cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lactate Engages Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Axl, Tie2, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 to Activate Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase/Akt and Promote Angiogenesis

Although a high level of lactate is quintessential to both tumors and wound healing, the manner by which lactate impacts endothelial cells to promote angiogenesis and thereby create or restore vascular perfusion to growing tissues has not been fully elucidated. Here we report that lactate activated the PI3K/Akt pathway in primary human endothelial cells. Furthermore, activating this signaling pathway was required for lactate-stimulated organization of endothelial cells into tubes and for sprouting of vessels from mouse aortic explants. Lactate engaged the PI3K/Akt pathway via ligand-mediated activation of the three receptor tyrosine kinases Axl, Tie2, and VEGF receptor 2. Neutralizing the ligands for these receptor tyrosine kinases, pharmacologically inhibiting their kinase activity or suppressing their expression largely eliminated the ability of cells and explants to respond to lactate. Elucidating the mechanism by which lactate communicates with endothelial cells presents a previously unappreciated opportunity to improve our understanding of the angiogenic program and to govern it.
Effects of mutations at amino acid 61 in the arm of TF1 on its DNA-binding properties.

Transcription factor 1 (TF1) is the Bacillus subtilis phage SPO1-encoded member of the family of bacterial DNA-binding proteins that includes Escherichia coli HU and integration host factor (IHF). We have initiated a mutational analysis of the TF1 molecule to understand better its unique DNA-binding properties and to investigate its physiological function. We report here the consequences of mutating the putative DNA-binding “arms” of TF1. At position 61 in its primary sequence, TF1 contains a Phe residue in place of the Arg residue found in all other known members of the HU family. Substituting polar, uncharged residues for Phe61 substantially reduced the DNA-binding affinity and siteselectivity of TF1 in vitro, whereas the substitution of Tyr had no effect. Substituting Trp or Arg for Phe61 had little effect on the affinity of TF1 for SPO1 DNA, but altered the electrophoretic mobilities of protein-DNA complexes in non-denaturing gels. The Arg61 substitution increased the affinity of the protein for non-specific sites on thymine-containing DNA, thus reducing the natural preference of TF1 for (5-hydroxymethyluracil)-containing DNA. The Phe61-to-Arg mutation was also correlated with decreased phage yield and aberrant regulation of viral protein synthesis in vivo.
Estimating the Value of Political Connections

While political connections have been widely discussed in the literature on corruption, little work has been done to assess the value of these connections. This paper uses the Jakarta Stock Exchange's reaction to news about former President Suharto's health to address this issue. By examining the difference in share price reactions of firms with varying degrees of political exposure, a market valuation of the proportion of a firm’s value derived from political connections is inferred. The implied value is very high, suggesting that as much as a quarter of a firm’s share price may be accounted for by political connections. (JEL D21, G14)
A layered framework supporting personal information integration and application design for the semantic desktop

With the development of inexpensive storage devices, space usage is no longer a bottleneck for computer users. However, the increasingly large amount of personal information poses a critical problem to those users: traditional file organization in hierarchical directories may not be suited to the effective management of personal information because it ignores the semantic associations therein and bears no connection with the applications that users will run. To address such limitations, we present our vision of a semantic desktop, which relies on the use of ontologies to annotate and organize data and on the concept of personal information application (PIA), which is associated with a user's task. The PIA designer is the tool that is provided for building a variety of PIAs consisting of views (e.g., text, list, table, graph), which are spatially arranged and display interrelated fragments of the overall personal information. The semantic organization of the data follows a layered architecture that models separately the personal information, the domain data, and the application data. The network of concepts that ensues from extensive annotation and explicit associations lends itself well to rich browsing capabilities and to the formulation of expressive database-like queries. These queries are also the basis for the interaction among views of the PIAs in the same desktop or in networked desktops. In the latter case, the concept of desktop service provides for a semantic platform for the integration of information across different desktops and the web. In this paper, we present in detail the semantic organization of the information, the overall system architecture and implementation aspects, queries and their processing, PIAs and the PIA designer, including usability studies on the designer, and the concepts of semantic navigation in a desktop and of interoperation in a network of desktops.
A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the OTS data

The Ocean Test Structure (OTS) data obtained by the Exxon Production Research Company were re-analyzed in terms of their sensitivity to disturbances imposed on the measured forces, velocities, and accelerations. It has been shown that part of the scatter in the said data may be explained in terms of these disturbances. Furthermore, a correlation has been sought between the force coefficients and the relative current velocity and it has been demonstrated that a reasonable correlation exists between the drag coefficient, relative current velocity, Keulegan-Carpenter number, and the ratio of the Reynolds number to the Keulegan-Carpenter number. The results have confirmed the fact that the drug coefficients obtained from tests in an ocean environment must be necessarily smaller than those obtained in a controlled laboratory environment.
Survival estimates for Royal Terns in southern California

