cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alterations of the carrier-mediated transport of an anionic solute, methotrexate, by charged liposomes in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Interaction of positively charged liposomes with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells increases the bidirectional transmembrane fluxes of the anionic folic acid analog, methotrexate. Negative liposomes reduce methotrexate influx. Stimulation of methotrexate influx by positively charged liposomes is time and concentration dependent, requiring at least a 5-min incubation with 2.5mm phosphatidylcholine containing 20% stearylamine for maximum effect. Stimulation is not appreciably reversed by washing the cells. Similar increases are observed for influx and efflux so that there is no change in the steady-state methotrexate electrochemical-potential difference across the cell membrane. The increase in influx appears to be a stimulation of the carrier-mediated transport process for methotrexate since both control and stimulated influx are abolished by the competitive inhibitor, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate or the sulfhydryl group inhibitor,p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid and the Q10 of the system remains unchanged. Influx of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which shares the same transport carrier as methotrexate, is also stimulated. However, the transport of folic acid, which is structurally similar to methotrexate but does not utilize the carrier, is unaffected. The kinetic change induced by positively charged liposomes is an increase in theVmain, while theKtin remains unchanged. Trans-stimulation of methotrexate influx by 5-formyltetrahydrofolate occurs to the same extent in the presence or absence of positively charged liposomes. The liposomes have no apparent effect on the intracellular water, the extracellular space, or the chloride distribution ratio. The data suggest that interaction of positively charged liposomes with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells accelerates the rate of transposition of the membrane carrier system for methotrexate, altering the kinetics of transport without a change in transport thermodynamics.
Silicon carbide novel optical sensor for combustion systems and nuclear reactors

Crystalline silicon carbide is a wide bandgap semiconductor material with excellent optical properties, chemical inertness, radiation hardness and high mechanical strength at high temperatures. It is an excellent material platform for sensor applications in harsh environments such as combustion systems and nuclear reactors. A laser doping technique is used to fabricate SiC sensors for different combustion gases such as CO 2 , CO, NO and NO 2 . The sensor operates based on the principle of semiconductor optics, producing optical signal in contrast to conventional electrical sensors that produces electrical signal. The sensor response is measured with a low power He-Ne or diode laser.
Monetary significance of the affiliative smile: A case for reciprocal altruism

Whether smiling could accrue monetary returns was tested. Two degrees of smiling to single men and women (N = 96) by a waitress in a cocktail lounge was evaluated in terms of number of drinks ordered, size of tip, and whether the customers smiled upon departure. A broad smile reaped more money than a minimal smile and more from men than from women patrons. The results are discussed in terms of reciprocal altruism.
Deexcitation spectroscopy of core-excited methyl formate☆

Abstract Autoionization spectra have been measured for methyl formate in which a 1s electron on either the carbonyl carbon or the carbonyl oxygen has been excited to the vacant 4a″ (π*) orbital. Also the carbon and oxygen Auger spectra have been measured. Effects of localization of the valence electrons on the atom with the core hole are apparent in the relative energies of the core-excited levels, in the amount of participator decay in the deexcitation spectra, and in the levels of the final ion that are populated in the carbon deexcitation. The results of theoretical calculations are used to interpret these results. The striking similarity that has been observed between the oxygen deexcitation spectra of CO, CO2, and OCS does not extend to methyl formate.
Acacipetalin in Acacia constricta from north America

Abstract Acacipetalin, previously known only from the African legumes Acacia sieberiana var. woodii and Acacia hebeclada, has been isolated from an American species of the genus, Acacia constricta.
Cutaneous secondary syphilis: Preliminary immunohistopathologic support for a role for immune complexes in lesion pathogenesis

A circulating immune complex-mediated pathogenesis for lesions of secondary syphilis has been postulated. Textbook descriptions of a lymphoplasmacytic histopathologic picture have contradicted a role for circulating immune complexes in lesion pathogenesis. Four patients with early cutaneous lesions of secondary syphilis were studied. All four patients had serum Raji cell and/or Clq binding assay evidence for circulating immune complexes. Three patients showed a neutrophilic vascular reaction on histologic study of early lesions. The patients studied had immunofluorescence microscopic evidence of immunoreactant deposition in dermal blood vessels (4 hours) and/or a neutrophilic vascular reaction (24 hours) after intradermal histamine injection. Dieterle staining of lesional tissue from all patients showed the presence of treponemal organisms in dermal blood vessels. This new preliminary evidence adds some support to a circulating immune complex-mediated pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions in human secondary syphilis.
Spin-resolved elastic scattering of electrons from sodium

