cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leveraging insights from mainstream gameplay to inform STEM game design: great idea, but what comes next?

This response to Leah A. Bricker and Phillip Bell’s paper, GodMode is his video game name, examines their assertion that the social nexus of gaming practices is an important factor to consider for those looking to design STEM video games. I propose that we need to go beyond the investigation into which aspects of games play a role in learning, and move on to thinking about how these insights can actually inform game design practice.
Renal cell carcinoma treated by vaccines for active specific immunotherapy: correlation of survival with skin testing by autologous tumor cells.

Eighteen patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, who were treated by vaccines for active specific immunotherapy, also completed skin testing with autologous tumor cells, both prior to and following vaccine treatment. All patients have now been followed for more than 5 years. Ten patients who remained skin-test-negative following treatment had no clinical responses, and all had expired by 22 months. Eight patients became skin-test-positive; three of these had clinical regressions and three remain alive after more than 69 months. The survival times of the skin-test-positive group were significantly superior to those of the skin-test-negative group. The results suggest that skin testing with autologous tumor cells may accurately identify those patients who have acquired antigenspecific cell-mediated antitumor immunity.
The effect of erythrocyte membrane on the birefringence formation of sickle cell hemoglobin.

The birefringence formation of sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS) in a thin liquid layer was observed while its environment was deoxygenated at different rates, and the effect of membrane was examined. Under slow rate of deoxygenation at 37°C, at pH 7.4, the birefringence of purified HbS appeared at a concentration higher than 24% and its relative magnitude increased as the concentration was increased. Similarly, the partial presure of oxygen, at which the birefringence formation was evident, increased from 0 to 27 torr as the concentration of HbS was increased from 24 to 28%, but it remained the same above this protein concentration. In all the samples tested relative birefringence was largest at the slow rate of deoxygenation (30 torrO2/min) and the magnitude decreased as the rate of deoxygenation was increased. The samples showed different sensitivity to the rate of deoxygenation. For example, while the total untreated hemolysate made by freeze-thawing of packed sickle cells was most resistant to the increased rates of deoxygenation, purified HbS was not. Washed open ghosts partially restored the birefringence formation pattern of purified HbS. The results indicate that the inner surface of the membranes of erythrocytes could behave as a template for large HbS polymer formation at relatively higher rates of deoxygenation.
Matchings in random regular bipartite digraphs

Let G be a random directed bipartite graph with n nodes in each class and outward degree d at each node. The probability G contains a matching is shown to approach one for large n if d>=2, but to approach zero if d=1. This result contrasts with a result of Erdos and Renyi which implies the probability of a matching goes to zero if the number of arcs (chosen at random without regard to regularity) grows more slowly than n log n.
Explicit formulas for strong Davenport pairs

A pair of separable polynomials (g, h) over a finite field F is said to be a strong Davenport pair if g(K) = h(K) for all finite extension fields K/F , where g(K) = { g(a) | a ∈ K }. We construct examples for which g is a projective or additive polynomial, and we find a factorization of g(x)−h(y). In addition, we prove that |g−1(a)∩K| = |h−1(a) ∩ K| for all a ∈ K. Though the existence of such examples was known to Fried, the explicit formulas for g and h are new, as are our methods of proof. This article also contains new results about additive and projective polynomials. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 12E10, 12E05
Evaluation of gastrointestinal microflora in necrotizing enterocolitis.

perforation with direct intracerebral inoculation was established by the history of wound pulsation and the physical relationship of scalp and bone lesions to the abscess, with no intervening infection in bone or meninges. The line of puncture marks in the scalp demonstrated no tearing, suggesting the application of perpendicular pressure by one row of teeth. It seems clear that this small child's head was encircled by the dog's jaws and that the animal's bite then developed sufficient counter-pressure to perforate the relatively soft skull. Pasteurella multocida is a common oral commensal of animals and is therefore a characteristic pathogen in animal bites and scratches, but not all human infection with this organism follows wounding by animals? The three previously reported cases of human brain abscess due to P. multocida followed chronic otitis and mastoiditis, and none was associated with animal bite. 2-4 The present case may not remain unique. Dog bite is an increasing problem; a recent report showed 43% of dog bites in New York City to be due to animals weighing 50 pounds or more. Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites particularly bites about the head?
Amniotic fluid index values after preterm premature rupture of the membranes and subsequent perinatal infection