Once the most abundant large tern in California, populations of Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus) are now greatly reduced statewide. However, these terns are still common in southern California where the population appears to be increasing. We estimated survival of this species, for which no robust estimate of survival is available, using mark-resighting data. Apparent survival of birds >3 yr of age was estimated to be ∼0.95; first-year survival was lower at 0.86. The lower survival estimate for first-year birds probably reflects increased mortality, but could also be a function of permanent emigration by individuals in this age class. The adult survival probability is the highest reported among terns and suggests that survival is playing an important role in the recovery of this tern population and that the current population growth is not solely due to immigration. Improvements in resighting protocols, marking technology, and mark-recapture methods are recommended to better use live resighting, dead recovery, and multistate data. SINOPSIS Thalasseus maximus, entre las gaviotas grandes, fue la mas abundante en California. Sin embargo, en la actualidad sus poblaciones se han reducido sustancialmente en todo el estado, aunque todavia son comunes en el sur de California, en donde la poblacion parece estar incrementando. Utilizando datos de reobservar aves marcadas, estimamos una sobrevivencia de 0.95 en gaviotas >3 anos y de 0.86 en aves de un ano. Este estimado probablemente refleje un incremento en la mortalidad de aves jovenes, pero tambien pudiera ser funcion de la emigracion permanente de este grupo de aves. La sobreviviencia de los adultos es la mas alta informada entre gaviotas y sigiere que la sobrevivencia tiene un rol muy importante en el recobro de las poblaciones de esta especie y que los aumentos locales no se deben unicamente a la inmigracion. Se recomienda el mejorar los protocolos para detectar animales marcados, la tecnologia para marcar aves, al igual que metodos de captura y recaptura para poder utilizar de forma mas eficiente las reobservaciones, recobro de aves muertas y los datos tomados en diferentes estados.
Greater hand-grip strength predicts a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over 10 years in leaner Japanese Americans.

Aims Much is known about body composition and type 2 diabetes risk but less about body function such as strength. We assessed whether hand-grip strength predicted incident diabetes.
H1 linker histone promotes epigenetic silencing by regulating both DNA methylation and histone H3 methylation

Epigenetic silencing in mammals involves DNA methylation and posttranslational modifications of core histones. Here we show that the H1 linker histone plays a key role in regulating both DNA methylation and histone H3 methylation at the H19 and Gtl2 loci in mouse ES cells. Some, but not all, murine H1 subtypes interact with DNA methyltransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3B. The interactions are direct and require a portion of the H1 C-terminal domain. Expression of an H1 subtype that interacts with DNMT1 and DNMT3B in ES cells leads to their recruitment and DNA methylation of the H19 and Gtl2 imprinting control regions. H1 also interferes with binding of the SET7/9 histone methyltransferase to the imprinting control regions, inhibiting production of an activating methylation mark on histone H3 lysine 4. H1-dependent recruitment of DNMT1 and DNMT3B and interference with the binding of SET7/9 also were observed with chromatin reconstituted in vitro. The data support a model in which H1 plays an active role in helping direct two processes that lead to the formation of epigenetic silencing marks. The data also provide evidence for functional differences among the H1 subtypes expressed in somatic mammalian cells.
Phosphatidic acid releases calcium from a platelet membrane fraction in vitro

A platelet membrane fraction which actively sequesters calcium in the presence of ATP was prepared and the influence of phosphatidic acid evaluated. At 10--60 micrograms/ml phosphatidic acid caused a concentration dependent release of calcium from the membrane fraction. The calcium was released from inside the vesicles, since release occurred in the presence of EGTA used to bind calcium outside the membrane vesicles. Aspirin failed to inhibit release of calcium by phosphatidic acid. Our results may explain, in part, the prostaglandin and thromboxane independent calcium release which occurs in response to certain aggregating agents. Thus, phosphatidic acid, or a metabolite, may have an important role intracellularly in platelets in promoting calcium movement.
Vaginal cavernous hemangioma in pregnancy.