Angle-resolved ratios of the separate triplet and singlet spin channel cross sections have been measured for elastic scattering of spin-polarized electrons from optically pumped spin-polarized sodium atoms. The triplet-to-singlet ratios are reported at incident energies of 4.1, 10.0, and 20.0 eV for scattering angles from 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 140\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The data demonstrate that spin-exchange scattering plays an important role in the description of electron scattering from sodium at these energies. Comparisons are made with the results of several close-coupling theoretical calculations.
Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements in a Representative Gas-Cooled Prismatic Reactor Core Model: Flow in the Coolant Channels and Interstitial Bypass Gaps

Core bypass flow is one of the key issues with the prismatic Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor, and it refers to the coolant that navigates through the interstitial passages between the graphite fuel blocks instead of traveling through the designated coolant channels. To determine the bypass flow, a double scale representative model was manufactured and installed in the Matched Index-of-Refraction flow facility; after which, stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was employed to measure the flow field within. PIV images were analyzed to produce vector maps, and flow rates were calculated by numerically integrating the velocity field. It was found that the bypass flow varied between 6.9–15.8% for channel Reynolds numbers of 1,746 and 4,618 with a 6mm gap. The results were compared to computational fluid dynamic (CFD) pre-test simulations. When compared to these pretest calculations, the CFD analysis appeared to under predict the flow through the gap.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Transdermal and dermal enhancing activity of pyrrolidinones in hairless mouse skin

Abstract The transdermal penetration-enhancing abilities of 16 pyrrolidinones were tested against the model drug hydrocortisone using a hairless mouse skin model in vitro. Skins were pretreated for 1 h with the enhancer in propylene glycol before application of the drug also in propylene glycol. Enhancement ratios (ER) were calculated for permeability coefficient (P), 24-h receptor concentration (Q24), and skin content of drug (SC) and compared to control values (no enhancer present). N-Dodecyl-2-pyrrolidinone and 2-pyrrolidinone-1-acetic acid dodecyl ester were found to produce the greatest enhancement for all the parameters calculated with ER for Q24 of 23.11 and 11.68, respectively. These same enhancers also produced high ERs for P with 42.95 and 41.07, respectively. These values exceed Azone's enhancement ratios for the same parameters and hence these enhancers are candidates for further development as penetration enhancers.
Acute reversible lens opacity: Caused by drugs, cold, anoxia, asphyxia, stress, death and dehydration

Acute experimental lens opacities reported to be caused by narcotics, phenothiazines, epinephrine, anoxia, and certain types of lens opacities induced by death, asphyxia, cold or stress are prevented by closure of the animal's eyelids. An unawareness of the importance of eyelid position has led to confusion concerning the pathogenesis of many of these lens changes. Most of these experimental cataracts can be classified into a single group with common characteristics, for which we propose the term “acute reversible lens opacity”. The opacity is a reversible loss of transparency of the superficial anterior lens cortex which is prevented by closure of the eyelids. This type of cataract may be produced by mechanical methods or agents which interfere with lid closure or depress the blink reflex. The lens opacity may regress even though the initiating stimulus is maintained. Although dehydration of the aqueous humor and lens is the most important factor in development of the lens transparency change, there are other factors which also play a role.
Median and dorsal raphe neurons are not electrophysiologically identical

The dorsal (DR) and median raphe (MR) nuclei contain 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-HT) cell bodies that give rise to the majority of the ascending 5-HT projections to the forebrain limbic areas...
A Risk-Benefit Assessment of Interleukin-2 as an Adjunct to Antiviral Therapy in HIV Infection

Immunomodulation has become a major focus of HIV research in an effort to augment, boost or restore the patient's damaged immune system. Recombinant interleukin-2 is currently being studied in phase II/III trials in HIV-infected patients. Several clinical studies have demonstrated that intermittent regimens are associated with marked rises in CD4+ cell counts without an increase in viral load. Most of these studies employ 5 consecutive days of interleukin-2 therapy by continuous intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection, repeated every 8 weeks. An alternative strategy is the daily administration of low doses of interleukin-2, but clinical experience with this regimen is limited. Interleukin-2 administration can adversely affect virtually every organ system, requiring aggressive supportive care. A variety of administration strategies and interventions are being evaluated to minimise toxicity. Currently, no clinical end-point data are available for interleukin-2 in HIV-infected patients. Until phase III studies are completed, interleukin-2 can be used in the research setting as an immunomodulator and adjunct to antiretroviral therapy. Its potential to activate latently infected cells and promote HIV eradication from reservoir sites is also an important area for further study. If clinical benefit can be demonstrated, interleukin-2 could be useful as an adjunct to antiretroviral therapy if adverse effects can be minimised and therapy can be given infrequently on an outpatient basis.
Refinancing transitions and equity extraction among CRA mortgage borrowers

