cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The control of DNA synthesis in primary cultures of hepatocytes from adult and young rats: Interactions of extracellular matrix components, epidermal growth factor, and the cell cycle

Hepatocytes from adult and 4-week-old rats cultured on one of several extracellular matrix components were stimulated to replicate by epidermal growth factor (EGF). DNA synthesis was increased at 44-48 hr in adult hepatocytes and at 24, 48, and 72 hr in hepatocytes from young rats when EGF was added 2 hr after explantation. When EGF was added at 24 hr, maximal DNA synthesis of adult hepatocytes was observed at 48 hr, whereas that of 4-week-old hepatocytes was seen at 48 and 72 hr. Ten ng EGF per ml was the optimal concentration for maximal DNA synthesis in both adult and young cells. DNA synthesis decreased with increasing cell density, but this effect was less in hepatocytes from young than in those from adults. When hepatocytes were cultured on substrata consisting of individual extracellular matrix components, neither the time that adult cells needed to respond to EGF nor the time from stimulation by EGF to the peak of maximal DNA synthesis was altered in either adult or young cells. The optimal EGF concentration for maximal DNA synthesis and the cell density control of replication were also not altered by the substrata used. Substrata made from each of the extracellular matrix components studied enhanced DNA synthesis of adult and young hepatocytes stimulated by EGF in the following decreasing order: fibronectin, type IV collagen, type I collagen, and laminin. In both adult and young hepatocytes the enhancement of DNA synthesis was greatest when cultured on fibronectin. Thus the initiation and magnitude of DNA synthesis in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were altered both by the age of the donor and the substratum on which the cells were explanted.
ERK mutations confer resistance to mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitors

The use of targeted therapeutics directed against BRAF(V600)-mutant metastatic melanoma improves progression-free survival in many patients; however, acquired drug resistance remains a major medical challenge. By far, the most common clinical resistance mechanism involves reactivation of the MAPK (RAF/MEK/ERK) pathway by a variety of mechanisms. Thus, targeting ERK itself has emerged as an attractive therapeutic concept, and several ERK inhibitors have entered clinical trials. We sought to preemptively determine mutations in ERK1/2 that confer resistance to either ERK inhibitors or combined RAF/MEK inhibition in BRAF(V600)-mutant melanoma. Using a random mutagenesis screen, we identified multiple point mutations in ERK1 (MAPK3) and ERK2 (MAPK1) that could confer resistance to ERK or RAF/MEK inhibitors. ERK inhibitor-resistant alleles were sensitive to RAF/MEK inhibitors and vice versa, suggesting that the future development of alternating RAF/MEK and ERK inhibitor regimens might help circumvent resistance to these agents.
Spin-orbit coupling and perpendicular Zeeman field for fermionic cold atoms: Observation of the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect

We propose a scheme for generating Rashba spin-orbit coupling and a perpendicular Zeeman field simultaneously for cold fermionic atoms in a harmonic trap through the coupling between atoms and laser fields. The realization of Rashba spin-orbit coupling and a perpendicular Zeeman field provides opportunities for exploring many topological phenomena using cold fermionic atoms. We focus on the intrinsic anomalous Hall effect and show that it may be observed through the response of atomic density to a rotation of the harmonic trap.
A Semi-Empirical Reaction Mechanism for n-Heptane Oxidation and Pyrolysis

A new semi-empirical mechanism for n-heptane oxidation and pyrolysis has been developed and validated against several independent data sets, including new flow reactor experiments. Previous semi-empirical chemical kinetic mechanisms assumed that a generic n-alkyl radical, formed by abstraction of an H-atom from the parent fuel, thermally decomposes into a fixed ratio of methyl and propene. While such an approach has been reasonably successful in predicting premixed, laminar flame speeds, the mechanism lacks sufficient detail to quantitatively capture transient phenomena and intermediate species distributions. The new chemical kinetic mechanism retains significantly more detail, yet is sufficiently compact to be used in combined fluid-mechanical/chemical kinetic computational studies. The mechanistic approach is sufficiently general to be extended to a wide variety of large linear and branched alkane fuels.
GPS evidence for a coherent Antarctic plate and for postglacial rebound in Marie Byrd Land

GPS measurements collected between 1999 and 2002 in Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica indicate no significant present motion between East and West Antarctica greater than 1-2 nm/yr.
Surface stability of epitaxial SrRuO3 films

Abstract The thermal stability of epitaxial SrRuO 3 thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) has been studied by repetitive annealing by steps of 100 °C up to 800 °C under high vacuum and high oxygen pressure conditions. The evolution of chemical state, surface crystallographic structure, surface topography, and the nature of desorption products were studied using electron diffraction, spectroscopy, and scanning probe microscopy. Exposure to atmosphere leads to decomposition of the surface in vacuum at ∼300 °C, despite good crystalline order before annealing. At the same time, films annealed to 700 °C in an oxygen/ozone mixture (10 mTorr) followed by vacuum annealing show no evidence of decomposition below 600 °C. These results reveal that the surface stability of epitaxial SrRuO 3 is strongly affected by the presence of surface contaminants after exposure to air. Vibrational spectroscopy identifies these contaminants as adsorbed hydrocarbons. Results are compared with thermodynamic calculations, and implications for oxide electronic device technology are discussed.
Enhancement of chlorophyll a production in Gulf Stream surface seawater by rainwater nitrate

