cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Nefarious Helping Hand: Anti-Corruption Campaigns, Social Service Provision, and Terrorism1

This article offers a novel contribution to the terrorism literature by using mathematical modeling and case studies to demonstrate how terrorist and extremist groups can utilize social service provision activities and anti-corruption campaigns instead of violent activities to gain support.The basic argument of the model is that terrorist groups will try to gain support by promising that they will be better distributors of resources than the current regime once they gain power and by promising that they will be less corrupt. However, because all organizations can freely make these promises, their words are cheap talk, and the general population should ignore them. To overcome this problem, organizations must offer a costly signal. Provision of social goods and implementation of explicit anti-corruption campaigns before taking power serves as such a signal. As the United States government and its allies widen their “war on terrorism,” they must consider the ramifications of social service provision and ant...
State Space Realization for a Continuous Difference Equation with Varying Delay

Abstract The concept of state space is rigorously formulated for some systems with delay. The central tenet is that a state space should encode the minimal sufficient information that is needed to solve the Cauchy problem associated with the system. We focus on the conceptually simpler difference equations rather than differential equations. For a simple toy example the state space is constructed and the associated infinitesimal generators derived. Along the way we briefly discuss a class of iterated functional equations. This contribution is purely theoretical.
Mechanisms of folate cofactors

Abstract Stereospecific isotopic substitution of hydrogen at the bridging carbon in 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate promises further insight into stereochemical events at the active site of several folate requiring enzymes.
Expectancy and perception of an ambiguous figure in preschool children

Summary Nursery school children were shown a series of six pictures of either animals (Group A) or human faces (Group H), each of which they were required to name, and were then asked to state an expectancy about the next picture (the Bugelski rat-man ambiguous figure) before it was presented. About 86% of Group A gave expectancies consistent with the animal set, and about 89% gave consistent percepts (responses to the ambiguous figure). For Group H the corresponding percentages were 69% and 53%. The percentages of consistent percepts following consistent expectancies were 90% for Group A and 68% for Group H. It was concluded that the human set is harder to establish in young children than the animal set, and once established mediates percepts less well. The differences in effectiveness of the sets suggests that the deficiency in mediation found in young children may be a characteristic of early stages of concept formation, rather than an early stage of child development.
Mechanisms of Organized Left Atrial Tachycardias Occurring After Pulmonary Vein Isolation

Background— A proarrhythmic consequence of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation can be a recurrent organized left atrial (LA) tachycardia after ablation. This arrhythmia is frequently referred to as “left atrial flutter,” but the mechanism and best ablation strategy have not been determined. Methods and Results— Isolation of arrhythmogenic PVs was initially performed by segmental ostial PV ablation guided by a circular mapping catheter in 341 patients. Patients whose predominant recurrent arrhythmia was a persistent organized tachycardia returned for mapping and ablation. Recurrent organized LA tachycardias (cycle length 253±33 ms, range 213 to 328 ms) occurred in 10 (2.9%) of 341 patients (age 59±9 years, 1 woman). Mapping was consistent with a focal origin in 8 patients and with macroreentry in 1 patient and was unclear in 1 patient owing to degeneration to atrial fibrillation. Focal tachycardias originated from reconnected segments of prior isolated PVs (6 patients), the posterior LA (1 patient), or the super...
An idea of tate-dwork for the “hasse invariant” applied to a classical theorem of Fermat

Abstract Let p denote a prime ≡ 1 (mod 4). We have (Fermat) p = a2 + b2 where (say) a ≡ 1 (mod 4). It is proved that a ≡ ± 1 2 F (p+1) 2 ( 1 2 , 1 2 , 1; −1) where Fn(α, β, γ; x) stands for the sum of the first n terms of the hypergeometric series F(α, β, γ; x). The sign is + or − according as p ≡ 1 (mod 8) or p ≡ 5 (mod 8).
Implementation of a peer-to-peer-type SIP client application on a MANET emulator

A Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) is attracting attention as a useful means of communication in times when the communications network infrastructure has been disrupted by a widespread disaster. It would be convenient if a SIP application that the user is already familiar with and that is installed in his/her mobile terminal could be transformed into a node in a MANET automatically. So far, SIP services provided on a MANET have not been evaluated adequately. This paper presents the architecture of a MANET emulator suitable for verifying SIP services on a MANET, in particular, SIP-based audio/video communication. This paper studies SIP protocol transparency control and capabilities dedicated to processing messages and packets defined in SIP or AODV. A SIP_MANET emulator has been developed based on the proposed architecture, and the correct operation of audio/video communication has been confirmed. The effectiveness of the simulator has also been confirmed through communication quality evaluation.
Gustatory Responses of the Cockroach, House Fly, and Gerbils to Methyl Glycosides

