cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PROGRESSIVE VASOCONSTRICTION DURING SUSTAINED FLOW REDUCTION IN NEWBORN GUT: ROLE OF ANGIOTENSIN † 1388

PROGRESSIVE VASOCONSTRICTION DURING SUSTAINED FLOW REDUCTION IN NEWBORN GUT: ROLE OF ANGIOTENSIN † 1388
The ras oncogenes increase the intrinsic resistance of NIH 3T3 cells to ionizing radiation

Identification of genes that function to protect cells from radiation damage is an essential step in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which mammalian cells cope with ionizing radiation. The intrinsic radiation resistance (D0) of NIH 3T3 cells was markedly and significantly increased by transformation with ras oncogenes activated by missense mutations. This radiobiologic activity appeared to be a specific consequence of the ras mutations rather than of transformation, since revertant cells that contained functional ras genes (but were no longer phenotypically transformed) retained their increased D0's.
Sputtering of thin carbon foils by 20 keV and 40 keV Ar+ bombardment

Abstract Sputtering of nominal 2 μg/cm2 carbon foils by 20 keV and 40 keV Ar+ bombardment has been measured using thickness measurements derived from the angular scatter distribution of 2 keV protons transiting the foils. The total sputtering yield is observed to reach a constant rate of 3.5 atoms removed per incident Ar+ and is independent of both the foil thickness and the incident energy. This is attributed to a nearly constant deposited energy density at the entrance and exit surfaces, which results from a nuclear stopping power that varies little over the energy range of 6–40 keV. By extrapolating measured backsputtering yield data to the energies used in this study, we obtain a transmission sputtering yield of approximately 1.7. Holes were also formed in the foil, and the fraction of holes created by Ar+ bombardment linearly increases with increasing fluence above a threshold fluence of 4.5 × 1015 Ar+/cm2.
Flow through porous media. Examination of the immobile fluid model

Abstract A model is examined which postulates that during permeation a fraction of the interstitial fluid may not joint in the general flow. If valid, this model could explain differences between data and flow equations in which it is usually assumed that all of the interstitial fluid is mobile. The Kozeny—Carman equation is recast in a form enabling the effective particle volume and effective surface area to be obtained from measurements of flow rates at several different porosities. Both flow through porous media and sedimentation are considered. Good fits to data for aqueous systems are reported. A model in which fissures between protuberances on the particle surface restrain the movement of fluid films is suggested and found to be in reasonable agreement with the results. Related information from other topics involving the interaction of fluid with porous media including capillary potential and streaming potential is introduced. The model is discussed critically and suggestions are made for work designed to further test the model and its implications.
Maternal Protectiveness and Child Adjustment: A Multidimensional Study

SYNOPSIS Objective . The purposes of this study were to identify multiple dimensions of maternal protectiveness and to examine their relations with demographic factors, child characteristics, and children's psychological adjustment. Design . One hundred and seven mothers of 8- to 13-year-old children completed questionnaires on child temperament and maternal protectiveness. Teachers completed questionnaires on children's social-emotional adjustment. Results . Three domains of protectiveness were identified: (1) protectiveness around the use of household objects and activities outside of the home, (2) protectiveness involving withholding potentially upsetting information from the child, and (3) protectiveness involving the restriction of media use. In general, maternal social class, education, and employment were negatively associated with maternal protectiveness, although maternal education was positively associated with media protectiveness. Mothers of highly social children reported the lowest levels of...
DOING ETHICS: THE BEARING OF ETHICAL THEORIES ON FIELDWORK*

This essay is a venture in applied ethics: that is, an effort to apply moral principles to a concrete world of practice. But it would be pretentious, condescending and false for the applied ethicist to assume that he or she can operate deductively and derivatively from abstract ethical principles and rescue practitioners from any and all of their difficulties. The ethicist does not travel along a one-way street delivering to morally beleaguered practitioners the solution to all their problems. Applied ethics, at its best, is a two-way transaction. The ethicist who attempts to throw light on a specific world of practice discovers that the practitioner forces him to approach theoretical issues in a fresh light. The ethicist receives as much as he gives in the transaction. I would be ungrateful if I did not acknowledge as much at the end of a privileged year as an amateur participant observer, doing his own observing at professional meetings of anthropologists and sociologists. My field notes are hardly worth sharing with my new found colleagues in those fields, but I am prepared to discuss what my own turf looks like after that experience abroad. As I see it, five moral theories are particularly germane to the questions raised by the ethics of field research.
Development of gene expression signatures for practical radiation biodosimetry.

