cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Elimination of Routine Screening Laboratory Tests for Psychiatric Admission: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Objective:Research has shown that routine screening laboratory tests for patients with mental health symptoms admitted to psychiatry units find little unexpected clinical abnormalities. This study ...
NVH Performance of Direct Flux Controlled Switched Reluctance Machine

This paper introduces a novel direct flux control method to drive switched reluctance machines (SRM). The needed flux waveform for each phase is obtained to produce the desired torque with minimum torque and radial force ripple. The voltage level is adjusted through a flux generation block to achieve a uniform machine performance over a wide speed and torque range. 2D and 3D Multi-physics Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations have been performed to evaluate the vibration and acoustic noise performance of the proposed SRM drive method. Simulation results show that the proposed method makes a ripple-free torque possible in addition to improved NVH performance.
Matching the forecast horizon with the relevant ecological processes

Abstract Most models used to generate ecological forecasts take either a time-series approach, based on long-term data from one location, or a space-for-time approach, based on data describing spatial patterns across environmental gradients. Here we consider how the forecast horizon determines whether the most accurate predictions come from the time-series approach, the space-for-time approach, or a combination of the two. We use two simulation case studies to show that forecasts for short and long-time scales need to focus on different ecological processes, which are reflected in different kinds of data. In the short-term, dynamics reflect initial conditions and fast processes such as birth and death, and the phenomenological time-series approach makes the best predictions. In the long-term, dynamics reflect the additional influence of slower processes such as evolutionary and ecological selection, colonization and extinction, which the space-for-time approach can effectively capture. At intermediate time-scales, a weighted average of the two approaches shows promise. However, making this weighted model operational will require new research to predict the rate at which slow processes begin to influence dynamics.
Understanding Loan Default Among Community College Students

Objective: The purpose of our study was to identify the factors associated with federal loan default among a nationally-representative sample of community college students. The guiding research que...
Contralateral Axillary Metastasis in Patients with Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Nearly one-third of patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) present with de novo stage IV disease. There are limited data on frequency and clinical outcomes of contralateral axillary metastasis (CAM) in IBC with no consensus diagnostic and treatment guidelines. Frequency of synchronous CAM was calculated in unilateral IBC patients at a single center (10/2004–6/2019). Clinicopathologic variables, diagnostic evaluation, treatment received, and overall survival (OS) were assessed and compared. Of 588 unilateral IBC patients, 49 (8.3%) had synchronous CAM. Of these, 32 (65.3%) also presented with metastatic disease at another distant site. CAM was not associated with age, tumor laterality, breast cancer subtype, grade, or cN stage (p > 0.05). The sensitivity/specificity to detect CAM was as follows: mammography (18.2%/99.2%), ultrasound (92.3%/95.5%), PET (90.1/99.1%), and MRI (76.0%/98.6%). Following systemic therapy, 22 patients had contralateral axillary surgery, and 18 received adjuvant contralateral nodal radiation. On multivariable analysis including tumor receptor subtypes, patients with stage IV-isolated CAM has statistically similar survival to stage III patients (HR 1.37, 95% CI 0.70–2.69, p = 0.36). Patients with Stage IV non-CAM (HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.66–2.85, p < 0.001) and stage IV-CAM plus other distant metastasis (HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.59–4.16, p < 0.001) had higher risk of death (reference: stage III disease). CAM in IBC was diagnosed in 8.3% of patients at presentation and was best identified by ultrasound and PET. We recommend routine contralateral axillary ultrasound as part of staging for all IBC patients. Diagnosis of CAM is a key first step toward much-needed prospective clinical trials evaluating management and outcomes of CAM in IBC.
Where to for Climate Justice and Social Work Advocacy? Connect, Dialogue, and Multisolve

The climate crisis is here and an urgent matter for social justice. Prominent social work advocacy for climate justice is growing, though still rare. With the climate denial and environmental protection rollbacks of the Trump administration (2017–2021) behind us, and with the Biden-Harris administration’s (2021–present) early commitments to climate action, where to for social work advocacy for climate justice? This essay focuses on the need and opportunities for social workers to “connect the dots” for how climate change intersects with a range of areas of work, engage in dialogue across difference to build alliances, and multisolve for climate justice together.
Tailoring optical properties of “origami” graphene-covered photonic gratings

Due to the negative coefficient of thermal expansion of graphene, temperature changes of graphene-coated photonic surfaces could induce changes in diffractive optical absorption and emission. The modification of optical properties of “origami” folding of graphene covering a plasmonic metal channel grating tailor cavity resonance emission.
On the Thrust Hypothesis for the Jet Flap Including Jet-Mixing Effects