Behavioral taste responses to sucrose and methyl glycosides were observed in the cockroach,Periplaneta americana and the fly,Musca domestica. In addition, the integrated taste responses to stimulation of the tongue by the same chemicals were recorded from the intact chorda tympani nerve in four species of gerbils (Meriones libycus, M. shawi, M. unguiculatus andPsammomys obesus). We observed the following: 1. Sucrose was the most effective stimulant. 2. Among the anomers, methyl α-D-glucopyranoside was more effective than methylβ-D-glucopyranoside (MBD-GLU). 3. Among the epimers, methylα-D-glucopyranoside (MAD-GLU) was more effective than methylα-D-mannopyranoside (MAD-MAN), methylα-D-allopyranoside (MAD-ALLO) or methylα-D-galactopyranoside (MAD-GAL). 4. Compared to the fly which responds only to sucrose and MAD-GLU to any extent, the cockroach responded positively to all the compounds tested except MBD-GLU and MAD-ALLO. 5. Among the gerbils, the effectiveness rank of the epimers is MAD-GLU > MAD-MAN > MAD GAL except forM. shawi where the ranking is MAD-GLU > MAD-GAL > MAD-MAN.
Simplified approaches to viscoelastic rolling resistance

Abstract Modeling approaches yielding rolling resistance estimates for rigid spheres (and cylinders) on viscoelastic layers of finite thicknesses are introduced as lower-cost alternatives to more comprehensive solution-finding strategies. Detailed examples are provided to illustrate the capabilities of the different approaches over their respective ranges of validity.
Nerve, muscle, and neuromuscular junction electrophysiology at high temperature

Although the effect of low temperature on the peripheral nervous system has been systematically studied, the effect of high temperature has not. We investigated the effect of elevating limb temperature from 32 degrees C to 42 degrees C by performing sequential motor studies, antidromic sensory studies, and 3-Hz repetitive stimulation in normal subjects. In addition, we recorded single motor units by using threshold stimulation. On average, motor amplitude and duration decreased by 27% and 19%, respectively, whereas sensory amplitude and duration decreased by 50% and 26%, respectively. Neuromuscular transmission remained normal at 42 degrees C. Single motor unit recordings revealed a reduction in amplitude of 26%, similar to the overall reduction in compound motor amplitude. These findings demonstrate that significant reductions in sensory and motor amplitudes can occur in normal nerves at high temperature; we hypothesize that these changes are secondary to alterations in nerve and muscle ion channel function.
Effect of pilocarpine and pancreatectomy on amylase and lipase levels of serum and hepatic lymph.

SummaryPilocarpine (20 mg diluted in 200 ml of normal saline), infused in 6 dogs for 40-min durations, caused a significant rise of amylase and lipase concentration in the serum and hepatic lymph collected in the portal area. In four pancreatectomized dogs, however, similarly treated with pilocarpine, there was no significant change in the amylase and lipase concentration of either the hepatic lymph or serum. Pilocarpine infusion did not cause any significant change in the hepatic lymph flow.
Ballistic performance of polycarbonate/polyester and polycarbonate/styrene‐acrylonitrile microlayer sheets

Abstract : Extruded microlayer sheets of polycarbonate/polyester (PC/PCTG) and polycarbonate/ styrene-acrylonitrile (PC/SAN) were tested for ballistic performance and chemical resistance. Composition of the microlayer sheets ranged from 60 to 100 percent polycarbonate. The number of layers in the approximately one-eighth inch thick sheets ranged from one for the blend control samples to 3713 layers in the PC/PCTG sheets. The normalized ballistic test results showed that some samples performed as well as and slightly better than injection molded polycarbonate samples. The failure mechanism was affected by the composition and the number of layers. Increasing composition of polycarbonate and number of layers decreased the percent of brittle failures. Immersion studies showed that the PC/PCTG microlayer sheets were attacked by diethylene triamine and xylene but slower than polycarbonate by itself. The diethylene triamine drop testing demonstrated that the microlayer sheets were attacked but the PC/SAN sheets showed the least effect. Ballistics, Ballistic testing, Chemical resistance, Polycarbonate, Eye protection, Areal density, Scratch resistant plastics.
Some physical properties of an unusual C-phycocyanin isolated from a photosynthetic thermophile

Abstract A cyanobacterium, which is a photosynthetic thermophile, has been grown in the laboratory at 66–70°C. This organism, Synechococcus lividus (SyI), was isolated from a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park where it grows at 68–73°C. The biliprotein, C-phycocyanin, has been purified, and some of its physical properties studied. When carefully prepared, the protein is obtained in a homogeneous form at about 600000 molecular weight. Its visible absorption spectrum has a maximum at 608 nm, which is blue shifted to a higher energy maximum than any other known C-phycocyanin. Studies are presented showing that the unique spectrum is not a function of protein aggregation, chemically changed chromophores, number of chromophores, linker polypeptides, temperature of measurement, or of its thermophilic origin. To produce this spectrum, one or more of the chromophores must be affected by apoprotein differently that it is affected in other proteins. The circular dichroism spectra of the protein have been studied, and the aggregation was monitored by fluorescence polarization and gel-filtration column chromatography. A method to prepare SyI monomers was developed. Rods, monomers, trimers, and hexamers were all shown to have blue-shifted absorption maxima. Three other C-phycocyanins — one from a mesophilic and two thermophilic cyanobacteria — were compared with the S. lividus (SyI) protein, which was found to be the most thermally stable and most resistent to dissociation.
Effect of bending strain on the torsion constant of DNA