Purpose In a large-scale radiologic emergency, estimates of exposure doses and radiation injury would be required for individuals without physical dosimeters. Current methods are inadequate for the task, so we are developing gene expression profiles for radiation biodosimetry. This approach could provide both an estimate of physical radiation dose and an indication of the extent of individual injury or future risk. Methods and Materials We used whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to predict radiation dose across an exposure range relevant for medical decision making in a radiologic emergency. Human peripheral blood from 10 healthy donors was irradiated ex vivo , and global gene expression was measured both 6 and 24 h after exposure. Results A 74-gene signature was identified that distinguishes between four radiation doses (0.5, 2, 5, and 8 Gy) and controls. More than one third of these genes are regulated by TP53. A nearest centroid classifier using these same 74 genes correctly predicted 98% of samples taken either 6 h or 24 h after treatment as unexposed, exposed to 0.5, 2, or ≥5 Gy. Expression patterns of five genes ( CDKN1A, FDXR, SESN1, BBC3, and PHPT1 ) from this signature were also confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion The ability of a single gene set to predict radiation dose throughout a window of time without need for individual pre-exposure controls represents an important advance in the development of gene expression for biodosimetry.
Atypical synergistic α1- and β-adrenergic regulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in rat pinealocytes

The adrenergic control of cAMP and 3′,5′-cyclic GMP (cGMP) in dispersed adult rat pinealocytes was investigated. Norepinephrine treatment increased cAMP and cGMP content 60- and 400-fold, respectively; both α- and β-adrenoceptors had to be activated for these responses to occur. β-Adrenergic stimulation alone produced only about 6- and 2-fold increase in cAMP and cGMP content, respectively. α-Adrenergic stimulation, which alone had no effect on either cyclic nucleotide concentration, markedly amplified the β-adrenergic stimulation of both cAMP and cGMP. The relative potency of α-adrenergic agonists and antagonists indicates the α1-subclass of adrenoceptors is involved. A role of α1-adrenoceptors in the control of pineal cAMP is consistent with published evidence of the presence of α1-adrenoceptors on pinealocytes and their role in the regulation of N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin production. (Endocrinology 116: 2167–2173,1985)
Effect of residual stresses and complex loadings on the fatigue behavior of underclad cracks

Abstract The objective of this paper is to show that the fatigue crack propagation of cold underclad cracks in reactor vessel nozzles is much less than predicted by the usual conservative safety assessment methods, and that it is possible to estimate real margins more accurately. The crack propagation of underclad cracks was assessed by numerical methods with conservative safety hypotheses: • - the upper bounds of fatigue crack propagation laws in an air environment have been used for both the base metal and the cladding, • - fatigue crack initiation on the actual underclad defects has not been taken into account, • - the crack lengths have been corrected using Irwin's correction, which accounts for plastic-zone sizes at crack tips, • - elliptical defects have been considered to be strip defects, • - the lower bounds of the yield strength and thoughness of the materials have been used. An extensive experimental fatigue program was also performed on large specimens in several laboratories. The specimens were taken out of a full-size nozzle (SA 508 Cl.3 steel) containing cracks in the heat-affected zone under the three layers of cladding. The experimental observations are as follows: • - a significant fraction of the lifetime is spent in crack initiation, • - the crack growth rate is lower because of a non-aggressive (inert) environment in the defects, • - the residual stresses at 300°C can be neglected, • - the residual stresses at room temperature are significant. The numerical calculations of crack propagation, taking into account the residual stresses, load ratio and temperature effects, give a fair estimate of the behavior of the underclad cracks observed during testing. Combining the experimental and numerical results provides a good knowledge of the real margins between the actual underclad crack propagation and the propagation that was calculated in previous safety assessments. It can be concluded that the actual propagations of underclad cracks will be very small or even negligible during the specified lifetime of the components.
Hepatic hypoperfusion after intestinal reperfusion.

Background. Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IIR) induces hepatic and pulmonary dysfunction and thus has been used as a model of multiple organ failure syndrome. This study examines the hypothesis that hepatic blood flow is markedly reduced in this injury model. Methods. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 120 minutes of intestinal ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion (IIR). Hepatic blood flow was measured with radiolabeled microspheres and Doppler flow probes. Hepatic dysfunction was quantitated by measuring bile flow and serum alanine aminotransferase and hepatic tissue adenosine triphosphate levels. Sham-operated animals served as controls. Results. Intestinal ischemia reduced portal flow by 66% when compared with sham-operated animals (p=0.0001) but had no effect on hepatic arterial flow. In contrast, reperfusion reduced hepatic artery flow by 80% when compared with controls (p=0.002) with most of this change occurring within 5 minutes of reperfusion. IIR induced a 63% reduction in bile flow (p Conclusions. These data suggest that IIR induces profound hepatic hypoperfusion, which is temporally related to acute hepatic dysfunction. This observation suggests that hepatic ischemia may contribute to IIR-induced liver injury.
The Interest Rate, Taxation, and the Personal Savings Incentive

I. Introduction, 419. — II. Elasticity of supply of savings, 420. — III. Analysis under uncertainty, 427. — IV. Implications, 434.
‘Compete with One Another in Good Works’: Exegesis of Qur'an Verse 5.48 and Contemporary Muslim Discourses on Religious Pluralism