This paper is concerned with the thrust generated by a jet flap. It is shown that a "linear" thrust hypothesis can be obtained, provided linearized potential flow is assumed. In fact, the linearized problem of a jet-flap system is found to be the linear combination of a lift problem and a thrust problem. The lift problem gives all the lift generated, but it is of interest to note that the thrust problem would yield all the thrust developed by the jet flap within the limitation of the linearized theory. The mixing of the jet flap with the surrounding fluid is analyzed by the momentum-integral method. The analysis substantiates Stratford's suggestion for obtaining an increase of thrust by causing the jet to mix with the main stream in a region of high suction. Finally, some approximate formulas, relating the thrust and the jet angle, are derived. The drag of the airfoil section and other viscous effects are, however, not considered.
Assuring RN competency in central line catheter care

The culture of healthcare is evolving and patients are expecting high quality, effective care from competent practitioners. This brings to light the challenge of maintaining and assuring competency in healthcare providers. The goal of this project was to identify the most effective, cost-conscious method for improving nurses’ competency in central line care. Competency-based education using low-fidelity simulation was found to improve competency in nursing practice, leading to safer care, less hospital-acquired infections, and cost savings for the patient and the healthcare organization. This article highlights the importance of maintaining competency to improve patient outcomes and includes recommendations for use of low-fidelity simulation in central line care.
AIDS Panic in the Twenty-First Century: The Tenuous Legal Status of HIV-Positive Persons in America.

Thirty-four states criminalize HIV in some way, whether by mandating disclosure of one’s HIV status to all sexual partners or by deeming the saliva of HIV-positive persons a “deadly weapon.” In this paper, we argue that HIV-specific criminal laws are rooted in historical prejudice against HIV-positive persons as a class. While purporting to promote public health goals, these laws instead legally sanction discrimination against a class of persons.
Predictive factors of acculturation attitudes and social support among Asian immigrants in the USA

This study examines acculturation attitude and its relation to social support among Asian immigrants. The data were collected from 242 Korean, Indian and Filipino immigrants in the USA using the Acculturation Attitude Scale and the Social Support Index. Findings showed that Koreans had a less positive attitude toward acculturation than did Indian and Filipino participants. Acculturation attitude was positively correlated with educational level and English fluency. This study also found a negative correlation between acculturation attitude and social support. Social support from friends and English fluency were identified as significant predictor variables in determining the level of acculturation attitude. These findings not only contribute to social work education and practice, but also increase cultural sensitivity and awareness in working with these populations.
Detecting Novel Classes with Applications to Fault Diagnosis

Existing empirical learning algorithms such as decision trees and neural networks usually measure the quality of the learned model in terms of classification error. However, as machine learning algorithms are adapted for practical applications, other aspects of classifier performance can become critically important. In particular, in this paper, we consider the problem of designing a classifier that can be designed to reject classes which it has not been trained on. This is a significant practical problem in domains such as fault diagnosis. In essence, the learned model must know the boundaries of its own experience. The problem is formalised using a probabilistic model and we describe a new learning algorithm based on ideas from statistical kernel density estimation and mixture models. Empirical results for a NASA fault diagnosis task are reported which demonstrate that the new model can identify data from novel classes where conventional classifiers fail to do so.
University of Texas at Austin KBP 2013 Slot Filling System: Bayesian Logic Programs for Textual Inference

This document describes the University of Texas at Austin 2013 system for the Knowledge Base Population (KBP) English Slot Filling (SF) task. The UT Austin system builds upon the output of an existing relation extractor by augmenting relations that are explicitly stated in the text with ones that are inferred from the stated relations using probabilistic rules that encode commonsense world knowledge. Such rules are learned from linked open data and are encoded in the form of Bayesian Logic Programs (BLPs), a statistical relational learning framework based on directed graphical models. In this document, we describe our methods for learning these rules, estimating their associated weights, and performing probabilistic and logical inference to infer unseen relations. In the KBP SF task, our system was able to infer several unextracted relations, but its performance was limited by the base level extractor.
Prediction of the population at risk for atherothrombotic disease.

It is possible to predict the population at risk for atherothrombotic disease (ATD) with high accuracy using only three risk factors: dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking and hypertension. Using a global risk factor graph with the cholesterol retention fraction (CRF, or [low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein cholesterol]/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) on the vertical axis and systolic blood pressure (SBP) on the horizontal axis, a threshold line can be drawn using CRF-SBP plots (0.74, 100) and (0.49, 140). Eighty-five per cent of all ATD patients in the Bowling Green Study database were observed to lie above this threshold line. Of the 15% of ATD patients with CRF-SBP plots below the threshold line, most were cigarette smokers, leaving only 6% of patients with ATD in the Bowling Green Study database whose risk for ATD could not be predicted by CRF-SBP plot position above the threshold line and/or cigarette smoking status.
How do they do Wnt they do?: regulation of transcription by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Wnt/β-catenin signalling is known to play many roles in metazoan development and tissue homeostasis. Misregulation of the pathway has also been linked to many human diseases. In this review, specific aspects of the pathway's involvement in these processes are discussed, with an emphasis on how Wnt/β-catenin signalling regulates gene expression in a cell and temporally specific manner. The T-cell factor (TCF) family of transcription factors, which mediate a large portion of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, will be discussed in detail. Invertebrates contain a single TCF gene that contains two DNA-binding domains, the high mobility group (HMG) domain and the C-clamp, which increases the specificity of DNA binding. In vertebrates, the situation is more complex, with four TCF genes producing many isoforms that contain the HMG domain, but only some of which possess a C-clamp. Vertebrate TCFs have been reported to act in concert with many other transcription factors, which may explain how they obtain sufficient specificity for specific DNA sequences, as well as how they achieve a wide diversity of transcriptional outputs in different cells.
Freedom descriptions: a way to find figures that approximate given points