The torsion constants of both linear and circular forms of the same approximately 200 base- pair DNA were measured by time-resolved fluorescence polarization anisotropy (FPA). Upon circularization, the torsion constant undergoes a substantial increase, and the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum indicates a significant perturbation of the secondary structure. The torsion constant of the circular form lies in the range of values determined previously for similarly small circular DNAs by static methods. It is suggested that the long-standing discrepancy between torsion constants obtained via static methods for small circles and those obtained via the FPA method for linear DNAs may be due to such an alteration of the secondary structure and enhancement of the torsion constant by coherent bending strain present in the small circles.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Metabolic toxicity of simple hydrazines: monomethyl hydrazine (MMH).

Abstract Radio respirometric data from rats continuously infused with specifically 14C-labeled glucose and other substrates indicates that monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) inhibits glycolysis. The effect is evidently at the phosphofructokinase step. MMH was infused sc for 14 hr at 0.036 mmol/kg/hr. Substrates were infused from Hours 4 to 24 through an indwelling intestinal cannula, providing for observation of near steady-state catabolic activity. A dose rate of 0.018 mmol/kg/hr caused a detectable inhibition, and 0.009 mmol/kg/hr was without effect. The use of continuous substrate infusion techniques and the interpretation of data with respect to metabolic pathway activity is discussed.
Reconstruction after the 2004 tsunami: ecological and cultural considerations from case studies

Design professionals have not often been consulted regarding devastation after natural disasters. Most solutions and techniques of natural disaster-related recovery emphasize infrastructure engineering and food provision. Whereas recovery efforts and basic survival demand that food delivery and movement be facilitated in such areas, issues designers concern themselves with are seldom considered. Designers’ focus is on integration of ecological and cultural concerns in planning for disaster recovery. Indeed, after events such as the Southeast Asian tsunami of 2004, societies must start again with few material objects but with an extensive cultural consciousness. This paper addresses the role that designers play in such a situation. It is suggested how designers and other professionals can facilitate a series of best practices in disaster recovery. Overviews of large-scale disasters from three countries show how cultural and ecological considerations are the two elements most needed in disaster planning, both pre and post-event. Suggestions are made about how these elements may be best incorporated into future eco-culturally-based recovery efforts. Evaluation of design precedents used to renovate the natural and built environment is a positive and necessary framework for recovery.
THE USE OF THE VIBRATION GALVANOMETER WITH A 60-CYCLE ALTERNATING CURRENT IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE CONDUCTIVITY OF ELECTROLYTES

In I898 Kohlrausch (i) published a description of his method for determining the conductivity of electrolytes, and since that time much has been done by various investigators to increase the accuracy of the method. Notable among these are E. W. Washburn (2) and R. P. Hibbard in collaboration with C. W. Chapman (3). Still more recently has appeared an article by W. Taylor and S. F. Acree (5) Among the sources of error, which they have removed, may be mentioned the following: an alternating current from an induction coil which is neither strictly alternating nor of constant frequency; resistance coils which are inaccurate because of capacity and inductance; and lack of sensitivity in the telephone detector. At the present writing a series of articles is appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by Dr. Washburn (4) which sums up the latest researches on the subject. To these articles any investigators who desire absolute accuracy of results are referred. The plant physiologist is concerned more with precise comparative data than with absolute physical accuracy, which must of necessity include experiments extending over long periods of time and involving great elaboration of method. Dr. Washburn's method overcomes the difficulties mentioned above in the following manner: He uses for a source of current either the Vreeland Oscillator, which gives a pure sine wave at a frequency of one thousand cycles per second, or a constant-speed high-frequency generator which delivers an alternating current at the same frequency. Both of these pieces of apparatus and the principles involved are described in Catalog No. 48 of the Leeds and Northrup Co. (6). For resistance coils he uses the Curtis type, which have a minimum of inductance and capacity, and for the detector he uses a telephone receiver tuned to the frequency of the current. He also finds it
Instantaneous Increase in Mean Circulatory Pressure and Cardiac Output at Onset of Muscular Activity

In dogs with their spinal cords cut, sudden maximal muscular contraction in the lower half of the body caused the mean circulatory pressure to rise instantaneously to three times normal and the cardiac output to rise to an average of 40 per cent above normal. This instantaneous effect was not blocked by sympathetic blockade with hexamethonium but was blocked by skeletal muscle blockade with decamethonium. Furthermore, because of the transected cord, no cardiac reflex effects were observed. Therefore, it was concluded that skeletal muscle activity compresses the intra-muscular and intra-abdominal vessels and thereby increases the mean circulatory pressure. Evidence is presented to show that this, in turn, translocates blood into the heart and that the heart then responds in conformity with Starling's principle of cardiac adaptation to increase the cardiac output.
Eddy currents and supercurrents in rotating metal spheres at liquid helium temperatures

These experiments show that large eddy currents are set up in a tin sphere rotating at 4.6 or more revolutions per second in the earth's magnetic field and at 3.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Within experimental determination, the eddy currents have the same magnitude and distribution on the sphere as the supercurrents which cause the Meissner effect at 3.7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. These results are in accord with classical electromagnetic theory for a normal conductor and with the London theory for a superconductor. The Meissner effect has been produced in bulk tantalum metal by rotating the specimen while cooling through the superconducting transition temperature.
Source of stimulation of tumor inocula by lethally irradiated cells.