This article addresses the following two questions by examining the ideas of three modern Muslim scholars: Nurcholish Madjid (Indonesia), Asghar Ali Engineer (India), and Abdulaziz Sachedina (United States), with special reference to their interpretation of Q 5.48. How do modern Muslim scholars understand this verse and use it to support the idea that Islam advocates religious pluralism? And are modern Muslims simply superimposing modernist notions on the premodern worldview of the Qur'an? Two lines of thought will be explored. First, an examination of the classical exegesis of Q 5.48 will be reviewed in order to discover the teaching of the classical authorities on Islamic scripture about these issues of modern concern. Second, the verse will be analysed in light of modern debate on whether or not Islam advocates religious pluralism. Finally, possible explanations as to why these three Muslim scholars differ in their approach to what may be referred to as the ‘conservative legacy’ of the classical exeges...
RAPID METHOD OF ANALYSIS OF GLASS SAND

The classical method for the analysis of glass sand, based on fusion of the pulverized material with sodium carbonate, dehydration of the silica with HCl, and determination of the other components from the filtrate, while accurate, requires considerable time. The method outlined by the writer, using HNO3 and HF, gives satisfactory results and requires only about one-fourth the time.
FEDERAL FUNDS FOR NETWORKING

Whenever new money is appropriated for libraries, it's cause for celebration. That was particularly rare in the early 1980s, but recently Congress has recognized the need for added dollars to support technological implementation. In the latter half of the decade over $3 million was added yearly to grant competitions available to the nation's college and university libraries.
Insulin protein and proliferation in ductal cells in the transplanted pancreas of patients with type 1 diabetes and recurrence of autoimmunity

Aim/hypothesis We investigated whether beta cell neoformation occurs in the transplanted pancreas in patients with type 1 diabetes who had received a simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplant (SPK) and later developed recurrence of autoimmunity. Methods We examined pancreas transplant biopsies from nine SPK patients with or without recurrent autoimmunity or recurrent diabetes and from 16 non-diabetic organ donors. Tissues were analysed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results Numerous cytokeratin-19 (CK-19) + pancreatic ductal cells stained for insulin in six SPK recipients with recurrent autoimmunity, in five of whom diabetes requiring insulin therapy recurred. These cells also stained for the transcription factor pancreatic-duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx-1), which is implicated in pancreatic development and beta cell differentiation. The number of insulin + ductal cells varied, being highest in the patient with the most severe beta cell loss and lowest in the normoglycaemic patient. In the patient with the most severe beta cell loss, we detected insulin + CK-19 + Pdx-1 + cells staining for the proliferation-related Ki-67 antigen (Ki-67), indicating proliferation. We were unable to detect Ki-67 + beta cells within the islets in any SPK patient. Some insulin + CK-19 – ductal cells contained chromogranin A, suggesting further endocrine differentiation. Insulin + cells were rarely noted in the pancreas transplant ducts in three SPK patients without islet autoimmunity and in six of 16 non-diabetic organ
Free radicals derived from nitrogen-containing xenobiotics in sediments and liver and bile of English sole from Puget Sound, Washington

Abstract Recently, we have focused attention on organic free radicals in marine organisms exposed to pollutants in the field 1 and laboratory. 2 For example, in Puget Sound, N-oxyl derivatives of heterocycles have been identified in the liver of English sole ( Parophrys vetulus ) containing hepatic neoplasms and other hepatic lesions. 1,2 We now report the occurrence of free radicals in sediments and bottom-dwelling fish from Eagle Harbor, a creosote-polluted area of Puget Sound. The free radicals were analyzed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Sediments from Eagle Harbor contained high concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzo[ a ]pyrene) and nitrogen heterocycles (e.g. carbazoles). 3 Both types of xenobiotics contain compounds that are noted for their facile conversion to free radicals. 4
Socialization to violence among the aged.

This paper addresses the issue of the attitudinal consequences of fear and victimization by focusing on the degree to which people of different ages expresses approval of violent behavior. It is our argument that the experience of victimization socializes the individual to a view as constituting an effective strategy for resolving interpersonal conflict. Data from a national sample of the noninstitutionalized adult population of the United States support this argument, at least for respondents under 60. Older people are less likely to be victims of crime than younger persons, more likely to report fear of crime, and more disapproving of violent behavior. Older victims, however, do not evidence the same attitudinal response as younger victims. Younger victims are generally less disapproving of violence than youthful non-victims; the difference between older victims and non-victims, however, is in the opposite direction. This finding is explained as a specific instance of the lesser impact across the life cycle of period effects on attitudes. Language: en
Metabolism of pyruvate, succinate and glutamate by tissues from selenium-responsive myopathic lambs.

