cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flagellin and lipopolysaccharide stimulate the MEK-ERK signaling pathway in chicken heterophils through differential activation of the small GTPases, Ras and Rap1.

Abstract The TLR agonists, flagellin (FLG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulate functional activation and cytokine gene expression via the extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) MAP kinase cascade. However, the upstream mechanisms of these signaling events remain unknown. In mammals, the small GTP-binding protein Ras mediates ERK1/2 activation through activation of downstream effectors Raf-1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 in response to a variety of stimuli. It is not clear whether this classic Ras cascade plays a role in TLR signaling in avian cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of Ras in FLG- and LPS-mediated signaling in ERK activation in chicken heterophils. Treatment of heterophils with LPS caused a rapid (within 5 min) activation of Ras-GTP. The role of Ras activation in LPS-induced stimulation of ERK1/2 was corroborated when the specific Ras inhibitor, FTI-277, inhibited ERK1/2 activation. The classic Ras-mediated pathway of ERK1/2 activation by LPS was confirmed when the specific Raf-1 inhibitor, GW 5074, and the MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, both reduced ERK activation by 51–60%. Of more interest was that treatment of the heterophils with FLG did not activate Ras-GTP. Likewise, neither FTI-277 nor GW 5074 had any effect on FLG-mediated activation of ERK1/2. Another small GTPase, Rap1, has been shown to play a role in mammalian neutrophil function. Using a Rap1-GTP pull-down assay, we found that FLG stimulation, but not LPS, of avian heterophils induced a rapid and transient Rap1 activation. Rap1 has been shown to activate the ERK1/2 via a different Raf family member B-Raf whose downstream effector is MEK1/2. We show here that FLG stimulation of heterophils induces the phosphorylation of Rap1. The FLG induction of the Rap1 → B-Raf → MEK1/2 → ERK1/2 cascade was confirmed by the reduction of ERK1/2 activation by the specific Rap1 inhibitor (GGTI-298) and U0126. The results demonstrate that for the first time that the small GTPase Ras family is involved in TLR signaling of avian heterophils with the TLR agonists LPS (Ras) and FLG (Rap1) inducing differential signaling cascades to activate the downstream ERK MAP kinase.
Selected correlates of white nursing students' attitudes toward black American patients.

Abstract Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationships between white nursing students' attitudes toward black American patients and variables selected within a theoretical framework of prejudice which included socialization factors and personality-based factors. The variables selected were: authoritarianism and self-esteem (personality-based factors), parents' attitudes toward black Americans, peer attitudes toward black Americans, interracial contact and socioeconomic status (socialization factors). The study also examined the differences in the relationship among white nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate degree, associate degree and diploma nursing programs. Data were collected from 201 senior nursing students enrolled in the three types of nursing programs in Rhode Island during the late fall and winter of 1979–1980. Although baccalaureate degree, associate degree and diploma students were similar in terms of peer attitudes toward black Americans, fathers' attitudes toward black Americans, self-esteem and attitudes toward black American patients, they were significantly different in terms of age, socioeconomic status, mothers' attitudes toward black Americans, interracial contact and authoritarianism. The major findings of this study indicate that the socialization explanation of prejudice is more significant than the personality-based explanation. The variables socioeconomic status, interracial contact and peer attitudes toward black Americans (all socialization variables) accounted for 22.0% of the total variance in attitudes toward black American patients for the total sample of nursing students. However, this relationship was not generalizable across the three different types of nursing programs.
On the Moral Equality of Combatants

THERE’S a well-known scene in Shakespeare’s Henry V in which the King, disguised as an ordinary soldier, is conversing with some of his soldiers on the eve of the battle of Agincourt. Hoping to find or inspire support among them, he remarks: “Methinks I could not die anywhere so contented as in the King’s company, his cause being just and his quarrel honorable.” One soldier replies: “That’s more than we know,” whereupon a second says: “Ay, or more than we should seek after; for we know enough if we know we are the King’s subjects: if his cause be wrong, our obedience to the King wipes the crime of it out of us.” I don’t know whether Shakespeare recognized the now familiar legal distinction between justification and excuse. But if he had meant for this soldier to be claiming only an excuse, he probably would have had him say that the King’s authority wipes the guilt from them. But instead he says that it clears them of the crime: that is, even if the cause for which they fight is wrong, they commit no crime, or do no wrong, in fighting for it. This has been the dominant view about participation in an unjust war throughout history. And it’s central to the theory of the just war in its currently orthodox form. According to contemporary just war theory, the principles governing the conduct of war make no distinction between soldiers whose war is just and those whose war is unjust. These principles are held to be equally satisfiable by all those who fight. According to the theory, combatants do wrong if they violate these principles, though not if their war contravenes the principles that determine whether a war is just. For these latter principles apply only to those who have a role in deciding whether to resort to war, or to keep a war going.
Inferring the palaeoenvironment of ancient bacteria on the basis of resurrected proteins