SummarySeparation of supra-lethally irradiated tumor cells has been carried out to determine their effectiveness in reducing tumor latency and enhancing tumor takes. These experiments indicate that the most pronounced stimulation comes from the centrifugal fraction containing the “nuclei” from supra-lethally irradiated cells. The degree of stimulation by the “nuclear” fraction closely parallels the stimulation by whole radiation killed cells. The “cytoplasmic” fraction was also capable of augmentation of tumor survival and growth, however, less than either the “nuclear” fraction or whole radiation-killed cells. Disruption of the membranes of whole cells or “nuclei” by sonication eliminated the tumor growth stimulation. A tentative mechanism is proposed for the action of radiation killed cells, “nuclei,” and “cytoplasm” in enhancing growth and survival of transplanted isologous tumors.
A usable interface for location-based access control and Over-The-Air Keying in tactical environments

This paper presents a usable graphical interface for specifying and automatically enacting access control rules for applications that involve dissemination of data among mobile tactical devices. A specific motivating example is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where the mission planner or operator needs to control the conditions under which specific receivers can access the UAV's video feed. We implemented a prototype of this user interface as a plug-in for FalconView, a popular mission planning application.
Measurement of Serum Acetaminophen–Protein Adducts in Patients With Acute Liver Failure

Background & Aims: Acetaminophen toxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States and Great Britain, but may be underrecognized in certain settings. Acetaminophen–protein adducts are specific biomarkers of drug-related toxicity in animal models and can be measured in tissue or blood samples. Measurement of serum adducts might improve diagnostic accuracy in acute liver failure (ALF) patients. Methods: We measured serum acetaminophen–protein adducts using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in coded sera of 66 patients with ALF collected prospectively at 24 US tertiary referral centers. Samples were included from 20 patients with well-characterized acetaminophen-related acute liver failure, 10 patients with ALF owing to other well-defined causes, 36 patients with ALF of indeterminate etiology, and 15 additional patients without ALF but with known acetaminophen overdose and minimal or no biochemical liver injury. Results: Acetaminophen–protein adducts were detected in serum in 100% of known acetaminophen ALF patients and in none of the ALF patients with other defined causes, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. In daily serial samples, serum adducts decreased in parallel with aminotransferase levels. Seven of 36 (19%) indeterminate cases demonstrated adducts in serum suggesting that acetaminophen toxicity caused or contributed to ALF in these patients. Low adduct levels were present in 2 of 15 patients with acetaminophen overdose without significant liver injury. Conclusions: Measurement of serum acetaminophen–protein adducts reliably identified acetaminophen toxicity, and may be a useful diagnostic test for cases lacking historical data or other clinical information.
Spatial prediction with left-censored observations

Environmental monitoring of contaminants often involves left-censored observations falling below the minimum detection limits (MDLs) of the instruments used to assay their concentrations. Statistical procedures for handling left-censored observations generally assume that the observations are independently distributed. However, data collected over a spatial network of sample sites are likely to be spatially correlated. This correlation structure can be exploited to obtain improved imputations of left-censored observations, and hence improved estimates of environmental parameters. This article applies a Robbins-Monro algorithm for estimating the parameters of a spatial regression model. This algorithm uses importance sampling to obtain conditional simulations of left-censored observations. A predictor for data at unsampled sites is obtained by taking the weighted mean of kriging predictors computed from independent importance samples. The proposed methods are illustrated using data from the South Florida Ecosystem Assessment Project.
Effects of Water and Temperature on Conformational Order in Model Nylon Thin Films

Nylon 6,6 thin films have been examined by Raman spectroscopy to determine how chain conformation is influenced by environmental parameters such as exposure to water and temperature variations. The...
Abstract 4142: The effects of SBHA on Notch 1 expression and platinum sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells

Objective: Despite advances in radical surgical debulking and intraperitoneal chemotherapy, ovarian cancer remains the most deadly gynecologic malignancy. The Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in cellular differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. We have previously found Notch 1 intracellular domain (NICD) to be highly expressed in the most platinum resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. Recent evidence has shown that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi9s) decrease platinum resistance in oral squamous cell cancers. In addition, the HDACi suberoyl bis-hydroxamic acid (SBHA) has been found to modify Notch 1 expression in other cancers. We hypothesized that SBHA would reduce ovarian cancer cell proliferation through inhibition of the Notch 1 signaling pathway and help sensitize ovarian cancer cells to platinum. Methods: Following treatment with SBHA, NICD expression in the ovarian carcinoma cell lines OVCAR3, SKOV3, and CaOV3 was analyzed by Western blot. The effects of SBHA and cisplatin on ovarian cancer cell growth were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) growth assay. Results: NICD expression by Western blot was consistently reduced in all 3 cell lines following treatment with SBHA. Dose-dependent growth inhibition of ovarian cancer cells was demonstrated with SBHA treatment. Furthermore, the addition of SBHA to cisplatin resulted in additional reduction of NICD and further growth suppression in SKOV3, the most platinum resistant cell line tested. Conclusions: SBHA treatment of ovarian cancer cells led to decreased NICD expression and dose dependent growth reduction in ovarian cancer cells. In addition, we found that SBHA in combination with platinum further reduced NICD expression and growth in SKOV3 cells. These findings provide a compelling argument for further study into the role that Notch 1 signaling may be playing in platinum resistance and ovarian cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4142.
A Low-Level High-Speed Switching System for Brain Mapping

In recent experiments J. C. Lilly has obtained contour maps, in rapid sequence, depicting electrical activity over selected areas of the cortex of an animal's brain. The present work has been an attempt to improve the resolution in both time and space of this mapping technique. Adequate resolution requires more than 200 electrodes covering a square centimeter of the cortex. A complete map must be observed 500 to 1,000 times a second. In order to handle the required number of information channels, a time-division switching system has been devised. The electrodes are divided into groups of sixteen. Simultaneously operating switching units commutate the information within the respective groups. An amplifier for each group passes a train of samples representing the potentials at the electrodes of that group. These simultaneous sample trains can be recorded on multitrack magnetic tape. Later the sampled information can be displayed in map form, e.g., on a cathode-ray screen. The electronic switching of the 16 electrode signals in a group takes place after a single stage of preamplification for each electrode. The switching elements are matched pairs of silicon junction diodes connected, with resistances, in bridge circuits. A master pulse generator operates all the switching units. The system is sensitive to electrode potentials of about 30?v.
Effects of hindlimb unloading on neuromuscular development of neonatal rats

We hypothesized that hindlimb suspension unloading of 8-day-old neonatal rats would disrupt the normal development of muscle fiber types and the motor innervation of the antigravity (weightbearing) soleus muscles but not extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Five rats were suspended 4.5 h and returned 1.5 h to the dam for nursing on a 24 h cycle for 9 days. To control for isolation from the dam, the remaining five littermates were removed on the same schedule but not suspended. Another litter of 10 rats housed in the same room provided a vivarium control. Fibers were typed by myofibrillar ATPase histochemistry and immunostaining for embryonic, slow, fast IIA and fast IIB isomyosins. The percentage of multiple innervation and the complexity of singly-innervated motor terminal endings were assessed in silver/cholinesterase stained sections. Unique to the soleus, unloading accelerated production of fast IIA myosin, delayed expression of slow myosin and retarded increases in standardized muscle weight and fiber size. Loss of multiple innervation was not delayed. However, fewer than normal motor nerve endings achieved complexity. Suspended rats continued unloaded hindlimb movements. These findings suggest that motor neurons resolve multiple innervation through nerve impulse activity, whereas the postsynaptic element (muscle fiber) controls endplate size, which regulates motor terminal arborization. Unexpectedly, in the EDL of unloaded rats, transition from embryonic to fast myosin expression was retarded. Suspension-related foot drop, which stretches and chronically loads EDL, may have prevented fast fiber differentiation. These results demonstrate that neuromuscular development of both weightbearing and non-weightbearing muscles in rats is dependent upon and modulated by hindlimb loading.
Loss of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Viability Adversely Affects the Direct Response of Urothelial Carcinoma Cells to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Exposure

Purpose: The attenuated mycobacterium bacillus Calmette-Guerin is widely used as intravesical immunotherapy for nonmuscle invasive urothelial carcinoma. Previous studies demonstrated that in the laboratory and clinical settings bacillus Calmette-Guerin viability is a variable that correlates with antitumor efficacy. We evaluated how loss of viability impacted a number of molecular and phenotypic intermediate end points that characterize and/or contribute to the direct effect of bacillus Calmette-Guerin on urothelial carcinoma cells.Materials and Methods: We studied the effect of loss of bacillus Calmette-Guerin viability on the tumor cell response to the treatment in 2 human urothelial carcinoma cell lines. The cellular response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin rendered nonviable by heat killing was compared to the response to viable bacillus. Response end points included the induction of oxidative stress, activation of intracellular signaling pathways, gene transactivation and phenotypic changes.Results: Loss...
Aggregation Propensity of Prion is Kinetically Controlled by Intramolecular Diffusion of Protein Chain

Prion disease are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson disease that are attributed to misfolding followed by ordered aggregation and accumulation of protein deposits in neuronal cells. According to the “protein only” hypothesis, the central event in prion pathogenesis is the conformational conversion of the cellular α-helical rich isoform, PrPC, into misfolded β-sheet rich isoform, PrPSc. Here we present a novel way to understand the molecular basis of Prion misfolding and aggregation, by investigating the early stage intramolecular backbone reconfiguration of monomer. Our hypothesis is that when reconfiguration is much faster or much slower than bimolecular diffusion, biomolecular association is not stable, but as the reconfiguration rate becomes similar to the rate of biomolecular diffusion, the association is more stable and subsequent aggregation is faster. We are investigating the effects of reducing agent, pH and denaturant on reconfiguration dynamics of the Hamster and Rabbit Prion protein. This work not only provides a better understanding of early stage conformational dynamics, but also provides a way forward for a novel therapeutic strategy of drug development which can bind monomers and prevent aggregation at the earliest step.
Child abuse pediatrics: research, policy and practice.

