cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substance P induces adverse myocardial remodelling via a mechanism involving cardiac mast cells

Aims: Substance P and neurokinin A (NKA) are sensory nerve neuropeptides encoded by the TAC1 gene. Substance P is a mast cell secretagogue and mast cells are known to play a role in adverse myocardial remodeling. Therefore, we wondered whether substance P and/or NKA modulated myocardial remodeling via a mast cell-mediated mechanism. Methods and Results : Volume overload was induced in TAC1 -/- mice and their respective wild types. Left ventricular internal diameter of wild type (WT) fistulas increased by 31.9%; this was prevented in TAC1 -/- mice (4.2%). Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was significantly increased in WT fistula mice and was prevented in TAC1 -/- mice. Myocardial collagen volume fraction was decreased in WT fistula mice; this collagen degradation was not observed in the TAC1 -/- group. There were no significant differences in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or cell death. Cardiac mast cells were isolated from rat hearts and stimulated with substance P or NKA. We found that these cells degranulated only to substance P, via the neurokinin-1 receptor. To determine the effect of substance P on mast cells in vivo, volume overload was created in Sprague-Dawley rats treated with the NK-1 receptor antagonist, L732138 (5mg/kg/d) for a period of 3 days. L732138 prevented: 1) increases in cardiac mast cell density; 2) increased myocardial TNF-α; and 3) collagen degradation. Conclusions: Our studies suggest that substance P may be important in mediating adverse myocardial remodeling secondary to volume overload by activating cardiac mast cells leading to increased TNF-α and MMP activation, with subsequent degradation of the extracellular matrix.
Pattern of stingray injuries reported to Texas poison centers from 1998 to 2004.

This study examined the relationship between selected factors and all human exposures involving stingray injuries reported to Texas poison centers. Cases were obtained retrospectively from calls to poison centers in Texas and included all reported human exposures involving stingray injuries from 1998 to 2004. The distribution of cases was determined for a variety of demographic and clinical parameters. A total of 153 cases were identified. The reported stingray injury penetrance increased during the 7-year period. Of the cases with a known patient age, 2% were 19 years. The stingray injuries occurred in public areas in 54% of the cases. In 61% of cases, the management site was reported not to be a health care facility. Of the cases with a known clinical outcome, none involved no effects and 53% involved minor effects. The highest proportion of stingray injuries occurred during the summer months, particularly August. In 60% of the cases, the calls originated from counties along the coast. This information can be used to identify those portions of the population most in need of education regarding the prevention and treatment of stingray injuries.
Direct in situ observation of structural transition driven actuation in VO2 utilizing electron transparent cantilevers

Direct imaging and quantification of actuation in nanostructures that undergo structural phase transitions could advance our understanding of collective phenomena in the solid state. Here, we demonstrate visualization of structural phase transition induced actuation in a model correlated insulator vanadium dioxide by in situ Fresnel contrast imaging of electron transparent cantilevers. We quantify abrupt, reversible cantilever motion occurring due to the stress relaxation across the structural transition from a monoclinic to tetragonal phase with increasing temperature. Deflections measured in such nanoscale cantilevers can be directly correlated with macroscopic stress measurements by wafer curvature studies as well as temperature dependent electrical conduction allowing one to interrogate lattice dynamics across length scales.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Laminated Composites Using Rayleigh Waves

The design and implementation of a nondestructive method for evaluating interlaminar bonding during the in-situ thermoplastic tow placement process was developed. This method utilizes two piezoelectric transducers in a “pitch-catch” arrangement.Each transducer is mounted on an acrylic wedge which, in turn, is mounted on a steel mediator wedge. This “double wedge” assembly produces Rayleigh surface waves in a composite specimen without a gel couplant. The received signals are analyzed for changes in the Rayleigh wave speed. Poorly bonded top most plies cause the Rayleigh wave velocity to decrease by as much as 30%. Verification of this bond quality sensor is demonstrated under various tape laying conditions. In each specimen, the Rayleigh wave velocity was measured.The bond quality was assessed quantitatively with a peel test and qualitatively by visual inspection (photomicrographs). The Rayleigh wave velocity was compared with the strength and thickness of the bond between the top ply and substrate. The R...
Local extracellular acidification caused by Ca2+-dependent exocytosis in PC12 cells

Summary Exocytosis of acidic synaptic vesicles may produce local extracellular acidification, but this effect has not been measured directly and its magnitude may depend on the geometry and pH-buffering capacity of both the vesicles and the extracellular space. Here we have used SNARF dye immobilized by conjugation to dextran to measure the release of protons from PC12 cells. The PC12 cells were stimulated by exposure to depolarizing K+-rich solution and activation was verified by fluorescence measurement of intracellular Ca2+ and the release kinetics of GFP-labeled vesicles. Confocal imaging of the pH-dependent fluorescence from the immobile extracellular SNARF dye showed transient acidification around the cell bodies and neurites of activated PC12 cells. The local acidification was abolished when extracellular solution was devoid of Ca2+ or strong pH-buffering was imposed with 10 mM of HEPES. We conclude that the release of secretory vesicles induces local rises in proton concentrations that are co-released from synaptic vesicles with the primary neurotransmitter, and propose that the co-released protons may modulate the signaling in confined micro-domains of synapses.
Real-time systems performance in the presence of failures