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether an amniotic fluid index (AFI) Study Design: We performed a nonconcurrent prospective analysis of 225 singleton pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of the membranes, with delivery between 24 and 32 weeks' gestation. All included patients received 2 doses of betamethasone antenatally, in the first 24 hours after admission, and broad-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis. Patients were categorized into 2 groups on the basis of a 4-quadrant AFI t test. Categoric data were tested with the χ 2 and Fisher exact tests. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with chorioamnionitis, endometritis, and early-onset neonatal sepsis each as the dependent variable in separate analyses. All 2-sided P values Results: Both groups were similar with respect to selected demographics, gestational age at rupture of the membranes, birth weight, and maternal group B streptococcal colonization. Patients with an AFI P =.02), greater frequency of amnioinfusion therapy (23.6% vs 5.3%) ( P P =.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that an AFI P =.004) and chorioamnionitis ( P =.024). Conclusions: An AFI
Preceptor perceptions of pharmacy student team quality assurance projects

Objectives. To assess preceptors’ opinions of the impact of quality assurance projects. Methods. Students were given the opportunity to directly apply material learned in class in a “real world” environment by completing a quality assurance project in a community or health-system pharmacy. All preceptors (n = 38) were contacted via telephone and given the opportunity to respond to open-ended questions concerning their experience with student-team quality assurance projects. Results. Preceptors indicated the quality assurance projects benefited their practice sites by providing additional resources (53%, n = 19), decreased medication errors (22%, n = 8), and increased awareness of the importance of quality assurance (22%, n = 8). Ninety-four percent of respondents (n = 34) perceived the projects had a positive impact on patient care and 92% (n = 33) perceived a positive impact on themselves. Conclusions. Preceptors felt that quality assurance projects performed by pharmacy-student teams were beneficial to ...
Performance analysis of diffuser-augmented composite marine current turbine using CFD

A wound composite material wheel has been developed and is intended to be used for many purposes. One of these applications is marine current turbine. Diffuser-augmented turbines are capable of concentrating the energy in water. If a diffuser shaped shroud encloses a conventional horizontal axis turbine, the low pressure at the exit of the diffuser draws a larger mass flow through the turbine. This permits more power to be extracted from the water. In this paper, numerical analysis of a diffuser-augmented composite material marine current turbine (CMMCT) is developed and compared with a conventional bare turbine. The CFD results show that the extracted power of a diffuser-augmented CMMCT can be 5 times larger than the power extracted by a bare turbine of the same turbine area. The results of the analysis provide an insight into the hydrodynamic design and operation of a diffuser-augmented turbine in order to shorten the design period and improve technical performance.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
JUSTICE AS A CONSTELLATION OF FAIRNESS, HARMONY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Denoncant l'exclusion ou la marginalisation du confucianisme dans le discours politique contemporain, l'A. defend la conception confuceenne de la justice comme constellation entre la loyaute, l'harmonie et la droiture. Examinant le lien entre la societe juste (zhong zheng), l'harmonie sociale (zhi, qi, ping) et la vertu de droiture dans le cadre d'un dialogue entre le confucianisme et les autres traditions de pensee, l'A. montre que la justice confuceenne doit etre comprise dans le sens d'une vertu sociale et individuelle qui n'est pas incompatible avec la conception liberale des droits de l'individu et de la liberte, d'une part, et qui anticipe la controverse actuelle sur les relations entre justice et verite morale, d'autre part
Kinetics of oxygenation and deoxygenation of erythrocytes containing hemoglobin S

Abstract The rates of oxygenation and deoxygenation of erythrocytes from normal individuals and patients with sickle cell anemia have been measured at physiologic pH and temperature. The oxygenation reaction velocity constant for the cells from the patients was half that for cells from normal controls (44.5±14.8 mM −1 sec −1 as compared to 89.4±23.1 mM −1 sec −1 ). However the deoxygenation velocity constant for cells from patients was almost twice that for cells from the normal controls (20.8±2.4 sec −1 as compared to 11.0±1.6 sec −1 ). These differences in kinetic constants apparently result from alterations in the internal cellular environment rather than from the differences in structure of hemoglobin A and S. The factors responsible for the observed changes are not apparent. The decreased rate of oxygen uptake by hemoglobin S cells may possibly produce an end-capillary oxygen difference between blood and alveolar gas in areas of the lung with low ratios of diffusing capacity to blood flow.
Effect of coadsorption and Ru alloying on the adsorption of CO on Pt

We present a study of the factors that influence the adsorption of CO on a Pt(111) surface. Coadsorption of O and OH, as well as alloying of Ru is investigated. We find that coadsorption of CO either with O or OH on Pt weakens the strength of the Pt-CO bond, through a largely strain mediated interaction. Alloying Pt with Ru on the surface only slightly enhances the adsorption energy of CO relative to that of pure Pt. However, once Ru is oxidized by O or OH the adsorption energy of CO on a neighboring Pt is dramatically reduced. These findings as well as some information on the competitive adsorption behavior are discussed in the context of designing CO-tolerant Pt catalysts.
Differential Immunotoxicity Induced by Two Different Windows of Developmental Trichloroethylene Exposure

Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants may induce immune system alterations that contribute to adult stage autoimmune disease. We have shown that continuous exposure of MRL+/+ mice to trichloroethylene (TCE) from gestational day (GD) 0 to postnatal day (PND) 49 alters several aspects of CD4+ T cell function. This window of exposure corresponds to conception-adolescence/young adulthood in humans. More narrowly defining the window of TCE developmental exposure causes immunotoxicity that would establish the stage at which avoidance and/or intervention would be most effective. The current study divided continuous TCE exposure into two separate windows, namely, gestation only (GD0 to birth (PND0)) and early-life only (PND0-PND49). The mice were examined for specific alterations in CD4+ T cell function at PND49. One potentially long-lasting effect of developmental exposure, alterations in retrotransposon expression indicative of epigenetic alterations, was found in peripheral CD4+ T cells from both sets of developmentally exposed mice. Interestingly, certain other effects, such as alterations in thymus cellularity, were only found in mice exposed to TCE during gestation. In contrast, expansion of memory/activation cell subset of peripheral CD4+ T cells were only found in mice exposed to TCE during early life. Different windows of developmental TCE exposure can have different functional consequences.
Osteopontin: A key link between immunity, inflammation and the central nervous system

Osteopontin (OPN) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that can be secreted from many cells including activated macrophages and T-lymphocytes. Elevated levels of osteopontin in the plasma, cerebrospinal fluid or brain of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and more recently in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder has been reported. However, except for the case of MS, little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms by which OPN may exacerbate disease. Alternatively, OPN through its ability to promote cell survival may in some contexts function in the brain in a protective capacity. OPN has several protein motifs that allow it to engage with several different signaling pathways involved in immunity and inflammation. A better understanding of the cellular pathways that are regulated by OPN in cells of the central nervous system is required to uncover its putative role in neuronal homeostasis.
ASSESS: Adjustment Scales for Sociometric Evaluation of Secondary-School Students

The Adjustment Scales for Sociometric Evaluation of Secondary-School Students (ASSESS) was designed to assess peer ratings of the behavior of male and female adolescents. Five scales were developed and crossvalidated: Aggression-Disruptiveness, Withdrawal, Anxiety, Social Competence, and Academic Difficulty. Evidence of adequate internal consistency and testretest reliability was presented. Evaluations by male and female classmates were highly correlated. Sex and age differences accounted for only a small proportion of the total variance.
Lichen community change in response to succession in aspen forests of the southern Rocky Mountains

Abstract In western North America, quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) is the most common hardwood in montane landscapes. Fire suppression, grazing and wildlife management practices, and climate patterns of the past century are all potential threats to aspen coverage in this region. If aspen-dependent species are losing habitat, this raises concerns about their long-term viability. Though lichens have a rich history as air pollution indicators, we believe that they may also be useful as a metric of community diversity associated with habitat change. We established 47 plots in the Bear River Range of northern Utah and southern Idaho to evaluate the effects of forest succession on epiphytic macrolichen communities. Plots were located in a narrow elevational belt (2134–2438 m) to minimize the known covariant effects of elevation and moisture on lichen communities. Results show increasing total lichen diversity and a decrease in aspen-dependent species as aspen forests succeed to conifer cover types. The interactive roles of stand aspect, basal area and cover of dominant trees, stand age, aspen bark scars, and recent tree damage were examined as related to these trends. We developed an aspen index score based on lichens showing an affinity for aspen habitat ( Phaeophyscia nigricans, Physcia tenella , Xanthomendoza fulva, Xanthomendoza galericulata ) and found a significant negative relationship between the index and successional progression. Indicator species analysis showed the importance of all stages of aspen-conifer succession for lichen community diversity and highlighted the decline of aspen-dependent species with advancing succession. We present a landscape-level community analysis of lichens in the context of a conceptual model for aspen succession for the southern Rocky Mountains. We conclude that while total number of lichen species increases with succession, aspen-dependent species cover and richness will decline. In this way, epiphytic lichens communities may constitute an effective indicator of community-level diversity in for aspen-dependent species at-large.
Development of Normally Closed Type of Magnetorheological Clutch and its Application to Safe Torque Control System of Human-Collaborative Robot:

In this study, a normally closed (NC) type clutch using magnetorheological (MR) suspension and a rare-earth permanent magnet is proposed as a safety device for human-collaborative robots. This clutch can transmit an effective torque under various conditions and function as a holding brake and a changeable torque limiter. To design this clutch to achieve both good controllable characteristics and safety performance, the normally closed structure with a permanent magnet was realized by placing two facing magnetic poles asymmetrically for efficient generation of the magnetic field, and by adopting the multi-sheet rotor for the improvement of the torque output. As the analysis results show, it was confirmed that the three-sheet rotor obtained about 1.5 times torque output as much as the single-sheet rotor. When the exciting current was 0.8A, the transmitted torque marked the minimum; when the exiting current was 0A, the torque output of approx. 41 Nm was generated with the time constant of 0.15 s.
Student activism in the 1970s: Transformation not decline