Abstract Tissue slices from selenium-deficient (white muscle disease—WMD) and -supplemented lambs (normal) were incubated with radioactive glutamate, succinate or pyruvate, and the incorporation into protein and conversion to carbon dioxide were determined. No significant differences in the metabolism of succinate and pyruvate by heart and muscle slices from normal and WMD lambs were found. However, significantly more glutamate was converted to carbon dioxide by the heart and muscle slices from the normal lambs. No differences in the metabolism of these compounds by liver slices from WMD and normal lambs were detected. Slightly more radioactivity from pyruvate and glutamate was incorporated in protein by muscle slices from normal than WMD lambs, but this difference was not significant. These results suggest a possible role of selenium in the metabolism of glutamate.
Frequency of a dental source for acute maxillary sinusitis

Objective: To identify radiographic features of odontogenic acute maxillary sinusitis and to determine the frequency of a causative dental infection in patients with radiographic evidence of maxillary sinus fluid. Study Design: Retrospective review of 101 sinus computed tomography scans with unilateral or bilateral maxillary sinus fluid. Methods: Each maxillary sinus was graded for extent of fluid, degree of mucosal thickening, and presence of dental pathology. Univariate chi-square analysis was used to identify potential radiologic and demographic features predictive of sinus fluid. Multivariate logistic regression was then used to determine which features were independently predictive. Results: 124 of the 202 maxillary sinuses (61%) had sinus fluid. Univariate analysis excluded age, gender, and prior surgery as predictive features. The multivariate analysis included the radiographic features of oroantral fistula, periapical abscess, periodontal disease, projecting tooth root, and dental caries. Of these, only oroantral fistula and the combination of periodontal disease with either a projecting tooth root or periapical abscess were identified as significant sources of maxillary sinusitis. In sinuses that were 2/3 opacified by fluid, 79% had an identifiable dental source. Mucosal thickening demonstrated a similar relationship with dental sources, so that sinuses having both >2/3 fluid opacification and moderate mucosal thickening were 86% likely to have an identifiable dental source. Conclusions: Odontogenic infections are often the source of acute maxillary sinusitis, especially if the radiographic findings of sinusitis are severe. Laryngoscope, 2009
Negative interpersonal events mediate the relation between borderline features and aggressive behavior: findings from a nonclinical sample of undergraduate women.

Interpersonal dysfunction and aggression are features that are frequently found in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD); however, few studies have examined the possible causal relationship between aggressive actions and interpersonal problems. In a nonclinical sample of 98 women with a range of BPD features, the present study examined the prospective relationship between aggressive behaviors and negative interpersonal events using a weekly diary method. Results showed that higher BPD symptoms were related to higher aggression and more negative interpersonal events. Furthermore, the aggressive acts endorsed among women with more BPD features were more likely the effect, rather than the cause, of the negative interpersonal events they experienced. Implications for interventions targeting aggression among women with elevated BPD features and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Microfluidic approaches for engineering vasculature

Recent studies have validated a vascularization strategy that relies on microfluidic networks within biomaterials as templates to guide the formation of perfused vessels. This review discusses methods to form and vascularize microfluidic materials, physical principles that underlie stable vascularization, and computational models that seek to optimize the microfluidic design.
Spatial Voting in the 2004 Presidential Election

The theory of spatial voting has played a large role in the development of important results across many areas of political science. Directly testing the foundational assumptions of spatial voting theory, however, has not been possible with existing data. Using a novel survey design, this article obtains estimates of voter ideology on the same scale as candidate positions. The results of this scaling demonstrate that voters possess meaningful ideologies and, furthermore, that these beliefs are strongly related to the sorts of policy proposals considered in Congress. These ideology estimates are then used to uncover the actual relationships between ideology and vote choice for citizens of various types in the 2004 presidential election. Although the choices of independent voters are shown to be largely consistent with the assumptions of spatial voting theory, the decision rules used by partisans differ strongly from what unbiased spatial voting would imply. Although partisans do converge toward the behavior of independents, and hence toward the assumptions of spatial voting theory, as information levels increase, we see that even highly informed partisans show significant differences from what would be implied by unbiased spatial voting theory.
A functional view of multilevel databases

We introduce the notion of multilevel security in functional database systems. We discuss (1) the representation of security constraints in functional systems, (2) the query modification technique, (3) an architecture for query processing and (4) a multilevel functional data model.
DNA binding properties of two Arabidopsis MADS domain proteins: binding consensus and dimer formation

MADS domain proteins are members of a highly conserved family found in all eukaryotes. Genetic studies clearly indicate that many plant MADS domain proteins have different regulatory functions in flower development, yet they share a highly conserved DNA binding domain and can bind to very similar sequences. How, then, can these MADS box genes confer their specific functions? Here, we describe results from DNA binding studies of AGL1 and AGL2 (for AGAMOUS-like), two Arabidopsis MADS domain proteins that are preferentially expressed in flowers. We demonstrate that both proteins are sequence-specific DNA binding proteins and show that each binding consensus has distinct features, suggestion a mechanism for specificity. In addition, we show that the proteins with more similar amino acid sequences have more similar binding sequences. We also found that AGL2 binds to DNA in vitro as a dimer and determined the region of AGL2 that is sufficient for DNA binding and dimerization. Finally, we show that several plant MADS domain proteins can bind to DNA either as homodimers or as heterodimers, suggesting that the number of different regulators could be much greater than the number of MADS box genes.
Assessment of biliary excretion in humans using a novel oroenteric tube

