cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-cost microelectrode array with integrated heater for extracellular recording of cardiomyocyte cultures using commercial flexible printed circuit technology

Abstract This article reports the use of commercial, flexible printed circuit technology for the fabrication of low-cost microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for recording extracellular electrical signals from cardiomyocyte cultures. A 36-electrode array has been designed and manufactured using standard, two-layer, polyimide-based flexible circuit technology, with electrode diameters of 75 and 100 μm. Copper structures defined on the backside of the array have been used for low-power thermal regulation of the culture. Electrical characterization of the gold-plated electrodes showed impedances below 250 kΩ at 1 kHz. Functional testing was conducted using HL-1 cardiac myocytes. The arrays proved biocompatible, and supported the formation of functional syncytia, as demonstrated by electrical recordings of depolarization waves across the array. A comparison with conventional, glass-based MEAs is presented, which reveals differences in signal strength (smaller for larger electrode) and variability (less for larger electrodes), but no effect of the substrate types on culture parameters such as beat rate or conduction velocity. The performance of the on-chip heating was evaluated, with typical temperature settling times (to ±0.1 °C) below 10 s, for a power consumption around 1 W (at 37 °C). Accuracy and stability are discussed. HL-1 cell responses to various temperature profiles enabled by the on-chip heating are presented, showing a remarkable correlation between temperature and beat rate.
Profilin Is Essential for Tip Growth in the Moss Physcomitrella patens

The actin cytoskeleton is critical for tip growth in plants. Profilin is the main monomer actin binding protein in plant cells. The moss Physcomitrella patens has three profilin genes, which are monophyletic, suggesting a single ancestor for plant profilins. Here, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to determine the loss-of-function phenotype of profilin. Reduction of profilin leads to a complete loss of tip growth and a partial inhibition of cell division, resulting in plants with small rounded cells and fewer cells. We silenced all profilins by targeting their 3′ untranslated region sequences, enabling complementation analyses by expression of profilin coding sequences. We show that any moss or a lily (Lilium longiflorum) profilin support tip growth. Profilin with a mutation in its actin binding site is unable to rescue profilin RNAi, while a mutation in the poly-l-proline binding site weakly rescues. We show that moss tip growing cells contain a prominent subapical cortical F-actin structure composed of parallel actin cables. Cells lacking profilin lose this structure; instead, their F-actin is disorganized and forms polarized cortical patches. Plants expressing the actin and poly-l-proline binding mutants exhibited similar F-actin disorganization. These results demonstrate that profilin and its binding to actin are essential for tip growth. Additionally, profilin is not needed for formation of F-actin, but profilin and its interactions with actin and poly-l-proline ligands are required to properly organize F-actin.
High-gain In0.53Ga0.47As:Fe photoconductive detectors

Photoconductive detectors were fabricated on semi-insulating liquid phase epitaxial In0.53Ga0.47As/InP doped with Fe for the first time. Their performance characteristics have been compared with identical devices made from Zn-doped p-In0.53Ga0.47As/InP. Internal optical gains up to 10 were measured in the Fe-doped devices. The bias and intensity-dependent gain characteristics of these devices are discussed.
Resistance and Structure of Spores of Bacillus subtilis

Spores of Bacillus subtilis NCDO 2130 were produced on five different media and their structure and resistance to chemicals, to heat and to ultraviolet (uv) irradiation compared. Resistance to one chemical was not necessarily related to resistance to another, to uv irradiation or to heat. Spores with the smallest protoplasts and largest cortices were most resistant to heat, while the least resistant were those in which the protoplasts became electron dense after staining and which had the lowest concentrations of calcium and dipicolinic acid.
User interface of a document-processing reader for the blind

After describing the problems that blind users face in accessing conventional printed documents, we give an overview of a document-processing reader for OS/2. The discussion concerns mainly the user interface of the system, since GUIs present serious problems for blind users. Instead of icons and a mouse, the system interface is built around voice menus and a numeric keypad. A structured file is also created to allow users to read a text quickly after the scanning and character recognition is complete.
A Depth-averaged 2-D Analysis of Fish Habitat Suitability Impacted by Vegetation and Sediment

Two-dimensional habitat modeling is becoming more and more necessary because the eco-hydraulic information in longitudinal and lateral dimensions in rivers and wetlands is essential for habitat evaluation, especially in habitat restoration projects. A general habitat module based on the FVM-based CCHE2D model has been developed to reproduce and quantify the complex characteristics of flow in a river reach for better assessment of habitat. The established model has been applied to study the effect of large wood structures on fish habitat in the Little Topashaw Creek and the effect of sediment transport on fish habitat in a reach in the Mississippi River. Generally, the change of bed topography due to the addition of large wood structures can redistribute the water depth and flow velocity, which influence the distribution of habitat area. The usable habitat area is underestimated if vegetation is not considered, while it may be overestimated if sediment transport is not considered.
Role of DNA polymerase η in the bypass of abasic sites in yeast cells

