cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fashion consciousness of Chinese, Japanese and American teenagers

This study examines fashion consciousness among Chinese, Japanese and US teenagers. The purpose of the study was to examine similarities and differences in attitudes toward fashion across these three markets. The results show that significant differences in fashion consciousness exist between Chinese teens and their Japanese and US counterparts. At the same time, the US and Japanese teens show similarities in their attitudes toward fashion. The findings may support the idea of market differences in fashion consciousness between developed countries and less developed countries. While there are opportunities for fashion merchants to benefit from market similarities, an understanding of the idiosyncrasies underlying motivations of teen fashion in each market is needed.
Porosity and Surface Acidity of SiO2–Al2O3Xerogels☆

Abstract The structural and chemical properties of silica–alumina xerogels obtained using the sol–gel process were investigated. As methods of characterization, sorption of nitrogen, thermal analysis, and potentiometric titration were chosen. The results obtained showed a high contribution of micropores in the structure of the silica–alumina xerogels, which decreased with increasing content of aluminum. An investigation of the acidic–basic properties of the surfaces showed the presence of centers which have not been detected in commercial catalysts obtained in a more traditional way. These centers may be the result of synergy between our components and/or different coordinations between the cations.
Further investigations of potential 4 µm laser materials

Potassium lead chloride is found to exhibit superior spectroscopic and mechanical properties as a low phonon host for trivalent erbium.
Nerve growth factor: effects on D-amphetamine-induced activity and brain monoamines.

Adult male rats were given 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the nucleus accumbens, followed immediately by injections of saline or nerve growth factor (NGF; 125 B.U.) near the substantia nigra. Such lesions were previously reported to attenuate the locomotor response to D-amphetamine. NGF-treated rats showed an enhanced response to D-amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg) when tested 15 days postoperatively. Levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the striatum and nucleus accumbens were equivalently depressed in the two lesion groups, indicating that the apparent recovery of the NGF-treated rats was probably not due to catecholaminergic neuronal regrowth. Intracerebral NGF administeration enhanced the response to D-amphetamine 15 days later in rats without lesions, and also appeared to result in increased turnover of brain norepinephrine and serotonin at 3, but not 15, days postadministration. NGF might increase dopamine turnover at 15 days, but the evidence obtained did not convincingly confirm or negate this possibility. The results in brain-damaged and intact rats, and also modify the apparent turnover of brain monoamines.
Geographically controlled variation of excess 40Ar in lava flows from the Hartford basin (northeastern U.S.A.)

Abstract It has previously been demonstrated that hydrothermal alteration is responsible for the addition of excess radiogenic 40 Ar to the Hampden flow, one of three basalt flows in the Hartford basin of Connecticut, U.S.A. KAr data obtained in this study reveal that the addition of excess 40 Ar to the Hampden flow occurs only in an extensively faulted zone located in the center of the basin. This suggests that the faults in this zone acted as conduits that permitted hydrothermal fluids to emerge from depth, resulting in the addition of excess radiogenic 40 Ar to and alteration of rocks near the faults. The absence of excess 40 Ar in rocks at a distance from the faults may be related to the increasing imprint of atmospheric Ar on hydrothermal fluids as they migrate laterally away from the source. This model is consistent with the observation that sulfide vein deposits are closely associated with the faults of the central fracture zone: both sulfide deposits and excess 40 Ar “deposits” may mark the location of hydrothermal solutions emerging from depth.
Thinking practice: Iteration, peer review, and policy analysis in a governmental accounting class

Abstract All accounting graduates need strong critical thinking skills to succeed. However, possessing these critical thinking skills upon graduation is particularly crucial for new accountants working in the field of governmental accounting. As public servants at the local, state, and federal levels, they may face both short-term budget constraints and long-term sustainability concerns that cannot be solved with technical skills alone. Due to the proliferation of standards and technical practices across the accounting profession, governmental accounting educators may find it difficult to incorporate critical thinking instruction into their courses. In response to these concerns, this paper presents a project developed for inclusion in a governmental and nonprofit accounting course. Over the course of one semester, students choose a governmental policy topic of interest, conduct background research, evaluate the costs and benefits associated with a policy issue, and prepare recommendations in a written format addressed to the appropriate legislative committee. The project also incorporates review and iterative components that allow students to revise their written work based on feedback from the instructor and classmates. We report results of pre- and post-surveys that suggest that the project offers promise as a vehicle for promoting critical thinking skills among governmental accounting students.
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon produced by laser induced chemical vapor deposition of silane

Abstract a-Si:H films deposited by laser induced CVD (LICVD) have been characterized and the growth process modelled. Growth rates are exponentially dependent on gas temperature and film properties follow the equilibrium hydrogen content, exponentially dependent on substrate temperature.
AB INITIO STUDIES OF HINDERED ARYL ROTATIONS OF METHAQUALONE, MECLOQUA LONE, AND 3-(2,6-DIFLUOROPHENYL)-2-METHYL-4(3H)-QUINAZOLINONE

