cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disposition and metabolism of [14C]-galunisertib, a TGF-βRI kinase/ALK5 inhibitor, following oral administration in healthy subjects and mechanistic prediction of the effect of itraconazole on galunisertib pharmacokinetics.

Abstract1. The disposition and metabolism of galunisertib (LY2157299 monohydrate, a TGF-βRI Kinase/ALK5 Inhibitor) was characterized following a single oral dose of 150 mg of [14C]-galunisertib (100 µCi) to six healthy human subjects.2. The galunisertib plasma half-life was 8.6 h, while the 14C half-life was 10.0 h. Galunisertib was abundant in circulation (40.3% of the 14C AUC024 h), with 7 additional metabolites detected in plasma. Two metabolites LSN3199597 (M5, mono-oxidation), and M4 (glucuronide of M3) were the most abundant circulating metabolites (10.7 and 9.0% of the 14C AUC024 h respectively). The pharmacological activity of LSN3199597 was tested and found to be significantly less potent than galunisertib.3. The dose was recovered in feces (64.5%) and in urine (36.8%). Galunisertib was cleared primarily by metabolism, based on low recovery of parent in excreta (13.0% of dose). Due to the slow in vitro metabolism of galunisertib in suspended hepatocytes, a long term hepatocyte system was used to ...
Designing for engagement: using participatory design to develop a social robot to measure teen stress

While scholars in technical communication have examined on theoretical concerns of post humanism, less work has focused on designing for engaging experiences between humans and nonhuman agents like robots. In this research article, we present findings from a project investigating the possibility of designing a social robot to help measure teen stress. To explore design possibilities, we conducted a series of participatory design sessions with teens to envision the design of a social robot to measures stress. The findings from the study include how teens react to existing robots, how teens conceptualize robots that might live in their schools through storyboarding and group discussion, and reactions to an emerging design of a low fidelity robot. In our discussion, we reflect on implications for designing social robots for and with teens, considerations for studying engaging relationships, and reflections on methodological choices of participatory design.
Light as Environment: Medicine, Health, and Values

Light is strangely absent from most accounts of the environment. From photosynthesis to vitamin D, however, light is central to human well-being. Human circadian rhythms are keyed the alternation of dark and light. Erosion of the ozone layer makes skin cancer a growing threat from excess ultraviolet radiation. Light plays a significant role in health and illness. In changing historical circumstances, light continues to evoke and to express significant issues of value.
BRAF and MEK inhibitor therapy eliminates Nestin‐expressing melanoma cells in human tumors

Little is known about the in vivo impacts of targeted therapy on melanoma cell abundance and protein expression. Here, 21 antibodies were added to an established melanoma mass cytometry panel to measure 32 cellular features, distinguish malignant cells, and characterize dabrafenib and trametinib responses in BRAFV600mut melanoma. Tumor cells were biopsied before neoadjuvant therapy and compared to cells surgically resected from the same site after 4 weeks of therapy. Approximately 50,000 cells per tumor were characterized by mass cytometry and computational tools t-SNE/viSNE, FlowSOM, and MEM. The resulting single cell view of melanoma treatment response revealed initially heterogeneous melanoma tumors were consistently cleared of Nestin expressing melanoma cells. Melanoma cells subsets that persisted to week 4 were heterogeneous but expressed SOX2 or SOX10 proteins and specifically lacked surface expression of MHC I proteins by MEM analysis. Traditional histology imaging of tissue microarrays from the same tumors confirmed mass cytometry results, including persistence of NES-SOX10+ S100β+ melanoma cells. This quantitative single cell view of melanoma treatment response revealed protein features of malignant cells that are not eliminated by targeted therapy.
Scanning Methods and Reconstruction Algorithms for Computerized Tomography

The development of computerized tomography has undoubtedly been the most significant advancement in the x-ray field since the discovery of the x-ray by Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen in 1895. Although conventional medical roentgenography was valuable in evaluating tissues with large differential densities, it could not clearly distinguish most soft-tissue structures and displayed overlapping, superimposed shadows of the area under investigation.
Encapsulation of sodium fluorescein for dye release studies

Recent investigations have detailed a selective dye release technique in which a pulse of laser light induces the release of a fluorescent dye from temperature-sensitive liposomes circulating in the retinal vasculature. This dye release technique has made possible a new method for measuring ocular blood flow in the retina and has spurred the development of repetitive, site-specific angiography. However, sodium fluorescein, the dye employed clinically for angiography of the retina, has not been employed in the aforementioned studies because of its rapid efflux from liposomes. This report outlines a method for stable encapsulation of sodium fluorescein in temperature-sensitive liposomes. Heat-induced leakage of the dye from liposomes in vitro was similar to that previously seen with other fluorescent dyes. Furthermore, after intravenous injection of encapsulated fluorescein in a nonhuman primate, dye released by a pulse of laser light allowed excellent visualization of the retinal architecture. These results indicate that sodium fluorescein, a dye that has proven to be the agent of choice for sensitive detection of leakage of vessels of the retina, can be released at a specific site in the retinal vasculature. Direct comparisons of the diagnostic capability of free and encapsulated sodium fluorescein are now possible.
Compact, Ultra-Wideband, Impulse Generators for Electro-Optical Applications

