cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen peroxide-induced neuronal apoptosis is associated with inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A and 5, leading to activation of MAPK pathway

Abstract Oxidative stress-induced neuronal apoptosis is a prominent feature found in neurodegenerative disorders. However, how oxidative stress induces neuronal apoptosis is not well understood. To address this question, undifferentiated and differentiated neuronal cell lines (PC12 and SH-SY5Y) were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a major oxidant generated when oxidative stress occurs. We observed that H2O2 induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to apoptosis of the cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. H2O2 rapidly activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. Inhibition of Erk1/2, JNK or p38 with kinase inhibitors (U0126, SP600125 or PD169316, respectively), downregulation of Erk1/2 or p38 using RNA interference, or expression of dominant negative c-Jun partially prevented H2O2-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment with N-acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC) scavenged H2O2-induced ROS, blocking activation of MAPKs and cell death. Furthermore, we found that H2O2-induced ROS inhibited serine/threonine protein phosphatases 2A (PP2A) and 5 (PP5), which was abrogated by NAC. Overexpression of PP2A or PP5 partially prevented H2O2-activation of Erk/12, JNK and p38, as well as cell death. Similar results were observed in primary murine neurons as well. The results suggest that H2O2-induction of ROS inhibit PP2A and PP5, leading to activation of Erk1/2, JNK and p38 pathways thereby resulting in neuronal apoptosis. Our findings suggest that inhibitors of MAPKs (JNK, Erk1/2 and p38), activators of phosphatases (PP2A and PP5) or antioxidants may have potentials to prevent and treat oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative diseases.
Measuring Racial Disparities in Traffic Ticketing Within Large Urban Jurisdictions

As racial profiling has emerged as one of the most contentious and persistent issues confronting law enforcement and public officials across the nation in the last 20 years, research in this area has evolved rapidly. Although an increasing number of studies have been conducted on racial profiling in traffic enforcement, scholars have not reached a consensus on how best to estimate the driving population to compare with racial traffic ticketing data from a jurisdiction. This study combines traffic flow data for the city of Cleveland with residential census data to estimate the city's driving population. This provides a more precise estimate of the driving population than estimates obtained from traffic flow and census data used separately, as in earlier studies. This study finds that although blacks are a majority of city residents, they are not the majority of the driving population, yet are more likely to be ticketed than whites.
Agent mobility and the evolution of cooperative communities

INTRODUCTION W e are concerned with whether and how cooperation evolves in social worlds characterized by the presence of selfish agents engaged in repeated relations without central authority. This fundamental problem has been the focus of many studies across all the social sciences as well as philosophy, biology, and computer science. Based on the seminal works of John Maynard Smith [1], and Robert Axelrod [2], the iterated prisoner’s dilemma (IPD) has become the central metaphor for the evolution of cooperation in populations of selfish agents without central authority. To investigate whether and how agents in an IPD can overcome the individual rational choice to defect to achieve the socially optimal outcome of mutual cooperation, we construct an artificial world and then analyze characteristics of that world via simulation. The artificial world that we construct is an anarchic, competitive place populated by agents with limited cognitive and social capabilities whose resources are being constantly drained. Into this harsh environment we introduce agent movement and constrained interactions in the form of spatial neighborhoods, features that we anticipate will foster cooperation. We are interested in several properties of this artificial world. Does it become highly cooperative? If cooperation emerges, is it stable? Do agent movement and the type of movement facilitate the generation of a stable cooperative world? Are there patterns in the kinds of strategies that help generate a cooperative world or in the kinds of strategies that evolve in a cooperative world?
Systematic Generation of Theory in Family Sociology

This paper describes a procedure for facilitating the generation of theory useful to family sociologists. This procedure is based upon a linguistic model, and it utilizes the metaphor of literary genre as a guide. A distinction is made between the construction and the generation of sociological theory. The suggestion is made that the generation perspective may enhance the ability of theorists to find subtle interconnections among phenomena and thereby to extend fields of sociological knowledge along novel paths. The procedure itself depends first upon the construction of a binary lexicon. One such lexicon consists of one matrix of concepts describing social structure from the perspective of stabilization of social relations and a complementary matrix describing structure from the perspective of destabilization. From these matrices, one concept is chosen as a metonym or as a metaphor to act as a basis for deriving connections among the other concepts in the matrices. The manipulation of concepts from both matrices permits the development of propositions suggesting ironies and contradictions in social relations. Examples of the use of this procedure are presented, and some unresolved problems are described.
The genetic basis for tuber greening in 24-chromosome potatoes

Greening of potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) tubers is often a problem in retail markets. An experiment was performed to study the mode of inheritance of tuber greening in 24-chromosome potatoes. Tuber greening was determined to be quantitatively inherited. Genetic and environmental variance components were calculated. Tuber greening inheritance is due to additive and epistatic effects. Epistatic effects accounted for 59% of the genetic variance. No dominance or maternal effects were observed. Narrow sense heritability was 0.27 and broad sense heritability was 0.66 after location, block, and genotype by environment interactions were removed. Broad sense heritability for tuber greening is large enough to permit effective selection against tuber greening in potato breeding programs when epistasis can be fixed.
Current status of xenotransplantation.