Refinancing transitions can alter both the long-term cost and the sustainability of a homeownership tenure. However, because few datasets allow researchers to follow homeowners from one mortgage to the next, little research exists regarding the extent and nature of refinancing transitions. This article uses uniquely rich data from the Community Advantage Program (CAP) to examine the refinancing decisions of a sample of low-income borrowers with 30-year fixed-rate purchase mortgages. While the majority of refinancing CAP borrowers secured lower-cost prime loans, a minority refinanced into adjustable-rate mortgages and into products with above-prime interest rates. The empirical analysis documents the refinancing transitions made by CAP borrowers and explores the role of equity extraction in the refinancing decision. Refinancing motivated by a desire to secure a lower interest rate is shown to be substantively distinct from refinancing that includes equity extraction. This difference carries over into borro...
Tool wear modeling through an analytic mechanistic model of milling processes

Abstract Very few attempts have been made to simulate the cutting forces for 2D cutting processes with sharp cutting tools and even fewer attempts with the use of worn cutting tools. This paper presents an approach to model tool flank wear effects through a previously developed analytic mechanistic model for milling operations. This expansion of the model can be used to predict cutting forces acting on the flank and rake surfaces of a milling cutter as a function of the cutter geometry, cutting conditions, tool wear and a set of process parameters. This is a new and important capability in milling processes for control purposes and for predicting tool wear in real-time applications. The mechanistic flank wear model is developed in a similar manner to that for sharp tools, in which a mechanistic approach and force equilibrium expressions of the normal and friction loads acting on the flank surface of the tool were used. An appropriate set of transformations is developed to transform the set of equilibrium force equations that act on the flank surface to a fixed coordinate system attached to the cutting tool. The measured flank forces are experimentally obtained and used with the flank force equations to solve for the flank friction and pressure parameters. The results show the effect of feed rate, spindle speed and flank wear on the process parameters. The predicted cutting forces compare well with the measured cutting forces.
Magnetoconductance of Au-SiO2 films

Abstract Measurements of the magnetoconductance in Au-SiO 2 thin films show that spin-orbit coupling is dominant at low temperatures. By fitting the data with the theory of Maekawa and Fukuyama the temperature dependence of the inelastic scattering time has been determined to be approximately T > −1.5 . The spin-orbit scattering times turn out to be significantly smaller than those used by Bergmann.
Pedestrian Timing Alternatives and Impacts on Coordinated Signal Systems Under Split-Phasing Operations:

Split phasing can sometimes be more efficient in serving vehicular traffic under certain geometric and traffic flow conditions, such as the case in which a high volume of left-turning traffic is served from a shared-lane configuration. However, pedestrian crossing-time requirements can have a significant impact on intersection operations, especially in coordinated signal systems. Various alternatives for providing pedestrian timings under split-phasing operations are presented. The advantages and disadvantages, implementation strategies, and potential impact on intersection operations, especially on coordinated signal systems, are addressed with regard to each timing alternative. Further, the concept of the two-stage crossing design and the use of an exclusive pedestrian phase under split-phasing operations are investigated. The proposed model can be used to determine when exclusive pedestrian phasing can actually improve operational efficiency.
A patient with massive oral-facial venous malformation

While malformations of the upper airway are rare, they present challenging management problems and have a potentially devastating impact during anesthesia. This case report describes the management of a patient with a massive supraglottic venous malformation as he underwent transvenous embolization.
Characterization of SixGe1-x/Si heterostructures for device applications using spectroscopic ellipsometry

Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) characterization of several complex Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x)/Si heterostructures prepared for device fabrication, including structures for heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT), p-type and n-type heterostructure modulation doped field effect transistors, has been performed. We have shown that SE can simultaneously determine all active layer thicknesses, Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x) compositions, and the oxide overlayer thickness, with only a general knowledge of the structure topology needed a priori. The characterization of HBT material included the SE analysis of a Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x) layer deeply buried (600 nanometers) under the silicon emitter and cap layers. In the SE analysis of n-type heterostructures, we examined for the first time a silicon layer under tensile strain. We found that an excellent fit can be obtained using optical constants of unstrained silicon to represent the strained silicon conduction layer. We also used SE to measure lateral sample homogeneity, providing quantitative identification of the inhomogeneous layer. Surface overlayers resulting from prior sample processing were also detected and measured quantitatively. These results should allow SE to be used extensively as a non-destructive means of characterizing Si (sub X)Ge (sub 1-x)/Si heterostructures prior to device fabrication and testing.
Reversal of Pre-leukaemia with Antioxidants: a Case Report

With recent advances in analytical technology and blood analysis doctors are now able to make earlier diagnoses of pre-cancers as well as to identify early stages of cancer. As technology continues to advance, it will lead us to more and more preventive and early intervention oncology. A 25-year-old male in good health with pre-leukaemia is described with reversal of pre-leukaemia and normalization of his low white count, neutrophils, and platelets with the use of high dosages of antioxidant nutrients and amino acids. This is a significant reversal of pre-leukaemia which is relevant to the practice of nutritional medicine since there are many new ways to identify premalignancies and early malignancies.
OOCYTES FOR SALE