The bandwidth limitations of an “ultra-wideband, short-pulse” circuit is quantified by the temporal response of the electronic circuit. The upper bandwidth limit of an electronic circuit is determined by the maximum rate of current change in the circuit which is further defined by the ratio of the circuit voltage to the circuit inductance. Thus, “ultra-wideband” pulse generation requires a large voltage and a small inductance. Once the operating voltage is maximized and the inductance is minimized for a particular system, the circuit temporal response is then limited by charge carrier transit time and stray capacitance in active circuit devices.
Chemokines and Neural Inflammation in Experimental Brain Abscesses

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the current knowledge regarding chemokine expression in experimental brain abscesses and the functional significance of some of these mediators using chemokine receptor knockout mice. The chemokines expressed during the evolution of experimental brain abscesses and the cell type(s) responsible for their synthesis have been characterized. The rapidity at which chemokine production is induced in brain abscesses suggested that resident glial cells were responsible for their synthesis as opposed to recruited hematogenous cells. As the brain abscess evolves, infiltrating leukocytes may also contribute to chemokine expression. Microglia and astrocytes can express numerous chemokines in response to S. aureus and most likely serve as the source of these mediators during the early phase of experimental brain abscess pathogenesis prior to inflammatory cell recruitment. However, it remains possible that other central nervous system (CNS) resident cells such as cerebral endothelial cells and perivascular microglia also contribute to the initial synthesis of chemokines immediately following S. aureus exposure. In summary, the rodent experimental brain abscess model provides an excellent model system to dissect the functional significance of chemokines in the pathogenesis of disease and may lead to therapeutic interventions for abscesses and other bacterial brain infections.
Super Shears: Micro Cases to Reduce Confirmation Bias in Evaluating Management Estimates

SUMMARY This two-case set offers evidence of the need for and effectiveness of practice in evaluating evidence and auditing management estimates using both students and audit professionals. Partici...
Recent Breakthroughs and Ongoing Limitations in Cryptosporidium Research

The intestinal apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans worldwide. However, treatment options are severely limited. The search for novel interventions is imperative, yet there are several challenges to drug development, including intractability of the parasite and limited technical tools to study it. This review addresses recent, exciting breakthroughs in this field, including novel cell culture models, strategies for genetic manipulation, transcriptomics, and promising new drug candidates. These advances will stimulate the ongoing quest to understand Cryptosporidium and the pathogenesis of cryptosporidiosis and to develop new approaches to combat this disease.
Neoliberal technological devices and articulations of teaching young children: A case study of preservice teachers using iPads in their teacher education program:

The global shift toward neoliberalism continues to impact early childhood in numerous ways. One example of this shift is the push by education stakeholders for the incorporation of technology into ...
A case of pulmonary embolism with rare unusual presentation of syncope

Presentation in pulmonary embolism may be variable and each patient should be thoroughly investigated including young patients. Other non-conventional presentation and risk factors should also be assessed. Appropriate management should be considered for this life threatening disease in hospital and follow up with anticoagulants is necessary for prevention of recurrences.
Plotting the field: Fragments and narrative in Malinowski's stories of the baloma:

Anthropologists have long relied on powerful concepts operant in the societies where they have carried out fieldwork to unlock the meanings of various, even seemingly disparate, practices and exper...
Prognostic value of minimal residual disease and polyclonal plasma cells in myeloma patients achieving a complete response to therapy.