Abstract The concentration of nitrate commonly found in rain from continental storm systems passing over eastern North Carolina was sufficient to stimulate chlorophyll a production in surface Gulf Stream water collected over the continental slope near Cape Hatteras, NC, in mid-October 1989. Two bioassay experiments were conducted on board ship by mixing Gulf Stream surface seawater with synthetic rainwater (5% rainwater). These bioassays indicated an increased production of chlorophyll a in response to rainwater nitrate but not phosphate. The response was apparent after incubation for 2 days, and the chlorophyll a concentrations increased approximately 2.5 times relative to controls in both experiments.
The appearance of free hydroxyproline as the major product of degradation of newly synthesized collagen in cell culture.

Abstract Embryonic lung fibroblasts and rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells have the ability to degrade newly synthesized collagen. Analysis of 24-h pulse media from cultures given [14C]proline demonstrates that greater than 90% of the degraded collagen is represented by free hydroxyproline rather than the peptide-bound imino acid. The addition of cycloheximide or α-α-dipyridyl to the culture medium during the pulse period severely diminished the formation of the free hydroxyproline demonstrating its enzymatic and protein (collagen) origin. It is proposed that assessment of free hydroxyproline formation may allow us to distinguish between intracellular and extracellular collagen degradation.
Ulnar-positive variance as a predictor of distal radioulnar joint ligament disruption.

Purpose Previous cadaveric data show that disruption of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) at the wrist allows 0.5 to 3.0 mm of proximal radius migration. Anatomic studies have documented the presence of superficial and deep fibers of both the palmar and the dorsal distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) ligaments. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of the superficial and deep fibers of the DRUJ ligaments to longitudinal forearm stability as measured by ulnar-positive variance. Methods Eight fresh-frozen cadaver specimens were included in this study. Each specimen was secured with external fixation clamps to a sequential loading frame with the elbow in 90° of flexion and the forearm and wrist in neutral pronation supination, neutral ulnar-radial deviation, and neutral volar-dorsal angulation. The radial head was resected and a force gauge was applied to the proximal radius. The peripheral TFCC was identified through an incision between the fifth and sixth extensor compartments and the dorsal capsulotomy of the DRUJ capsule. After baseline measurement sequential transection of the superficial and deep fibers of the TFCC was performed. Before and after each step load application and removal were performed by attaching an 88.90-N weight to the end of a force gauge and via longitudinal traction on the proximal part of the radius, and ulnar variance was measured with wrist fluoroscopy. Results Transection of the superficial TFCC fibers resulted in radius migration of 0.70 mm. This migration, however, was not significantly different from that observed at baseline. After both the superficial and deep TFCC fibers were transected the radius migrated proximately with load. This change of ulnar variance was significantly greater than that observed at baseline or after transection of only the superficial TFCC fibers. Conclusions Traumatic injury to the TFCC with radiographic evidence of ulnar-positive variance may be an indication of disruption of the deep TFCC fibers.
Single-monomer formulation of polymerized polyethylene glycol diacrylate as a nonadsorptive material for microfluidics.

Nonspecific adsorption in microfluidic systems can deplete target molecules in solution and prevent analytes, especially those at low concentrations, from reaching the detector. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely used material for microfluidics, but it is prone to nonspecific adsorption, necessitating complex chemical modification processes to address this issue. An alternative material to PDMS that does not require subsequent chemical modification is presented here. Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) mixed with photoinitiator forms on exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation a polymer with inherent resistance to nonspecific adsorption. Optimization of the polymerized PEGDA (poly-PEGDA) formula imbues this material with some of the same properties, including optical clarity, water stability, and low background fluorescence, that make PDMS so popular. Poly-PEGDA demonstrates less nonspecific adsorption than PDMS over a range of concentrations of flowing fluorescently tagged bovine serum albumin so...
A LIMIT THEOREM FOR MILDLY EXPLOSIVE AUTOREGRESSION WITH STABLE ERRORS

We discuss the limiting behavior of the serial correlation coefficient in mildly explosive autoregression, where the error sequence is in the domain of attraction of an α-stable law, α ∈ (0,2]. Therein, the autoregressive coefficient ρ = ρn > 1 is assumed to satisfy the condition ρn → 1 such that n(ρn − 1) → ∞ as n → ∞. In contrast to the vast majority of existing literature in the area, no specific form of ρ is required. We show that the serial correlation coefficient converges in distribution to a ratio of two independent stable random variables.The authors thank P.C.B. Phillips and two anonymous referees for a very careful reading of the manuscript, pointing out several mistakes, and providing shorter and simpler proofs. This research was partially supported by NATO grant PST.EAP.CLG 980599 and NSF-OTKA grant INT-0223262. This work was done while the first author was at the University of Utah.
Evaluation of a series of N-alkyl benzomorphans in cell lines expressing transfected δ- and μ-opioid receptors