Abstract: In order to reach its full potential, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research requires the use of human oocytes. There is currently a shortage of human eggs for research, and this shortage is likely to continue, as many states and countries prohibit their sale for research purposes, while at the same time condoning unregulated markets for oocytes for use in assisted reproduction. In this essay I first explore possible alternative sources of oocytes for hESC research and conclude that, at present, women are the best source. I then examine arguments about exploitation and commodification that are often raised to prohibit payment to women for oocytes in both the reproductive and research contexts and find these arguments wanting. I conclude by suggesting that ethical concerns raised about a market in oocytes do not warrant a prohibition on the sale of eggs, but that a regulated market can consistently minimize ethical concerns while respecting women and providing important resources for advances in hESC research.
Oxydehydrogenation of alkylbenzenes on Rh/AlPO4 catalysts

The oxidative dehydrogenation of several alkylbenzens has been carried out at 673–823 K on rhodium supported on AlPO4. A “compensation effect” between ΔH≠ and ΔS≠ activation parameters was obtained. This fact allows us to assume an identical mechanism for the dehydrogenation process when carried out on Rh/AlPO4 or on AlPO4 supports. Furthermore, the higher catalytic activity of the supports with respect to rhodium catalysts is explained by the higher number of acid sites in these supports.
Behavioral and neurobiological consequences of social subjugation during puberty in golden hamsters.

In golden hamsters, offensive aggression is facilitated by vasopressin and inhibited by serotonin. We tested whether these neurotransmitter systems respond to modifications resulting from the stress of threat and attack (i.e., social subjugation) during puberty. Male golden hamsters were weaned at postnatal day 25 (P25), exposed daily to aggressive adults from P28 to P42, and tested for offensive aggression as young adults (P45). The results showed a context-dependent alteration in aggressive behavior. Subjugated animals were more likely to attack younger and weaker intruders than nonsubjugated controls. Conversely, subjugated animals were less likely to attack animals of similar size and age. After testing, the animals were killed, and their brains were collected to determine whether these behavioral changes are underlined by changes in the vasopressin and serotonin systems. Social subjugation resulted in a 50% decrease in vasopressin levels within the anterior hypothalamus, a site involved in the regulation of aggression. Furthermore, whereas the density of vasopressinimmunoreactive fibers within the area was not significantly altered in subjugated animals, the number of serotoninimmunoreactive varicosities within the anterior hypothalamus and lateral septum was 20% higher in subjugated animals than in their controls. These results establish puberty as a developmental period sensitive to environmental stressors. Furthermore, the results show that changes in the vasopressin and serotonin systems can correlate with behavioral alterations, supporting the role of these two neurotransmitters in the regulation of aggression.
The multi-element probabilistic collocation method (ME-PCM): Error analysis and applications

Stochastic spectral methods are numerical techniques for approximating solutions to partial differential equations with random parameters. In this work, we present and examine the multi-element probabilistic collocation method (ME-PCM), which is a generalized form of the probabilistic collocation method. In the ME-PCM, the parametric space is discretized and a collocation/cubature grid is prescribed on each element. Both full and sparse tensor product grids based on Gauss and Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature rules are considered. We prove analytically and observe in numerical tests that as the parameter space mesh is refined, the convergence rate of the solution depends on the quadrature rule of each element only through its degree of exactness. In addition, the L^2 error of the tensor product interpolant is examined and an adaptivity algorithm is provided. Numerical examples demonstrating adaptive ME-PCM are shown, including low-regularity problems and long-time integration. We test the ME-PCM on two-dimensional Navier-Stokes examples and a stochastic diffusion problem with various random input distributions and up to 50 dimensions. While the convergence rate of ME-PCM deteriorates in 50 dimensions, the error in the mean and variance is two orders of magnitude lower than the error obtained with the Monte Carlo method using only a small number of samples (e.g., 100). The computational cost of ME-PCM is found to be favorable when compared to the cost of other methods including stochastic Galerkin, Monte Carlo and quasi-random sequence methods.
Functional gene pyrosequencing and network analysis: an approach to examine the response of denitrifying bacteria to increased nitrogen supply in salt marsh sediments

Functional gene pyrosequencing is emerging as a useful tool to examine the diversity and abundance of microbes that facilitate key biogeochemical processes. One such process, denitrification, is of particular importance because it converts fixed nitrate (NO3-) to N2 gas, which returns to the atmosphere. In N limited salt marshes, removal of NO3- prior to entering adjacent waters helps prevent eutrophication. Understanding the dynamics of salt marsh microbial denitrification is thus imperative for the maintenance of healthy coastal ecosystems. We used pyrosequencing of the nirS gene to examine the denitrifying community response to fertilization in experimentally enriched marsh plots. A key challenge in the analysis of sequence data derived from pyrosequencing is understanding whether small differences in gene sequences are ecologically meaningful. We apply a novel approach from information theory that determined that the optimal similarity level for clustering DNA sequences into OTUs, while still capturing the ecological complexity of the system, was 88% similarity. With this clustering, phylogenetic analysis yielded 6 dominant clades of denitrifiers, the largest of which, accounting for more than half of all the sequences collected, had no close cultured representatives. Of the 638 OTUs identified, only 11 were present in all plots and no single OTU was dominant. We did, however, find a large number of specialist OTUs that were present only in a single plot. The high degree of endemic OTUs, while accounting for a large proportion of the nirS diversity in the plots, were found in lower abundance than the generalist taxa. The proportion of specialist taxa increased with increasing supply of nutrients, suggesting that addition of fertilizer may create conditions that expand the niche space for denitrifying organisms and may enhance the genetic capacity for denitrification.
Pre-Startup Formal Business Plans and Post-Startup Performance: A Study of 116 New Ventures