Achievement of a complete response has been associated with improved outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma. Recently, increasing application of minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment has shown that MRD negativity is a powerful prognostic factor for survival outcomes. We wanted to examine the impact of the polyclonal plasma cell (pPC) compartment among patients in complete response (CR) but are MRD positive. This is a retrospective cohort study where 460 myeloma patients were identified who met criteria for CR and had multicolor flow cytometry performed on the bone marrow (BM). Monoclonal and pPCs were estimated during MRD testing. Final outcomes including overall survival (OS) and time to next treatment (TTNT) were compared among the groups. The median OS for the entire cohort was not reached (95% CI; 63 mos, NR) and the median TTNT was 31 months (95% CI; 27,36). Among the MRDneg group, median TTNT was 37.6 months vs 23 months for MRDpos patients (P 95% pPCs had a significantly better TTNT (NR vs 23 months; P = .02) and a trend toward better OS. We conclude that achievement of MRD negativity predicts for better response durability and trend toward improved OS and an increased proportion of pPC predicts for better outcomes within those who have residual tumor cells highlighting the importance of marrow normalization.
Homogeneously staining region (hsr) on chromosome 11 is highly specific for KMT2A amplification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Abstract AML and MDS are most common myeloid neoplasms that affect mainly older patients. Overexpression of certain proto-oncogenes plays an indispensable role in tumorigenesis and overexpression can be a consequence of gene rearrangement, amplification and/or mutation. Rearrangement and amplification of KMT2A located at chromosome band 11q23 is a well-characterized genetic driver in a subset of AML/MDS cases and is associated with a poor prognosis. The presence of homogeneously staining regions (hsr) also has been correlated with amplification of specific proto-oncogenes. In this study, we correlated hsr(11)(q23) with KMT2A in a large cohort of AML/MDS (n = 54) patients. We identified 37 patients with hsr(11)(q23) in the setting of AML (n = 27) and MDS (n = 10). All patients showed a complex karyotype including 12 cases with monosomy 17. KMT2A FISH analysis was available for 35 patients which showed KMT2A amplification in all patients. Among control cases with hsr involving chromosomes other than 11q [non-11q hsr, n = 17], FISH analysis for KMT2A was available in 10 cases and none of these cases showed KMT2A amplification (p = 0.0001, Fisher's exact test, two-tailed). Mutational analysis was performed in 32 patients with hsr(11)(q23). The most common mutated gene was TP53 (n = 29), followed by DNMT3A (n = 4), NF1 (n = 4), and TET2 (n = 3). Thirty (83%) patients died over a median follow-up of 7.6 months (range, 0.4–33.4). In summary, hsr(11)(q23) in AML/MDS cases is associated with a complex karyotype, monosomy 17, KMT2A amplification, and TP53 mutation.
Managing the science in the presence of financial conflict of interest.

ABSTRACTWe consider the question of why (primarily) and how (secondarily) to perform scientific oversight of research performed by investigators with a financial conflict of interest (COI). One way...
How to communicate cyber-risk? An examination of behavioral recommendations in cybersecurity crises

This study intended to incorporate the Cognitive Appraisal Theory with the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) by demonstrating that the appraisal process and emotional arousals are an essential...
‘Getting Arno’: the New Yorker cartoon caption competition

This paper seeks to provide, through close readings of specific examples, a formal and sociological theory of the New Yorker caption contest. It draws upon the Script Semantic Theory of Humour, a s...
Clostridioides difficile colonization and infection in patients admitted for a first autologous transplantation: Incidence, risk factors, and patient outcomes.

Background More data are needed regarding the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and colonization in patients undergoing an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). Methods We studied 472 consecutive patients admitted for a first AHSCT and conducted a prospective C difficile stool surveillance and ribotyping analysis in a subset of 94 patients. Results Clostridioides difficile infection was diagnosed in 7% of patients for an incidence of 3.4 CDI/1000 inpatient days, recurrent/reinfection CDI was rare. CDI was increased in patients who were colonized on admission, had required a recent pre-admission inpatient stay for fever and/or serious infection, or received empiric therapy with a carbapenem or extended-spectrum penicillin. CDI was associated with a longer length of stay and higher hospital costs. Twelve of 94 patients (13%) were found to have colonization on admission; CDI was diagnosed in 27% of these vs 1% in those with initial negative stools. Colonization in the hospital for those negative on admission was infrequent. C difficile ribotyping showed a predominance of 014/020. Conclusions Clostridioides difficile infection is a significant infection in patients receiving a first AHSCT. The risk factors identified may be useful in designing preventive interventions.
Evaluating Current Trends of Occupation-Based Practice in the Hand-Therapy Setting

Date Presented 04/06/19 OT is actively responding to the current political climate of healthcare reform with the reaffirmation of professional roots in occupation. Therapists are advocating for the power of occupation as an evidence-based practice, yet in many settings is under-utilized. OTs find value in occupation-based interventions (OBI), but are facing barriers to implementation. This study examined the current trends and barriers in the use of OBI in the hand-therapy setting. Primary Author and Speaker: Erin Phillips Additional Authors and Speakers: Efthemia Tounas, Meghan Waack, Kelsey Traetow
Pediatric type 1 diabetes

Abstract Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder characterized by variability in blood glucose levels due to the body's inability to produce insulin, a hormone needed to break down glucose, which is needed for energy. T1D affects 1 in 300 youth, and although its exact cause is unknown, the development of islet autoantibodies and environmental triggers leads to destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. Self-management and adherence behaviors include blood glucose monitoring, carbohydrate counting, and administration of exogenous insulin. Rates of pediatric T1D nonadherence range from 29.5% to 90% depending on how adherence is operationalized and measured. Methods of assessing adherence in pediatric T1D, including self-report and diabetes device (e.g., glucose monitors, insulin pumps), are reviewed in this chapter in addition to educational, behavioral, and multicomponent intervention studies. Empirically supported adherence interventions for children and adolescents and their caregivers primarily use a problem-solving approach. Although, the field of T1D adherence is vast, there continues to be a need for inclusion of better evidence-based assessment via objective data downloaded from diabetes devices and more advanced, innovative treatments that improve daily and long-term glycemic control and other physical, psychological, and social health outcomes.
HSP70: an alarmin that does not induce high rates of preterm birth but does cause adverse neonatal outcomes.