Features of the physical environment surrounding an ancestral organism can be inferred by reconstructing sequences of ancient proteins made by those organisms, resurrecting these proteins in the laboratory, and measuring their properties. Here, we resurrect candidate sequences for elongation factors of the Tu family (EF-Tu) found at ancient nodes in the bacterial evolutionary tree, and measure their activities as a function of temperature. The ancient EF-Tu proteins have temperature optima of 55-65 degrees C. This value seems to be robust with respect to uncertainties in the ancestral reconstruction. This suggests that the ancient bacteria that hosted these particular genes were thermophiles, and neither hyperthermophiles nor mesophiles. This conclusion can be compared and contrasted with inferences drawn from an analysis of the lengths of branches in trees joining proteins from contemporary bacteria, the distribution of thermophily in derived bacterial lineages, the inferred G + C content of ancient ribosomal RNA, and the geological record combined with assumptions concerning molecular clocks. The study illustrates the use of experimental palaeobiochemistry and assumptions about deep phylogenetic relationships between bacteria to explore the character of ancient life.
Validation of the “Perrier” Parathyroid Adenoma Location Nomenclature

In 2009, the “Perrier” nomenclature was introduced to enhance communications among surgeons and specialists regarding the location of parathyroid adenomas. The purpose of this study was to validate the utility of the nomenclature in a prospective manner at a different institution. A prospective database was created from June 2010 through January 2011 evaluating 108 consecutive patients. In each case, the location of the parathyroid adenoma according to the nomenclature was predicted individually by an attending physician and a resident based on preoperative imaging studies. A radiologist interpreted the images retrospectively. These predictions were compared to the operative findings. The mean age of the patients was 61 ± 1 years, and 82% were women. The distribution using the nomenclature was as follows: A (adherent to posterior thyroid capsule) 20%; B (tracheoesophageal groove) 27%; C (tracheoesophageal groove but close to the clavicle) 12%; D (directly over the recurrent laryngeal nerve) 2%; E (easy to identify, inferior thyroid pole) 35%; F (fallen into the thymus) 4%. The overall predicting accuracy was significantly higher for the attending physicians than for the residents or the radiologist (78% vs. 64% vs. 25%, P < 0.001). It was 73–92%, 55–77%, and 12–46%, respectively, for locations with more than four patients. The accuracy was not affected by parathyroid hormone or and calcium levels, or the gland weight. The “Perrier” nomenclature is reproducible. The most common adenoma locations were B and E in our study, similar to the initial studies. Nevertheless, there is a wide range of preoperative predicting accuracy based on the imaging studies obtained and the interpreter’s experience.
Porous layered oxide/Nafion® nanocomposite membranes for direct methanol fuel cell applications

Nanocomposite membranes were prepared by exfoliating, intercalating and/or dispersing nanoporous layered aluminophosphate or silicate materials in Nafion®. Specifically, the layered aluminophosphate-triethylamine (APO-TE), aluminophosphate-isopropanolamine (APO-IPA), aluminophosphate-imidazole (APO-ImH), and the swollen layered silicate AMH-3, were used as selectively permeable barriers that can potentially block methanol permeation but maintain proton conductivity in the membrane. The presence of the layered materials in Nafion® membranes reduced the methanol permeability by up to an order of magnitude while maintaining proton conductivities close to that of neat Nafion® at room temperature. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) characterization shows substantial differences in microstructure of the nanocomposite membranes from that of neat Nafion®. The performance of the nanocomposite membranes was also found to be strongly dependent on the membrane pre-treatment conditions. Detailed comparison of our data to the previous literature indicates that for certain conditions of membrane preparation, the proposed approach yields promising results in controlling methanol and proton transport through membranes for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications.
Temporal changes in metal levels of the lichens Parmotrema praesorediosum and Ramalina stenospora, Southwest Louisiana

Two species of lichen native to southwest Lousiana, Parmotrema praesorediosum (Nyl.) Hale and Ramalina stenospora, Mull. Arg. have been investigated as air pollution monitors. Over the period 1983–88 samples were collected at 18 stations in the Lake Charles/Westlake/Sulphur area. The samples were analyzed for A1, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr, and Zn. When metal concentrations in lichens were plotted vs year for certain representative stations, a dramatic reduction in the concentrations of certain metals was seen after 1983. When the most recent data are compared with those previously obtained, the effects of the industrial zone, which was previously demonstrated, have now all but disappeared.
Trimodal gas exchange in the large aquatic salamander, Siren lacertina (Linnaeus)