This study examined whether writing a business plan before launching a new venture affects the subsequent performance of the venture. The data set comprised new ventures started by Babson College alums who graduated between 1985 and 2003. The analysis revealed that there was no difference between the performance of new businesses launched with or without written business plans. The findings suggest that unless a would-be entrepreneur needs to raise substantial startup capital from institutional investors or business angels, there is no compelling reason to write a detailed business plan before opening a new business.
Enhancement of percutaneous absorption by the use of volatile: Nonvolatile systems as vehicles

Using in vitro techniques the penetration of 14C labeled fluminolone acetonide and its acetate ester through human skin at 37° has been examined with vehicle mixtures of isopropanol and isopropyl myristate or propylene glycol. Little penetration was found from either of the nonvolatile solvents. As the formulation was changed to include increasing amounts of volatile component, however, penetration could be increased up to 8 to 10 times. Precipitation of steroid prevented greater increases.
Developmental regression in children with an autism spectrum disorder identified by a population-based surveillance system:

This study evaluated the phenomenon of autistic regression using population-based data. The sample comprised 285 children who met the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) case definition within an ongoing surveillance program. Results indicated that children with a previously documented ASD diagnosis had higher rates of autistic regression than children who met the ASD surveillance definition but did not have a clearly documented ASD diagnosis in their records (17-26 percent of surveillance cases). Most children regressed around 24 months of age and boys were more likely to have documented regression than girls. Half of the children with regression had developmental concerns noted prior to the loss of skills. Moreover, children with autistic regression were more likely to show certain associated features, including cognitive impairment.These data indicate that some children with ASD experience a loss of skills in the first few years of life and may have a unique symptom profile.
A comparison of the constant-utility true index and the true index obtained through the factorial approach

This paper provides an empirical and an algebraic comparison between the formula for “true” Index of Cost of Living (true CLI),(synonymously referred to in this paper as constant-utility price index or economic price index or sirnoly as true index of price), given by the Factorial Approach (FA) on one hand, and, on the other,the formula for the constant-utility index of price given by the Klein-Rubin (Geary-Stone) form of the utility function and the formula for the true CLI emerging from quadratic approximation of the utility function as given by dald. The agreement is demon- strated to be remarkable.
What Role for Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in the Eradication Endgame

The 15-decade drive to control and eradicate polio through immunization [1] has benefited from the availability of 2 excellent vaccines, the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) of Salk and colleagues, licensed in 1955, and the live attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) of Sabin, licensed in 1961. The 2 vaccines have complementary advantages, and both have played—and continue to play—important roles in polio control. IPV has been used primarily in developed countries with good sanitation and temperate climates, whereas OPV has been the primary weapon in the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to eradicate polio from the developing world [2, 3]. The introduction of IPV in the United States and other high-income developed countries was followed by a sharp decline in polio incidence, but IPV was gradually replaced by OPV in the early 1960s, with only The Netherlands, Nordic countries, and some Canadian provinces continuing exclusive use of IPV. OPV offers the promise of global polio eradication because of its efficient induction of intestinal immunity, ease of administration, suitability for mass immunization campaigns, and lower cost. Great strides have been made toward the goal of global polio eradication, with the apparent eradication of wild poliovirus type 2 in 1999 [4]; the highly localized endemic circulation of wild poliovirus type 3 to pockets in southern Afghanistan, northern India, and northern Nigeria; and the dramatic progress in the control of wild poliovirus type 1 in Egypt and southern Asia (updates are posted on the WHO Web site, http://www.polioeradication .org/). The incidence of polio has declined from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to 1948 cases in 2005. However, wild poliovirus type 1 from reservoirs in northern Nigeria, where polio immunization had been interrupted in 2003 and 2004, spread to 18 previously polio-free countries in 2003‐2005, from Guinea in the west, to Yemen and Somalia in the Horn of Africa, to Indonesia at the southeastern edge of Asia, resulting in a steep increase in the number of cases last year [5]. Nationwide mass immunization campaigns with OPV have rolled back polio in most of these countries, but outbreaks continue in Indonesia, Somalia, and Ethiopia, while northern Nigeria remains an active reservoir for poliovirus types 1 and 3.
The Perpetual Province: “Ever Climbing Up the Climbing Wave”