Objective: Preterm labor and birth are strongly associated with sterile intra-amniotic inflammation, a clinical condition that is proposed to be initiated by danger signals, or alarmins. The aim of...
Current understanding and challenges in high temperature additive manufacturing of engineering thermoplastic polymers

Abstract The strengths of additive manufacturing (AM), especially the tool-less manufacturing paradigm and rapid production of low-volume products, are well-aligned with the needs of manufacturing of expensive, high-temperature resistant, engineering thermoplastic polymers. High temperature polymer parts made with AM for either tooling or end-use applications have been implemented in the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical fields. However, parts made from these polymers using traditional manufacturing processes are generally high-value parts in low-quantity production runs. Moreover, AM processing of these polymers present significant challenges due to limitations associated with large thermal gradients, residual stress buildup, and interlayer adhesion as well as the inability of the printers to consistently maintain required high processing temperatures. This review highlights the current state of the art for processing high-temperature (i.e., traditional processing temperatures exceeding 250°C) thermoplastic polymers by the melt-based, AM processes of material extrusion (MatEx) and laser powder bed fusion (PBF). The authors address common challenges to AM of high-temperature polymers and gaps in fundamental understanding of the process-structure-property relationships needed to identify the machine design, process parameter selection, and synthetic modifications to enable processing.
Science and equality of opportunity.

Since I issued my statement (http://www.nasonline.org/about-nas/leadership/president/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-statement.html) on racial inequality as president of the National Academy of Sciences, many scientists have written asking how they can help rectify this situation. Sadly, I believe that in the past science has been, or at least was perceived to have been, part of the problem rather than part of the solution. We hope we have put behind us the sorry history of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOCs) being unwilling or coerced participants in human trials for biomedical experiments and that we have enacted policies and procedures to prevent such unethical practices. Yet, even today, science can exacerbate the equality divide in subtle and more pervasive ways. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought this issue into stark focus. Despite the miracles of modern medicine and improved health in general, life expectancy varies by more than 10 years between Black and White neighborhoods in Tulsa, OK, and the same can be said of other cities where the population is segregated. Similarly, the chance of surviving COVID-19 is not equally distributed. The death rate from COVID-19 for Blacks is three times that of the White population. Simply put, the … [↵][1]1Email: naspresident{at}nas.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
The Role of Primary Education, Secondary School Choice, and Teacher Placement in Developing Tanzanian Identity Since Independence

Mwalimu ("Teacher") Julius Nyerere was Tanzania's first president and architect of its postcolonial education system, which focused on the development of its citizens and the creation of national identity. Based on research focused on primary schools near Arusha and on teacher's training and work experience, this paper demonstrates how the education system contributed to Tanzanian identity at a number of levels. To begin with, the content of primary education prepared Tanzanian children for the specific life that Julius Nyerere envisioned for them. Then, those who passed the Primary School Leaving Examination with very good marks could enroll in one of Tanzania's elite public secondary schools. Students from throughout Tanzania mingled at these schools forming bonds that crossed the country. For teachers, this also occurred at the tertiary level when they went to teacher training institutions or universities. Finally, as teachers considered where they might end up teaching, the government once again placed them in primary and secondary schools throughout the country where they influenced local villages and schools about what it meant to be Tanzanian.
Troubles talk in mother-daughter interaction: Social bond building or social bond blocking?

Abstract This study presents a linguistic analysis of a mother's troubles talk with her adolescent daughter to build social bonds. Findings reveal that the mother employs two discursive strategies to accomplish her troubles talk and build social bonds: persistent engagement and treating the daughter's responses as inadequate. The daughter blocks her mother's attempts at social bond building with: (1) bald-on-record usage; (2) minimal responses; (3) unmitigated dispreferred responses; (4) lack of interactive questioning; and (5) solution-giving stances. Findings extend Wolfson's (1986) bulge theory in that the mother and daughter operate under different conversational expectations regarding relationship status and social distance.
Cervical Subarachnoid Drain for the Treatment of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is a common phenomenon encountered by the neurosurgeon. It is most commonly come across after a neurosurgical procedure, but it can be seen idiopathically. Treatment usually ranges from conservative management through cerebrospinal fluid diversion to direct surgical repair. Continuous CSF drainage provides a path for diversion and allowing the site of the dural injury to heal effectively.1 Cervical subarachnoid drain is a safe and effective alternative when lumbar access is contraindicated or not achievable.2 Here we present a case of a 22-yr-old female with progressive symptomatic positional headaches due to a CSF leak from a prior deformity surgery treated with a cervical subarachnoid drain after a failed attempt at a direct repair. This 2-dimensional video illustrates the technique used for the placement of a cervical subarachnoid drain for the treatment of symptomatic CSF leak. Patient consented to the procedure and for the publication of their image.
Bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum Pursh, decline in western Washington, USA