Abstract Transfection of individual opioid receptors in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells provides a pure, homogeneous population of receptors for screening drug candidates, and an alternative to the use of selective ligands. To evaluate the potential of this system, we chose a series of (−)-5,9 α -dimethyl-2-hydroxy- N -substituted-6,7-benzomorphans, for which the receptor selectivity and in vivo activity had been characterized recently, and tested them in CHO cells stably transfected with either the rat δ-opioid receptor or the mouse μ-opioid receptor. [ 3 H]Diprenorphine was used to measure opioid receptors in P 2 membrane preparations. A B max of 7.58 ± 0.8 pmol/mg protein and a K d of 0.42 ± 0.04 nM was obtained in the μ-opioid receptor expressing cell line used in these studies. In addition, [ 3 H]naltrindole was used to confirm the δ-specificity of the cloned receptor. Both compounds gave a B max of 1.2 pmol/mg in the CHO cells expressing the rat δ-opioid receptor. Displacement assays were performed with eleven (−)- N -alkyl-benzomorphans in the absence and presence of 150 mM NaCl, as well as known δ- and μ-selective agonists. Sodium reduced agonist affinity in the transfected cell lines. The benzomorphan compounds displayed a range of affinities in the μ- and δ-opioid receptor expressing cell lines. Good correlations were found between their affinities at the cloned μ- and δ-opioid receptors and those in rat brain and monkey cortex ( r 2 from 0.73 to 0.89, P K i values with in vivo potency in the mouse tail flick test indicated a high degree of correlation between antinociception and affinity in the μ-opioid receptor cell line ( r 2 = 0.83, p r 2 = 0.6610) and at the monkey μ-opioid receptor ( r 2 = 0.695). In sum, these studies indicate that the cell lines expressing the cloned μ- and δ-opioid receptors are appropriate models for determining the binding affinities of this class of opioid compounds. The diminishing correlations found between species when comparing in vitro and in vivo activity suggest that caution should be taken when extrapolating binding data to pharmacological activity among species.
Idealization and Disillusionment in Intimate Relationships: A Review of Theory, Method, and Research

We review the literature on partner idealization (also known as positive illusions) in the field of close relationships. Our review assesses the soundness of idealization research from conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and evidentiary perspectives. In addition, we explore the potential linkage of idealization to the newer and seemingly related construct of disillusionment. Given the apparent role of disillusionment in relationship dissolution, explication of the role of idealization in disillusionment would benefit the field. To this end, we present an initial model of mechanisms that may govern relations between idealization and disillusionment to guide future research. Language: en
Purification and partial characterization of hatching protease of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

Abstract The supernatant above hatched sea urchin ( Strongylocentrotus purpuratus ) blastulae contains crude hatching protease, which is heterogeneous in molecular weight, solubility, charge, and density. It requires urea treatment (6 m , 22 °C, 6 h) to dissociate from the enzyme the heterogeneous population of fragments it has generated in digesting its substrate, the fertilization envelope. It can then be purified 340-fold by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose, ammonium sulfate, and Sephadex G-100. The resulting preparation, homogeneous by the criteria of gel exclusion chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, and thermal inactivation, has the following properties: specific activity = 1.44 U mg −1 (1.44 μmol min −1 mg −1 ); k cat = 0.72 s -1 ; molecular weight = 29,000; energy of activation = 12.9 kcal mol −1 on dimethylated casein; K m = 0.93 mg ml −1 dimethylated casein. The pure enzyme is optimally active at pH 7 to 9, 0.5 m NaCl, 10 m m Ca 2+ , and 42 °C. Purification renders the enzyme less stable to freezing and thawing and increases the rate of its thermal inactivation at 37 °C by 100-fold.
International hospitality marketing on the Internet: project "Interweave".

Abstract Use of the Internet (the Net) in global education is one of unleashed social practice, pedagogical challenge, and investigation of new communication protocol. This technological tool connects cultures with no sense of boundary and is yet uncensored and somewhat uncontrolled. This release on information and elimination of communication barriers invites a new classroom to educators and students and a world of interactivity to be studied. The total impact of this unleashed approach and access is yet to be determined; however, the benefit of international students learning together as a cooperative unit as they study global issues that affect them is considered a positive step toward interweaving and exposing global perspective.
Pavlov, Freud and Soviet psychiatry

Pavlov made the Soviet Pantheon. Freud continues to be represented as a champion of bourgeois obscurantism. But the outlooks of these two great investigators come remarkably close together in many respects.
Laser mode selection with slowly opened Q switches