Abasic (AP) sites are major DNA lesions and are highly mutagenic. AP site-induced mutagenesis largely depends on translesion synthesis. We have examined the role of DNA polymerase eta (Poleta) in translesion synthesis of AP sites by replicating a plasmid containing a site-specific AP site in yeast cells. In wild-type cells, AP site bypass resulted in preferred C insertion (62%) over A insertion (21%), as well as -1 deletion (3%), and complex event (14%) containing multiple mutations. In cells lacking Poleta (rad30), Rev1, Polzeta (rev3), and both Poleta and Polzeta, translesion synthesis was reduced to 30%, 30%, 15% and 3% of the wild-type level, respectively. C insertion opposite the AP site was reduced in rad30 mutant cells and was abolished in cells lacking Rev1 or Polzeta, but significant A insertion was still detected in these mutant cells. While purified yeast Polalpha effectively inserted an A opposite the AP site in vitro, purified yeast Poldelta was much less effective in A insertion opposite the lesion due to its 3'-->5' proofreading exonuclease activity. Purified yeast Poleta performed extension synthesis from the primer 3' A opposite the lesion. These results show that Poleta is involved in translesion synthesis of AP sites in yeast cells, and suggest that an important role of Poleta is to catalyze extension following A insertion opposite the lesion. Consistent with these conclusions, rad30 mutant cells were sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), and rev1 rad30 or rev3 rad30 double mutant cells were synergistically more sensitive to MMS than the respective single mutant strains.
Establishing a Continuum from Minimizing to Maximizing Bureaucrats: State Agency Head Preferences for Governmental Expansion—A Typology of Administrator Growth Postures, 1964–98

Scholars have long suspected the blanket description of bureaucrats as “budget maximizers” is simplistic and inaccurate. This article provides empirical grounds for questioning that description and enhances our understanding of bureaucratic fiscal preferences. Bureaucratic preferences for expansion are distributed along a continuum. A typology of agency heads' expansion preferences is developed and related to Downs's typology of bureaucrats. Data from eight surveys of state agency heads (1964–98) enable us to trace administrators' preferences for expansion over four decades. These preferences vary substantially in any single survey year and reflect trends across these years. Notably, a substantial proportion of agency heads opted for no expansion in their own agency's programs and expenditures or in the state's overall budget. This typology challenges conventional conceptions of bureaucrats' maximizing preferences, advances alternative interpretations about budget minimizing, and fills an important gap in budget and bureaucracy theory.
Taguchi Smaller-the-Best Software Quality Metrics

Abstract---Taguchi-based software metrics (numerical software measurements) define software quality in terms of "loss imparted to society" after a software product is delivered to the end user. Previous work has focused on nominal-the-best and larger-the-best loss functions for estimating the loss to society. This paper focuses on the smaller-the-best loss function for estimating the loss to society. The smaller-the-best loss function is for a property whose value should be as small as possible. It is shown that the smaller-the-best loss function can be obtained from the nominal-the-best loss function by substituting zero for t, the target value in the nominal-the-best loss function. This derivation is illustrated and a case study utilizing the derivation is presented. Taguchi-based metrics are in line with six-sigma statistical quality control techniques that have been used with software products for several years. Experiences with Taguchi-based metrics have shown good correlation with existing popularly known software quality metrics.
Systematic sampling of discrete and continuous populations: sample selection and the choice of estimator

Systematic sampling is easy, efficient, and widely used, though it is not generally recognized that a systematic sample may be drawn from the population of interest with or without restrictions on randomization. The restrictions or the lack of them determine which estimators are unbiased, when using the sampling design as the basis for inference. We de­ scribe the selection of a systematic sample, with and without restriction, from populations of discrete elements and from linear and areal continuums (continuous populations). We also provide unbiased estimators for both restricted and unre­ stricted selection. When the population size is known at the outset, systematic sampling with unrestricted selection is most likely the best choice. Restricted selection affords estimation of attribute totals for a population when the population size - for example, the area of an areal continuum - is unknown. Ratio estimation, however, is most likely a more pre­ cise option when the selection is restricted and the population size becomes known at the end of the sampling. There is no difference between restricted and unrestricted selection if the sampling interval or grid tessellates the frame in such a way that all samples contain an equal number of measurements. Moreover, all the estimators are unbiased and identical in this situation. Resume: L'echantillonnage systematique est simple, efficace et largement utilise, bien qu'Il ne soit pas communement ac­ cepte qu'on puisse prelever un echantillon systematique dans la population visee avec ou sans contraintes sur le caractere aleatoire de l'echantillonnage. La presence ou l'absence de contraintes determine quels estimateurs sont non biaises lorsqu'on utilise le plan dechantillonnage comme base pour faire de I'inference statistique. Nous decrivons la selection d'un echantillonnage systematique avec et sans contraintes a partir de populations delements discrets et a partir de contin­ uums lineaire et areal (populations continues). Nous fournissons egalement des estimateurs non biaises it la fois pour une selection avec ou sans contraintes, Lorsque la taille de la population est connue au depart, l'echantillonnage systematique par selection sans contraintes est tres probablement le meilleur choix. La selection avec contraintes permet d'estimer les totaux des attributs pour une population lorsque la taille de la population est inconnue (par exemple l'aire d'un continuum areal). Cependant, I'estimation par ratio est fort probablement une option plus precise lorsque Ie choix est soumis a des contraintes et que la taille de la population devient connue a la fin de I'echantillonnage. II n'y a pas de difference entre la selection avec contraintes et la selection sans contraintes si l'intervalle d'echanrillonnage et la grille du damier sont tels que tous les echantillons contiennent un nombre egal de mesures. En outre, tous les estirnateurs sont identiques et sans biais dans cette situation. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Optical Counterpart of the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source IC 342 X-1