Abstract Acer macrophyllum is a prominent component of the western Washington landscape where it performs ecological, economic, and cultural functions. Reports of its decline and increased mortality in the Pacific Northwest were documented beginning in 2011. Symptoms of this decline include a systemic loss of vigor, loss of transpiration, and reduced photosynthesis due to leaf loss. We conducted a preliminary study of A. macrophyllum decline across western Washington in 2014–2015 and observed decline symptoms across the region, but we did not detect any specific biotic causative agents. We subsequently conducted a multi-approach study in 2017 to quantify the spatial and temporal patterns of A. macrophyllum decline in western Washington, and to examine biotic and abiotic associations with its decline. We sampled in urban and suburban areas, and in wildland forests, and collected site-specific data to test for associations with decline. We also measured elemental concentrations in foliar and soil samples to determine their association with decline. Lastly, we conducted a dendrochronological analysis to ascertain the spatial and temporal patterns of decline. We report that A. macrophyllum decline is a recent phenomenon, particularly since 2011, that was positively associated with sites closer to roads and with increased development, and with increases in summer temperatures. Site conditions, especially hotter urban sites, are predisposing A. macrophyllum to mortality. We did not detect a consistent biotic agent that could be implicated in A. macrophyllum decline. We contend that abiotic factors are either causing direct mortality to A. macrophyllum, or making then vulnerable to opportunistic biotic agents. The results of this study inform mitigating management strategies for A. macrophyllum in the forest of the Pacific Northwest.
Comparison of Environmental Protection Agency and Company Laboratory Efficacy Data for Federally Registered Rat and Mouse Toxicants

The authors compared the efficacy data for federally registered rat and mouse anticoagulant toxicants tested both by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Terrestrial and Aquatic Biology Unit and by company laboratories. We chose ready-to-use dry-bait products, liquid-bait products, and tracking powder products evaluated according to the same laboratory test protocols. The data, which included 203 tests, were analyzed in two ways. First, we made comparisons based on the mean percentage acceptance or the mean percentage mortality for the different combinations of active ingredient (or pesticide grouping) and test species (Norway rat or house mouse). Products averaged better in company tests than in EPA tests in 11 out of the 16 comparisons. Second, we determined the amount of agreement between 54 matched sets of EPA and company data. We found agreement in 37 of the comparisons. In the 17 cases where agreement was not found, the products failed company tests but passed EPA tests in 3 cases and passed company tests but failed EPA tests in 14 cases. After comparing the results with our previous work, we discuss the reasons for the differences between the EPA and company data and the steps that are being taken or should be taken to reduce these differences.
Group Exercise in Descriptive Analysis

This exercise shows how a descriptive analysis project can be performed by small groups of students. Students may select their own product category, build a lexicon and ballot for sensory analysis, and conduct an evaluation of several products from their chosen category. Analysis of data, graphing of results, a report, and presentation may also be required. The goals of this lab are (1) to reinforce the understanding of descriptive analysis procedures, (2) to provide an experience in teamwork and division of labor, and (3) to provide practice in written and verbal communication skills. This exercise may be used in place of the descriptive analysis lab in Chap. 10.
Chapter 7 The Density Matrix Renormalization Group in Quantum Chemistry

Abstract The density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) is an electronic structure method that has recently been applied to ab initio quantum chemistry. Even at this early stage, it has enabled the solution of many problems that would previously have been intractable with any other method, in particular, multireference problems with very large active spaces. Here we provide an expository introduction to the theory behind the DMRG and give a brief overview of some recent applications and developments in the context of quantum chemistry.
Update in Smoking and Mental Illness: A Primary Care Perspective

This article will review population-based nationally representative data on rates of smoking and tobacco cessation in adults with and without mental illness. We begin with a review of the methods and findings from the 1991–1992 National Comorbidity Survey. This study found that 41% of persons who had a mental illness in the past month were current smokers, that persons with mental illness are twice as likely to smoke as persons without mental illness, and that heavy smoking is rare in persons without mental illness. Persons with a current mental illness smoked 44% of all cigarettes in the United States. We then explore the reasons that persons with mental illness smoke at such high rates and examine the directions of causality between smoking and mental illness. We review tobacco companies’ marketing activities that have targeted mentally ill smokers. The health consequences of smoking in this vulnerable group are dire. An estimated 200,000 smokers with mental illness or addiction die each year from smoki...
Automotive Sulfate Emissions-A Baseline Study

A baseline testing program was designed and implemented by EPA wherein 78 vehicles were tested in 5 laboratories. The objectives of this study were to (1) obtain sulfate emission factors on a wide variety of different in-use vehicles using current and advanced emission control methods, and (2) determine the effect on sulfate emissions of vehicles meeting increasingly stringent gaseous emissions standards. The program was designed such that the vehicles were divided into the following classes: (1) production non-catalyst vehicles, (2) production catalyst vehicles--grouped according to emissions standards, (3) advanced non-catalyst vehicles, (4) advanced catalyst vehicles, and (5) fleet vehicles.
Desktop Virtualization in Action: Simplicity is Power