ABSTRACT Rotational barriers for the rotation of an N-aryl group were investigated via ab initio (Hartree-Fock) calculations in methaqualone, mecloqualone and 3-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-2-methyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone. It was found that the N1 atom acquires an sp3 character in conformations with high steric hindrance. The geometrical parameters of the molecules undergo small changes intended to alleviate the steric hindrance.
Polyhedron of triangle-free simple 2-matchings in subcubic graphs

A simple 2-matching in an edge-weighted graph is a subgraph all of whose nodes have degree 0, 1 or 2. We consider the problem of finding a maximum weight simple 2-matching that contains no triangles, which is closely related to a class of relaxations of the traveling salesman problem (TSP). Our main results are, for graphs with maximum degree 3, a complete description of the convex hull of incidence vectors of triangle-free simple 2-matchings and a strongly polynomial time algorithm for the above problem. Our system requires the use of a type of comb inequality (introduced by Grotschel and Padberg for the TSP polytope) that has {0,1,2}-coefficients and hence is more general than the well-known blossom inequality used in Edmonds’ characterization of the simple 2-matching polytope.
A perfusion air-lift bioreactor for high density plant cell cultivation and secreted protein production☆

A new bioreactor design that allows continuous perfusion cultivation of plant cell suspensions is described in this paper. This design incorporates an internal cell settling zone with an external-loop air-lift bioreactor. The settling zone is created by inserting a baffle plate into the upper portion of the downcomer. Using this bioreactor, Anchusa officinalis suspension culture was cultivated to a cell density of 27.2 g l−1 DW in 14 days at a perfusion rate of 0.123 per day. The maximum total extracellular protein concentration attained 1.11 g l−1. Complete cell retention was achieved throughout the culture during which the maximum packed cell volume (PCV) exceeded 80%. In comparison, the maximum cell density and extracellular protein concentration in the batch culture were 12.6 g l−1 DW and 0.47 g l−1, respectively. SDS-PAGE of the extracellular protein samples revealed two major bands at 58 and 47 kDa, each accounted for approximately 45% of the total secreted proteins.
Chem2Bio2RDF: a semantic framework for linking and data mining chemogenomic and systems chemical biology data

Recently there has been an explosion of new data sources about genes, proteins, genetic variations, chemical compounds, diseases and drugs. Integration of these data sources and the identification of patterns that go across them is of critical interest. Initiatives such as Bio2RDF and LODD have tackled the problem of linking biological data and drug data respectively using RDF. Thus far, the inclusion of chemogenomic and systems chemical biology information that crosses the domains of chemistry and biology has been very limited We have created a single repository called Chem2Bio2RDF by aggregating data from multiple chemogenomics repositories that is cross-linked into Bio2RDF and LODD. We have also created a linked-path generation tool to facilitate SPARQL query generation, and have created extended SPARQL functions to address specific chemical/biological search needs. We demonstrate the utility of Chem2Bio2RDF in investigating polypharmacology, identification of potential multiple pathway inhibitors, and the association of pathways with adverse drug reactions. We have created a new semantic systems chemical biology resource, and have demonstrated its potential usefulness in specific examples of polypharmacology, multiple pathway inhibition and adverse drug reaction - pathway mapping. We have also demonstrated the usefulness of extending SPARQL with cheminformatics and bioinformatics functionality.
Angiographic embolization of an expanding breast hematoma after blunt trauma: a novel approach to a rare injury.

The mandatory use of seat belts has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of injuries and deaths from motor vehicle collisions.1 The number and severity of motor vehicle injuries has significantly decreased with the concomitant increased use of seat belts. Simultaneously, there has been an increase in hollow viscus, mesenteric, and soft tissue injuries from the seat belt itself.2 In women, seat belt injuries present a unique complex of potential injuries, given the location of the shoulder restraint directly over the breast. In a review of the literature, injuries to the breast range from crush to complete avulsion. We hereby present a patient in which blunt trauma to the breast resulted in an expanding hematoma with active arterial bleeding requiring angiographic embolization.
Molecular modeling studies on oxidation of hexopyranoses by galactose oxidase. An active site topology apparently designed to catalyze radical reactions, either concerted or stepwise

Galactose oxidase is a mononuclear copper enzyme which oxidizes primary alcohols to aldehydes using molecular oxygen. A unique type of cross-link between tyrosine 272, an active site copper ligand,...
Self-contained GPS integrity check using maximum solution separation

Previous approaches to the self-contained GPS integrity problem have been in a hypothesis testing setting where the two hypotheses are: (1) a single satellite has failed, or (2) there is no failure. In this setting, selective availability is the major source of noise that impedes the detection scheme’s ability to detect failures and, at the same time, have a low false alarm rate. This paper poses the problem in a different setting where the basic questions posed are: (1) is the radial position error less than some preset bound? or (2) is it greater than that bound? This is a more fundamental approach, because the pilot does not really care where the error comes from; rather, he is only concerned that the radial position error does not exceed a certain specified level. Results of simulations using a 24-satellite constellation and maximum separation of redundant solutions as the test statistic are presented. These results indicate that this scheme could provide radial error protection of about 250 m with acceptably low alarm and miss rates.
Dynamic Stability of Wave-Convection Transport:

A flexible inextensible horizontal belt is assumed to be formed, by closely spaced vertical push rods, into a traveling sine wave. A spherical object resting at the bottom of a trough will tend to be convected with the trough as the wave travels. The dynamic stability of such wave-convection transport is considered. Assuming the wave to be shallow, the governing nonlinear equations are expanded (through second order) in the ‘shallowness parameter’, and thus reduced to a single equation, essentially of forced Duffing type, which is integrated numerically, over the parameter space of practical interest, to yield a stability criterion.
Path planning using 3D Dubins Curve for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

We present a path planning algorithm based on 3D Dubins Curves [1] for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to avoid both static and moving obstacles. A variation of Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) [2] is used as the planner. In tree expansion, branches of the tree are generated by propagating along 3D Dubins Curves. The node sequence of shortest length together with Dubins curves connecting them is selected as the path. When the UAV executes the path, the path is checked for collision with updated obstacles' states. A new path is generated if the previous one is predicted to collide with obstacles. Such checking and replanning loop repeats until the UAV reaches the goal. The algorithm was validated through flight experiments using a small quadrotor UAV. In total, 6 flights to avoid static obstacles, 24 flights to avoid virtual moving obstacles and 20 flights to avoid real moving obstacles were performed. The efficacy of the algorithm was tested in office conditions and a parking structure. In all the situations our algorithm was able to reliably plan paths in real time and command the UAV to avoid obstacles.
Making Packet Erasures to Improve Quality of FEC-Protected Video

Media delivery over lossy packet networks is a challenging problem, and forward error correction (FEC) based techniques are an important technique for overcoming packet loss. Conventional FEC-based media delivery techniques protect all packets equally, or protect a subset of the packets, or protect different subsets of packets with different levels of protection, e.g., scalable coding with unequal error protection (UEP). This paper proposes an FEC-based technique to maximize the expected received media quality by explicitly discarding packets, when beneficial, in order to provide additional room for FEC. Given knowledge of the importance of each packet, we show that there is a simple and intuitive criterion for the optimal selection of which packets to discard and which to protect, as well as the level of protection, to minimize the expected distortion experienced at the receiver. The proposed approach provides significant gains over the conventional approaches, and these gains are illustrated for the case of sending H.264 coded video data over a packet erasure channel with known packet loss rate.
Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers for hemorrhagic shock☆

Hemorrhagic shock is a pathologic state in which intravascular volume and tissue oxygen delivery are impaired, leading to circulatory collapse and cellular ischemia. Resuscitation with hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) is appealing in that their use can both restore intravascular volume and tissue oxygenation, without the limitations in supply and immunomodulatory effects of packed red blood cells. However, the development of safe and effective agents has been elusive. In this article, we briefly discuss the major limitations of traditional resuscitative fluids which have driven the continued interest in HBOCs. We then review the history of early HBOC development and the modern understanding of their mechanisms of toxicity, which has informed the rational design of second-generation agents. Finally, we provide an overview of these second-generation HBOCs that are under active investigation or have recently completed phase 3 clinical trials.
Label-free detection of cytokines using optical microcavities

Ultra-high-Q microresonators have demonstrated sensitive and specific chemical and biological detection. The sensitivity is derived from the long photon lifetime inside the cavity and specificity is achieved through surface functionalization. Here, ultra-high-Q microcavities demonstrate label-free, single molecule detection of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in fetal bovine serum (FBS). IL-2 is a cytokine released in response to immune system activation. The surface of the microtoroids was sensitized using anti-IL-2. The detection mechanism relies upon a thermo-optic mechanism to enhance resonant wavelength shifts induced through binding of a molecule.
The role of financial incentives in utility-sponsored residential conservation programs: A review of customer surveys

Abstract A number of utility programs are encouraging residential customers to invest in energy-efficient equipment by providing financial incentives for these actions. Subsidized loans are the most common type of incentive offered by utility programs, although discounts, rebates, lower rates, and free materials or labor also have been provided. Given the large sums involved in utility loan programs, an understanding of the impact of these financial incentives on retrofit investment decisions has a high potential policy value. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence on this issue and to suggest ways that additional evidence can be obtained.
SOME PROPERTIES AND USES OF TORSIONAL OVERLAP INTEGRALS

Author Institution: Optical Technology Division, National institute of Standards and Technology
Cellular senescence and organismal ageing in the absence of p21CIP1/WAF1 in ku80−/− mice