THE 5 ARTICLES in this issue of Academic Pediatrics are illustrative of excellent research being conducted in the recently recognized subspecialty of child abuse pediatrics. There are clear implications for future research, practice, and policy in this field. Three ofthepapersinvolveensuringthatmedicalassessments of possible maltreatment be as accurate as possible. Physicians often offer critical information for child protective services (CPS) to decide whether to substantiate suspected maltreatment. The ramifications of these decisions can be far reaching. Substantiation may lead to children being removed from their homes. An alleged perpetrator may be arrested, tried, and imprisoned. Alternatively, erroneously not identifying maltreatment may allow ongoing abuse and neglect. It is naturally important that these decisions be made as carefully and accurately as possible. Even a relatively low error rate should not be accepted. In other serious circumstances in medicine, a high standard of diagnostic accuracy is demanded. Child protection teams (CPTs) play an important role in consulting with hospital staff regarding the likelihood of maltreatment. Their work is complex, comprising multiple disciplines and often including representatives from community agencies as well as sensitive relationships with hospital staff, family members, and outside professionals. Their consultation involves the high stakes mentioned previously. It is imperative that CPTs conduct their work in a highly professional, optimal manner. Many CPT chairs and members, however, likely have limited training in understanding and fostering team processes. The article by Kistin et al 1 describes a valuable tool for CPTs to assess and improve their functioning. The tool covers several core areas of team functioning; however, others could be added to more comprehensively capture a CPT’s functioning. For example, what is the team’s process for arriving at a consensus? The tool focuses mostly on a CPT’s internal working, but relationships with hospital staff and outside agencies are also important.
Monitoring Tropical Forest Degradation in Betampona Nature Reserve, Madagascar Using Multisource Remote Sensing Data Fusion

This paper demonstrates how animal and plant species diversity in the Betampona Nature Reserve (BNR), Madagascar has become threatened through forest degradation and the introduction of invasive species over the last two decades. First, land-use changes and agricultural activities were analyzed using Landsat and IKONOS-2 data from 1990 to 2010. Then, a decision tree algorithm was developed to map under canopy invasive plant species using high resolution optical stereo imaging, land-use classification, and characterizing plant growth using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and polarimetric InSAR observations from Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR). Next, causal association between land use, climate change, and spatial and temporal dynamics of invasive plant species distribution was explored using satellite derived and in situ climate variables, changes in drought regimes, and tropical cyclones. Results showed that the region experienced intense land-use changes characterized by significant increase in agricultural lands at the cost of primary forest and other land-cover types. Encroachment by habitat-altering invasive plants from 2005 to 2012 within the reserve was obvious, and were probably attributable to illegal logging, erosion of the reserve boundary from anthropogenic activities and cyclone damage as well as shifts in drought regimes. The spatial extent of guava ( Psidium cattleianum ) has increased from 5.6% of the reserve in 2005 to 7.9% in 2012, a 55-ha increase over less than 7 years. Madagascar cardamom ( Aframomum angustifolium ) has increased by 1.7% and Molucca raspberry ( Rubus moluccanus ) by 2.3%, respectively.
Intermediate changes in high energy elastic scattering from atoms

Abstract Correction of the Glaubner T -matrix to account for target particle motion and energy change in elastic scattering of charged particles from atomic systems is found to vanish to leading order.
Ion implantation doping and electrical properties of high‐temperature ladder polymers