Discover how your institution can better manage and increase access to instructional applications and desktops while providing a blended learning environment. Receive practical insight into how academic computing virtualization can be leveraged to enhance education at your institution while lowering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and reducing the complexity of delivering information technology (IT) services.
The second law of thermodynamics and special relativity

Abstract The physical equivalence of the two major formulations of comoving, relativistic thermodynamics is stressed. Relativistic thermodynamics is generalized so that heat conduction between bodies in relative motion can be described. This new theory becomes equivalent to the earlier formulations of relativistic thermodynamics when limited to heat transfer between comoving bodies. For the first time, relativistic thermodynamics is developed in a manner which is formally identical to classical thermodynamics, e.g., an invariant quantity, called the generalized entropy, is shown to be an exact differential as a consequence of a generalized Clausius' and a generalized Kelvin's postulate. While engaged in generalizing relativistic thermodynamics a theory of frictionless heat conduction is presented, relativistic friction is discussed, and new types of Carnot cycles are described.
Deletion of the steroid-binding domain of the human androgen receptor gene in one family with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome: evidence for further genetic heterogeneity in this syndrome

Abstract The cloning of a cDNA for the human androgen receptor gene has resulted in the availability of cDNA probes that span various parts of the gene, including the entire steroid-binding domain and part of the DNA-binding domain, as well as part of the 5' region of the gene. The radiolabeled probes were used to screen for androgen receptor mutations on Southern blots prepared by restriction endonuclease digestion of genomic DNA from human subjects with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). In this investigation, we considered only patients presenting complete AIS and with the androgen receptor (-) form as the most probable subjects to show a gene deletion. One subject from each of six unrelated families with the receptor (-) form of complete AIS and 10 normal subjects (6 females and 4 males) were studied. In the 10 normal subjects and in 5 of the 6 patients, identical DNA restriction fragment patterns were observed with EcoRI and BamHI. In one affected individual, a partial deletion of the androgen receptor gene involving the steroid-binding domain was detected. Analysis of other members of this family confirmed the apparent gene deletion. Our data provide direct proof that complete AIS in some families can result from a deletion of the androgen receptor structural gene. However, other families do not demonstrate such a deletion, suggesting that point mutations (or small, undetectable deletions) may also result in the receptor (-) form of complete AIS, adding further to the genetic heterogeneity of this syndrome.
Computation of the subspaces for entire eigenstructure assignment via the singular value decomposition

This short paper examines use of the singular value decomposition of the augmented matrix [A - ?I,B] to find its null space and then, subsequently, the subspace of possible closed loop eigenvectors and the necessary feedback matrix, K, for the assignment of the specified closed loop eigenvalues and eigenvectors. This paper describes the very attractive computational alternative of using the singular value decomposition rather than the previously reported approach of elementary column operations. The assignment of complex eigenvalues and repeated eigenvalues using the same basic singular value decomposition of a real matrix is also discussed.
RHYTHMIC CHANGES IN RATE OF THE MAMMALIAN HEART AND HEART CELLS DURING PROLONGED ISOLATION.

Abstract 1. 1. Isolated, perfused rat hearts and heart cell networks in tissue culture are found to display rhytmic changes in rate of contraction under constant conditions. 2. 2. Periodogram analysis reveals an increase in contraction rate every 8–13 hr in isolated hearts and every 12 hr in heart cell networks during the experiment. 3. 3. The isolated hearts and cell networks have similar patterns of activity over the solar day—similar circadian rhythms. 4. 4. The isolated hearts display a distinct day-night setting of heart rate with elevated rates each evening and lower rates during the day. 5. 5. Antibiotics were found to cause a significant lowering of the heart rate and a decrease in the amplitude of rhythmic oscillations. 6. 6. It is hypothesized that the circadian rhythms of resting heart rate are controlled by a “clock” located within the heart cell.
Peer Acceptance, Self-Perceptions, and Social Skills of Learning Disabled Students Prior to Identification.