Transplantation improves quality of life and saves tens of thousands of lives each year. However, the supply of human organs and tissues is insufficient to treat all patients who qualify for kidney, liver, islet cell, pancreas, heart, or lung transplantation. These considerations provide a powerful impetus motivating early clinical introduction of cross-species or “xeno” transplantation. Pigs have been developed as a potential xenograft source species based on various physiologic and logistical considerations. (1) Use of non-human primates is not feasible for a number of reasons, ethical concerns prominent among them, and because the risk of a non-human primate virus causing epidemic human disease is not acceptable. (2) Recently, a clinical islet xenograft trial involving 8 patients with diabetes and using porcine pancreatic cells has obtained provisional approval by New Zealand regulatory authorities. (3) This Commentary discusses scientific benchmarks and ethical predicates necessary prior to clinical xenotransplant trials.
Uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose in the normal testis: Retrospective PET study and animal experiment

Our retrospective PET and animal studies were conducted on a total of eight patients with normal testes and five male Sprague-Dawley rats. All the rats were necropsied at 60 minute post-injection of FDG, and the organs were removed and counted. The human testes were visualized on 60–70 minute FDG-PET images and whole- or partial-body images in all of the patients. The correlations between patient age over 50 years old and testis-to-muscle ratios, and patient age and SUVs were statistically significant, r = − 0.755, p < 10−6 (n = 7), r = − 0.900, p < 0.007 (n = 4), respectively. FDG uptake of the rat testes was 0.162 ± 0.004% kg injected dose/g (n = 5). The uptake was approximately 6.0 and 3.6 times as high as muscle and blood levels, respectively. In conclusion, there is substantial uptake of FDG into the normal testis which declines with age. The normal levels of FDG uptake in the testis relative to the patient’s age should be considered in the interpretation of FDG scans of the inguinal and lower pelvic regions.
Student-Based Examples: Do They Help or Hinder Instruction?

Excerpt] Many professors, myself included, have for years operated under the impression that examples from the current experiences of students’ lives are helpful, useful and relevant for illustrating complex ideas or theories. We seek to use examples from the students’ realm of experience. We discuss conflict and perceptions in the context of roommate interactions. The university’s procedures and goals are presented as a foil for discussions of organizational designs, bureaucracy, and goal setting. We rely on the football and basketball teams for discussions of leadership and cooperation. The experiences of job interviews are used to discuss corporate culture and socialization. Finally, we bring home the nuances of performance appraisal, feedback and reward structures by discussing the operation of the very class we teach.
Words or Images: Insights on How Engineering Students and Engineers Communicate in Practice

This paper examines the use of language (text and verbal communication) across school and work settings. The participants of the study are from two distinct pools — 380 first-year engineering students and 355 industry professionals. To test the study predictions and interpret the results the individual data sets from both studies were reviewed and analyzed. Data suggests that for the professional engineering population, face to face communication was the preferred communication mode for sharing engineering evaluation, communicating difficult concepts, and describing their work product. Email and file sharing were also utilized communication options, but to a lesser extent. Data from students facing a simulated professional assignment (produce a fabrication instruction for assembling a mechanical object) indicated that 94% of the students’ chose to use language to produce fabrication instructions, compared to only 6% of students who used another tool of engineering representation in the form of sketches. Data investigation and outcomes are discussed in terms of prevalence and importance of language in engineering education.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Angiotensin-converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase modulate smokeless tobacco-induced increase in macromolecular efflux from the oral mucosa in vivo

Smokeless tobacco elicits plasma exudation from the oral mucosa that is mediated by bradykinin, and it decreases the activity of tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), a peptidase that cleaves and inactivates bradykinin. However, the mechanisms regulating bradykinin-induced responses during exposure to smokeless tobacco are uncertain. The purpose of this study was to begin to address this issue by determining whether inhibitors of ACE and neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a membrane-bound peptidase widely distributed in the oral mucosa that also cleaves and inactivates bradykinin, potentiate a smokeless tobacco-induced increase in macromolecular efflux from the oral mucosa in vivo. Using intravital microscopy, we found that suffusion of an aqueous extract of smokeless tobacco elicited a significant concentration-dependent increase in fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (molecular mass 70 kd) leaky site formation in the hamster cheek pouch (p < 0.05). This response was significantly potentiated by captopril and lisinopril, two ACE inhibitors, and by phosphoramidon and thiorphan, two NEP inhibitors (p < 0.05). The effects of ACE and NEP inhibitors were additive. By contrast, a mixture of proteinase inhibitors consisting of leupeptin, Bestatin, and DL-2-mercaptomethyl-3-guanidinoethylthiopropanoic acid had no significant effects on smokeless tobacco extract-induced responses. Overall, these data suggest that ACE and NEP each play a role in modulating a smokeless tobacco-induced increase in macromolecular efflux from the in situ oral mucosa, in part by regulating local bradykinin catabolism.
The Healthy Teddy Clinic: An innovative pediatric clinical experience