Background: Cavernous hemangioma of the vagina during pregnancy is extremely rare. No cases have been reported in the literature over the past 3 decades. Case: A 32-year-old multipara presented at 37 weeks' gestation with a history of a vaginal mass growing rapidly over a 24-hour period. The vaginal outlet was obstructed by an infected and necrotic mass that was excised surgically. The patient was placed on bed rest and tocolytic therapy. She delivered vaginally at 40 weeks' gestation without complications. Conclusion: Surgical management of a vascular vaginal tumor is possible in pregnancy. Excessive operative blood loss and consumptive coagulopathy are potential complications associated with cavernous hemangiomas.
Soybean allergenicity and suppression of the immunodominant allergen

The wide-spread use of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] products in processed foods poses a potential threat to soybean-sensitive, food-allergic individuals. Clinical symptoms of soybean allergy can be manifested as gastric distress or atopic dermatitis and, while usually not life threatening, suspected cases of anaphylaxis have been reported. In vitro assays of soybean seed proteins with sera collected from soybean-sensitive individuals have shown that major storage proteins as well as other minor seed proteins account for IgE binding. Gly m Bd 30k, a member of the papain superfamily of cysteine proteases, also referred to as P34, has been identified as a major allergen in soybean seeds. We have used gene silencing to eliminate accumulation of P34/Gly m Bd 30k in transgenic soybean. These transgenic plants, producing P34/Gly m Bd 30k-null seeds, lacked any obvious developmental or phenotypic differences when compared with control plants. The production of a P34/Gly m Bd 30k-null line eliminates one of the primary allergens present in soybean seeds.
Solar models with enhanced energy transport in the core

The discrepancy between the observed and computed flux of solar neutrinos can be eliminated if the temperature gradient in the core of the model, and hence its central temperature, is reduced. This could in principle be accomplished by reducing the core opacity; alternatively, it has been proposed that a fraction of the energy transport in the solar core results from the motion of hypothetical particles (the so-called WIMPs). The resulting changes in solar structure have measurable effects on the frequencies of the solar 5-minute oscillations. Here, models are considered where the opacity in the solar core has been decreased in a manner which roughly simulates the effects of the WIMPs. The analysis of the models and their frequencies provides insight into the consequences of modifications to the physics of solar models. In particular, it is found that models with the observed neutrino flux are inconsistent with observations of low-degree solar oscillations.
A comparative study of the regional distribution and structural attachment of cerebral glutamine synthetase

Des differences specifiques de localisation regionale et d'attachement aux structures microsomiales de la glutamine-synthetase cerebrale sont decrites. L'administration intraventriculaire de doses non-convulsivantes de NaCl provoque chez le chat des modifications dans la fixation particulaire de l'enzyme aux structures corticales.
Marketing Museums: An Empirical Investigation Among Museum Visitors

ABSTRACT This study of museum visitors was conducted in 24 Historical and Museum sites in Pennsylvania. The study was designed to discover service quality, and the needs, wants, interest and satisfaction level of all visitors so that the 24 museum sites around the state of Pennsylvania can serve the public at a higher level. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to gather information. A reasonable number of visitors were selected using systematic and random selection procedures. According to this sampling method, every visitor would have a chance to be in the sample for perfect representation of visitor population. A total of 2,025 visitors were included in the sample, and 1,932 of them successfully completed the interviews. Findings indicated that museum visitors of Pennsylvania were highly satisfied with collections and exhibits, labels, educational and entertainment values of exhibits, audio-visual facilities, admission prices, parking, seating and restroom facilities, and directional signs. Rati...
Multi-spectral Image Analysis using Neural Network Algorithm for Inspection of Poultry Carcasses☆

Abstract A multi-spectral imaging technique was implemented in an on-line inspection system for the separation of wholesome and unwholesome chicken carcasses. A multi-spectral imaging system provided image information of the carcasses in the spectral and the frequency domains. The system acquires spectral images from the chicken on a moving shackle in real-time and processes these spectral data for classification. The spectral images of 540 and 700 nm wavelengths were useful for separating unwholesome carcasses having characteristics such as ascites, air sacculitis, bruise, cadaver, leukosis, septicemia and tumor from the wholesome carcasses based on spectral image pixel intensity and the intensity distribution of Fourier power spectra. The mean intensity of the wholesome carcasses scanned at 540 nm wavelength was higher ( P ⩽0·01) than the intensity of unwholesome carcasses. On the other hand, when Fourier spectrum pixel intensity at 700 nm wavelength was used, the intensity of wholesome carcasses was much lower ( P ⩽0·01) than unwholesome carcasses. The accuracies of neural classifiers were 100% for calibration and 93·3% for validation when combined spectral image pixel intensities of 540 and 700 nm wavelengths were used as inputs. The accuracies were 93·4% for calibration and 90% for validation when fast Fourier transforms of image intensity data of 700 nm wavelength were used as inputs for a neural network model.
Infrared Absorption of Cyanogen in the Cesium Iodide Region and CN Bond Moment

A spectrometer with cesium iodide optics has been built, and used to measure the ν5 bands of the normal and C13‐enriched cyanogen. By the use of molecular data, the thermodynamic functions of cyanogen were calculated. The bending frequencies and normal modes were calculated by a normal coordinate treatment. The absolute intensity of the ν5 band was measured and the derivative of dipole moment with respect to the symmetry coordinate was determined. On the assumption of independent rigid bond model the effective CN bond moment was calculated to be 1.2D.
The Treatment of Obesity: A Call for Prudence and Professionalism