This study addressed how learning disabled students prior to identification (LDPI), low-achieving (LA), average-achieving (AA), and high-achieving (HA) students compare on peer, teacher, and self assessments of social status and social skills in the fall and spring of kindergarten. Two hundred thirty-nine Black, Hispanic, and White students, 78% of a kindergarten population, participated
Structure of Two Solanum tuberosum Steroidal Glycoalkaloid Glycosyltransferase Genes and Expression of their Promoters in Transgenic Potatoes

The Sgt2 gene in potato encodes a solanidine glucosyltransferase and is present as two distinct alleles expressed in cultivated potatoes. Promoter regions of both steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthetic gene alleles, Sgt2.1 and Sgt2.2, were isolated from Solanum tuberosum cv. Russet Burbank genomic DNA. The genomic sequences of Sgt2.1 and Sgt2.2 were isolated by PCR amplification using a conserved region of Sgt2 and artificial upstream primers. The longest sequences for each allele were used to create β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene fusions. Fusion constructs were mobilized into stable transgenic lines for analysis of promoter expression in leaves and tubers under control and wounded conditions. S. tuberosum promoters from Sgt2.1 and from Sgt2.1 produced GUS activity in transgenic potato leaves and tubers comparable to GUS activity produced by the CaMV35S promoter. The CaMV35S promoter is a strong promoter frequently used in plant biotechnology. Both Sgt2 promoters exhibited activities similar to the CaMV35S promoter in tubers and lower relative activities in leaves. On average the Sgt2.2 promoter exhibited higher activity in both leaves and tubers relative to the Sgt2.1. There was no consistent effect of wounding on GUS activity from the Sgt2.2 promoter in leaves or tubers. The Sgt2.1 promoter supported higher transgene activity in tubers versus leaves and exhibited small but consistent increases in response to wounding in tubers only. This may be due to the presence of a MITE sequence in the Sgt2.1 promoter.
Son preference in Bangladesh: an emerging barrier to fertility regulation

This study investigates the effect of son preference on contraceptive use and desire for additional children using national level survey data from Bangladesh for the years 1969 and 1979. National probability samples of ever married women between the ages of 10 and 50 were selected and stratified by urban-rural residence. Specifically the study focuses on contraceptive use and desire for additional children and separates the effect of sex preference from that of high parity on fertility control. Son preference has a negative effect on contraceptive use and a positive effect on the desire for additional children regardless of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This advese effect of son preference on fertility regulation seemed to have persisted over the years. Relevent socioeconomic conditions in Bangladesh are described. In 1979 the effect of sex composition on contraceptive use or desire for additional children varied by parity. The negative effect of fewer living sons on contraceptive use and its positive effect on desire for additional children was higher in parities between 2 and 4 than in other parities. The effect of sex composition was stronger on desire for additional children than on contraceptive usage. In 1969 however there was no consistent positive relationship between sex composition and contraceptive use. The relationship between sex composition and desire for more children was positive. Among women of parities 2 to 4 an excess of daughters continued to have a major positive effect on desire for additional children and a negative effect on contraceptive use after controlling for other sociodemographic variables. For parities 1 and 5 or above the effect was either weak or inconsistent.
Is cellular senescence hypothesis of aging antagonistically pleiotropic

Normal cells do not divide indefinitely and have a finite replicative life span [1]. After exhausting their proliferative potential, cells enter into a state of replicative senescence or cellular senescence, which is an irreversible growth arrest. Cellular senescence, a gate-keeping tumor suppressor mechanism, is cellular response to stimuli causing cellular transformation such as DNA damage, oncogene activation, stresses, and chromatin instability [2]. Caretaking tumor suppressor genes (p53 and pRb) prevent or repair genomic instability, thus contributing to maintaining genome integrity. It has been suggested that organisms with renewable tissues (e.g., mouse and humans) had to evolve gate-keeping tumor suppressor mechanisms (apoptosis and cellular senescence) to prevent cancer [2]. A growing body of reports proposed that cellular senescence is antagonistically pleiotropic; cellular senescence prevents cancer development early in life but it becomes deleterious late in life, thus promoting development of cancer [2–4]. However, it was found that in both human and mouse, incidence of cancer is greatly reduced beyond the age of 80 years for humans and beyond 800 days for mice [5], which challenges the evolutionary theory of antagonistic pleiotropy, which was first proposed by Williams in 1957 [6,7]. I propose that although it is speculative, cellular senescence hypothesis of aging is not an example of antagonistic pleiotropy in the context of describing mammalian aging. It seems rather probable that cellular senescence hypothesis of aging is a random process.
Soil stabilization by a prokaryotic desert crust - Implications for Precambrian land biota

A cyanophyte dominated mat, desert crust, forms the ground cover in areas measuring hundreds of square meters in Utah and smaller patches in Colorado. The algal mat shows stromatolitic features such as sediment trapping and accretion, a convoluted surface, and polygonal cracking. Sand and clay particles are immobilized by a dense network of filaments of the two dominating cyanophyte species, Microcoleus vaginatus and M. chthonoplastes, which secrete sheaths to which particles adhere. These microorganisms can tolerate long periods of desiccation and are capable of instant reactivation and migration following wetting. Migration occurs in two events: 1. immediately following wetting of dry mat, trichomes are mechanically expelled from the sheath as it swells during rehydration, and 2. subsequently, trichomes begin a self-propelled gliding motility which is accompanied by further production of sheath. The maximum distance traveled on solid agar by trichomes of Microcoleus vaginatus during a 12 hour period of light was 4.8 cm. This corresponds to approximately 500 times the length of the fastest trichome, and provides a measure of the potential for spreading of the mat in nature via the motility of the trichomes. Dehydration resistence of the sheath modifies the extracellular environment of the trichomes and enables their transition to dormancy. Following prolonged wetting and evaporative drying of the mat in the laboratory, a smooth wafer-like crust is formed by the sheaths of Microcleus trichomes that have migrated to the surface. Calcium carbonate precipitates among the algal filaments under experimental conditions, indicating a potential for mat lithification and fossilization in the form of a caliche crust. It is suggested that limestones containing tubular microfossils may, in part, be of such an origin. The formation of mature Precambrian soils may be attributable to soil accretion, stabilization, and biogenic modification by blue-green algal land mats similar to desert crust.
Thermoelectric Properties of Co1−xRhxSi0.98B0.02 Alloys