We present Chandra and HST observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) IC 342 X-1. The Chandra and HST images are aligned using two X-ray-emitting foreground stars. The astrometry-corrected position for X-1 is -->R .A . = 03h45m55.61s, -->decl . = + 68°04'55.3'' (J2000.0), with an error circle of 0.2 -->''. One extended optical source is found in the error circle, which could be the optical counterpart of X-1. The source shows an extended feature in HST images at long wavelengths, which is likely to be a superposition of two point sources, although it is possible that the dimmer one could be a jet. Both sources are much redder than typical for ULX optical counterparts. The brighter one has an absolute magnitude -->MV = − 5.2 ± 0.2 and -->(B − V)0 = 0.66 ± 0.13, and the dimmer star is not detected in B and has -->(B − V)0 > 2.1. Their colors are consistent with an F8-G0 Ib supergiant or a carbon star, respectively. However, it is likely that part or most of the optical emission may be due to X-rays reprocessed by the companion star or the accretion disk. The stellar neighborhood of IC 342 X-1 lacks O stars and has a minimum age of ~10 Myr. This excludes the possibility that the surrounding nebula is powered by an energetic explosion of a single massive star that formed a black hole. We suggest that the nebula is most likely powered by an outflow from the X-ray source.
Antibiotic Utilization and Outcomes for Patients With Clinically Suspected Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Negative Quantitative BAL Culture Results

Objective To evaluate antibiotic utilization and clinical outcomes among patients with clinically suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and culture-negative BAL (CNBAL). Design Prospective observational cohort study. Setting A medical ICU from a university-affiliated urban teaching hospital employing a previously described antibiotic discontinuation guideline for the management of VAP. Patients One hundred one patients with a clinical suspicion of VAP and CNBAL were evaluated between July 2002 and December 2004. Interventions Prospective patient follow-up and data collection. Antibiotic discontinuation was determined by the clinical guideline and not the results of BAL cultures. Results The average age of the patients was 60.4 ± 17.9 years and the mean APACHE II score was 23.2 ± 8.7 (± SD). The mean duration of mechanical ventilation prior to clinically suspected VAP was 2.9 ± 1.9 days. Nineteen patients (18.8%) received antibiotics for other indications prior to BAL. Empiric antibiotic therapy for VAP was begun in 65 patients (64.4%) following BAL. The duration of empiric antibiotic treatment following BAL was 2.1 ± 0.8 days. None of these patients received antibiotics for > 3 days (median, 2 days; range, 1 to 3 days). Six patients (5.9%) were treated with antibiotics for a secondary episode of VAP or hospital-acquired pneumonia developing at least 72 h after the CNBAL was performed and discontinuation of the empiric antibiotic therapy prescribed for the initially suspected episode of VAP. Overall, 35 patients (34.7%) died during hospitalization. Two deaths occurred in patients with a secondary episode of VAP following CNBAL and discontinuation of empiric antimicrobial therapy. Neither of these two deaths was attributed to VAP. Conclusions Although the decision to discontinue antibiotic treatment was based on clinical criteria and not BAL culture results, this study suggests that patients with a clinical suspicion of VAP and CNBAL can have empiric antimicrobial therapy safely discontinued within 72 h or in some cases withheld altogether. Prospective studies are needed to determine the safety of employing CNBAL as the primary criterion for the discontinuation of empirically begun antibiotic treatment for VAP.
HER-2/neu expression in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)

e13035 Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a disease in which very few cytotoxic chemotherapy agents have been shown to have activity. This is partly due to their inability to cross the bl...
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Posts: An Exploratory Examination of Personality Traits and Profile Picture Content