We report the first ion implantation doping studies on high-temperature ladder polymers and show that insulting films of the benzimidazobenzophenanthroline-type ladder polymer (BBL) can be doped by boron, argon, and krypton implantation to conductivities as high as 224 S/cm at a dose of 4.0 × 1016/cm2 while retaining the excellent mechanical properties of the pristine films. Effects of dose (ions/cm2) and beam current density (microamps/cm2) on electrical conductivity at fixed ion energies are reported. The temperature dependence of the conductivity indicates that the implanted ladder polymer films are semiconductors. Spatially selective implantation, creating regions of conducting lines in an insulating matrix, which suggests microelectronic device applications of the ladder polymers, is demonstrated.
ZD1611, an orally active endothelin-A receptor antagonist, prevents chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in the rat.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor and comitogen implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We evaluated the effects of an ET(A)receptor-selective antagonist, ZD1611, on hypoxia-induced PH in rats. > and > paradigms were established in which rats were administered placebo or ZD1611 (1-3 mg/kg, q.i.dpo) concomitant with hypoxic exposure (10% O(2)1 ATM) for 14 days or beginning after 7-day hypoxic exposure for 21 days. Compared with normoxic controls, hypoxic exposure plus placebo increased (P<0.05) hematocrit, mass ratio of right ventricle over left ventricle plus septum (RV/LV+S), and right intraventricular peak systolic pressure (RVSP). These latter two effects were decreased (P<0.05) by ZD1611 in both experimental paradigms [RV/LV+S(%)::RVSP(%); prophylactic, 14::32; therapeutic, 28::37]. Hypoxic exposure did not change mean systemic arterial pressure (MSAP). ZD1611 did not affect MSAP, plasma ET-1 concentrations, or blood gases measured when rats respired room air. In mechanistic studies, ZD1611 decreased (P<0.01) smooth muscle hypertrophy of small pulmonary arteries and abolished hypoxia-induced decreases in sensitivity and maximum contraction to ET-1 in isolated extralobar branch pulmonary artery. In conclusion, the ET(A)receptor-selective antagonist, ZD1611, attenuates hypoxia-induced PH in the rat.
Metabolic consequences of coronary stenosis. Transmurally heterogeneous myocardial ischemia studied by spatially localized 31P NMR spectroscopy

Coronary stenosis results in transmurally non-uniform blood flow with the inner layers of the left ventricular wall typically suffering a more severe hypoperfusion relative to the outer layers. Coupled with numerous other transmural non-uniformities such as systolic tension development and oxygen needs, the heterogeneous blood flow distribution in the presence of coronary stenosis is expected to result in transmurally heterogeneous ischemia. All previous NMR spectroscopy studies of myocardial metabolism and bioenergetics under normal and ischemic conditions treated the organ as a homogeneous tissue. We have utilized spatially localized 31P NMR spectroscopy together with non-NMR measurements of regional blood flow to study the myocardium with transmural spatial differentiation under normal and flow-restricted conditions. 31P NMR and blood flow data obtained concurrently on each heart revealed that sustained coronary artery stenosis resulted in transmurally non-uniform ischemia which largely paralleled the hypoperfusion pattern. The reduction in creatine phosphate content (with consequent elevation of Pi) and hypoperfusion was tightly correlated in the subendocardium for flow rates less than approximately 0.7 mL/min per g wet myocardium. The high energy phosphate and Pi content of the epicardium, however, was responsive not only to the flow to this region but also to the extent of ischemia in the subendocardial layers. These results document the utility of localized NMR spectroscopy in physiologic research and suggest potential biomedical applications due to the tight correlation noted between alterations in blood flow and changes in the phosphorylated metabolite levels detected by 31P NMR.
Hamiltonian model of quantum retina processing

In human eyes, retina cells have shown complicated, sophisticated structures, and thus capability of carrying out certain basic visual functions. In computer vision, a spherical model has been proposed to demonstrate that certain basic visual functions can be performed at the sensor/photoreceptor level for target recognition, mobile robotic control, and other applications. This paper will establish that low level computer vision in this spherical model exhibits a Hamiltonian model of quantum computation. This results will be important to the understanding of human vision as well as the development of intelligent visual sensor chips and devices in electronics and optics.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In vitro Phosphinate Methylation by PhpK from Kitasatospora Phosalacinea

Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine, cobalamin-dependent methyltransferases have been proposed to catalyze the methylations of unreactive carbon or phosphorus atoms in antibiotic biosynthetic pathways. To date, none of these enzymes has been purified or shown to be active in vitro. Here we demonstrate the activity of the P-methyltransferase enzyme, PhpK, from the phosalacine producer Kitasatospora phosalacinea. PhpK catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methylcobalamin to 2-acetylamino-4-hydroxyphosphinylbutanoate (N-acetyldemethylphosphinothricin) to form 2-acetylamino-4-hydroxymethylphosphinylbutanoate (N-acetylphosphinothricin). This transformation gives rise to the only carbon-phosphorus-carbon linkage known to occur in nature.
Vibrational spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of the low and high temperature phases of LiCo1−x MxO2 (M = Ni or Ti)

A spinel structure with the space group Fd3m is unambiguously assigned to LiCoO2 synthesized at 400 °C, according to Raman and infra-red spectra of LT-LiCoO2 and factor group analysis of the vibrational modes for the layered (R3m) and the spinel (Fd3m) structure models. The vibrational modes involving significant motion of lithium atoms are observed at 536 and 271 cm−1 for HT-LiCoO2, and at 451 and 267 cm−1 for LT-LiCoO2 in the infra-red spectra. Although solid solutions could be prepared for HT-LiCo1−xMxO2 (M = Ni, O < x < 1; M = Ti, x < 0.2) and LT-LiCo1−xNixO2 (x < 0.2) some impurities were observed in LT-LiCo1−xTixO2. The nickel or titanium-doped LT-LiCo1−x MxO2 (M = Ni and Ti, x < 0.2) cathodes exhibit smaller capacities than does their parent compound LT-LiCoO2.
Improving resident handoffs for children transitioning from the intensive care unit.