A unified methodology for modeling both soft and hard real-time systems is presented. Techniques that combine the effects of performance, reliability/availability, and deadline violation into a single model are used. An online transaction processing system is used as an example to illustrate the modeling techniques. Dynamic failures due to a transaction violating a hard deadline are taken into account by incorporating additional transitions in the Markov chain model of the failure-repair behavior. System performance in the various configurations is considered by using throughput and response-time distribution as reward rates. Since the Markov chains used in computing the distribution of response time are often very large and complex, a higher level interface based on a variation of stochastic Petri nets called stochastic reward nets is used. >
Monitor for displaying real-time images of low energy ion beams

Analytical Chemistry Division. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA A monitor that provides real-time images of low energy (< 50 eV) ion beams has been designed, constructed, and tested. The cross-sectional image of the beam at the entrance aperture of the monitor is magnified by a factor of 6.5 and displayed on a CRT, following current amplification by using a dual microchannel plate assembly. The monitor provides unambiguous information regarding the cross section of any low energy ion beam. Anplication in the design and testing of quadrupole-based mass spectrometers is emphasized,
Predictors of clinical metastasis in prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy: results from CaPSURE.

BACKGROUND: Virtually all patients with prostate cancer who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) will ultimately develop evidence of resistance to treatment. The prognosis for patients who develop metastatic castrate-resistant disease is reported to be poor, with overall survival historically estimated to be 24 to 36 months. The goal of the current study was to identify predictors of clinical disease progression in patients with prostate cancer who were receiving ADT. METHODS: Of the 13,740 men with biopsy–proven prostate cancer who were enrolled in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urological Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) database from 1995 to 2007, 4003 men treated with ADT after diagnosis without evidence of metastases at treatment initiation were identified. The primary endpoint was the development of bone metastasis. Clinical and pathologic characteristics were compared between patients who developed metastasis and those who did not using chi-square tests in a Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: The mean age of the men in the cohort was 70 years (range, 39-94 years). One hundred ninety-one men (4.8%) progressed to metastatic disease at a median of 18 months from the initiation of ADT (range, 1-139 months). On multivariate analyses, risk category (hazards ratio [HR], 2.58; P 33% (HR, 3.36; P = .003), age ≤65 years at diagnosis (HR, 2.11; P = .001, and prostate–specific antigen velocity on ADT (HR, 1.04; P < .001) were found to be significantly associated with the development of metastatic disease after ADT. CONCLUSIONS: Younger men with high–risk disease appear to have worse prognosis than older men with similar disease. This, along with the other prognostic variables established in the current study, may help identify candidates for clinical trials evaluating secondary treatments for patients with castrate-resistant disease. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Electron microscopic studies of planarian regeneration. IV. Cell division of neoblasts in Dugesia dorotocephala

There has been disagreement regarding the source of new cells for planarian regeneration. Electron microscopy was used to study this problem in surgically decapitated asexual Dugesia dorotocephala. Comparison of the fine structural morphology of cells found in prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase with those of various cell types in interphase shows that the mitotic cells and resulting daughter cells are all neoblasts. This mitosis, which appears quite classical, was observed in the parenchyma of preexisting tissue but not in the regeneration blastema. This accords with previous observations indicating that blastema cells are already differentiated out of the neoblast stage, and the present observation that mitotic activity appears restricted to neoblasts. However, persistence of neoblast characteristics, e.g., numerous free, or poly-, ribosomes and diminished, but still prominent, nuclear satellite material, indicate recent differentiation of blastema cells from neoblasts. Previous studies have shown a basal mitotic rate in the parenchymal neoblasts of uninjured asexual planarians. This mitotic incidence remains the same for the first day, then increases to a maximum on the second and third days following decapitation. Despite an exhaustive search involving construction of electronmicrographic montages of all or most of the wound area and adjacent tissue at various times ranging from 1 to 72 hours after decapitation, no evidence of cellular dedifferentiation was observed. Joint consideration of present and previous results indicate that new specialized cells, whether required for normal turnover replacement, asexual reproduction, or reconstitutive regeneration, are all differentiated from parenchymal neoblasts which maintain their numbers by mitotic production of more neoblasts.
Management Science in Marketing: The State of the Art