Abstract 1. 1. Pulmonary, cutaneous and branchial gas exchange ( V O2 and V CO2 ) was determined on the large aquatic salamander Siren lacertina acclimated to 5, 15 and 25°C. 2. 2. Gas exchange was predominantly aquatic at 5°C (86 per cent of the total V O2 and 98 per cent of the total V CO2 ). At 25°C the lungs assumed a greater role in gas exchange and accounted for 50–75 per cent of the total V O2 and up to 60 per cent of the total V CO2 ; the latter value shows that Siren lungs are the most efficient of any amphibian thus far investigated. 3. 3. The gills of Siren did not contribute materially to the total V O2 . The gills showed a greater participation in V CO2 (18 and 12 per cent of the total V CO2 at 15 and 25°C, respectively). Most of the aquatic gas exchange in Siren occurs via the integumentary surfaces. 4. 4. The air-dried lungs of Siren are extremely long, about two-thirds of the body length, and show a considerable degree of septation. The increased infolding of the lung tissues increases the respiratory surface area some fourfold. 5. 5. The efficient pulmonary respiration in Siren is an adaptation for survival in shallow, weed-choked, and often hypoxic and hypercarbic waters.
career beliefs and job satisfaction in adults with symptoms of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The authors evaluated dysfunctional career beliefs and subsequent low job satisfaction in adults reporting significant symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants (N= 81) completed the Adult Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (S. B. McCarney & P. D. Anderson, 1996), the Career Thoughts Inventory (J. P. Sampson, G.W. Peterson, J. G. Lenz, R. C. Reardon, & D. E. Saunders, 1996), and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (D. J. Weiss, R. V. Dawis, G. W. England, & L. H. Lofquist, 1967). Regression analyses confirmed that ADHD symptoms were significantly predictive of dysfunctional career beliefs, decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, and external conflict.
Fluid Retention and Cardiomegaly Associated with Carbamazepine in an Epileptic Child

Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been reported to have an antidiuretic action, though it is not known how it produces this effect. This is a well recognized complication of CBZ therapy in adults. However this syndrome has been rarely observed in childhood. We present an epileptic child with fluid overload due to CBZ treatment who was referred with chest pain and cardiomegaly. Our patient developed fluid retention with cardiomegaly during treatment with CBZ alone at a normal dose and for a short time. To our knowledge this is the first case of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) due to CBZ therapy which has been observed to be associated with cardiomegaly.
A Census Tract–Level Examination of Social Determinants of Health among Black/African American Men with Diagnosed HIV Infection, 2005–2009—17 US Areas

Background HIV disproportionately affects black men in the United States: most diagnoses are for black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (collectively referred to as MSM). A better understanding of the social conditions in which black men live and work may better explain why HIV incidence and diagnosis rates are higher than expected in this population. Methods Using data from the National HIV Surveillance System and the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, we examined the relationships of HIV diagnosis rates and 5 census tract–level social determinants of health variables for 21,948 black MSM and non-MSM aged ≥15 years residing in 17 areas in the United States. We examined federal poverty status, marital status, education level, employment status, and vacancy status and computed rate ratios (RRs) and prevalence odds ratios (PORs), using logistic regression with zero-inflated negative binomial modeling. Results Among black MSM, HIV diagnosis rates decreased as poverty increased (RR: 0.54). At the time of HIV diagnosis, black MSM were less likely than black non-MSM to live in census tracts with a higher proportion below the poverty level (POR: 0.81) and with a higher proportion of vacant houses (POR: 0.86). In comparison, housing vacancy was positively associated with HIV diagnosis rates among black non-MSM (RR: 1.65). HIV diagnosis rates were higher for black MSM (RR: 2.75) and non-MSM (RR: 4.90) whose educational level was low. Rates were significantly lower for black MSM (RR: 0.06) and non-MSM (RR: 0.26) as the proportion unemployed and the proportion married increased. Conclusions This exploratory study found differences in the patterns of HIV diagnosis rates for black MSM and non-MSM and provides insight into the transmission of HIV infection in areas that reflect substantial disadvantage in education, housing, employment, and income.
Three-year weight change in successful weight losers who lost weight on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term weight loss and eating and exercise behaviors of successful weight losers who lost weight using a low-carbohydrate diet. Research Methods and Procedures: This study examined 3-year changes in weight, diet, and physical activity in 891 subjects (96 low-carbohydrate dieters and 795 others) who enrolled in the National Weight Control Registry between 1998 and 2001 and reported ≥30-lb weight loss and ≥1 year weight loss maintenance. Results: Only 10.8% of participants reported losing weight after a low-carbohydrate diet. At entry into the study, low-carbohydrate diet users reported consuming more kcal/d (mean ± SD, 1895 ± 452 vs. 1398 ± 574); fewer calories in weekly physical activity (1595 ± 2499 vs. 2542 ± 2301); more calories from fat (64.0 ± 7.9% vs. 30.9 ± 13.1%), saturated fat (23.8 ± 4.1 vs. 10.5 ± 5.2), monounsaturated fat (24.4 ± 3.7 vs. 11.0 ± 5.1), and polyunsaturated fat (8.6 ± 2.7 vs. 5.5 ± 2.9); and less dietary restraint (10.8 ± 2.9 vs. 14.9 ± 3.9) compared with other Registry members. These differences persisted over time. No differences in 3-year weight regain were observed between low-carbohydrate dieters and other Registry members in intent-to-treat analyses (7.0 ± 7.1 vs. 5.7 ± 8.7 kg). Discussion: It is possible to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss using a low-carbohydrate diet. The long-term health effects of weight loss associated with a high-fat diet and low activity level merits further investigation.
Introduction To Modeling Technology And Intelligent Systems Track