Background and Objective: Handoffs ensure patient safety during patient care transitions in the hospital setting. At our institution, verbal handoffs communicated by resident physicians are suggested practice for patients transferring from the PICU to the hospital medicine (HM) service. Despite their importance, these verbal handoffs occurred only 76% of the time before patient arrival on HM units. Our goal was to increase the completion rate of verbal handoffs to 100% within 5 months. Methods: Baseline data were collected in a daily survey of HM residents. Interventions were developed and tested on small, incremental change cycles. Key interventions included education about the importance of handoffs, standardization of the handoff process, standardization of handoff documentation, and identification and mitigation of handoff documentation failures. We tracked handoff completion rates by using statistical control charts. After success with improving the completion rate of patient handoffs to the HM service, we applied our process to handoffs from the PICU to all inpatient services. Results: Median completion of verbal patient handoff increased from 76% to 100% within 6 weeks, with improvement sustained for 15 months. Physician compliance with electronic medical record documentation increased from 58% to 94% within 8 months. After spreading to all patients transferring out of the PICU, documentation of patient handoffs increased from 76% to 94% in 5 months. Conclusions: A system using improvement science methods was successful in increasing the reliability of resident verbal patient handoffs. Consistent documentation and internal redundancy with checklists were associated with sustained improvement.
The spiral ganglion and hair cells of Bronx waltzer mice

Inner hair cells and spiral ganglion cells were counted in a mutant mouse strain (Bronx waltzer) reported to have very few of these cells (6) in order to determine if the remaining ganglion cells would be predominantly type II cells. These cell counts indicate a 50% reduction of spiral ganglion cells in Bronx waltzer cochleas compared to normal mice. Averaged throughout the cochlea about 11% of the remaining cells are type II cells while in normal mice this percentage is 5%. In some regions however, as many as 20% of the remaining cells are type II cells. Counts of IHC in surface preparations reveal 37 normal looking IHC (about 5% of the normal population) in each of two Bronx waltzer mouse cochleas. There were also about 120 shrunken IHC in each cochlea, representing 17% of the normal cell population. While there appears to be an increased proportion of type II cells in the Bronx waltzer spiral ganglion there are also many more type I cells than might be expected from the small number of IHC.
Compsaster formosusWorthen & Miller (Asteroidea; Echinodermata): A Carboniferous homeomorph of the post-Paleozoic Asteriidae

All adequately known post-Paleozoic asteroids are either assignable to surviving families or closely related families whereas no Paleozoic species assignable to a surviving order has been recognized. The Mississippian speciesCompsaster formosus is similar enough to various Recent taxa in overall form as well as in the form and arrangement of body wall ossicles to raise the issue of affinities: IsC. formosus nested within a phylogenetic branch hitherto known only from post-Paleozoic strata or is it only homeomorphic?
Improvements in dating tooth enamel by ESR.

Abstract ESR dating requires that growth curves be determined by interpreting complex spectra. Spectra, however, can vary significantly in shape and field position between different samples, or occasionally between subsamples, even though the mineralogy remains the same. In some cases, this spectral variability does not affect the resulting accumulated dose calculation. In other cases, signal subtraction may be needed. However, some samples that until recently might have been considered unsuitable for dating are now shown to yield accurate and precise results because a broad interference peak is integral to the hydroxyapatite signal. By studying the spectrum at the Q-band frequency, it can be shown that the interfering signal in most cases is not a problem for dating. A second concern has been that artificially irradiating sample aliquots can introduce a short-lived component that is simply an unstable enhancement of the dating signal. The apparent accumulated dose from growth curves created immediately after irradiation is considerably greater than that after annealing, although the curve's shape remains unchanged. Annealing both the natural and artificially irradiated signal shows the dating signal's lifetime to be greater than 10 10 years.
Multiflavor QCD* on R3 × S1: Studying transition from Abelian to non-Abelian confinement

Abstract The center-stabilized multiflavor QCD∗ theories formulated on R 3 × S 1 exhibit both Abelian and non-Abelian confinement as a function of the S 1 radius, similar to the Seiberg–Witten theory as a function of the mass deformation parameter. For sufficiently small number of flavors and small r ( S 1 ) , we show occurrence of a mass gap in gauge fluctuations, and linear confinement. This is a regime of confinement without continuous chiral symmetry breaking ( χ SB ). Unlike one-flavor theories where there is no phase transition in r ( S 1 ) , the multiflavor theories possess a single phase transition associated with breaking of the continuous χ S . We conjecture that the scale of the χ SB is parametrically tied up with the scale of Abelian to non-Abelian confinement transition.
Regular Article: A Fast Adaptive Multipole Algorithm in Three Dimensions

We present an adaptive fast multipole method for the Laplace equation in three dimensions. It uses both new compression techniques and diagonal forms for translation operators to achieve high accuracy at a reasonable cost.