The author identifies areas within marketing in which management science efforts should be highly productive in the coming decade. Some of these areas involve the solution of problems that are inhibiting progress. Others entail extensions to productive lines of previous research. Still others consist of new opportunities which have not previously been given much attention.
Thermodynamics of the LiF-NaF-BeF2 system at high temperatures

Abstract Molten mixtures of LiF, NaF, and BeF2 may be useful as a liquid first wall in a fusion-energy reactor. For design, it is necessary to know the thermodynamic properties of these mixtures, in particular, the total pressure as a function of temperature and composition. For successful application inside fusion chambers, the total pressure normally should be small, on the order of 0.1 Pa or less. This work presents a simple molecular-thermodynamic model based on the “chemical” theory of solutions with corrections for physical interactions. Parameters in this model are obtained from experimental binary and ternary data reported previously. The simple model, with only a few adjustable parameters, provides a good description of the thermodynamic properties for this system. For the temperature range 600–650 ° C at BeF2 mole fractions between 0.3 and 0.4, the total pressure is in the region 0.01–0.1 Pa.
Sequential azacitidine plus lenalidomide combination for elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia

There are limited treatment options for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia and prognosis of these patients remains poor, thereby warranting development of novel therapies. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of azacitidine in combination with lenalidomide as front-line therapy for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Patients ≥60 years of age with untreated acute myeloid leukemia received azacitidine 75 mg/m2 for 7 days followed by escalating doses of lenalidomide daily for 21 days starting on day 8 of each cycle every 6 weeks. Patients received continued therapy until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or completion of 12 cycles. Forty-two patients (median age, 74 years) were enrolled with equal distribution according to European LeukemiaNet risk. The overall response rate was 40% (rate of complete remission with or without complete recovery of blood counts = 28%). The median time to complete remission with or without complete recovery of blood counts was 12 weeks, and duration of this status was 28 weeks (range, 4 - >104 weeks). Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia and a high score on the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index were negative predictors of response. Early death was noted in 17% of patients. Grades ≥ 3 toxicities were uncommon and most adverse events were gastrointestinal, fatigue and myelosuppression. In conclusion, a sequential combination of azacitidine plus lenalidomide has clinical activity in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and further studies of this combination are underway. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as # NCT00890929.
Use of 'original antigenic sin' theory to determine the serotypes of previous dengue infections.

Abstract Determination of serotypes of dengue viruses involved in sequential infections is important since, according to a theory of the pathogenesis of dengue haemorrhagic fever, a particular serotype may be a risk factor. It has been reported in Asia that at least the serotypes involved in the first infections could be serologically identified by the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) because the highest PRNT titres after the second infections corresponded to the serotypes in the first infections. We re-examined the application of this theory of ‘original antigenic sin’ in Puerto Rico to evaluate its utility in serodiagnosis. Our results showed that it could not be applied reliably because of discrepant results.
Synthetic methyl- and dimethylalkanes Kovats indices, [13C]NMR and mass spectra of some methylpentacosanes and 2,X-dimethylheptacosanes

All possible isomeric mono-methylpentacosanes as well as 2,6-, 2,8-, 2,10-, 2,12-, and 2,14-dimethylheptacosane were synthesized. The [13C]NMR shifts and the Kovats indices were determined, and the relationship to separation of isomeric mixtures of insect cuticular waxes are discussed. When several homologous series of hydrocarbon isomeric mixtures are to be separated, it is not practical to attempt complete gas-chromatographic separation of all possible isomers. The mass spectra of the 2,X-dimethylheptacosanes are presented and discussed.
The black neutron detector

Abstract A fast time-response detector for absolute neutron flux measurements was designed. The detector consists of a medium size liquid scintillator tank with an entrance channel for a collimated neutron beam. The primary neutron energy is transformed by successive collisions into proton and carbon recoils resulting in a light flash which is detected by photo-multipliers at the surface of the scintillator volume. A favorable pulse height distribution is obtained with such additive device. The parametric dependence of the detection efficiency was studied using the Monte Carlo technique. A detector with a favorable set of parameters was built and checked experimentally. The evaluations and tests show this “Black Neutron Detector” to be a good instrument for precise absolute neutron flux measurements in the MeV energy region.
Protection of Primary Human T Cells from HIV Infection by Trev: A Transdominant Fusion Gene

ABSTRACT Gene therapy is one of several approaches that are being tested in the search for an effective anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment. In this strategy, a “protective” gene would be introduced into target cells, rendering them relatively resistance to the virus-induced cytopathicity. Tat and Rev are viral proteins essential for HIV gene expression. Tat increases viral gene transcription and Rev is responsible for the nuclear export of mRNA encoding structural viral proteins. A fusion protein (Trev) was constructed, joining Tat and Rev transdominant mutant gene sequences. Previously, we showed that Trev inhibits both Tat and Rev activities in Jurkat T cells. To determine whether Trev could inhibit HIV replication in primary cells, we transferred the trev gene to peripheral blood lymphocytes and challenged them with different HIV strains. Levels of HIV p24 antigen (Ag) were reduced 4- to 15-fold in cultures of Trev-CD4+ T cells infected with two HIV primary clinical isolates and were not...
Teratogenicity of cobalt chloride in Xenopus laevis, assayed by the FETAX procedure