Abstract Finding pediatric clinical experiences and sites challenges many nursing programs. This article explores an alternative clinical site and method that offer not only a creative and fun pediatric practicum but also excellent learning experiences. The Healthy Teddy Clinic was initiated in a preschool setting in which nursing students use teddy bears to teach health topics to children while the students themselves learn growth and development, therapeutic communication, and how to meet the psychosocial needs of pediatric clients and their families.
Optimal Foraging Theory: Lessons and Application to Adaptive Engineering Systems

In biological systems, optimal strategy is generally defined as optimizing fitness, measured as reproductive value (RV), the expectation of producing surviving offspring from time t onward, given that an organism is in state S(t). Any action can be associated with an expectation of immediate reproductive success. Maximum RV results from the action that maximizes the sum of immediate and future surviving offspring. Adaptive biological behavior is the product of historical experience, heritability, individual variation, and differential fitness among individuals. Foraging tasks are a standard test bed for robot research because of their applicability to many problems. Optimal foraging theory offers explanations and predictions with direct applicability to engineering problems. Much theory development involves optimal solutions based on complete information about the system, but animals do not always conform to predictions of such models. Adaptive approximations to optimality in biological systems offer models for design of engineered systems.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Studies in Dental Public Health Administration: III. Administrative Factors in a Dental Treatment Program as Measured by Lost Time Analysis

The duration of the caries-inhibiting effect of topically applied fluorides is not fully known. The results of clinical studies continued for three to five years indi­ cate that there is no appreciable loss in prophylactic value with the passage of time.3,4’ 8 In order to provide a practical basis for rendering topical applications of fluo­ ride to the teeth of children, it is sug­ gested that a series of applications be given at the ages of 3, 7, 10 and 13 years. These ages should be varied in accordance with the tooth eruption pat­ tern of the individual child. An applica­ tion at 3 years of age would provide protection for the deciduous teeth. Sub­ sequent applications would provide pro­ tection for the permanent teeth during the period of changing dentition: the incisors and first molars at age 7, the bicuspids and cuspids at age 10 and the second molars at age 13.
Phase II evaluation of VDC-1101 in canine cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Author(s): Morges, MA; Burton, JH; Saba, CF; Vail, DM; Burgess, KE; Thamm, DH | Abstract: BackgroundCanine cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is an uncommon disease for which efficacious therapies are lacking. The novel anticancer nucleotide prodrug VDC-1101 (formerly known as GS-9219) has shown efficacy in dogs with multicentric lymphoma. One of the observed adverse effects with this drug was a skin change characterized by hair loss, erythema, and pruritus, implying delivery of VDC-1101 to the skin.Hypothesis/objectivesThe primary study objective was to identify the objective response rate (ORR) to VDC-1101 in canine CTCL; secondary objectives included characterization of progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AEs).AnimalsTwelve dogs with chemotherapy-naive or relapsed, histologically and immunohistochemically confirmed CTCL.MethodsDogs received VDC-1101 as a 30-minute IV infusion once every 21 days. Prednisone (1 mg/kg PO q48h) was administered concurrently.ResultsIn 11 evaluable patients, responses included 1 complete response (CR), 4 partial responses (PR), 2 stable disease (SD), and 4 progressive disease for an ORR of 45% and biologic response rate (CR/PR/SD) of 64%. The median PFS was 37.5 days (26 to g399 days), which includes 1 durable and ongoing CR (g1 year). Gastrointestinal and hematologic AEs were mild; no dogs developed grade 3 or 4 AEs. Three dogs developed dermatopathies and 1 of these dogs was removed from the study as a result of this AE.Conclusions and clinical importanceVDC-1101 has activity against canine CTCL and could provide another treatment option in a disease process with a poor prognosis.
Cell cycle-specific induction of Cdk2 expression in B lymphocytes following antigen receptor cross-linking

Abstract The ligation of membrane Ig (mIg) on quiescent primary B lymphocytes by mitogenic concentrations of anti-IgM antibodies leads to cell cycle progression. The level of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) expression was found to be restricted to specific phases of the cell cycle in primary cultures of murine B lymphocytes. Resting G0 phase, G1 phase, or B cells arrested near the G1/S boundary by hydroxyurea contained no detectable Cdk2 protein or associated histone H1 kinase activity. In contrast, B cell entry into S phase was accompanied by an induction in the expression of cellular Cdk2 as judged by immunoblotting of B cell lysates with anti-Cdk2 antibodies. Concomitant with S phase entry was the detection of anti-Cdk2-specific immunoprecipitable histone H1 kinase activity. Further analysis revealed that the amount of cyclin A protein also oscillated during cell cycle, appearing initially in G1 phase B cells. Cyclin A was found to be associated with Cdk2 in B cells during S phase progression. These results indicate that cross-linking of mIg on primary B lymphocytes results in the “downstream” catalytic activation of Cdk2. The timing of Cdk2 expression and its association with cyclin A suggests that Cdk2 may not be involved in the decision to enter S phase, but rather may provide a role in the maintenance of S phase progression or in preparing B cells to enter M phase.
Acute oral toxicity and repellency of 933 chemicals to house and deer mice.