A Few YEARS ago a commentary appeared inJAMAtitled, "Futility and Avoidance: Medical Professionals in the Treatment of Obesity."1In this essay, Frank appealed for respect and understanding for the obese patient as well as for those practitioners who choose to treat obesity as a serious chronic disease. Futility and avoidance pertained to the long-held attitudes of some physicians regarding obesity treatment. In his call to arms, Frank challenged the medical establishment to take obesity seriously. As a physician nutritionist who specializes in the treatment of obesity, I applauded Frank's remarks. In fact, his commentary has been mandatory reading for internal medicine residents rotating through the Nutrition and Weight Management Clinic at the University of Chicago in Illinois, as well as for our sophomore medical students during a required course in clinical nutrition. Progress achieved during the past 3 years in obesity research and treatment has served to
Symptomatic Bradyarrhythmias in the Adult: Natural History Following Ventricular Pacemaker Implantation

The preimplantation arrhythmias, coexistent medical conditions, the causes of death, and survival course are described for 399 patients who received their initial ventricular pacemaker implantation for a bradyarrhythmia (AV block, sinus node disease, and hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome) at the University of Michigan from 1961 to 1979. Factors which correlated with a poor survival are elucidated. Survival for those with sinus node disease was virtually identical to those with AV block, with only 63% surviving over five years. Advanced age and congestive heart failure prior to implantation, and underlying ischemic or hypertensive heart disease portended a poorer survival in both groups. Patients with hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome had a distinctly better prognosis—no deaths occurred until the eighth year after pacing. Patients with no underlying heart disease and those with valvular disease did remarkably better than those with an ischemic or myopathic etiology. Apparent progression or complications of the underlying heart disease was the major cause of mortality. Sudden death, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and major arrhythmias were the causes of death in 48% of those who died. Implications of improved pacing modalities an late complications and death are discussed. (PACE, Vol. 5, May-June, 1982)
Critical care series.

Advancement in health care technology and new drugs continue to impact the complexity of patient care provided in the intensive care unit (ICU). As with all patient care directives, optimizing rational therapy while preventing errors and adverse events remains premier. In addition, ICU practices represent a significant proportion of hospital costs and utilization of resources. In a recent retrospective analysis, ICU drug use accounted for more than one-third (38.4%) of total hospital drug costs, with pharmacy charges ranking as the fourth most costly ICU charges1 Because health care costs are not measured in dollars alone, several studies have also demonstrated the impact of adverse events and medication errors in the ICU setting.2–6 It has been well documented that factors associated with the care of critically ill patients increase the risk of adverse events including, but not limited to, significant polypharmacy with high-risk agents, acute changes in organ function that impact pharmacotherapy, dynamic comorbidities, severe illnesses, and lengthy hospital stays. Thus, the exploration of methods to provide safe and effective care in the ICU environment while maximizing health care resources has led to several studies evaluating patient outcomes, best-evidence practice models, and medication safety practices. One effective model is the team approach; multidisciplinary patient care in the ICU has been associated with improved outcomes and reductions in costs and adverse events.7–9 The role of the critical care pharmacist as a part of this team has been linked to enhanced patient outcomes and prevention of significant medications errors.9 As all aspects of health care, and in particular critical care, are a dynamic process, I am pleased to announce that a new series will be regularly published in Hospital Pharmacy regarding the importance of developing, implementing, and maintaining effective and safe critical care practices. This series, coordinated by Drs. Sandra Kane-Gill and Zachariah Thomas, will provide a practical and thoughtful approach to several aspects of care for the critically ill adult patient in the ICU setting. The first article, included in this issue of Hospital Pharmacy, reports on adherence rates with national guideline recommendations regarding vitamin K use in the reversal of significant warfarin-related bleeding events. Additional articles in this series will contribute to the overall mission to examine the impact of pharmacologic interventions and practice model design on the treatment of the critically ill patient. Recent advances in drug therapy (including evolving and controversial data) for adult ICU patients will be reviewed and assessed in terms of clinical, humanistic, and economic outcomes. In addition, this series can serve as a provocative educational tool for prompting discussion in pharmacy health systems. I commend the individuals involved in the creation of this series and look forward to the growth in discussion regarding these issues.
A physically-based framework for real-time haptic cutting and interaction with 3D continuum models