This is second year for the Modeling Technology and Intelligent Systems (MTIS) Track. The intention behind MTIS is to encompass topic areas involving a broad spectrum of modeling combined with the adoption of innovative technology. As such, we have not only incorporated Minitracks (MTs) that were previously a part of other Tracks, but have created several new offerings as well.
Stop the escalators: using the built environment to increase usual daily activity

Background: Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Two-thirds of the population is overweight and does not get enough exercise. Eastern cities are full of escalators that transport obese Americans to and from the subway. Walking stairs is a moderate activity requiring 3–6 metabolic equivalent tasks (METS) and burning 3.5–7 kcal/min. We determined the caloric expenditure and potential weight change of the population of one eastern city if all the subway riders walked the stairs rather than ride the escalators. Methods: There are 5,000,000 daily journeys made on the New York City Subway. Subway entrances include a stairway or escalator of approximately 25 steps. Each step up requires 0.11–0.15 kcals; each step down requires 0.05 kcals. To lose one pound requires burning 3500 kcals. We assumed each rider made a round trip so about 2.5 million individual people ride the subway each day. Results: By walking stairs rather than riding escalators, the riders of the New York Subway would lose more than 2.6 million pounds per year. Discussion: The average subway rider would lose about one pound per year. While this may sound insignificant, in one decade the average subway rider would lose 10 pounds, effectively reversing the trend in the United States of gaining 10 pounds per decade. This conservative estimate of the number of stairs ascended daily means that subway riders might lose even more weight. We believe that this novel approach might lead to other public and private efforts to increase physical activity such as elevators that only stop on even numbered floors, making stairwells more attractive and well lit, and stopping moving sidewalks. The built environment may support small, incremental changes in usual daily physical activity that can have significant impact on populations and individuals.
The rate of osmotic hemolysis: a relationship with membrane bilayer fluidity.

Abstract A first-order semilogarithmic plot of the decrease in turbidity that takes place during hemolysis is used to define an apparent rate of hemolysis. The effect on this rate of hemolysis of various membrane modifications is studied. Triton X-100, ethanol and chlorpromazine, which dissolve into the membrane, all increase the rate of hemolysis, even though the same concentration of ethanol and chlorpromazine has been shown to decrease the osmotic fragility. Glutaraldehyde, azodicarboxylic acid-bisdimethylamide (diamide) and intracellular Ca 2+ are used to produce cross-links on membrane proteins. All of these reagents decrease cell deformability but have different effects on the rate of hemolysis, with Ca 2+ increasing, glutaraldehyde decreasing and diamide producing almost no effect on the rate. These modifications are also found to alter the ESR specra of the stearic acid spin-label, 2-(14-carboxytetradecyl)-2-ethyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-oxazolidinyloxyl, which probes mobility in the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer. A correlation between the effect of membrane modification on bilayer fluidity and the rate of hemolysis suggests that the rate-limiting process which determines the rate of hemolysis involves rupturing of the bilayer.
Structural disadvantage and the concentration of environmental hazards in school areas: a research note

Research shows that environmental hazards are disproportionately located in poor and minority communities, but most of these studies examine the association between community demographics and the presence (and/or frequency) of one type of environmental hazard at a time. The current study extends the prior research by examining the concentration of multiple forms of environmental hazards and structural disadvantage of school areas. School area structural disadvantage is associated with an increase in the number of environmental hazards, but the magnitude of the association is relatively small. Implications for future research are discussed.
Newer antipsychotic agents: Impact on quality of life and alternative applications

Abstract The introduction of the first antipsychotic drugs in the 1950s revolutionized treatment of mentally ill patients. Patients could be treated in the community and not confined to psychiatric institutions. However, these conventional neuroleptic agents were not ideal. Although effective for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, they had little effect on the negative symptoms. They also had distressing side effects including extrapyramidal symptoms, anticholinergic effects, and sedation that caused many patients to discontinue treatment. In the late 1980s the first newer antipsychotic (clozapine) became available. Newer antipsychotics, which antagonize both the dopamine and serotonin receptors, are effective for both the positive and negative symptoms of psychoses and are less likely than conventional neuroleptics to cause extrapyramidal symptoms at recommended doses. Thus the newer antipsychotics may offer patients an improved quality of life while reducing costs. Clozapine is effective in up to 40% of treatment-refractory patients and may be useful in patients with mood disorders. Risperidone may be beneficial in some treatment-refractory patients, but results in patients with mood disorders are mixed. Further study is required to explore fully all possible applications of the newer antipsychotic drugs.
Computation of Cavity Expansion Pressure and Penetration Resistance in Sands