Giant pulse lasers with slowly opened Q switches have experimentally been demonstrated to have a significantly lower beam divergence than the same laser with a quickly opened Q switch. The two types of slowly opening Q switch in most common use are rotating prisms and Faraday rotators. In this paper the pulse buildup with a Faraday-rotator Q switch is analyzed and it is shown that an optimum condition exists where the laser will match the switch with negligible loss in the slow switching. Experiments are then reported in which this analysis is confirmed in detail by comparing the measured output linewidth with that expected from an analysis of the resonant reflector used, and results derived from the experimental power-tuning curve. The far-field spatial distribution was Lorentzian with a full width at half-peak intensity of 2.7 \times 10^{-4} rad and was caused by the scattering in the average-quality ruby rod used.
An analysis of measurement procedures for computer systems

This paper purports to be a partial record of the remarks made by the author at a panel session sponsored by SIGMETRICS at the 1974 ACM National Conference in San Diego. All of the material covered in the talk is not included here primarily because it appears in other contexts or in the presentations of other speakers.
A priori determination of the sampling size for grain-boundary character distribution and grain-boundary degradation analysis

Abstract The objective of this work was to formulate a simple model that can be used for assessing the statistical significance of the grain-boundary character distribution in a material. Increased interest in the control of the grain-boundary character distribution to influence grain boundary properties has led to numerous studies on the characterization of grain-boundary type without regard to the statistical significance of the results. Specifically, the model was developed to determine, a priori, the number of boundaries that need to be characterized such that the fraction of boundaries of a particular type is known to within a specific fractional error. The inclusion of experimental error in the model accounts for the misidentification of boundary type in the characterization process. The model also addresses the statistical significance of boundary degradation by boundary type. This is a more restrictive application of the same formalism in that a low probability of degradation (e.g. cracking, corro...
A direct interaction approximation treatment of turbulence in a compressible fluid. I. Formalism

The direct interaction approximation is used to treat turbulence in a compressible medium with constant mean gradients. The set of coupled nonlinear integrodifferential equations is derived that is satisfied by the transverse and longitudinal energy spectral functions, Q(T) and Q(L) and by the transverse and longitudinal response functions, G(T) and G(L). Finally, expressions for the average of the product of pairs of physically relevant fluctuating quantities (velocity, temperature, density) are derived in terms of Q(T) and Q(L).
Examining Financial Literacy among Transfer and Nontransfer Students: Predicting Financial Well-Being and Academic Success at a Four-Year University.

This study analyzes the data collected through the Financial Literacy project conducted in the fall semester of 2010 at a land grant research university in the Midwest. A survey instrument, which includes 43 items that measure constructs such as parental influence, financial knowledge and behaviors, and working experience of students while attending a college, was used for the project. The authors examined differences in factors that influence transfer and nontransfer students' financial literacy on academic outcome by employing hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The financial nexus model and the notion of social capital were used to develop two regression models to predict financial well-being and academic success among transfer and nontransfer students who participated in the study. Implications for scholarly contributions, policy, and practice are also discussed.
Modeling microlenses by use of vectorial field rays and diffraction integrals

A nonparaxial vector-field method is used to describe the behavior of low-f-number microlenses by use of ray propagation, Fresnel coefficients and the solution of Maxwell equations to determine the field propagating through the lens boundaries, followed by use of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld method to find the diffracted field behind the lenses. This approach enables the phase, the amplitude, and the polarization of the diffracted fields to be determined. Numerical simulations for a convex-plano lens illustrate the effects of the radii of curvature, the lens apertures, the index of refraction, and the wavelength on the variations of the focal length, the focal plane field distribution, and the cross polarization of the field in the focal plane.
Tunneling and thermoelectric effect in generalized tunnel junctions in the presence of electron-hole asymmetry.

The analysis of Blonder, Tinkham, and Klapwijk describing the crossover between tunnel junction and metallic contact between a normal and a superconductive electrode is applied to the case of a superconductor with an energy-dependent gap function. Such energy dependence arises in the presence of electron-hole asymmetry and is predicted within the theory of hole superconductivity. We study a tight-binding model where the interface is described by a reduced value of the intersite hopping amplitude and the superconducting gap function has on-site and nearest-neighbor components. The tunneling conductance as function of barrier strength is found to exhibit certain differences with the electron-hole symmetric case: the reflection and transmission coefficients are different for incident electrons and holes, and Andreev reflection processes for both electrons and holes are suppressed even in the limit of vanishing barrier strength. A temperature gradient across the barrier gives rise to a thermoelectric effect of universal sign, whose magnitude depends on the degree of electron-hole asymmetry in the superconductor as well as on the barrier strength. For temperatures close to ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ an analytic form for the thermoelectric voltage for arbitrary barrier strength is found. These results give information on the effect of nonideal tunnel barriers on the predicted thermoelectric effect. The possibility of observing these effects in high-temperature and conventional superconductors, and interpretation of existing experimental findings in light of these results is discussed.
Using intense lasers to simulate aspects of accretion discs and outflows in astrophysics