Abstract A method is proposed to find the approximate shape of the points collected by the tactile sensor of a robot manipulator. Some of the figures considered are the rectangle, circle, parallelogram, and triangle. Many more figures can be handled because the system uses figure descriptions in terms of the degrees of freedom of the figure. These “freedom descriptions” may be considered a language for the definition of simple two dimensional figures.
Jejunal cAMP-activated sodium secretion via deconjugated bile salts and fatty acids.

Abstract Jejunal cAMP-activated sodium secretion associated with in vivo intraluminal bile salts and free fatty acid accumulation in the small bowel was studied. Wistar rats (70–90 g) were treated with mecamylamine HCl (20 mg/kg twice daily, × 3 days); this ganglionic blocking agent allows bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel with colonic anaerobes. Controls were given 0.9% NaCl. Half of each group was fed 4% cholestyramine resin in a commercial lab chow; the other half received the same diet without this resin. The contents of the small intestine were assayed for free fatty acids, bile salts, and enterotoxin activity. Jejunal sodium and 3- O -methyl- d -glucose transport rates were assessed by in vivo perfusions. Jejunal mucosa was studied for ATPases and cAMP. Mecamylamine-treated rats had significantly higher jejunal luminal concentrations of free fatty acids and bile salts. Deconjugated bile salts were notably elevated, principally cholate. There was no enterotoxic activity detectable. Mecamylamine treatment was also associated with jejunal sodium secretion and a three-fold increase in mucosal cAMP concentrations, while control rats absorbed sodium and had no alterations in cAMP levels. Dietary cholestyramine treatment ameliorated the intestinal derangements induced by mecamylamine. Resin-treated rats had reduced luminal free fatty acids and deconjugated bile salts, while sodium was absorbed in the jejunum and mucosal cAMP levels were comparable to controls. Mecamylamine treatment did not alter (Na + -K + )-ATPase activity or jejunal transport of 3- O -methyl- d -glucose at a 4 m m concentration. These data indicate that during small bowel overgrowth with colonic bacteria following mecamylamine treatment in rats, there is a cAMP-mediated sodium secretion associated with increased luminal free fatty acids and deconjugated bile salts.
An Appreciation of David A. Dillard

David A. Dillard was born and raised in Missouri, and graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla with BS (1976) and MS (1978) degrees in Engineering Mechanics. Initially, he worked as an engin...
Application of nitrogen in a cobalt-silicide-forming system

Abstract Implanted nitrogen exhibited an interesting fast diffusion in cobalt films evaporated onto a crystalline silicon substrate. A nitride barrier layer forms at the CoSi interface with a saturation areal density of 0.85 × 1016 N cm-2 and prevents reaction between cobalt and silicon for annealing temperatures up to 550°C. A CoNi shallow contact structure was tested using this nitride barrier. A contact resistivity of 1.42 ± 0.25 μΩ cm -2 was obtained. Nitrogen implanted into silicon inhibits the silicon flux which is responsible for CoSi growth. Nitrogen redistribution and preferential growth of Co2Si over CoSi was observed. These results are explained based on the dominant moving species involved during the growth of each silicide phase.
Isotopic determination of fibronectin synthesis in humans.

Fibronectin is an opsonic protein that, among other functions, activates the reticuloendothelial system. Accurate measurement of its rate of synthesis is necessary to more fully understand its physiological role in normal and pathological conditions. We have determined the rate of fibronectin synthesis in three normal volunteers using a primed-constant infusion of 15N-glycine and 1,2-13C-leucine, and measuring the incorporation of the isotopes into the protein over 5 days of infusion. In nine additional subjects, the fractional synthetic rate (FSR) of fibronectin was calculated during a 24-hour infusion using urinary hippurate and plasma α-ketoisocaproic acid enrichment to represent the precursors for incorporation of labeled glycine and leucine, respectively, into fibronectin. The FSR using glycine and leucine was 1.56 ± 0.14 and 1.29 ± 0.04 (%/h), respectively, in the 5-day infusion study, and 1.56 ± 0.10 versus 1.83 ± 0.09 (%/h), respectively, in the 24-hour study. The results of the 5-day infusion of 15N-glycine justify the use of urinary hippurate to reflect the precursor enrichment for the determination of the FSR of fibronectin during a shorter (<24 hour) infusion period.
A multichannel, real-time MRI RF power monitor for independent SAR determination.