A cavity expansion-based theory for calculation of cone penetration resistance qc in sand is presented. The theory includes a completely new analysis to obtain cone resistance from cavity limit pressure. In order to more clearly link the proposed theory with the classical cavity expansion theories, which were based on linear elastic, perfectly plastic soil response, linear equivalent values of Young's modulus, Poisson’s ratio and friction and dilatancy angles are given in charts as a function of relative density, stress state, and critical-state friction angle. These linear-equivalent values may be used in the classical theories to obtain very good estimates of cavity pressure. A much simpler way to estimate qc —based on direct reading from charts in terms of relative density, stress state, and critical-state friction angle—is also proposed. Finally, a single equation obtained by regression of qc on relative density and stress state for a range of values of critical-state friction angle is also proposed. ...
Thermoregulatory salivation proportional to hypothalamic temperature above threshold in the dog.

Abstract : Rats and other mammals produce saliva when exposed to high ambient temperatures. Saliva is produced in the rat to regulate the body temperature during environmental heat stress, with the estimated water loss due to salivation increasing continuously with temperature. Shivering and panting in the dog have been described as being activated by a proportional control with an adjustable set point. For shivering and panting, the porportionality constant, for each response appeared to be independent of ambient temperature, and the threshold temperature for each response, appeared to vary inversely with the ambient temperature, i.e., as the environmental temperature decreased the thresholds increased. The present study is a preliminary report of the threshold and proportionality constant for salivation, obtained for one dog in 15C, 25C, and 35C environments.
Development of optimum scheduling strategies for test facilities

Abstract An optimum scheduling strategy for scheduling test facilities at an Air Force research facility is presented in the paper. The objective is to reduce both the electric power and labor costs at the research facility. Power rates for both on-peak and off-peak periods are considered. The developed strategy is computerized to facilitate application by the user. The program is written in Turbo Pascal. Using this strategy it is found that substantial cost savings could be achieved.
The low temperature specific heat of antimony

Abstract The specific heat of antimony has been measured in the temperature region 13° to 70°K. The data are compared with a calculation based on an anisotropic continuum model which distinguishes between “soft” and “hard” modes of vibrations in anisotropic lattices resembling “layer-like” structures. Satisfactory agreement exists between the data and the predictions of this model in the temperature region 13° to 300°K. The entropy of antimony at 298.1°K is 10.92 cal/g-atom deg., of which 0.115 was obtained by extrapolating below 13.2°K. For this extrapolation the anisotropic-continuum model was used.
Use of adventure experiences in traditional counseling interventions.

Summary.-Use of adventure as an intervention in traditional counseling was explored with &1 adolescenr clients From two community-based counseling agencies and residents from two boys' homes. The adolescents were assigned to conditions of counseling plus adventure experiences, counsehg only, adventure only, or a conrrol. Analysis indicated limited support for increasing self-esteem and social skds by adding adventure experiences to on-going counseling.
Expansion of U.S. emergency medical service routing for stroke care: 2000-2010.

Introduction: Organized stroke systems of care include preferential emergency medical services (EMS) routing to deliver suspected stroke patients to designated hospitals. To characterize the growth and implementation of EMS routing of stroke nationwide, we describe the proportion of stroke hospitalizations in the United States (U.S.) occurring within regions having adopted these protocols. Methods: We collected data on ischemic stroke using International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) coding from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from the years 2000-2010. The NIS contains all discharge data from 1,051 hospitals located in 45 states, approximating a 20% stratified sample. We obtained data on EMS systems of care from a review of archives, reports, and interviews with state emergency medical services (EMS) officials. A county or state was considered to be in transition if the protocol was adopted in the calendar year, with establishment in the year following transition. Results: Nationwide, stroke hospitalizations remained constant over the course of the study period: 583,000 in 2000 and 573,000 in 2010. From 2000-2003 there were no states or counties participating in the NIS with EMS systems of care. The proportion of U.S. stroke hospitalizations occurring in jurisdictions with established EMS regional systems of acute stroke care increased steadily from 2004 to 2010 (1%, 13%, 28%, 30%, 30%, 34%, 49%). In 2010, 278,538 stroke hospitalizations, 49% of all U.S. stroke hospitalizations, occurred in areas with established EMS routing, with an additional 18,979 (3%) patients in regions undergoing a transition to EMS routing. Conclusion: In 2010, a majority of stroke patients in the U.S. were hospitalized in states with established or transitioning to organized stroke systems of care. This milestone coverage of half the U.S. population is a major advance in systematic stroke care and emphasizes the need for novel approaches to further extend access to stroke center care to all patients. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(4):499–503.]
Apoproteins in association with intralipid incubations in rat and human plasma