A t first sight these articles seem to tell about two different countries rather than two periods in the development of the same one. That first sight may reinforce the vision of the Soviet period as a catastrophic interlude in Russian history, quite at odds with what went before, demanding of those who come after a return to where the ancestors stood at the beginning of the terrible century now ending. I put the vision in the extreme, phantasmic form that has dominated talk about Russia since 1991. Can history of science serve as a test, as a way of turning that phantasm into serious questions for historical inquiry? I think it can, if approached as both Nathan Brooks and Alexei Kojevnikov do, seeking the adaptation to the Russian context of an organized inquiry that we call cosmopolitan, yet also call Western. In science as in Christ there is supposed to be no East or West, but everyone knows that "the West" has been the privileged center for scientific as well as economic and political development, while Russia and most other countries have been backward provinces, endlessly frustrated in their efforts to "overtake and surpass." I am deliberately evoking the continuity from Peter the Great through Stalin in the use of state power-violent, top-down, ultimately self-defeating-to achieve such catch-up. I am also suggesting the broader kinship of Russia and other "third-world" countries, a kinship highlighted now by the virtual collapse of state support for science along with the collapse of communism. Good history is always comparative, if only implicitly, and I compliment both Brooks and Kojevnikov for doing implicitly comparative history of science in Russia,
The “Hispanic paradox”: an investigation of racial disparity in pregnancy outcomes at a tertiary care medical center

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine racial disparities and the "Hispanic paradox" in pregnancy outcomes at a tertiary-care medical center. Study Design A cross-sectional study of pregnancy events was performed with information from the Duke University birth database. The latter includes data on birth outcomes, cost, and health services factors. The final sample included 10,755 women with Medicaid insurance, who gave birth during calendar years 1994-2004. Pregnancy comorbidities and outcome measures were identified by International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare racial/ethnic groups. Results African-American women were younger and more likely to be employed, to have a medical comorbidity, to remain in the hospital for >4 days, and to have hospital charges of >$7500. African-American women had higher rates of preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age infants, preeclampsia, and stillbirths. There were no differences by race for gestational diabetes mellitus. With the use of white women as the reference group, Hispanic women had lower odds for preterm birth (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.80), and African-American women had greater odds for preeclampsia (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.07-1.58) and small-for-gestational-age infants (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.29-2.36). With the use of African-American women as the reference, Hispanic women were less likely than African-American women to experience any adverse pregnancy event, with the exception of gestational diabetes mellitus. Conclusion Poverty and insurance status does not explain differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes between African-American women and Hispanic women with Medicaid insurance.
A generalized convergence theorem for neural networks

A neural network model is presented in which each neuron performs a threshold logic function. The model always converges to a stable state when operating in a serial mode and to a cycle of length at most 2 when operating in a fully parallel mode. This property is the basis for the potential applications of the model, such as associative memory devices and combinatorial optimization. The two convergence theorems (for serial and fully parallel modes of operation) are reviewed, and a general convergence theorem is presented that unifies the two known cases. New relations between the neural network model and the problem of finding a minimum cut in a graph are obtained. >
Improving Security of Oil Pipeline SCADA Systems Using Service-Oriented Architectures

Oil pipeline Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems monitor and help control pipes transporting both crude and refined petroleum products. Typical SCADA system architectures focus on centralized data collection and control --- however, this system has vulnerabilities that decrease the overall security of the system, especially for an oil pipeline SCADA. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) helps to improve security of SCADA systems by providing more localized data collection and control. In this paper we describe an SOA-based architecture for oil pipeline SCADA system that provides improved security compared to traditional architectures. An SOA-based SCADA divides the entire length of the pipeline system into zones where services offered within a zone are controlled by the zone master and masters periodically batch-update the central database over the back-bone network. The feasibility is explored by mathematical analysis and emulation.
Indexing iris images

Given a query iris image, the goal of indexing is to identify and retrieve a small subset of candidate irides from the database in order to determine a possible match. This can significantly improve the response time of iris recognition systems operating in the identification mode. In this work, we analyze two different approaches to iris indexing. The first technique is based on the analysis of IrisCodes (post-encoding indexing); the second technique is based on the analysis of features extracted from the iris texture (pre-encoding indexing). Experiments on a subset of the publicly available CASIA-IrisV3 database compare the two approaches and illustrate the potential of the proposed indexing methods for large scale iris identification.
On the interplay of loop caching, code compression, and cache configuration

Even though much previous work explores varying instruction cache optimization techniques individually, little work explores the combined effects of these techniques (i.e., do they complement or obviate each other). In this paper we explore the interaction of three optimizations: loop caching, cache tuning, and code compression. Results show that loop caching increases energy savings by as much as 26% compared to cache tuning alone and reduces decompression energy by as much as 73%.
Robust High-Resolution Cloth Using Parallelism, History-Based Collisions, and Accurate Friction