Five individual bioassay repellency or toxicity variables were estimated or determined for deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and house mice (Mus musculus) under laboratory conditions. ALD's (Approximate Lethal Doses) or LD50's of 230 chemicals to deer mice are presented, as are food reduction (FR) values (3-day feeding test as a 2.0% treatment rate) for white wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum) for 696 chemicals and Douglas fir seeds (Pseudotsuga menziesii) for 81 chemicals. A similar repellency evaluation (REP) using a 5-day test with white wheat seeds at a 2.0% treatment rate was conducted with house mice and the results for 347 chemicals are presented. These toxicity and repellency data should be useful to those desiring to predict the potential for acute toxicity in wild mammals following exposure to a wide variety of chemicals.
Kurt Baier's “logical lapse”

sensibility, it is clear that c (q, pr) is greater than c (q, r) but barely so. Hence, by (4), c (p, r) is almost 1. Again appealing to one's cognitive sensibility, it is clear that c(p, r) is nowhere near to 1. Consider now a second example. Let q be the statement 'Every body starting from rest and falling freely toward the Earth falls 16t2 feet in t seconds, no matter what number t may be.' Let p be the statement 'Every body starting from rest and falling freely toward the Earth falls 144 feet in three seconds.' Let r be the statement 'Some Trappist monks live in Trappe, Quebec.' In this example pq is equivalent to q relative to any r. Appealing to one's cognitive sensibility it is clear that c(q, pr) is greater than c(q, r) but not much greater. And so, by (4), c(p, r) is almost equal to 1. But this is absurd. And so (4) is unacceptable. And since (1) is, in my opinion, acceptable, I conclude that (2) is not. This conclusion condemns every principle of confirmation that implies (2) and every theory of confirmation that contains (2) as either an axiom or a theorem. By the foregoing I do not wish to suggest that (2) cannot be so modified as to become acceptable. I wish only to point out the need for modification.
Somebody's Watching Me?: Assessing the Effectiveness of Webcam Indicator Lights

Most laptops and personal computers have webcams with LED indicators to notify users when they are recording. Because hackers use surreptitiously captured webcam recordings to extort users, we explored the effectiveness of these indicators under varying circumstances and how they could be improved. We observed that, on average, fewer than half of our participants (45%) noticed the existing indicator during computer-based tasks. When seated in front of the computer performing a paper-based task, only 5% noticed the indicator. We performed a followup experiment to evaluate a new indicator and observed that adding onscreen glyphs had a significant impact on both computer-based and non-computer-based tasks (93% and 59% noticed the new indicator, respectively). We discuss how our results can be integrated into current systems, as well as future ubiquitous computing systems.
Hemodynamics and patient safety during pump-off studies of an axial-flow left ventricular assist device.

Background Axial-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), when inactivated, may result in regurgitant blood flow. We assessed the effects of regurgitant pump flow with the intraventricular Jarvik 2000 Heart LVAD (Jarvik Heart, Inc., New York, NY) on hemodynamics and patient safety under pump-off conditions. Methods Thirty patients being supported by a Jarvik 2000 as a bridge to heart transplantation underwent pump-off studies. Hemodynamics, vital signs and cognitive function were monitored; Doppler echocardiographic studies were done with the pump turned off for 5 minutes if tolerated. Regurgitant flow was assessed in terms of the difference between left ventricular and right ventricular outflow tract cardiac output (LVOT CO – RVOT CO). Results During pump-off periods, the mean regurgitant flow was 0.42 ± 0.41 liter/min, and the mean arterial blood pressure was 63.1 ± 11.6 mm Hg. There was no regurgitant flow when the pump was on. Three patients did not tolerate the pump being off for periods of 5 minutes; in these tests, the mean regurgitant flow rate was 0.54 ± 0.50 liter/min, the mean arterial blood pressure was 52.8 ± 9.8 mm Hg, and the mean pump-off time was 3.1 ± 1.1 minutes. All patients remained conscious during the pump-off period, and none showed lasting adverse effects. Conclusions Our findings suggest that patients being supported with the axial-flow Jarvik 2000 Heart LVAD can generally tolerate pump-off times of 5 minutes.
Inhibition of cytokine production by hymenialdisine derivatives.