This article documents the decline of 1960s-style student protest, but argues that activism is far from dead on American campuses in the 1970s. The authors find that there is a new mood in America that is reflected in current student political activity and from which have emerged new forms of student activism. The analysis suggests that as student character and mood change, so do the forms of activism students employ. The implications of this conclusion are significant in terms of evaluating past research and setting a future agenda for research on student activism.
Geographies of mediation: Market development and the rural broker in Maharashtra, India

This paper explicates the role of community-level intermediaries in post-liberalized economic sectors. Focusing on nascent commercial markets for improved, smokeless cookstoves in southwestern Maharashtra, I describe how development is encountered by three analytic groups – artisans, female stove users and NGO field officers. This study highlights patterns of strategic intermediary action, or forms of brokering, used to negotiate the commercialization process for individuals involved in the fabrication, distribution and use of improved cookstoves. A close analysis of the mediating agent can strengthen theories on how individuals and communities encounter sector privatization and state retrenchment. This study reveals a diverse set of brokering activities and actors, and shows how intermediaries combine tasks associated with traditional conceptions of the political fixer and market broker by working within and between groups of market, village and state operatives to transform market supply chains. Mediating agents coordinate counter regulating activities within civil society in the absence of heavy state intervention and play a crucial role in activating and connecting community interests to latent neoliberal state resources.
MS read: user modeling in the web environment

MS Read is a prototype application implemented as an extension of the Web Browser that creates an evolving model of the users topic of interest. It uses that model to analyze documents that are accessed while searching and browsing the Web. In the presented version of MS Read the model is used to highlight topic related terminology in the documents. MS Read model of the user need is created by applying natural language processing to search queries captured within the Browser and to topic descriptions explicitly provided by the user while browsing and reading documents. It is semantically enhanced using linguistic and custom knowledge resources.
Role of the area postrema in three putative measures of motion sickness in the rat

After thermal cauterization of the area postrema in rats the absence of conditioned taste aversion to sucrose paired with lithium chloride (0.15 M, 3.3 ml/kg) was used as a pharmacologic/behavioral index of area postrema damage. In a subsequent experiment the effects of area postrema lesions on three measures proposed as species-relevant measures of motion sickness were studied, using off-vertical rotation at 150 degrees/s for either 30 or 90 min. Lesions of area postrema did not alter postrotational suppression of drinking or amount of defecation during motion. The initial acquisition of conditioned taste aversion to a novel cider vinegar solution paired with motion was not affected by lesioning of the area postrema, but these taste aversions extinguished more slowly in lesioned rats than in sham-operates or intact controls. Results are discussed in terms of proposed humoral factors which may induce motion sickness and in light of recent data on the role of the area postrema in similar measures in species possessing the complete emetic reflex.
Inhibition of luteinizing hormone secretion by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the ovariectomized rat: Effect of pretreatment with neurotransmitter or neuropeptide receptor antagonists

Abstract Acute treatment with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [Δ9-THC; 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg b.w. intravenously (i.v.)], the major psychoactive constituent of marijuana, produces a dose-related suppression of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in ovariectomized rats. To determine whether Δ9-THC produces this response by altering neurotransmitter and/or neuropeptide systems involved in the regulation of LH secretion, ovariectomized rats were pretreated with antagonists for dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, or opioid receptors, and the effect of Δ9-THC on LH release was determined. Pretreatment with the D2 receptor antagonists butaclamol (1.0 mg/kg b.w., intraperitoneally) or pimozide [0.63 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.)], the opioid receptor antagonists naloxone (1-4 mg/kg, i.v.) or naltrexone (2 mg/kg, i.v.), the noradrenergic α2-receptor antagonist idazoxan (10 μg/kg, i.v.), or the serotonin 5-HT1C/2 receptor antagonist ritanserin (1 or 5 mg/kg b.w., i.p.), did not alter Δ9-THC-induced inhibition of pulsatile LH secretion. Pretreatment with a relatively high dose of the β-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol (6 mg/kg, i.v.) attenuated the ability of the low THC dose to inhibit LH release; however, lower doses of propranolol were without effect. Furthermore, the ability of a relatively nonspecific serotonin 5-HT1A/1B receptor antagonist pindolol (4 mg/kg, s.c.) or the specific 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (1 mg/kg, s.c.) to significantly attenuate THC-induced LH suppression indicates that activation of serotonergic 5-HT1A receptors may be an important mode by which THC causes inhibition of LH release in the ovariectomized rat.
A Senior Exit Survey and Its Implications for Advising and Related Services

The Department of Psychology at James Madison University conducted an assessment of undergraduate courses and instruction-related services. A 148-item questionnaire was administered to 196 graduating seniors majoring in psychology. Students assessed advising services, career services, departmental communications, research and field experiences, personal growth, and departmental courses. Questionnaire responses were based on a 4-point scale, and space was provided for written comments following each of t k areas. The open-ended portion allowed students to clarify their responses and offer suggestions for improvement. Our goal was to assess and improve departmental services.
Infrared active modes of cubic strontium titanate

It is shown that there are nine optically active modes of SrTiO3 and not twelve as stated byNarayanan andVedam in a previous article in this Journal.
Epilogue: Why no standards for computer-based testing and test interpretation?