Purpose: Accurate measurements of the RF power delivered during clinical MRI are essential for safety and regulatory compliance, avoiding inappropriate restrictions on clinical MRI sequences, and for testing the MRI safety of peripheral and interventional devices at known RF exposure levels. The goal is to make independent RF power measurements to test the accuracy of scanner-reported specific absorption rate (SAR) over the extraordinary range of operating conditions routinely encountered in MRI. Methods: A six channel, high dynamic range, real-time power profiling system was designed and built for monitoring power delivery during MRI up to 440 MHz. The system was calibrated and used in two 3 T scanners to measure power applied to human subjects during MRI scans. The results were compared with the scanner-reported SAR. Results: The new power measurement system has highly linear performance over a 90 dB dynamic range and a wide range of MRI duty cycles. It has about 0.1 dB insertion loss that does not interfere with scanner operation. The measurements of whole-body SAR in volunteers showed that scanner-reported SAR was significantly overestimated by up to about 2.2 fold. Conclusions: The new power monitor system can accurately and independently measure RF power deposition over the widemore » range of conditions routinely encountered during MRI. Scanner-reported SAR values are not appropriate for setting exposure limits during device or pulse sequence testing.« less
BMP4-Expressing Muscle-Derived Stem Cells Differentiate into Osteogenic Lineage and Improve Bone Healing in Immunocompetent Mice

Recent advances in molecular biology have led the way for novel approaches to improve bone healing. The ideal growth factor, vector, and delivery systems for producing bone in an immune competent animal model, however, have yet to be identified. Using a retrovirus encoding BMP4 and recently isolated muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs), we demonstrated the following: MDSCs undergo osteogenic differentiation in response to BMP4 in a dose-dependent manner; retrovirus encoding BMP4 can efficiently transduce MDSCs, both enhancing osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting myogenic differentiation; transduced MDSCs can produce high levels of functional BMP4 as they differentiate toward an osteogenic lineage; allogeneic transduced MDSCs can induce robust de novo bone formation in immunocompetent mice despite the presence of an immune reaction, demonstrating the ability of this retroviral-BMP4-muscle construct to provide sufficient stimuli for osteoinduction in vivo; MDSCs appear to deliver BMP4, respond to the human BMP4 in an autocrine manner, and actively participate in bone formation, thus serving both osteoinductive and osteoproductive roles; and the BMP4-expressing MDSCs can induce bone formation and improve bone healing in a critical-sized skull defect in immunocompetent mice. Therefore, we believe that technology based on the MDSCs and vector system has great potential for promoting bone healing in a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.
Between an Example and a Precept, Which Has Greater Importance? A Comparison of the Channels of Socialization in Military Ethics

In this study, I examined what channels of socialization influence the moral behavior of cadets. We conducted a regression analysis of the effects of parents' attitudes to moral education, the standard and potential curriculum of schools, peer groups, and communication media on individual ethics and discipline using 399 sample participants. The participants were recruited through a questionnaire survey on cadets from academy of military, naval, and air force, and four-year based students from R.O.C. National Defense University. The analysis results showed that the cultivation of morality among cadets was directly influenced by the school's potential curriculum (i.e., intern cadres and officers in company) and their parents' attitudes to moral education during early childhood. The results also indicated that the influence of teaching by example was more significant than that of teaching by precept.
Evolution of bacterial type III protein secretion systems

Bacterial flagellar basal bodies and type III protein secretion systems evolved from a common ancestor, but which came first? This question sounds like the chicken or the egg question, but without a molecular fossil record it is not so simple.
New QCD production mechanisms for hard processes at large x

Abstract We study the QCD production mechanisms for lepton and quark pairs of high mass M that carry a large fraction x of the projectile momentum. We show that the dominant contribution comes from peripheral processes in which low-x spectator quarks interact with the target, with the hardness scale of the collision being given by Q 2 = M 2 (1−x) . In the high- M 2 limit with fixed M 2 (1−x) we identify new leading-order perturbative contributions from the hadron wave function which involve more than one constituent. These “intrinsic” contributions cannot be expressed in terms of the usual single-parton structure functions, implying a breakdown of QCD factorization. In a numerical study of a simple gauge theory model, we show that such contributions can dominate the standard single-parton factorizable terms. These results appear to explain several anomalies seen in the data: the excess production and the anomalous nuclear-number of dependence of open and bound charm at large x; the “cumulative” effects (x > 1) observed in hadron production from nuclei; and the large target-polarization asymmetry observed for hadron production at high x. The intrinsic multi-parton processes provide new mechanisms for the hadro-production of the J/ψ directly in a color-singlet state and also for the production of heavy flavor systems in lepto-production at high momentum.
Cortical blood flow through individual capillaries in rat vibrissa S1 cortex: Stimulus induced changes in flow are comparable to the underlying fluctuations in flow.