Despite significant interest in the Big Five personality traits and their association with Facebook, research on the Big Five personality traits and profile picture content, and gender differences in those associations, has been overlooked. We hypothesized that personality traits will be associated with the content of the individual’s profile pictures, and that this association will differ between men and women. Participants (n = 158) were first asked to log into their Facebook account, access their profile pictures, and categorize the content of their profile pictures. Participants then completed an online personality survey at a later date. The results showed that having a high proportion of profile pictures of oneself with a close other was associated with high levels of extraversion and agreeableness. Gender differences also existed in the association of agreeableness and openness with high proportions of pictures of oneself only as well as high proportions of pictures of close others only.
Overcrowding Factors of Mosquito Larvae: Activity of Branched Fatty Acids Against Mosquito Larvae

To confirm the larvicidal activity of 2-alkyl fatty acids occurring in the overcrowding factors of mosquito larvae, and to investigate the relationship of the alkyl substitution on the carbon chain, 43 fatty acids were tested against first instars of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say. 2-ethyloctadecanoic acid, 3-methyloctadecanoic acid, and 2,3-dimethyl-octadecanoic acid were the most active materials among those tested. Their activity as determined by LC50 was in the range of 0.4–0.6 ppm. The larvicidal activity of the branched fatty acids was best correlated with the steric hindrance effect of 2– and 3-alkyl fatty acids on enzymatic esterification in vitro. The characteristic timing of larval death occurring immediately after ecdysis suggests that the antigrowth activity of these branched fatty acids results in the formation of new but water-permeable cuticle in mosquito larvae during ecdysis.
Religious Identities in Contemporary American Life: Lessons From the NJPS

The appearance of this special issue marks a significant contribution to the sociological understanding of religion and highlights key issues facing the field as we move into a new century. We owe a debt of gratitude to the sponsors of the National Jewish Population Survey and to Harriet Hartman for making this issue of Sociology of Religion possible. A concentrated look at one religio-ethnic group is important both for the particular knowledge it provides about that group and for the way it raises ques tions about more general social processes that may be at work. This set of articles is exemplary of both those things. It adds to the impressive body of scholarship on Jewish life that has emerged out of the growing number of Judaic Studies departments and centers and programs now at over a hundred universities and colleges in the U.S. We learn about the particular differences among Jewish denominations and between U.S. Jews and Israeli ones. We learn about the effects of Orthodox gender expectations and the importance of Jewish federa tions. But we also learn about the significance of social networks in ethnic and religious continuity, as well as the multifaceted, intertwined, and changing nature of religious and ethnic identity not just for Jews. The changing nature of religious identity is a central theme to which we will return, but it is also important to note just how contentious that fact has been in the very execution of this study. That difficulty is reflected both in the fine, com prehensive review of the literature provided by Hartman and Kaufmann at the beginning of this issue and in the long methodological discussions contained in nearly every article. The "how" of this project has needed to be explained. Each of these articles has made impressive use of the data, but each was constrained by decisions others had made.
A Place for Every Event and Every Event in Its Place: Memory for Locations and Activities by 4-Year-Old Children.

Episodic memories are of specific events and experiences associated with particular times and places. Whereas memory for the temporal aspects of past events has been a focus of research attention, memory for the location in which events were experienced has been less fully investigated. The limited developmental research suggests that preschool-age children, in particular, may have difficulty remembering the location in which they experienced specific events. In 2 experiments, 4-year-old children engaged in 4 unique activities in 4 unique locations in and around a laboratory suite. In Experiment 1, the children had high levels of recall of the activities, the locations, and the conjunctions of activities and locations, implying that they had formed memory representations that featured activities bound in locations. In Experiment 2, we tested whether 1 element of the bound representation—the location of an activity—served as a reliable cue to recall of the other element—the activity itself. The test was po...
Effect of initial stress on Love wave propagation at the boundary between a layer and a half-space

Abstract In this paper, a discussion on the effects of initial stress and finite deformation on the speed of Love waves propagating along the boundary between a half-space and a layer is carried out. Here, both the half-space and the layer are assumed to be incompressible and initially stressed in their reference configuration. The initial stress in this problem is not associated with a finite elastic deformation which is in contrast to the situation where the initial stress is a pre-stress that is accompanied by a finite deformation. A general formulation of the equations governing incremental motions is provided, and then the specialized case of in-plane motions is considered. The theory of superposition of infinitesimal deformations on finite deformations is applied for initially-stressed incompressible materials. The principal plane of the underlying (homogeneous) deformation with a uniform initial stress is assumed to be coaxial with the finite deformation. With this specialization, the combined effect of initial stress and finite deformation on the speed of Love waves is discussed and the results are analyzed graphically with the main emphasis on the effect of initial stress on wave speed.
Human-like object tracking and gaze estimation with PKD android