The teratogenicity of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was tested by the FETAX (Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay: Xenopus) procedure in the South African frog, Xenopus laevis. In five assays, beginning at 5 h post-fertilization, groups of Xenopus embryos were incubated for 96 h in media that contained CoCl2 at concentrations ranging from 1.8 x 10(-6) to 1.8 x 10(-2) mol/L; control groups were incubated in the same medium without added CoCl2. At 101 h post-fertilization, surviving embryos were counted, fixed in formalin, and examined by microscopy to score malformations and measure head-to-tail lengths. In control embryos, survival was greater than or equal to 95% and malformations were less than or equal to 5%. Malformations were found in greater than 99% of embryos exposed to Co2+ levels greater than or equal to 56 mumol/L. Co2+)-exposed embryos showed a concentration-related pattern of malformations, comprising gut malrotation, ocular anomalies, kinked tail, craniofacial dysplasia, cardiac deformities, and dermal blisters. Other concentration-dependent abnormalities, not categorized as malformations, included stunted growth, edema, ventral distention, and hypopigmentation. The median embryolethal concentration (LC50) of CoCl2 was 10.4 (SE +/- 0.4) mmol/L; the median teratogenic concentration (EC50) was 25 (SE +/- 2) mumol/L; the teratogenic index (TI = LC50/EC50) was 416 (SE +/- 13), indicating that CoCl2 is a potent teratogen for Xenopus laevis.
Separation of graphs into three components by the removal of edges

Several ways to separate a connected graph into three components by the removal of edges are discussed. Graphical parameters that count the number of edges removed are introduced and the relations between these parameters are given.
Anticodon and acceptor stem nucleotides in tRNA(Gln) are major recognition elements for E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.

THE correct attachment of amino acids to their corresponding (cognate) transfer RNA catalysed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases is a key factor in ensuring the fidelity of protein biosynthesis. Previous studies have demonstrated that the interaction of Escherichia coli tRNAGln with glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) provides an excellent system1 to study this highly specific recognition process, also referred to as 'tRNA identity'2. Accurate acylation of tRNA depends mainly on two principles: a set of nucleotides in the tRNA molecule (identity elements) responsible for proper discrimination by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases1–3 and competition between different synthetases for tRNAs4–6. Elements of glutamine identity are located in the anticodon2, 7–9 and in the acceptor stem region, including the discriminator base5, 10–13. We report here the production of more than 20 tRNAGln2 mutants at positions likely to be involved in tRNA discrimination by the enzyme. Unmodified tRNA, containing the wild-type anticodon and U or G at its 5′-terminus, can be aminocylated by GlnRS with similar kinetic parameters to native tRNAGln2. By in vitro aminoacylation the mutant tRNAs showed decreases of up to 3 x 105-fold in the specificity constant (kcat/KM)14 with the major contribution of kcat. Despite these large changes, some of these mutant tRNAs are efficient amber suppressors in vivo. Our results show that strong elements for glutamine identity reside in the anticodon region and in positions 2 and 3 of the acceptor stem, and that the contribution of different identity elements to the overall discrimination varies significantly. We discuss our data in the light of the crystal structure of the GlnRS :tRNAGln complex15, 16.
The Role of High Shear in Continuous Miniemulsion Polymerization

Continuous miniemulsion polymerization has been carried out in a single CSTR with both hexadecane (HD) and a polymer as the hydrophobe. Conventional emulsion (macroemulsion) polymerizations using similar recipes exhibit the oscillatory behavior characteristic of micellar nucleation in a CSTR. The lack of such oscillations in the miniemulsion systems, and the observed increases in particle number and rate of polymerization characteristic of miniemulsions, indicate that both the HD- and polymer-stabilized miniemulsion polymerizations proceed via predominant droplet nucleation. In the absence of a high-shear device (sonicator or homogenizer), the systems revert to macroemulsion polymerizations, indicating that the presence of a hydrophobe alone is not sufficient to cause predominant droplet nucleation. Results indicate the viability of using a homogenizer as the high-shear device for miniemulsion polymerization. This is important for scale-up, since sonication on an industrial scale may not be practical.
Variability of serial CT scans in subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy (leigh disease)