It is shown that some aspects of the accretion disc physics can be experimentally simulated with the use of an array of properly directed plasma jets created by intense laser beams. For the laser energy of 1 to 3 kJ, one can create a quasi-planar disc with the Reynolds number exceeding 104 and magnetic Reynolds number in the range of 10–100. The way of seeding the disc with the magnetic field by using a cusp magnetic configuration is described.
USING PHENOMENOLOGY IN CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK: A POETIC PILGRIMAGE

This article demonstrates how phenomenological theory from sociology can be applied to clinical social work practice through the use of poetic self-analysis. Areas on phenomenological theory that provide support for the use of poetry in clinical social work are identified and described. Examples of the use of poetic self-analysis are presented. The authors, citing research from phenomenologica theory, raise some questions with respect to the limitations of traditional clinical settings and processes. The legitimacy of some new directions in clinical social work based upon phenomenological theory are also presented.
Isospin splitting in double isovector excitations

Expressions are derived for the relative locations of the different isospin components of double isovector excitations. The splittings between the isospin components are found to be similar in magnitude to the isospin splittings in single excitations. Formulas are given for the relative strengths for exciting the different isospin components of the double excitations. Energy-weighted centroids are calculated in terms of isovector and isotensor energies. Examples are given, using available data for the double giant-dipole resonance. The Lane potential is found to be similar in magnitude to that for the single giant-dipole resonance.
Prediction of protein structural class by discriminant analysis

Protein structural class--alpha, beta, mixed (alpha/beta or alpha + beta), irregular--can be predicted from the amino acid sequence by discriminant analysis. Discrimination is based on distributions, in the classes, of vectors of attributes characterizing the sequences. In this paper, two sets of attributes and two methods of estimating their distributions are compared using more than 100 proteins from the Protein Data Bank. The best results were obtained when canonical variates of the frequencies of occurrence of 20 amino acids and non-parametric estimates of their distributions were used. Three variates are sufficient to allocate proteins to one of four classes with 83% reliability (estimated by cross-validation) and four variates allowed allocation to one of five classes with 78% reliability.
Abstract 4522: Identification of small molecule agonists/activators of BMP-2, 4, 7 signaling

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. MB is a cancer of the cerebellum that occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 7. Human MBs have been classified into four subgroups, two of which harbor mutations in pathways that regulate normal development of the brain: Sonic Hedgehog/Patched (Shh/Ptch) (25%) and Wnt (15%). Our laboratory found that the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP-2, 4, 7) antagonize Shh signaling by inducing the irreversible differentiation of MB cells into neurons leaving normal post-mitotic neurons intact. We designed a cell-based luciferase assay in which a human carcinoma cell line, C33A, expressed a multimerized BMP-responsive element from the Id1 promoter linked to luciferase. We then screened 3,488 compounds with known bioactivity and 31,441 compounds from the St. Jude diversity library for small molecule agonists of the BMP-2, 4, 7 signaling cascade. To date, 14 candidate compounds induced luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Secondary screens showed that these small molecules induce P-Smad1/5/8 and Id2 expression in a dose-dependent manner in C33A cells by western blotting analysis, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity which is a quantitative measure for the differentiation of C2C12 mouse myoblasts into osteoblasts. One of the compounds ventralized zebrafish embryos. Ongoing efforts are focused on understanding the mechanism of activation of BMP-4 signaling by these small molecule agonists. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4522. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4522
Textbooks, Taxes, and Objectivity in Economics Instruction

Ignoring welfare gains from taxation biases conclusions about net welfare effects and about attitudes toward taxation. Examples are identified, and alternative, balanced treatments are presented.
Growth hormone-releasing hormone influences neuronal expression in the developing chick brain. I. Catecholaminergic neurons.

We have examined catecholaminergic expression during development in the chick embryonic brain using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity as a biochemical marker for catecholaminergic neurons. TH activity was detectable as early as after 4 days of incubation in whole brain homogenates and increased throughout embryonic development. The greatest increase in enzyme activity was observed between embryonic days 8 and 15, a period of active neuronal maturation and synaptogenesis. Growth hormone-realeasing hormone (GHRH) was tested for its influence on TH activity during embryonic development. Eight-day-old embryos that received GHRH (50 ng/50 μl) in ovo on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 exhibited a significant (P < 0.001) increase in TH activity. Similar results were obtained when GHRH was administered in a single 50 ng/50 μl dose on day 1 or day 3 of development. However, embryos receiving the same dose of GHRH on day 5 exhibited no significant difference in TH activity as compared to controls. When growth hormone (GH. 100 ng/50 μl) was administered during the same critical period (day 3) no difference was observed in TH activity as compared to controls. Thus, the effects of GHRH on TH activity do not appear to be mediated through GH. We interpret these data to mean that GHRH can enhance catecholaminergic phenotypic expression in the chick embryonic brain when administered during a discrete critical period of development from days 1 to 3 of embryonic age.
A phase 2 clinical trial of sequential neoadjuvant chemotherapy with ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and gemcitabine followed by cisplatin, gemcitabine, and ifosfamide in locally advanced urothelial cancer: Final results