We describe herein the synthesis and biological activity of two indoloazepines that are structurally related to the marine sponge metabolite hymenialdisine. The natural product hymenialdisine was f...
microRNAs in seeds: modified detection techniques and potential applications

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small (21–24 nucleotides), single-stranded RNAs that regulate target gene expression at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. miRNAs play crucial roles in plant development, maintenance of homeostasis, and responses to environmental signals. miRNAs and their target genes, which can be computationally predicted in plants, are expressed in developing and germinating seeds as in other plant tissues, suggesting that miRNAs may be involved in the regulation of gene expression in seeds. Profiling multiple miRNAs expressed in developing and germinating seeds, characterizing their expression patterns in a spatio-temporal manner, and elucidating their biological functions will provide information essential for understanding the mechanisms of seed development and germination. In this review, an overview of the recent technical advances in seed miRNA research and their potential applications for plant, specifically seed, research are presented.
Liquid chromatography system for fast, accurate analysis

Abstract The design characteristics of a liquid chromatograph that are essential for very fast separations are examined theoretically. Equations are derived that permit the calculation of the column length, column diameter, maximum instrument time constant and flow-rate to effect a given separation in the minimum time. A gradient elution system, that can provide gradients covering a wide range of solvent concentrations and gradient profiles that can be delivered in a few seconds, is disclosed. Examples are given of the rapid separation of multi-component mixtures in less than 30 sec by both isocratic and gradient elution. The separation times obtained experimentally are compared with those predicted theoretically. The quantitative precision that was obtained from fast liquid chromatography separations is also reported.
Development and implementation of a custom integrated database with dashboards to assist with hematopathology specimen triage and traffic.

Background: At some institutions, including ours, bone marrow aspirate specimen triage is complex, with hematopathology triage decisions that need to be communicated to downstream ancillary testing laboratories and many specimen aliquot transfers that are handled outside of the laboratory information system (LIS). We developed a custom integrated database with dashboards to facilitate and streamline this workflow. Methods: We developed user-specific dashboards that allow entry of specimen information by technologists in the hematology laboratory, have custom scripting to present relevant information for the hematopathology service and ancillary laboratories and allow communication of triage decisions from the hematopathology service to other laboratories. These dashboards are web-accessible on the local intranet and accessible from behind the hospital firewall on a computer or tablet. Secure user access and group rights ensure that relevant users can edit or access appropriate records. Results: After database and dashboard design, two-stage beta-testing and user education was performed, with the first focusing on technologist specimen entry and the second on downstream users. Commonly encountered issues and user functionality requests were resolved with database and dashboard redesign. Final implementation occurred within 6 months of initial design; users report improved triage efficiency and reduced need for interlaboratory communications. Conclusions: We successfully developed and implemented a custom database with dashboards that facilitates and streamlines our hematopathology bone marrow aspirate triage. This provides an example of a possible solution to specimen communications and traffic that are outside the purview of a standard LIS.
A Conceptual Threshold Model of Adoption of Innovations as a Function of Innovation's Value and Actor's Characteristics

Prior studies of innovation have identified a broad array of variables that can significantly influence the probability of whether an actor will adopt an innovation. Nonetheless, with few exceptions, this research failed to analyze in any systematic manner processes by which the actor's characteristics and the actor's perceived value of an innovation affect adoption. Therefore, a conceptual model is needed for integrating the influence of the many sets of adopters (herein called actors) and innovation's variables that modulate the decision to adopt. This study represents an attempt to provide a conceptual threshold model of adoption of innovations modulated by actor's perceived value of an innovation and actor's characteristics.
Monoexponential Analysis of Plasma Disappearance of 99mTc-DTPA and 131I-Iodohippurate: A Reliable Method for Measuring Changes of Renal Function

Glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow were measured in 170 subjects using monoexponential analysis of plasma disappearance curves for 99mTc-DTPA and 131I-iodohippurate after single injection. In the current study population, glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow decreased with increasing age, were less in females than in males, and were less in hypertensives than in normotensives. Differences in glomerular filtration rate according to age and sex in the current study were similar to those reported using traditional creatinine clearance methodology. Monoexponential treatment of plasma isotope disappearance gave reproducible values for both glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow when measured either during the day or on a daily basis. Intraindividual coefficient of variation was less than 10% for both 99mTc-DTPA and 131I-iodohippurate clearances derived from monoexponential analysis. These results demonstrate that monoexponential analysis of plasma disappearance curves for 99mTc-DTPA and 131I-iodohippurate after a single injection is a useful method for evaluating changes in renal hemodynamics either during chronic drug therapy or acutely after single dose administration.
Effect of vacuum annealing on oxygen stoichiometry and resistivity of sol-gel derived La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-δ films