Computed tomographic (CT) brain scans of patients with subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy (SNE) may reveal focal lesions that correspond to sites of anatomic involvement of the disease. Three patients with SNE were followed with serial CT brain scans. In two patients radiographic abnormalities appeared well after the onset of clinical symptoms. In all three patients the radiographic lesions changed with time. This variability seen with serial scanning is an important feature of SNE.
Electrochemical Synthesis of Optically Active Polyaniline Films

Polyaniline (PANI) thin films with high optical activity are prepared electrochemically on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates by polymerizing aniline in the presence of aniline oligomers and optically active camphor sulfonic acid (CSA). These optimized PANI chiral thin films have an anisotropic factor of 0.03 and an estimated molar ellipticity of 8.8 x 10 5 deg cm 2 dmol - 1 , ∼25 % higher than our previously synthesized chiral PANI nanofibers that were prepared using the chemical method. The thin film prepared without aniline oligomers is basically achiral. The electrochemical method does not require an oxidizing agent and allows control of the rate of polymerization reaction by varying the oxidation potential. The electrochemical polymerization also ensures that the initiation occurs solely with the oligomers. Varying the experimental parameters, such as oxidation potential and the choice of oligomers, allows tuning of optical activity, adsorption properties, crystallinity, and morphology of the PANI thin films.
Temperature dependence of ferromagnetic resonance linewidth in pure and substituted barium ferrite

Abstract Ferromagnetic resonance linewidth measurements at 56 GHz were performed over a temperature range of 50 to 300 K for pure and substituted single-crystal barium ferrite. In order to identify the various magnetic loss contributions, the linewidth measurements were carried out for spherical and planar samples and for different degrees of surface polish. The results can be qualitatively accounted for by a combination of two-magnon and Kasuya-LeCraw scattering.
EAR BIOMETRICS AND SPARSE REPRESENTATION BASED ON SMOOTHED l0 NORM

Ear biometrics attracted the attention of researchers in computer vision and machine learning for its use in many applications. In this paper, we present a fully automated system for recognition from ear images based upon sparse representation. In sparse representation, extracted features from the training data is used to develop a dictionary. Classification is achieved by representing the extracted features of the test data as a linear combination of entries in the dictionary. In fact, there are many solutions for this problem and the goal is to find the sparsest solution. We use a relatively new algorithm named smoothed l0 norm to find the sparsest solution and Gabor wavelet features are used for building the dictionary. Furthermore, we expand the proposed approach for gender classification from ear images. Several researches have addressed this issue based on facial images. We introduce a novel approach based on majority voting for gender classification. Experimental results conducted on the University of Notre Dame (UND) collection J data set, containing large appearance, pose, and lighting variations, resulted in a gender classification rate of 89.49%. Furthermore, the proposed method is evaluated on the WVU data set and classification rates for different view angles are presented. Results show improvement and great robustness in gender classification over existing methods.
Petroleum Development Moratoria on Georges Bank: Environmental Decision Making Where Values Predominate

The U.S. and Canada have each recently extended moratoria on petroleum activities on Georges Bank, an offshore area between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia which is ecologically rich and, historically, has supported valuable fisheries. In both the U.S. and Canada the question of moratorium extension has been viewed in isolation with little reference to the larger goal of optimum overall management of Georges Bank. The U.S. moratorium was extended by executive order without any formal process of public comment or scientific review. In Canada a Georges Bank Review Panel was established by statute to conduct a public review of environmental and socio-economic impacts of petroleum exploration on the bank. The panel examined technical information concerning Georges Bank and offshore petroleum operations and gathered public comments concerning extension of the moratorium. This paper examines the work of the review panel and concludes that (1) the Canadian decision-making process for the question of moratorium extensio...
Nitric Oxide Deficiency Contributes to Large Cerebral Infarct Size

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by a deficit in nitric oxide (NO) in contributing to the large cerebral infarcts seen in hypertension. Cerebral infarction was produced in rats by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Studies were performed in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats subjected to NO synthase blockade (N(G)-nitro-L-arginine [L-NNA], 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) in drinking water) and in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP). NO released in the brain in response to MCA occlusion was monitored with a porphyrinic microsensor in Wistar-Kyoto rats. The increment in NO released with MCA occlusion was 1.31+/-0.05 micromol/L in L-NNA-treated rats, 1.25+/-0.04 micromol/L in SHRSP, 2. 24+/-0.07 micromol/L in control SD rats, and 2.25+/-0.06 micromol/L in Wistar-Kyoto rats (P<0.0001 for control versus the other groups). Infarct sizes in the L-NNA-treated and control SD rats were 8.50+/-0. 8% and 5.22+/-0.7% of the brain weights, respectively (P<0.05). The basilar arterial wall was significantly thicker in L-NNA-treated rats compared with their controls. We conclude that both the deficit in NO and the greater wall thickness contribute to the larger infarct size resulting from MCA occlusion in SHRSP and in L-NNA-treated rats compared with their respective controls.
Long-Term Nonrelationship of Widespread and Increasing Firearm Availability to Homicide in the United States:

This article seeks to examine the common view that widespread availability of firearms is a major cause, or even the principal cause, of high American rates of homicide. Reasonably accurate data as to both homicide rates and the acquisition and ownership of firearms in the United States are available back to the mid-1940s. These data do not show a correlation over the long term between the distribution of firearms in the population at large and homicide rates. The two variables do cross occasionally, but they do not do so consistently. Rather, the trend in the period 1973-1997 was one of very large increases in firearms accompanied by essentially flat, even diminishing, homicide rates. That is the general rule for the period since the end of World War II to date.
Molecular Cloning, Sequence Analysis, Expression, and Tissue Distribution of Suppressin, a Novel Suppressor of Cell Cycle Entry

Suppressin (SPN) is an inhibitor of cell proliferation that was originally identified and purified to homogeneity from bovine pituitaries (LeBoeuf, R. D., Burns, J. N., Bost, K. L., and Blalock, J. E. (1990)J. Biol. Chem. 265, 158–165). In this report we have cloned the full-length cDNA encoding rat SPN and have identified the tissue distribution of SPN expression. The cDNA of SPN is 1882 nucleotides with a 1488-base coding region and 55 and 339 nucleotides of 5′- and 3′-untranslated sequences, respectively. Northern gel analysis of rat pituitary mRNA showed a single hybridizing species at ∼2 kilobases. Sequence analyses showed that the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of SPN are novel and unrelated to any known vertebrate inhibitors of proliferation. However, the deduced amino acid sequence of SPN contains two domains that have extensive sequence identity with a recently cloned transcription activator inDrosophila, deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF-1, see Gross, C. T., and McGinnis, W. (1996) EMBO J.15, 1961–1970) suggesting that SPN represents a vertebrate cognate of deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analyses showed that the SPN mRNA and the SPN protein are expressed in every tissue examined including testis, spleen, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, heart, and brain suggesting that SPN may be involved in the control of proliferation in a variety of cell types.
Associations and Non-Market Coordination in Banking: France and Eastern Germany Compared:

Research on employer coordination in the advanced capitalist countries has focused almost exclusively on the manufacturing sector, even though the service sector is responsible for most employment growth. This article considers organizational change in the service sector, comparing structurally similar networks of public savings banks in France and eastern Germany. It finds that the capacities of peak associations to circulate information widely among members, and to develop strategies that allow associational expertise to be combined with local knowledge, help overcome managerial uncertainty during organizational restructuring.
Utilization of present knowledge of probabilistic structural reliability in analyses of nuclear power plants

Abstract A brief review is presented of the utilization of present knowledge of probabilistic reliability in analysis of nuclear power plants.
A robust DSP integrator for accelerometer signals

The need for an accepted method for determining position data from digital accelerometer readings with known frequency range is very important. The method of this paper uses spectral information and provides more stability and accuracy than classic methods for the DSP case. It even reduces to a classic method for the nonoscillatory case. Examples show the robustness of the method, overcoming the instability apparent with other integration methods.
Simulations in the Classroom

(1984). Simulations in the Classroom. Improving College and University Teaching: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 144-145.
Compressible vortex reconnection

Reconnection of two antiparallel vortex tubes is studied as a prototypical coherent structure interaction to quantify compressibility effects in vorticity dynamics. Direct numerical simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations for a perfect gas are carried out with initially polytropically related pressure and density fields. For an initial Reynolds number (Re = Γ /v, circulation divided by the kinematic viscosity) of 1000, the pointwise initial maximum Mach number (M) is varied from 0.5 to 1.45. At M=0.5, not surprisingly, the dynamics are essentially incompressible. As M increases, the transfer of Γ starts earlier. For the highest M, we find that shocklet formation between the two vortex tubes enhances early Γ transfer due to viscous cross-diffusion as well as baroclinic vorticity generation. The reconnection at later times occurs primarily due to viscous cross-diffusion for all M. However, with increasing M, the higher early Γ transfer reduces the vortices’ curvature growth and hence the Γ transfer rate; i.e. for the Re case studied, the reconnection timescale increases with M. With increasing M, reduced vortex stretching by weaker ‘bridges’ decreases the peak vorticity at late times. Compressibility effects are significant in countering the stretching of the bridges even at late times. Our observations suggest significantly altered coherent structure dynamics in turbulent flows, when compressible.
Increased apoB100 mRNA in inbred strains of mice by estrogen is caused by decreased RNA editing protein mRNA.