Abstract This paper provides a brief overview of the topics discussed by the contributors to this special issue. The focus of the paper, however, is on a single issue, an examination of the need for standards for computer-based tests and test interpretation. Questions about the value of the standard setting process are examined.
Hypothermic bypass and circulatory arrest for operations on the descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta

Background. Hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with intervals of circulatory arrest is a useful adjunct during operations on the descending thoracic aorta and distal aortic arch when severe aortic disease precludes placement of clamps on the aorta. Hypothermia also has a marked protective effect on spinal cord function during periods of aortic occlusion. Methods. Fifty-one patients (age range, 22 to 79 years) with descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic disease had resection and graft replacement of the diseased aortic segments using hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and intervals of circulatory arrest in situations where the location, extent, or severity of disease precluded placement of clamps on the proximal aorta (8 patients) or (in 43 patients) when extensive thoracic (11) or thoracoabdominal (32) aortic disease was present and the risk for development of spinal cord ischemic injury and renal failure was judged to be increased. Patent intercostal (below T-6) and upper lumbar arteries were attached to the graft whenever possible. Results. Thirty-day mortality was 9.8% (5 patients). Paraplegia occurred in 2 and paraparesis in 1 of the 46 30-day survivors (6.5%). Among the 27 operative survivors with thoracoabdominal aneurysms, paraplegia occurred in 1 of 12 with Crawford type I (8%), 0 of 10 with type II, and 1 of 5 with type III aneurysms (20%). Paraplegia occurred in none of the 12 patients with aortic dissection and in 2 of the 15 patients with degenerative aneurysms. Renal failure requiring dialysis occurred in 1 (2.2%) of the 46 30-day survivors. Conclusions. Hypothermic circulatory arrest is a valuable adjunct for the treatment of complex aortic disease involving the aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aorta. In patients with thoracoabdominal aneurysms, its use has been associated with a low incidence of renal failure and an incidence of paraplegia/paraparesis in traditionally high-risk subsets (type I and II aneurysms, aortic dissection), which may be less than that observed with other surgical techniques.
CT angiography of the arterial system.

Fueled by advances in CT scanner technology, including faster gantry rotation speeds, multiple detector-row design, and concurrent developments in three-dimensional reformatting techniques, CT angiography of the arterial system has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. This article discusses the basic principles required for optimizing spiral and multi-detector row CT angiography including the selection of scan parameters, contrast medium timing techniques, and three-dimensional post-processing methods. An overview of the relevant clinical applications of CT angiography of the arterial system concludes this article.
High Regional Variation in Urethroplasty in the United States

Purpose: We identified clinical and regional factors associated with the use of urethroplasty vs repeat endoscopic management for urethral stricture disease.Materials and Methods: We analyzed claims for patients 18 to 65 years old in the 2007 to 2011 MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database with a diagnosis of urethral stricture. The primary outcome was treatment with urethroplasty vs repeat endoscopic management, defined as more than 2 dilations or direct vision internal urethrotomies. The likelihood of urethroplasty vs repeat endoscopic management was determined for each major metropolitan area in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with urethroplasty.Results: We identified 41,056 patients with urethral stricture, yielding a diagnosis rate of 296/100,000 men in MarketScan. Repeat endoscopic management and urethroplasty were performed in 2,700 and 1,444 patients, respectively. Compared to patients treated with repeat endoscopic manageme...
Reduced expression of A-type lamins and emerin activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase in cultured cells.

Abstract Background: Mutations in genes encoding A-type lamins and emerin cause cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy. We previously showed activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) branch of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in hearts of mice with mutations in these genes. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reducing A-type lamins and emerin in cultured cells activate ERK signaling. Methods: We used siRNA to knockdown A-type lamins and emerin in HeLa and C2C12 cells. Activation of ERK was assessed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies against phosphorylated protein and by using real-time RT-PCR to measure RNAs encoded by genes for transcription factors stimulated by ERK. Results: Knockdown of A-type lamins and emerin in HeLa and C2C12 stimulated phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of ERK as well as activation of genes encoding downstream transcription factors. A MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor reduced ERK phosphorylation in cells with reduced expression of A-type lamins and emerin. Conclusions: These results provide proof for the hypothesis that altered expression of emerin and A-type lamins activates ERK signaling, which in turn can cause cardiomyopathy. General significance : ERK is a potential target for the pharmacological treatment of cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in the genes encoding emerin and A-type lamins.
Stokes-Darcy boundary integral solutions using preconditioners