The biliary tract is an important route of elimination and potential site of toxicity for many xenobiotics. Quantification of biliary excretion in healthy volunteers is logistically challenging and is rarely defined during drug development. The current study uses a novel oroenteric tube to examine the pharmacokinetics of mebrofenin, a compound that undergoes rapid hepatic uptake and extensive biliary excretion. A custom-made multi-lumen oroenteric tube was positioned in the duodenum of four healthy volunteers (3 male, 1 female), subjects were positioned under a gamma camera and 2.5 mCi of 99mTc-mebrofenin was administered intravenously. Duodenal aspirates, blood samples, and urine were collected periodically for 3 h. Sincalide (cholecystokinin-8) was administered intravenously 2 h after mebrofenin to stimulate contraction of the gallbladder, and gamma scintigraphy was used to determine gallbladder ejection fraction. Total body clearance of mebrofenin approximated liver blood flow, and the oroenteric tube efficiently recovered the majority of excreted bile and mebrofenin. When corrected for gallbladder ejection fraction, 77–101% of the dose was recovered. This novel oroenteric tube and clinical protocol provide a useful method to quantify biliary excretion in healthy volunteers. (See Table) Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P35–P35; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.132 Table 1. Subject 1 2 3 4 Ejection fraction 0.86 0.82 0.12 0.86 Dose collected in bile (%) 84 66 35 84 Clearance (ml/min/kg) 16.58 17.02 19.88 17.33 Biliary clearance (ml/min/kg) 15.02 11.47 7.81 15.61
Limitations of charge-transfer models for mixed-conducting oxygen electrodes

Abstract A framework is presented for defining charge-transfer and non-charge-transfer processes in solid state electrochemical systems. We examine why charge-transfer models have difficulty modeling non-charge-transfer effects, and walk through several examples including the ALS model for oxygen reduction on a porous mixed-conducting oxygen electrode. These examples illustrate that electrode ‘overpotential’ is often better described in terms of macroscopic thermodynamic gradients of chemical species. In the case of a porous mixed conducting oxygen electrode, oxygen reduction is limited by chemical reaction and diffusion, and may occur up to 20 microns from the electrochemical (charge-transfer) interface.
Risk Stratification for Sudden Cardiac Death: The Need to Go Beyond the Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for as many as 450,000 deaths yearly in the United States. Over the last 15 years, many clinical trials have established the effectiveness of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in reducing sudden and total mortality in patients with structural heart disease. However, controversy remains about exactly how to identify the patients most likely to benefit from an ICD, as well as those who may safely do without an ICD implant. The first primary prevention ICD trials used an abnormal electrophysiological study in addition to a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as high-risk markers for SCD. More recent ICD trials selected patients based on the presence of a low LVEF alone. Ideally, noninvasive electrophysiological markers that more directly reflect arrhythmia substrates may better identify patients for prophylactic ICD implant. Several of these markers have been associated with the risk of SCD, but all have yielded contradictory outcome results or have not been tested prospectively. This review focuses on the most promising tests to date, their clinical significance, and their possible use to improve efficacy and efficiency of risk stratification for SCD.
Visual Culture, Art History and the Humanities:

This essay will discuss the need for the humanities to address visual culture studies as part of its interdisciplinary mission in today's university. Although mostly unnoticed in recent debates in the humanities over historical and theoretical frameworks, the relatively new field of visual culture has emerged as a corrective to a growing disciplinary territorialism on the part of art history. A study of the theoretical purview of visual culture reveals that it in truth encompasses a continuation of art history's initial interdisciplinary humanist project of cultural critique initiated by Aby Warburg and Erwin Panofsky. This article will argue that art history's inability to fully appreciate visual culture's relevance in today's research and pedagogical settings has given the humanities the opportunity to address a field which is rooted in the humanities' project of interdisciplinary inquiry.
Nickel(II) Acetylacetonate

[3264-82-2] C10H14NiO4 (MW 256.93) InChI = 1S/2C5H8O2.Ni/c2*1-4(6)3-5(2)7;/h2*3,6H,1-2H3;/q;;+2/p-2/b2*4-3-; InChIKey = BMGNSKKZFQMGDH-FDGPNNRMSA-L (catalyst for oligomerization, telomerization, hydrosilylation, hydrogenation, reduction, cross-coupling, oxidation, conjugate addition, addition to multiple bonds, and rearrangements1) Alternate Name: bis(acetylacetonato)nickel(II). Physical Data: pale green solid, mp 240 °C (dec); see also 2,4-Pentanedione. Solubility: sol ethers and aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons. Analysis of Reagent Purity: atomic absorption is the method most commonly used. Preparative Methods: commercially available; can be prepared from Nickel(II) Chloride.1d Purification: recrystallize from benzene and sublime under vacuum (10−3 mmHg).1c Handling, Storage, and Precautions: nickel is now recognized as a cancer suspect agent as well as a possible teratogen and due precautions should be taken when handling the reagent. The anhydrous solid is stable, but is an irritant and hygroscopic and should preferably be stored in a sealed container to preclude contact with air and moisture. Solutions are more susceptible to atmospheric oxidation.
Two-level microprocessor-accelerator partitioning