Abstract Estrogen administration to rats diminishes all apoproteins and lipoproteins from plasma. In contrast, some inbred strains of mice raise their plasma apoB and LDL levels by more than 2-fold (Srivastava et al., 1993, Eur. J. Biochem.216, 527-538). Further studies with 13 inbred strains of mice given 3 μg β-estradiol/g body weight/day for 5 consecutive days suggest that some mouse strains increased their apoB and LDL levels and some did not. To examine the mechanism of influence of genetic factors on apoB regulation, two strains, C57L and C57BL, that increased their VLDL- and LDL-cholesterol, and 2 strains, BALB and C3H, that did not, were chosen. Estrogen increased plasma apoB levels selectively in the strains C57L and C57BL, termed as ′responders,′ but did not change in BALB and C3H, termed as ′non-responders.′ One of the mechanisms for increased plasma apoB levels could be through increased production of apoB-containing particles. This possibility was investigated. ApoB and REPR mRNA were quantified by RNase protection assay, and apoB-100 mRNA by apoB mRNA editing assay. Hepatic apoB mRNA increased by 30% in ′non-responders,′ but decreased by 20% in the ′responders.′ However, apoB-100 mRNA increased relative to apoB-48 mRNA in all the 4 strains by 50%. The mRNA for RNA editing protein (REPR) decreased in all strains, suggesting that apoB-100 mRNA increased as a result of decreased apoB mRNA editing activity. These results suggest that:(a) modulation of apoB mRNA by estrogen was strain-specific;(b) increased apoB100 mRNA in inbred strains of mice were caused by decreased apo8 mRNA editing activity;and(c) the differences in the plasma apoB levels among ′responder′ and ′nonresponder′ strains of mice occur through mechanisms other than the apoB mRNA editing.
Wavelet processing of SAR ocean wave images

Use of the wavelet transform to reduce noise and enhance the appearance of individual wave structure in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image of the ocean surface is examined. Results are shown for images generated by aircraft (ERIM) and spacecraft (SIR-B) based radars.
Thermal Activity of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Piers

Four geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) piers were constructed in 2012 to support two decommissioned 25.9 m concrete I-girders at the Federal highway Administration's (FHWA’s) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia. Two of the GRS piers are built with an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) No. 8 open-graded aggregate while two are built with an AASHTO A-1-a well-graded aggregate. Survey targets, strain gages, and pressure cells were installed on and in the piers to evaluate long term performance. Through these monitoring efforts, it was discovered that the piers with the well-graded aggregate behaved differently and experienced increased settlement after the first winter cycle. To investigate this further, one of these piers was wrapped with a warming blanket set to turn on when the ambient temperature drops to 1°C to ensure the system remained above freezing. In addition, slide wire potentiometers were installed to monitor the thermal movement of both the I-girders and the face of the walls. The relative movement between the face and the beam provides insight into the super-substructure interaction for GRS. As with the increased settlement for well-graded aggregates during thermal cycles, there is also thermal movement impacting performance. The use of well-graded backfill with any appreciable fine content, regardless of plasticity, may result in thaw weakening and increased movements. Observations also indicate that the I-girders and GRS piers move together. This paper will describe the testing, present results, and provide recommendations on the use of well-graded backfills for GRS piers.
Governance Lessons The Case of Charter Schools

Charter schools are one of the newest, most frequent, and controversial approaches to introducing parental choice and competition in educational systems. The policy questions raised by charter scho...
Two-decision-maker cooperative games with fuzzy preferences

In game theory, two or more parties need to make decisions with fully or partially conflicting objectives. In situations where reaching a more favourable outcome depends upon cooperation between the two conflicting parties, some of the mental and subjective attitudes of the decision makers must be considered. While the decision to cooperate with others bears some risks due to uncertainty and loss of control, not cooperating means giving up potential benefits. In practice, decisions must be made under risk, uncertainty, and incomplete or fuzzy information. Because it is able to work well with vague, ambiguous, imprecise, noisy or missing information, the fuzzy approach is effective for modeling such multicriteria conflicting situations. The wellknown game of Prisoner's Dilemma, which reflects a basic situation in which one must decide whether to cooperate or not with a competitor, is systematically solved using a fuzzy approach. The fuzzy procedure is used to incorporate some of the subjective attitudes of the decision makers that are difficult to model using classical game theory. Furthermore, it permits researchers to consider the subjective attitudes of the decision makers and make better decisions in subjective, uncertain, and risky situations.
The matilda effect in science: awards and prizes in the US, 1990s and 2000s.