Abstract Cortical blood flow was probed via the motion of red blood cells (RBCs) in individual capillaries that lay as much as 600 μm below the pia matter of primary somatosensory cortex in rat. The flow was quite variable, with a speed of 0.8±0.5 mm/s (mean±S.D.) and a flux of 60±40 RBC/s, averaged over all capillaries and over time. The fluctuations in the flow were dominated by a spectral band near 0.1 Hz. This band coincides with the spectral band of fluctuations previously seen across whole capillary beds with optical [Neuroimage 4 (1996) 183] and f MRI [Mag. Reson. Med. 37 (1997) 511] imaging techniques. Time-locked increases in the flow of red blood cells (RBCs) within individual capillaries were observed in response to stimulation of multiple vibrissae at natural levels of deflection. The magnitude of the stimulus-evoked change in speed was, at most, equal to 20% of the basal speed. This change is comparable to the level of the fluctuations in speed seen in single capillaries. Thus, changes in flow evoked by natural stimuli are largely masked by basal fluctuations. In toto, the results of our study suggest that fluctuations at the level of the microvasculature limit the sensitivity of brain imaging techniques, at least at low frequencies.
Wettability of elastomeric impression materials and voids in gypsum casts

Numerous factors are involved in making an accurate void-free dental artificial stone cast or die. The relationship of the wettability of an elastomeric impression material and its interaction with the gypsum slurry is an important factor. This study examined the relative "pourability" of several impression materials by counting the number of resultant voids in artificial stone casts containing 48 point angles. Those elastomers that exhibited the lowest contact angle with water produced artificial stone casts with the fewest voids. Surfactants applied to the impression material significantly reduced the number of voids in artificial stone casts, as did modified elastomers designated by the manufacturer as hydrophilic.
A phase II study of pralatrexate with vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation for previously treated recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer.

Background Pralatrexate (FotolynTM; Allos Therapeutics Inc.) is an antifolate dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor. We conducted a phase II study of pralatrexate with folic acid and B12 supplementation in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (R/M HNSCC). Patients and methods This was a single-arm, Simon optimal two stage phase II study. Patients with R/M HNSCC previously treated with chemotherapy were eligible. The study was initiated with a dosing schedule of pralatrexate 190 mg/m2 biweekly on a 4-week cycle with vitamin supplementation. Due to toxicity concerns, the dosing was modified to 30 mg/m2 weekly for 3 weeks in a 4-week cycle with vitamin supplementation. Radiologic imaging was to be obtained about every 2 cycles. Results Thirteen subjects were enrolled; 12 were treated. Seven of the twelve patients had previously received ≥2 lines of chemotherapy. The most common grade 3 toxicity was mucositis (3 patients). Seven patients did not complete two cycles of therapy due to progression of disease (4), toxicity (1), death (1), and withdrawal of consent (1). Two deaths occurred: one due to disease progression and the other was an unwitnessed event that was possibly related to pralatrexate. No clinical activity was observed. The median overall survival was 3.1 months. The study was closed early due to lack of efficacy. Conclusions Pralatrexate does not possess clinical activity against previously treated R/M HNSCC. Evaluation of pralatrexate in other clinical settings of HNSCC management with special considerations for drug toxicity may be warranted.
Contextual and Individual Dimensions of Taxpayer Decision Making

We examine whether a taxpayer’s decision to choose a taxpayer-favorable (vs. a taxpayer-unfavorable) characterization of income is associated with contextual and individual dimensions of that decision. Using a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design, we manipulate the prevailing social norm on whether there is a general belief that a specific form of income should be characterized as a capital gain (taxed at a lower tax rate and hence taxpayer favorable) or as ordinary income (taxed at a higher tax rate and hence taxpayer unfavorable), and the group affiliation on whether the individual is making a tax characterization decision as a sole proprietor or as a member of a group practice. Moreover, we measure participants’ fairness perception of characterizing the income as capital gains versus ordinary. We study the decisions of 180 graduate business and accounting students from two US business schools to explore these dimensions using a tax-ambiguous income situation. Results indicate that both contextual and individual dimensions impact taxpayer decisions. Specifically, the social norm and fairness perception of characterizing income as capital gains affects the likelihood of choosing such a characterization. Being a sole proprietor or a member of a group practice does not have any significant main effect. However, relative to all other conditions, taxpayers are most likely to characterize income as capital gains when both the social norms are for capital gains characterization and when the taxpayer is a member of a group practice. Results remain largely robust to a variety of alternative explanations. We conclude the paper with a discussion of our findings and their implications for tax policy, enforcement, and research.
Chromium genotoxicity as influenced by complexation and rate effects.