In this paper we simulate high resolution cloth consisting of up to 2 million triangles which allows us to achieve highly detailed folds and wrinkles. Since the level of detail is also influenced by object collision and self collision, we propose a more accurate model for cloth-object friction. We also propose a robust history-based repulsion/collision framework where repulsions are treated accurately and efficiently on a per time step basis. Distributed memory parallelism is used for both time evolution and collisions and we specifically address Gauss-Seidel ordering of repulsion/collision response. This algorithm is demonstrated by several high resolution and high-fidelity simulations.
Battered Black Women a Challenge for the Black Community

(1985). Battered Black Women a Challenge for the Black Community. The Black Scholar: Vol. 16, Black Women and Feminism, pp. 40-44.
New Insights into the Regulation of Heterochromatin

All living organisms are constantly exposed to stresses from internal biological processes and surrounding environments, which induce many adaptive changes in cellular physiology and gene expression programs. Unexpectedly, constitutive heterochromatin, which is generally associated with the stable maintenance of gene silencing, is also dynamically regulated in response to stimuli. In this review we discuss the mechanism of constitutive heterochromatin assembly, its dynamic nature, and its responses to environmental changes.
Luminal stability of insulin-like growth factors I and II in developing rat gastrointestinal tract

Background: Insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and -II are present in milk of a number of mammalian species. The stability of IGF-I and -II in the intestinal lumen was investigated by measuring the proteolytic degradation of 125 I-labeled IGF-I and IGF-II by rat (suckling and adult) intestinal luminal flushings in vitro. Methods: Degradation of 125 I-labeled IGF-I and IGF-II was assessed by measuring the generation of acid-soluble radioactivity and the reduction of the amounts of peak activity (gel filtration). Degradation was confirmed by measuring the loss of immunoreactivity and receptor activity. Results: Incubation of 125 I-IGF-I with midjejunal luminal flushings from 12-day-old suckling rats generated acid-soluble radioactivity in a time- and dose-(flushing) dependent manner, whereas incubation of 125 I-IGF-II produced only minor amounts of acid-soluble radioactivity. Degradation activity in luminal flushings from adult rat intestine was several times greater than that in luminal flushings from suckling rats. Degradation of 125 I-IGF-II was several times lower than that of 125 I-IGF-I in the intestinal luminal flushings from suckling and adult rats. The rate of decrease in immunoprecipitable 125 I-IGF-I was considerably lower than the rate of decrease in receptor-active radioactivity. Except for immunoreactivity, analyses of acid-precipitable, peak-A, and receptor-active radioactivities demonstrate that IGF-II is relatively more stable than IGF-I in luminal flushings of suckling rat duodenum, jejunum, and midjejunum. Conclusions: These results show that the stability of IGF in the gastrointestinal lumen depends on the age of the animal and the segment of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as on the peptide isoform.
Discrete Mononuclear and Dinuclear Nickel(II) Complexes of Alkane- and Areneselenolates: Syntheses, Structures, and Properties of (Et4N)2[Ni2(Se(CH2)3Se)3], (Ph4P)2[Ni(SePh)4], and (Ph4P)2[Ni2(μ-2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2Se)2(2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2Se)4]·8CH3CN

Reaction of the alkanediselenolate (Et4N)2(Se(CH2)3Se) with NiCl2·6H2O in ethanol/acetonitrile mixture affords the dimeric complex (Et4N)2[Ni2(Se(CH2)3Se)3] (1), in which the coordination geometry around each Ni(II) center is square planar. In contrast, reaction of the areneselenolate PhSe- with NiCl2·6H2O in acetonitrile gives rise to (Ph4P)2[Ni(SePh)4] (2), which comprises a distorted tetrahedral NiSe4 chromophore. When the bulky areneselenolate 2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2Se- is used, the same reaction affords the dimeric complex (Ph4P)2[Ni2(μ-2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2Se)2(2,4,6-(Me)3C6H2Se)4]·8CH3CN (3), which contains square planar NiSe4 chromophores. Unfavorable steric interactions among o-methyl groups, nickel, and the Se atoms do not allow a tetrahedral coordination sphere around nickel in 3. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna21 with a = 16.645(3) A, b = 20.214(6) A, c = 11.428(3) A, V = 3846(3) A3, and Z = 4. The structure of 1 was refined to R = 7.34% on the basis of 1694 (I > 4σ(I)) data. Comp...
Research of Manufacture Resource Integration Platform in the Networked Environment

To meet the requirement of the management of manufacturing resources in network environment,building manufacture resource integration platform is the key of the informationization of manufacture enterprise.The modeling of manufacturing resource was studied,and the system construction and function model of integration platform were expounded,and manufacturing resources integration platform was built.
Abstract B03: A small-molecule antagonist of CX3CR1 impairs homing and colonization of breast cancer cells in the skeleton