Science is stratified, with an unequal distribution of research facilities and rewards among scientists. Awards and prizes, which are critical for shaping scientific career trajectories, play a role in this stratification when they differentially enhance the status of scientists who already have large reputations: the ‘Matthew Effect’. Contrary to the Mertonian norm of universalism – the expectation that the personal attributes of scientists do not affect evaluations of their scientific claims and contributions – in practice, a great deal of evidence suggests that the scientific efforts and achievements of women do not receive the same recognition as do those of men: the ‘Matilda Effect’. Awards in science, technology, engineering and medical (STEM) fields are not immune to these biases. We outline the research on gender bias in evaluations of research and analyze data from 13 STEM disciplinary societies. While women’s receipt of professional awards and prizes has increased in the past two decades, men co...
Shaking from Injection‐Induced Earthquakes in the Central and Eastern United States

Abstract In this study, I consider the ground motions generated by 11 moderate ( M w 4.0–5.6) earthquakes in the central and eastern United States that are thought or suspected to be induced by fluid injection. Using spatially rich intensity data from the U.S. Geological Survey “Did You Feel It?” system, I show the distance decay of intensities for all events is consistent with that observed for tectonic earthquakes in the region, but for all of the events, intensities are lower than the values predicted from an intensity prediction equation that successfully characterizes intensities for regional tectonic events. I introduce an effective intensity magnitude M IE , defined as the magnitude that on average would generate a given intensity distribution. For all 11 events, M IE is lower than the event magnitude by 0.4–1.3 magnitude units, with an average difference of 0.82 units. This suggests stress drops of injection‐induced earthquakes are systematically lower than tectonic earthquakes by an estimated factor of 2–10. However, relatively limited data suggest intensities for epicentral distances less than 10 km are more commensurate with expectations for the event magnitude, which can be reasonably explained by the shallow focal depth of the events. The results suggest damage from injection‐induced earthquakes will be especially concentrated in the immediate epicentral region.
Menstrual hut visits by Dogon women: a hormonal test distinguishes deceit from honest signaling

In humans the interests of males and females may conflict with respect to the attribution of paternity. If a female has conceived through adultery, or changes mates while she is in early pregnancy, she may protect her reproductive investment by misassigning paternity. In Mali, West Africa, Dogon males attempt to prevent female deception by mandating honest advertisement of menstruation (Strassmann, 1992). This advertisement takes place at a menstrual hut where women are on display to all the members of their husband's lineage. Knowledge of the timing of menstruation is pivotal because no other physiological event is as useful in paternity assessments. In this article I use hormonal data and a census of menstrual hut visits to quantify female compliance with the menstrual taboos. The sample includes 93 women who provided urine samples twice weekly for 10 weeks. Analysis of urinary steroid hormone metabolites (pregnanediol-3-glucuronide and estrone-3-glucuronide) demonstrates that the women went to the menstrual huts during 86% of all menses and, with the exception of one woman who may have been spotting, they never went to the menstrual huts during pregnancy or amenorrhea. Thus the menstrual taboos of the Dogon were effective in eliciting honest signals of female reproductive status (pregnant, amenorrheic, or cycling). This study is the first to use hormonal data to test the honesty of a human behavior in a nonlaboratory setting. It also establishes the feasibility of urinary enzyme immunoassays as a tool for studying human reproduction in remote populations.
Distributive Justice and the Tensions of Lockeanism

An ongoing tension exists within the Lockean tradition in political philosophy between the claim that each individual is the “Proprietor of his own Person” and the claim that nature is “that which God gave to Mankind in common.” The former claim points to a realm of discrete individual entitlements only formally equal in the sense of each individual having jurisdiction over his own person and not over any other person, while the latter points either to a collective entitlement to nature or to individual entitlements to substantively equal shares of nature. Were the two realms, that of persons and that of extra-personal nature, separate and independent, no tension would arise from the union of these two claims. But the realms are manifestly interconnected. Individuals acquire, use, labor upon, invest their time and energy on, and transform, more or less in accordance with their purposes, elements of extra-personal nature. And Locke and his followers believe that at least certain of these interactions with segments of nature give rise to individual property rights to the segments thereby appropriated, labored upon, transformed, or whatever. The traditional bridging notion is each person's right to his own labor which is seen as part of each person's proprietorship over himself. According to this tradition, if the right of each individual over his own person is to be respected, individual titles to appropriated, labored upon, or transformed nature must also be respected.The task for anyone seeking to embrace all the strands within this Lockean heritage is to reconcile, a) this right to one's own labor and the (or some) system of private property rights tied to it (which system will include historical entitlement principles for legitimating later property configurations) plus the right of self-ownership (or some equivalent) which lies behind the right to one's own labor, with b) some distributionist ideal, at least with regard to natural resources.
A visualization tool for mechanical design

We present a new visualization approach to support design for manufacturing (DFM). This involves the correlation of manufacturing problems with the causative geometric characteristics. We then discuss the use of distance transform and 3-D thinning to extract these characteristics from a voxelized object. In contrast to current computer aided engineering (CAE) tools, our system is very efficient and simple to use. It does not require the skill and experience to generate and control a numerical mesh and interpret the results. The specifically tailored visualization system makes the results self-evident. Though the current domain is die casting, it could potentially be applied to many net shape processes.