Intralipid was incubated with rat and human plasma and examined for changes in lipid and apoprotein composition. Upon incubation in rat plasma, Intralipid acquired an apoprotein complement similar to that found in chylomicrons following plasma incubation or in chylomicrons after alimentary lipemia. Since the apoproteins of lipoproteins probably govern their metabolism, these results suggest that Intralipid and chylomicrons undergo similar metabolic fates. This pattern is characterized by a predominance of Apo E (the arginine-rich apoprotein) and Apo C. Incubation of Intralipid with human plasma showed the uptake of Apo A-I and Apo A-IV as well. Density fractionation of the plasma into separate lipoprotein classes facilitated identification of high density lipoprotein as the major apoprotein donor to the Intralipid. When rat lipoprotein-free plasma (δ>1.21) was incubated with Intralipid, a different apoprotein pattern appeared in the particles of Sf>400 depending on whether the entire Intralipid preparation or only the Sf>400 fraction alone was incubated. The difference consisted of a virtual total absence of the arginine-rich protein on the Sf>400 particles in whole Intralipid incubations. Density fractionation of the Sf 400 fraction before incubation revealed the major inhibitory fraction to be δ<1.006 (Sf 20–400).
Chemical Sensing with Polyaniline Coated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotube/polyaniline (SWNT/PAni) nanocomposite with controlled core/shell morphology was synthesized by a noncovalent functionalization approach. Unique electron interactions between the SWNT core and the PAni shell were studied electrochemically and spectroscopically, and superior sensor performance to chemical gases and vapors was demonstrated.
A new finite element technique for the solution of two-phase flow through porous media

Abstract A new upstream weighting finite element technique is developed for improved solution of the two-phase immiscible flow equations. Unlike the upstream weighting technique used by previous investigators, the new technique does not employ finite difference concepts to achieve the required upstream weighting of relative permeabilities or mobilities. Instead, upstream weighting is achieved by (1) representing the relative permeabilities or mobilities as continuous functions expressed in terms of the shape functions and nodal values (2) using asymmetric weighting functions to weight the spatial terms in the flow equations. These weighting functions are constructed such that they are dependent on the flow direction along each side of an element. In conjunction with the proposed technique, two solution schemes for treating the resulting set of non-linear algebraic equations are presented. These are the fully-implicit chord slope incremental solution scheme and the Newton-Raphson solution scheme. Both schemes allow the use of large time steps without being unstable. The proposed numerical technique is applied to two problems (1) the one-dimensional Buckley-Leverett problem (2) the two-dimensional five-spot well flow problem. Results indicate that this technique is superior to not only earlier finite element schemes but also five-point upstream finite difference formulae.
A Silent Emergence of Culture: The Social Tuning Effect

Scholars have long been concerned with understanding the psychological mechanisms by which cultural (i.e., shared) knowledge emerges. This article proposes a novel psychological mechanism that allows for the formation of cultural memories, even when intragroup communication is absent. Specifically, the research examines whether a stimulus is more psychologically and behaviorally prominent when it is assumed to be experienced by more similar versus less similar others. Findings across 3 studies suggest that stimuli such as time pressure (Study 1), words (Study 2), and paintings (Study 3) are more psychologically and behaviorally prominent when they are thought to be experienced by more (vs. less) similar others. Critically, the effect is absent when similar others are thought to be experiencing distinct stimuli from the participant (Study 3). Taken as a whole, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that stimuli which are assumed to be experienced by one's social group are more prominent in both cognition and behavior. Theoretical implications for the emergence of culture are discussed.
The role of an intravenous fat emulsion composed of fish oil in a parenteral nutrition-dependent patient with hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypertriglyceridemia is a common complication in patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). Management typically involves withholding the IV fat emulsion (IVFE) until serum triglyceride levels normalize. In some instances, this practice may predispose patients to the development of essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) unless alternative therapies such as oral or topical oils are used. This is especially true in patients unable to tolerate enteral intake. We describe the management of hypertriglyceridemia in a 12-year-old boy dependent on PN who developed EFAD due to prolonged use of fat-free PN. His course was further complicated by PN-associated liver disease. Treatment involved the use of an IVFE derived from fish oils. Within 3 weeks, there was clinical improvement in EFAD and hypertriglyceridemia. The patient's triene:tetraene ratio decreased from 0.207 to 0.044 (normal: 0.013–0.05). Similarly, his serum triglyceride levels decreased from 628 mg/dL to 183 mg/dL (normal: <200 mg/dL). After 2 month...
Microfluidic cell sorter with integrated piezoelectric actuator