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves the survival of patients with high-risk urothelial cancer. However, the lack of curative alternatives to cisplatin-based chemotherapy is limiting for patients with neuropathy or hearing loss. Sequential chemotherapy also has not been well studied in the neoadjuvant setting. The authors explored sequential neoadjuvant ifosfamide-based chemotherapy in a patient cohort at high risk of noncurative cystectomy. METHODS: Patients with muscle-invasive cancer and lymphovascular invasion, hydronephrosis, clinical T3b and T4a (cT3b-4a) disease (defined as a 3-dimensional mass on examination under anesthetic or invasion into local organs), micropapillary tumors, or upper tract disease received 3 cycles of combined ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and gemcitabine followed by 4 cycles of combined cisplatin, gemcitabine, and ifosfamide. The primary endpoint was downstaging to pT1N0M0 disease or lower. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 85.3 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates for all 65 patients were 63% and 68%, respectively (95% confidence interval: 5-year OS rate, 0.52%-0.76%; 5-year DSS rate, 0.58%-0.81%). Pathologic downstaging to pT1N0 disease or lower occurred in 50% of patients who underwent cystectomy and in 60% of patients who underwent nephroureterectomy and was correlated with the 5-year OS rate (pT1N0 disease or lower, 87%; pT2-pT3aN0 disease, 67%; and pT3b disease or higher or lymph node-negative disease, 27%; P ≤ .001 for pT1 or lower vs pT2 or higher). Variant histology was associated with an inferior 5-year DSS rate (50% vs 83% in pure transitional cell carcinoma; P = .02). The most frequent grade 3 toxicities were infection (38%), febrile neutropenia (22%), and mucositis (18%). There were 3 grade 4 toxicities (myocardial infarction, thrombocytopenia, and vomiting) and 1 grade 5 toxicity in a patient who refused antibiotics for pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential therapy was active and maintained the historic expectation of achieving a cure. The current results strongly reinforced previous experience suggesting that pathologic downstaging to pT1N0 disease or less is a useful surrogate for eventual cure in patients with urothelial cancer. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
A robotic arm simulator software tool for use in introductory robotics courses

With the rising popularity of robotics in our modern world there is an increase in engineering programs that do not have the resources to purchase expensive dedicated robots but find a need to offer a basic course in robotics. This common introductory robotics course generally covers the fundamental theory of robotics including robot kinematics, dynamics, differential movements, trajectory planning and basic computer vision algorithms commonly used in the field of robotics. The nature of this material almost necessitates the use of robotic hardware to allow the students to practice implementing the theory they learn in class. That is, to fully understand the material, it is necessary for the students to implement algorithms and observe the results on hardware. This paper introduces a software based educational tool designed to be used in introductory robotics courses. The software simulates the geometry of motion (kinematics) of a two link robotic arm and is used by students to implement algorithms based on the robot's kinematic equations. This includes the use of inverse kinematic equations used to determine the joint inputs based on the desired location of the end-effector, as well as trajectory planning and the study of differential movements. It also include a robotic image processing tool that helps the student design robotic vision algorithms. This tool provides a low cost solution to situations where purchasing expensive robotic arms typically needed for this course is not possible, where the existing equipment does not allow for direct joint programming, or simply for on-line robotics courses.
Cascade impactor practice for a high dose dry powder inhaler at 90 L/min: NGI versus modified 6-stage and 8-stage ACI.

Abstract The compendial methods of particle size distribution (PSD) profile determination for dry powder inhalers (DPIs) were compared between the Next Generation Pharmaceutical Impactor (NGI) and the Andersen Cascade Impactor (ACI). Relenza® Rotadisk® (zanamivir) and Diskhaler® was used as a model DPI and sampled into each impactor via its preseparator (PS), at 90 L/min under various protocols. In the NGI, silicone coating was shown to be indispensable to prevent or minimize particle bounce and reentrainment, and to reduce wall losses to the levels acceptable to the compendia (5%). In contrast, the ACI exceeded this 5% limit, regardless of coating, implying different wall loss mechanisms from the NGI. Particle bounce occurred in both impactors, inaccurately undersizing the PSD profiles for Relenza®, unless the collection surfaces were coated or an increased number of doses were employed. Hence, the PSD profile for Relenza® following single dose collection in the stage-coated NGI was the most accurate. In contrast, the use of the ACI and its PS for Relenza® at 90 L/min suffered from several problems, even though the poorly designed PS still resulted in consistent impactor dose and PSD profiles, compared to those obtained from the NGI and its PS.
The effects of scattering and conduction upon radiative transfer in lunar and mercurian surfaces