Ku80 is important in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by its essential function in non-homologous end-joining. The absence of Ku80 causes the accumulation of DNA damage and leads to premature ageing in mice. We showed that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from ku80−/− mice senesced rapidly with elevated levels of p53 and p21. Deletion of p21 delayed the early senescence phenotype in ku80−/− MEFs, despite an otherwise intact response of p53. In contrast to ku80−/−p53−/− mice, which die rapidly primarily from lymphomas, there was no significant increase in tumorigenesis in ku80−/−p21−/− mice. However, ku80−/−p21−/− mice showed no improvement with respect to rough fur coat or osteopaenia, and even showed a shortened lifespan compared with ku80−/− mice. These results show that the increased lifespan of ku80−/− MEFs owing to the loss of p21 is not associated with an improvement of the premature ageing phenotypes of ku80−/− mice observed at the organismal level.
Neuropsychological Test Findings in Subjects With Leukoaraiosis

• Focal periventricular white-matter changes (leukoaraiosis) have been identified incidentally on brain imaging in normal healthy individuals and more commonly in the elderly and in hypertensive individuals. It has been suggested that leukoaraiosis represents the early stages of Binswanger's leukoencephalopathy, a dementing process thought to be related to hypertensive cerebrovascular disease. To test this hypothesis, extensive neuropsychological tests were administered to 50 consecutive normotensive, middleaged, healthy volunteers. Ten subjects (20%) had white-matter changes on magnetic resonance scans; 40 subjects (80%) had normal scans. The differences observed on neuropsychological testing between subjects with and without leukoaraiosis were not significant. While this study argues against a link between leukoaraiosis and dementia, prospective longitudinal studies are needed to determine the value of leukoaraiosis in predicting future cognitive decline.
Compactness Properties of the DG and CG Time Stepping Schemes for Parabolic Equations

For a broad class of parabolic equations it is shown that numerical solutions computed using the discontinuous Galerkin or the continuous Galerkin time stepping schemes of arbitrary order will inherit the compactness properties of the underlying equation. Convergence of numerical schemes for a phase field approximation of the flow of two fluids with surface tension is presented to illustrate these results.
A tissue culture technique for the clonal propagation of onion using immature flower buds.

Abstract A tissue culture technique was developed to rapidly obtain large numbers of plants from selected individual plants. Immature flower buds were taken from unopened spathes and cultured on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.5 mg l−1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 5.0 mg l−1 benzylamino purine (BA). About 10% of the flower buds adventitiously gave rise to shoots and 70% developed into deformed flowers which produced a greater number of shoots than those arising adventitiously. This technique provided a ≥ 2-fold increase over previously reported methods and made it possible to produce genetic-cytoplasmic male sterile parental plants in sufficient numbers for commercial hybrid seed production.
Radiative transport in hot glass

Abstract Transfer of heat by radiation in hot glass plays an important role in glass melting and glass forming operations. Cases of practical importance are of wide variety owing to changes of temperature, of the infrared absorption spectrum, and of the thickness of the material.
A framework for real-time fault detection and diagnosis using temporal data

Abstract Successful real-time sensor-based fault detection and diagnosis in large and complex systems is seldom achieved by operators. The lack of an effective method for handling temporal data is one of several key problems in this area. A methodology is introduced which advantageously uses temporal data in performing fault diagnosis in a subsystem of a Navy ship propulsion system. The methodology is embedded in a computer program designed to be used as a decision aid to assist the operator. It utilizes machine learning, is able to cope with uncertainty at several levels, and works in real-time. Program performance data is presented and analysed. The approach illustrates how relatively simple existing techniques can be assembled into more powerful real-time diagnostic tools.
INHIBITION AND REVERSAL OF SWELLING OF RAT HEART SARCOSOMES BY REDUCED DIPHOSPHOPYRIDINE NUCLEOTIDE.

ADENOSINE triphosphate (ATP) has been known for some time to inhibit or reverse the swelling of isolated rat liver mitochondria1–5. Contraction by ATP of sarcosomes from pigeon-breast muscle6 and from rat heart7 has also been reported. The results hitherto available suggested that the contraction of mitochondrial particles is unique to ATP, since triphosphates of other nucleotides were found to be ineffective4. As an outcome of investigations on the swelling-contraction characteristics of rat heart sarcosomes it has now been found that while diphospho-pyridine nucleotide (DPN) is a powerful inducer of particulate swelling8,9, the reduced nucleotide (DPNH) is as effective as ATP to contract swollen sarcosomes.
Deviation from the inverse‐thickness relation in gas‐metal permeation

The permeation rate of hydrogen through cylindrical membranes of type 321 stainless steel was determined under a wide range of conditions. The pressure was varied from 0.1 to 30.0 atm. and the temperature from 300° to 800°C. Four permeation membranes were used with wall thicknesses of 0.0252, 0.1003, 0.1011, and 0.2475 cm. The permeation rate was found to deviate from the square-root-of-pressure and inverse-thickness relations predicted by the Richardson equation. Slow surface reactions are considered to be the cause of the observed deviations. The permeation data were correlated by a semiempirical interfacial resistance model. Permeation rates were observed to increase with time of membrane exposure to hydrogen. It is believed this resulted from changing surface activity.
Role of Familiarity in Structuring Male–Male Social Interactions in the Cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae)