Abstract We demonstrate a low-power ( 1,000 particles/s withhigh purity.Keywords Hydrodynamics.Flowcytometer.Microfluidics.Sorter.Piezoelectricactuation1 IntroductionCompared to conventional fluorescence-activated cell sorter(FACS), µFACS has the advantages of lower cost, reducedreagent usage, portability and rapid analysis time, whichmake them attractive for various biotechnological applica-tions (e.g. bioanalysis and drug discovery) (Dittrich 2003).Due to the growing interest in the study of single livingcells (e.g. effect of drugs and gene expression studies incancer research (Sims and Allbritton 2007; Andersson andBerg 2003; Meredith et al. 2000), along with advances inmicrofabrication technology, significant progress has beenmade toward developing µFACS that can sort single cellswith high efficiency and throughput.Numerous types of µFACS based on the principle ofcontinuous flow separation (i.e. continuous injection,monitoring detection, and sorting based on spatial separa-tion (Pamme 2007) have been developed to sort varioustypes of cells including yeast, bacterial, and blood cells.Among those published micro sorting techniques areelectroosmotic (Fu et al. 2004; Fu et al. 1999), dielectro-phoretic (DEP) (Lapizco-Encinas et al. 2004; Fiedler et al.1998; Holmes et al. 2005; Doh and Cho 2005; Braschler etal. 2007; Hu et al. 2005), magnetic (Pamme 2006; Pammeand Wilhelm 2006), and hydrodynamic (Bang et al. 2006;
The influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on enzymes of developing brain

Abstract The normal developmental patterns of MDH (1.1.1.37), GDH (1.4.1.2), GOT (2.6.1.1), and GPT (2.6.1.2), activities in chick embryo brain have been studied. The development of GOT, GPT, and GDH activities seems to follow one pattern, that is, a gradual increase of their activities until hatching. A slight decrease of MDH activity has been observed from the 8th to the 15th day of incubation; thereafter, the developmental pattern of MDH is similar to that of GDH. A differential influence has been observed on GPT, GOT and GDH by a single injection of glutamate: a significant stimulation on GPT activity and no significant effect on GOT and GDH activities. A single administration of day-old chick brain soluble fraction to chick embryo stimulated the brain soluble enzyme, GOT, at late developmental stages until a day after hatching. No stimulation has been observed in GOT activity of heart and metanephros during the same period of development. It is suggested that the soluble fraction of day-old chick brain contains a stimulating factor(s) which exhibits tissue specificity.
Euler's equation Φ(x)=k with no solution

Construction d'une equation d'Euler Φ(x)=k sans solution dans l'ensemble des entiers positifs, Φ designant la fonction d'Euler
Highly stable Pt and PtPd hybrid catalysts supported on a nitrogen-modified carbon composite for fuel cell application ☆

The durability and cost of fuel cell cathode catalysts are major technical barriers to the commercialization of fuel cells for vehicle applications. In this work, novel Pt and PtPd hybrid catalysts are developed that use a nitrogen-modified carbon composite (NMCC), which is itself active for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), instead of a conventional carbon black support. The fuel cell accelerated stress test (AST) for supports and catalysts demonstrated that the Pt3Pd1/NMCC and Pt/NMCC hybrid catalysts possess much higher stability than Pt/C catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Moreover, the hybrid catalysts exhibit higher mass activity than the Pt/C catalysts. The origin of the hybrid catalysts’ improved performance relative to Pt/C is discussed in light of pore size distribution and surface area analysis, XRD, XPS, and TEM analyses and electrochemical measurements.
11. John Cammett’s Writings on Antonio Gramsci and the PCI

Abstract This essay on John Cammett's contributions to Gramsci studies is composed of four parts. Part 1 deals with the intriguing interplay in Cammett's writings between Old Left loyalties and New Left challenges to it. Part 2 focuses on his work as a bibliographer and editor, the most important aspect of which is his monumental Bibliografia gramsciana, comprising three volumes published in 1991, 1995 and 2001. Part 3 consists of some remarks on Cammett's career as a professor and academic administrator. Part 4 is a brief discussion of the book for which he is most widely known, his 1967 study Antonio Gramsci and the Origins of Italian Communism.
Critical Grain Size for Microcracking During Lithium Insertion

A critical grain size below which microcracking does not occur based on volume changes as a result of Li charging into brittle Li-alloys was derived. The predicted critical grain size is less than the unit cell size for a majority of single-phase materials. This suggests that decreasing the particle and/or grain size is not a practical solution to solve the mechanical instability problem of Li-alloys.
Clinical Application of a Robotic Ankle Training Program for Cerebral Palsy Compared to the Research Laboratory Application: Does It Translate to Practice?