General haptic interaction with solid models requires an underlying physically-based model that can generate, in real-time, the forces and deformations to be rendered as a result of user interaction. In order to allow for a rich set of interactions, the physical model must support real-time topological modifications including the embedding of new elements in the model, and the introduction of cuts in the geometry. In this paper, we describe and demonstrate a physically-based framework for real-time interaction with 3D solid models discretized by finite elements. We present a model formulation that allows for fast progressive updates to be used in modeling the addition of new elements as well as dynamic inter- and intra-element changes in model connectivity. Our motivating applications have been in the area of open suturing simulations where cutting through skin and tissue, undermining skin to separate it from the underlying soft tissue, addition of sutures to close wounds, and manipulation using multiple surgical instruments simultaneously, are all tasks that must be supported. We show a new surgical simulator we recently developed to demonstrate the framework.
Omental Transposition to the Brain for Alzheimer's Disease

: Omental transposition (OT) to revascularize the brain was first performed in animals in the late 1960s, where it was shown that blood vessels originating from the omentum crossed through the omental-cerebral interface prior to developing into large-sized vessels that penetrated directly and deeply into the underlying brain. The additional cerebral blood flow coming from the omentum was of sufficient volume to protect an animal's brain from cerebral infarction even in the presence of middle cerebral artery ligation. It was also learned that the omentum was a rich source for neurotransmitters and omentum-derived nerve growth substance. OT to the brain is now being done for a variety of conditions which include strokes, TIAs, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. Of recent interest is the published information that OT may play some role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The placement of the omentum on an AD brain has led to a profound decrease in senile plaque formation. The omentum may ultimately prove to be beneficial in reversing or at least stabilizing the dementia associated with the devastation of AD.
A quantitative methodology to assess the risks to human health from CO2 leakage into groundwater

Leakage of CO2 and associated gases into overlying aquifers as a result of geologic carbon capture and sequestration may have adverse impacts on aquifer drinking-water quality. Gas or aqueous-phase leakage may occur due to transport via faults and fractures, through faulty well bores, or through leaky confining materials. Contaminants of concern include aqueous salts and dissolved solids, gaseous or aqueous-phase organic contaminants, and acidic gas or aqueous-phase fluids that can liberate metals from aquifer minerals. Here we present a quantitative risk assessment framework to predict potential human health risk from CO2 leakage into drinking water aquifers. This framework incorporates the potential release of CO2 into the drinking water aquifer; mobilization of metals due to a decrease in pH; transport of these metals down gradient to municipal receptors; distributions of contaminated groundwater to multiple households; and exposure and health risk to individuals using this water for household purposes. Additionally, this framework is stochastic, incorporates detailed variations in geological and geostatistical parameters and discriminates between uncertain and variable parameters using a two-stage, or nested, Monte Carlo approach. This approach is demonstrated using example simulations with hypothetical, yet realistic, aquifer characteristics and leakage scenarios. These example simulations show a greater risk for arsenic than for lead for both cancer and non-cancer endpoints, an unexpected finding. Higher background groundwater gradients also yield higher risk. The overall risk and the associated uncertainty are sensitive to the extent of aquifer stratification and the degree of local-scale dispersion. These results all highlight the importance of hydrologic modeling in risk assessment. A linear relationship between carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risk was found for arsenic and suggests action levels for carcinogenic risk will be exceeded in exposure situations before noncarcinogenic action levels, a reflection of the ratio of cancer and non-cancer toxicity values. Finally, implications for ranking aquifer vulnerability due to geologic configuration, aquifer mineralogy, and leakage scenarios are discussed.
THE EXTREMELY ANOMALOUS MOLECULAR ABUNDANCES OF COMET 96P/MACHHOLZ 1 FROM NARROWBAND PHOTOMETRY

Narrowband-filter photometry of Comet 96P/Machholz 1 was obtained at Lowell Observatory during the comet's 2007 apparition. Production rates of OH, CN, C2, C3, and NH were derived from these data sets, and the quantity A(θ)fρ—a proxy measure of the dust production—was also calculated. Relative abundances, expressed as ratios of production rates with respect to OH (a measure of the water abundance), were compared to those measured in other comets. Comet Machholz 1 is shown to be depleted of CN by about a factor of 72 from average, while C2 and C3 are also low, but "only" by factors of 8 and 19, respectively, from "typical" composition (based on an update to the classifications by A'Hearn et al.). In contrast, NH is near the mid-to-upper end of its normal range. This extremely low CN-to-OH ratio for Machholz 1 indicates that it is either compositionally associated with Comet Yanaka (1988r; 1988 Y1), which was strongly depleted in CN and C2, but not NH2, or represents a new compositional class of comets, since Yanaka had a much greater depletion of C2 (>100×) than did Machholz 1 (8×). Evidence strongly suggests that the extremely anomalous compositions of these two comets are primordial rather than from recent thermal processing. It remains unclear whether these comets formed at a location in our solar system with unusual conditions and a low probability of being gravitationally perturbed into the inner solar system, or if one or both objects are interstellar interlopers.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF CONFLICT: A FIELD ASSESSMENT