We examined the influence of prior social experience on the outcome of agonistic interactions between male Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa (Schaum). Males were placed randomly in pairs and allowed to form stable dominance-subordinance associations (original pairs). Two types of social conditions were then examined. Treatment pairs were composed of either familiar males (the males were re-paired with the same male that they had interacted with previously) or unfamiliar individuals (males were paired with a male that they had not interacted with previously). Males in familiar pairs maintained their rank during subsequent interactions. However, males in unfamiliar pairs lost their rank, indicating that familiarity of the opponent and not past experience of winning or losing an encounter determined the outcome of interactions. We also compared the behavior of individual males in the treatment groups with their behavior in the original pairings. Previously dominant males decreased their levels of aggression and hissed less when interacting with unfamiliar opponents. Previously subordinate males were more aggressive and hissed more in unfamiliar pairs. As a result, overall levels of behavior displayed in pairs of males did not differ. Aggression and hissing appear to be important in the maintenance, rather than the establishment, of relationships between G. portentosa males. We also discuss the possibility that agonistic hissing functions in individual discrimination rather than as a status cue.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw in a patient taking once-yearly infusion of zoledronic acid for osteopenia

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is an adverse effect of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates. Advancing age, intravenous administration of zoledronic acid (ZOL), history of dento-alveolar surgery, and concomitant systemic diseases such as diabetes are known as risk factors for developing ONJ. However, despite numerous studies, the exact pathophysiology remains unclear and management strategies are largely anecdotal. Once-yearly intravenously administered 5 mg ZOL was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for the treatment of osteoporosis and its efficacy with 3 year-regimen had been recently proven in preventing new clinical fracture. Although occurrences of ONJ have been reported to be rare with this drug administration, available data is very limited and long-term outcomes are lacking. We present a case of ONJ identified in an osteopenic patient with an intermittent but long standing sore mouth related to exposed mandibular bone. Once-yearly infusion of zoledronic acid used in the treatment of osteopenia may contribute to the spontaneous development of ONJ, especially in those presenting with multiple comorbidity factors. This report suggests the importance of health care professionals keeping abreast of new developments in this area and providing appropriate information to their patients.
Management of the small renal mass: what is the most reasonable option?

With the advent of cross-sectional imaging, more incidental renal masses are being detected. Although larger tumors are occasionally detected, most masses detected incidentally are small renal mass...
Effects of high dose proton irradiation on the electrical performance of ZnO Schottky diodes

Bulk ZnO Schottky rectifiers with Pt rectifying contacts were exposed to 40 MeV protons at fluences from 5 x 109 to 5 x 10 10 cm -2 . These doses correspond to that received in more than 10 or 100 years, respectively, in low earth satellite orbit. The reverse breakdown voltage of the ZnO diodes increased from ∼3.2 V (taken at a current density of 0.1 A/cm2) in unirradiated devices to ∼3.9 V after the highest proton dose. The effective barrier height decreased with proton dose from 0.37 eV to 0.35 eV while the diode ideality factor increased from 1.8 to 1.9 for the 5 × 10 10 dose. The very high tolerance of the ZnO diodes to high doses of energetic protons suggests that this material is well-suited to applications requiring high radiation tolerance.
Production of scalar-quarkonium in t-quarkonium radiative decays.

We consider the production of the $^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$ bound state of scalar top quarks in the radiative decays of $^{3}\mathrm{S}_{1}$ t-quarkonium. We find that branching ratios as large as 0.1% can be obtained for certain supersymmetric-particle masses.
Some Aspects Of Neutral To Right Priors

Summary Neutral to right priors are generalizations of Dirichlet process priors that fit in well with right-censored data. These priors are naturally induced by increasing processes with independent increments which, in turn, may be viewed as priors for the cumulative hazard function. This connection together with the Levy representation of independent increment processes provides a convenient means of studying properties of neutral to right priors. This article is a review of the theoretical aspects of neutral to right priors and provides a number of new results on their structural properties. Notable among the new results are characterizations of neutral to right priors in terms of the posterior and the cumulative hazard function. We also show that neutral to right priors are of the following nature: Consistency of Bayes' estimates implies consistency of the posterior, and posterior-consistency for complete observations automatically yields posterior-consistency for right-censored data.
Disruption of kinesin II function using a dominant negative-acting transgene in Xenopus laevis rods results in photoreceptor degeneration.