In our previous study, modest boron segregation at CoSi grain boundaries could drastically reduce the electrical resistivity while maintaining a large Seebeck coefficient. We attribute this behavior to a healing effect of B on microcracks without affecting the electronic structures. CoSi0.98B0.02 is the optimized sample possessing the highest power factor of 60 μW K−2 cm−1 at room temperature. To reduce the thermal conductivity while maintaining the high power factor, isoelectronic substitution, i.e., Rh on Co site, is adopted. Co1−x Rh x Si0.98B0.02 alloys with x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 were prepared by an arc melting and annealing procedure. The lattice thermal conductivity decreases monotonically with increasing x, which is ascribed to enhanced phonon scattering by point defects. The lowest lattice thermal conductivity obtained for the x = 0.20 sample is less than 50% of that for CoSi at room temperature. However, all the samples still exhibit very low resistivity and large Seebeck coefficient and thus the power factor is not decreased much. The best sample is x = 0.10, showing a room-temperature power factor of 58 μW K−2 cm−1. The room-temperature ZT is raised by a factor of 2.3 compared with CoSi due to the power factor enhancement and simultaneous thermal conductivity reduction.
Amyloid β peptide-induced cerebral endothelial cell death involves mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation

Amyloid beta peptide (A beta), a 39 to 43 amino acid fragment of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP), forms insoluble fibrillar accumulation in neurofibrillary tangles and vascular plaques. A beta has been implicated in neuronal and vascular degeneration in brain regions susceptible to plaque formation because of its cytotoxic effect on neurons and endothelial cells (ECs). The authors used a murine cerebral endothelial cell (CEC) line and primary cultures of bovine CECs to explore the cytotoxic mechanism of A beta. A beta 1-40 and A beta 25-35 peptides caused cell death in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Exposure to either A beta 25-35 or A beta 1-40 at 10 micromol/L for 48 hours caused at least 40% cell death. Cerebral endothelial cell death was characterized by nuclear condensation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage. A beta 25-35 activated both caspase-8 and caspase-3 in murine CECs. zVAD-fmk, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, prevented A beta 25-35-induced increase in caspase-3 activity and CEC death. N-acetyl-cysteine, an antioxidant, also prevented A beta-induced cell death. Together, these findings indicate that A beta-mediated CEC death is an apoptotic process that is characterized by increased oxidative stress, caspase activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA damage.
Assessment of estrogenicity by using the delayed implanting rat model and examples.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals have recently drawn increased interest. The delayed implanting rat model is a method that can identify and quantify the estrogenic activity of a chemical. In rats hypophysectomized after breeding, the administration of progesterone delays embryo implantation, and exposure to one dose of an estrogenic substance initiates implantation. Although methoxychlor was ineffective at dosages below 400 mg/kg when given by injection, the administration of the chemical by gavage resulted in an increase in the percent of fertilized rats exhibiting implantation sites. These results were statistically significant at dosages of 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg methoxychlor/kg. When bisphenol A was administered, by subcutaneous injection, dosages of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg induced implantation. Only the 400 mg/kg dose of 4-tert-octylphenol was effective. Doses of β-sitosterol up to 30 mg/kg failed to initiate implantation. These data confirm previous evidence of the availability of this model for evaluating estrogenic activity and provide estimates of the estrogenic potencies of several environmentally important chemicals.
Adult stem cells and their cardiac potential

Adult cardiac muscle is unable to repair itself following severe disease or injury. Because of this fundamental property of the myocardium, it was long believed that the adult myocardium is a postmitotic tissue. Yet, recent studies have indicated that new cardiac myocytes are generated throughout the life span of an adult and that extracardiac cells can contribute to the renewal of individual cells within the myocardium. In addition, investigations of the phenotypic capacity of adult stem cells have suggested that their potential is not solely restricted to the differentiated cell phenotypes of the source tissue. These observations have great implications for cardiac biology, as stem cells obtained from the bone marrow and other readily accessible adult tissues may serve as a source of replacement cardiac myocytes. In this review, we describe the evidence for these new findings and discuss their implications in context of the continuing controversy over stem cell plasticity.