We have studied the dependence of the resistivity and magnetoresistance (MR) of epitaxial (0 0 1) La0.7Sr0.3MnO3−δ(0 0 1) LaAlO3 films on controlled vacuum annealing. First, La0.7Sr0.3MnO3−δ grown by sol-gel process were annealed at O2 (1 atm. oxygen)/1170 K/1 h (we call this as-prepared films); subsequently, these as-prepared films were annealed in vacuum (∼10−6 torr/2 h) at different temperatures, i.e. 720 K, 770 K, 820 K, 920 K, to systematically reduce the oxygen stoichiometry. The resistivity increases systematically with increasing annealing temperature in accord with oxygen content variation. The resistivity shows a metallic behavior (as-prepared films), metal-insulator transitions (films annealed at 720 K, 770 K) and an insulating behavior (films annealed at 820 K, 920 K). Significant MR is observed predominantly near the resistivity peak for the metallic films and at low temperature for the insulating films. These observations demonstrate that the oxygen content, the resistivity and MR behavior of manganese oxides are precisely controllable via vacuum annealing.
Reconfigurable architecture for smart sensor node based on IEEE 1451 standard

This work proposes a novel reconfigurable architecture for smart sensor network nodes. The architecture is based on the IEEE 1451 standard and was implemented using a Programmable System on Chip (PSoC). The PSoC devices include configurable blocks of analog and digital components, which allow hardware-level re-configuration capabilities. The use of the IEEE 1451 standard methodology ensures the scalability and flexibility of the sensor node. In order to manage re-configurable hardware via IEEE 1451 standard was necessary the implementation of a new Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS). The proposed architecture was implemented on a PSoC 5LP module and some signal conditioning circuits was implemented in order to test the reconfigurable architecture.
Antarctica: As seismic as other plates

Antarctica shakes, rattles, and rolls just as much as other slow-moving plates. Emile Okal, a Yale University seismologist, told colleagues at the AGU Fall Meeting that although the Antarctic plate is not moving across the earth as fast as other continents, it has a seismicity similar to other plates. His findings refute the claim that a ring of spreading ridges that surrounds the plate leaves Antarctica stress free. The small number of reports of plate seismicity, Okal explained, has been used to argue that the ridges that surround the plate are unable to transmit tectonic stresses and would make the Antarctic plate motionless and free of seismic stress. However, when Okal added up the total seismic energy released during the last 55 years, he found it similar to that of the African plate, which is comparable in size.
Visuospatial contextual processing in the parietal cortex: An fMRI investigation of the induced Roelofs effect

Neighboring contextual elements can dramatically affect the manner in which the brain processes the perceptual characteristics of an object. Indeed, many well-known visual illusions rely on misleading contextual cues to create misperceptions of size, length or orientation (e.g., in the Ebbinghaus, Muller-Lyer or rod-and-frame illusions, respectively). However, little is known about the brain regions underlying these integrative computations. The current study used fMRI to delineate the brain areas responsible for processing visuospatial contextual information. Participants were asked to determine whether a small target was positioned left or right of midline in the presence of an offset rectangle designed to induce a shift in the participant's perception of straight-ahead (the induced Roelofs effect). We found localized, bilateral regions in superior parietal cortex and precuneus that were specifically active when participants judged the target location in the presence of this shifted context; significantly less activation was present when a color judgment was made with identical stimuli, or when the location judgment was made without a Roelofs-inducing frame. We propose that this portion of parietal cortex is selectively involved in processing visuospatial contextual information. Additional findings support the notion that perceptual judgments of target location based on an egocentric frame of reference fall within the purview of the dorsal stream of visual processing, rather than the ventral stream.
Validation of a reduced combustion mechanism for light hydrocarbons

Due to the tremendous costs and difficulties associated with flare measurements, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation could be a viable approach to predict the combustion efficiency as well as VOC/NO x emissions from industrial flaring activities. However, consisting of a large number of reactions and species, most of the detailed kinetic mechanisms for the speciation study of flaring events are too complicated to use in the CFD simulation of industrial-scale flares. A reduced combustion mechanism will lead to improved computational efficiency; however, its fidelity must be validated. This study uses 2D CFD simulations and 1D Chemkin simulations to validate a reduced mechanism developed for the combustion of light hydrocarbons up to C1–C3. This mechanism, consisting of 50 species and 337 reactions, is applicable to C1–C3 hydrocarbons and can be used to predict the combustion efficiency and fate of pollutants released from industrial flares composed of C1–C3 waste gases. In this article, experimental data reported in the literatures have been used to validate the reduced mechanism. The key performance indicators used for comparison are laminar burner-stabilized flames, laminar flame speeds, adiabatic flame temperatures, ignition delay tests, and temperature and concentration profiles of the critical species. The software package CHEMKIN 4.1.1 was used to verify the computational results of laminar flame speeds, adiabatic flame temperatures, and ignition delays. The axial profiles of various critical species are simulated using the commercial CFD software package FLUENT. It is demonstrated that simulation results using this reduced mechanism are in good agreement with reported experimental results.
Molecular packing in steroid-lecithin monolayers, part II: Mixed films of cholesterol with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and tetradecanoic acid