The integration of microprocessors and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) fabric on a single chip increases both the utility and necessity of tools that automatically move software functions from the microprocessor to accelerators on the FPGA to improve performance or energy. Such hardware/software partitioning for modern FPGAs involves the problem of partitioning functions among two levels of accelerator groups - tightly-coupled accelerators that have fast single-clock-cycle memory access to the microprocessor's memory, and loosely-coupled accelerators that access memory through a bridge to avoid slowing the main clock period with their longer critical paths. This new two-level accelerator-partitioning problem was introduced, and a novel optimal dynamic programming algorithm was described to solve the problem. By making use of the size constraint imposed by FPGAs, the algorithm has what is effectively quadratic runtime complexity, running in just a few seconds for examples with up to 25 accelerators, obtaining an average performance improvement of 35% compared to a traditional single-level bus architecture
Ontology, epistemology, and irony: Richard Rorty and re-imagining pragmatic criminology:

In this article I apply Richard Rorty’s view of pragmatism to contemporary criminology through the lens of ontology and criminological theory, epistemology and methodological decision making, and i...
Human antibody against shiga toxin 2 administered to piglets after the onset of diarrhea due to Escherichia coli O157:H7 prevents fatal systemic complications

Infection of children with Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can lead to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) in 5 to 10% of patients. Stx2, one of two toxins liberated by the bacterium, is directly linked with HUS. We have previously shown that Stx-specific human monoclonal antibodies protect STEC-infected animals from fatal systemic complications. The present study defines the protective antibody dose in relation to the time of treatment after the onset of diarrhea in infected gnotobiotic piglets. Using the mouse toxicity model, we selected 5C12, an antibody specific for the A subunit, as the most effective Stx2 antibody for further characterization in the piglet model in which piglets developed diarrhea 16 to 40 h after bacterial challenge, followed by fatal neurological symptoms at 48 to 96 h. Seven groups of piglets received doses of 5C12 ranging from 6.0 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg of body weight, administered parenterally 48 h after bacterial challenge. The minimum fully protective antibody dose was 0.4 mg/kg, and the corresponding serum antibody concentration in these piglets was 0.7 μg (±0.5)/ml, measured 7 to 14 days after administration. Of 40 infected animals which received Stx2 antibody treatment of ≥0.4 mg/kg, 34 (85%) survived, while only 1 (2.5%) of 39 placebo-treated animals survived. We conclude that the administration of the Stx2-specific antibody was protective against fatal systemic complications even when it was administered well after the onset of diarrhea. These findings suggest that children treated with this antibody, even after the onset of bloody diarrhea, may be equally protected against the risk of developing HUS.
Tuberin Regulates p70 S6 Kinase Activation and Ribosomal Protein S6 Phosphorylation A ROLE FOR THE TSC2 TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENE IN PULMONARY LYMPHANGIOLEIOMYOMATOSIS (LAM)

Although the cellular functions ofTSC2 and its protein product, tuberin, are not known, somatic mutations in the TSC2 tumor suppressor gene are associated with tumor development in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). We found that ribosomal protein S6 (S6), which exerts translational control of protein synthesis and is required for cell growth, is hyperphosphorylated in the smooth muscle-like cell lesions of LAM patients compared with smooth muscle cells from normal human blood vessels and trachea. Smooth muscle (SM) cells derived from these lesions (LAMD-SM) also exhibited S6 hyperphosphorylation, constitutive activation of p70 S6 kinase (p70S6K), and increased basal DNA synthesis. In parallel, TSC2−/− smooth muscle cells (ELT3) and TSC2−/− epithelial cells (ERC15) also exhibited hyperphosphorylation of S6, constitutive activation of p70S6K, and increased basal DNA synthesis. Re-introduction of wild type tuberin into LAMD-SM, ELT3, and ERC15 cells abolished phosphorylation of S6 and significantly inhibited p70S6K activity and DNA synthesis. Rapamycin, an immunosuppressant, inhibited hyperphosphorylation of S6, p70S6K activation, and DNA synthesis in LAMD-SM cells. Interestingly, the basal levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt/protein kinase B, and p42/p44 MAPK activation were unchanged in LAMD-SM and ELT3 cells relative to levels in normal human tracheal and vascular SM. These data demonstrate that tuberin negatively regulates the activity of S6 and p70S6K specifically, and suggest a potential mechanism for abnormal cell growth in LAM.
ACES: Accurate Cervical Evaluation With Sonography