As the use of robots increases for tasks that require human-robot interactions, it is vital that robots exhibit and understand human-like cues for effective communication. In this paper, we describe the implementation of object tracking capability on Philip K. Dick (PKD) android and a gaze tracking algorithm, both of which further robot capabilities with regard to human communication. PKD's ability to track objects with human-like head postures is achieved with visual feedback from a Kinect system and an eye camera. The goal of object tracking with human-like gestures is twofold : to facilitate better human-robot interactions and to enable PKD as a human gaze emulator for future studies. The gaze tracking system employs a mobile eye tracking system (ETG; SensoMotoric Instruments) and a motion capture system (Cortex; Motion Analysis Corp.) for tracking the head orientations. Objects to be tracked are displayed by a virtual reality system, the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN; MotekForce Link). The gaze tracking algorithm converts eye tracking data and head orientations to gaze information facilitating two objectives: to evaluate the performance of the object tracking system for PKD and to use the gaze information to predict the intentions of the user, enabling the robot to understand physical cues by humans.
Investigation of Edible Iodize Salt in Chengjiang County of Yunnan Province

[Objective] To understand the edible iodize salt status in Huijiang county of Yunnan province.[Methods] 36 and 39 villages were chosen in Chengjiang county at 5 different locations in March 2007 and January 2008.2 villages were selected from the seat of town government and nearby,8 to 10 households salt samples were randomly selected from each village(community),and then conducted investigation.[Results] The qualified rate of iodized salt was 86.56%;coverage rate was 82.15%;non-iodized salt rate was 5.18%.The qualified rate of iodized salt and non-iodized salt rate of 2008 was significant higher than that of 2007,the difference was significant(P0.01).The difference of coverage rates between the 2 years was not significant(P0.05).The qualified rate of iodized salt and qualified iodized salt coverage rate in each town were below 90%,Fenglu town took the first place(89.51%,89.51% respectively),Jiucun town took the last place(14.53%,12.52% respectively),the qualified iodized salt coverage rate of Yangzong town(14.53%) and Jiucun town(12.53%) were higher than 10%.[Conclusion]The qualified iodized salt coverage rate was low in Chengjiang.It was urgent to take the integrated intervention,so as to improve qualified iodized salt coverage rate continually,and promote sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders goals.
Identifying risk signals and clinical studies of post-marketing drugs

To analyze the approaches used by US FDA for identifying risk signals of medicines and explain the roles of clinical studies on post-marketing drugs.US FDA website were searched and analyzed regarding safety information on drugs for healthcare professionals and safety information resources.During 2005 and 2009,safety information on drugs for healthcare professionals released by US FDA is involved in 46 classes of medicines which most of identified risk signals are based on post-marketing reports,clinical control trials,case control studies and cohort studies.Clinical study of post-marketing drug is the necessary method to identify and assess safety profile of medicine.For obtaining relatively adequate evidence,safety profile of medicine should rely on multiple information resources in order to have a good understanding on safety profile of medicine and avoid drug risk.
Pancreas Divisum: Diagnosis, Clinical Significance, and Management Alternatives

Pancreas divisum cases continue to challenge the endoscopist and clinician. Relative minor papilla narrowing in select pancreas divisum patients appears to cause pain or pancreatitis. Minor papilla cannulation techniques continue to improve. Endoscopic therapeutic techniques of stenting and sphincterotomy yield therapeutic benefit similar to open surgical methods, although follow-up intervals are shorter for endoscopy. Recurrent pancreatitis patients are the best candidates for treatment.
Do Marine Turtles Use Odors to Locate Foraging Hotspots in the Open Ocean

Abstract Marine turtles in the open ocean often forage in areas of enhanced productivity, but how they locate those sites and what they do once there is poorly understood. One possibility is that odors from prey might be informative. We explored those possibilities in laboratory experiments using juvenile marine turtles. We analyzed responses to an airborne by-product of predation (dimethyl sulfide or DMS) and to airborne and waterborne odors made from extracts of fresh prey (squid, jellyfish, penaeid shrimp, and algae [Sargassum spp.]). Observations were made in a seawater-filled arena containing an enclosed air space. Airborne odors were delivered across the water surface and waterborne odors were introduced as extracts into the water. Tethered loggerheads (Caretta caretta) and leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea) failed to swim “upwind” in the presence of any airborne odor, suggesting that these stimuli, alone, do not evoke orientation from a distance. Free-swimming loggerheads and green turtles (Chelon...
A primer for hybrid modeling and simulation

In dealing with complex systems, there is no single "best" possible modeling approach, as each specific system and modeling purpose has subtleties and specific needs. Consequently, in developing models that capture the complexity of real systems, it is useful to combine modeling approaches yielding what is referred to as a hybrid modeling approach. By combining different modeling paradigms, hybrid modeling and simulation provide a more comprehensive and holistic view of the system under investigation and a very powerful approach to understanding complexity. This paper discusses the uses and applications of hybrid modeling, general lessons related to how and when to use such an approach, and relevant tools.
Variability in Adaptive Behaviour in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