Abstract Mixed film studies of the systems cholesterol/tetradecanoic acid and cholesterol/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine have been carried out over the entire compositional range at 21°C. When compared on an acyl chain basis the condensing effects were found to be essentially independent of which host-lipid was utilized. The phase change of the host lipid was shifted to higher pressures, then broadened and eliminated. Maximal condensation occurred at just above 42 mol% for the cholesterol/DPPC system. In both systems the two components were initially found to be miscible at all proportions. The results are interpreted in terms of the molecular packing of cholesterol with acyl boundary layers, one significantly, one weakly affected. Maximum condensation is a result of packing that provides maximum cholesterol/acyl chain contact. Consideration is given to both long term stability of such mixed monolayers and the behaviour of the corresponding bilayer states.
Pavement Strain from Moving Dynamic 3D Load Distribution

This paper presents the formulation and the application of a continuum-based finite-layer approach to evaluate pavement strain response under actual traffic loading. The model incorporates important pavement response parameters such as the dynamic tire-pavement load variations and corresponding complex contact stress distributions (normal and shear), vehicle speed, and viscoelastic material characterization. Results of a parametric study in which two typical thin and thick pavement sections were subjected to traffic loading moving at different speeds are included. As an important application of the proposed method, pavement strain responses generated by wide-base and dual tires have been presented. This study reveals that contradictory to the past studies, the impact of tire-pavement contact shear stress on tensile strain at the bottom of asphalt concrete is insignificant.
Vulnerability of scheduled networks and a generalization of Menger's Theorem

An edge-scheduled network N is a multigraph G = (V, E), where each edge e ϵ E has been assigned two real weights: a start time α(e) and a finish time β(e). Such a multigraph models a communication or transportation network. A multiedge joining vertices u and v represents a direct communication (transportation) link between u and v, and the edges of the multiedge represent potential communications (transportations) between u and v over a fixed period of time. For a, b ϵ V, and k a nonnegative integer, we say that N is k-failure ab-invulnerable for the time period [0, t] if information can be relayed from a to b within that time period, even if up to k edges are deleted, i.e., “fail.” The k-failure ab-vulnerability threshold νab(k) is the earliest time t such that N is k-failure ab-invulnerable for the time period [0, t] [where νab(k) = ∞ if no such t exists]. Let κ denote the smallest k such that νab(k) = ∞. In this paper, we present an O(κ|E|) algorithm for computing νab(i), i = 0, …, κ −1. The latter algorithm constructs a set of κ pairwise edge-disjoint schedule-conforming paths P0, …, Pκ −1 such that the finish time of Pi is νab(i), i = 0, 1, …, κ −1. (A path P = ae1u1e2 ··· Upp−1epb is schedule-conforming if the finish time of edge ei is no greater than the start time of the next edge ei + 1.) The existence of such paths when α(e) = β(e) = 0, for all e ϵ E, implies Menger's Theorem. In this paper, we also show that the obvious analogs of these results for either multiedge deletions or vertex deletions do not hold. In fact, we show that the problem of finding k schedule-conforming paths such that no two paths pass through the same vertex (multiedge) is NP-complete, even for k = 2. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A cognitively-based methodology for designing languages/environments/methodologies

In designing a programming language, programming environment, or programming methodology there are a whole lot of both implicit and explicit “shoulds.” By a “should” we mean the claim that the appropriate use of language/environment/methodology X will lead to good habits and result in good products. For example, ADA's commitment to strong typing and mechanisms for constructing data types implies that these components are good and should result in more effective programming. The top-down design methodology implies that designers should start at the specifications and refine downward; this process will result in a good design. Etectera. The problem is that it is not clear that the current crop of languages/environments/methodologies (L/E/M's) do result in more productive programming and design, and that the “shoulds” implied by them are really all that good ([7]).
The role of antimyosin antibodies in acute myocardial infarction

Antimyosin is an Fab fragment of a monoclonal antibody that binds with human myosin exposed in myocytes irreversibly damaged by an ischemic event. Labeled with 111 In, the antibody is taken up into acutely necrotic tissue and can be imaged by planar or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) techniques. A large, multicenter clinical trial has demonstrated a high degree of both sensitivity for detecting infarction and specificity for excluding a recent ischemic event in patients admitted with chest pain syndrome. No allergic reactions to antibody injection have occurred, nor have there been documented significant increases in human antimouse antibody titers postinjection. Due to relatively slow blood clearance, the optimal imaging time is 24 to 48 hours post-injection. Between 13% and 21% of 24-hour scans are nondiagnostic due to persistent blood pool activity. In two thirds of these patients, 48-hour scans confirm negative tracer uptake. Moderate to intense cardiac uptake occurs in >80% of scans. Faint tracer uptake, which occurs in a small minority of patients, is associated with inferoposterior infarct location and an occluded infarct vessel. Potential clinical uses include both diagnostic and prognostic areas. A negative scan in a patient with chest pain syndrome and no ECG changes rules out a recent significant ischemic event. The extent of antimyosin uptake (infarct size), measured semiquantitatively from planar scans or quantitatively from SPECT reconstructions, has been shown to correlate with future cardiac events. Relative patterns of distribution of indium-antimyosin and 201 Tl on simultaneous dual isotope SPECT reconstructions may identify patients with residual myocardium at further ischemic risk.
A program for multiple hypothesis tests.