The linearized analysis of Cess and Srinivasan (1971) for thermal emission from lunar and Mercurian surfaces following a sudden eclipse has been extended to include two additional factors. One is the separate influence of scattering upon the radiative transport process within the surface material. The second is the effect of thermal conduction as an additional energy transport mechainsm.
Optical Transport Phenomena in Coupled Spherical Cavities

The efficiency of optical transport is studied in one-dimensional (ID) chains and in 3D lattices of coupled microspheres with ~1-3% size disorder. To couple light into such structures we used sources of light formed by dye-doped fluorescent microspheres. Using techniques of spatially resolved scattering spectroscopy we observed large propagation losses (~ 3 dB per sphere) along the chain at the frequencies of whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in the source sphere. Away from the resonance with WGMs we observed much smaller losses (< 1 dB per sphere) due to formation of nanojet-induced modes. The propagation of light in 3D lattices of disordered coupled cavities with WGM resonances is interpreted in terms of percolation theory. In transmission spectra of such 3D structures we observed spectral signatures of strong coupling between multiple spheres with nearly resonant WGMs. The results indicate that the transmission properties can be significantly improved in 3D structures formed by more uniform spheres due to achieving an optical percolation threshold for WGM transport.
Interactions Between Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Antiarrhythmic Therapy

Abstract Whether patients with serious ventricular arrhythmias should be treated first with antiarrhythmic drugs or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is not known. Many patients are ultimately treated with both an antiarrhythmic drug and an ICD. Early studies reported that 40–70% of patients who received an ICD were ultimately treated with an antiarrhythmic drug, although fewer patients are now being treated with both modalities. The beneficial interactions between antiarrhythmic drugs and an ICD are slowing of ventricular tachycardia, which yields improved hemodynamic tolerance; improved antitachycardia pacing and low energy cardioversion success; lowering of antiarrhythmic drug doses, which reduces the risk of side effects; limiting the number of arrhythmia episodes, which minimizes patient discomfort and prolongs ICD battery life; and preventing or slowing supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, which reduces the number of inappropriate shocks from the ICD. The disadvantages of combining pharmacologic therapy and the use of an ICD are the cost and side effects of both therapies. Adverse interactions between an ICD and antiarrhythmic drugs include slowed ventricular tachycardia, which may lead to failure to detect the arrhythmia; increased defibrillation and pacing thresholds; worsened hemodynamic tolerance of ventricular tachycardia; lengthened PR, QRS, or QT intervals causing multiple counting; and decreased size of the intracardiac electrogram, leading to failure to detect the ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Caution must be used when combining pharmacologic therapy with an ICD. Repeat electrophysiologic testing is frequently necessary after the initiation of antiarrhythmic drug therapy in a patient with an ICD to ensure successful therapy with the ICD. (Am J Cardiol 1996;78(suppl 4A):61–66)
Causal saliency effects during natural vision

Salient stimuli, such as color or motion contrasts, attract human attention, thus providing a fast heuristic for focusing limited neural resources on behaviorally relevant sensory inputs. Here we address the following questions: What types of saliency attract attention and how do they compare to each other during natural vision? We asked human participants to inspect scene-shuffled video clips, tracked their instantaneous eye-position, and quantified how well a battery of computational saliency models predicted overt attentional selections (saccades). Saliency effects were measured as a function of total viewing time, proximity to abrupt scene transitions (jump cuts), and inter-participant consistency. All saliency models predicted overall attentional selection well above chance, with dynamic models being equally predictive to each other, and up to 3.6 times more predictive than static models. The prediction accuracy of all dynamic models was twice higher than their average for saccades that were initiated immediately after jump cuts, and led to maximal inter-participant consistency. Static models showed mixed results in these circumstances, with some models having weaker prediction accuracy than their average. These results demonstrate that dynamic visual cues play a dominant causal role in attracting attention, while static visual cues correlate with attentional selection mostly due to top-down causes.
Daily well-being of older adults with friends and family.

Family members are the major source of physical and emotional support for older adults, yet researchers suggest that friendships have a stronger bearing on subjective well-being. In this research we sought an explanation for this inconsistency in older adults' immediate experiences with friends. Retired adults provided self-reports on their subjective states at random moments during a typical week. Analyses of these reports confirmed the prediction that older adults have more favorable experiences with their friends than with family members. The difference is partly attributable to the greater frequency of active leisure activities with friends, but is also due to unique qualities of interactions with friends that facilitate transcendence of mundane daily realities. We propose that friends provide an immediate situation of openness, reciprocity, and positive feedback that engenders enjoyment and subjectively meaningful exchanges. I have done a lot of thinking about friendship, and over and over again in the course of my reflections it has seemed to me that the most important questions arising in connection with it is this: do men desire friendship because of their own feebleness and inadequacy, with the idea that by exchanging mutual services they may be able to give and to receive things that would be beyond their individual and separate powers? Or is this only a result of friendship, and there should be some other reason for it, something deeper and finer, and lying closer to man's very nature? Cicero, On Friendship (VIII, p.58) One of the major puzzles found in the gerontology literature
Baroclinic Frontal Instabilities and Turbulent Mixing in the Surface Boundary Layer. Part I: Unforced Simulations