ABSTRACTBackground Understanding adaptive behaviour variability in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have important implications for early intervention. The purpose of this study was to explore whether autism symptom severity and caregiver depression affected adaptive behaviour in young children with ASD.Method Data were collected from 60 primary caregivers of children aged 2–6 years with ASD. A factorial multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate if different levels of autism symptom severity and caregiver depression affected communication, socialisation, and daily living skills, after controlling for child age.Results Findings suggest that only autism symptom severity accounted for significant variance in adaptive behaviour, with socialisation being most impacted. Although more than half of the caregivers reported heightened depressive symptoms, caregiver depression was not related to adaptive behaviour.Conclusions Findings highlight the level of functional impairmen...
A Phase I study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of oral vorinostat (VOR) in patients with advanced cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 2907 VOR (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid or SAHA) is a Class I and II histone deacetylase inhibitor that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of cancer. This Phase I study conducted in advanced stage cancer patients (pts) assessed safety and tolerability of oral VOR administered 400 mg qd for 28 days, single- (SD) and multiple-dose (MD) serum pharmacokinetics (PK) of VOR, and the effect of a standard high-fat meal on SD VOR PK. Pts received a SD of 400 mg VOR on Day 1 (fasted) and Day 5 (after a standard high-fat meal) with 48-hrs of postdose PK sampling on both days. Pts then received 400 mg VOR qd on Days 7 through 27 (21 days of dosing). On Day 28, VOR was administered after a standard high-fat meal with PK sampling for 24 hrs postdose. Of 23 pts enrolled, 23 were evaluable for Day 1 PK, 20 for Day 5 PK, and 14 for Day 28 PK. A summary of the preliminary PK findings (mean, SD) for VOR is presented below. A high-fat meal was associated with a decrease in the rate of absorption. A lag time of at least 15 min was observed before detectable levels of VOR were observed in serum in the fed state in most subjects, and Tmax was slightly delayed. VOR mean apparent terminal t![Formula][1] was similar between SD and MD administration. Trough concentrations following MD administration were generally below the limit of quantification, which is consistent with the short apparent terminal t![Formula][2] . The most common VOR related adverse events were the following: thrombocytopenia, increased serum creatinine, anorexia/weight loss, nausea/vomiting, and fatigue. In conclusion, VOR is tolerated at 400 mg qd for chronic administration to cancer pts, exhibits a short t![Formula][3] and has a slightly decreased rate of absorption when administrated with a high-fat meal. Serum levels exceed the minimum needed in vitro to demonstrate biologic activity. ![Figure][4] [1]: /embed/tex-math-1.gif [2]: /embed/tex-math-2.gif [3]: /embed/tex-math-3.gif [4]: pending:yes
Sex Roles and Work Roles in Post-industrial Society

It is argued that one of the reasons for the slow change in work and sex roles, despite policies designed to encourage such change, Is an inadequate understanding of the process of industrialization and Its Impact on women's status. This impact has been both increasingly to favor money as the sole criteria for status and to force a separation of the home and the workplace. Both of these factors have had an adverse impact on women's status which the growth of technology, expansion of education, and increased control over fertility have not been able to counteract. The limitations of current policy regarding women's work roles are then discussed, and suggestions for policies which might facilitate a better integration of work and home roles are explored. It has been said, almost from the inception of the women's movement, that the movement is at a *crucial turning point." Thus I hesitate to make that claim here. Yet, now the momentum does seem to be shifting from the movement's advocates to its opponents, and one may question exactly how wide and how deep are the changes In sex and work roles the movement has effected. The depth of change has been limited both by the strength of the opposition and by limits within the feminist analysis. Too seldom have Timinist theorists based their critique on an understanding of the macro socio-economic processes largely responsible for the present sex role patterning. Chief among the macro socio-eoonomic processes Is industrialization. It has revolutionized the nature of work and thus the nature and status of women's work; It has altered the relationships between women and men, between individuals and communities, between communities and the state. By neglecting study of these changing social relations, many feminist writers have failed to realize that, paradoxically perhaps, women's status can not be improved by a one-sided attack on sex roles per se. Rather, for women and men to achieve a more satisfact-ry-istribution of work roles they must come to see that the only way to revolutionize sex roles Is through revolutionizing work roles.
Abstract 50: Regulation of Peripheral Tissue Inflammation Links Autoimmunity and Atherosclerosis