Abstract This is a description of the program DIGRAPH which assists in computing a new p value that may be used when many hypotheses are to be tested simultaneously. Substantially more significance statements can be made using this procedure than by using another omnibus method, the Bonferroni procedure.
Outflow thrombus in a left ventricular-assist device: Visualization by CT angiography

A 63-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy, ejection fraction of 15%, and status after HeartMate II implantation as a bridge to cardiac transplantation presented with presyncope and exertional dyspnea 1.5 years after implantation. After unrevealing laboratory workup and echocardiography for LVAD thrombosis, the patient underwent CT imaging. CT revealed mural thrombus in the proximal LVAD outflow cannula, a very unlikely site of thrombus, highlighting the importance of CT imaging in diagnosis of LVAD complications.
Age-related changes in plasma catecholamine responses to chronic intermittent stress.

Abstract We examined habituation and sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to stressful stimulation in young adult (3 months) and aged (22 months) Fischer 344 (F-344) male rats. Aged rats had greater elevations in plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) following exposure to restraint stress compared to young adult controls. Within ages, plasma catecholamine responses were similar in rats stressed for the first time compared to those stressed for the 27th time. When chronically stressed young adult and aged F-344 rats were exposed to a novel stressor, swim stress at 25°C, plasma catecholamine responses were significantly greater than for age-matched handled controls. The magnitude of sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to the novel stressor was similar for young adult and aged F-344 rats. These results indicate that aged rats have enhanced plasma catecholamine responses to acute restraint stress compared to young adults. In addition, rats of both ages displayed comparable levels of sensitization of plasma catecholamine responses to a novel stressor. These findings emphasize that aged rats differ from young adult rats in some but not all aspects of sympathetic-adrenal medullary regulation. Further, these age-related differences in sympathetic-adrenal medullary responses are unmasked when animals are exposed to stressful stimulation.
Immunohistochemical expression of folate receptor α in colorectal carcinoma : patterns and biological significance

Summary Folate receptor α (FR α ) has emerged as a potential cancer therapy target with several folate-linked therapeutic agents currently undergoing clinical trials. In addition, FR α expression in tumors may offer prognostic significance. Most studies on FR α expression used reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction or cytofluorimetric assays. The applicability of such methods to paraffin-embedded tissues is limited. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of immunohistochemistry in detecting FR α expression and to assess the patterns and clinical significance of FR α expression in colorectal tissues. We used tissue microarrays containing 152 normal colorectal mucosa samples, 42 adenomas, 177 primary, and 52 metastatic colorectal carcinomas. Our results showed that staining for FR α on colorectal tissues was simple and easy to read. FR α positivity was more frequent in carcinomas (33% in primaries and 44% in metastases) than in normal mucosa or adenoma (7% in both) ( P P = .008), presence of distant metastasis (n = 130) ( P = .043), and non–high-frequency microsatellite instability status (as detected by the standard polymerase chain reaction method using the 5 National Cancer Institute–recommended markers) (n = 77) ( P = .006). Positive staining in primary carcinomas also correlated with a worse 5-year disease-specific survival ( P = .04) on univariate but not multivariate analysis. Thus, our data show that there is selective expression of FR α in some colorectal cancers, providing a foundation for investigating the use of folate conjugates for imaging and therapy of colorectal tumors. Furthermore, our results suggest that a possible association exists between FR α expression and the microsatellite instability status in colorectal carcinoma. The significance of such an association as well as the prognostic value of FR α expression deserves further exploration.
What neighborhood area captures built environment features related to adolescent physical activity

In research investigating built environment (BE) influences on physical activity (PA), inconsistent neighborhood definitions may contribute to inconsistent findings. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Wave I; 1994-95), we compared associations between moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) and PA facility counts and street connectivity measures (intersection density and link:node ratio) within 1, 3, 5, and 8.05 kilometers (km) from each respondent's residence (Euclidean neighborhood buffers). BE-MVPA associations varied by BE characteristic, urbanicity, and sex. PA facilities within 3 km buffers and intersection density within 1k buffers exhibited the most consistent associations with MVPA. Policy recommendations and corresponding research should address potential differences in relevant neighborhood areas across environment feature and population subgroup.