Abstract Conclusions as to the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of metal salts can be ambiguous and misleading, especially for metal ions having a high charge/radius ratio, hence a strong tendency to hydrolyze. Using the rec-assay, we determined whether the mutagenicity of chromium salts was reduced by complexation, as in the case of Cr(VI), or induced in the case of Cr(III). We find that several chelants, in proportion to concentration, reduce or eliminate the mutagenicity of Cr 2 O 3 2− . These include EDTA, salicylate (SA), and Tiron (disodium 1,2-dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonate). Cr(III) was rendered slightly mutagenic by salicylate and citrate. None of the chelating agents or their combinations were mutagenic.
Autoxidation of the site-specifically PEGylated hemoglobins: role of the PEG chains and the sites of PEGylation in the autoxidation.

The PEGylated hemoglobin (Hb) has been evaluated as a potential blood substitute. In an attempt to understand the autoxidation of the PEGylated Hb, we have studied the autoxidation of the PEGylated...
Optofluidic spectroscopy integrated on optical fiber platform

Abstract Administering a wrong drug or a wrong dose can be extremely dangerous and can result in severe adverse effects or even the death of a patient. With human errors being possible, automatic real time identification of a drug and its concentration using technology is a viable option to decrease the chance of incorrect drug administration. As a step toward this goal, we propose a new optical fiber based spectroscopic system that has built-in filtration capabilities and thus can work in real time near patient without additional sample pre-processing. It is designed as a point probe consisting of an optical fiber with a miniature filtering reflector integrated on the interface. In the future it can be inserted into a bag for intravenous therapy (IV therapy) or in a syringe to measure the spectrum of the fluid and to confirm its properties. Additionally, use of microfluidic filtration allows to remove microscopic particles from the sample and thus decreases the noise and increases the sensitivity of spectroscopic measurement. In this study, an optofluidic system was fabricated, and filtration capabilities and measurement of cobalamin (vitamin B12) concentration have been demonstrated.
Interactions of phospholipase D and cytochrome P450 protein stability

Previous studies have suggested a relationship between cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A (CYP3A) conformation and the phospholipid composition of the associated membrane. In this study, we utilized a novel microsomal incubation system that mimics many of the characteristics of CYP3A degradation pathway that have been observed in vivo and in cultured cells to study the effects of phospholipid composition on protein stability. We found that addition of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (PLD) stabilized CYP3A in this system, but that phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PLC) was without effect. Addition of phosphatidic acid also stabilized CYP3A protein in the microsomes. The use of 1,10-phenanthroline (phenanthroline), an inhibitor of PLD activity, decreased CYP3A stability in incubated microsomes. Similarly, 6-h treatment of primary cultures of rat hepatocytes with phenanthroline resulted in nearly complete loss of CYP3A protein. Treatment of rats with nicardipine or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), which have been shown to affect CYP3A stability, altered the phospholipid composition of hepatic microsomes. It did not appear, though, that the changes in phospholipid composition that resulted from these in vivo treatments accounted for the change in CYP3A stability observed in hepatic microsomes from these animals.
Scale Dependence of Air-Sea Fluxes over the Western Equatorial Pacific

Abstract The goal of this study is to examine the horizontal scale dependence of vertical eddy flux in the tropical marine surface boundary layer and how this scale dependence of flux relates to the bulk aerodynamic relationship and the parameterization of subgrid-scale flux. The fluxes of heat, moisture, and momentum are computed from data collected from 27 NCAR Electra flight legs in TOGA COARE (The Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment) with flight elevations lower than 40 m and flight runs longer than 60 km. The dependence of the fluxes on two length scales are studied: the cutoff length scale, defining the averaging length over which mean components are obtained in order to partition field variables into mean and perturbation components; and the flux averaging length scale, defining the length over which products of perturbations are averaged in order to estimate vertical fluxes. Based on the characteristics of the scale dependence of fluxes, the total flux of ...
Nickel(II) complexes stabilized by bis[N-(6-pivalamido-2-pyridylmethyl)]benzylamine: Synthesis and characterization of complexes stabilized by a hydrogen bonding network.