Previous publications from our laboratory show that cholesterol-fed LDLr-/-, apoA-I -/- (DKO) mice develop accelerated atherosclerosis, as well as, a severe autoimmune disorder not seen in diet-fed LDLr -/- mice (SKO). This phenotype is characterized by the expansion of cholesterol loaded T cells within lymphoid organs such as skin draining lymph nodes and spleen as well as the manifestation of aberrant T cell responses. In order to examine the link between the progression of atherosclerosis and the onset of autoimmunity we examined the type and amount of immune cell infiltration in both the aorta and the skin of DKO and SKO mice fed an atherogenic diet for 12 weeks. In a subset of mice the immunomodulator, Fingolimod (FTY720), a sphingosine analogue was administered along with the diet. After 12 weeks, plaque burden in the aortic root was measured as both neutral lipid accumulation, and as the type and number of immune cells present. As expected, diet alone increased both lipid and immune cell infiltration in the aortic root, as well as in the skin of DKO compared to SKO mice. Interestingly, FTY-diet DKO mice showed a sharp reduction in both lipid accumulation as well as CD4+ cell infiltration in the aortic root. This decrease in aortic lipid deposition in FTY-diet DKO was well below that of any of the other groups, including diet-only SKO mice, while FTY-diet SKO were not different than diet-only SKO mice. These data suggest that heightened aortic inflammation observed in response to dietary cholesterol in the absence of apoA-I, renders the DKO aorta more susceptible to the immunomodulatory effects of FTY. Quite unexpectedly, the skin of FTY-diet DKO mice continued to show massive cholesterol accumulation and inflammation with a preservation of subcutaneous fat, in light of the dramatic reduction in aortic infiltrates observed. When DKO mice lacking T and B cells (Rag1-/-, LDLr-/-, apoA-I-/-) were studied, massive skin cholesterol accumulation was still observed and TKO mouse dermis showed infiltrates largely composed of neutrophils and monocytes, suggesting that dermal cholesterol imbalance, in the absence of apoA-I, was the basis for disease initiation in the skin. Overall, these studies illustrate the vastly different roles of apoA-I and immunomodulatory drugs in skin versus aorta cholesterol balance.
Sejanus, the King's Men Altar Scenes, and the Theatrical Production of Paganism

This article traces the lineage of the popular performance set-piece of the ‘oracular altar scene’ from its inception in Jonson’s Sejanus through its frequent reuse by the King’s Men and their imitators later in the century. By doing so, it demonstrates how material practices of reuse in the seventeenth-century theatre helped shape the production of popular knowledge about the nature of ‘pagan’ ritual and its practitioners in the Stuart era of intensified antiquarian discovery and colonial expansion.
Psychiatric syncope: a new look at an old disease.

Psychiatric disorders in patients with unexplained syncope or presyncope have received little attention in the recent medical literature. Seventy-two patients with unexplained syncope and presyncope referred to the Duke Syncope Clinic received a standardized evaluation. Symptoms appeared to be explained by a psychiatric diagnosis in 17(24%) patients (panic disorder in 13%, and major depression in 11%). These patients were younger than other patients with syncope and presyncope (p
Factors associated with repeat mammography screening.

BACKGROUND Even organizations with differing mammography recommendations agree that regular repeat screening is required for mortality reduction. However, most studies have focused on one-time screening rather than repeat adherence. We compare trends in beliefs and health-related behaviors among women screened and adherent to the National Cancer Institute's screening mammography recommendations (on schedule), those screened at least once and nonadherent (off schedule), and those never screened. METHODS Our data are from a baseline telephone interview conducted among 1,287 female members of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina who were aged either 40 to 44 years or 50 to 54 years. RESULTS The 3 groups differed significantly on beliefs and health-related behaviors, with the off-schedule group almost consistently falling between the on-schedule and never screened groups. Off-schedule women were more likely than on-schedule women, but less likely than those never screened, to not have a clinical breast examination within 12 months, to be ambivalent about screening mammography, to be confused about screening guidelines, and to not be advised by a physician to get a mammogram in the past 2 years. Off-schedule women perceived their breast cancer risk as lower and were less likely to be up to date with other cancer screening tests. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that women who are off schedule are in need of mammography-promoting interventions, including recommendations from and discussion with their health care providers. Because they are more positive and knowledgeable about mammography than women who have never been screened, they may benefit from brief interventions from health care providers that highlight the importance of repeat screening.
Organisationale Einflussfaktoren des Allianzerfolgs – Eine empirische Analyse auf Basis des „resource-based view“

Strategische Allianzen sind fur nahezu jedes Unternehmen zu einem zentralen Bestandteil der Strategie und einer wichtigen Quelle fur Wettbewerbsvorteile geworden. Bisherige Forschungsbemuhungen fokussieren jedoch lediglich auf die isolierte Analyse einzelner Allianzen. Durch eine systematische Betrachtung organisationaler Einflussfaktoren des Allianzportfolioerfolgs adressiert der vorliegende Beitrag diese Forschungslucke. Auf Basis von Daten aus 302 deutschen Unternehmen werden vier kritische organisationale Erfolgsfaktoren des Allianzmanagements identifiziert und in ein Strukturmodell integriert.
The Value of Marketing in Project Environments from Three Key Perspectives