In a system where a free fluid flow is coupled to flow in a porous medium, different PDEs are solved simultaneously in two subdomains. We consider steady Stokes equations in the free region, coupled across a fixed interface to Darcy equations in the porous substrate. Recently, the numerical solution of this system was obtained using the boundary integral formulation combined with a regularization-correction procedure. The correction process also results in the improvement of the condition number of the linear system. In this paper, an appropriate preconditioner based on the singular part of corrections is introduced to improve the convergence of a Krylov subspace method applied to solve the integral formulation.
Influence of a Photograph on a Charitable Appeal: A Picture May Be Worth a Thousand Words When It Has to Speak for Itself

Several studies were conducted examining the influence of the use of photographs of a needy individual on a charity appeal for either a well-known or lesser-known charity organization. Results of an initial study indicated that people expected the use of a photograph to enhance the effectiveness of a door-to-door solicitation campaign and that a well-known charity would fare better than a lesser-known one in its efforts. Results of two subsequent studies involving door-to-door solicitations, however. indicated that the proportion of people contributing and the average amount contributed was not dependent upon either the photograph or familiarity with the charity. A final study using a passive countertop solicitation in stores did result in greater contributions when the photograph was present, whereas there was no difference due to charity familiarity. These findings are discussed in terms of image-maintenance concerns and social pressures associated with the immediacy of a request.
Concurrent nitrite oxidation and aerobic denitrification in activated sludge exposed to volatile fatty acids

The goal of this research was to investigate the simultaneous occurrence of nitrification and denitrification by activated sludge exposed to volatile fatty acids (VFAs) during aerobic wastewater treatment using a single-stage reactor. A mixture of VFAs was spiked directly into a continuous-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) to assess subsequent impacts on nitrite removal, nitrate formation, CO2 fixation, total bacterial density, and dominant nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) concentration (i.e., Nitrospira). The activity of the periplasmic nitrate reductase (NAP) enzyme and the presence of nap gene were also measured. A rapid decrease in the nitrate formation rate (>70% reduction) was measured for activated sludge exposed to VFAs; however, the nitrite removal rate was not reduced. The total bacterial density and Nitrospira concentration remained essentially constant; therefore, the reduction in nitrate formation rate was likely not due to heterotrophic uptake of nitrogen or to a decrease in the dominant NOB population. Additionally, VFA exposure did not impact microbial CO2 fixation efficiency. The activity of NAP enzyme increased in the presence of VFAs suggesting that nitrate produced as a consequence of nitrite oxidation was likely further reduced to gaseous denitrification products via catalysis by NAP. Little, if any, nitrogen was discharged in the aqueous effluent of the CSTR after exposure to VFAs demonstrating that activated sludge treatment yielded compounds other than those typically produced solely by nitrification. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007; 97: 1562–1572. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Overview of CREOL programs in laser radar

This paper summarizes progress toward developing coherent ladar technology using arrays of subapertures for coping with target-induced speckle which can reduce the carrier-to-noise ratio for ladar systems. We have selected an optimum receiver design, developed algorithms for determining how to co-phase the IF signals from the different sub-apertures/receivers, and have begun to test these on a two-aperture, coherent 1064 nm ladar. Computer simulations of the ladar are being developed including partially developed speckle effects from the target. Target speckle has been measured from different materials and at two different wavelengths for bench-marking the computer simulations. We have measured and are developing the theory for the time-dependent optical phase shifts observed from a rough, rotating target. The signal enhancement has been calculated that might be expected for a rough target illuminated by a coherent, 1064 nm laser. Finally, we have designed and are beginning to implement an experiment to show that imaging through a turbulent medium can be achieved.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Statistical considerations in terminating randomization in the multicenter trial of cryotherapy for retinopathy of prematurity

The Multicenter Trial of Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity (CRYO-ROP) was a randomized trial designed to test whether cryotherapy applied to the retina significantly decreased the incidence of retinal detachment, retinal fold, or retrolental "mass." Randomization into the trial was terminated on recommendation of the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee 9 months before the scheduled end of the intake period. At the time of the decision, a favorable outcome at 3 months posttreatment occurred more frequently in eyes treated with cryotherapy (78%) as compared to untreated eyes (57%) (chi 2 = 20.5). The basic statistical method used in monitoring the results was conditional power (or stochastic curtailment). Several other issues were considered in deciding to terminate the trial, including the examination of results across subgroups and clinical centers, the completeness of follow-up, clinical assessment of outcome, and long-term consequences of the treatment.
Synthesis and characterization of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-functionalized siloxane nanoparticles

Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-functionalized siloxane nanoparticles were prepared by a modified Stober method. The photovoltaic performance of P3HT-nanohybrids with C60 derivative PCBM was evaluated. The device made from 1 : 1 blends of P3HT-NPs:PCBM showed reasonably good photovoltaic performance with a power conversion efficiency of 2.5% under standard test conditions (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm−2).
DA/DAPI-fluorescent heteromorphism of human Y chromosome.