PURPOSE. Kinesin II is a motor protein that moves on microtubules and whose importance in ciliary and flagellar transport has been well documented. In the current study, the role of kinesin II in rod photoreceptors was examined by expressing a dominant negative-acting transgene that disrupts kinesin II function in Xenopus laevis rods of transgenic tadpoles. METHODS. A previously characterized dominant negative-acting kinesin II transgene tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) driven by the Xenopus rod opsin promoter was used to make Xenopus transgenic tadpoles to disrupt kinesin II function specifically in rod photoreceptors. Transgenic tadpole retinas were examined to ascertain transgene expression pattern and morphologic phenotype. Rod-to-cone ratios were determined in experimental and control retinas. RESULTS. Visualized by its EGFP tag, the kinesin II transgene was expressed in rods in a mosaic pattern in the retina. Subcellular localization of transgenic kinesin II was similar to that of endogenous kinesin II subunit photoreceptor expression—that is, it was localized to the connecting cilium, inner segment, and synapse. However, in kinesin II transgene‐expressing animals, fluorescence was transient. Ocular fluorescence was lost 6 days after its first detection. The disappearance of fluorescence was due to degeneration of rods expressing the transgene. Retinas of 7- to 9-day old kinesin II transgenic tadpoles had significantly fewer rods than did control retinas. CONCLUSIONS. The observation that rod degeneration is produced by expression of a dominant negative-acting kinesin II transgene in Xenopus rods is consistent with previous studies in mice, suggesting that kinesin II function is required for photoreceptor survival. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44: 3614‐3621) DOI:10.1167/iovs.03-0164
T-Cell Profile in Adipose Tissue Is Associated With Insulin Resistance and Systemic Inflammation in Humans

Objective— The biological mechanisms linking obesity to insulin resistance have not been fully elucidated. We have shown that insulin resistance or glucose intolerance in diet-induced obese mice is related to a shift in the ratio of pro- and anti-inflammatory T cells in adipose tissue. We sought to test the hypothesis that the balance of T-cell phenotypes would be similarly related to insulin resistance in human obesity. Approach and Results— Healthy overweight or obese human subjects underwent adipose-tissue biopsies and quantification of insulin-mediated glucose disposal by the modified insulin suppression test. T-cell subsets were quantified by flow cytometry in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Results showed that CD4 and CD8 T cells infiltrate both depots, with proinflammatory T-helper (Th)-1, Th17, and CD8 T cells, significantly more frequent in VAT as compared with SAT. T-cell profiles in SAT and VAT correlated significantly with one another and with peripheral blood. Th1 frequency in SAT and VAT correlated directly, whereas Th2 frequency in VAT correlated inversely, with plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations. Th2 in both depots and peripheral blood was inversely associated with systemic insulin resistance. Furthermore, Th1 in SAT correlated with plasma interleukin-6. Relative expression of associated cytokines, measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction, reflected flow cytometry results. Most notably, adipose tissue expression of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 was inversely associated with insulin resistance. Conclusions— CD4 and CD8 T cells populate human adipose tissue and the relative frequency of Th1 and Th2 are highly associated with systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. These findings point to the adaptive immune system as a potential mediator between obesity and insulin resistance or inflammation. Identification of antigenic stimuli in adipose tissue may yield novel targets for treatment of obesity-associated metabolic disease. # Significance {#article-title-25}
Phosphatidylmyoinositol monomannoside in Propionibacterium shermanii.

Certain morphological (1) and physiological (2) similarities between the genera Mycobacterium and Propionibacterium indicate a phylogenetic and taxonomic relationship. This is supported by chemical evidence, in particular similarities in cell wall constituents (3), in DNA structure (2) and in the presence of large amounts of free trehalose in both organisms (4, 5). We have reported on the characterization (6) and biosynthesis (7, 8) of the mannophosphoinositides of Mycobacterium species, lipids which have been detected mainly in the Actinomycetales. In this note, evidence in presented for the presence in and the biosynthesis by Propionibacterium shermanii of phosphatidylmyoinositol monomannoside (monomannophosphoinositide). This is further evidence for a close relationship between these organisms.
Links between adolescent sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system functioning and interpersonal behavior over time

Extensive research has investigated links between individual differences in youths' autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning and psychological outcomes related to emotion regulation, yet little of this research has examined developmental change. The study tested whether individual differences in youths' tonic and stress-induced ANS functioning, assessed at age 14, and changes in ANS functioning from age 14 to 16 predicted corresponding changes in youths' behavioral warmth, as displayed during videotaped mother-child conflict interactions conducted at age 14 and 16. Increased behavioral warmth was predicted by increased baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), increased SCL stress reactivity, decreased RSA stress reactivity (i.e., greater vagal suppression), and decreased baseline SCL. There was also an interaction between RSA stress reactivity at age 14 and changes in maternal warmth from age 14 to 16, such that increased maternal warmth was only associated with increased adolescent warmth for adolescents with lower RSA stress reactivity at age 14.
Does epidural analgesia cause dystocia