Intramolecular hydrogen bonds in metalloproteins are key in directing reactivity yet these effects have been difficult to achieved in synthetic systems. We have been developing a synthetic system that uses hydrogen-bonding interactions to modulate the secondary coordination around a transition metal ion. This was accomplished with the ligand bis[ N -(6-pivalamido-2-pyridylmethyl)]benzylamine (H 2 pmb), which contains two carboxyamido units appended from pyridine rings. Several nickel complexes were prepared and structurally characterized. In particular, we found that the appended carboxyamido groups either provide intramolecular H-bond donors or can be converted to bind directly to a metal center. We established that the complex Ni II H 2 pmb(Cl) 2 can be sequentially deprotonated with potassium tert -butoxide, causing coordination of the carboxyamido oxygen atoms and concomitant loss of the chloro ligands. The chloro ligands were also removed with silver(I) salts in the presence of acetate ions and the complex Ni II H 2 pmb(κ 2 -OAc)(κ 1 -OAc) was isolated, in which an intramolecular H-bonding network occurs between the H 2 pmb ligand and the coordinate acetato ligands.
Roles of estrogen receptor alpha and androgen receptor in the regulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

In brain and peripheral tissues, steroid hormones regulate nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). We asked whether estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and/or androgen receptor (AR) regulated nNOS immunoreactivity in mouse brain. First, we quantified cells singly labeled for nNOS immunoreactivity or labeled dually with ERalpha-immunoreactive (-ir) or AR-ir cells in the nucleus accumbens (Acb), preoptic area (POA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), posterior dorsal and posterior ventral regions of the medial amygdala (MePD and MePV, respectively), and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The POA and MePD contained the greatest number of double-labeled cells. More nNOS-ir cells were colabeled with ERalpha immunoreactivity compared with AR immunoreactivity. Next, by using a double mutant mouse in which males lacked functional ERalpha, AR, or both, we investigated the roles of these steroid receptors in nNOS-ir cell numbers and immunoreactive area staining under testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) conditions. Our data show that functional ERalpha is correlated with more nNOS-ir cells under T conditions and more immunoreactive area staining in the POA under both T and E2 conditions. However, ERalpha decreases nNOS-ir cell number in the BNST under E2 treatment. In summary, the data suggest that AR has organizational actions on nNOS-ir cell numbers in the MePV, that interactions between ERalpha and AR genes occur in PVN, and that sex differences in nNOS-ir area staining are limited to the POA. Thus, we show that ERalpha and AR interact to regulate nNOS in male and female brain in a site-specific manner.
Relationship between Computer Keyboard Slope and Wrist Extension Angle

The literature has shown that sloping the keyboard downward reduces extension angle of the wrist, which is a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of the wrist. However, the slope angle of the keyboards tested and reported in the literature were adjusted by the individual or preset to only one angle. Therefore, it is difficult to infer from these studies' results the effect of the magnitude of keyboard slope on wrist extension angle. The goal of the study presented in this paper was to determine the effect that varying the slope angle of a keyboard has on wrist extension angle. Ten subjects typed on a keyboard whose slope was adjusted to +150, +7.50, 00, −7.50, and −150. (Positive keyboard slope indicates the keyboard was sloped upward toward the VDT, and negative keyboard slope indicates a downward sloping keyboard.) As keyboard slope angle moved downward 300 (+150to −150), wrist extension decreased approximately 140. Mean wrist extension for the left wrist decreased monotonicall...
Mutual coherence function of a wave front corrected by zonal adaptive optics

The mutual coherence function (MCF) of a wave propagated through atmospheric turbulence and corrected by zonal adaptive optics is derived for a segmented corrector with either piston only or piston with a local tilt fit. We begin with an intuitive approach which is based on replacing the outer scale of turbulence in the uncorrected MCF with a quantity proportional to the segment size. This approach is especially useful in deriving asymptotes. A rigorous approach provides the full curves, and reduces to a single curve for piston only and a single curve for piston with tilt, after proper parametrization. The effect of amplitude fluctuations is also considered, since scintillation limits the ultimate degree of correction as the segment size goes to zero. Although the analysis is for a segmented corrector, the results apply fairly well to continuous corrector with actuator spacing equal to d/√3, where d is the segment diameter.
Contribution of Physical Education and Sport to Health-Related Fitness in High School Students

ABSTRACT: This study compared health-related fitness variables of high school students (14 to 19-years-old; 120 males, 67 females) participating in physical education (PE) and school-sponsored sports (SSS) to students participating solely in PE. Cardiovascular fitness, the primary variable of interest, was measured using the 20-Meter Shuttle Run (number of completed laps, 20MST). Secondary analysis compared upper body strength (90° push-ups), flexibility (sit and reach), and body mass index (BMI kg/m2). Comparisons were made between students participating in 1–2 SSS and ≥3 SSS for males and 1 SSS and ≥2 for females to students participating solely in PE. Males participating in 1–2 SSS (mean (± SD) 20MST 63.80 ± 25.61) and ≥3 SSS (81.13 28.26) completed significantly (p < .001) more laps than males participating solely in PE (44.18 ± 19.09). Females participating in 1 SSS (37.33 ± 15.53) and ≥2 SSS (49.48 ± 19.83) completed significantly (p = .02) more laps than females participating solely in PE (23.50 ± 7.96). Significant differences in number of 90° push-ups was observed between males participating in ≥3 SSS (49.41 ± 12.90) and males participating solely in PE (37.63 ± 11.79, p = .006). No significant differences existed for males on BMI (p = .223) or the sit and reach (p = .145), and for females on 90° push-ups (p = .79), sit and reach (p = .579), and BMI (p = .122). As the number of SSS increase, significant increases are observed in cardiovascular fitness, with youth participating solely in PE exhibiting the lowest levels of cardiovascular fitness in comparison to youth participating in PE and SSS.
On Your (Methyl) Mark, Get TET1, Go!