Research relying on laboratory protocol and case studies has demonstrated positive effects from cognitive conflict and controversy. Reported benefits have included better judgments, improved strategic decisions and a better understanding of others' positions. This study develops and assesses the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to examine decision conflict in field settings. This instrument was administered on site to 63 managers. Factors identified in the instrument were disagreement, openness, and control. Interestingly, the openness dimension was positively associated with job commitment. The control factor was inversely associated with job satisfaction.
Neocortical Evolution: Neuronal Circuits Arise Independently of Lamination

Summary The evolutionary origin of the six-layered mammalian neocortex has been controversial. New data on genes with layer-specific expression in mammalian cortex have found an expression pattern in avian forebrain neurons consistent with the view that ‘cortical' cells and circuits are present in all amniotes, but with different macroarchitectures in birds versus mammals.
Onboard learning-based fuel consumption optimization in series hybrid electric vehicles

This paper considers an on-line approach to reducing engine fuel consumption in a series hybrid electric vehicle operated under power smoothing strategy, in which the generator power is slowly varying. An optimization algorithm adjusts the engine speed set-point (and other engine actuator settings as appropriate) on-line, as the vehicle is driven. The actual generator power is estimated, and the battery power output is adjusted to ensure that the wheel power and the drivability are unaffected. With this approach, operating points on the optimal operating line (OOL) can be learned during vehicle driving thus compensating for the effects of the engine aging and variability while reducing upfront calibration time and effort. In the paper, the control approach is defined and an optimization algorithm is examined. Simulation results are reported.
Minority Participation in a School-Based Randomized Clinical Trial of Tooth Decay Prevention in the United States

Abstract Purpose To describe the strategies—based on the social triad concept of a partnership of researchers, school personnel and community—employed to recruit low-income, minority parent/caregivers of kindergarten children into a school-based tooth decay prevention trial in the United States. Methods The study site was an urban school district with five elementary schools. Recruitment was carried out once each year for three years. Recruitment involved strategies at the school district, school, classroom, and student–parent level. A coalition of researchers, school personnel and community individuals was established for communication and recruitment. Outreach workers from the community were hired to promote, recruit, and disseminate oral health information. Study promotion included both print materials (logos, flyers, pictorial story boards) and presentations at school and community events. Results The School District Superintendent and administrators approved the study, and all five school principals and kindergarten teachers participated. All children within the classrooms were eligible: the overall participation rate of was 86% (580/672). Community outreach workers actively facilitated the recruitment and participants were recruited at open house for parent–teacher meeting (37% of all participants), sending letters and consent forms home (31%), at a prearranged convenient time during drop off and pick up of the child at their respective schools (30%), curriculum nights and health fairs (2%). Conclusion Utilizing the social triad concept led to success in planning and carrying out the recruitment of predominantly minority school children with high participation rates.
Effective elastoplastic behavior of metal matrix composites containing randomly located aligned spheroidal inhomogeneities. Part I: micromechanics-based formulation

Abstract Based on the framework of Ju and Chen (Ju, J.W., Chen, T.M., 1994. J. Engng. Mater. Tech. ASME 116, 310–318) and Ju and Tseng (Ju, J.W., Tseng, K.H., 1996. Int. J. Solids Struct. 33, 4267–4291; Ju, J.W., Tseng, K.H., 1997. J. Engng. ASCE 123, 260–266), we study the effective elastoplastic behavior of two-phase metal matrix composites (MMCs) containing randomly located yet unidirectionally aligned spheroidal inhomogeneities. Specifically, the particle phase is assumed to be linearly elastic and the matrix phase is elastoplastic. The ensemble-volume averaging procedure is employed to micromechanically derive the effective yield function of MMCs based on the probabilistic spatial distribution of aligned spheroidal particles and the particle-matrix influences. The transversely isotropic effective elasticity tensor is explicitly derived. Further, the associative plastic flow rule and the isotropic hardening law are postulated according to the continuum plasticity. As a result, we can characterize the overall elastoplastic stress–strain responses of aligned spheroid-reinforced MMCs under three-dimensional loading and unloading histories. The overall elastoplastic continuum tangent tensor of MMCs is also explicitly presented.
Combining object-based texture measures with a neural network for vegetation mapping in the Everglades from hyperspectral imagery