Therapeutic approaches aimed to prevent breast cancer cells from spreading to distant sites are commonly neglected, based on the indication that dissemination from primary tumors can occur early. However, mounting evidence indicates that cancer cells recirculating from established bone lesions could further seed and colonize both skeleton and soft-tissue organs, thus precipitating metastatic dissemination and accelerating disease progression. We have previously shown that breast circulating tumor cells (CTCs) rely on the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 for lodging to the skeleton. Here, we show that this receptor is overexpressed by all four main subtypes of breast adenocarcinoma and also abundantly detected in bone metastatic lesions from breast cancer patients. We have recently synthesized JMS-17-2, a novel small molecule inhibitor of CX3CR1. We tested this compound in pre-clinical animal models of metastases in which human breast cancer cells, labeled with fluorescent and bioluminescent markers, are converted into CTCs by direct grafting in the arterial blood circulation. Pre-incubating cancer cells with JMS-17-2 or treating animals with this compound (10 mg/Kg, i.p.) were equally effective in dramatically decreasing the number of breast CTCs that lodged to the skeleton. These disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) were detected 24 hours after grafting and enumerated by multispectral fluorescence microscopy of sequential bone tissue sections spanning the entire width of tibiae and femora. Notably, when animals were examined at two weeks after grafting, JMS-17-2 completely prevented metastases, indicating that the reduction in number of DTCs directly translates to an impaired tumor growth in the long term. Finally, JMS-17-2 was administered to animals harboring a limited number of small metastases in bone and soft-tissues and monitored by bioluminescence imaging for three weeks before sacrifice. Animals treated with the CX3CR1 antagonist remained at an oligometastatic stage whereas control animals showed a sharp increase in the number of metastatic lesions and overall tumor burden. The work presented here should generate a conceptual shift in the treatment strategies for breast cancer patients, paving the way to approaches aimed to counteract the seeding of additional lesions from existing metastases. We also introduce JMS-17-2 as the first CX3CR1 antagonist and lead compound of a class of potentially new drugs with a novel mechanism of action that could be added to the arsenal of therapies currently used to treat advanced breast adenocarcinoma. Citation Format: Fei Shen, Yun Zhang, Danielle Jernigan, Jie Yan, Fernando Garcia, Olimpia Meucci, Joseph Salvino, Alessandro Fatatis. A small-molecule antagonist of CX3CR1 impairs homing and colonization of breast cancer cells in the skeleton. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B03.
Abstract PR01: 3D enhancer clusters in the response to Wnt-driven colorectal cancer

Super-enhancers are clusters of enhancers that drive expression of genes key to development and cancer. We recently showed that super-enhancers and their target genes occur within DNA loops bounded by CTCF proteins. These chromosome structures constrain the activities of enhancers to genes that occur within the same loop, and were thus called insulated neighborhoods. Recent studies have shown that signaling pathways converge on super-enhancers, but the effect of signaling-mediated gene activation has yet to be investigated in the context of insulated neighborhood structure and function. We used a model of Wnt-pathway activation in colon cancer to investigate Wnt-mediated activation of target genes within insulated neighborhoods. When the Wnt-pathway was activated through genetic deletion of the tumor suppressor Apc in intestinal organoids, all enhancers within insulated neighborhoods that contained Tcf4 binding sites were activated, including enhancers that were not considered to contribute to super-enhancers. Thus, Wnt-stimulation co-activated multiple enhancers that are not in linear proximity, yet cluster in 3D space within insulated neighborhoods. We conclude that insulated neighborhoods allow the formation of 3D enhancer clusters whose constituents can operate concertedly, and thus expand the definition of super-enhancers to incorporate 3D chromatin organization. This abstract is also presented as Poster A15. Citation Format: Jurian Schuijers, Daniel S. Day, Violaine Saint-Andre, Richard A. Young. 3D enhancer clusters in the response to Wnt-driven colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Developmental Biology and Cancer; Nov 30-Dec 3, 2015; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(4_Suppl):Abstract nr PR01.
The OB/GYN clerkship rotation sequence. Does it affect performance on final examinations?

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the timing of the obstetric/gynecologic (OB/GYN) clerkship affects the final grade achieved. STUDY DESIGN: The final examination grades on the OB/GYN clerkship for 165 students over a three-year period were compared according to when in the year the clerkship was taken. Premedical Medical College Admission Test scores (MCAT) were used to determine the academic potential of each clerkship group. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant correlation between the MCAT scores and the National Board of Medical Examiners clerkship examination score (r = .22, P < .005). No differences were found in the clerkship examination scores for students doing their rotations early or late in the third year. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that students with similar academic potential will do equally well on OB/GYN clerkship examinations whether they take their rotation early or late in the third year of medical school.