Tet proteins and DNA demethylation are key regulators of embryonic stem cells, but their roles in development and tissue stem cells remain unclear. In this issue, Zhang et al. (2013) show that Tet1 regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis by controlling progenitor proliferation, and Tet1 deficiency generates defects in learning and memory.
Self concept and drinking problems of college students raised in alcohol-abused homes.

To examine drinking problems and self concept of college students raised in homes where alcohol is abused, 148 lower division college students were given the following paper and pencil tests: The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, The Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, and the "Personal Self" section of The Tennessee Self Concept Scale. Students classified as children of alcoholics had a significantly lower self concept (F = 4.23, p = .04). Tabulation of the incidence of heavy drinking (31%) and lapses of memory after drinking bouts (62%) show an amount of drinking on college campuses that is truly alarming.
On the Linear Viscoelasticity of Thin-Walled Laminated Composite Beams

An analytical model to predict the linear viscoelastic behavior of thin-walled laminated fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite beams is presented. Using the correspondence principle, this new model integrates micro/macro-mechanics of composites and mechanics of thin-walled laminated beams to perform beam analyses in the Laplace or Carson domains. The analytical expressions for beam relaxation coefficients are obtained. Using a collocation method, the flexural creep behavior of beams in the time domain is numerically solved. Predictions by the present model are compared favorably with experimental data for glass fiber-reinforced plastic structural laminates under tension and a box-beam under bending. The influence of beam fiber architecture and fiber volume fraction on the linear viscoelastic response for a wide-flange beam is examined to show that this model can be efficiently used in the flexural creep analysis and design of FRP structural shapes.
Erratum to “Spin-echo SS-PARSE: a PARSE MRI method to estimate frequency, R2 and R2′ in a single shot” [Magn Reson Imaging 28 (2010) 1270–1282]

Erratum to “Spin-echo SS-PARSE: a PARSE MRI method to estimate frequency, R2 and R2′ in a single shot” [Magn Reson Imaging 28 (2010) 1270–1282] Ningzhi Li, Mark Bolding, Donald B. Twieg⁎ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-4440, USA Center for Development of Functional Imaging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-4440, USA Department of Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-4440, USA
Characterization of avian erythroblastosis virus p75.

Abstract We have studied the 75,000-dalton gag-related polyprotein (p75) found in cells transformed by avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV). AEV p75 was found to be phosphorylated but not glycosylated. Phosphorylation occurs at a serine residue(s) present in the p19 portion of the gag sequences contained at the N-terminal end of p75. No other phosphorylation sites were observed in vivo. AEV p75 was not incorporated into the pseudotyped virion particle. An antiserum specific for the non-gag portion of p75 was prepared by hyperimmunizing chickens that had undergone regression of AEV ts34-induced erythroleukemia with AEV-transformed bone marrow cells. Following absorption with disrupted virions, this serum was capable of immunoprecipitating only AEV p75 and none of the proteins seen following in vitro translation of 20–22 S AEV RNA nor the transforming proteins of a variety of other RNA and DNA tumor viruses. AEV p75 did not contain associated protein kinase activities capable of utilizing either ATP or GTP as phosphate donors when p75 was immunoprecipitated by any of the following antisera: rabbit anti-p19, rabbit anti-disrupted Rous-associated virus-2 virion, Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumor-bearing rabbit serum, or chicken anti-p75 serum. AEV p75 also did not contain associated ATPase activity.
Metal cutting theory foundations of near-dry (MQL) machining

The costs of maintaining and eventually disposing of metal working fluids (MWF), combined with health and safety concerns, have led to a heightened interest in either eliminating MWF altogether or limiting the amount of MWF applied. The former process is known as dry machining while the latter is referred to as near-dry machining (NDM) or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). This paper points out that non-system approach to NMD applications and misunderstanding of the metal cutting theory foundations of NDM significantly slowdown implementations of these seemingly attractive and cost-effective technologies. It reveals two major stages in implementations of NDM. It argues that the cutting theory stage should precede NDM application considerations. The fundamental problems associated with the reduction of the total energy required by the cutting system have to be solved at this first stage. The paper pointed out the principal directions in the future studies on NDM are discussed.