OBJECTIVES Transvaginal sonographic cervical length screening is an important tool for the evaluation of preterm labor. However, a structured curriculum is lacking in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs. The Accurate Cervical Evaluation with Sonography (ACES) program was developed to address this deficiency and combines an online didactic course with a standardized performance assessment of live scans. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACES program to teach residents sonographic cervical length assessment. METHODS All obstetrics and gynecology residents at our institution were invited to participate from 2012 to 2013. The program consisted of an initial supervised transvaginal cervical evaluation, an online didactic course and written examination, and 5 subsequent supervised scans. The instructor performed an independent cervical length measurement at each encounter. The primary outcome was the difference in cervical length measurement between the resident and instructor. We hypothesized that this difference would decrease over time. At each visit, a 10-item checklist was used for skill assessment. Comparisons of checklist scores over time were also performed. RESULTS Seventeen of 20 residents completed at least some of the training, and 10 completed the entire program. The median difference in cervical length measurement between residents and instructors at posttests 3, 4, and 5 improved significantly compared to the pretest scan (all P ≤ .02). Similarly, the checklist scores improved over time (all P ≤ .0008). CONCLUSIONS Transvaginal cervical sonography is an important tool in the evaluation of preterm labor. The ACES program provides residents a structured curriculum for cervical evaluation and supervisors a standardized means of evaluating trainees' skills.
Space-Time Variability of Rainfall and Extreme Flood Response in the Menomonee River Basin, Wisconsin

Abstract The hydrometeorological processes that control flash flooding are examined through analyses of space–time rainfall variability and flood response in the Milwaukee metropolitan region. The analyses focus on four flood events in the Menomonee River basin that occurred 21 June 1997, 2 July 1997, 6 August 1998, and 21 July 1999. The June 1997 and August 1998 flood events produced record flood peaks in the Menomonee River and its tributaries. Rainfall analyses, which are based on WSR-88D radar reflectivity observations and rainfall measurements from a dense network of rain gauges maintained by the city of Milwaukee, provide rainfall fields for each event at 1-km spatial resolution and 5-min timescale. The June 1997 and August 1998 storms exhibited striking contrasts in storm structure, evolution, and motion. Analyses of the structure and evolution of these storms are presented in conjunction with scaling analyses of the rainfall fields. The contrasting storm-scale properties of the June 1997 and Augus...
Creation of a Scholars Program in Dental Leadership (SPDL) for Dental and Dental Hygiene Students

There is a great need for leaders in the dental profession. As technological advances make our world smaller and our lives faster and more complex, we as a profession face challenges and opportunities that are evolving. Many of the changes in the scope and mode of practice will require new and different approaches. Meeting these challenges will require changes in how we as dental professionals do business; interact with our patients, other stakeholders, and health care providers; and educate our future colleagues. The purposeful incorporation of leadership education into dental and dental hygiene curricula represents an important departure from existing paradigms-but will help prepare our students to address these challenges. This article provides an overview of the development of a Scholars Program in Dental Leadership (SPDL) at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Our aim for the program is to create a learning environment that fosters leadership development, so that students are prepared and motivated to assume leadership positions in the profession and their communities.
Younger and Sicker: Comparing Micronesians to Other Ethnicities in Hawaii

Objectives. We compared the age at admission and the severity of illness of hospitalized Micronesians with 3 other racial/ethnic groups in Hawaii.Methods. With Hawaii Health Information Corporation inpatient data, we determined the age at admission and the severity of illness for 162 152 adult, non–pregnancy-related hospital discharges in Hawaii from 2010 to 2012. We performed multivariable linear regression analyses within major disease categories by racial/ethnic group. We created disease categories with all patient refined–diagnosis related groups.Results. Hospitalized Micronesians were significantly younger at admission than were comparison racial/ethnic groups across all patient refined–diagnosis related group categories. The severity of illness for Micronesians was significantly higher than was that of all comparison racial/ethnic groups for cardiac and infectious diseases, higher than was that of Whites and Japanese for cancer and endocrine hospitalizations, and higher than was that of Native Hawai...
The NLRP3 Inflammasome Mediates Inflammation Produced by Bladder Outlet Obstruction

Purpose: While bladder outlet obstruction is well established to elicit an inflammatory reaction in the bladder that leads to overactive bladder and fibrosis, little is known about the mechanism by which this is initiated. NLRs (NOD-like receptors) and the structures that they form (inflammasomes) have been identified as sensors of cellular damage, including pressure induced damage, and triggers of inflammation. Recently we identified these structures in the urothelium. In this study we assessed the role of the NLRP3 (NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3) inflammasome in bladder dysfunction resulting from bladder outlet obstruction.Materials and Methods: Bladder outlet obstruction was created in female rats by inserting a 1 mm outer diameter transurethral catheter, tying a silk ligature around the urethra and removing the catheter. Untreated and sham operated rats served as controls. Rats with bladder outlet obstruction were given vehicle (10% ethanol) or 10 mg/kg glyburide (a NLRP3 inhibitor) ...
Viscoelastic model of dielectric elastomer membranes