article i nfo An informative and accurate vegetation map for the Greater Everglades of South Florida is in an urgent need to assist with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), a $10.5-billion mission to restore the south Florida ecosystem in 30+ years. In this study, we examined the capability of fine spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery collected from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) for vegeta- tion mapping in the Everglades. In order to obtain an efficient and accurate procedure for vegetation discrim- ination, we developed a neural network classifier first and then combined the object-based texture measures with the classifier to examine the contribution of the spatial information for vegetation mapping. The neural network is capable of modeling the characteristics of multiple spectral and spatial signatures within a class by an internally unsupervised engine and characterizing spectral and spatial differences between classes by an externally supervised system. The designed procedure was tested in a portion of the Everglades. An object- based vegetation map was generated with an overall classification accuracy averaged 94% and a kappa value averaged 0.94 in discriminating 15 classes. The results are significantly better than those obtained from conventional classifiers such as maximum likelihood and spectral angle mapper. The study illustrates that combining object-based texture measures in the neural network classifier can significantly improve the classification. It is concluded that fine spatial resolution hyperspectral data is an effective solution to ac- curate vegetation mapping in the Everglades which has a rich plant community with a high degree of spatial and spectral heterogeneity.
An Ontological Approach to Manufacturing Supplier Discovery in Virtual Markets

Manufacturing supply chains are increasingly becoming global, virtual and short-lived in order to improve their agility and dynamic adaptability to rapid changes in today’s volatile market. In this context, online marketplaces for manufacturing services have become attractive venues for rapid development of supply chain relationships. Despite their numerous benefits, the existing online markets have failed in adequately automating the supply chain deployment process. Heavy reliance of the existing online markets on human agents for formulating supplier queries and evaluating the obtained results can be mainly attributed to the informal nature of the information models used in these markets. To enable active involvement of machine agents in supply chain deployment, the underlying information models that support online markets should represent the semantics of information in a formal and machine-interpretable fashion. This paper introduces Manufacturing Service Description Language (MSDL) as a formal ontology for description of suppliers’ capability at different levels of abstraction including process-level, machine-level, and system level. Also, an agent-based framework is proposed in this paper that facilitates automated discovery and evaluation of potential manufacturing partners based on the MSDL description of the services they provide.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis—Differential mechanisms of regulation by curcumin, EGCG and apigenin

We have proposed that it is important to examine the impact of chemopreventive agents on the function of normal human epidermal keratinocytes since these cells comprise the barrier that protects the body from a range of environmental insults. In this context, it is widely appreciated that cancer may be retarded by consumption or topical application of naturally occurring food-derived chemopreventive agents. Our studies show that (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea-derived polyphenol, acts to enhance the differentiation of normal human keratinocytes as evidenced by its ability to increase involucrin (hINV), transglutaminase type 1 (TG1) and caspase-14 gene expression. EGCG also stimulates keratinocyte morphological differentiation. These actions of EGCG are mediated via activation of a nPKC, Ras, MEKK1, MEK3, p38delta-ERK1/2 signaling cascade which leads to increased activator protein 1 (AP1) and CAATT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factor expression, increased binding of these factors to DNA, and increased gene transcription. In contrast, apigenin, a dietary flavonoid derived from plants and vegetables, and curcumin, an agent derived from turmeric, inhibit differentiation by suppressing MAPK signal transduction and reducing API transcription factor level. Curcumin also acts to enhance apoptosis, although EGCG and apigenin do not stimulate apoptosis. In addition, all of these agents inhibit keratinocyte proliferation. These findings indicate that each of these diet-derived chemopreventive agents has a profound impact on normal human keratinocyte function and that they operate via distinct and sometimes opposing mechanisms. However, all are expected to act as chemopreventive agents.
Quantifying allosteric effects in proteins.

In allosteric regulation, protein activity is altered when ligand binding causes changes in the protein conformational distribution. Little is known about which aspects of protein design lead to effective allosteric regulation, however. To increase understanding of the relation between protein structure and allosteric effects, we have developed theoretical tools to quantify the influence of protein–ligand interactions on probability distributions of reaction rates and protein conformations. We define the rate divergence, k, and the allosteric potential, x, as the Kullback–Leibler divergence between either the reaction-rate distributions or protein conformational distributions with and without the ligand bound. We then define Dx as the change in the conformational distribution of the combined protein/ligand system, derive Dx in the harmonic approximation, and identify contributions from 3 separate terms: the first term, D, results from changes in the eigenvalue spectrum; the second term, D, results from changes in the mean conformation; and the third term, D, corresponds to changes in the eigenvectors. Using normal modes analysis, we have calculated these terms for a natural interaction between lysozyme and the ligand tri-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and compared them with calculations for a large number of simulated random interactions. The comparison shows that interactions in the known binding-site are associated with large values of D. The results motivate using allosteric potential calculations to predict functional binding sites on proteins, and suggest the possibility that, in Nature, effective ligand interactions occur at intrinsic control points at which binding induces a relatively large change in the protein conformational distribution. Proteins 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Expression of α1, α5, and γ2 GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs measuredIn Situ in rat hippocampus and cortex following chronic flurazepam administration