Abstract Study Objective : To analyze the effects of epidural analgesia for labor when dystocia occurs. Design : Retrospective cohort study. Setting : Academic health center. Patients : 641 low risk, nulliparous women in spontaneous labor. Interventions : 406 (63%) women received epidurals analgesia and 253 (37%) did not. Sixty women (9.4%) required an abdominal delivery for dystocia. Measurements and Main Results : Women receiving epidural analgesia were more likely to be white, receive care from an attending physician, need labor augmentation, and deliver a heavier infant. Multivariate analysis identified five variables predictive of dystocia and abdominal delivery: pitocin augmentation odds ratio (O.R.) = 3.9 (2.0 to 7.6), duration of labor more than 20 hours O.R. = 2.4 (1.3 to 4.4), high epidural dose O.R. = 2.2 (1.2 to 4.1), birthweight over 4,000 grams O.R. = 2.0 (1.0 to 4.2), and early placement of epidural O.R. = 1.9 (1.0 to 3.5). Repeating the regression after excluding the 20 women who developed abnormal labor prior to epidural placement (18 of 20 women had protracted dilatation) demonstrated that pitocin augmentation O.R. = 4.0 (1.8 to 4.), high epidural dose O.R. = 3.0 (1.9 to 6.2), duration of labor greater than 20 hours O.R. = 2.7 (1.3 to 5.7), and birthweight over 4,000 grams O.R. = 2.1 (0.9 to 4.8) were associated with dystocia. Conclusion : Epidural analgesia appears to be a marker of abnormal labor rather than a cause of dystocia. High concentration anesthetics and epinephrine should be avoided, as they may influence labor. Randomized, controlled trials of this technique will be difficult to do; our work should reassure patients and their clinicians that epidural analgesia does not adversely affect labor.
Intracranial Pressure Signal Morphology: Real-Time Tracking

The waveform morphology of intracranial pressure (ICP) pulses holds essential information about intracranial and cerebrovascular pathophysiologies. Automatic analysis of the ICP waveforms may help to predict abnormal increase of ICP and thus prevent severe complications in patients treated for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). This article describes a probabilistic framework to track the ICP waveform morphology in real time. The model represents the correlation between different ICP morphological metrics extracted within a single pulse as well as the temporal dependence of metrics extracted between successive pulses. Morphological tracking is solved using Bayesian inference in a dynamic graphical model that associates a random variable to each morphological metric.
Targeting signal transduction in pancreatic cancer treatment

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with a 5-year survival rate of 4%. The only opportunity for improved survival continues to be complete surgical resection for those with localized disease. Although chemotherapeutic options are limited for the few patients with resectable disease, this problem is even more magnified in the majority (85%) of patients with unresectable or metastastic disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved therapeutic options. The recent success of inhibitors of signal transduction for the treatment of other cancers supports the need to identify and validate aberrant signaling pathways important for pancreatic tumor growth. This review focuses on the validation of specific signaling networks and the present status of inhibitors of these pathways as therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer treatment.
ADULT ENDOPYELOTOMY: IMPACT OF ETIOLOGY AND ANTEGRADE VERSUS RETROGRADE APPROACH ON OUTCOME

AbstractPurpose: We evaluate our experience with endopyelotomy for ureteropelvic junction obstruction by stratifying the results of an antegrade versus a retrograde approach for primary, secondary, calculi related, high insertion and impaired renal function related obstruction, individually.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed results of 149 nonradomized patients treated for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, of whom 83 underwent antegrade percutaneous endopyelotomy using a right angle Greenwald electrode and 66 underwent retrograde endopyelotomy using a cutting balloon device. Subjective results were based on an analog pain scale, objective results on renal scan, excretory urography or Whitaker test and cost-effectiveness analysis on total treatment cost.Results: In both primary and secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction, retrograde endopyelotomy was related to a significantly shorter operating room time and hospital stay (p < 0.05). When treating noncalculous primary ureteropelvic j...
The importance of blood lactate clearance as a predictor of early mortality following the modified Norwood procedure

Objective: Optimisation of Norwood physiology, with focus on systemic perfusion, has beneficial effects on haemodynamic stability and perioperative mortality following the Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Early identification of high-risk patients during the postoperative phase might allow for institution of alternative management strategies with the possibility of avoiding poor outcome. Several studies have suggested that arterial blood lactate level, as an index of systemic perfusion and oxygen delivery, can to some extent predict mortality following paediatric cardiac surgery, though these studies have included heterogeneous groups of patients with only few Norwood patients. We sought to determine whether the blood lactate profile could be used to derive a simple, clinically applicable decision algorithm to direct therapy in a pre-emptive manner and perhaps identify patients for elective extracorporeal life support following the Norwood procedure. Methods: We retrospectively analysed all patients at our institution who had undergone modified Norwood procedures between March 2002 and May 2008. All patients had received right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduits. Patients with systemic-pulmonary shunts were excluded. Outcome measures included 7-day and 30-day mortality. Serial arterial blood lactate measurements were taken in all patients for at least 72 h. Conditional inference tree modelling was used to determine the discriminatory value of the lactate profile and other pre- and intra-operative risk factors in terms of selecting survivors. Results: As many as 221 patients were included. The 7-day ICU mortality was 26/219 (11.8%) with total 30-day mortality of 35/219 (15.8%). There were 21 interstage deaths. Mortality modelling demonstrated that an inability to clear blood lactate levels to <6.76 mmol l 1 within the first 24 h was highly discriminatory in terms of predicting death within the first 30 days. A total of 11 out of 12 patients in this group died. Other risk factors examined, including weight, ascending aorta size, cardiopulmonary bypass and ischaemic times, were not as predictive in our model. Conclusion: We have identified minimum blood lactate level within the first 24 h after the Sano—Norwood procedure as a highly discriminatory predictor of perioperative mortality. These patients might benefit from elective institution of early mechanical circulatory
Pediatric Tracheal Stenosis