A non-linear viscoelastic model for finite deformations of dielectric elastomer membranes using Christensen's theory of viscoelasticity is developed. For a time efficient numerical solution, the constitutive integral equations with a time dependent kernel (relaxation modulus) are reformulated into a recurrence form using Feng's recurrence formula and solution for the principal stretches are obtained. Uniaxial constant load tensile tests are conducted and compared with theoretical predictions. The model is also valid for small linear deformations.
A problem-based learning approach to GPU computing

Compared to CPUs, modern GPUs exhibit a high ratio of computing performance per watt, and so current supercomputer designs often include multiple racks of GPUs in order to achieve high teraflop counts at minimal energy cost. GPU programming is thus becoming increasingly important, and yet it remains a challenging task. This paper describes a course in GPU programming for senior undergraduates and first-year graduates that has been taught at Clemson University annually since 2010. The course uses problem-based learning, with focus on a large, real-world problem, in particular, a system for parallel solution of partial differential equations. Although the system for solving PDEs is useful in its own right, the problem is used as a vehicle in which to explore design issues that face those attempting to achieve new levels of performance on architectures.
Quality of life following vertebroplasty

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty may be indicated when a patient with a painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture remains intolerably symptomatic in spite of comprehensive, nonoperative management. Relief of pain and quality of life following percutaneous vertebroplasty, however, remain incompletely defined. We investigated these outcomes with use of a visual analog scale and a validated, osteoporosis-specific health-related quality-of-life instrument. Methods: We performed a prospective study of consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty. At the time of enrollment, all patients completed the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire, a validated thirty-item, five-domain, 7-point response-option instrument that measures health-related quality of life in osteoporotic women with back pain due to vertebral compression fracture. At two weeks, two months, and six months postoperatively, all patients completed a validated extraction of the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire. The minimal, clinically important difference in this 7-point scale is 0.5 unit per question. To assess pain, a visual analog scale (ranging from 1 to 10) was completed preoperatively, one day postoperatively, and at each evaluation thereafter. Results: Forty-six consecutive patients (thirty-two women and fourteen men) underwent forty-nine percutaneous vertebroplasty procedures for the treatment of sixty-six vertebral compression fractures. The mean age of the patients was 74.3 years. The mean fracture age was 2.5 months. The mean pain rating decreased from 7.7 preoperatively to 2.8 one day after the vertebroplasty (p < 0.001), and it remained substantially improved at two weeks, two months, and six months postoperatively (p < 0.001). All five domains of the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire were improved at two weeks postoperatively and remained improved at each evaluation point through six months (p ≤ 0.007). Multivariate analysis demonstrated no consistent correlation between postoperative pain relief or any postoperative Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire domain score and gender, smoking history, previous or current steroid use, bone mineral density, dynamic mobility, or the presence of an intravertebral cleft. Immediate postoperative pain relief was weakly and positively associated with age (p < 0.03). Four incident vertebral compression fractures occurred in three (6.5%) of the forty-six patients, and five patients died within six months after the vertebroplasty. No deaths or serious adverse events appeared to be related to vertebroplasty. Conclusions: Rapid and substantial relief of pain and improvement in the quality of life are observed following percutaneous vertebroplasty, and these improvements are maintained for at least six months. Percutaneous vertebroplasty can be performed safely in frail, elderly patients, with no apparent increase in the incidence of fractures postoperatively. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Effect of Balloon:Annulus Ratio on Incidence of Pulmonary Insufficiency Following Valvuloplasty.

Objective Pulmonary insufficiency following balloon valvuloplasty for pulmonary valve stenosis has been shown to result in right ventricular dilation, which may necessitate pulmonary valve replacement. This study investigates the consequences of employing a more conservative balloon:annulus ratio of ≤1.2 against the currently used ratios of >1.2. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a more conservative balloon:annulus ratio would maintain procedural success with adequate relief of the pulmonary valve gradient, while minimizing pulmonic insufficiency. Design Procedural data were collected on cases considered for balloon valvuloplasty for congenital pulmonic stenosis at Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego between March 31, 2003 and April 9, 2014. The study includes 98 patients whose median age at the time of procedure was 3.6 months (range: 1 day to 271 months); median follow-up was 15.2 months (range 24 days to 106 months). The subjects were divided into two groups based on their balloon:annulus ratio: ≤1.2 (n = 67) and >1.2 (n = 31). Results The difference in pulmonary gradient reduction—the marker of procedural success—was not significant between the two groups (P = .33). Although both groups had an increase in pulmonary valve insufficiency from baseline, the ≤1.2 group had significantly less insufficiency compared to the >1.2 group (P = .008). Reintervention rates were not statistically significant between both groups (P = .89). Conclusion Performing pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty with a balloon:annulus ratio of ≤1.2 produces significantly less pulmonary insufficiency than a ratio of >1.2 without reducing procedure efficacy.