both physically and psychologically for months or years (The SUPPORT Principal Investigators 1995). Recent evidence (Field and Cassel 1997; Emanuel and Emanuel 1998; Singer, Martin, and Kelner 1999; Steinhauser et al. 2000) establishes the importance to patients and families coping with advanced illness of receiving services across multiple domains that address the patient's physical, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being, as well as the caregiver's well-being. However, the health care system has often failed to meet the needs of these patients and their families, who frequently experience inadequate pain and symptom management (Von Roenn et al. 1993; Bernabei et al. 1998; Morrison et al. 1998; Pritchard et al. 1998), caregiver burden and stress (Emanuel et al. 1999; Prigerson et al. 2003), limited communication (Hanson, Danis, and Garrett 1997; Hofmann et al. 1997; Teno et al. 2004; Cherlin et al. 2005), and overall dissatisfaction with care (Teno et al. 2004). Hospice developed to address the multidimensional needs of patients suffering from advanced illness and their families, that were not being met by the medical system, and the hospice industry has experienced dramatic growth and change over time. Since 1990, approximately 1,500 new hospice agencies have emerged (General Accounting Office 2000), a 125 percent increase from 1992. Medicare spending under the Medicare Hospice Benefit increased from $445 million in 1991 to $3.6 billion in 2001 (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2005), and the number of Medicare hospice beneficiaries increased more than sixfold during the same period (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2005). During this time, hospice in the United States transitioned from a grassroots movement of a handful of freestanding, small hospices in the 1970s to a multimillion-dollar, national industry comprised of nonprofit and for-profit chains and freestanding agencies. Despite the recent transformation of the hospice sector, we know little about corresponding changes in the types of services delivered to patients using hospice. Hospice is an integral component of care for patients with advanced illness. As hospice continues to grow, it is important to determine if services across key aspects of palliative care (National Consensus Project 2004) are being provided to patients and families and how hospice care has changed over time. Therefore, we sought to examine the types of services provided to patients and families enrolled with hospice during the last decade with attention to potential hospice-level variation in service delivery. We used the National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS), a nationally representative dataset of hospice agencies and their patients. These data provide a unique opportunity to examine changes in hospice services over time, as they were collected during the period from 1992 to 2000, paralleling the period of substantial growth in hospice use and spending.
Some speculations about the origin of the high speed HCN jets in Comet Kohoutek (1973f)

The origin of the high-speed HCN jets observed in Comet Kohoutek (1973f) is considered. It is argued that the occurrence of these jets with Doppler shifts corresponding to velocities of approximately 3-5 km/s with respect to the nucleus cannot be explained in terms of either explosive outbursts of trapped sub-surface volatiles, highly exothermic chemical reactions involving free radicals, or the outward expansion of the cometary atmosphere with additional heating. Instead, acceleration of the precursor ions of HCN by energetic electrons in the ionospheric current sheets or current arcs is suggested to play an important role.
Reference intervals for plasma-free amino acid in a Japanese population

BackgroundPlasma amino acid concentrations vary with various diseases. Although reference intervals are useful in daily clinical practice, no reference intervals have been reported for plasma amino acids in a large Japanese population.MethodsReference individuals were selected from 7685 subjects examined with the Japanese Ningen Dock in 2008. A total of 1890 individuals were selected based on exclusion criteria, and the reference samples were selected after the outlier samples for each amino acid concentration were excluded. The lower limit of the reference intervals for the plasma amino acid concentrations was set at the 2.5th percentile and the upper limit at the 97.5th percentile.ResultsBy use of the nested analysis of variance, we analysed a large dataset of plasma samples and the effects of background factors (sex, age and body mass index [BMI]) on the plasma amino acid concentrations. Most amino acid concentrations were related to sex, especially those of branched-chained amino acid. The citrulline,...
HIGH-RESOLUTION FAST-NEUTRON SPECTROSCOPY OF THE REACTION $sup 9$Be(p,n)$sup 9$B AT 20 MeV.

High-resolution fast-neutron spectra (to about 1%) have been obtained by means of the proton-radiator method, detecting the proton recoils with solid-state detector telescopes and particle identifier circuits. Our spectra confirm a broad peak at 1.4 MeV and resolve another at 3.2-MeV excitation.
Reimagining Our Place in the World

This article thinks through the implications of the 2004 elections and the continued erosion of the left. In particular, it argues that the left must begin to offer people compelling narratives for how to live their lives or progressive spaces will continue to shrink. Qualitative inquiry, it concludes, can be enormously useful in this project.
Performance of α7 nicotinic receptor null mutants is impaired in appetitive learning measured in a signaled nose poke task

Wild-type and mutant mice lacking expression of α5, α7, β2, β3, or β4 neuronal nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs) were compared on a signaled nose poke task, a multi-phased task used to measure appetitive learning and impulsivity. In the early phases of training, mutants of all nicotinic lines did not differ compared to wild types in the days to reach criterion when mice were required to nose poke for a sucrose reward on FR1 or FR3 schedules, or in their ability to respond to an auditory clicker to receive a sucrose reward. However, mutants lacking α7 nAChRs, but not lines lacking other nAChRs, showed impairments when task difficulty was increased such that an auditory stimulus was presented on a variable schedule and mice were required to withhold their responses until the presentation of the auditory cue to obtain a reward. α7 mutants were impaired compared to wild types in appetitive learning as measured by the percentage of conditioned responses but overcame their deficits with extensive training for 10 days. However, when efficiency ratios were used to measure impulsivity, α7 mutants exhibited lower efficiency ratios even after 10 days of training. These results support a role of the α7 nicotinic receptor in mediating appetitive learning and suggest a potential role for the α7 nAChRs in the regulation of behavioral disinhibition.
Investigation of annealed ionic polymer transducers in sensing

Ionic polymer transducers (IPTs) are fabricated from ionomers sandwiched between conductive electrodes. IPTs act as actuators by deforming in response to an input voltage. They also exhibit sensing behavior yielding a current when exposed to various forms of deformation. IPT performance depends on many variables including the stiffness of the polymer which evolves with the level of semicrystallinity within the polymer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the strength of the streaming potential model for IPTs created with polymers having various semicrystallinity percentages. Specifically in this case, annealing effects, which influence the semicrystallinity and stiffness of the polymer, on IPT sensing were explored in bending. The implications of streaming potential theory on current generation presented here will be evaluated via experiments that will be discussed in a later publication. The model proposed here is different than previous reports on the streaming potential theory because incorporation of two very important variables has not been considered before: semicrystallinity and time. It is shown that the semicrystallinity especially is a key factor.