Tracheal stenosis is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition described as innate narrowing of the tracheal lumen. The causes of tracheal stenosis vary widely. The most common forms result from prolonged intubation, although congenital causes usually involve complete tracheal rings or compression from cardiovascular malformations. The condition historically has harbored a poor prognosis, but significant advances in radiologic diagnosis, cardiac bypass, and endoscopic and surgical treatments have led to a range of options, better overall survival, and reduced morbidity. The complex, long-term manifestations of tracheal stenosis point to the need for individualized treatment as well as multidisciplinary care.
Fission Yield Measurements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry

Correct prediction of the fission products inventory in irradiated nuclear fuels is essential for accurate estimation of fuel burnup, establishing proper requirements for spent fuel transportation and storage, materials accountability and nuclear forensics. Such prediction is impossible without accurate knowledge of neutron induced fission yields. The uncertainty of the fission yields reported in the ENDF/B-VII.0 library is not uniform across all of the data and much of the improvement is desired for certain fissioning isotopes and fission products. We discuss our measurements of cumulative fission yields in nuclear fuels irradiated in thermal and fast reactor spectra using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.
The paths to mental health: An exploratory study of husbands and wives in dual‐career families

This exploratory study tried to trace the links among three sets of exogenous variables—individual differences, work and non-work factors—two endogenous variables—job satisfaction and life satisfaction, and the dependent variable, mental health, for husbands and wives in dual-earner families to see if there were differences in the paths for the two groups. Data were collected from 166 non-traditional families and the 332 responses were analysed to establish the links. It was found in this cross-sectional study that, while both job satisfaction and life satisfaction had direct influences on the mental health of the husbands, such was not the case for the wives. For the wives, life satisfaction and two of the exogenous variables—multiple role stress and number of children—had significant direct links to their mental health. The implications of the findings of this exploratory cross-sectional study for future research in the area are discussed.
Optimal regulation of flexible structures governed by hybrid dynamics

The author considers the problem of optimal control of flexible structures governed by a coupled system of ordinary differential equations and hyperbolic partial differential equations (hybrid dynamics). He presents necessary conditions for determining the control torque and control forces for optimal regulation of the structure along with simultaneous suppression of its elastic vibrations. Illustrative numerical results for the control of a one-link flexible robot are presented. >
Effects of hindlimb unloading and bisphosphonates on the serum proteome of rats

Hindlimb unloading has been used as a model for bone loss associated with extended bed rest or space travel. However, this model also reduces muscle mass and influences other biological systems. To evaluate the impact of hindlimb unloading on bone and overall health, we applied 2-D gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based proteomics to serum samples collected from 24 5-month-old female rats that were treated for 2 weeks under three conditions: control, hindlimb unloading (HU) and unloading plus bisphosphonate (HUA) (n=8/group). Prior to the intervention, rats were injected with 3H-tetracycline to label bone surfaces. At the end of the experiment bone, urine, and serum samples were collected. As expected, HU reduced femur aBMD and BMC and increased daily urinary 3H-tetracycline (a measure of bone resorption rate) and these effects were reversed by bisphosphonate. In addition, serum osteocalcin and TRAP5b were decreased in the HUA compared to control and HU. Abundant proteins, albumin, IgG and transferrin were removed from serum samples prior to 2-DE analysis (n=5 analytical replicates). Statistical analysis of spot intensities revealed 53 differentially expressed spots among the 3 groups. Cluster analysis shows that 30 spots reflect changes unique to the HU group (i.e. potential bone biomarkers), 6 unique to HUA (i.e. drug related), and 17 common to HU and HUA (e.g. potential mental stress or muscle loss markers). Spots were identified by LC-MS/MS after in-gel trypsin digestion and were found to relate to a variety of physiological functions.
The tides of EDA

The 40th anniversary of the design automation conference with a keynote lecture intended to place in perspective the most relevant research results presented at DAC in all these years and to identify trends and challenges for the future of electronic design automation (EDA). EDA is a unique, wonderful field where research, innovation, and business have come together for many years, as demonstrated by its accomplishments over the past 40 years.