Marketing is a tool that can prove to be very valuable to many different areas of business; it has impacts on several different areas, but it is important to analyze the relationships that technical marketing has with three key areas, those being: the voice of the customer, technology, and new product development. In any marketing investment, it is important to identify the target customer, collect the information about the customer and what the customer's want. The company could use “voice customer” to understand the needs and wants of customers. Understanding and realizing the customer's needs and requirements have been recognized an unavoidable challenge for a company. The poor understanding of the customers' need and the inaccurate assumption for the questionnaire will lead to a negative implication on product's design and quality, and will also lead to more cost and time.
Asymptotics of bivariate penalised splines

We study the class of bivariate penalised splines that use tensor product splines and a smoothness penalty. Similar to Claeskens, G., Krivobokova, T., and Opsomer, J.D. [(2009), ‘Asymptotic Propert...
Under My Thumb: Principals’ Difficulty Releasing Decision-Making to Their Instructional Leadership Team

This study investigates whether and how principals implementing Instructional Leadership Teams (ILTs) were able to share decision-making authority with team members and how team members perceived t...
Abstract 030: Dietary Inflammatory Potential is Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Two Large Prospective Cohort Studies of US Men and Women

Introduction: Chronic inflammation plays a pathogenic role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Dietary factors have been implicated in CVD etiology and may have an impact on chronic inflam...
A new machine learning based geometry feature extraction approach for energy consumption estimation in mask image projection stereolithography

Abstract The sustainability issues have become increasingly critical due to the limited capacity of the environment and non-renewable natural resources. Manufacturing, as the main foundation of human society and civilization, plays a significant role in sustainability. As a new production approach, additive manufacturing fabricates products layer-by-layer. and has become a promising alternative to traditional subtractive manufacturing. Nevertheless, the sustainability performance of additive manufacturing has not been sufficiently estimated and evaluated. In current literature, the majority of the energy consumption studies on additive manufacturing aim to establish the relationships between process parameters and power consumption. While these studies can facilitate the joint consideration of process planning and environmental sustainability, they fail to relate the product geometry with the sustainability performance, and therefore lack predictive ability. Hence, they cannot be directly used to support product design and redesign. In addition, bridging the product geometry with the required power consumption can aid the establishment of the life cycle inventory database for additive manufacturing processes. In this paper, a new machine learning-based approach is adopted to extract the geometry-related features in order to estimate and predict the energy consumption of mask image projection stereolithography process. By bridging the product geometry and process energy consumption, the research outcomes will serve as a critical part of the unit manufacturing process models and contribute to the life cycle inventory of additive manufacturing.
Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT) Staining as an Assessment of Thermal Penetration

Medical devices utilizing hyperthermic tissue injury are increasingly being used in surgical procedures. It is clinically essential to accurately assess the extent of thermal tissue damage these de...
Mass cytometry reveals systemic and local immune signatures that distinguish inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Each disease is characterized by a diverse set of potential manifestations, which determine patients' disease phenotype. Current understanding of phenotype determinants is limited, despite increasing prevalence and healthcare costs. Diagnosis and monitoring of disease requires invasive procedures, such as endoscopy and tissue biopsy. Here we report signatures of heterogeneity between disease diagnoses and phenotypes. Using mass cytometry, we analyze leukocyte subsets, characterize their function(s), and examine gut-homing molecule expression in blood and intestinal tissue from healthy and/or IBD subjects. Some signatures persist in IBD despite remission, and many signatures are highly represented by leukocytes that express gut trafficking molecules. Moreover, distinct systemic and local immune signatures suggest patterns of cell localization in disease. Our findings highlight the importance of gut tropic leukocytes in circulation and reveal that blood-based immune signatures differentiate clinically relevant subsets of IBD.
Characterization of colloidal nanocrystal surface structure using small angle neutron scattering and efficient Bayesian parameter estimation

Complete structural characterization of colloidal nanocrystals is challenging due to rapid variation in the electronic, vibrational, and elemental properties across the nanocrystal surface. While electron microscopy and X-ray scattering techniques can provide detailed information about the inorganic nanocrystal core, these techniques provide little information about the molecular ligands coating the nanocrystal surface. Moreover, because most models for scattering data are parametrically nonlinear, uncertainty estimates for parameters are challenging to formulate robustly. Here, using oleate-capped PbS quantum dots as a model system, we demonstrate the capability of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) in resolving core, ligand-shell, and solvent structure for well-dispersed nanocrystals using a single technique. SANS scattering data collected at eight separate solvent deuteration fractions were used to characterize the structure of the nanocrystals in reciprocal space. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to develop a coarse-grained form factor describing the scattering length density profile of ligand-stabilized nanocrystals in solution. We introduce an affine invariant Markov chain Monte Carlo method to efficiently perform nonlinear parameter estimation for the form factor describing such dilute solutions. This technique yields robust uncertainty estimates. This experimental design is broadly applicable across colloidal nanocrystal material systems including emergent perovskite nanocrystals, and the parameter estimation protocol significantly accelerates characterization and provides new insights into the atomic and molecular structure of colloidal nanomaterials.