Prolonged benzodiazepine treatment of rats results in anticonvulsant tolerance in vivo. Studies of in vitro hippocampal slices following 1 wk flurazepam administration show reduced GABA-mediated inhibition in the CA1 region, and a decrease in GABAA agonist and benzodiazepine potency to inhibit CA1 pyramidal cell-evoked responses. To investigate the molecular basis of benzodiazepine tolerance in the hippocampus,in situ hybridization techniques were used to evaluate the expression of the mRNAs for the α1, α5, and γ2 subunits of the GABAA receptor in the hippocampal formation and frontal cortex of chronic flurazepam-treated rats. A discretely localized decrease in α1, but not α5 or γ2 mRNA expression was found in the CA1 region (35–40%) and in layers II–III and IV of cortex (50–60%) 2 d after cessation of flurazepam treatment. The decrease in the expression of α1 subunit mRNA in cortex is similar to that reported following other chronic benzodiazepine treatment regimens. This is the first report of a reduction in α1 subunit mRNA expression in the hippocampal formation.
Identification, genomic organization and mRNA expression of CRELD1, the founding member of a unique family of matricellular proteins.

Abstract We have isolated and characterized a unique gene that encodes a highly conserved membrane bound extracellular protein that defines a new epidermal growth factor-related gene family. The CRELD1 ( C ysteine- R ich with E GF-Like D omains 1) gene (previously known as cirrin) was cloned from a human chromosome 3 BAC. Mapping of the gene confirmed its position at chromosome 3p25.3. The gene is ubiquitously expressed in early development and later becomes more markedly expressed in the developing heart, limb buds, mandible and central nervous system. Expression persists in adulthood in most tissues. Sequence analysis suggests that this is a cell adhesion protein. The mouse orthologue was cloned and mapped to the syntenic region of mouse chromosome 6. Orthologues or homologues have also been identified for cow, Chinese hamster, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. The CRELD1 gene is deleted in the human cytogenetic disorder 3p− syndrome and is in the region of loss of heterozygosity for several types of cancer. A potential role for this protein in these disorders is discussed.
Isotopic identification of energetic heavy nuclei using dEdx vs total energy in a high pressure gas ionization detector

Abstract We have developed a high pressure (3–10 atm) segmented-anode gas ionization chamber and have investigated the capabilities of this type of instrument for identifying energetic heavy nuclei. For individual nuclei which stop in the active volume of the detector, we use one or more measurements of the particle's energy loss ( ΔE ) and its residual energy ( E ′) to derive its charge and mass. Experiments using accelerator beams have yielded unambiguous charge identification over the range of elements studied (up to Z = 26), and mass resolutions from σ M ⋍ 0.08 amu (Z = 6) to σ M ⋍ 0.35 amu (Z = 26) . The energy loss measurements provided by the segmented anode are supplemented by two-dimensional measurements of particle track coordinates made using a combination of drift time and charge division in a set of single-wire proportional counters. These tracking detectors provide a position resolution ≲ 0.6 mm for each coordinate, and make possible the path length corrections needed to study isotropic particle distributions such as those encountered in the cosmic radiation.
HCI4D: hci challenges in the global south

While researchers have designed user-centered systems for the Global South, fewer have discussed the unique challenges facing HCI projects. In this paper, we describe methodological and practical challenges for HCI research and practice in the Global South.
Consequences of not "knowing the patient".

"Knowing the patient" is an emerging concept in nursing that appears to be a central aspect of practice. "Knowing the patient" encompasses the complex process whereby the nurse acquires understanding of a specific patient as a unique individual, which subsequently enhances clinical decision-making, selection of optimal nursing interventions, and patient outcomes. Despite these heralded benefits, "knowing the patient" is severely undervalued in contemporary health care. Organizational arrangements, economic restraints, and efficiency of healthcare systems currently are of top priority. The potential effect on nursing practice is disconcerting; the effect on the discipline and the patient potentially devastating. This article explores the specific bureaucratic obstacles that impinge on "knowing the patient" within the context of nursing practice. It is hoped that illumination of the issues will beget viable alternative solutions, facilitating the transformation of awareness into action.
The Absorption of Gamma-Radiation in Copper and Lead

The absorption coefficients for the gamma-rays emitted by certain activated elements have been accurately measured in copper and lead. The energies of the gamma-rays used, have all been determined by use of the beta-ray spectrometer. These gamma-rays are as follows: 1.14 Mev from zinc 65, 1.30 Mev from cobalt 60, and 1.38-2.85 Mev from sodium 24. The absorption coefficients for zinc and cobalt are in close agreement with the calculated values of Heitler. For the high energy component of the sodium radiation, values of 0.285 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and 0.405 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ were obtained for the absorption coefficients in copper and lead, respectively. These values are more than ten percent less than the Heitler values. Since absorption in copper at this energy is due almost entirely to Compton scattering it is indicated that the Klein-Nishina formula is not completely valid.