AbstractInteraction between mixed layer baroclinic eddies and small-scale turbulence is studied using a nonhydrostatic large-eddy simulation (LES) model. Free, unforced flow evolution is considered, for a standard initialization consisting of an 80-m-deep mixed layer with a superposed warm filament and two frontal interfaces in geostrophic balance, on a model domain roughly 5 km × 10 km × 120 m, with an isotropic 3-m computational grid. Results from these unforced experiments suggest that shear generated in narrow frontal zones can support weak three-dimensional turbulence that is directly linked to the larger-scale baroclinic waves. Two separate but closely related issues are addressed: 1) the possible development of enhanced turbulent mixing associated with the baroclinic wave activity and 2) the existence of a downscale transfer of energy from the baroclinic wave scale to the turbulent dissipation scale. The simulations show enhanced turbulence associated with the baroclinic waves and enhanced turbulen...
Paroxysmal headache caused by colloid cyst of the third ventricle : Case report and review of the literature

The ergot alkaloids are a family of chemical entities that have many pharmacologic effects. Their diversity results from their interaction with multiple receptors, their variable receptor affinity and intrinsic activity, and their variable organ-specific receptor access. Ergotamine tartrate (ET) was one of the first ergot alkaloids to be isolated. Dihydroergotamine (DHE) is synthesized by reducing an unsaturated bond in ergotamine (E); this modification results in a changed pharmacologic profile. Dihydroergotamine exhibits greater alpha-adrenergic antagonist activity and much less potent arterial vasoconstriction and emetic potential. Both E and DHE are 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT1D, and 5-HT1F receptor agonists. The vasoconstrictor activities of these ergot compounds have long been believed to be the basis of their clinical effects, but recent evidence suggests that their antimigraine action may result in part from their inhibitory effects on neurogenic inflammation and neuronal transmission and not from vasoconstriction. Improvements in assay methodology have provided more accurate determination of the pharmacokinetics of E and DHE. The long duration of action appears to result from active metabolites and tight tissue binding. Intranasal (IN) administration of DHE delivers adequate plasma concentrations of the drug without the need for parenteral administration and should further expand its role in migraine pharmacotherapy.
Socio-economic Status (SES) Affects Infants' Selective Exploration

Infants change their behaviours in accordance with the objects they are exploring. They also tailor their exploratory actions to the physical context. This selectivity of exploratory actions represents a foundational cognitive skill that underlies higher-level cognitive processes. The present study compared the development of selective exploratory behaviours in high and low socio-economic status (SES) infants. Sixty-one 6‐8- and 10‐12-month-old infants were presented with rigid andflexible cubes on a tray that was half rigid and halfflexible. There were SES effects for each category of exploratory behaviours: object only, surface only and object‐ surface interactions. Low-SES infants engaged in comparable amounts of exploratory behaviours with high-SES infants, but they exhibited behaviours less conducive to information uptake, compared with high-SES infants. The results suggest difficulty for low-SES infants in transitioning to more mature exploration strategies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regularized reconstruction to reduce blocking artifacts of block discrete cosine transform compressed images

The reconstruction of images from incomplete block discrete cosine transform (BDCT) data is examined. The problem is formulated as one of regularized image recovery. According to this formulation, the image in the decoder is reconstructed by using not only the transmitted data but also prior knowledge about the smoothness of the original image, which complements the transmitted data. Two methods are proposed for solving this regularized recovery problem. The first is based on the theory of projections onto convex sets (POCS) while the second is based on the constrained least squares (CLS) approach. For the POCS-based method, a new constraint set is defined that conveys smoothness information not captured by the transmitted BDCT coefficients, and the projection onto it is computed. For the CLS method an objective function is proposed that captures the smoothness properties of the original image. Iterative algorithms are introduced for its minimization. Experimental results are presented. >
Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sport: The Ethical Issue

(1984). Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sport: The Ethical Issue. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 23-28.
Characterization of Viscoelastic Properties of Polymeric Materials Through Nanoindentation

Nanoindentation testing was used to determine the dynamic viscoelastic properties of eight polymer materials, which include three high-performance polymers and five densities of high-density polyethylene. It was determined that varying the harmonic frequency of nanoindentation does not have a significant effect on the measured storage and loss moduli of the polymers. Agreement was found between these nanoindentation results and data from bulk dynamic mechanical testing of the same materials. Varying the harmonic amplitude of the nanoindentation had a limited effect on the measured viscoelastic properties of the resins. However, storage and loss moduli from nanoindentation were shown to be sensitive to changes in the density of the polyethylene.