Variation of DA/DAPI intensity in the Yq12 band was observed in five amniotic cell specimens and one blood specimen from the father of one fetus. Three distinct classes of Yq heterochromatin were identified by distamycin A (DA) treatment of the cell cultures and various staining techniques. The heterochromatin in the Yq11.23 sub-band does not under-condense when exposed to DA, and shows pale fluorescence with quinacrine staining, positive C-banding, and bright fluorescence with DA/DAPI technique. This class of heterochromatin was consistently observed in all specimens studied. The other two classes of heterochromatin are in the Yq12 band. Both show undercondensation when exposed to DA, quinacrine-bright fluorescence, and positive C-banding; howover, one class of heterochromatin shows DA/DAPI-bright fluorescence and the other shows pale fluorescence. The size and banding intensity of the two classes of heterochromatin in Yq12 are variable. These results provide cytological evidence of heterogeneity within the Y heterochromatin region containing AT-rich DNA.
α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (P504S) expression in evolving carcinomas within benign prostatic hyperplasia and in cancers of the transition zone☆☆☆

Carcinomas of the transition zone (TZ) constitute approximately 20% of all prostate cancers. The TZ is the site of origin of grade 1 and grade 2 cancers, the most well-differentiated of the Gleason grade tumors, as well as for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this regard, grade 1 carcinoma has architectural features that closely mimic gland-rich BPH nodules. Although a relationship between cancers arising in this zone and BPH has been suspected, such an association remains undefined. To gain insight into the origin, development, and progression of cancers arising in the TZ, we used a highly specific rabbit monoclonal antibody (P504S) directed against alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) to study the expression of the enzyme in 25 cases of evolving and fully developed carcinomas of this zone. AMACR has been proposed as a new molecular marker for prostate cancer, because the enzyme is reportedly overexpressed in high-grade dysplasias, also termed prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, a purported precursor of prostatic carcinoma, and in all grades of prostatic carcinoma of the peripheral zone. Using P504S, P63, or antikeratin 34beta E12 antibodies, we found it possible to define areas of transition from hyperplasia to carcinoma in 6 BPH nodules. In 3 other cancer-containing BPH nodules, staining for AMCAR was observed in benign hyperplastic glands that were juxtaposed to carcinoma. Enzyme expression was also evident in 5 additional cases in which BPH was found adjacent to cancer. In contrast; AMACR was not visualized in any other BPH nodules that we studied. Thus, using the enzyme as a marker, we document for the first time that some carcinomas of the TZ arise from an AMCAR-positive transition lesion within a subset of BPH nodules. Moreover, the finding of enhanced AMACR expression in benign glands within cancer-containing nodules as well as in BPH lesions adjacent to carcinoma suggests that in some cases, up-regulation of the enzyme may precede morphological evidence of neoplastic transformation. AMACR was lightly expressed in transition lesions and grade 1 carcinomas but more strongly expressed in higher-grade TZ cancers, suggesting that enzyme expression is enhanced with progression in this zone. Because AMACR is involved in the beta oxidation of branched fatty acids and their derivatives, enhanced expression of the enzyme in evolving carcinomas in BPH nodules, as well as its up-regulation in juxtaposed morphologically benign glands and grade 1 carcinomas, suggests that increased utilization of fatty acids may play an important role in carcinoma development and progression in the TZ.
Supervised self-coding in multilayered feedforward networks

Supervised neural-network learning algorithms have proven very successful at solving a variety of learning problems. However, they suffer from a common problem of requiring explicit output labels. This requirement makes such algorithms implausible as biological models. In this paper, it is shown that pattern classification can be achieved, in a multilayered feedforward neural network, without requiring explicit output labels, by a process of supervised self-coding. The class projection is achieved by optimizing appropriate within-class uniformity, and between-class discernability criteria. The mapping function and the class labels are developed together, iteratively using the derived self-coding backpropagation algorithm. The ability of the self-coding network to generalize on unseen data is also experimentally evaluated on real data sets, and compares favorably with the traditional labeled supervision with neural networks. However, interesting features emerge out of the proposed self-coding supervision, which are absent in conventional approaches. The further implications of supervised self-coding with neural networks are also discussed.
Decoding vectorial information from a gradient: sequential roles of the receptors Frizzled and Notch in establishing planar polarity in the Drosophila eye.