Abstract Objective To determine the clinical efficacy of an ankle robotic rehabilitation protocol for patients with cerebral palsy. Design The clinic cohort was identified from a retrospective chart review in a before-after intervention trial design and compared with a previously published prospective research cohort. Setting Rehabilitation hospital. Participants Children (N=28; mean age, 8.2±3.62y) with Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I, II, or III who were referred for ankle stretching and strengthening used a robotic ankle device in a clinic setting. Clinic results were compared with a previously published cohort of participants (N=12; mean age, 7.8±2.91y) seen in a research laboratory-based intervention protocol. Interventions Patients in the clinic cohort were seen 2 times per week for 75-minute sessions for a total of 6 weeks. The first 30 minutes of the session were spent using the robotic ankle device for ankle stretching and strengthening, and the remaining 45 minutes were spent on functional movement activities. There was no control group. Main Outcome Measures We compared pre- and postintervention measures of plantarflexor and dorsiflexor range of motion, strength, spasticity, mobility (Timed Up and Go test, 6-minute walk test, 10-m walk test), balance (Pediatric Balance Scale), Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE), and gross motor function measure (GMFM). Results Significant improvements were found for the clinic cohort in all main outcome measures except for the GMFM. These improvements were equivalent to those reported in the research cohort, except for larger SCALE test changes in the research cohort. Conclusions These findings suggest that translation of repetitive, goal-directed biofeedback training into the clinic setting is both feasible and beneficial for patients with cerebral palsy.
Influences on US middle school teachers’ use of environment-based education

The term environment‐based education (EBE) describes a form of school‐based environmental education in which an instructor uses the environment as a context for integrating subjects and a source of real world learning experiences. Despite the growing body of evidence that supports the educational efficacy of this instructional approach and its grounding in high‐quality environmental education, relatively few US teachers seem to practice EBE (University of Maryland Survey Research Center 2000). In the context of encouraging more widespread adoption of this formal instructional approach, the author used survey research with a random sample of fifth–eighth grade teachers in US public schools to investigate influences on their decisions to use EBE and barriers to EBE implementation. The study also investigated how perceived influences on and barriers to EBE teachers differed from perceptions of teachers using other forms of environmental education and teachers using neither approach. Results suggest the impor...
Wireless integrated sensing, processing, and display networks for site security

We consider data management on ad hoc networks of sensing and processing nodes. We describe the construction of simple nodes from off the shelf components (PC 104 single board computers with flash memory, video capture cards and 802.1 lb wireless interfaces). We describe a Java interface to controlling these nodes and accessing images and image processing algorithms. We demonstrate target tracking across nodes and the potential for heterogeneous sensor types.
Acute effects of increasing doses of urapidil in patients with hypertension.

In a randomized, double-blind, dose-ranging trial, the acute antihypertensive effects of 7.5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 mg single daily doses of urapidil were compared with those of placebo in 10 patients with essential hypertension. Patients were randomized to either urapidil or placebo, such that each active drug day was followed by a placebo washout day. Blood pressure and heart rate responses were measured in the supine position, immediately upon standing, and after 3 to 5 minutes of standing for each dose. A variable but significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressures that lasted from 4.5 to 8 hours was observed primarily at the 60, 90, and 120 mg doses (P < 0.05). The maximum reduction in diastolic blood pressure occurred in the standing position at 3 to 5 hours after dosing. When urapidil was compared with placebo, a change from the supine to the standing positions produced a significantly larger reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P < 0.05) but no significant change in heart rate. This suggests an acute blood pressure lowering effect of urapidil that occurs predominately in the standing position and that does not significantly increase heart rate. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1986) 39, 690–696; doi:10.1038/clpt.1986.120
T3-Ti receptor triggering of T8+ suppressor T cells leads to unresponsiveness to interleukin-2

T3-associated disulphide linked heterodimers (Tin) comprised of clonally unique α-chains of molecular weight (MW) 49,000–54,000 and β chains of MW 43,000 have been identified as the antigen receptors on human cytotoxic effector and inducer T-lymphocytes1–3. Crosslinking of Ti molecules by either the appropriate nominal antigen/MHC specificity or anti-clonotypic monoclonal antibody results in clonal expansion of such cells via induction of IL-2 receptor expression, endogenous IL-2 release and IL-2-IL-2 receptor interaction4. To determine whether analogous antigen receptor molecules and autocrine growth mechanisms are utilized by suppressor T-cells5–7, we produced an anti-clonotypic monoclonal antibody against a non-cytotoxic T8+ suppressor T-cell, T8AC6, which defines a T3-associated disulphide-linked heterodimer of similar molecular weight to the above clonotypes. We find that T3-Ti triggering of suppressor clones (T8AC6, T8AC7 or T8RW) does not result in IL-2 production or T-cell proliferation and in contrast to inducer clones, also leads to a transient IL-2 unresponsive state. We suggest that such T3-Ti receptor mediated autoregulation of suppressor T-cell growth is necessary in the facilitation of initial inducer T-cell activation following antigenic perturbation.
Properties of Fusion Plasmas and Their Measurement

As an introductory paper to the session on Plasma Research for Fusion Power, it is intended that this paper provide an overview of the research problems and status in this area, with an emphasis on the continuing need for careful diagnostic measurements of the relevant plasma characteristics.