The Drosophila eye is composed of several hundred ommatidia that can exist in either of two chiral forms, depending on position: ommatidia in the dorsal half of the eye adopt one chiral form, whereas ommatidia in the ventral half adopt the other. Chirality appears to be specified by a polarizing signal with a high activity at the interface between the two halves (the ‘equator’), which declines in opposite directions towards the dorsal and ventral poles. Here, using genetic mosaics, we show that this polarizing signal is decoded by the sequential use of two receptor systems. The first depends on the seven-transmembrane receptor Frizzled (Fz) and distinguishes between the two members of the R3/R4 pair of presumptive photoreceptor cells, predisposing the cell that is located closer to the equator and having higher Fz activity towards the R3 photoreceptor fate and the cell further away towards the R4 fate. This bias is then amplified by subsequent interactions between the two cells mediated by the receptor Notch (N) and its ligand Delta (Dl), ensuring that the equatorial cell becomes the R3 photoreceptor while the polar cell becomes the R4 photoreceptor. As a consequence of this reciprocal cell fate decision, the R4 cell moves asymmetrically relative to the R3 cell, initiating the appropriate chiral pattern of the remaining cells of the ommatidium.
Hydroperoxide‐initiated copolymerization of sulfur dioxide and cyclohexene. I. Characterization of charge‐transfer complex and initiation

The copolymerization of cyclohexene and sulfur dioxide to form an alternating copolymer was initiated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The enthalpies and entropies of formation of the cyclohexene-sulfur dioxide charge-transfer complex, which is present during the copolymerization, were determined in two solvents by means of ultraviolet spectroscopy. The reduction of ultraviolet absorption during copolymerization afforded a convenient means of investigating reaction kinetics. No evidence of the direct involvement of the complex in polymerization initiation was found. The observation that the use of unpurified cyclohexene led to spontaneous initiation appears to point to adventitiously formed hydroperoxide rather than the charge-transfer complex as providing initiating radicals which are produced by the redox reaction of the hydroperoxide with sulfur dioxide. A competing heterolytic scission reaction was found to result in the formation of tert-butyl peroxide and sulfuric acid. This reaction caused the polymerization reaction to stop after a short period of time due to a time-dependent decrease in initiator concentration.
PROSPECTS FOR INCREASING AVERAGE AIRCRAFT SIZE AT CONGESTED AIRPORTS

It has been common for airport traffic forecasts to assume a continuing increase in average aircraft size in the future so that the anticipated growth in passenger demand will not result in a proportional increase in aircraft operations. However, to understand the likely future trends in average aircraft size, as well as strategies that an airport might pursue to encourage airlines to use larger equipment, it is necessary to understand the competitive dynamics of the various markets served by the airport and the factors that determine the size of equipment that airlines will use in those markets. Recent trends in average aircraft size at a major U.S. West Coast airport and the influence of market characteristics on the size of aircraft used in different markets are examined. The changes in the past decade in selected short- and medium-haul markets are analyzed, and the results are presented of a cross-sectional model that estimates the influence of various market characteristics, including air traffic del...
Microchannels With Manufacturing Roughness Levels

As turbine operating temperatures continue to rise, there is the ever present problem of cooling airfoil components. To accomplish this, cooling methods have morphed into a complex array of specialized internal and external schemes. A majority of cooling methods involve routing cool air from the compressor, through internal cooling channels and out through various film cooling holes around the blade surface. These cooling channels serve as a means to transfer heat from the airfoil surfaces to a cooling flow passing through the inside of the vanes and blades. Internal cooling has evolved from simple smooth-walled channels to ones that include various types of turbulators that serve to increase the convective heat transfer coefficient and heat transfer surface area. Turbulators have been studied in detail over the years, and the most preferred cooling designs involve pedestals, ribs, and various surface roughening effects such as dimples. They serve to increase the turbulent mixing of the flow as it passes through the channel, thereby increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient along the wall surfaces. There are many advantages from a cooling perspective to use microchannels to cool components, provided that the pressure to drive the flow through these channels is available. These microchannels approach the level where manufacturing random roughness and tolerances can play a key role in their heat transfer capabilities 1. Average manufacturing roughness in common casting techniques can approach 1‐10 m 2 before polishing or finishing, and this seemly inconsequential inherent roughness can discernibly affect the microchannels’ heat transfer and pressure drop. This paper provides a summary of the findings of an experimental program focused on examining the heat transfer and pressure drop of microchannels. Accurately quantifying these two parameters will enable better prediction of the engine hardware thermal performance and life. The primary objective of this study was to develop a testing procedure capable of evaluating the heat transfer and pressure drop performance of several microchannels over a range of Reynolds numbers. The performance is reported in the form of an overall Nusselt number and friction factor for each manufacturing roughness level. While the results indicate little dependence of heat transfer and pressure drop augmentation upon Reynolds number, the range studied was in the fully turbulent regime in which compressibility effects were not present.